New Year honours for fair play kings!

Newcastle Town, Lancaster City and Whitby Town are celebrating their success as the EVO-STIK Northern Premier League’s best behaved sides at the turn of the year after being named on New Year's Eve as December's fair play kings.

The trio were unveiled as the final winners of the monthly competition in 2014 to reward fair play and sportsmanship and the clubs are now looking forward to being presented with inscribed certificates to mark their achievements and a bottle of Pol Roger Champagne each to toast their accolades at fixtures in the New Year.

The three clubs won after topping their respective divisional fair play tables which are based on EVO-STIK NPL fixtures played divided by points for yellow and red cards. Where clubs are tied on points, marks awarded by referees over the month for behaviour in the technical area are taken into account.

Weather permitting, Lancaster City will be the first club to be honoured this Saturday when they collect the First Division North Fair Award from EVO-STIK NPL representative John Beaumont before kick off against Bamber Bridge at the Giant Axe.

Darren Peacock's side are no strangers to winning fair play laurels after previous success this season and were named as December's winners after collecting a single yellow card in five outings to post a disciplinary record of 0.20, the lowest across all three divisions.

The Dolly Blues are up to third place in the season's overall fair play table behind leaders Bamber Bridge and second placed Harrogate Railway Athletic.

December's First Division South winners Newcastle Town have been leading the way all season on fair play and top the overall table from Spalding United in second place and Stafford Rangers in third spot.

Ivan Lodge's side will pick up their second monthly award this season after collecting two cautions from five matches to post the lowest disciplinary score of 0.40 in the division. John Beaumont will also on hand to honour them before kick off against Gresley FC at the Lyme Valley Stadium the following Saturday, 10 January.

Whitby Town under manager Darren Williams are up to third in the overall fair play tables behind Matlock Town and leaders Blyth Spartans after winning the top flight's final accolade of 2014 with a best behaviour average of 0.67 for their four cautions from six outings.

The Seasiders will be the last of the trio to be honoured on Saturday 24 January by EVO-STIK NPL secretary Angie Firth who will be at the Turnbull Ground to make their presentation before kick against Buxton.

* 2014 was another award winning year for the EVO-STIK Northern Premier League after it was named as the best behaved competition in the top levels of Non-League football for the fourth time in five years.

Skelmersdale United also completed a ‘Respect double’ at the Football Association’s 2014 Fair Play and Respect Awards when they were named as Non-League’s best behaved club.

Skem’s triumph saw an EVO-STIK NPL League club win the FA’s National League System Step 1-4 Respect and Fair Play Club Award for the fifth year in a row since the accolades were launched, Tommy Lawson’s men following in the footsteps of inaugural winners Garforth Town in 2010, Lancaster City in 2011, AFC Fylde in 2012 and Nantwich Town in 2013.

To view the latest Fair Play Tables click on the 'League Info' button on the home page and then 'Press Releases' under the downloads tab.

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