Leeds boss crowns league's finest

And for the first time ever, the league’s next generation of stars were also represented, members of the NPLFA’s Team of the Year and Player of the Year also collecting their accolades on stage from former Stamford, Boston, Crawley Town and Rotherham boss Evans and EVO-STIK NPL chairman Mark Harris.

Sunday night’s undoubted star at the fifth annual awards ceremony was Stourbridge striker Karl Hawley. Before being named in the top flight’s Team of the Year and the division’s 2016 Player of the Year, the league’s leading scorer with a 26 goal tally to date also scooped the coveted NPL Facebook Group Pitchero sponsored Fans Player of the Year Award, pushing last season’s winner Robbie Dale into second place in the process.

Warrington hot-shot Ciaran Kilheeney, named later in the EVO-STIK NPL First Division North Team of the Year and the Division’s Player of the Year, took third place in the fans' poll, the first of the awards to be handed out at the plush four star Brooklands Holiday Inn near Barnsley.

The other winners of the night's top honours included Clitheroe’s Scott Harries and Nantwich Town’s Matty Kosylo who took home the Young Player of the Year laurels in EVO-STIK NPL First Division North and Premier Division respectively.

In EVO-STIK NPL First Division South, Coalville Town’s Dean Freeman walked away with the youngster’s accolade with Gavin Allott named as the division’s top star. As Shaw Lane Aquaforce’s veteran hot-shot couldn’t make the event, his partner had booked a short break to celebrate his birthday, assistant manager Darren Smith stepped into the limelight to collect the absent player’s glass trophy.

Despite the focus on the season’s stars, the awards weren’t limited to the players this year. EVO-STIK NPL vice president and Respect manager Phil Bradley was honoured with the Alan Olgey Achievement Award, collecting the accolade from the event’s founder, the former Manchester City and Stockport County stopper.

Before handing it over, Ogley paid a warm tribute to Bradley for 24 years of loyal service to the league, including a decade as secretary and most recently his continuing success promoting the FA’s Respect campaign, work that earned him the FA’s prestigious Bobby Moore Award three years ago.

As Ogley told the audience, thanks to Bradley the EVO-STIK NPL has a remarkable record of domination after winning the FA’s league award five out of six times and monopolising the individual club award with six wins out six since the campaign was launched six years ago.

The tables were also turned on the event’s organiser and the EVO-STIK NPL’s referee liaison officer John Jones, presented with a merit award to loud applause on the night for his services since he first became associated with the league as a match official back at the start of the 1980s.

Former Bolton Wanderers, Clyde, Albion Rovers, Ayr United, Hamilton Academical and St Johnston striker Evans, now 53, was following in the footsteps at the weekend of England C manager Paul Fairclough who handed out the accolades last season, former England striker and Manchester City, Oldham Athletic and Norwich manager Joe Royle in 2014, former Wales manager Brian Flynn in 2013 and World Cup referee Howard Webb in 2012.

The brainchild of NPL stalwart Alan Ogley, the annual awards are unique in the top levels of Non-League football with the focus purely on recognising the league's star players and the winners chosen by the league's managers.

EVO-STIK NPL 2016 Players of the Year Awards Roll of Honour

EVO-STIK NPL Premier Division Team of the Year
Goalkeeper
Jay Lynch, Salford City

Right back
Andy White, Nantwich Town

Centre backs
Chris Lynch, Salford City
Joe Connor, Ashton United

Left back
Gari Rowntree, Workington

Midfielders
Matthew Kosylo, Nantwich Town
Conor Tinnion, Workington
Phil Turnbull, Darlington

Forwards
Karl Hawley, Stourbridge
Robbie Dale, Blyth Spartans
Liam Hardy, Darlington

EVO-STIK NPL Premier Division Player of the Year
Karl Hawley, Stourbridge

EVO-STIK NPL Premier Division Young Player of the Year
Matthew Kosylo, Nantwich Town

EVO-STIK NPL First Division South Team of the Year
Goalkeeper
Saul Deeney, Basford United

Right back
Jordan Lemon, Lincoln United

Centre backs
Wayne Daniel, Stafford Rangers
Nathan Stainfield, Spalding United

Left back
Matt Wood, Stafford Rangers

Midfielders
Nathan Watson, Coalville Town
Nathan Rooney, Stafford Rangers
Eric Graves, Belper Town

Forwards
Tim Grice, Leek Town
Anthony Malbon, Kidsgrove Athletic
Gavin Allott, Shaw Lane Aquaforce

EVO-STIK NPL First Division South Player of the Year
Gavin Allott, Shaw Lane Aquaforce

EVO-STIK NPL First Division South Young Player of the Year
Dean Freeman, Coalville Town

EVO-STIK NPL First Division North Team of the Year
Goalkeeper
Karl Wills, Warrington Town

Right back
Scott Duxbury, Northwich Victoria

Centre backs
Joe Tait, Spennymoor Town
James McCarten, Warrington Town

Left back
Aaron Hardy, Farsley Celtic

Midfielders
Lewis Nightingale, Farsley Celtic
James Milligan, Bamber Bridge
Scott Harries, Clitheroe

Forwards
Sefton Gonzales, Clitheroe
Ciaran Killheeney, Warrington Town
Robbie Doran, Prescot Cables

EVO-STIK NPL First Division North Player of the Year
Ciaran Kilheeney, Warrington Town

EVO-STIK NPL First Division North Young Player of the Year
Scott Harries, Clitheroe

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EVO-STIK NPL Facebook Group Supporters’ Player of the Year
Winner – Karl Hawley, Stourbridge
Second place – Robbie Dale, Blyth Spartans
Third place – Ciaran Kilheeney, Warrington Town

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Alan Ogley Achievement Award
Phil Bradley, EVO-STIK NPL vice president & Respect manager

EVO-STIK NPL Merit Award
John Jones, referee liaison officer

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Northern Premier League Football Academy
NPLFA 2016 Team of the Year

Goalkeeper
Jaques Barker, Mickleover Sports

Defenders
Sam Weston, Belper Town
Josh Middleton, Matlock Town
Tyron Buxton, Mickleover Sports
Jordan Gilhooley, Mickleover Sports

Midfielders
Beckham Adelaje, Mossley AFC
Josh Craddock, Belper Town
Lewis Brown, Matlock Town
Bradley Allerton, Kidsgrove Athletic

Forwards
Euan Wood, Warrington Town
Javari Campbell, Kidsgrove Athletic

NPLFA 2016 Player of the Year
Sam Weston, Belper Town

Images courtesy of Graham Lindley

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