Looking Back: Taunton Town's Kevin Sturmey wins awards

Sturmey, who was also the club chairman and chief executive, travelled to St George's Park for the ceremony, where he was joined by groundsmen from Step Three and Step Four clubs from all over the country.

The Viridor Stadium pitch had been inspected in April by the head groundsmen from Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United, but the results of the competition were not announced until mid-August 2014.

Sturmey, who was accompanied by Town's head of football development, Mo Hopkins, won the award for Southern League Groundsman of the Year.

And even more impressively, he scooped the National Groundsman Award for Step Three and Step Four in the non-league pyramid, which incorporated 208 clubs in total.

Sturmey said at the time: "It was a fantastic day.

"To win the Southern League Groundsman of the Year was a great honour and then to win the national award was incredible, quite overwhelming.

"I hope it puts Taunton Town and the town of Taunton in the spotlight.

"I was embarrassed about our pitch when I used to help former groundsman Barry Holder in 2009 and we set about improving it.

"The improvement didn't show immediately but by 2011 it was in decent condition.

"Unfortunately Barry had to step down and I initially took over as head groundsman to save the club money after the clubhouse fire.

"The rest, as they say, is history, but I have to thank Barry as he was and still is a big influence on me when I need some advice, along with everyone else who has helped create what we now have.

"But it is a 365-day-a-year challenge and I will keep working hard to keep it at the level we have now achieved.

"I hope these awards and winning the Somerset Premier Cup is the start of many more successes coming our way.

"I would like to thank everyone who has contacted me and the club with their congratulations and messages of support."