Liverpool’s Mo Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold, Manchester City’s Pep Guardiola and Jen Beattie, the Manchester United Foundation and broadcasting legend John Motson make up just some of the winner’s announced at last night’s Northwest Football Awards.
The winners of the North West Football Awards 2018 were announced at the hugely anticipated ceremony last night.
Over 500 guests attended the glamorous black-tie event hosted by the BBC’s Dan Walker at The Point at Emirates Old Trafford, Manchester.
Winners were named in eight player categories as well as a raft of other honours including community categories, business and the highly coveted Goal of the Year as voted for by the fans.
Record breaking Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola landed Manager of the Year while John Motson was handed a Special Recognition award, with Danny Ings claiming the Impact Award for his support of work across disability sport.
Liverpool’s Mo Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold and Niamh Charles were also honoured in front of a packed audience.
Before legendary commentator John Motson took to the stage the first Special Recognition award of the evening went to Dick, Kerr Ladies FC for their services to Women’s Football in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the end of the First World War.
Dick, Kerr Ladies FC were one of the first known women’s association football teams in England and have been fondly known as the greatest ever women’s team – and made up of a group of women factory workers who drew crowds of up to 53,000 at Goodison Park to raise money for wounded soldiers.
Voted for by fans on social media, the Goal of the Year award went to Liverpool Football Club’s Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain for his stunning goal against Manchester City.
After a record-breaking season, the Manager of the Year accolade went to Pep Guardiola of Manchester City Football Club, and the highly anticipated Lifetime Contribution to Football went to former Everton player and manager Colin Harvey.
The work our clubs do in the community was also honoured with awards for Burnley FC in the community for Community Club of the Year Premier League, in association with the PFA. Blackburn Rovers Community Trust won Community Club of the Year – All other leagues, in association with the PFA, and Everton Football Club and Everton in the Community won the Community Initiative of the Year award for their ‘Home is Where the Heart is’ campaign.
The Promoting Inclusion award, in association with Kick It Out, went to Bootle Bucks Inclusion FC and the Manchester United Foundation for their ‘#UnitedandMe’ campaign.
Business and Professional Services to Football award went to StreamAMG while the Best Club Marketing, Sponsorship and Engagement campaign went to the Kop Kids presented by Joie by Liverpool Football Club.
The Fabrice Muamba Award for Outstanding Service to Football Medicine and Performance, in association with the FMPA went, to Grant Downie, OBE from Manchester City Football Club.
The Fan TV Channel of the Year, recognising the popularity of fan-based content, went to The Redmen TV.
Henry Mooney from Everton in the Community won the Unsung Hero accolade. Henry has been pivotal in the creation of a number of projects at Everton in the Community, including securing the funding to start the NCS Programme supporting young people, the Stand Together project helping socially isolated adults and Pass on the Memories project to support people living with dementia.
On top of his work for Everton in the Community, Henry also supported two former Everton players who fell on hard times following injury.
Also recognised Football Journalist of the Year went to Matt Scrafton from the Blackpool Gazette, while the second special recognition award of the evening went to John Motson for services to Football broadcasting.
The player categories, manager of the year and coveted lifetime achievement award were announced towards the end of the evening, with all of the player categories voted for by the football fans themselves.
Rising Star of the year awards went to Liverpool Football Club’s Trent Alexander-Arnold and Liverpool FC Women’s Niamh Charles.
Player of the Year in the National League went to Connor Jennings of Tranmere Rovers Football Club, League Two went to Billy Kee of Accrington Stanley Football Club and League One went to Nathan Byrne of Wigan Athletic FC. Bolton Wanderers Football Club’s star Goal Keeper, Ben Alnwick won Player of the Year for the Championship.
Undoubtedly the man to watch last season, scoring 32 goals in only 36 appearances, the Premier League Player of the Year went to none other than Liverpool Football Club’s star striker Mohamed Salah, while the Women’s Player of the Year went to Manchester City Defender Jen Beattie.
Following in James Milner’s footsteps as the second ever winner, this year’s Impact Award went to ex-Liverpool and Burnley Striker Danny Ings. Now at Southampton, Ings has received the award for his continued work and support of disability sport in the region.
