FSF Football Writers Awards 2012

Only one week later than promised the Football Supporters’ Federation’s Awards Panel has delivered the shortlists for our FSF Football Writers Awards 2012. Like troops returning from battle they have haunted looks in their beady eyes and tell tales of terror that the uninitiated could never truly comprehend. With almost 400 nominations, from more than 1000 fans, shortlisting was a Herculean task.

***Click here and vote in the FSF Writers Awards***

How will the winners be decided? The Writer, Podcast, and Book awards will be decided by the public – vote here by June 22nd. The winners of the Newspaper, Blogger, Website, and Fanzine Awards will be decided by an FSF Panel. The winners will be announced at the FSF Football Writers Awards 2012 on the evening of Saturday 7th July in Covent Garden. Buy your tickets here (only £5).

Why wasn’t my favourite shortlisted? The standard of entries across every category was very high and we received twice as many nominations as last year. For example, more than 100 bloggers, 70 websites, and 50 podcasts were nominated and the Awards Panel read or listened to every last one. With so many potential permutations it’s impossible to produce a ‘perfect’ list which everyone agrees with. Some people will inevitably be disappointed (the Awards Panel had its own fair share of disagreements!) and we’ll probably get the odd furious email. C’est la vie.

But most importantly. If your blog, fanzine, website, or podcast was nominated but didn’t make this year’s shortlist please, please, please don’t let that put you off entering 2013’s awards. Some who didn’t make the cut last year have this year, and some who were shortlisted last year have missed out this year. The FSF Football Writers Awards aim to showcase the depth and breadth of the best amateur and professional football journalism out there. We can only do that with your help and would like to thank everyone who got involved.

AND THE SHORTLISTS ARE (DRUM ROLL)…

FSF Football Writer of the Year (vote here):

• David Conn (The Guardian)
• Iain Macintosh (Sports Illustrated, Singapore’s The New Paper, The Irish Examiner, various online)
• Jonathan Wilson (The Guardian, Fox Sports, Sports Illustrated, editor of The Blizzard, various online)
• Nick Harris (Mail on Sunday, editor at Sportingintelligence.com)
• Paul Hayward (The Telegraph)
• The Secret Footballer (The Guardian)

FSF Football Podcast of the Year (vote here):

• Bluemoon (Manchester City)
• Cafe Calcio
• Football Weekly
• The Anfield Wrap (Liverpool)
• The Football Ramble
• The Game

FSF Football Book of the Year (vote here):

• A Life Too Short: The Tragedy of Robert Enke (Ronald Reng)
• Barca: The Making of the Greatest Team in the World (Graham Hunter)
• 50 Teams That Mattered (David Hartrick)
• Brian Clough: Nobody Ever Says Thank You (Jonathan Wilson)
• Red: My Autobiography (Gary Neville)
• Thinking Inside The Box: Reflections on Life as a Premier League Footballer (Louis Saha and Georgia de Chamberet)

FSF Fans’ Newspaper of the Year:

• Daily Mail
• Lancashire Telegraph
• Non League Paper
• Sunday Mirror
• The Guardian
• The Times

FSF Football Website of the Year:

• In Bed With Maradona
• Miniboro.com (Middlesbrough)
• Sporting Intelligence
• The Anfield Wrap (Liverpool)
• Twohundredpercent
• Zonal Marking

FSF Football Blogger of the Year:

• Andi Thomas (The FCF/SB Nation)
• Arseblogger (Arseblog)
• Greg Theoharis (Dispatches From a Football Sofa)
• Ian Rands (A United View)
• Kieron O’Connor (Swiss Ramble)
• Rangers Tax Case

FSF Football Fanzine of the Year:

• A Love Supreme (Sunderland)
• The Gooner (Arsenal)
• The Seagull Love Review (Brighton and Hove Albion)
• The Square Ball (Leeds United)
• True Faith (Newcastle United)
• United We Stand (Manchester United)

We’ll be in touch with shortlisted nominees ASAP…

The winners will be announced at the FSF Football Writers Awards 2012 on the evening of Saturday 7th July (7.30pm doors, Grand Connaught Rooms, London). The award ceremony will be part of an FSF comedy panel show featuring, among others, ex-Arsenal legend Perry Groves, stand-up comedian, comedy writer and Match of the Day 2’s Kevin Day, The Guardian Football Weekly podcast’s mainstay Barry Glendenning, and the Football League Show’s Leroy Rosenior.

• Buy your tickets here (only £5)…
• The Awards are part of the wider Football Supporters’ Federation and Supporters Direct Fans’ Weekend which takes place on Saturday 7th and Sunday 8th July. Read more here.

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