Thugs battle Footballers for the Writers Player of the Year Award

THE SCOTTISH FOOTBALL WRITERS ASSOCIATION Player of the Year shortlists have been revealed but perhaps they should have a sub-category within the main award? That would allow the two footballers – Callum McGregor and James Forrest to compete for the Player of the Year title while the other two nominees could FIGHT it out for the a sub category of Thug of the Year.

That couldn’t apply in the Young Player of the Year – which remarkably excludes Kristoffer Ajer just as the PFA Scotland awards did. But it also excludes the guy who actually won the PFA Scotland Young Player of the Year, Ryan Kent.

In a battle for Football Writers Young Thug of the Year he would have had to take on Lewis Ferguson and if he could avoid the two footed lunge that would inevitably be coming his way, he could deliver a knock-out punch to the Aberdeen man.

There’s also a category called the International Player of the Year which has four nominees but surely only one clear winner. There are three valid contenders for this Prize, James Forrest who scored 5 goals in two games to win Scotland that Play-off place for the Euros, Callum McGregor and Andy Robertson who have both captained the Scotland side – of the three Jamesy is surely a clear winner.

Worthy of comment though is the fourth player nonmiated – Allan McGregor, a man who was serving a life-time ban for playing for Scotland but was brought back and then when the chips were down he threw the towel in allegedly in some kind of pay-back for the Scottish FA’s disciplinary system. If the Tartan Army had a a Traitor of the Year vote he’d top most polls.

Steve Clarke should be a worthy winner of the Manager of the year award.

Callum McGregor picked up both Players and Supporters Player of the Year at The Celtic awards while James Forrest was named as The Celtic Star Player of the Year and followed that up by winning the PFA Scotland Player of the Year on Sunday.

Player of the Year nominations

Callum McGregor (footballer)
James Forrest (footballer)
Alfredo Morelos (thug)
Allan McGregor (nutter)

Young Player of the Year nominations

Lewis Ferguson (thug)
Greg Taylor
Jake Hastie
David Turnbull

International Player of the Year

Callum McGregor (footballer)
James Forrest (footballer)
Allan McGregor (traitor)
Andy Robertson (footballer)

Manager of the Year

Dick Campbell
Steve Clarke
Gary Holt
Shelley Kerr

The winners will be announced in daily and Sunday newspapers in the week between 12 May 12 and 19 May. The winners will receive their awards at the 55th annual dinner sponsored by William Hill on Sunday 19 May at the DoubleTree By Hilton hotel in Glasgow. More details on the SFWA can be found on their website which includes a nice tribute to Cesar who won the award in 1965…

BILLY MCNEILL Celtic FC 1965

About Author

The Celtic Star founder and editor, who has edited numerous Celtic books over the past decade or so including several from Lisbon Lions, Willie Wallace, Tommy Gemmell and Jim Craig. Earliest Celtic memories include a win over East Fife at Celtic Park and the 4-1 League Cup loss to Partick Thistle as a 6 year old. Best game? Easy 4-2, 1979 when Ten Men Won the League. Email editor@thecelticstar.co.uk

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