CONGRATS AND CONTROVS AT ANNUAL AWARDS DINNER
9.4.05

A season that began with the merger of the mens and ladies clubs came to a conclusion at the 2005 Annual Awards Dinner.

And there was a big pat on the back for this very website, with Webmaster and outgoing Mens IIs skipper Fraser Tant awarded the prestigeous Clubman of the Year award. "It's a great honour", said, er, me. "and I'm chuffed that I got the award ahead of plenty of other lads who have put in a great deal of work for the club in the last 12 months."

Despite the standalone mens and ladies clubs no longer actually existing, there was also a Clubman of the Year award for the ladies club, the recipient of which was Natalia Boniface, who as club secretary has handled the transition from two clubs to one with aplomb and was very deserving both of this award and her Ladies' 2nd team Player of the Year award. In his first season with the club, David Jeffrey scooped the Men's First Team Player of the Year award, with Jacq Smith walking off with the ladies' equivalent. Special mention should also go to youngsters Ben Wain and Georgia Naden, who won the Colt of the Year awards and the Player of the Year for their respective teams, the Mens 4s and the Ladies 3s.. We look forward to following their progress up through the teams in the years to come.

However, the evening was not without controversy, and rumours of vote-rigging abound. Despite returning to Division 1 and thereby ensuring that next season will see them back at the highest level a Harpenden Men's 1st team have ever played, Michael Emes' men were denied the Team of the Year award, in favour of the Ladies 1s. Admittedly, the ladies did do well to remain in their league - the highest level they have played, too - and did enjoy a cup run, but one wonders whether this sets a precedent. Said a source, "I take it that if the men's 1s don't get relegated next season, they'll retain Team of the Year regardless of how all the other teams get on?" A reasonable point - one can't see Blackburn winning Premiership Team of the Year for avoiding the drop...


The full list of winners on the night is:

Clubman of the Year: Fraser Tant
The Caroline Girling Clubwoman of the Year Award: Natalia Boniface
Team of the Year: Ladies 1st XI
Colt of the Year: Ben Wain
The Judith Munton Award Most Improved Junior: Georgia Naden
The Angela Daniels Most Committed Club Member Award: Barbara Clark
Mens Top Goalscorer: Tom Preest
Ladies Top Goalscorer: Carly Watson
Mens 1st Team Player of the Year: David Jeffrey
Ladies 1st Team Player of the Year: Jacqlyn Smith
Mens 2nd Team Player of the Year: Niall McAlister
Ladies 2nd Team Player of the Year: Natalia Boniface
Mens 3rd Team Player of the Year: John Allen
Ladies 3rd Team Player of the Year: Georgia Naden
Mens 4th Team Player of the Year: Ben Wain

Final congrats go to Social Secretary Jaqs Smith, for organising what was widely regarded to be the most successful End of Season Awards Dinner for many years.

Club Captains "Pint-Sized" Paul Nash and Carolyn Lythgoe congratulate Social Sec Jacq Smith on a great End of Seaon bash.

Click here for Awards Dinner photo gallery