Chairman led fair play charge

The Evo-Stik Northern Premier League's Respect Manager Phil Bradley reckons it was fitting that Leek's Chairman Andrew Wain collected March's Jungledrum Fair Play accolade after hailing his key role in turning around the First Division South outfit's disciplinary record.

League Representative John Beaumont is pictured making the presentation to Leek's assistant manager Peter Ward and Wain before their 3-1 win over Mickleover Sports at Harrison Park on Saturday.

Like March's best behaved Premier Division side North Ferriby United and First Division North winners Bamber Bridge, the Blues were presented with an inscribed Jungledrum commemorative certificate and a 1.5 litre bottle of Famous Grouse Whiskey, courtesy of the sponsors Jungledrum.

The prizes were the club's reward for coming out on top in a totting up of red and yellow cards divided by the number of Evo-Stik NPL fixtures they'd played last month. Where clubs are tied on points, marks awarded by referees over the month for Technical Area behaviour are taken into account.

Competition for the Jungledrum Fair Play Awards isn't limited to the monthly honours. At the end of the season all three overall divisional winners will receive a cheque for £1000 courtesy of the sponsors Jungledrum with the runners-up receiving £500 and the third place clubs £250.

As part of the Evo-Stik NPL's Respect Programme, £4000 in prize money is also available to clubs whose players back the Football Association's ongoing campaign by cutting out cautions for dissent. In the last three years the Evo-Stik NPL has won the FA's overall award twice and last year were runner's up after driving down cautions for dissent by double digit percentage points season on season.

Apart from praising Wain and Leek for their performances in March, the NPL's Respect Manager Bradley revealed that the Blues are also making a late run for the season's overall honours as their division's best behaved team.

Bradley said: "The fact that Leek Town have won the First Division South's Jungledrum Fair Play Award for March comes as no surprise for the Staffordshire club have been there or thereabouts for the past three seasons since current Chairman Andy Wain stepped in to the hot seat.

"Before his tenure the club didn't have the best of records on discipline. Now they are always in the hunt for the Fair Play prize money on offer after he took tough steps to hammer home that it was absolutely pointless taking cheap cautions for dissent.

"Although Leek have had three dismissals in the current campaign they are averaging under one caution per game played – a record that sees them very much involved as the season comes to its conclusion in a three way race with Chasetown and Sutton Coldfield Town for the £1,000 divisional first prize so kindly put up by sponsors Jungledrum."

Blues Chairman Wain is delighted that their efforts have been recognised but insisted the success was down to the players and the club's management team. "We are honoured to win the Jungledrum Fair Play Award," said Wain. "The management team and players work hard on this aspect of the game. They set an example to the supporters and more importantly the young players involved with the club."

Marketing and advertising specialists Jungledrum harness their online expertise to open new income streams for the league's clubs while securing fans money saving deals. The Jungledrum Fair Play Tables are available throughout the season via a hyperlinked logo on the league's official site.

Jungledrum's Lloyd Bantleman said: "Jungledrum is delighted to be associated with the Jungledrum Fair Play award as integrity and fair plays lies at the heart of our business ethos. We are working with clubs across the league to help them develop a measurable income stream that gives their business supporters a fair return on investment with the club."

For more information on Jungledrum and the work they are doing to open new and no risk income streams for Evo-Stik NPL clubs visit: jungledrumdeals.co.uk

Image courtesy of Malcolm Hampton