2015's final fair play kings crowned

Named on New Year's Eve as the EVO-STIK NPL's best behaved sides in the final month of 2015, the trio will collect inscribed certificates to record their achievements in December at upcoming fixtures.

Each club will also be presented with a bottle of Pol Roger champagne to toast their success in supporting the FA's Respect campaign and the EVO-STIK NPL's own efforts to promote sportsmanship and fair play.

Handed out every month after a totting up of red and yellow cards divided by the number of fixtures played, clubs must play in at least four league fixtures to qualify. In the event of a tie, the winners are chosen after the marks awarded by referees for behaviour in the technical area are taken into account.

Despite being in the bottom half of the season to date fair play table in the top flight behind current leaders Stourbridge, Hyde United led the way in the run-up to the festive season, collecting just two cautions in four outings to post the division's best disciplinary score of 0.50.

The Tigers will be the last of the winning clubs to collect their award on Saturday 25 January when EVO-STIK NPL operations manager Alan Allcock makes the presentation at Ewen Fields before they kick off against Workington in Premier Division action.

Bamber Bridge are still leading the First Division North table but Trafford are now up to fifth after also posting a disciplinary score of 0.50 for their two cautions in four outings last month. EVO-STIK NPL vice president and Respect manager Phil Bradley will be at Shawe View on Saturday 9 January to honour the club when they host Clitheroe.

In First Division South, Rugby Town tightened their grip on top spot in the overall table with December's award, won after they also collected two cautions in four outings. They will also be honoured on Saturday 9 January when EVO-STIK NPL representative John Goddard will be at Butlin Road to make the presentation before kick-off against Loughborough Dynamo.

* 2015 was another award winning year for the EVO-STIK Northern Premier League after it was named as the best behaved competition in the top levels of Non-League football for the fifth time in six years.

Premier Division play-off winners Curzon Ashton also completed a ‘Respect double’ at the Football Association’s 2015 Fair Play and Respect Awards when they were named as Non-League’s best behaved club to continue the league's monopoly of the individual club accolade.

The Nash's triumph saw an EVO-STIK NPL League club win the FA’s National League System Step 1-4 Respect and Fair Play Club Award for the sixth year in a row since the accolades were launched, John Flanagan's men following in the footsteps of inaugural winners Garforth Town in 2010, Lancaster City in 2011, AFC Fylde in 2012, Nantwich Town in 2013 and Skelmersdale United in 2014.

To view the latest Fair Play Tables click on the 'League Info' button on the home page and then 'Press Releases' under the downloads tab.

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