FSF Awards 2018 shortlists announced

The Football Supporters’ Federation is pleased to announce the shortlists for the 2018 FSF Awards in partnership with Virgin Media – voting is open now, and fans can back their favourites at www.fsf.org.uk/vote. Ninety six shortlisted candidates will battle it out across 16 categories, recognising everything from the best players of 2018 to fans’ favourite away days.

• Vote now – cast your votes for your favourites. 

In the Men’s Player of the Year category, there are two nominees apiece for Pep Guardiola’s table-topping Manchester City and Champions League finalists Liverpool, with Raheem Sterling and 2014 Player of the Year winner Sergio Agüero representing the Sky Blues, and Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk for Jürgen Klopp’s Reds. Battling it out with them for top honours are Chelsea’s Eden Hazard and Leicester’s Harry Maguire.

This is the third year that the FSF are celebrating the Women’s Player of the Year. The shortlist was compiled after bringing together the FAWSL Supporters’ Player of the Year Award winners for 2017/18, with a panel convened by leading women’s football magazine She Kicks picking their top six performers from that selection.

WSL1 Spring Series champions Chelsea are represented by Fran Kirby, alongside Keira Walsh from runners-up Manchester City. WSL1’s top goalscorer Ellen White makes the cut for Birmingham City, with Arsenal’s Beth Mead, Reading’s Remi Allen and Sunderland’s Lucy Staniforth rounding out the shortlist. 

Our Fans for Diversity work alongside anti-discrimination organisation Kick It Out has its own award for the third year running, promoting the good work of fan groups up and down the country in making football more inclusive and welcoming to all communities. We’ll also be recognising the work Supporter Liaison Officers (SLOs) do for fans across the country which often goes unnoticed. The SLO of the Year award highlights the best practice in supporter liaison in the Premier League and English Football League.

We are also instituting a new National Game Community Award this year that showcases the variety of community outreach work undertaken by non-league football clubs. The award will acknowledge best practice and innovation and will particularly recognise those clubs that involve supporters and community delivery partners to make a positive impact in their local community.

Kevin Miles, chief executive of the Football Supporters’ Federation, said: “Fans are a huge part of the game at all levels, and the FSF Awards in partnership with Virgin Media give the fans the chance to have their say on the very best in all aspects of the game.

“We’re delighted that once again Virgin Media are showing their support for football supporters. Having backed our work on Twenty’s Plenty, they’ve once again supported fans in backing our awards.”

The other categories that fans will be able to have their say on include the best commentators, podcasts, bloggers and football writers. In all, 10 categories are open to a public vote, while six categories (Away Day, Club Podcast, Fans for Diversity, Fanzine, National Game Community Award and Supporter Liaison Officer of the Year) will be decided by an FSF panel.

• Voting is open now. 

Voting is open from Wednesday 31st October until midday on Monday 19th November, with the awards being presented at the Tower of London on the evening of Monday 3rd December. Shortlisted nominees are entitled to 2 tickets to attend the awards dinner, and should get in touch with us at [email protected] for more details. 

The full list of categories and shortlisted nominees can be found below. 

Men’s Player of the Year

Sergio Agüero, Eden Hazard, Harry Maguire, Mohamed Salah, Raheem Sterling and Virgil van Dijk

Women’s Player of the Year

Remi Allen (Reading), Fran Kirby (Chelsea), Beth Mead (Arsenal), Lucy Staniforth (Sunderland), Keira Walsh (Man City) and Ellen White (Birmingham)

Away Day of the Year

Cardiff City, Fulham, Plymouth Argyle, Preston North End, Southampton and West Bromwich Albion

Club Podcast of the Year

The 77 Club (Wolves), Blue Moon (Man City), Charlton Live (Charlton), From The Rookery End (Watford), Fulhamish (Fulham), No Nay Never (Burnley)

Commentator of the Year

Darren Fletcher, Sam Matterface, Conor McNamara, John Murray, Martin Tyler and Steve Wilson

Fan Media of the Year

Along Come Norwich (Norwich City), The Anfield Wrap (Liverpool), Arseblog (Arsenal), Five Year Plan (Crystal Palace), The H List (West Ham) and My Old Man Said (Aston Villa).

Fans for Diversity Award

AccessiBlues  (Birmingham City), Apna Albion (West Brom), Lady Imps (Lincoln City), Proud Baggies (West Brom), Proud Lilywhites (Spurs) and Proud Valiants (Charlton). 

Fanzine of the Year

4000 Holes (Blackburn Rovers), The Football Pink (Various), The Gooner (Arsenal), Popular Stand (Doncaster), The Square Ball (Leeds United) and United We Stand (Manchester United). 

National Game Community Award

Altrincham FC, Boston United FC, Curzon Ashton FC, Eastbourne Borough FC, Hartlepool United FC and Wrexham AFC

Newspaper of the Year

Daily Mirror, The Guardian, The i, The Non League Paper, The Telegraph and the Times

Online Media of the Year

Copa 90, David Squires, @FootballCliches, Football365.com, These Football Times and Tifo

Podcast of the Year

BT Sport Football Writers, The Football Ramble, Guardian Football Weekly, The Indy Football Podcast, Set Piece Menu and The Totally Football Show

Pundit of the Year

Jamie Carragher, Danny Higginbotham, Gary Neville, Pat Nevin, Alex Scott and Alan Shearer

Radio Show of the Year

606 (BBC 5Live), The Friday Football Social (BBC 5Live), Hawksbee and Jacobs (talkSPORT), The Monday Night Club (BBC 5Live), Rock and Roll Football (Absolute Radio) and The Warm-Up with Max Rushden (talkSPORT)

Supporter Liaison Officer of the Year

Tony Barrett (Liverpool), Yvonne Ferguson (Middlesbrough), Alan Long (Lincoln City), Dave Messenger (Watford), Khali Parsons (Southampton) and Micky Simpson (Millwall)

Writer of the Year

Jonathan Liew (The Independent), John Nicholson (Football365), Jonathan Northcroft (Sunday Times), Jack Pitt-Brooke (The Independent), Barney Ronay (The Guardian) and Suzanne Wrack (The Guardian)