Live updates from fans as awards handed out

The Evo-Stik Northern Premier League’s 2014 Players of the Year Awards on Sunday should be setting a new record on social media thanks to the fans behind the league’s official facebook group.

The NPL Group announced on Friday night that they’ll be posting live updates on facebook and Twitter for their 3000 plus members in the run-up to the awards in Barnsley and then throughout the night from the banqueting suite at the four star Brooklands Holiday Inn as former Everton, Manchester City, Ipswich Town and Oldham Athletic manager Joe Royle, pictured, hands out the accolades to this season’s top performers.

Taking place for the third year running at the venue, the event will see Royle crown the NPL facebook Group’s Supporters’ Player of the Year, won last April by North Ferriby United’s Ryan Kendall and for the first time in 2012 by then Hednesford star Cheyenne Dunckley.

As well as the main awards, which include three teams of the year and a young player and player of the year in each division, the 64-year-old former England striker will also be presenting a new award when he crowns the inaugural Evo-Stik NPL Supporter of the Year from one of five 'super fan’ finalists who’ll be unveiled on stage.

Royle, a lethal striker as a player with Everton, Manchester City, Bristol City and Norwich and is following in the footsteps of World Cup bound referee Howard Webb who presented the inaugural awards in 2012 and Doncaster Rovers Director of Football and former Wales manager Brian Flynn who honoured the league’s top stars last April.

To stay in touch with events at https://twitter.com/TheNPLGroup and facebook.com/groups/TheNPL