Every year, one football competition has nothing to do with results. It’s the England Football Grassroots Football Awards, presented by Howdens. It exists purely to say thank you to the people who keep adult grassroots football running.
What the Awards Actually Are
Grassroots football in England relies on an estimated 1.4 million volunteers. They coach teams. They run leagues. They mark pitches, referee matches, and manage clubs. Almost all of it is unpaid. Almost none of it gets recognised.
The Grassroots Football Awards exist to change that, even if just for one night a year.
Anyone can nominate anyone. There’s no entry fee. No complicated form. No limit on how many people you can put forward. You just explain who they are, what they do, and the difference they’ve made — to their club, their league, or their local football community.
How the Judging Process Works
Nominations open in late February. They typically close by early April, ahead of the ceremony later that summer. From there, the process runs in two stages:
- County level — your local County FA reviews every nomination from its area and picks local winners.
- National level — local winners go forward to a national shortlist. An FA judging panel picks the overall national winners.
National winners get invited to a presentation ceremony alongside legends of the game. This year’s ceremony is on Sunday 16 August 2026.
The Award Categories That Apply to Adult Grassroots Football
The awards cover twelve categories in total. Several sit directly in the adult amateur game — the part of grassroots football most Sunday league clubs and volunteers are part of:
- Club of the Year — for a club’s overall contribution to its community
- League of the Year — for a league that does more than just organise fixtures
- Match Official of the Year — for referees who take charge of amateur matches
- Grounds Team of the Year — for volunteers who keep adult pitches playable through a UK winter
- Positive Behaviour Award — for someone who’s actively improved matchday culture
- New Volunteer of the Year — for someone stepping into a grassroots role for the first time
- Young Volunteer of the Year — for a younger volunteer making an early impact
- Coach of the Year (Male Pathway) and Coach of the Year (Female Pathway) — open to coaches working with adult teams, not just youth sides
- The Bobby Moore Award — the standout honour, for the volunteer, club, or league that represents the best of grassroots football
Why This Matters for Sunday League Clubs
Most adult grassroots clubs run entirely on volunteer effort. Someone answers league emails at 11 pm. Someone turns up early to mark pitch lines before a 10 am kick-off. A referee takes a full afternoon of criticism for a match fee that barely covers petrol.
None of that shows up in a table, a score, or a trophy.
The Grassroots Football Awards are the one structured way that effort gets formally recognised. A judging panel reviews it — not just teammates saying thanks informally. For a small club, a volunteer winning even a county-level award can be a genuine boost to morale. It’s a real reason for local pride.
How to Get Involved Next Season
Nominations reopen every year around late February. When they do:
- Think about who at your club goes beyond what’s expected of them
- Be specific — judges want real examples, not general praise
- Nominate across more than one category if the same person fits several
- Get your club committee to nominate as a group, since more detail usually makes a stronger case
Recognition in grassroots football rarely comes looking for people. This is one of the few times it does. It starts with someone taking a few minutes to write a nomination.