Football Writers' Association

Template:Distinguish Template:Use dmy dates Template:Short description The Football Writers' Association (FWA) is an association of football journalists and correspondents writing for English newspapers and agencies. It presents the Footballer of the Year Award, the oldest and most distinguished award given in the domestic game. In 2018, recognising the growth of the woman's game, it announced a Woman's Footballer of the Year Award.

History

The choice to create the Football Writers' Association (FWA) was made on 22 September 1947 by journalists, Charles Buchan (News Chronicle), Frank Coles (Daily Telegraph), Roy Peskett (Daily Mail), and Archie Quick while aboard a boat in the middle of the English Channel that was returning from a football match in which England beat Belgium 5–2. Ivan Sharpe of the Sunday Chronicle was appointed chairman a month later, a position he held for the first six years of the FWA's existence and eight times in all in his long career. The men formalized a few of the newborn association's rules and regulations within one month. Some of the rules initially created were that membership to the FWA would be invitation only and that they would exclusively send invitations to "working journalists who are accredited football correspondents for newspapers and agencies." It was also determined that the Football Writers' Association's headquarters would be in London, England and the membership fee would be five guineas for the first year of membership with a recurring annual payment of two guineas each year after. Furthermore, the men had decided that there would be a vote held annually for all members that would decide the recipient of the prestigious Footballer of the Year Award, which is still today the oldest and most distinguished award given in the domestic game. The award was originally presented at the annual dinner, which was held on the night before the FA Cup Final, but was later changed to the Thursday preceding every FA Cup Final. To mark the FWA's 70th anniversary newly created Life Members of the association will now receive the Ivan Sharpe Life Membership Award, while in 2018, the FWA announced it was awarding a Woman's Footballer of the Year award in recognition of the growth of the woman's game in this country. ed<ref name="footballwriters.co.uk">Template:Cite web</ref>

The Football Writers' Association today

The FWA has experienced steady growth since its inception in 1947. Membership has grown to about four-hundred members. Changes in modern journalism have welcomed a more diverse range of members. In recent years, the association has modernized itself by changing the voting process for Footballer of the Year by making online voting available to its members as well as incorporating social media into its revamped web site. The Football Writers' Association continues to recruit new members openly in the same manner as was created by its founders in 1947.<ref name="footballwriters.co.uk"/> On 24 April 2019, beIN Sports senior sports correspondent Carrie Brown was announced as the first female chair of the FWA.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The FWA Footballer of the Year Award

Charles Buchan, one of the founding fathers of the FWA, had originally suggested that there be an award presented "to the professional player who by precept and example is considered by a ballot of members to be the footballer of the year." The award is the oldest and is considered to be the most prestigious award in British football. The award is presented annually. The first player to receive the award was Sir Stanley Matthews in 1948.<ref name="ReferenceA">Template:Cite web</ref> In 2018 the FWA introduced their award for the Woman Footballer of the Year in recognition of the growth of the woman's game.

Winners

The award has been presented on 71 occasions as of 2018, with 63 different winners. On one occasion two players shared the award for a season (1968–69).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The table also indicates where the winning player also won one or more of the other major "player of the year" awards in English football, namely the Professional Footballers' Association's Players' Player of the Year award (PPY),<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="A1">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="A2">Template:Cite web</ref> Fans' Player of the Year award (FPY),<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and Young Player of the Year award (YPY).<ref name="A1" /><ref name="A2" /><ref name=":0">Template:Cite web</ref>

Neville Southall's 1985 win was the last time a goalkeeper received the award.

Dennis Bergkamp won the award in the 1997–98 season.

Thierry Henry was the first player to win the award in two consecutive seasons.

Cristiano Ronaldo also won the award consecutively, in the 2006–07 and 2007–08 seasons.

Wayne Rooney gained the award in the 2009–10 season.

Year		Player	Club	Also won	Notes
1947–48	Template:Sort	Stanley Matthews	Blackpool
1948–49	Template:Sort	Template:Sortname	Manchester United		<ref>First winner of the award from outside the United Kingdom.</ref>
1949–50	Template:Sort	Template:Sortname	Arsenal
1950–51	Template:Sort	Template:Sortname	Blackpool
1951–52	Template:Sort	Template:Sortname	Wolverhampton Wanderers
1952–53	Template:Sort	Template:Sortname	Bolton Wanderers
1953–54	Template:Sort	Template:Sortname	Preston North End
1954–55	Template:Sort	Template:Sortname	Manchester City
1955–56	Template:Sort	Template:Sortname	Manchester City
1956–57	Template:Sort	Template:Sortname	Preston North End		<ref>First player to win the award twice.</ref>
1957–58	Template:Sort	Template:Sortname	Tottenham Hotspur
1958–59	Template:Sort	Template:Sortname	Luton Town
1959–60	Template:Sort	Template:Sortname	Wolverhampton Wanderers
1960–61	Template:Sort	Template:Sortname	Tottenham Hotspur
1961–62	Template:Sort	Template:Sortname	Burnley
1962–63	Template:Sort	Template:Sortname	Stoke City		<ref>First player to win the award with two different clubs.</ref>
1963–64	Template:Sort	Template:Sortname	West Ham United
1964–65	Template:Sort	Template:Sortname	Leeds United
1965–66	Template:Sort	Template:Sortname	Manchester United
1966–67	Template:Sort	Template:Sortname	Leeds United
1967–68	Template:Sort	Template:Sortname	Manchester United
1968–69	Template:Sort	Template:Sortname (joint winner)	Manchester City
	Template:Sort	Template:Sortname (joint winner)	Derby County
1969–70	Template:Sort	Template:Sortname	Leeds United
1970–71	Template:Sort	Template:Sortname	Arsenal
1971–72	Template:Sort	Template:Sortname	Stoke City
1972–73	Template:Sort	Template:Sortname	Tottenham Hotspur		<ref>Also won the PFA Players' Player of the Year award in 1976 to become the first player to win both awards.</ref>
1973–74	Template:Sort	Template:Sortname	Liverpool
1974–75	Template:Sort	Template:Sortname	Fulham
1975–76	Template:Sort	Template:Sortname	Liverpool
1976–77	Template:Sort	Template:Sortname	Liverpool
1977–78	Template:Sort	Template:Sortname	Nottingham Forest
1978–79	Template:Sort	Template:Sortname	Liverpool
1979–80	Template:Sort	Template:Sortname	Liverpool	PPY	<ref>First player to win both PFA and FWA awards in the same season.</ref>
1980–81	Template:Sort	Template:Sortname	Ipswich Town
1981–82	Template:Sort	Template:Sortname	Tottenham Hotspur
1982–83	Template:Sort	Template:Sortname	Liverpool	PPY
1983–84	Template:Sort	Template:Sortname	Liverpool	PPY
1984–85	Template:Sort	Template:Sortname	Everton
1985–86	Template:Sort	Template:Sortname	Everton	PPY
1986–87	Template:Sort	Template:Sortname	Tottenham Hotspur	PPY
1987–88	Template:Sort	Template:Sortname	Liverpool	PPY
1988–89	Template:Sort	Template:Sortname	Liverpool
1989–90	Template:Sort	Template:Sortname	Liverpool
1990–91	Template:Sort	Template:Sortname	Leeds United
1991–92	Template:Sort	Template:Sortname	Tottenham Hotspur
1992–93	Template:Sort	Template:Sortname	Sheffield Wednesday
1993–94	Template:Sort	Template:Sortname	Blackburn Rovers
1994–95	Template:Sort	Template:Sortname	Tottenham Hotspur
1995–96	Template:Sort	Template:Sortname	Manchester United
1996–97	Template:Sort	Template:Sortname	Chelsea
1997–98	Template:Sort	Template:Sortname	Arsenal	PPY
1998–99	Template:Sort	Template:Sortname	Tottenham Hotspur	PPY
1999–00	Template:Sort	Template:Sortname	Manchester United	PPY
2000–01	Template:Sort	Template:Sortname	Manchester United	PPY
2001–02	Template:Sort	Template:Sortname	Arsenal
2002–03	Template:Sort	Template:Sortname	Arsenal	PPY, FPY
2003–04	Template:Sort	Template:Sortname	Arsenal	PPY, FPY	<ref>First player to win the award in two consecutive seasons.</ref>
2004–05	Template:Sort	Template:Sortname	Chelsea	FPY	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2005–06	Template:Sort	Template:Sortname	Arsenal		<ref>First player to win the award three times.</ref>
2006–07	Template:Sort	Template:Sortname	Manchester United	PPY, FPY, YPY	<ref>First player to win four awards in the same season.</ref>
2007–08	Template:Sort	Template:Sortname	Manchester United	PPY, FPY
2008–09	Template:Sort	Template:Sortname	Liverpool	FPY	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2009–10	Template:Sort	Template:Sortname	Manchester United	PPY	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2010–11	Template:Sort	Template:Sortname	West Ham United		<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2011–12	Template:Sort	Template:Sortname	Arsenal	PPY, FPY	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2012–13	Template:Sort	Template:Sortname	Tottenham Hotspur	PPY, YPY	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2013–14	Template:Sort	Template:Sortname	Liverpool	PPY	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2014–15	Template:Sort	Template:Sortname	Chelsea	PPY	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2015–16	Template:Sort	Template:Sortname	Leicester City		<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2016–17	Template:Sort	Template:Sortname	Chelsea	PPY	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2017–18	Template:Sort	Template:Sortname	Liverpool	PPY, FPY	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2018–19	Template:Sort	Template:Sortname	Manchester City		<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2019–20	Template:Sort	Template:Sortname	Liverpool		<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2020–21	Template:Sort	Template:Sortname	Manchester City		<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
2021–22	Template:Sort	Template:Sortname	Liverpool	PPY, FPY	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2022-23	Template:Flagicon	Erling Haaland	Manchester City	PPY	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The FWA Women's Footballer of the Year Award

In 2018, the FWA introduced their award for the Woman Footballer of the Year in recognition of the growth of the women's game.

Inaugural winner Fran Kirby

The award has been presented on one occasion as of 2018, with one winner. The table also indicates where the winning player also won one or more of the other major "player of the year" awards in English football, namely the PFA Women's Players' Player of the Year award (PPY),<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and the PFA Women's Young Player of the Year award (YPY).<ref name="A1" /><ref name="A2" /><ref name=":0" />

Year		Player	Club	Also won	Notes
2017–18	Template:Sort	Fran Kirby	Chelsea	PPY	Inaugural winner of award<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2018–19	Template:Sort	Nikita Parris	Manchester City		<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2019–20	Template:Sort	Vivianne Miedema	Arsenal		First non-English winner<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2020–21	Template:Sort	Fran Kirby	Chelsea	PPY	Two-time winner of award<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2021–22	Template:Sort	Sam Kerr	Chelsea	PPY	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2022-23	Template:Flagicon	Sam Kerr	Chelsea		<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The FWA Tribute Award

Template:Main The Football Writers' Association Tribute Award is presented annually every January at the Savoy Hotel to the individual that the committee believes to have contributed to the national game in a significant way. The award was first given in 1983 to Ron Greenwood.<ref name="ReferenceA"/>

See also

• Welsh Football Writers Association
• Scottish Football Writers' Association
• Ice Hockey Journalists UK
• Professional Footballers' Association

External links

• Official website (archived 13 December 2007)