Cambridge United head groundsman Ian Darler wins Club Employee prize at EFL Awards event in London

Ian Darler won the Club Employee Award at the 2025 EFL Awards ceremony in London last night.

Following on from 2023/24, the EFL’s Club Employee Award looks to celebrate and recognise the work of a club or football club charity employee, working either full time, part time or on a matchday.

Darler has been an employee of Cambridge United for 45 years, joining as head groundsman in 1979, and he was awarded a BEM in the Queen’s Birthday Honours back in 2020.

Within the last year alone, Darler has raised more than £10,000 for charity, the majority of which has gone to Cambridgeshire, Peterborough and South Lincolnshire Mind (CPSL Mind).

Darler also recently teamed up with the Cambridge United Foundation to launch a mental health cafe called ‘Bright Horizons’ – something it is hoped will have a lasting impact on the local community.

Upon receiving his prize, Darler said: “When I started in 1979 I didn’t appreciate the power of football and the fact that Cambridge United, the EFL etc gives us a platform to help so many people is just simply incredible.”