Shropshire FA honour their local heroes

Rangers were named as the FA Charter Standard Development Club of the Year on the awards night at the Greenhous Meadow in Shrewsbury.

And they were also presented with the FA Charter Standard Development Club of the Year award for the West Midlands region to complete a memorable double.

Shropshire Junior League went one better by winning FA Charter Standard League of the Year awards for both Shropshire and the West Midlands on Friday night as well as becoming the first recipient of the county FA's Partner League Award.

The partner accolade was awarded as part of the National Referee Development Programme Awards.

Oakengates chairman Neil Jones said: "It is the second year running that we have won development club of the year, so we are absolutely ecstatic.

"And we are absolutely gob-smacked with the West Midlands awards because we didn't know we were going to win that one. It was just dropped on us.

"It just proves that the club is moving in the right direction. We have got 16 teams this year and it means a lot to win these awards."

Oakengates have expanded their set-up considerably in the last year, establishing new teams at Under-seven, Under-nine and Under-18s as well as creating a new Under-16s girls team.

Forming the girls side, which plays in the Shropshire Women's & Girls League, was a first for the club in its 25-year history.

The club have also implemented a comprehensive club development plan and has recently achieved FA Charter Standard Community Club status.

Shropshire Junior League,which provides organised football for 22 clubs and 170 teams, was named Partner League Award winner for its commitment and support in developing referees.

League of the year prizes were awarded in recognition of several initiatives. Among them, bosses have implemented all the recommendations of the FA Youth Development Review including a new World Cup-style charity cup competition for Under-10s.

The league also continues to run a winter Futsal programme for Under-eights and 10s involving 53 teams in January and February which also provides coaching workshops and referee training.

The league has donated more than £1,600 to local charities in the last 12 months.

Shrewsbury Town FC and their academy became the first winners of the National Referee Development Programme Partner Club Award for work to help develop referees in Shropshire.

Maelor Owen was named as Shropshire FA Referee of the Year in recognition of 40 years' service to both local a regional football.

During that time Owen, who retired this year, has refereed in Birmingham and Central Wales as well as Shropshire.

He said: "I was very pleased and very surprised to win the award. It is very nice to be nominated and very nice to receive it."

Owen revealed that a knee injury, which put paid to his playing career, had been the catalyst for him to start as a referee.

He said: "I enjoy the game so I took refereeing up in the Central Wales League and then moved to down to Birmingham and joined the Birmingham County FA and then moved back up to Market Drayton and joined the Shropshire FA."

Terry Heskey received a Long Service Award from the national FA for more than 60 years of devotion to the game in Shropshire.

It all began when he became assistant kit-man for Hadley Old Boys in 1953 and ended with a long spell at Market Drayton Town, where he served as a physio for nine years and has been a life member for the last eight.

Peter Walker, secretary of Mercian League side Spalaig Britannia, received the Shropshire FA's Long Service Award. He has also been a keen supporter of Spalaig Tornadoes since 1991 and is set to enter his 11th year as chairman

Other big winners were Shrewsbury-based Meresiders FC who were named FA Charter Standard Club of the year, and Shrewsbury Juniors who won the FA Charter Standard Community Club of the Year Award.

Among their achievements Meresiders have expanded from one to nine teams while Shrewsbury have set up a new ladies team as well as additional boys and girls sides.

They have also introduced weekly walking football and ability counts sessions, the latter for disabled players, as well as raising money for their local guide dog training centre. They are also involved in the FA Coach Mentoring Programme.

Newport Girls FC's Holly Davies was named Young Volunteer of the Year for her work assisting the club's Under-10s goalkeepers as well as with the county FA's Youth Council.

She is also a qualified referee who has taken charge of Shropshire Schools & Colleges FA fixtures as well as those in the Telford Junior League and Shropshire FA County Futsal festivals.

Market Drayton Tigers stalwart Peter Jensen won Volunteer of the Year for his devotion to the club, in which he is currently chairman, coach, fundraiser, volunteer and mash-up co-ordinator among other duties.

He also manages the Under-16s and recently took on two further sides to stop them folding.

Wellington Amateurs chairman Dave Gregory received the Outstanding Contribution to Community Football Award in recognition of more than 50 years of service to the club. He joined Ams as a player in 1962, becoming the club's record goalscorer in the ensuing 10 years.

He then joined the committee. He has been chairman for more than 20 years and has overseen significant improvements to the club's ground as well as the introduction and expansion of junior football.

Wellington now provides football for 220 players from Under-sevens up to senior level assisted by an army of around 50 volunteers.