Baptiste voted Player of the Year

Mon May 1, 2006 : 00:20

Rocky Baptiste swept the boards at tonight’s end of season awards presentation, taking both the Supporters’ and Players’ Player of the Year trophies in addition to the club’s golden boot. Luke Byles was presented with the Young Player of the Year, and Guy Lopez DaCruz with the first ever HawkSupport Unsung Hero of the Season for his tireless midfield efforts.

The event, the first organised by the club in conjunction with the supporters’ club, saw a return to form for the evening, with the biggest player turnout for several seasons and a packed programme of events that helped raise further funds for the club.

A disco, full race night and a sumptuous buffet backed the night, but for most the real meat of the evening was the speeches and awards. Club Secretary Trevor Brock gave his usual address, highlighting how the overspending of the previous season had left the club in poor financial shape, and that Ian Baird’s phenomenal work in reforming the side financially as well as motivationally has been a springboard to giving the club a new lease of life.

Looking forward, Brock outlined plans for a rejuvenation of the club off the pitch with the appointment of the team’s enigmatic fitness expert Adie Aimes as a full time general manager. While the small bar in the clubhouse has already been gutted and refitted with new furniture, carpets and plasma televisions the main bar will follow suit this summer, being turned into a fully functioning conference suite. Part of the grand plan is to turn the small bar into a proper public house, with new beer forthcoming and food served at lunch and in the evening on a daily basis from June.

Brock also let slip exciting but candid news saying that a new major sponsor for next season will be confirmed shortly, and that to comply with league regulations next season’s strips will change again. The home kit will feature a more balanced mix of the blue and white, but the away kit will be an all new all yellow affair, alleviating possible problems with the current away kit conflicting with match officials.

Ian Baird took to the microphone to thank Hawks fans for their continued and much needed support through the season, and the players for their success on the field and part in creating a positive atmosphere at the club.

He also pointed out that although the club has grown in many ways this season the ultimate achievement fell a point short at the last hurdle, but that it isn’t the Weymouth points that cost the club.

“If you want to look for the reasons,” he said, “Look at Bishop’s Stortford at home, Welling at home, Basingstoke away and Maidenhead away. But that’s not being negative. What I can say is that we’ve had massive progression. What we have here is a set of lads who’ve bought into what we want to do. I can only thank them for that. We don’t have nights like this without the players, but ultimately we’ve achieved nothing this season. Now is the time to look onward to next year, when we will achieve.”

The awards started with the final HawkSupport Player of the Month for the season, Tony Taggart picking up the April award.

HawkSupport members have also voted this month for the one player they think this season has had a massive, but largely unnoticed presence at the club. The inaugural Unsung Hero trophy was was won by midfielder Guy Lopez DaCruz.

The overall Supporters’ Player of the Year award went to Rocky Baptiste, with Tom Jordan coming second and Guy Lopez DaCruz a near equal third.

Onto the Player’s Player award and Baptiste picked up his third trophy (and third champagne bottle) for the evening, his 29 goals this season recognised as being a major factor in the club’s final table position. Luke Byles came second in the players’ vote, with captain Tom Jordan third.

Byles then picked up the Young Player of the Year trophy. Having returned in August from an injury struck second season with the Hawks, Luke entered the side without a fixed position, looking to come back from the subs bench. But having made the left back position his own throughout his third campaign the award was given in recognition of his now integral role in the side.

The final and most prestigious award of the evening, the Clubman of the Year, was presented to Mark Pope for his efforts off the pitch in assisting the club this season. These have included his role in helping found the successful supporters’ club, and his essential work done in bringing significant amounts of sponsorship in during the time when the club most needed it.

Pictures by Dave Haines.


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