Murrayfield team wins IOG Industry Award

The groundcare team at BT Murrayfield - the home of Scottish rugby and Edinburgh Rugby - were among the winners at the Institute of Groundsmanship (IOG) Industry Awards in Birmingham.

More than 640 people were on hand to celebrate achievement, innovation and leadership in groundsmanship - from grass roots level to professional stadia - at the Birmingham Metropole Hotel.

The four-strong Murrayfield team were singled out for managing to keep the stadium pitch, three practice pitches, an Astroturf surface and all other grass areas around the stadium grounds in prime condition, ready to host Scotland's national team and Edinburgh on a regular basis.

Murrayfield's groundcare team is also responsible for supplying first-class pitches to other Scottish professional and academy teams away from Murrayfield.

During a recent 12-month period, the pitch at Murrayfield endured around 230 hours of use.

The awards were hosted by TalkSPORT's Mark Saggers and welcomed delegates representing amateur and professional sectors as well as governing bodies and sports administrators from the UK and Europe.

With headline sponsorship from Rigby Taylor and Top Green, the awards are now in their seventh year and a full list of award winners can be found below - and also pictured above.

IOG Campey/Imants Football Grounds Team Of The Year: Leicester City FC

IOG Headland Amenity Cricket Grounds Team Of The Year: Sussex CCC

IOG John Deere Horse Racing Grounds Team Of The Year: Nottingham Racecourse

IOG Kubota Rugby Union Grounds Team Of The Year: BT Murrayfield Stadium

IOG Mansfield Sand Rugby League Grounds Team Of The Year: Leeds Rhinos (Leeds Rugby)

IOG Tennis Grounds Team Of The Year: The Queen's Club, London

IOG Bowling Green Groundsman/Team Of The Year: St Ives Bowls Club, Cambridge

IOG Souters Sports Independent School/University Sports Ground Team Of The Year: Whitgift School, Croydon

IOG National Governing Bodies Grassroots Sports Ground Team Of The Year: Beversbrook Sports Facility, Calne, Wiltshire

IOG National Governing Bodies Professional Sports Ground of the Year - St George’s Park, Burton upon Trent, Staffs

IOG Rigby Taylor/Top Green Young Groundsman of the Year - Ryan Powell, Everton FC

IOG Toro Most Promising Sports Turf Student of the Year - Michael Crew, The Hurlingham Club, London

IOG Briggs & Stratton Unsung Hero of the Year - Ian Darler, Cambridge United

IOG Ransomes Jacobsen Environmental Project of the Year - St George’s Park, Burton upon Trent, Staffs

IOG Charterhouse/Kubota Best Maintained Artificial Pitch of the Year - Manchester City FC

IOG International Ambassador of the Year - Philip Sharples, Azerbaijan

IOG Volunteer Groundsman of the Year - Loucas Xenophontos, Hertford Town FC, Herts

IOG Alex R Millar DLF/Ransomes Jacobsen Groundsman’s Groundsman of the Year Award – Jim Dawson, BT Murrayfield Stadium

IOG ICL Everris Syngenta Lifetime Achievement Award – Bob Smith, formerly head groundsman at Derby County FC’s Baseball Ground