Sunday annual awards

Crawley Sunday celebrated their annual awards evening with the best ever showing of our adult teams. The first team (pictured above) finished a promising season being placed second in the NHCSFL Premier Division, runners-up behind the eventual winners by just one point. As Executive Chairman, Tony Talbot, said: "At the start of the season we would gladly have accepted runners-up position in the league, but as events turned out the Club feels it threw away a golden chance of winning the top honour for the first time - but this only adds determination to succeed next season!"

It was the Reserves (pictured above with their championship medals) who really did the Club proud, winning the Reserve Cup and completing the double by romping home with the Division 1 Championship in style.

Leon Holton (pictured with Sunday Chairman, Michael Halligan) had most to smile, for having collected a Division 2 Cup winner's medal with the Saturday side, two medals with the Sunday Reserves (man of the match award in the Reserves Cup Final victory) he topped this by being nominated as the Player's Player of the Year - a superb season for this energetic midfielder.

The first team's Player's Player of the Year was Steve Farrell, who was rewarded for an outstanding season in the centre of defence.

Paul Ayling (above) received the Manager's Player of the Year for putting in superb midfield performances week in week out as the team challenged for the top honours in the Sunday league.

Scott Dunn, an energetic and talented striker scooped the second team's Manager's Player of the Year for regularly scoring outstanding goals - and in vital matches.

Clubman of the Year went to unsung hero Keith Richardson - the like of whom no club can function without. Whatever the weather, whatever the task, Crawley's Mr Dependable is there. Keith could not be present at the awards ceremony, but he did send us a message congratulating the Club on its success. The trophy was collected on his behalf by son Stuart - another product of our youth policy.

Virgil Blennerhassett received a special award for Outstanding Achievement. Having led the Reserves to the Division 2 title last season, he went one better this season by leading them to the second consecutive league championship complemented by a cup double.

The loyalty of players was again noted as Leon Holton, Gary King and Martin Fensome received their awards for 50 appearances for the Club. Leon (who came through the junior ranks also plays for the Saturday side and goodness knows how many matches he has notched up for the Club as a whole).

Martin Fensome and Gary King were top scorers for the first and second teams respectively, whilst Gary also took the top scorer for the NHCSFL with 51 goals.