The first round of finalists for the 2019 Ladbrokes Northwest Football Awards have been announced.
Recognising the best talent from across the beautiful game in the Northwest region, the 2019 awards is now in its twelfth year.
In the Manager of the Season category, Manchester City’s Pep Guardiola is trying to make it two wins in a row, after leading his team to a second consecutive Premier League title and the first ever domestic treble. But he will face tough opposition from Liverpool’s Jurgen Klopp, who finished just behind Guardiola’s City in the Premier League and led his team to the Champions League, the club’s sixth European win.
Also up for the coveted Manager of the Year title are Manchester United’s Casey Stoney, who led Manchester United Women to promotion to the WSL in their first season, Salford City’s Graham Alexander who achieved promotion to League Two for his club in his first season as manager, Tranmere’s Micky Mellon, who achieved back-to-back promotions after winning the League Two playoff final at Wembley.
All honours will be announced and presented by the BBC’s Dan Walker at the Ladbrokes Northwest Football Awards, taking place at The Point, Emirates Old Trafford on Monday, 11th November.
This year’s Ladbrokes Northwest Football Awards saw a record number of entries, none more so than the fiercely contested community categories, which celebrate the significant and important work that clubs do in their communities.
Laura Wolfe, speaking on behalf of the Ladbrokes Northwest Football Awards said: “What a year for football in the Northwest.
“All four major trophies were won by our region’s clubs and promotions were achieved across other leagues. At the other end of the scale, it has been a tough year off the field for many of our clubs this year, and it would be remiss of us not to recognise this at this year’s ceremony and show our support for the staff and fans who have been through tough times.”
Voting for the Player of the Season and Rising Star categories, along with the Fan TV Channel of the Season, remains open until Friday, 11th October. Finalists for these categories will be announced on Tuesday, 15th October.
The winners of the Ladbrokes Northwest Football Awards 2019 will be announced at a star-studded ceremony on Monday, 11th November. To book tickets or to vote, please visit www.northwestfootballawards.com.
About the Ladbrokes Northwest Football Awards:
The Ladbrokes Northwest Football Awards (NWFA) celebrates the region’s footballing elite and pays tribute to those who have achieved footballing excellence both on and off the field in the 2018/19 season. The Ladbrokes Northwest Football Awards recognises football excellence from both the men’s and women’s football leagues from Conference though to Premier League
The NWFA is honoured to be supporting the Darby Rimmer Foundation in 2019. Former Liverpool, Rochdale and Bolton Wanderers footballer, Stephen Darby, together with his close friend and former British Forces veteran, Chris Rimmer, set up the Darby Rimmer MND Foundation after Stephen’s sudden retirement from football in September last year, on being diagnosed with motor neurone disease (MND), aged just 29. MND is a degenerative condition that affects how nerves in the brain and spinal cord function. There is currently no cure. More information about the Darby Rimmer Foundation at http://www.darbyrimmermnd.co.uk
FINALISTS AS CHOSEN BY THE LADBROKES NORTHWEST JUDGING PANEL
Community Club of the Season – All Other Leagues, in association with the PFA
- Blackburn Rovers Community Trust
- Bolton Wanderers Community Trust
- Tranmere Rovers in the Community
- Wigan Athletic Community Trust
Community Club of the Season – Premier League, in association with the PFA
- Burnley FC in the Community
- Everton in the Community
- Liverpool Football Club Foundation
- City in the Community
Community Initiative of the Year, in association with the PFA
- Blackburn Rovers Community Trust – National Citizen Service Youth Board
- Burnley FC in the Community – The Leisure Box
- City in the Community – City Play
- Everton in the Community – The People’s Place
- Michael Carrick Foundation – Carrick’s Boot Room
Kick It Out Promoting Inclusion Award
- Burnley FC – One Club for All
- Everton Football Club – All Together Now
- Manchester United FC – #allredallequal
- Be The Best FC – Bolton
- Better Things Charity
- Bootle Bucks Inclusion F.C
- Mid Lancashire Colts JFL
- Sir Tom Finney Soccer Centre
Business and Professional Services to Football
- Eleven Sports Media: StatZone and StadiumTV
- Mills & Reeve
- Pro-football Academy – Creating Players of the Future
- StreamAMG
Best Club Marketing, Sponsorship or Engagement
- Everton’s 2019/20 home kit launch – ‘Built to Last’
- Liverpool FC & BetVictor – Training SOS
- Manchester United FC – #allredallequal
Northwest Football Journalist or Broadcaster of the Season
- Andy Bayes, BBC Radio Lancashire
- Marc Iles, The Bolton News
- Matt Scrafton, The Blackpool Gazette
- Simon Hughes, The Athletic (formerly with The Independent)
Manager of the Season
- Casey Stoney, Manchester United Women Football Club
- Jurgen Klopp, Liverpool Football Club
- Pep Guardiola, Manchester City Football Club
- Micky Mellon, Tranmere Rovers Football Club
To be announced on the night
- Fabrice Muamba Award for Outstanding Service to Football Medicine & Performance
- Impact Award
- Unsung Hero
- Lifetime Contribution to Northwest Football
Fans can still cast their votes now for Players of the Season, Rising Star Awards and Fan TV Channel of the Season at https://www.northwestfootballawards.com/northwest-football-awards-2018/vote-nwfa-2019/. Voting closes on Friday, 11th October.
