Countdown starts to player awards night

Lucky fans could still get their hands on a handful of tickets for the 2013 Evo-Stik Northern Premier League Players Awards Night.

After the success of last year's inaugural awards at Barnsley's Holiday Inn when Premier League referee Howard Webb handed out the accolades alongside Caroline Barker from BBC 5 Live's Non-League Show, April's event is expected to be a sell-out again. The vast majority of tickets are reserved for players and club officials but organisers say there're looking at ways of inviting a select band of fans.

The awards on Sunday April 7 are the brainchild of former Manchester City keeper and NPL man Alan Ogley and are unique in the top levels of Non-League with their focus purely on players and the winners decided by the league's managers and coaches.

Organiser John Jones confirmed: "If possible, a small number of tickets will be available for supporters. A further announcement on availability will be made mid-February.

"Our focus now is on the voting, the event itself and making sure the players come first. It should be another great night seeing them formally rewarded for the entertainment they give."