HARTY: My vote for Player-of-the-Year
THE annual Albion player- of-the-year award has, down the years, produced winners who have become club legends. Peter Ward, Brian Horton, Steve Foster and John Keeley to name but a few.
There was also a trend a few years ago that the winner always seemed to end-up leaving the club the following summer. In fact, in 1992, the actual winner wasn't even playing at the club at the time of the award.
Albion had finished the previous season at Wembley in the play-off final, a mere 90 minutes away from a return to the top flight, before losing 3-1 to Notts County.
So another campaign in Div 2 beckoned, and as a result of the cash crisis striker Mike Small was sold to West Ham and in October, after "murdering" Portsmouth at Fratton Park, 0-0, his strike partner John Byrne was shipped out to Sunderland.
Looking back, the club might as well have accepted relegation there and then; it was a torrid time after that, with some truly forgettable performances at both the Goldstone and on the road.
Could Byrne have made a difference? He certainly did at Sunderland, helping them to a FA Cup final agianst Liverpool.
As for the Albion we'll never know, but at the time that's what fans thought and in recognition, a campaign was started, using a printed postcard voting slip, to make sure John Byrne won the player-of- the-year award.
As it turned out, almost all of the 1,500 voting slips produced were sent-in to the club, giving JB a "victory" margin not seen since the heady days of the 1970s.
However, with the club not wanting the embarrassment of a non-Albion player winning the award, second-placed Gary Chivers, nearly 1,300 votes behind Budge, was given the trophy.
With the Albion's torrid season this year, there was talk of another "protest" vote with first team reject Jonny Dixon, who signed last year for 60,000-odd from Aldershot but has been seen less than Lord Lucan at the Withdean, being an obvious candidate.
The club has blocked that by bringing in a rule that each candidate has to have played 15 games for the first team.
This should open the way for my Herald colleague Andy Whing, to rightfully win the accolade. He certainly got my vote.
But spare a thought for Gary Hart, who has, in the last few matches, helped to all-but- save the Albion's season, yet misses out as a candidate over the 15-game rule.
Local girls' football goes from strength-to-strength with the cup-winning Worthing Minors Under 14 side representing Sussex at a competition in Putney at the weekend.
Another local team, Worthing Piranhas, who play at under 12 level, were formed at the start of the season, and round off their debut campaign with a fund-raising match at Ferring FC, this Saturday, April 25, when the team take- on some of the most important people in their lives, their mums. The game kicks-off at 10.30 and there will be refreshments on sale.
Good luck to all of our local runners in the London Marathon this Sunday, including Tracey Pearcey, Jeremy Ransom, Anna Cozzi and Paddy O'Reilly. Apologies for those I have not named but please do get in contact with your finishing times and your estimates of the funds raised.
One final note on the subject of charity events. That very worthy cause Help for Heroes will benefit from a clay pigeon shoot on Sunday, May 3, at the Southdown Gun Club, situated on the A24, at Findon.
A fun-packed day for the whole family is on offer and for more details please contact the club on 01903 877555 (daytime).
-------------------------------------
Click here to go back to Worthing sport.
Click here to return to Gazette sport.
Click here to go back to Shoreham sport.
Where are you? Add your pin to the Herald's international readers' map by clicking here.
Email the Herald: steve.bailey@worthingherald.co.uk
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Worthing
Tuesday 14 February 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 4 C to 8 C
Wind Speed: 16 mph
Wind direction: North
Tomorrow
Sunny spells
Temperature: 3 C to 10 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: North west
