FWA Footballer of the Year Award
It was Charles Buchan, the publisher and writer of Football Monthly as well as one of the founding fathers of the FWA, who suggested that an award should be given "to the professional player who by precept and example is considered by a ballot of members to be the footballer of the year."
That was back in 1947 and since then the Footballer of the Year Award has become the most prestigious award in the British game.
Voted for year on year by the FWA members, the first recipient was the legendary Sir Stanley Matthews and ever since players have been honoured for their achievements.
THIS YEAR’S WINNER:
Scott Parker
West Ham United captain Scott Parker was named the Footballer of the Year, 2011, by the Football Writers’ Association.
The midfielder finished ahead of Tottenham Hotspur’s Gareth Bale in one of the closest-fought contests in recent years – the winner and the runner-up became team-mates at White Hart Lane three months after the England international received his award.
