Portman Road’s pitch is among those to have been ranked highly commended in the 2025/26 Championship Grounds Teams of the Season awards.

Pitches are assessed referees at all EFL League matches before the top clubs from each division are visited by the STRI (Sports Turf Research Institute), who give their own ratings based on criteria including surface quality, environmental conditions and usage, resources, management and sustainability.

“It’s great for the team to get this recognition for all the hard work which has been put in across the season,” Town grounds manager Ben Connell told the club site.

“Andrew Cubitt, Harry Groves and Owen Woollard at the stadium go the extra mile each and every day to produce the best possible results and deserve so much credit for this award for everything they do.

“There has been significant investment from the club on our pitches in recent years and we are delighted we have been able to produce playing surfaces which meet the needs of the team.”

Leicester City won Grounds Team of the Season in the Championship with Blackpool and Swindon carrying off the gongs in Leagues One and Two.

Town’s pitch underwent a major renovation in the summer of 2023 when a hybrid surface was installed for the first time.

Watford’s Vicarage Road pitch was also judged highly commended in the Championship.

Photo: TWTD