The EFL has announced the winners of the Grounds Team of the Season award for 2017/18 in each of the three divisions.

Middlesborough won the award in the Championship

The awards recognise the importance of the quality of pitches for professional football and acknowledge the clubs and their ground staff who consistently produce the best playing surfaces in the EFL.

In the Sky Bet Championship, the EFL said that Middlesbrough won the award for producing "a perfect pitch" at the Riverside this season. Fulham and Nottingham Forest were both highly commended.

In Sky Bet League One, Rotherham United's ground staff take top honours for the "excellent surface" at the New York Stadium. Blackburn Rovers and Milton Keynes Dons were highly commended.

The award for Grounds Team of the Season in Sky Bet League Two this year goes to Wycombe Wanderers, while the ground staff of Chesterfield and Swindon Town are highly commended.

Championship
Winner – Middlesbrough
Highly Commended – Fulham
Highly Commended - Nottingham Forest

League One
Winner – Rotherham United
Highly Commended – Blackburn Rovers
Highly Commended - Milton Keynes Dons

League Two
Winner – Wycombe Wanderers
Highly Commended – Chesterfield
Highly Commended - Swindon Town

The EFL's Grounds Team of the Season Awards are determined initially using marks from referees and away managers for each Sky Bet EFL game and are then followed by detailed pitch inspections and a review of management operations.

These visits were carried out by Dr Stephen Baker, Head of Sports Surface Technology at the Sports Turf Research Institute (STRI).