Carlisle United had the best ground staff in League One last season - and that's official.

The Blues have been named the grounds team of the season in the third tier.

The prestigious accolade is a reward for stadium manager David Mitchell and his team for their work on United's pitch.

It is the latest award received by Mitchell and the Blues in his long and highly-respected spell overseeing the playing surface at Brunton Park.

Carlisle came out on top of League One's 24 clubs, beating champions Portsmouth and Exeter City into the highly commended positions in the EFL awards.

They were joined on the winner's podium by Leicester City, who took the Championship prize, and Stockport County, who were the League Two winners.

The EFL say their awards "celebrate the staff who work tirelessly throughout the season, and in all weathers, to ensure that pitch surfaces are of the highest quality."

The judging process involves marks by match referees, with the top-rated clubs in each division then visited by the STRI (Sports Turf Research Institute), who carry out further assessments covering pitch quality, environmental conditions and usage, resources, management and sustainability.

United, the judges said, had kept their pitch in "exceptional condition" in spite of their difficult campaign in the third tier.