Countdown starts to honour top stars

The countdown to the 2014 Evo-Stik Northern Premier League Players of the Year Awards in April is well underway with managers, coaches and fans all getting their chance to honour the league’s top performers for the third season running.

Ballot papers went out to the managers and coaches at the Evo-Stik NPL's 68 clubs earlier this month and supporters are once again being asked to nominate the players who'll be short-listed for the NPL Facebook Group’s prestigious Fans’ Player of the Year Award, won last season by Ryan Kendall a few weeks before North Ferriby United were crowned as top flight champions.

World Cup referee Howard Webb handed out the accolades at the inaugural awards in 2012 when Cheyenne Dunckley, who moved to Kidderminster Harriers soon afterwards, won the honour. Former Doncaster Rovers manager Brian Flynn took over last year and another top name from football is set to be unveiled as this year’s guest of honour at the event which returns to the four star Brooklands Holiday Inn near Barnsley for the third time on Sunday April 6.

Whoever is on stage will also have the job of presenting the inaugural Evo-Stik NPL Supporter of the Year Award to one of five finalists. Every club was asked to nominate their number one supporter in October and after careful consideration by judges from title sponsors Evo-Stik and the league itself, the 11 ‘super fans’ who were chosen to represent clubs in all three divisions are waiting to hear if they’ll go forward to the final with an announcement due before the end of January.

They are: Jez Sayle (Ashton United), George Waterfall (Belper Town), Martin Deans (Darlington), Anne Smith (Lincoln United), Ian Garnett (Nantwich Town), Lynda Bacon (Ilkeston FC), Kath Field (Mossley AFC), Stewart Fell (Radcliffe Borough), Bob Bailey (Padiham), Brian Spenceley (Whitby Town) and Are Guttlevik (Scarborough Athletic).

The NPL Facebook Group Fans’ Player of the Year Award is the only footballing honour in the UK which is run by fans. There are three ways for supporters to make their mark and nominate their top player - via email, Facebook and Twitter. See below for more details and the award's rules.

Spokesman James Heyes said: "This award is a great honour to win for the players as it’s truly voted for by the fans of the league. It adds that extra sparkle to the title and we hope to be swamped with nominations for the third year running!

"Last season there were over 120 players nominated, more than 2000 votes were registered and no club was forgotten about. I expect the same again. The playing standards on the pitch this season have excited fans so I’m sure it will be a close fought contest."

The brainchild of former Manchester City keeper and NPL man Alan Ogley, the Evo-Stik NPL Players of the Year Awards are a unique celebration at the top levels of Non-League football with the focus purely on recognising the success of players and their impact on the campaign after a secret ballot by their managers and coaches.

As well as the NPL Facebook Group Fans’ Player of the Year, two players are named as Player of the Year and Young Player of Year in each division along with 11 more in three Teams of the Year.

An individual’s outstanding contribution to league off the field of play is also recognised with the Evo-Stik NPL Merit Award, won last year by Matlock Town’s Keith Brown and for the first time in 2012 by Marine’s legendary former manager, Roly Howard.

With the league’s fans widely hailed as the most passionate and community orientated in Non-League football, title sponsors Evo-Stik teamed up with the NPL to launch and sponsor the new award for fans this season.

To ensure the competition recognises a broad range of supporting heroes, organisers deliberately set no strict criteria and instead left it to clubs to nominate their most worthy fans for the new accolade.

The new award is also playing a key role in the Evo-Stik NPL’s backing for the Football Association sponsored Fan Based Experience project. Launched in 2013, the initiative is designed to help clubs maximise their potential for attracting new supporters and provide something extra for existing fans.

NPL Facebook Group Fans’ Player of the Year 2014
Facebook voting - go to the following page - www.facebook.com/groups/theNPL - and comment on the post at the top.

Twitter voting - nominations can be made by using the hashtag #NPLSP1314. The hashtag must be used.

Email voting: emailing NPLSPOTY@live.co.uk

Rules
Fans may nominate up to three players, however only one player per club. The player must be active in the Evo-Stik NPL and must not be on a short term loan, unless from another Evo-Stik NPL club. Nominations end on Saturday February 8th at 11pm. The five players shortlisted will be announced on March 5th at 7pm.

* Look out for updates on the 2014 NPL Players of the Year Awards over the coming weeks on the league’s official website and on the pages of individual club websites.

Image courtesy of Graham Lindley