Terryland Park voted best surface

Terryland Park has been voted as the best surface in the eircom League of Ireland for the second year in succession, after Galway’s Noel Connolly was awarded the title of FAI / Institute of Groundsmanship Groundsman of the Year.

Terryland Park beat off competition from Ferrycarrig Park, home of Wexford Youths, and Tolka Park, which housed both Shelbourne and Shamrock Rovers this season.

This is the third season that the Groundsman of the Year award, sponsored by Scotts Fertilisers, has been awarded. Tommy Shiels was named as Groundsman of the Year in 2006 for his work at the Brandywell Stadium, while last season the award was won by Noel Connolly.

Connolly said that he was delighted to be named Groundsman of the Year a second time: “I am delighted to get two-in-a-row. It has been a hard year in the sense that we had an especially bad summer in terms of rainfall. Between the eircom League of Ireland and the Galway & District League, we play over 100 matches a year at Terryland Park, so the pitch never gets a rest.

“I think the standard of pitches in the eircom League of Ireland is definitely improving. The FAI and the Institute of Groundsmanship have put on some seminars for groundsmen and they are very important.”

2008 FAI / IOG Groundsman of the Year, sponsored by Scotts Fertilisers

1st: Noel Connolly (Terryland Park) 2nd: Sean O’Shea (Ferrycarrig Park)
3rd: Paddy Watson (Tolka Park)