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Arsenal will wear black armbands for their trip to Bournemouth on Saturday (August 20) in memory of their head groundsman Steve Braddock, who passed away this week.
Aged 58, Braddock passed on after a long illness. According to the club's official website, the lifelong Gunners fan joined the club in 1987 after meeting then-manager George Graham.
The north London club have since been famed for the quality of their pitch, both at the Emirates Stadium and at their former ground Highbury.
The Gunners won numerous Pitch of the Year awards under Braddock's watch. In 2020, he became only the second person in history to enter the Grounds Management Association’s Hall of Fame.
Mikel Arteta's side will want to continue their 100% start to the Premier League today when they take on newly-promoted Bournemouth. The black armbands they will wear show how well respected Braddock and how much he will be missed.
Arsenal pay tribute to legendary groundsman Steve Braddock, who passed away this week
Following news of Braddock's passing, the Gunners released a statement in which they paid tribute to their long-serving employee. The statement added:
"Steve ensured the Highbury pitch was perfection for our final season at the stadium, but by then his role as Head Groundsman saw him dedicate most of his time to the 11 pitches at London Colney. Ensuring the pristine surfaces the players trained on during the week were an exact match for those they played on at the weekend."
"His dedication to the Arsenal pitches was truly remarkable – every Arsenal colleague who knew Steve well has a story to tell about the great lengths he would go to guarantee the pitches could be at their very best."
The club added:
"Our thoughts are with Steve’s wife Shuk, their daughters Jasmine and Lily, Steve’s sisters Janice and Susan, and all Steve’s family and friends. In Steve’s memory, our men’s first team will be wearing black armbands at our match at Bournemouth on Saturday."
