Long Service Awards

Grassroots Football Heroes Receive Long Service Awards

Recognition for Dedicated Essex Volunteers and Officials

Local football volunteers, whose efforts keep the game alive at grassroots level, have been recognised for their decades of dedication as 2020’s winners of Essex County FA Long Service Awards, including accolades for 10, 20, 30 and 40 years.

Six individuals - Maurice Carter, Brian Mitchell MBE, David Barley, Graham Monk, Charlie Francis and Richard Degville - received the prestigious ‘Award of Merit’ for 40 years of outstanding honorary service. The association’s awards are presented annually for members parented to the Essex County FA, and are presented for meeting the following criteria:

Award of Merit: The nominee shall have given at least 40 years of outstanding honorary service to football in Essex, in any other capacity felt appropriate, not including playing, refereeing or managerial service, and who is approved by the Executive Council of the Essex County FA.

Outstanding Service Award: The nominee shall have given outstanding service to football in Essex over a minimum of 30 years as an administrator or referee or in any other capacity felt appropriate, not including playing or managerial service.

Exemplary Service Award: The nominee shall have given exemplary service to football in Essex over a minimum of 20 years as an administrator or referee or other capacity felt appropriate, not including playing or managerial service.

Long Service Certificate: The nominee shall have given at least ten years of service to football in Essex as an honorary secretary of an affiliated club or competition, a registered referee, or any other capacity felt to be appropriate, not including playing or managerial service.

The annual Essex County FA Awards Evening was, unfortunately, not able to take place over the summer due to Covid-19 restrictions. However, extended profiles of many of the winners are being highlighted on social media in the coming weeks. You can find these by following @EssexCountyFA on Twitter and by searching for ‘EssexFootball’ on Facebook.

Award of Merit (40 Years)

Maurice Carter (Bakers Arms FC: Player, Fundraiser [1965-1972], Priory Sports [formerly White Swan FC]: Secretary [1975-], Manager, Assistant Manager [1980-1995], Social Secretary [1980-1985], Vice-Chairman [1985-1995], Chairman [1995-], Woodham Town FC: Player [1978-1992], Moulsham Lodge FC [1993-1995], Pope & Smith Chelmsford Sunday League: Management Committee Member [1991-2008], Vice-Chairman [2008-2011], Chairman [2011-2015], Vice-Chairman [2015-])

Brian Mitchell MBE (Rayleigh Boys YFC: Founder, Manager, Chairman, Honorary President [1976-])

David Barley (Belhus Park Athletic FC: Founder, Secretary [1978-])

Graham Monk (Thurrock Association Sunday League: Minute Secretary [1979-1984], Assistant Referee Appointments Secretary [1982-1985], Referee Appointments Secretary [1988-1992 and 1996-1997], Fixtures Appointments Secretary [2019-2020], Social Secretary [1985-1988], Chairman [1990-])

Charlie Francis (Romford Postal FC: Secretary [1970-1972], Vange Sunday League: Fixture Appointments Secretary [1979-1981], Registration Secretary [1979-1983], Secretary [1983-2002], Basildon Sunday League: Referee Appointments Secretary [2002-2004], Thurrock Association Sunday League: Secretary [2004-], Essex County FA: Council Member [2003-2016])

Richard Degville (Essex & Suffolk Border League: Secretary [1996-2019], Stanway Rovers FC: Secretary 20 years)

Outstanding Service Award (30 Years)

James Quilter (Referee [1970-1996], Chelmsford Referees Society: Referee Coaching Officer [1972-1986], Chairman [1980-1990], President [1997-2016], Patron [2016-], Essex County FA: Essex Referees Association Representative on Council [1990-2010], Life Member [2012-], Vice-President [2011-], Essex Referees Society: Secretary, Benevolent Fund Treasurer [2010-], Essex County Women's League: Chairman [2004-])

Mary Burton (Benfleet FC: Secretary, Committee Member [1994-], Sceptre Sunday League: Secretary [2017-])

Robert Warner (Colchester & District Sunday League: Registration Secretary, Vice-President, Life Member [1980-])

Anthony Mercer (Referee: 1990-2005, Barking FC: Secretary [2005-2007], Redbridge FC: Match Secretary [2007-2008 and 2010-2011], Dagenham & Redbridge YFC: Academy Secretary [2008-2010], Tilbury FC: Secretary [2011-], Essex County FA and London FA: Independent Disciplinary Commission Member for FA Anti-Discriminatory Panels [2018-])

Richard Leech (Spinney Dynamos FC: Club Linesman [1969-1971], Referee [1972-], C & C United FC: Honorary Secretary [1976-1994], Harlow Town FC: Assistant Secretary [1980-1981],  Referee Observer [2014-])

Ian Ansell (Referee [1986-1993], Collier Row FC: Matchday Staff [1990-1993], Club Secretary [1994-1995], Leyton Pennant FC: Match Secretary [1995-2001], Billericay Town FC: Match Secretary [2001-2003], Secretary [2003-], Ilford & District League: Fixture Secretary [1994-2010], Treasurer [2010-2014], Essex Alliance League: Vice-President [2014-])

Pat Ansell (Collier Row FC: Club Volunteer [1990-1995], Leyton Pennant FC: Club Volunteer [1995-2001], Billericay Town FC: Boardroom Manager [2001-], Ilford & District League: Minutes Secretary [1995-2003], League Secretary [2003-2014], Essex Alliance League: Disciplinary Secretary, Vice-President [2014-])

Terri Whyman (Witham Youth FC: Club Secretary [1980-1991], Witham Phoenix FC: Club Secretary [1991-])

Dawn Barnard MBE (Chelmsford City Ladies and Girls FC: Fixture Secretary [1986-], [now Essex County Girls' League [formerly Ormiston Girls' League]: Founder [1992-], Essex County Women’s League: Founder [1993-], Secretary, Registration Secretary, Assistant League Treasurer, Publicity Officer [2003-], Essex County FA: Women’s and Girls Representative' [2002-2010])

Alec Berry (Referee [1984-2013], Essex County FA: Group Officer [2000-], Vice-Chairman [2011], Chairman [2012-2015], Representative to The FA [2015-], Thurrock Association Sunday League: Secretary [1994-2001], Vice-Chairman [2001-2012], Referee Secretary [1992-1996], Vice-President [2012-])

Stuart Bookey (Referee: 1986-)

Ray Sherrin (Buckhurst Hill FC: President, Groundsman [1985-])

James Melhuish (Byron Red Star FC: Chairman, Secretary [1986-2020], Harold Hill FC: Chairman, Secretary [1997-2020])

Exemplary Service Award (20 Years)

Hazel Massarella (Thundermite Youth & Mini-Soccer League: Committee Member [1999-2001], Aveley YFC: Charter Standard Officer [2001-2006], Essex Comets YFC: Charter Standard Officer [2006-2010], Secretary [2010-], Chelmsford Youth League: Secretary [2016-])

Steve Webber (Halstead Town FC: Secretary [1993-])

Kevin Lorkins (Hutton Medway YFC: Secretary [2000-2005], Hutton FC: Secretary [2005-2012], Essex Olympian League Secretary [2010-], Brentwood Community Football Alliance Youth League: Secretary [2014-])

Paul Walters (Hale End Athletic FC: Administrator, Welfare Officer, Fundraiser, Charter Standard Administrator, Goalkeeper Coach [1999-])

Darren Andrews (Prittlewell FC: Secretary [1989-])

Michael Spooner (Tigers JFC: Vice-Chairman, Kit Secretary [1999-])

Barbara Spooner (Tigers JFC: Treasurer [2003-], Social Secretary [2000-])

Lisa Di Palma (Tigers JFC: Social Secretary, Secretary [2000-], Echo Junior League: Divisional Officer, Disciplinary Officer, Assistant Secretary [2000-])

Keith Di Palma (Tigers JFC: Chairman [1999-], Echo Junior League: Divisional Officer, Referee Secretary, Website Coordinator [1999-])

Brian Townsend (Referee [1996-], Thurrock Association Sunday League: Minute Secretary [2001-2002], Fines Secretary [2002-2006], Referee Secretary [2006-2014], Fixture Secretary [2014-2019])

Graham Bellingham (Referee [1999-], Thurrock Association Sunday League: Independent Member [2012-2015], Vice-Chairman [2015-])

Glenn Webb (Referee [1996-])

Simon Thorosian (Leigh Town FC: First Team Manager, Secretary, Treasurer [1995-])

Peter Mickelsen (Beacon Hill Rovers FC: Manager, Community Coach, Sports Association Chairman [1998-2020])

Long Service Certificate (10 Years)

Howard Mackler (Leigh Ramblers Girls FC: Secretary [2008-2019], Leigh Ramblers Ladies FC: Secretary [2017-2019])

Lorraine Osman (Wivenhoe Town FC: Club Secretary [2010-], Colchester Villa FC: Club Secretary [2007-2009])

Julian Baines (Referee [1976-], Stanway Villa FC: Club President, Player, Manager [2009-])

Michael Gray (White Roding Sports FC: Club Secretary [2010-2020])

Paul Stringer (Verona FC: Secretary [1994-2004], Real Dagenham FC: League Delegate [2008-2015], Upminster FC: Secretary [2015-2017], Emerson United FC: Secretary, Chairman [2017-])

Fiona Dorey (Essex County Girls' League: League Treasurer, Committee Member [1998-2003], Essex County Girls' League: League Treasurer, Committee Member [2004-2008], Auditor [2009-2019])

Cheron Robinson (Essex County Women's League: Treasurer [2004-2019])

Robin Naish (Tigers JFC: Disciplinary Officer, Committee Member, Summer Tournament Organiser [2009-])

Gavin Wray (Tigers JFC: Media & Fundraising Secretary [2006-])

Steve Coulter (Jurgens Sports FC: Secretary [2005-])

Matthew Smith (Palmers FC: Club Secretary [2007-2019])

Michael Standling (Jacks Lads FC: Club Secretary [2007-])

Jill Barnard (Wickford Town FC: Committee Member [2002-2014], Executive Committee Member [2014-], Assistant Treasurer [2002-2012], Wickford Town Girls FC: Coach [2003-], Manager [2005-], Runwell Hospital Ladies FC: Treasurer, Secretary, Assistant Manager, Committee Member [2006-2011], Wickford Town Ladies FC: Founder, Secretary, Coach, Assistant Manager [2013-2017], Essex County Women's League: Club Representative [2014-2016], Registration Secretary [2016-])

Garry Cole (Maldon Saints YFC: Secretary, Treasurer, Chairman [2008-])

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