Andy Gray has been appointed Head of Grounds and Estates for St. George’s Park – the home of 27 England teams and FA Education.
Gray agreed to join The FA back in May from Southampton FC, where he had responsibility for St. Mary’s Stadium and the Staplewood training campus. Both venues have been used by England senior teams in recent years and are regarded as outstanding football facilities.
Having seen out the delayed 2019-20 season with the Premier League club, he will now start at St. George’s Park in September. Built in 2012 and set within 330-acres of Staffordshire countryside, the site features 13 outdoor pitches, an indoor 3G and Futsal arena, providing world-class facilities for England teams ahead of international fixtures.
Gray had spent 22 years at Southampton but said he could not turn down the opportunity to work at St. George’s Park. He said: “I am very excited and looking forward to it. If you work in football, whatever your role, working for the national team is the pinnacle. I have loved every day of working for Southampton and always knew it would take something big to make me leave. Wembley is the elite when it comes to stadiums and St. George’s Park is the same when it comes to training grounds.
Holly Murdoch, General Manager
"Andy is highly regarded and respected in the industry and was an outstanding candidate throughout the process."
“I know there is a good, strong team already in place and I am looking forward to working closely with them. It will be great to build new working relationships, not just the grounds department but also with all of the others involved in making the site the impressive place that it has become.”
Gray is an avid football fan, with a particular interest in the Italian game fuelled by watching the 1990 World Cup. He has made several trips to the stadiums used for that tournament, but his international allegiance is firmly with the Three Lions. He said: “The recent nostalgia around EURO 96 has brought back so many memories and I can’t wait to play my part in helping our teams to try and achieve success in future.”
Holly Murdoch, General Manager at St. George’s Park, said: “Andy is highly regarded and respected in the industry and was an outstanding candidate throughout the process. I am personally delighted that he will be joining the senior management team at St. George’s Park as he is an expert in his field and brings a wealth of leadership experience.”
