NWCFL Awards Evening 2025 round-up
Wed 25th June 2025 | General | By Jay Cooper
It’s that time of year again – the NWCFL Annual General Meeting is now in the rearview mirror (and you can read all about that here); and with that, we also saw the League’s Annual Awards Presentation Evening.
The event took place at the Imperial Hotel in Blackpool, and credit must go to the staff and all attendees for how smoothly the whole night went.
A special shoutout must also go to the man who ensured that the night would not be forgotten in a hurry – photographer Adam Gee was crucial to the success of the entire event, and you can see all the fantastic photos he took throughout the night here.
You can also check out the great work he’s done away from the NWCFL AGM by clicking here.
After a beautiful three course meal, the awards evening began with an introduction to the guest host, talkSPORT presenter and broadcaster Ged Mills, who brought up the NWCFL’s Media Officer Ben Wilkinson to present the Programme of the Year awards.
The winners were league champions Bury FC in the Premier Division, newcomers Thornton Cleveleys in the First Division North, and also-champs Winsford United in the First Division South. Each team also earned a £75 prize for their efforts.
Up next were the League Respect Awards, handed out by Jeff Voller, from the NWCFL League Management Committee. The criterion for these awards is based on points earned for clubs’ conduct before, during and after games.
The most respectful clubs in the NWCFL by those metrics for 2024/25, and picking up a healthy £250 in prize money, were FC Isle of Man in the Prem, Thornton Cleveleys going two for two in the North, and Cheadle Heath Nomads from the South.
Next on the agenda was the distribution of the league’s Fair Play Awards for those teams who did their best during the campaign to avoid falling foul of the referee’s whistle, and especially the referee’s cards.
Presented by Martin Fallon from the League Management Committee, the winners of these awards and a £250 prize pot were Ramsbottom United in the Prem, League winners Atherton LR from the North, and Stafford Town in the South.
Following that was surely the most ironically booed award for the evening – Referee of the Year! The man in the middle of any match is often the recipient of the most criticism, but they work so hard during the season, and the game simply doesn’t happen without them.
FA Observer Coordinator Lea Taylor was a special guest presenter for this award, and the recipient was Joe Morrell. The Manchester FA ref received the best marks of anybody from his 12+ games in the NWCFL in 2024/25, and he was the rightful winner.
Referee of the Year gave way to a slew of solo awards, the first of which was for the top scorers in each division. League Management Committee member Rob Goodwin-Davey was on stage to present the respective Golden Boots to representatives of Bury, Nelson and Abbey Hulton United.
The individual winners from each of those clubs, earning a £50 bonus, were Lewis-Simon Byrne, who bagged 30 league goals for both Bury and Chadderton; Charlie Frost, who scored a whopping 32 for Nelson; and Kieran Brown, who notched 28 for Abbey Hulton United.
The individual awards kept on coming, with Chris Stirrup from the League Management Committee on hand to present each division’s Player of the Year awards, judged by number of Man of the Match awards. In a refreshing turn of events, all three recipients were in attendance to pick up their trophies, and a £50 prize.
Firstly, Caleb Jones was rewarded for his 16 Man of the Match performances for AFC Liverpool in the Premier Division; next was David Moore, of Atherton LR in the North, who ended the campaign with 11 to his name; and finally there was Matthew Hearsey, from Stafford Town in the South, who bagged 12 Man of the Match awards for himself in 2024/25.
From the best outfield players to the best goalkeepers now, and Craig Buxton, from the League Management Committee was called to the stage to hand out each divisions Golden Glove award, sponsored by Reusch.
Premier Division runners-up Lower Breck’s Theo Roberts was the first recipient, with respective league champions Joe Bickerstaffe of Atherton LR, and Jacob Kirwan of Winsford United following on, from the First Divisions North and South.
Finally, from an individual perspective, there was each division’s Manager of the Year awards to present. Mick Ainsworth, from the League Management Committee, had the honour of handing out these trophies to their respective winners, all of whom were league champions in 2024/25.
In the Prem, Bury FC’s Dave McNabb was the winner for leading the Shakers to the title; in the North, Atherton LR’s Dave Jones was credited for the same feat with his club, guiding them to the Premier Division ahead of next season; and in the South, Winsford United’s duo of Dean Jones and Dom Johnson shared the prize for helping United to the league title.
After a short intermission, it was time for the Roll of Honour. Firstly, a mention was given by host Ged Mills to both Irlam and Route One Rovers – NWCFL member clubs who both participated in and won non-NWCFL cup competitions in 2024/25. Irlam were Manchester Premier Cup winners, and Route One picked up the West Riding County Cup.
Then, League Vice Chair Geoff Wilkinson was called up to present the trophies to each division’s play-off winners. Runners-up Padiham, Droylsden and Stafford Town were all given £100 in prize money for getting as close as they did, and each winner received £250 for their accomplishment.
Up first and second were the winners from the North and South, being Euxton Villa and Abbey Hulton United, respectively. And then came Lower Breck, who earned promotion out of the NWCFL system alongside Bury following their play-off victory.
After that, the penultimate round of awards were all to do with domestic cup competitions. League Journalist Jay Cooper very handsomely presented this next batch of awards, with shoutouts being given to Edward Case Cup semi-finalists Ashville and Holker Old Boys, winning £150; and runners-up Stafford Town, winning £250, before the winners collected their prize.
Atherton LR’s triple-crown acknowledgement started as it meant to go on, as they collected the Edward Case Cup, as well as a prize money total of £300 for their efforts.
Then there was the Macron Cup to address. Again, the semi-finalists received a mention, with AFC Blackpool and Barnton both earning £250 for getting so far in the tournament. Runners-up Stafford Town (again) also collected a healthy £500 for pushing the eventual winners all the way.
Charnock Richard had won the Macron Cup in 2024/25, downing Stafford 6-2 at Accrington Stanley’s Wham Stadium. They collected their well-earned trophy, along with a cool prize packet of £1,000.
And finally, we had the trophies that everyone had been waiting for, presented by outgoing Chairman and newly-elected League President, Paul Lawler. There was an acknowledgement for both the First Divisions North and South runners-up, those being Nelson and Abbey Hulton United. Both sides received £250 in prize money for their efforts.
Then the winners were called up – firstly, Atherton LR were presented with their league trophy and a £400 cash prize; and then Winsford United, who were given their league trophy and received the same sum.
Before we moved on to the Premier Division, there was one more trophy to present to Atherton LR, who had defeated Winsford United in the First Division Champions Cup following the culmination of the regular league season.
It was Atherton LR’s third award of the evening for what they achieved on the pitch during 2024/25, and despite there being no prize money for this one, it was still an honour accepted with pride by Rovers.
The evening finished with Paul Lawler presenting the runners-up in last season’s Premier Division, Lower Breck, with a £750 cash prize for their remarkable effort in pushing the champions all the way. It has been repeatedly acknowledged since the end of the campaign that never before has a team managed 106 points but failed to win the league.
There could only be one league winner, and that was 109-point Bury FC, who were called up to collect their trophy and a handsome cash prize of £1,500.
The Shakers’ representative gave a heartfelt speech when collecting the award, thanking the NWCFL and all its member clubs for helping them restart their journey back to their former heights after their unceremonious dismissal from the EFL nearly six years ago.
Congratulations to all our winners! This night was perhaps the best way to introduce a new season of the NWCFL, which kicks off in just 31 days!
NWCFL Awards Evening 2025 round-up
Wed 25th June 2025 | General
By Jay Cooper
It’s that time of year again – the NWCFL Annual General Meeting is now in the rearview mirror (and you can read all about that here); and with that, we also saw the League’s Annual Awards Presentation Evening.
The event took place at the Imperial Hotel in Blackpool, and credit must go to the staff and all attendees for how smoothly the whole night went.
A special shoutout must also go to the man who ensured that the night would not be forgotten in a hurry – photographer Adam Gee was crucial to the success of the entire event, and you can see all the fantastic photos he took throughout the night here.
You can also check out the great work he’s done away from the NWCFL AGM by clicking here.
After a beautiful three course meal, the awards evening began with an introduction to the guest host, talkSPORT presenter and broadcaster Ged Mills, who brought up the NWCFL’s Media Officer Ben Wilkinson to present the Programme of the Year awards.
The winners were league champions Bury FC in the Premier Division, newcomers Thornton Cleveleys in the First Division North, and also-champs Winsford United in the First Division South. Each team also earned a £75 prize for their efforts.
Up next were the League Respect Awards, handed out by Jeff Voller, from the NWCFL League Management Committee. The criterion for these awards is based on points earned for clubs’ conduct before, during and after games.
The most respectful clubs in the NWCFL by those metrics for 2024/25, and picking up a healthy £250 in prize money, were FC Isle of Man in the Prem, Thornton Cleveleys going two for two in the North, and Cheadle Heath Nomads from the South.
Next on the agenda was the distribution of the league’s Fair Play Awards for those teams who did their best during the campaign to avoid falling foul of the referee’s whistle, and especially the referee’s cards.
Presented by Martin Fallon from the League Management Committee, the winners of these awards and a £250 prize pot were Ramsbottom United in the Prem, League winners Atherton LR from the North, and Stafford Town in the South.
Following that was surely the most ironically booed award for the evening – Referee of the Year! The man in the middle of any match is often the recipient of the most criticism, but they work so hard during the season, and the game simply doesn’t happen without them.
FA Observer Coordinator Lea Taylor was a special guest presenter for this award, and the recipient was Joe Morrell. The Manchester FA ref received the best marks of anybody from his 12+ games in the NWCFL in 2024/25, and he was the rightful winner.
Referee of the Year gave way to a slew of solo awards, the first of which was for the top scorers in each division. League Management Committee member Rob Goodwin-Davey was on stage to present the respective Golden Boots to representatives of Bury, Nelson and Abbey Hulton United.
The individual winners from each of those clubs, earning a £50 bonus, were Lewis-Simon Byrne, who bagged 30 league goals for both Bury and Chadderton; Charlie Frost, who scored a whopping 32 for Nelson; and Kieran Brown, who notched 28 for Abbey Hulton United.
The individual awards kept on coming, with Chris Stirrup from the League Management Committee on hand to present each division’s Player of the Year awards, judged by number of Man of the Match awards. In a refreshing turn of events, all three recipients were in attendance to pick up their trophies, and a £50 prize.
Firstly, Caleb Jones was rewarded for his 16 Man of the Match performances for AFC Liverpool in the Premier Division; next was David Moore, of Atherton LR in the North, who ended the campaign with 11 to his name; and finally there was Matthew Hearsey, from Stafford Town in the South, who bagged 12 Man of the Match awards for himself in 2024/25.
From the best outfield players to the best goalkeepers now, and Craig Buxton, from the League Management Committee was called to the stage to hand out each divisions Golden Glove award, sponsored by Reusch.
Premier Division runners-up Lower Breck’s Theo Roberts was the first recipient, with respective league champions Joe Bickerstaffe of Atherton LR, and Jacob Kirwan of Winsford United following on, from the First Divisions North and South.
Finally, from an individual perspective, there was each division’s Manager of the Year awards to present. Mick Ainsworth, from the League Management Committee, had the honour of handing out these trophies to their respective winners, all of whom were league champions in 2024/25.
In the Prem, Bury FC’s Dave McNabb was the winner for leading the Shakers to the title; in the North, Atherton LR’s Dave Jones was credited for the same feat with his club, guiding them to the Premier Division ahead of next season; and in the South, Winsford United’s duo of Dean Jones and Dom Johnson shared the prize for helping United to the league title.
After a short intermission, it was time for the Roll of Honour. Firstly, a mention was given by host Ged Mills to both Irlam and Route One Rovers – NWCFL member clubs who both participated in and won non-NWCFL cup competitions in 2024/25. Irlam were Manchester Premier Cup winners, and Route One picked up the West Riding County Cup.
Then, League Vice Chair Geoff Wilkinson was called up to present the trophies to each division’s play-off winners. Runners-up Padiham, Droylsden and Stafford Town were all given £100 in prize money for getting as close as they did, and each winner received £250 for their accomplishment.
Up first and second were the winners from the North and South, being Euxton Villa and Abbey Hulton United, respectively. And then came Lower Breck, who earned promotion out of the NWCFL system alongside Bury following their play-off victory.
After that, the penultimate round of awards were all to do with domestic cup competitions. League Journalist Jay Cooper very handsomely presented this next batch of awards, with shoutouts being given to Edward Case Cup semi-finalists Ashville and Holker Old Boys, winning £150; and runners-up Stafford Town, winning £250, before the winners collected their prize.
Atherton LR’s triple-crown acknowledgement started as it meant to go on, as they collected the Edward Case Cup, as well as a prize money total of £300 for their efforts.
Then there was the Macron Cup to address. Again, the semi-finalists received a mention, with AFC Blackpool and Barnton both earning £250 for getting so far in the tournament. Runners-up Stafford Town (again) also collected a healthy £500 for pushing the eventual winners all the way.
Charnock Richard had won the Macron Cup in 2024/25, downing Stafford 6-2 at Accrington Stanley’s Wham Stadium. They collected their well-earned trophy, along with a cool prize packet of £1,000.
And finally, we had the trophies that everyone had been waiting for, presented by outgoing Chairman and newly-elected League President, Paul Lawler. There was an acknowledgement for both the First Divisions North and South runners-up, those being Nelson and Abbey Hulton United. Both sides received £250 in prize money for their efforts.
Then the winners were called up – firstly, Atherton LR were presented with their league trophy and a £400 cash prize; and then Winsford United, who were given their league trophy and received the same sum.
Before we moved on to the Premier Division, there was one more trophy to present to Atherton LR, who had defeated Winsford United in the First Division Champions Cup following the culmination of the regular league season.
It was Atherton LR’s third award of the evening for what they achieved on the pitch during 2024/25, and despite there being no prize money for this one, it was still an honour accepted with pride by Rovers.
The evening finished with Paul Lawler presenting the runners-up in last season’s Premier Division, Lower Breck, with a £750 cash prize for their remarkable effort in pushing the champions all the way. It has been repeatedly acknowledged since the end of the campaign that never before has a team managed 106 points but failed to win the league.
There could only be one league winner, and that was 109-point Bury FC, who were called up to collect their trophy and a handsome cash prize of £1,500.
The Shakers’ representative gave a heartfelt speech when collecting the award, thanking the NWCFL and all its member clubs for helping them restart their journey back to their former heights after their unceremonious dismissal from the EFL nearly six years ago.
Congratulations to all our winners! This night was perhaps the best way to introduce a new season of the NWCFL, which kicks off in just 31 days!
