Time to choose the stars of season!

After Whitby Town's all-action midfielder Dale Hopson was crowned by supporters last April, pictured center, the countdown to April's seventh annual awards at the plush Brooklands Holiday Inn near Barnsley started at 6pm on Monday when the online poll opened for fans to start nominating their stars for the coveted accolade during the EVO-STIK League's historic fiftieth anniversary season.

The EVO-STIK League's managers and coaches are getting ready to start voting for their kings of the milestone campaign from Monday February 26 and the winner of the EVO-STIK NPL Show accolade and two runners-up will be honoured on stage alongside them and the next generation of stars coming through the Northern Premier League Football Academy by Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder on Sunday 15 April.

Still unique in the top levels of Non-League Football, the 2018 running of the awards will once again see the touchline teams at all 68 clubs choose a 'Player of the Year' and 'Young Player of Year' in each of the EVO-STIK League’s three divisions, as well as the line-ups in three 'Teams of the Year'.

For the first time ever, voting in all polls is being carried out electronically, including the nominations process to pick the NPL’s top bosses of the last five decades as part of the league’s on-going NPL50 celebrations.

Like the 100 playing legends and ‘Team of All Time’ who attracted thousands of votes in the first half of the season, they will also feature in ‘50 Glorious Seasons - A History of the Northern Premier League 1968-2018’, a new book charting the competition’s proud history since 1968. Currently being written by the EVO-STIK League's official historian Dominic McKenzie, the book is due out at the end of the season.

The awards night will be broadcast live on social media for the second year running and the EVO-STIK League's media officer James Heyes believes this season's one-off chance to choose the NPL's best ever bosses could be a lot tougher than the EVO-STIK NPL Show Award with so many players already stand-out candidates to be nominated for their performances during season 2017-18.

The final online vote for five finalists will close on Monday 2 April and Heyes said: “The quality of the players this season is beyond compare to the point of being the closest run contest for quite some time. The more and more we do this, the harder it seems to get to make a choice, not just for myself but for all the fans taking part in the shortlisting.

"We have had big names and ex-professional players nominated in the past and not make it into the final cut and I expect the same this season. Fans should not think for a minute that a particular player has been nominated, as usually they aren’t until the last minute! Unlike the players, I don’t expect the top 50 cut to be an easy choice to make at all but it is well worth the effort to see the best of our managers over the years get the credit they deserve."

He added: “Though the most forgotten people at clubs sometimes, we have had managers with a huge array of management styles in the league over the last 50 years. They've all been different and it shows in the success and longevity some of them have enjoyed, some even out-lasting the game's greats like Sir Alex and Arsene Wenger!"

Still unique in the top levels of Non-League football with the winners chosen by managers and fans since former World Cup referee Howard Webb handed out the inaugural accolades, the event will be broadcast live on Facebook for the second year running after thousands of fans logged on last season to see the ceremony.

As guest of honour at the awards, 50-year-old Blades boss Wilder will be following in the footsteps of World Cup referee Webb in 2012, Manchester City and Everton legend Joe Royle, former Wales boss Brian Flynn, Mansfield Town manager Steve Evans, England C manager Paul Fairclough and former Welsh international Dean Saunders last season. The now annual awards are the brainchild of former Manchester City keeper and NPL stalwart Alan Ogley.

EVO-STIK NPL Show Supporters Player of the Season 2017-18 Nomination Rules

Votes will only count via the Surveymonkey Voting Poll and will not be accepted on other media. Only one ballot can be made by any person. Anyone voting more than once will have all ballots removed.

Fans may nominate up to three players. However, they may only nominate one player from any member club (including players from the NPLFA's league). If votes are cast for more than one player per club, only the first player nominated will count and the others will be removed.

Any player who has played for more than one NPL club will have all clubs count towards this rule

Nominated players must be active in the NPL at the time of the nominations period.

Players who have joined a club on the following terms are ineligible for the award, unless from another NPL: Short term loan, youth loan, emergency loan and work experience.

Players who are dual registered to play in the NPL or are on long term Loans are eligible for the award providing that they are not recalled to the parent club during the nominations and voting period.

NPL Academy players are eligible for the awards providing they have played at least one first team match in the EVO-STIK League, FA Cup, FA Trophy or Integro League Cup during the 2017-18 season.

Players are not allowed to nominate themselves.

Any player currently suspended by the FA for any incident not relating to a matchday sanctions, for example a breach of FA Betting Rules or discrimination for example, are ineligible for the award.

The Northern Premier League 50th Anniversary Greatest Managers Poll Nominations Rules

Nominated managers must have been at the helm in the NPL for a minimum of three seasons.

There are no restrictions to the number of managers picked from any one club.

Managers who have brought the game, NPL or a club into disrepute for their actions away from the pitch for non-footballing reasons, for example match-fixing and criminal behaviour, are ineligible for the award.

The award will be restricted to a maximum of 100 managers. If more than 100 managers are selected, a judging panel will shortlist the choices.

Fans do not need to vote in the EVO-STIK NPL Show Supporters Player of the Year Award to take part.

To start nominating in either category, simply click here: www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/SPOTS2018

Image courtesy of Graham Lindley

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