MANCHESTER United may be the championship favourites but Blackburn Rovers have already finished top of one table.

The Ewood pitch has been named as the best in the Premiership - and head groundsman Steve Patrick is absolutely delighted.

Rovers pipped Arsenal and Sheffield Wednesday for the top-flight award to go up against the winners of the three Football League divisions.

Steve has been close to topping the pile in the past and he said: "It's a credit to all the groundstaff to be nominated, for there are a lot of excellent playing surfaces around.

"We believe Ewood is as good as anywhere and we are delighted to have been chosen as number one."

Points are awarded during the season before representatives from the Sports Turf Research Institute at Bingley, the Institute of Groundsmanship and the FA Playing Surfaces Committee judge the winners.

Visiting teams, managers and referees and linesmen award points for pitches during the course of a season.

These were totalled up recently and a short list of the top three, Ewood, Hillsborough and Highbury, was produced.

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