Brentford bag award!

Brentford have won the Best Club Sponsorship Award at the 2007 ‘Football League Awards incorporating FourFourTwo`s Top 50 Football League Players`.

The Bees received the award, which was sponsored by Carling, at a gala dinner at the Grosvenor House on Park Lane on Sunday, 4th March 2007.

Brentford`s sponsorship deal with St George West London has had an outstanding impact on the local community, enabling the club to support grass roots community projects. The sponsorship has developed to provide free coaching at local schools, funding for community workers and free children`s tickets for matches at Griffin Park, which in turn, builds a database of new supporters and their families.

Chief Executive of Brentford Community Sports Trust, Lee Doyle,said
“It feels like a league and cup double after we won an award last year – and it shows the relationship between the club and its community. We’ve got a great partnership with St George Limited, London’s leading property developers, and the community’s sports trust. The partnership is in its sixth year now and I’m especially delighted for Ian Dobie, who is the Managing Director of St George Limited, West London, who has become the Chair of our Trustees. He gives his time free of charge, like a lot of people involved in our community schemes do, and this award is recognition for the efforts that Ian and others have put in.”
The other clubs that were short-listed for the award were: Ipswich Town and Walsall.

Steve Cumming, Sponsorship Manager at Coca-Cola was a judge on the Best Club Sponsorship category. He commented that Brentford were an “an excellent example of a club recognising the need to develop a real partnership to deliver local community aspirations. A partnership that delivers real community value and responds to a key objective of the football club – to be at the heart of the community.”

Commenting on the 2007 Football League Awards, The Football League Chairman, Lord Mawhinney, said: “Once again, The Football League Awards have been a great success. They have given us the opportunity to recognise and reward the outstanding contributions made to The Football League by fans, clubs, players and sponsors.”

The number one spot in the FourFourTwo Top 50 Football League Players went to West Bromwich Albion midfielder, Jason Koumas, followed by Dave Nugent of Preston North End and Gareth Bale of Southampton. The full list of The Top 50 Football League Players can be found in the April issue of FourFourTwo which is on sale now.

To find out more about The Football League Awards please visit www.footballleagueawards.com.

The full list of winners from The Football League Awards is as follows:

FOOTBALL AWARDS

Wickes Young Apprentice Award – Coca-Cola Championship
Chris Gunter, Cardiff City

Apprentice Award – Coca-Cola League 1 – sponsored by Nivea for Men Weekend Wonders
Joe Skarz, Huddersfield Town

Apprentice Award – Coca-Cola League 2 – sponsored by Nivea for Men Weekend Wonders
Joe Thompson, Rochdale

Goal of the Year – sponsored by Mitre
Joe Ledley, Barnsley v Cardiff, 5th August 2006

FourFourTwo Young Player of the Year – Coca-Cola Football League **
Gareth Bale, Southampton

FourFourTwo Player of the Year – Coca-Cola League 2*
Izale McLeod, Milton Keynes Dons

FourFourTwo Player of the Year – Coca-Cola League 1*
Billy Sharp, Scunthorpe United

FourFourTwo Player of the Year – Coca-Cola Championship*
Jason Koumas, West Bromwich Albion



*These awards were presented to the highest ranked player in each division in FourFourTwo`s Top 50 Football League Players

**This award was presented to the highest ranked young Football League player in FourFourTwo`s Top 50 Football League Players



INDUSTRY AWARDS

· Community Club of the Year – sponsored by Wickes

Brighton and Hove Albion

Best Community Initiative – sponsored by The Football Foundation
Norwich City

Best Club Sponsorship – sponsored by Carling
Brentford

Best Club Marketing Campaign – sponsored by CSI Sports
Norwich City

Best Matchday Programme – sponsored by PA Sport
Colchester United

Best Use of New Media – sponsored by Football Manager
Cardiff City

Best Kit Design – sponsored by Nivea for Men Weekend Wonders
Burnley (Away Kit)

Best Away Ground – sponsored by Thomas Cook Sport and run in conjunction with BBC Radio Five Live
Sunderland – Stadium of Light

Fan of the Year – sponsored by FIFA ’07
Stan McGowen, Bury

Contribution to League Football – sponsored by SBJ Sports
Jack Taylor

Good Sport Award – sponsored by Wash and Go
Chris Doig, Northampton Town