Fair play inspiring young and old alike

Burscough reckon winning January's Jungledrum Fair Play Award is inspiring young and old alike at their Evo-Stik Northern Premier League club.

Manager Derek Goulding's Linnets were crowned as January’s best behaved side in Evo-Stik NPL First Division North. Club officials believe the accolade has not only captured the imagination of the club's thriving juniors sides but their number one fan and probably the country's oldest Non-league supporter, 106-year-old Ellen Baybutt!

The Life President at the Linnets and former volunteer lives at a nearby nursing home and is too frail to get to games these days but still receives regular updates from club visitors and has heard all about the club's sportsmanship win.

Burscough's manager is pictured collecting the award with Linnets Treasurer Stuart Heaps from Evo-Stik NPL Vice President and Respect Manager Phil Bradley before their clash with Trafford at Victoria Park.

Burscough Secretary Stan Petherbridge said: "We're very proud as a club to win the award and promote fair play as it is fantastic example for all our junior teams to follow and be inspired by.

"Everybody's delighted including Ellen who takes a great interest in the club so I'm sure we'll be keeping our efforts up for her and all our younger player and fans."

Before presenting Burscough with their award, Bradley described the club's success as especially impressive considering the tough times they've come through in recent years.

He said: "Burscough have had plenty on their plate to merely keep the club going in recent seasons. Now back on their own ground, their discipline has improved significantly. It is good to see them pick up the award to acknowledge the work they have put in to eradicate the soft cautions."

Like Rushall Olympic and Brigg, who won January's Jungledrum Premier Division and First Division South accolades respectively, the Linnets received an inscribed Jungledrum commemorative certificate and a 1.5 litre bottle of Famous Grouse Whiskey courtesy of the sponsors.

Each month the league's best behaved sides are chosen after a totting up of red and yellow cards divided by the number of Evo-Stik NPL fixtures they'd played. 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 monthly honours. Come 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.

Burscough's January triumph helped them climb to fifth in the campaign's overall table behind leaders Harrogate Railway Athletic. In Evo-Stik NPL First Division South Brigg are eighth behind leaders Chasetown while the Premier Division's winners Rushall Olympic climbed to ninth with Nantwich Town leading their table.

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.

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