Seven football clubs across Greater Manchester will be hoping for success at this year’s Northwest Football Awards on Tuesday 18 November.
With categories including Player of the Year at all levels, Rising Star and Community Initiative of the Year, the ceremony, at Lancashire County Cricket Club’s Old Trafford home, rewards all aspects of football in the region.
Premier League champions Manchester City’s six nominations is the most of any club, with Manuel Pellegrini and Yaya Toure contending for the manager and Premier League player awards respectively.
18-year-old Portuguese youth international Marcos Lopes, currently on loan at Ligue 1 side Lille, has been nominated as the region’s Rising Star.
The club’s community efforts have also been reflected in their nominations for Community Initiative of the Year and Premier League Community Club of the Year.
Finally, City are a finalist in the Best Club Sponsorship/Marketing and Engagement award alongside rivals Manchester United.
United are also well-represented in other categories, with David De Gea contending with Toure for the Premier League Player of the Year award.
Talented youngster James Wilson has been nominated for the rising star award alongside Lopes, while United will also compete for Premier League Community Club.
Les Parry, the club’s development physiotherapist, is nominated for the Fabrice Muamba Medical & Science Professional, which was won by the club’s head physiotherapist Rob Swire last year.
In the Championship, Bolton Wanderers’ 2013 club and supporters’ player of the year Tim Ream and Wigan Athletic’s James McArthur are up for the player of the year award.
The two players will be looking to follow in the footsteps of Wanderers club captain Jay Spearing, who won the award last year.
Both clubs are also vying for Community Initiative of the Year and Football League Community Club of the Year, with Bolton having shared the former award with Everton last year.
Oldham Athletic’s James Wesolowski is one of three players up for League One Player, whilst in League Two Bury’s Danny Mayor and Rochdale’s Ian Henderson will compete with Fleetwood’s Conor McLaughlin.
Judges at the ceremony include former FA chief executive Mark Palios, Manchester FA’s CEO Colin Bridgford, and broadcaster and ex-Professional Footballers’ Association chairman Clarke Carlisle.
Main image courtesy of Paul Currie/Action Images, with thanks.
