National Game Awards 2012-13 in association with Budweister Club Futures – Sportsbeat Young Player of the Year
NON-LEAGUE football is full of talented young players plying their trade and hoping to forge their way into the Football League.
As a result, the elite 92 now appear to be more willing to delve into Non- League and unearth those hidden gems – and who can blame them.
There are plenty of young players catching the eye and once again, The NLP will be honouring the best of the bunch with a SportsbeatYoung Player of the Year National Game Awards in association with Budweiser at our bash at Craven Cottage.
A couple of players who have to be in the conversation are Wrexham‘s Johnny Hunt and Andy Cook (pictured below) of Grimsby. The pair will face off in the FA Trophy showcase at Wembley next Sunday and have both made big contributions to their side’s Blue Square Bet Premier promotion hopes.
There’s plenty of other young talent in the BSB Premier too, with centre-back Cheyenne Dunkley catching the eye for Kidderminster.
He has excelled since joining from Evo-Stik NPL Hednesford and could well be playing in the Football League with Steve Burr’s men next season.
A man who has already made the step up, however, is Lee Evans. The 18-year-old former Newport County midfielder was snapped up by Wolves in January but made a big impact in his time with the Exiles.
And who can forget Forest Green’s trio of Jamie Turley, Eddie Oshodi and Kieron Forbes who have all been a key part of Dave Hockaday’s high-flyers this year as well as England C.
There’s plenty of talent outside the BSB Premier too, with BSB North Histon interesting Football League scouts with the likes of Nick Freeman and Matty Waters – but what about Chester‘s Antoni Sarcevic, below, who has had a great year for the champions in waiting?
And Welling United‘s central defensive pairing of Fraser Franks and Anthony Acheampong has put them firmly in the BSB South title race.
Steps 3 and below are also a goldmine for hungry youngsters and you only have to look at Dulwich Hamlet’s Daniel Carr for proof. The 18-year-old is being tracked by Premier League giants Liverpool and Chelsea.
And both Ryan Kendall of North Ferriby, and Gosport Borough‘s Dan Woodward have helped their unfancied sides into the promotion picture in the NPL Premier and Southern Premier respectively.
That’s just a brief selection of youngsters who have caught the eye this season but if we missed somebody out, don’t worry. You can vote for your favourite player –who must be 23 or under – so get your choice to us now.
Budweiser Club Futures is a programme investing £1m into grassroots football. Season two applications will be live on thefa.com from July 2013 .
NGA 2012-13 LIST OF AWARDS
OUR GAME Player of the Year
SPORTSBEAT Young Player of the Year
REUSCH Goalkeeper of the Year
PRO DIRECT Golden Boot
SK KITS Step 3 & 4 Player of the Year
MARK HARROD Team of the Year
ESPN Cup Run of the Year
POWER HORSE Lifetime Achievement
PREMIER SPORTS Goal of the Season
WILLIAM HILL Fan of the Year
THE FOOTBALL FOUNDATION Community Club of the Year
THE PFA Fair Play Award
BUDWEISER CLUB FUTURES PROGRAMME Unsung Hero
S&C SLATTER Manager of the Year
THE FA England C Player of the Year
VOTING IS NOW OPEN!
SEND IN YOUR NOMINATIONS TO [email protected] OR BY POST TO: THE NON-LEAGUE PAPER, TUITION HOUSE, ST GEORGE’S ROAD, WIMBLEDON, SW19 4EU.
