Cheshire FA Awards Review
This year’s annual awards night was held at Cresta Court Hotel, Altrincham.
It was a wonderful celebration of grassroots football in Cheshire and it was a great chance to showcase the wonderful work of our volunteers.
The night included 15 awards with 10 coming from the National FA & McDonald’s Grassroots Football Awards, the 10 winners can be found HERE.
We had entertainment from the band … and from Football Freestyler Dan Magness who also broke a World Record on the night for skipping whilst heading the ball with 138 headers in one minute. Guests were also treated to a 2 course meal, a raffle and an auction with some great prizes.
As well as the 10 National awards we also had 3 of our own awards.
Our flagship award, the Changing Lives Through Football Award went to Jane Morley. Scroll down to find out why she deserved it.
The Safeguarding & Welfare Award went to Sophie McCartney of Egerton FC. Scroll down to find out why she deserved it.
This year’s Outstanding Contribution Award went to Referee Rod Pimlott. Scroll down to find out why he deserved it.
The night was a great success, celebrating grassroots football in Cheshire whilst also raising funds for our charity partner Once Upon a Smile.
Thank you to our sponsors EACS & ST2 and thank you to all that helped organise the event.
Our biggest thank you goes out to our volunteers and to the people that came on the night, we hoped that you enjoyed the evening.
Jane is determined to ensure that female football gets the support and attention it needs to grow.
In her capacity of League secretary of the County women’s league she has shown a progressive attitude and helped many teams to develop and ensure that females get the best possible opportunities to play.
This season she has not only led and supported the County women’s League but helped set up the Stockport Girls League, ran her own club Stockport County Ladies & also become a member of Cheshire FA's discipline committee all of which she does voluntary.
She is always looking to progress the female game and strive for excellence to ensure that the game is moved onto the next platform. She has taken on the running of an FA Wildcats centre and has got involved in coaching and encouraging the new generation of female players. She empowers others to get involved in the game.
She has a wealth of experience that she shares with the grassroots football community. She is selfless, kind and caring and very passionate about the game and carries the values of Cheshire FA in everything that she does.
After 13 Years of being involved in the Women’s League committee and many more years being involved in coaching & running clubs she truly deserves this award.
Rod is a local referee who for decades has donated all of his referee fees to a local children’s hospice. He has raised over £50,000 for these charities by donating ref fees, organising raffles and collections at tournaments.
Recently he has been diagnosed with cancer and despite being told he was in remission sadly a turn for the worst has proven this to be wrong. Last month he attended a tournament in Stockport to referee and raised £863 for Beechwood Cancer care despite his obvious poor health.
He is a true local hero.
He has been refereeing on the Stockport Metro league since its inception in 1982.
In that time he has refereed 3 generations of footballers with many a grandfather and father commenting on the fact he refereed them in years gone by.
The fact he has been able to referee for so long as an opportunity to give his earnings to worthwhile causes.
Sophie is the Club’s Welfare Officer and has played an integral part in helping everyone at the club create the right match day environment.
She has instilled that respect is an important value in life at the club.
She works with all managers to make match day environments correct. She challenges everyone to be inclusive and act fairly at all times.
The evidence that she achieves this is in the way that the coaches conduct themselves, in the way the manager’s act, in the way teams are welcomed to the club and also in how she handles any issues that do arise.
The club has a great environment for football to be played. The teams are respectful and fair and have players of all levels and abilities ensuring inclusive football. The players of the club understand how to act and how to treat other people.
This environment is led by this year’s winner.