BIOGRAPHY: Who was Arsenal's head groundsman, Steve Braddock, before he died?

Arsenal’s head groundsman, Steve Braddock, has passed away after a long illness.

Steve was ultimately responsible for the pitches at London Colney, Highbury and The Emirates since 1987 – his excellent work gave The Emirates its nickname, ‘The Carpet’.

SHORT BIOGRAPHY:

“Born and bred an Arsenal fan, Steve joined the club in August 1987, after a chance meeting with George Graham, who informed him that the club was looking for a new lead to be responsible for the pitch at Highbury. After getting the job, he set about creating a playing surface at Highbury that would be the envy of the footballing world – and he achieved exactly that. 

“He once said that when he went to his first ever match at Highbury as a boy, the one image that stuck in his memory wasn’t the players, or the crowd, but ‘the beautiful grass’. Steve dedicated his life to making sure our grass was always beautiful, for which we are eternally grateful.

“Our thoughts are with Steve’s wife Shuk, their daughters Jasmine and Lily, Steve’s sisters Janice and Susan, and all Steve’s family and friends.

“In Steve’s memory, our men’s first team will be wearing black armbands at our match at Bournemouth on Saturday. Under Steve, Arsenal’s pitch at Highbury became the game’s gold standard. He understood the art of preparing a pitch better than anyone in the game. Indeed, his skill and passion for groundskeeping earned him many individual accolades: numerous Premier League Pitch of the Season awards, ‘Turf’s Top Influencer’ in 2019, and in 2020 he became only the second person in history to enter the Grounds Management Association’s Hall of Fame.”