Throughout the season, grounds teams across the leagues work tirelessly to maintain high-quality playing surfaces in all weather conditions.

The Grounds Team of the Season award highlights those who have delivered outstanding pitches over the course of the campaign in each division.

For every EFL league fixture, pitches are rated by the match referee and a representative from the visiting club. These assessments focus on grass coverage, traction and debris.

Clubs with the highest average scores in each division then receive a further assessment from STRI (Sports Turf Research Institute), who visit the shortlisted sites to evaluate overall surface quality.

The awards are administered by the Playing Surfaces Committee, of which the Grounds Management Association (GMA) is a part of, along with representatives from STRI, Premier League, EFL, Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) and the Football Association (FA).

Watford claimed the Championship accolade for the pitch at Vicarage Road, with Burnley and Middlesbrough earning high commendation.

In League One, Bolton Wanderers received top honours, with Stockport County and Blackpool both highly commended.

Accrington Stanley were named League Two winners, ahead of MK Dons, Notts County and Chesterfield, who were each highly commended.

Winners
Championship – Watford
League One – Bolton Wanderers
League Two – Accrington Stanley

Highly Commended
Championship – Burnley, Middlesbrough
League One – Stockport County, Blackpool
League Two – MK Dons, Notts County, Chesterfield