Hednesford 2-1 FC United 
FC United’s players were unanimous in their thanks to the club’s supporters after several of them won awards at the end-of-season presentation evening last week.
Centre-back Adam Jones collected several awards for his first season with the Reds including the coveted Russell Delaney Supporters’ Player of the Year. He said: “It was an amazing feeling and gives me a massive sense of achievement. I think this is the award that all the lads want to win.
“Players’ player of the season is obviously an award everyone wants to win too but at a club like FC United, which is all about the supporters and the unbelievable contribution they make, this award is really special.”
And, despite losing in a play-off final for the sixth season in a row, Jones added: “It’s been a really enjoyable season for me. I’m not really one for change, so leaving Curzon Ashton after six years was a big decision to make but it has been fantastic.
“The way I was welcomed by the management, the rest of the lads and the supporters has been amazing. I can’t describe how it feels when the supporters sing our names and cheer us on, it means so much to the lads. We really appreciated all the fundraising and work behind the scenes all the supporters and volunteers do, even though we only get to see a fraction of it.”
Forward Matthew Wolfenden was voted as the players’ player of the season, goalkeeper James Spencer was chosen as the manager’s player, whilst Carlos Roca was voted FCUth’s (Junior Supporters) player of the season and won the Match Reporters’ Award for most man-of-the-matches of the season.
Roca said: “The junior supporters means a lot because I like to think that I’m the sort of player who plays exciting, attacking football whilst trying to do things that are a little bit out of the ordinary.
“Sometimes they come off and sometimes they don’t but if the younger supporters enjoy the way I play football, that’s really good because hopefully it will inspire a few of them to play the game in an exciting way. I’d like to thank everyone who voted for me, it means a lot and it’s really appreciated.”
Roca certainly excited all age-groups of the FC United faithful during the season and probably no more so than when his 25-yard-screamer against Altrincham set the Reds on their way to first round proper of the FA Carlsberg Trophy for the first ever time. And for that, the winger won the Didsbury and Withington Supporters’ Branch goal of the season award.
Other branch awards went to Adam Jones (Trafford Branch and Armchair Army), Kyle Jacobs scooped the Newton Heath Branch award and goal of the season against Whitby from the Irwell Valley Branch, whilst Jacobs and Jones were joint players of the season from the Stockport Branch and James Spencer’s safe-hands were recognised by the Eccles Branch.
Our Under-18s manager Dave Brown selected James Brooks as player of the season, whilst Alex Stones was voted players’ player.
Looking ahead to next season, all of the players were in agreement that they wanted to keep the squad together and have a go at winning promotion as champions before ‘having the honour’ of running out at FC United’s new ground.