That was the season that…wasn’t: Managers.

We thought we’d take a look back on our award winners during the season that wasn’t, and we’re starting with Manager of the Month, which was sponsored once more by Anderson Travel. Here were the winners, in Division order.

Premier Division:

August 2019: Neil Cugley, Folkestone Invicta.

During the first month of our new season Folkestone Invicta continued where they’d left off at the end of the last one, winning match after match. Six games played, five victories, one draw, fourteen goals scored, four conceded, and a place at the top of the table.

September 2019: Dom Di Paola, Horsham

Dom Di Paola won so many of these awards in 2018-19, as his side powered to South East Playoff success, that he’s probably got one in nearly every room of the house. By the second month of the new season he had one for the downstairs toilet too, as we gave him another! During September Horsham won every league match, two of them away from home- beating Brightlingsea Regent, Cheshunt and Wingate & Finchley.

October 2019: Andy Leese, Enfield Town

Enfield Town had a fabulous start to the season, and had an excellent October, taking ten points out of twelve and defeating Brightlingsea Regent, Cray Wanderers and Cheshunt. They also defeated Bishop’s Stortford in the FA Trophy- although that didn’t count towards this award! At this point Andy Leese’s men had lost only one league match all season, fewer than any other club in the Division.

November 2019: Hayden Bird- Kingstonian.

Kingstonian had been in superb form in both League and Cup, and managed to pick up each of our awards for November off the back of a month that saw them unbeaten in the League and concede only one goal. It didn’t count towards this honour, but Hayden’s men also won three cup ties, too.

December 2019: Adam Hinshelwood, Worthing

Margate, Enfield Town and Horsham arrived at Woodside Road and were conquered- and although we don’t take these into account, they won both of their cup matches too- against AFC Varndeanians in the Sussex Senior Cup and Cray Wanderers in the Velocity Trophy. They also had the biggest crowds in the Premier Division and it was fairly clear why.

January 2020: Adam Hinshelwood, Worthing

The head Mackerel Man picked up the award for the second month in a row.

With thirteen points from fifteen in January, Worthing soared to the top of the table. Bognor Regis Town, Merstham, Brightlingsea Regent and Cheshunt were defeated, East Thurrock United escaped with a goalless draw, fourteen goals were scored, and only one was conceded.

February 2020: Tony Russell, Cray Wanderers.

Four matches played, with three wins and a draw, gave Tony our February award on a points-per-game basis, and it was extremely well deserved, particularly given that his Wands side went through January unbeaten too, and actually haven’t yet lost a game this decade.

North Division:

August 2019: Wayne Brown, Maldon & Tiptree.

Five matches- four in the League, and one in the FA Cup = five victories. Maldon & Tiptree put their disappointments at the end of last season behind them and seemed intent on ensuring that they got automatic promotion this time around.

September 2019: Stephen Butterworth, Great Wakering Rovers.

Rovers picked up seven points from their three league matches in September, defeating Witham Town, walloping Romford and picking up a point at Basildon United, results which saw them break into the Playoff places.

October 2019: Karl Duguid, Heybridge Swifts

Swifts took seven points from nine during the month, defeating Witham Town and Soham Town Rangers whilst drawing with Basildon United. This left Karl tied for this month’s award, but he picked it up on goal difference!

November 2019: Adam Gusterson, Dereham Town

One for sorrow, two for joy, as the song goes- well we delivered some more joy for those Magpies of Dereham Town, as manager Adam Gusterson picked up our November prize. November saw the side in black and white play four league matches and win them all, scoring sixteen goals in the process. They also got seven in their one County Cup fixture, and although that didn’t count towards this award, twenty three goals in five games was some feat!

December 2019: Wayne Brown, Maldon & Tiptree

Hullbridge Sports, Dereham Town, Heybridge Swifts and Witham Town took on the Jammers in the league during December, and each was sent packing as our unbeaten leaders stayed ahead of the chasing pack.

January 2020: Marc Harrison, Tilbury

Tilbury had a magnificent January, and forced themselves into the promotion chase. What made their month so impressive was not only the fact that they won four of their five matches and drew the other one, but that on the way they defeated three of their chief rivals- Heybridge Swifts, Bury Town and- removing their unbeaten record- Maldon & Tiptree. Only Witham Town faced the Dockers and left with anything.

February 2020: Wayne Brown, Maldon & Tiptree.

Seven matches and six victories saw the Jammers go well clear at the top of the North Division table, and saw manager Wayne Brown deservedly honoured yet again.

South Central Division:

August 2019: Ashley Bosah & Cornelius Nwadialor, Tooting & Mitcham United

One side, more than any other, struck Terrors into the hearts of South Central opposition during August-Tooting & Mitcham United! The Terrors seemed to have become a nursery club for the EFL Championship, having provided four players to its clubs over the summer- but those left behind were pretty darn good too, and they ended the month with a 100% record, winning five matches.

September 2019: Tony Reid, Westfield

Westfield had a magnificent September, and given it followed a superb August it was hardly a flash in the pan! Three league matches saw three wins, and an aggregate score of thirteen-two in their favour- and although we don’t take cup matches into account here, it’s also worth mentioning an eight-nil hammering of FC Romaina in the Velocity Trophy.

October 2019: Kevin Maclaren, Chertsey Town

Three league matches, three wins, thirteen goals scored and only five conceded saw October turn out mighty fine for all at Alwyns Lane- and it saw manager Kevin Maclaren pick up our prize, courtesy of his side’s better goal difference than a rival with a similar record.

November 2019: Justin Gardner, Barking

We headed to Mayesbrook Park where Barking had recorded an impressive five consecutive league victories which had seen the Blues soar up the table, score eighteen goals in the process, and defeat Staines Town, Chertsey Town, South Park, Bracknell Town and Chipstead.

December 2019: Tony Reid, Westfield

With four consecutive victories, sixteen goals scored and only two conceded, our prize went to Tony Reid. His side demolished Chalfont St Peter, FC Romania and Ashford Town, and also won a difficult match against Bedfont Sports, ending the year only three points off the summit.

January 2020: Bobby Wilkinson, Bracknell Town

Five matches played in January, thirteen points collected, and four clean sheets. Only Ashford Town found their way through the Robins rearguard, and they still left with nothing.

February 2020: Wayne Carter and Chris Moore, Hanwell Town.

The South Central Division had strong competition for this award in February, and in the end the margins were so tight we had to go to goals scored before the Geordies duo emerged victorious! Four matches, four victories, there’s little more they could have done to make the month perfect.

South East Division:

August 2019: Kevin Watson, Cray Valley PM.

Get to the FA Vase Final, win promotion, sit at the top of the League after the first month of the season. Things couldn’t really have gone any better for Cray Valley PM, and their manager Kevin Watson. Kevin’s charges won three of their first four matches, drawing the other.

September 2019: Paul Bryon, Phoenix Sports.

August was a horrendous month for Phoenix Sports, which made the way they bounced back in September even more remarkable. Three league matches, three victories, ten goals put past East Grinstead Town, Whitehawk and Hythe Town- it was almost as if the previous month had been nothing but a bad dream.

October 2019: Kevin Watson, Cray Valley PM.

For the second time this season Kevin was victorious, and at this point sat at the top of the table, having won more matches than any of their rivals. Nine points from nine during October suggested they couldn’t really have done any better, as Ashford United, Faversham Town and Burgess Hill Town came, saw and were conquered.

November 2019: Jude MacDonald, Whitehawk

The Hawks ended the month by defeating the leaders, Cray Valley PM, and climbed to second place in the table- but that was only one of five league victories during the month. Burgess Hill Town, Ashford United, Three Bridges and Whitstable Town were vanquished too.

December 2019: Steve Watt, Hythe Town

Hythe Town didn’t concede a goal during December, and picked up seven points from nine, with victories over VCD Athletic and Ramsgate- and a creditable goalless draw in Guernsey- seeing them climb the table at a rate of knots- or perhaps as if they’d been fired out of an, erm, cannon!

January 2020: Tommy Warrilow, Ashford United

The Nuts and Bolts won four and lost one of their five matches, and in so doing scored a more than impressive seventeen goals, including seven at Burgess Hill Town. As well as the Hillians, Three Bridges, Faversham Town and Sevenoaks Town were left with nothing. Tommy picked up the award on goal difference.

February 2020: Kevin Watson, Cray Valley PM.

Cray Valley PM boss Kevin Watson also had a rival for this award, and once more with two clubs having the same number of average points per game it came right down to goal difference, which clinched it for the Millers boss. With four matches and four victories, Cray Valley were not just firm favourites to qualify for the Playoffs, they were still firmly in the race for automatic promotion too.

Our Manager of the Year award probably won’t be awarded this year- after all, not only has the season been expunged but we’ve no idea when we’ll ever get to have an AGM- and we didn’t get to issue awards for March and April 2020. But if we were able to award it based only on Manager of the Month prizes, it would have to be shared between Wayne Brown at Maldon & Tiptree and Kevin Watson at Cray Valley PM, each of whom won it three times.

Adam Hinshelwood at Worthing was our top Premier Division manager based on monthly victories, and Tony Reid at Westfield won the most awards in the South Central Division.

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