OH Leuven wins Pro League Groundsmen Of The Year Award 2023

The secret? "Believe in what you do and push forward!

Again this year, the prestigious Pro League Groundsmen Of The Year Award 2023 was announced. After a thorough assessment of all soccer grounds in the Belgian Pro League, Oud-Heverlee Leuven (OH Leuven) won this award. For the second time in a row, and the third time in four years. An accomplishment!

The Pro League Groundsmen Of The Year Award is presented annually to the club with the best maintained playing field. 

This includes not only the quality of the grass, but also the overall condition of the field, drainage, lines and other aspects that contribute to the playability of the field. This award recognizes the hard work and dedication of the groundsmen, who ensure that players can perform their best in optimal conditions.

Better than R. Antwerp FC and Club Brugge

After all regular league games, the Match Delegate present, the head coach and captain of the opponent, and a representative of the TV rights holder Eleven Sports evaluate the home team's pitch. That happened in both the Jupiler Pro League and the Challenger Pro League. Based on those scores, an overall ranking is compiled at the end of the season. With an average score of 59 out of 60, OH Leuven is at the top, ahead of R. Antwerp FC and Club Brugge.

Consistency, planning and flexibility

Luke Russell, head groundsman at OH Leuven, and his team were obviously over the moon with this recognition: 

"This award proves once again that this team and by extension the club and all sponsors are doing very well. Because I and my team can still have as much knowledge as we want, without the support of for example Peter Onkelinx (senior operations manager OH Leuven) we would never be able to execute our plans."

"To create and maintain a good turf, it's best to follow the basics. First: be consistent. Second: follow your established schedule rigorously, but with the necessary flexibility. After all, grass is a living - and stubborn! - thing, not to mention the Belgian weather, which can change from day to day. But the most important thing is: always keep believing in yourself, even if you don't see the results from day one. And also: always look ahead. Because everything changes super fast, so if you don't want to be overtaken, you better be one step ahead of all developments and trends in the sector!"