Royle set to toast this season's top stars

Former Oldham Athletic, Everton, Manchester City and Ipswich Town manager Joe Royle will be handing out the accolades at the Evo-Stik Northern Premier League's 2014 Players of the Year Awards.

Royle, pictured, will be guest of honour at a star-studded night on Sunday 6 April when the Evo-Stik NPL's top performers will pick up their awards for the third year running in front of their peers at the four star Brooklands Holiday Inn near Barnsley.

Before embarking on an illustrious management career, the 64-year-old won six England caps as a lethal striker playing for Everton, Manchester City, Bristol City and Norwich.

Voting by managers and coaches at the Evo-Stik NPL's 68 clubs for their stars of the season closed last week and the online poll for fans is currently underway to choose their NPL facebook Group Supporters’ Player of the Year, won last year by North Ferriby United’s Ryan Kendall.

This year's event will also see Royle crowning the inaugural Evo-Stik NPL Supporter of the Year from five 'super fans' who made the final in Yorkshire next month.

Royle, who is being accompanied to the event by his son Darren, is following in the footsteps of World Cup bound referee Howard Webb and Doncaster Rovers Director of Football and former Wales manager Brian Flynn who handed out the accolades in 2012 and 2013 respectively.

The brainchild of former Manchester City keeper and Evo-Stik NPL stalwart Alan Ogley, the awards are unique in the top levels of Non-League football with the focus purely on recognising talented players and the winners being chosen by the league's managers and coaches.

The event's manager John Jones said: "To receive the confirmation that Joe Royle has accepted the invitation to attend our third players awards to present the awards as our guest of honour is fantastic news.

"His presence will certainly add further significance to this unique evening and I’m delighted for the players. His football pedigree alone is testament to a long and successful career spanning almost 45 years. As a player and manager Joe was acclaimed as a truly successful all round professional.

"As the event's manager, I know that everyone involved with the Evo-Stik Northern Premier League will warmly welcome both Joe and his son Darren to the awards ceremony on the 6 April.

"Now that this news has gone public, people intending to order tickets for the occasion should do so as quickly as possible. They can email me at jjones@evostikleague.co.uk or contact the NPL Club they are associated with and order them that way."