From when he was a boy, Eddie Potkins dreamed of dazzling crowds in the country's biggest football stadiums.

But not as a player. Eddie always wanted to be a groundsman.

Now the 37-year-old has won one of the highest accolades in his profession.

He has been named FA groundsman of the year for keeping Worthing's football pitches in top condition.

Eddie, from King Edward Avenue, Worthing, has been a football fan since playing for the school team at Chatsmore High School more than two decades ago.

But it is the state of the grass that really interests him. He is well aware that the quality of a pitch can make or break a game.

If it weren't for his attentive mowing, planting and rolling, grounds would either be too firm, putting players in danger of injury, or too soft, meaning the ball wouldn't bounce high enough.

Eddie said: "Winning the award is a great honour - I feel like I have won the FA Cup.

"I've been a groundsman for 21 years and this has come at a nice time.

"My colleagues and I put a lot of time and effort into making the pitches look good.

"Like playing football, it's a real team effort.

"Between Kevin Burt, Paul Cherriman and myself, who make up the north Worthing team, we have more than 50 years of experience.

"I love my work and I take pride in it. This is another feather in my cap.

"I would love to have gone to Japan to work on the grounds for the World Cup but they are so good I don't think I could have improved them.

"I don't think people realise what goes into looking after a pitch before a match and out of season. It's very technical and can really affect a game."

Eddie, who is employed by Continental Landscapes on their contract for Worthing Borough Council, won his title in the local authority section and finished second in the London and South East region.

He received a plaque at a ceremony at Bishop's Stortford FC in Hertfordshire.