EVERTON CELEBRATE TREBLE SUCCESS AT THE NORTHWEST FOOTBALL AWARDS

EVERTON were the big winners off the field at the annual Northwest Football Awards in Manchester.  Fittingly, Sir Philip Carter, widely regarded as the club's most successful chairman ever, was among an audience of more than 500 at Lancashire County Cricket Club's Point Conference Centre, to witness Everton's victories.

The judging panel, including Mark Palios, former chief executive of the Football Association, Eamonn Salmon, chief executive of the League Medical Association and John Hudson, Director of Community with the Professional Footballers' Association, named Everton as 'Community Club of the Year.'

Celebrating 25 years in existence, Everton in the Community have previously been honoured at national and international level for their work, including gaining a free school providing alternative education and experiences for 14 to 19 year olds.

They also picked up a win for 'Community Initiative of the Year' with their 'Safe Hands' project, assisting offenders return to education with the provision of previously unavailable facilities.

Bolton Wanderers Community Trust was also honoured in the same category. Following the collapse and 'death' for 78 minutes of their former England Under 21 midfielder, Fabrice Muamba at White Hart Lane in March 2012, Bolton created a health scheme to provide club trainees with the knowledge and skill to help potentially save lives in the event of a similar tragedy.

Everton's third victory was for 'Best Club Marketing Campaign' seeing off opposition from Manchester United and Wigan Athletic.

Not to be outdone and certainly not empty handed were neighbours Liverpool. The award of 'Best Club Sponsorship Engagement/Partnership' went to the Anfield club for their association with international banking group, Standard Chartered.

The outcome of their partnership was the Standard Chartered Trophy, played over 12 countries, with the ultimate prize of playing at Anfield. The competition also celebrated cultural diversity as well as generating both a corporate and public interest alongside a number of other objectives.

LiverpooI were also recipients of the CSR Campaign of the Year, using the stigma surrounding HIV, to create an awareness initiative to help people gain a greater understanding about the disease and how to prevent it.

Lifting the trophy for 'Business Services to Football' was the team from Rippleffect, a digital communications agency with offices in Liverpool and Manchester as well as London and Glasgow. For more than 10 years, they have used innovative marketing services to support the varied needs of football clubs and organisations in the North West and beyond. In recent months they have delivered and commenced projects with:- Everton and Bolton Wanderers; the Premier League and the Professional Footballers' Association plus a number of professionals within the game.

As one of the country's largest sports law teams, working both home and abroad, Brabners LLP collected the 'Professional Services to Football' prize. And for his leadership, knowledge and expertise in sports law, Mark Hovell of Mills & Reeve, received a special individual award in the same category.

Of course, the Awards, managed by Journey9, hosted by BBC Television's Football Focus presenter, Dan Walker, and broadcast live for the first time on BBC Radio Lancashire, BBC Radio Manchester and BBC Radio Merseyside, recognised achievements ON the field in the last 12 months.

Sir Alex Ferguson, Manchester United's recently retired manager and current best-selling author, was named Premier League manager of the year for guiding the Reds to a record extending 20th top flight league title. He was also the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement award in succession to Wigan Athletic owner, Dave Whelan.

The 71 year old Scot spent 27 years as manager at Old Trafford, guiding the club to 13 Premier League titles, 5 FA Cups, 4 League Cups and 2 Champions League trophies.

"I would just like to thank everyone who voted for me. As this will be the last football award I will ever get, I really do appreciate it." said Ferguson.

The glittering occasion's other big winner was... ...continued...