[caption id="attachment_2876" align="alignleft" width="380" caption="Tommy Cumming"][/caption]

Tommy Cumming is chosen as Scotland 's top groundsman

Caley Jags' stalwart Tommy Cumming has won SFL Groundsman of the Year and Scottish Groundsman of the Year in recognition of his commitment to the playing surface at Tulloch Caledonian Stadium.

The former milkman  succeeds Celtic's John Hayes, the 2009 winner, and all at Caley Thistle are delighted at this accolade to a real character who has been groundsman since the club was launched and built its stadium.

"I'm thrilled to be honoured like this", says Tommy, "though the players have been giving me stick, saying that it's a fine surface because I try not to let them near it! When the stadium was built, there were fears in the south that we'd have a lot of home games postponed -- and instead we've a better record in that respect than most of the south sides.

"It takes a lot of preparation and hard work, but I get great satisfaction from seeing our pitch look so well in sunny times and stand up so well during winter weather. I'm pleased to be a part of the success story at this club."

Tommy, who had 20 years service with Caledonian FC in the Highland League before the merger in which the new club was born, received his award from club sponsor Alan Savage of the Orion Group before the Motherwell match.

Club chairman George Fraser says; "Tommy is a bit of a legend at this club and it's great to see him achieve this  recognition as rthe best of the 42 senior clubs in the country. His care and quality and his many hours at the wheel of his beloved machines have produced an excellent playing surface."