McDonald’s and the Irish FA have announced the regional winners of this year’s McDonald’s Irish FA Grassroots Football Awards.
The annual McDonald’s Irish FA Grassroots Football Awards, which celebrate 24 years in Northern Ireland this year, recognise the unbelievable work and commitment of football clubs and volunteers who give up their time and make a long-lasting impact on young people and communities across Northern Ireland.
The national awards ceremony of the McDonald’s Irish FA Grassroots Football Awards is due to take place next month at Belfast City Hall.
The regional awards event was hosted recently at The National Football Stadium at Windsor Park, where Northern Ireland legend and Fun Football Ambassador Pat Jennings presented the winners with their trophies.
Pat Jennings said: "Without grassroots football volunteers none of this could happen.
“Through the years I have witnessed first-hand the significant impact that McDonald’s Fun Football has had, and continues to have, on the lives of young people in Northern Ireland.
“It is fantastic to see that McDonald’s has reached 500,000 children across the UK since the new Fun Football programme launched in 2022.”
McDonald’s franchisee John McCollum said McDonald’s is passionate about feeding and fostering communities and supporting local families, adding that its commitment to grassroots football is a great way for the company to demonstrate that.
He also pointed out: “The Grassroots Football Awards give us a great opportunity to celebrate our local grassroots football heroes, who are the beating heart of the game we all love here in Northern Ireland. Congratulations to the winners.”
This year regional winner titles were awarded in the following categories: Amateur Club of the Year, Junior Club of the Year, Football for All Award, Wes Gregg Coach of the Year, Volunteer of the Year, Young Volunteer of the Year and The People’s Award for Outstanding Contribution to Grassroots Football.
The regional winners of Amateur Club of the Year are:
- 22nd Old Boys and Ladies (Belfast)
- Fivemiletown United FC
- Carryduff Colts
The regional winners of Junior Club of the Year are:
- Bangor Swifts Juniors
- Glendowan (Belfast)
- Bushmills United Youth
- Mid Ulster Ladies (Cookstown)
The regional winners of the Football for All Award are:
- Ards FC Inclusion
- Michael Corr (Cumann Spoirt An Phobail, Belfast)
- Jim McCracken (Antrim & Newtownabbey Disability)
The regional winners of Wes Gregg Coach of the Year are:
- Samantha Greer (Antrim Town Women and Girls)
- Chris Brady (Magherafelt Sky Blues)
- Craig Lynch (Maiden City Soccer, Derry-Londonderry)
The regional winners of Volunteer of the Year are:
- Lynsey Haskins (Ballyclare Comrades Ladies)
- Louise Collins (Greenwell Star Youth, Newtownards)
- Neil Megaw (Richhill AFC, Co Armagh)
- Mike Long and Scott Long (Fivemiletown United)
The regional winners of Young Volunteer of the Year are:
- Jessica Bell (Antim Town Women and Girls)
- Dylan McAvoy (Ards FC Academy)
- Katie Hawthorne (Greenwell Star Youth)
The regional winners of The People’s Award for Outstanding Contribution to Grassroots Football are:
- Colin Caswell (Lisburn Youth)
- Ben Dooher (Culmore Youth, Derry-Londonderry)
In 2022 McDonald’s launched its new Fun Football programme, which will provide over one million 5–11-year-olds with the opportunity to enjoy free football coaching across the UK.
The programme will deliver more than 10.5 million hours of Fun Football by 2026, making it the largest grassroots participation programme in the UK. The programme will be delivered in collaboration with the Irish FA, Scottish FA, The Football Association of Wales and a network of national coaching providers in England.
Image: Pat Jennings with McDonald’s Irish FA Grassroots Football Awards regional winners (from left) Katie Hawthorne (Greenwell Star Youth), Mike Long and Scott Long (Fivemiletown United) and Dylan McAvoy (Ards FC Academy).
