VANARAMA NATIONAL LEAGUE- PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Danny Rowe – AFC Fylde
The
warning signs are pretty ominous for National League defences. Danny
Rowe is only getting better as he gets older.
If
he carries on like this, he could go on to be a legend of this level.
But maybe the good news for goalkeepers is his desire to make a name
for himself in the EFL burns bright.
He
arrived from the National League North in 2017 with a fearsome
reputation. Just the 47 goals – unsurprisingly a competition record –
made him a marked man after AFC Fylde’s promotion.
Two
years on, teams are still struggling to get the hang of it.
The
free-scoring frontman took the division by storm last season, scoring
24 goals in what he calls his first proper campaign in the league.
That
goalscoring record and his all-round performance earned him the
Player of the Year award.
He
just missed out on the Golden Boot award to Tranmere’s Andy Cook,
but this time there was no stopping him.
Rowe
has plundered 27 goals and is in better shape than ever as the
Coasters’ play-off campaign begins on Wednesday against Harrogate
Town.
The
former Stockport County and Fleetwood Town forward is more determined
than ever to walk out in the Football League.
He
may be 30, but he’s only improving as the years go by. Now, he has
another accolade to sit on a rather populated mantelpiece.
VANARAMA
NATIONAL LEAGUE NORTH- PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Glen Taylor- Spennymoor Town
Spennymoor Town supporters and their Manager are well aware that if things were different, they would be saying goodbye to their legendary leading scorer in a few weeks’ time.
School
teacher Glen Taylor has been handing out lessons to defenders for
years.
“Make
no bones about it,” his manager Jason Ainsley said after convincing
his striker to sign a new two-year deal in January.
his manager Jason Ainsley said after convincing his striker to sign a new two-year deal in January.
“If
Glen didn’t have a great job and a baby, we would be losing him
this summer.
“There
has been plenty of interest from National League and Football League
clubs so we’re lucky his life has a great balance.”
We’ve
all seen players’ form dip once they get a new deal, but Taylor was
never going to tail off.
After
19 goals last year in this division, he has 25 to his well-respected
name this time around.
He
says: “Happiness comes before the status of being able to say you
are a professional footballer”, and Spennymoor fans will drink to
that.
Taylor
has it made after securing the National League North Player of the
Year. Now he wants promotion to go alongside it.
VANARAMA
NATIONAL LEAGUE SOUTH- PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Jamie Reid- Torquay United
It’s
been a season which has seen the records tumble at Torquay United.
First,
of course, incredibly the Club won their first ever championship as
they got their hands on the National League South title.
Then
on Saturday’s final day the Gulls notched the quickest goal in
their history – straight from kick-off against St Albans City.
Now,
for the first time in many moons, one of their Club’s heroes has
his hands on a Player of the Year award.
Torquay
and their striker Jamie Reid didn’t know what to expect when they
found themselves in a place the Club never thought they would be.
They
went into the unknown but, sometimes, a surprise in football isn’t
such a bad thing!
The
forward found the net no fewer than 29 times in the National League
South alone, it came at a rate of a goal every 115 minutes and handed
him the Golden Boot accolade too.
His
partnership with on-loan Saikou Janneh brought about a joint tally of
46 goals.
With
a forward-line like that, it’s no shock fingers are on prizes down
in deepest Devon in what was a season to remember for Gary Johnson’s
Gulls.
