Player of the year unveiled as football season winds up

This year’s end-of-season awards were voted for by players in the Arran Football Association.

Brodick striker Archie McNicol was the runaway winner in the players’ player of the year award, with Southend centre back Danny Head getting the runner-up award. Toby Wingham and Owen ‘Pele’ Quigley, both of Brodick, were tied on the same amount of votes for third place. In the young player of the year award, Brodick’s Adam McNicol won with a staggering 38 votes, with his team-mate Alistair McMillan coming second.

This year’s golden boot winners looked like giants next to their awards as it look like the golden boots had shrunk during transit. Archie won the prize for about the 40th year running with his tally of 23 goals. His team-mate Toby Wingham pushed him all the way this year though and finished three adrift on a total of 20.

This year’s dirtiest player is a tight one between a couple of usual suspects. Jordan Crawford notched up one red card and then two yellows. Babbies MacNeil managed to miraculously stay on the field in every game he played but did rack up four yellows. Maybe some kind of charity boxing match could be organised to find out who takes first place.

Brodick, unsurprisingly, dominated the end-ofseason player of the year awards after an almost perfect season. Only one defeat in three competitions for the Orwin House boys and that came in the Arran Haulage Cup at the hands of Southend. The Southenders went on to beat Shiskine in a tense final in Lamlash by two goals to one.

The Arran Dairies league shield was only ever heading to one place though, as Brodick won every match and by some big margins too. Their average goal difference worked out at more than seven goals a game. Northend took the heaviest defeats as they ended up once again at the foot of the table with no points. Shiskine started off the season brightly under new manager, Franky, but slipped into old ways with struggling to get their best players as the season went on. Southend suffered their worst league placing for almost a decade as they slipped into third place. Lamlash improved again and ended up sitting in runners-up spot next to their old enemies Brodick.

These two also went head to head in the final of the Association Cup but, despite a strong first half from Lamlash, ultimately Brodick were too strong and went on to do the double.

The end-of-season Ann Miller Cup, where the league champions take on an Arran select team, has been postponed. Top goal scorers 2016 Archie McNicol (Brodick) 23 goals Toby Wingham (Brodick) 20 goals Grant Adamson (Lamlash) 13 goals Iain Keen (Brodick) 12 goals John Murchie (Shiskine) 12 goals James Todd (Lamlash) 11 goals Ryan Armstrong (Southend) 8 goals Donald Park (Southend) 7 goals Owen ‘Pele’ Quigley 7 goals

01_B36footy01 All of the award-winners pose with their trophies after being nominated by their team mates.

01_B36footy05 Runner-up for the young player of the year award was Alistair McMillan.

01_B36footy07 Player of the year Archie McNicol in action, contesting a high ball against Lamlash.

01_B36footy02 Adam McNicol was overwhelmingly voted as young player of the year.

01_B36footy03 Archie McNicol took the player of the year award as well as the golden boot award.

01_B36footy04 Toby Wingham narrowly missed out on the golden boot award by three goals but still took the runner-up award.

01_B36footy06 Runner-up for player of the year was Southend’s Danny Head, who also runs the league.