Wembley reward for respect leaders

The management teams of AFC Fylde, Lancaster City and Rainworth MW will be having a fantastic free day out at Wembley on Wednesday to see England host to Brazil as part of the FA's Anniversary celebrations.

Having won the first two FA Fair Play and Respect awards in 2010 and 2011, the Evo-Stik Northern Premier League finished as runners-up to the Isthmian League last season but still landed the worthwhile prize of tickets to a Wembley international with full hospitality and travel included.

Evo-Stik NPL Respect Manager Phil Bradley said the management teams were being rewarded to acknowledge the part played by most management teams in improving their Technical Area behaviour - 'excellent' marks awarded by match referees are up by more than 25 per cent since the Evo-Stik NPL began its initiative in 2010 while 'poor' marks have halved in the same period.

Dismissals from the Technical Area have also reduced significantly with the 47 in season 2009-10 dropping to just eight this term with almost 60 per cent of fixtures played. Dissent amongst players in the Evo-Stik NPL has also been driven down by double digit percentage points season on season for the past three campaigns thanks to many managers taking a zero tolerance approach to cheap cautions.

Bradley said: "The League always returns such prizes to the clubs and this season used the tickets as an incentive and encouragement to management teams to keep up the good work and to acknowledge the part they have played in improving standards within the Tech Area.

"We felt it important to acknowledge the part managers had played in our successful Respect Programme and therefore decided to offer the tickets we had won to the best management teams in each division as a thank you for their efforts.

"The figures over the past three seasons speak for themselves and although it is AFC Fylde, Lancaster City and Rainworth MW that are going to Wembley for the Brazil game it could quite easily have been and three of around another ten clubs as the marks have been that good."

He added: "It is worth noticing that Lancaster City and AFC Fylde won the FA’s National Award for Fair Play and Respect in 2011 and 2012 respectively so it is very satisfying that having pocketed £4000 in prize money from the FA for those successes they have not rested on their laurels and let things slide but taken the responsibility of being national winners very seriously indeed.

"I am certain that it isn't coincidence that these two clubs are amongst the winners again as there have been changes of managers at both clubs over the past couple of years so it is an ethos that comes down from the top. The League is very pleased that it has been able to acknowledge the managers in this way."

The leading places in the three Divisions were based on three points for 'excellent', two points for 'Good' and one point for 'satisfactory'. They were as follows

Premier Division
1st AFC Fylde 2.75
2nd Nantwich Town 2.70
3rd Jnt FCUM & Marine 2.61

First Division North
1st Lancastyer City 2.69
2nd Wakefield 2.66
3rd Harrogate RA 2.59

First Division South
1st Rainworth MW 2.77
2nd Halesowen Town T 2.76
3rd Brigg Town 2.68

Results based on an average mark over the 2012-2013 season up to the 12 January 2013