Eight people were nominated for the inaugural Ken Malley Fan of the Year Award. A selection panel lead by PST Vice-Chair Pam Wilkins deliberated over the nominations and it decided that three fans deserved to be put forward to the vote by PST members.
Pam said "The Ken Malley FOTY Award panel met recently to pick a short list of three from a varied list of nominations. All the nominations had strong reasons for being chosen, so it was not an easy choice. After much debate we picked the three we think are the most deserving of the award. It is now up to PST members to decide the winner."
The three are:
Paul & Sarah Banks
Samantha Piggott
John York
PST members will receive an Email in the next couple of days which will allow them to pick their choice to win the Award and a presentation will be made on Saturday 23rd April at the home game vs Wycombe. The winner/s will be treated to a VIP day at Fratton Park and receive a commemorative trophy. Members have until the Friday 8th April to reply to the SurveyMonkey email and pick their winner.
Please note, if you do not receive an email contact [email protected] to check your membership details. ONLY CURRENT PST MEMBERS CAN VOTE!
Five others were nominated and on this occasion miss out but receive honourable mentions.
Jane Osterholm
Chris Ebbens
Steve Hudson
Ashley Hards
Barney Willis
We would like to thank all those who took time to nominate their favourite fans.
Please see below the nomination descriptions and best of luck to Paul/Sarah Banks, Samantha Piggott and John York!
Name of Fan/group being Nominated: Paul & Sarah Banks
Name of Nominator/s: Cyril Saunders/Steve Tovey
Reason for nomination:
Over many years, both good times and bad, Paul and Sarah have provided an excellent service for Pompey fans who want to travel to away matches. It is a service that provides ‘that little bit extra.’ You can be sure that that the place booked for a drink and meal, will also provide good service at a reasonable cost. Mr Banks has been running supporters club coaches for over 25 years and him and his wife are “unsung heroes” of the Blue Army and deserve recognition for their tireless work behind the scenes. Portsmouth Football Club are probably aware of the unpaid hours put in by Mr & Mrs Banks in putting on trips both in the United Kingdom and globally as well as holding down jobs and raising a family.
In addition Paul and Sarah support the Club through thick and thin and over the years have provided travel to the football club when the club partner has decided it is not profitable to run ie midweek to Wigan in the Premiership as well as friendlies.
As well as the above Paul and Sarah support all major fundraising activities by both football and Supporters Club and are proud shareholders in the Trust. It would mean the world to them if they were recognised by the Trust for their tireless efforts.
Name of Fan/group being Nominated: Samantha Piggott
Name of Nominator/s: Steve Webb
Reason for Nomination:
Sam has been a tireless force for good at Pompey. Despite her own disability and health problems she took up the considerable challenge of founding the Pompey Disabled Supporters Association - she has established herself as a genuinely invaluable aid to Portsmouth Football Club - whether as an advocate for fans with disabilities or an ambassador for our great club, Sam has been a Pompey fan like no other.
She was a driving force behind the establishment of our much praised audio descriptive service for blind and partially sighted fans, in addition, she helped the club get a full access audit carried out by Level Playing Field which has helped Pompey achieve a level of access for fans with disabilities that many so called bigger clubs openly admire.
Her commitment to Pompey has extended to her volunteering with Pompey in the Community, dressing up in silly costumes, spinning candy floss and churning out popcorn - oh yes and she's a die hard, home and away, Pompey fan.
Name of Fan/group being Nominated: John York
Name of Nominator/s: Fiona Kerr, Glynn Loveday, Karen Harrison, George Harrison, Pete Scutt and Rose Croucher
Reason for Nomination:
John has been a Pompey fan for 69 years, having watched his first match in 1947, when he was just 6 years old. During that time, he has witnessed some of Pompeys greatest triumphs (including the back to back league titles of 1948 / 1949 and 1949 / 1950) as well as more than a few disasters. One of his proudest moments came in 2008, however, when he was at Wembley to see Pompey lift the FA cup for only the second time in their history.
Although age and disability (John is an amputee) make it increasingly difficult for him to get around, John still manages to attend all of Pompeys home games and he is a familiar figure on match days, taking his seat in the South Stand.
You don’t have to be with John for very long to understand that his commitment to Pompey is very much a family affair. A memorial plaque to his dear wife Thelma – who passed away in 2003 – was the first to be put up in the Fratton End. To begin with John worried that the plaque might look ‘out of place’ but reading the poignant words inscribed upon it you quickly realise that could never be the case:
In Loving Memory of Thelma York - 18/01/35 to 17/07/03
Loyal Supporter for Over Fifty Years
If You Listen on the Wind
You Will Hear Her Cry
PLAY UP POMPEY!
POMPEY PLAY UP!
John and Thelma York embody everything that is great about Portsmouth Football Club: loyalty, passion, resilience in the face of adversity and the deep ties of family and friendship which make Fratton Park a second home for so many people within our community.