Nepean Football Association celebrates night of nights

The Nepean Football Association held their Annual Awards Dinner, viewing it as a “Celebration of All Things Football”. 

Clubs gathered in the Members Lounge Function Room of Penrith Paceway to receive well deserved accolades and to celebrate the accomplishments of their teams, their club and their association.

The night was supported by the attendance of local dignitaries Tanya Davies MP Member for Mulgoa, Penrith City Councillor Bernard Bratusa & his wife Katheryne and the Awards Night Sponsor and Penrith City Councillor Jim Aitken OAM of Jim Aitken + Partners Real Estate & his wife Pam.  Also on hand to help deliver the celebrations were Western Sydney Wanderers newest A League signings, Socceroo Nikita Rukuvistya and new import Romeo Casterlan, along with local home grown W-League signing, Lorena Bugden, who started her playing career at Glenmore Park FC.

Award Winning Clubs were acknowledged for the achievements of their teams and the following significant Perpetual Awards were also handed out;

Excellence in Club Administration Award – along with the prestigious reputation that a club can hang it’s hat on when receiving this much coveted award, the winning club, St. Clair United Soccer Club was also presented with a $1000 prize cheque which the Association awards to the winning club.  The Award was presented by the Association’s Operations Manager, Linda Cerone.  Mrs Cerone said  “It was wonderful to be able to recognise a club who has made such a concerted effort to strive for excellence on so many levels to ensure they deliver a quality product to their members.  Previous winners of this award, Blue Mountains FC and Cranebrook Untied SC continue to deliver a quality football environment to their members, and the award is now becoming one that clubs are striving to claim, with the top 5 clubs within 6 points of each other.”

Distinguished Service Award was presented to Graham Chapman from the Nepean Referees Groups for his work is assisting the association with the establishment and successful roll out of the new Referees group.  “Despite negative efforts  from some areas of the football community to discredit the new Referees Group and the Association’s intentions that underpinned the rollout of the New Referees service provider, both the 156 strong membership of the new group and the Association maintained a professional approach to the attempted slurs on the group to finish the year on the highest of notes with regard to quality and quantity of service rolled out to the 12,000 association members in their 32 clubs.  Graham Chapman’s leadership of the new Nepean Referees Group was integral to the successful year. ” said the Association’s retiring President, John Churchward. 

The Hawkesbury District Clubs scooped the pool in 2014 club awards.  The Referees Trophy for Best & Fairest Club – was awarded to Pitt Town & Districts Sports Soccer Club, the award was accepted by Anton Runjak, the clubs President.

The Horley Trophy for Junior Club Championship and the Bill Morris Shield for overall Club Championship were both won by Richmond Ex-Servicemens Soccer Club, with their President Paul Boyd and the Club Administrator, Tracey Boyd Accepting the Awards.

Also acknowledged on the night was this year’s Football NSW State Award Winner for his services to Football, Mr. Gordon Aiken of Blue Mountains Football Club.  Gordon’s distinguished service to football in the Nepean District has spanned more than a quarter of a century and has spanned both service to club and to association.

In total 23 of the 32 clubs were awarded plaques to commemorate the success of their teams during the 2014 competition season.

Retiring President, John Churchward was lavish with his praise of all sections of the football community who worked so hard to deliver the game to the association’s 16,000 members comprising of players, coaches, managers and club administrators.  He expressed his gratitude to all clubs administrators, past and present who have made his job as President over the last five years, one that he has enjoyed immensely.