Liverpool Take Top Honours At North West Football Awards

Liverpool Football Club were the big winners of the Ladbrokes Northwest Football Awards (NWFA) 2019 held in Manchester last night (Monday 11th Nov).

 

 

More than 550 guests attended the black-tie event, hosted by BBC’s Dan Walker at The Point at Emirates Old Trafford, Manchester. Winners were named in nine player categories, as well as in a raft of other honours – including the highly sought-after Goal of the Season, as voted for by fans from around the world.

 

 

Champions League winners, Liverpool FC walked away with three awards with manager Jurgen Klopp scooping Manager of the Season whilst Virgil Van Dijk landed Premier League Player of the Season, and Trent Alexander-Arnold named Rising Star of the season for the second year running, in unanimous voting and judging decisions. Club legend, Ian Rush (pictured below with host Dan Walker) was on hand to collect the awards on behalf of the trio. 

 

 

The highly anticipated Goal of the Season was awarded to Preston North End’s Alan Browne for his incredible strike against Bolton Wanderers as voted for by fans on Twitter.

 

The Lifetime Achievement accolade was awarded to Joe Royle for his achievements throughout his playing career for Everton, Manchester City and England as well as his managerial work with Everton, Oldham Athletic and Manchester City.

 

 

It was also a successful night for Manchester City’s women’s team with England Captain Steph Houghton, MBE being awarded the Women’s Player of the Season and Georgia Stanway receiving the Women’s Rising Star.

 

On collecting her award, Steph Houghton (pictured below), said: “I would like to say a huge thank you to the fans for voting for this award. Last year was an unbelievable season for me as well as my club Manchester City. To be able to lead my country to a World Cup semi-final and win two trophies with my club was an incredible experience.”

 

 

Laura Wolfe of the Ladbrokes Northwest Football Awards, said: “The quantity and quality of entries continues to rise year on year and the effort that the clubs put into their entries is truly humbling.  The array of footballing talent across this region is second to none and I congratulate each and every winner and thank everyone who submitted entries that made the job of our judging panel so demanding, but hugely inspirational.

 

“As soon as one year is over, we start planning for the next and we are excited to be working with our title sponsor, Ladbrokes for a second year running in 2020.”

 

During the night, tributes were also paid to the crucial role football clubs carry out in the community, with Manchester City’s City in the Community winning the hotly contested Community Club of the Season for the Premier League and Bolton Wanderers Community Trust winning the Award for clubs from all other leagues, for the incredible work that the Trust did for the community and its own staff during Bolton’s difficult season. 

 

Burnley FC took home the accolade for Community Initiative of the Season for its hugely successful ‘The Leisure Box’, which has seen 29,000 visitors since it opened to the community in March.

 

The Promoting Inclusion Award, in association with Kick it Out was another hugely impressive category, with the non-league award going to Mid Lancashire Colts Junior Football League and the League honour being scooped by Manchester United for its #allredallequal campaign.

 

Business and Professional Services to Football went to Mills & Reeve, while the Best Club Marketing, Sponsorship and Engagement Campaign was awarded to Everton Football Club for its 2018/19 home kit launch with Umbro: Built to Last.

 

The Fabrice Muamba Award for Outstanding Service to Football Medicine and Performance was awarded to three medical professionals who saved the life of former Premier League referee Eddie Wolstenholme, who suffered a critical heart attack and collapsed in the tunnel just an hour before Burnley’s kick off with Newcastle United.  Dr Simon Morris and John Moorhouse of Burnley FC, and  Dr Paul Catterson of Newcastle United FC were all there to accept their recognition award.

 

The ‘Unsung Hero’ accolade was presented to the staff behind the scenes at Bury FC for their tireless work and effort to save the club as it was facing expulsion from the Football League and ensure that Bury has a football club competing next season.

 

The Impact Award, which honours and recognises an individual who has made a significant positive impact on football in the region, was one of the night’s special awards. It is awarded to someone who has obviously delivered success on the pitch, but additionally, and just as importantly, given of their time off the pitch and used their position to contribute to and positively impact the wider community. 

 

 

Full list of winners and finalists

Premier League Player of the Season

             Liverpool Football Club – Virgil van Dijk – WINNER

             Manchester City – Bernardo Silva

             Manchester United – Luke Shaw

 

Championship Player of the Season

             Blackburn Rovers Football Club – Danny Graham

             Bolton Wanderers Football Club – Gary O’Neil

             Preston North End Football Club – Ben Davies

             Wigan Athletic Football Club- Reece James – WINNER

 

League One Player of the Season

             Accrington Stanley Football Club – Sean McConville

             Blackpool Football Club – Curtis Tilt

             Fleetwood Town Football Club – Wes Burns

             Rochdale AFC – Ian Henderson – WINNER

 

League Two Player of the Season

             Morecambe Football Club – Luke Conlan

             Macclesfield Town Football Club – Fiacre Kelleher

             Oldham Athletic Football Club – Callum Lang

             Tranmere Rovers Football Club – Scott Davies – WINNER

 

The National League Player of the Season

             AFC Fylde Football Club – Danny Rowe – WINNER

             Salford City Football Club – Carl Piergianni

 

Rising Star

             Bolton Wanderers Football Club – Harry Brockbank

             Burnley Football Club – Dwight McNeil

             Liverpool Football Club – Trent Alexander-Arnold – WINNER

             Manchester United -Mason Greenwood

             Rochdale AFC – Luke Matheson

             Wigan Athletic Football Club – Reece James

 

Women’s Player of the Season

             Everton Women – Simone Magill

             Fylde Ladies FC – Laura Merrin

             Liverpool FC Women – Sophie Bradley-Auckland

             Manchester City – Steph Houghton – WINNER

             Manchester United Women’s FC – Katie Zelem

 

Women’s Rising Star

             Burnley FC Women – Evie Priestley

             Fylde Ladies FC – Georgia Stevens

             Liverpool FC Women – Amy Rodgers

             Manchester City – Georgia Stanway – WINNER

 

Fan Media Channel

             Full Time Devils

             Superbia Proelia

             Rovers Rear Guard

             The Pie at Night

             The Redmen TV – WINNER

 

Community Club of the Season – All Other Leagues, in association with the PFA

Blackburn Rovers Community Trust

Bolton Wanderers Community Trust – WINNER

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

City in the Community – WINNER

Everton in the Community

Liverpool Football Club Foundation

 

Community Initiative of the Year, in association with the PFA

Burnley FC in the Community – The Leisure Box – WINNER

City in the Community – City Play

Everton in the Community – The People’s Place

Michael Carrick Foundation – Carrick’s Boot Room

NCS Youth Board at Blackburn Rovers Community Trust

 

Kick it Out Promoting Inclusion Award

BE THE BEST COMMUNITY C.I.C

Better Things

Bootle Bucks Inclusion F.C

Burnley FC – One Club for All

Everton FC – All Together Now

Manchester United – #allredallequal – WINNER

MID LANCASHIRE COLTS JUNIOR FOOTBALL LEAGUE – WINNER

The Sir Tom Finney Preston Soccer Centre and Football Club

 

Business and Professional Services to Football

Eleven Sports Media: Stadium TV & STATTV

Mills & Reeve – WINNER

Pro Football Academy

StreamAMG

 

Best Club Marketing/Sponsorship or Engagement Campaign

Everton Football Club and Umbro’s 2019/2020 home kit launch: Built to Last – WINNER

Liverpool FC & BetVictor – Training SOS

Manchester United HATRED

 

Northwest Football Journalist of Broadcaster of the Season

Andy Bayes, BBC Radio Lancashire – WINNER

Marc Iles, The Bolton News – WINNER

Matt Scrafton, The Blackpool Gazette

Simon Hughes, The Athletic (formerly of The Independent)

 

Manager of the Season

Casey Stoney – Manchester United Women

Graham Alexander – Salford City Football Club

Jurgen Klopp – Liverpool Football Club – WINNER

Pep Guardiola – Manchester City

Micky Mellon – Tranmere Rovers Football Club