Champion defender doubles up at awards

Defender Jonathan Hunt won the votes of his teammates and fans to scoop two of the top accolades at the end of season awards at Evo-Stik Northern Premier League champions Curzon Ashton.

Hunt, 26, is pictured with the Supporters’ Player of the Year and Players’ Player of the Year awards as the Tamesiders celebrated promotion to the Evo-Stik NPL's top flight as First Division North champions.

Striker Matty Warburton collected the Manager’s Player of the Year Award, his 31 goals after stepping up from the North West Counties League helping him earn the vote of John Flanagan and his coaches for the night’s other top honour.

After kicking off with a curry buffet and songs from Curzon's own stadium PA man and teenage singer-songwriter Oliver Newall, fans were shown a montage of photographs and film clips to help them relive the season before founder club member and Chief Executive Harry Twamley thanked everybody involved in their first title success since the club’s Cheshire League days, calling it a “special season”.

The awards were presented by representatives of two of the club’s sponsors, JFC Sports, who supply kit to all of Curzon's teams including the juniors and ladies and main sponsor PP Plasma.

The latter, now known as The PP Group, also used the occasion to announce that they are sponsoring the Tamesiders next season again on their return to the Evo-Stik NPL’s top flight before representative Richard Mazurkiewicz honoured the club’s reserves and first team stars.

Curzon’s successful academy side were hailed after they achieved a league and cup double. In the league they were unbeaten and the players’ award went to Aaron Halton and the manager’s to Liam Chambers, who also broke into the first team. The Clubman of the Year Award went home with Casey Reid.

Halton was also among the winners of the youth team’s awards, taking home the manager’s accolade while Luke Evans was named as the players’ choice.

Proud reserve team manager Mick Meakin saw nine of his players make 25 first team appearances between them to help the club’s seniors to the title and his award went to Ryan Saxon while Jordan Rutter won the poll of players for their outstanding star.

The PT Jackson Memorial Trophy, awarded annually to the club’s volunteer of the season, went to director Nigel Seymour for his ‘outstanding’ work in helping to run the club shop.