Esh Winning stalwart Allan Morton gained some deserved recognition for his 40 year service to the club by winning the league’s Unsung Hero award last Friday night.

Morton has carried out many roles for the club, especially since it joined the league in 1982. Northern League chairman Mike Amos said: “Even though he is 70 years old and not in the best of health, Allan is still at the ground every day – cleaning up, washing the strips, cutting the grass, marking the pitch and doing many other jobs for the club’s benefit.”

Morton pipped two people from Ryton for the award. Team manager Peter Craggs was placed third, and secretary Ken Rodger second.

“Ryton played with a smile, never failed to raise a team and maintained the club’s high expectation for hospitality and administrative excellence,” said Amos.

“Ken was actually nominated by a rival club, the first time it’s happened.

“There were several worthy entries for the award. There were some very difficult decisions,” said Amos.

In the other awards, Newton Aycliffe won the programme of the year award for the second successive year, Morpeth won the hospitality award, and Bedlington won the Tea Hut award.

World Cup final and Champions League final referee Howard Webb presented Whitley Bay with a specially commissioned painting to commemorate their third successive Vase win at Wembley in May.