The Football Writers' Association (FWA) is an association of football journalists and correspondents writing for English newspapers and agencies. It presents the Footballer of the Year Award, the oldest and most distinguished award given in the domestic game. In 2018, recognising the growth of the woman's game, it announced a Woman's Footballer of the Year Award.
History The choice to create the Football Writers' Association (FWA) was made on 22 September 1947 by journalists, Charles Buchan (News Chronicle), Frank Coles (Daily Telegraph), Roy Peskett (Daily Mail), and Archie Quick while aboard a boat in the middle of the English Channel that was returning from a football match in which England beat Belgium 5–2. Ivan Sharpe of the Sunday Chronicle was appointed chairman a month later, a position he held for the first six years of the FWA's existence and eight times in all in his long career. The men formalized a few of the newborn association's rules and regulations within one month. Some of the rules initially created were that membership to the FWA would be invitation only and that they would exclusively send invitations to "working journalists who are accredited football correspondents for newspapers and agencies." It was also determined that the Football Writers' Association's headquarters would be in London, England and the membership fee would be five guineas for the first year of membership with a recurring annual payment of two guineas each year after. Furthermore, the men had decided that there would be a vote held annually for all members that would decide the recipient of the prestigious Footballer of the Year Award, which is still today the oldest and most distinguished award given in the domestic game. The award was originally presented at the annual dinner, which was held on the night before the FA Cup Final, but was later changed to the Thursday preceding every FA Cup Final. To mark the FWA's 70th anniversary newly created Life Members of the association will now receive the Ivan Sharpe Life Membership Award, while in 2018, the FWA announced it was awarding a Woman's Footballer of the Year award in recognition of the growth of the woman's game in this country. ed
The Football Writers' Association today The FWA has experienced steady growth since its inception in 1947. Membership has grown to about nine-hundred members, including over 150 student members. Changes in modern journalism have welcomed a more diverse range of members. In recent years, the association has modernized itself by changing the voting process for Footballer of the Year by making online voting available to its members as well as incorporating social media into its revamped web site. The Football Writers' Association continues to recruit new members openly in the same manner as was created by its founders in 1947. On 24 April 2019, beIN Sports senior sports correspondent Carrie Brown was announced as the first female chair of the FWA.
The FWA Footballer of the Year Award Charles Buchan, one of the founding fathers of the FWA, had originally suggested that there be an award presented "to the professional player who by precept and example is considered by a ballot of members to be the footballer of the year." The award is the oldest and is considered to be the most prestigious award in British football. The award is presented annually. The first player to receive the award was Sir Stanley Matthews in 1948. In 2018 the FWA introduced their award for the Woman Footballer of the Year in recognition of the growth of the woman's game.
Winners The award has been presented on 78 occasions as of 2025, with 68 different winners. On one occasion two players shared the award for a season (1968–69). The table also indicates where the winning player also won one or more of the other major "player of the year" awards in English football, namely the Professional Footballers' Association's Players' Player of the Year award (PPY), Fans' Player of the Year award (FPY), and Young Player of the Year award (YPY).
YearPlayerClubAlso wonNotes 1947–48 Stanley Matthews Blackpool 1948–49 Manchester United First winner of the award from outside the United Kingdom. 1949–50 Arsenal 1950–51 Blackpool 1951–52 Wolverhampton Wanderers 1952–53 Bolton Wanderers 1953–54 Preston North End 1954–55 Manchester City 1955–56 Manchester City 1956–57 Preston North End First player to win the award twice. 1957–58 Tottenham Hotspur 1958–59 Luton Town 1959–60 Wolverhampton Wanderers 1960–61 Tottenham Hotspur 1961–62 Burnley 1962–63 Stoke City First player to win the award with two different clubs. 1963–64 West Ham United 1964–65 Leeds United 1965–66 Manchester United 1966–67 Leeds United 1967–68 Manchester United 1968–69 (joint winner) Manchester City (joint winner) Derby County 1969–70 Leeds United 1970–71 Arsenal 1971–72 Stoke City 1972–73 Tottenham Hotspur Also won the PFA Players' Player of the Year award in 1976 to become the first player to win both awards. 1973–74 Liverpool 1974–75 Fulham 1975–76 Liverpool 1976–77 Liverpool 1977–78 Nottingham Forest 1978–79 Liverpool 1979–80 Liverpool PPY First player to win both PFA and FWA awards in the same season. 1980–81 Ipswich Town 1981–82 Tottenham Hotspur 1982–83 Liverpool PPY 1983–84 Liverpool PPY 1984–85 Everton 1985–86 Everton PPY 1986–87 Tottenham Hotspur PPY 1987–88 Liverpool PPY 1988–89 Liverpool 1989–90 Liverpool 1990–91 Leeds United 1991–92 Tottenham Hotspur 1992–93 Sheffield Wednesday 1993–94 Blackburn Rovers 1994–95 Tottenham Hotspur 1995–96 Manchester United 1996–97 Chelsea 1997–98 Arsenal PPY 1998–99 Tottenham Hotspur PPY 1999–00 Manchester United PPY 2000–01 Manchester United PPY 2001–02 Arsenal 2002–03 Arsenal PPY, FPY 2003–04 Arsenal PPY, FPY First player to win the award in two consecutive seasons. 2004–05 Chelsea FPY 2005–06 Arsenal First player to win the award three times. 2006–07 Manchester United PPY, FPY, YPY First player to win four awards in the same season. 2007–08 Manchester United PPY, FPY 2008–09 Liverpool FPY 2009–10 Manchester United PPY 2010–11 West Ham United 2011–12 Arsenal PPY, FPY 2012–13 Tottenham Hotspur PPY, YPY 2013–14 Liverpool PPY 2014–15 Chelsea PPY 2015–16 Leicester City 2016–17 Chelsea PPY 2017–18 Liverpool PPY, FPY 2018–19 Manchester City 2019–20 Liverpool 2020–21 Manchester City 2021–22 Liverpool PPY, FPY 2022-23Manchester CityPPY
The FWA Women's Footballer of the Year Award In 2018, the FWA introduced their award for the Woman Footballer of the Year in recognition of the growth of the women's game.The award has been presented on one occasion as of 2018, with one winner. The table also indicates where the winning player also won one or more of the other major "player of the year" awards in English football, namely the PFA Women's Players' Player of the Year award (PPY), and the PFA Women's Young Player of the Year award (YPY).
YearPlayerClubAlso wonNotes2017–18Fran KirbyChelseaPPYInaugural winner of award2018–19Nikita ParrisManchester City2019–20Vivianne MiedemaArsenalFirst non-English winner2020–21Fran KirbyChelseaPPYTwo-time winner of award2021–22Sam KerrChelseaPPY2022–23Sam KerrChelsea
The FWA Tribute Award
The Football Writers' Association Tribute Award is presented annually every January at the Savoy Hotel to the individual that the committee believes to have contributed to the national game in a significant way. The award was first given in 1983 to Ron Greenwood.
See also Welsh Football Writers Association Scottish Football Writers' Association Ice Hockey Journalists UK Professional Footballers' Association
References
External links Official website (archived 13 December 2007)