All the winners from our 150th anniversary event at the Select Car Leasing Stadium
Players, staff, projects and volunteers were all recognised at the 150th Anniversary Gala Dinner at the Select Car Leasing Stadium on Wednesday 4 May.
Guests were invited through the tunnel for a pitchside champagne reception on arrival, before heading into the main event in the Princess Suite.
Our 150th anniversary was the theme of the night, with imagery from our past and present bringing our history to life on the screens around the suite.
But a century and a half of history was set aside for the duration of the awards ceremony itself, as contributions throughout the 2021-22 season were recognised.
Gallery: Award winners
The first winner was Josh Laurent, whose sumptuous match-winning strike against Blackburn Rovers was a worthy winner of the Select Car Leasing Goal of the Season award.
Then it was a chance for the players to have their say as they put forward a colleague for recognition; Amalie Eikeland was selected by her teammates as the BDB Pitmans Women’s Players’ Player of the Season, while the Rapidz Men’s Player of the Season was named as John Swift.
One award quickly become two for John Swift, who was back on stage soon after to collect the Vice Presidents’ Player of the Season award, as selected by some of our longest serving patrons. Then the Academy Player of the Season award was handed to 16-year-old Abraham Kanu for an impressive season in which he has played almost exclusively two years up at Under-18 level – except for an appearance in the Under-23 squad!
Amalie Eikeland made it a seasonal double by receiving the Women’s Player of the Season award, to add to her Players’ Player gong. And after collating the online and in-person votes from STAR’s nomination slips, Andy Yiadom came out on top to be crowned the Men’s Player of the Season for 2021-22.
It wasn’t just the players who were recognised. The Staff Member of the Season went to Steve Cottrell, Head of Academy Sports Science & Medicine, who went well above and beyond the call of duty in his responsibilities during covid and ‘red-zone’ periods: ensuring protocols were communicated and adhered to, and ensuring the health and safety of players, staff and parents.
The Community Impact Award, as nominated through Reading FC Community Trust, went to Give Back FC – a local club that was formed during lockdown and who have been working with our Community Trust and have positively impacted their local area through the theme of giving back to their community.
And lastly, the Outstanding Contribution to Reading FC went to STAR volunteers Colin and Mel Bishop; not just for a lifetime of Royals fandom, but for their tireless voluntary work in organising away coach travel for STAR members. For those supporters who were in Fulham, Cardiff, Birmingham, Swansea, Preston and Sheffield… those away days might have been inaccessible for a number of supporters, if not for the coaches arranged by Colin and Mel.
Congratulations to all of our worthy winners on a thoroughly enjoyable evening.
Award winners
- Goal of the Season: Josh Laurent (vs Blackburn Rovers) | Supported by Select Car Leasing
- Women’s Players’ Player of the Season: Amalie Eikeland | Supported by BDB Pitmans
- Men’s Players’ Player of the Season: John Swift | Supported by Rapidz
- Vice Presidents’ Player of the Season: John Swift
- Academy Player of the Season: Abraham Kanu
- Women’s Player of the Season: Amalie Eikeland
- Men’s Player of the Season: Andy Yiadom
- Staff Member of the Season: Steve Cottrell
- Community Impact Award: Give Back FC
- Outstanding Contribution to Reading FC: Colin & Mel Bishop
