FOREST GREEN groundsman Adam Witchell has reached the final of a prestigious groundsmanship industry awards.

Witchell has been nominated as the SISGrass Unsung Hero of the Year.

The winners will be announced Oscar-style at the IOG Industry Awards dinner by host Mark Saggers from talkSPORT radio at the National Conference Centre, within the National Motorcycle Museum, on Wednesday, November 2.

Now in its eighth year, the awards event acknowledges the high standards achieved by volunteer and professional grounds teams as well as individuals at facilities ranging from grassroots to professional stadia level, plus contractors within the industry.

“This year’s entries broke all records with more entries per category than any previous year,” says IOG chief executive Geoff Webb.

“The judges, all of whom are groundsmen, were particularly impressed with the quality of submissions. Indeed, each year the quality of applications improves.

“Anyone nominated should be recognised regardless of whether they make the final stage. It just shows the range and dedication of those working at both professional and volunteer level, day in and day out. The awards cover a diverse range of categories where quality truly shines through.”

He added: “The awards event would not be possible without the generosity of all our sponsors who have enabled the awards to become such a landmark event of the year. The industry’s support is valued and has undoubtedly created the conditions for a sell-out event and one that enjoys national and regional TV, radio, social media and press coverage.”