SFWA Footballer of the Year

The Scottish Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year (often called the SFWA Footballer of the Year, or simply the Scottish Footballer of the Year) is an annual award given to the player who is adjudged to have been the best of the season in Scottish football.[1] The award has been presented since the 1964–65 season, and the winner is selected by a vote amongst the members of the Scottish Football Writers' Association (SFWA), which comprises over 100 football journalists based throughout Scotland.[2] The first winner was Celtic's Billy McNeill, and the first non-Scottish winner was Mark Hateley of Rangers in 1994. Seven players have won the award on more than one occasion, the most recent being Leigh Griffiths, who won his second award in the 2015–16 season.[3]

SFWA Footballer of the Year
Henrik Larsson won the award twice
Awarded forThe outstanding player in each given Scottish football season
CountryScotland
Presented byScottish Football Writers' Association
First awarded1965
Last awarded2020
Footballer of the YearOdsonne Edouard
Most awardsSeven players (2)

The award was instigated in 1965, eight years after the association was founded, and committee member Allan Herron was charged with obtaining the permission of the Scottish Football Association to make the first award. Each member of the association casts one vote and also nominates a runner-up. In the event of a tie for first place the number of runner-up votes is taken into consideration.[2] Although it is the older of the two awards, the SFWA award is considered by the players themselves to be of secondary importance to the PFA Scotland Players' Player of the Year because the winner of the PFA Scotland award is chosen by his fellow professionals.[4]

List of winners

The award has been presented on 56 occasions as of 2020, with 48 different individual players winning. Seven different players (John Greig, Sandy Jardine, Brian Laudrup, Henrik Larsson, Barry Ferguson, Craig Gordon and Leigh Griffiths) have won the award twice, and on one occasion the award was presented collectively to the Scotland national squad.[5] The table also indicates where the winning player also won the PFA Scotland Players' Player of the Year award (SPFA).[6] In 2012–13, Leigh Griffiths became the first player to win the SFWA award and the PFA Scotland Young Player of the Year award in the same season.[7]

Brian McClair won the award in 1987.
Ally McCoist was the 1992 winner.
Shunsuke Nakamura was the 2007 winner.
Season PlayerClubAlso wonNotes
1964–65 SCOBilly McNeillCeltic[8]
1965–66 SCOJohn GreigRangers[8]
1966–67 SCORonnie SimpsonCeltic[8]
1967–68 SCOGordon WallaceRaith Rovers[8]
1968–69 SCOBobby MurdochCeltic[8]
1969–70 SCOPat StantonHibernian[8]
1970–71 SCOMartin BuchanAberdeen[8]
1971–72 SCODave SmithRangers[8]
1972–73 SCOGeorge ConnellyCeltic[8]
1973–74 SCOScotland World Cup squadN/A[8]
1974–75 SCOSandy JardineRangers[8]
1975–76 SCOJohn GreigRangers[note 1][8]
1976–77 SCODanny McGrainCeltic[8]
1977–78 SCODerek JohnstoneRangersSPFA[note 2][8]
1978–79 SCOAndy RitchieMorton[8]
1979–80 SCOGordon StrachanAberdeen[8]
1980–81 SCOAlan RoughPartick Thistle[8]
1981–82 SCOPaul SturrockDundee United[8]
1982–83 SCOCharlie NicholasCelticSPFA[8]
1983–84 SCOWillie MillerAberdeenSPFA[9]
1984–85 SCOHamish McAlpineDundee United[8]
1985–86 SCOSandy JardineHeart of Midlothian[note 3][8]
1986–87 SCOBrian McClairCelticSPFA[8]
1987–88 SCOPaul McStayCelticSPFA[10]
1988–89 SCORichard GoughRangers[8]
1989–90 SCOAlex McLeishAberdeen[8]
1990–91 SCOMaurice MalpasDundee United[8]
1991–92 SCOAlly McCoistRangersSPFA[8]
1992–93 SCOAndy GoramRangersSPFA[8]
1993–94 ENGMark HateleyRangersSPFA[note 4][8]
1994–95 DENBrian LaudrupRangersSPFA[note 5][8]
1995–96 ENGPaul GascoigneRangersSPFA[8]
1996–97 DENBrian LaudrupRangers[8]
1997–98 SCOCraig BurleyCeltic[8]
1998–99 SWEHenrik LarssonCelticSPFA[8]
1999–00 SCOBarry FergusonRangers[8]
2000–01 SWEHenrik LarssonCelticSPFA[8]
2001–02 SCOPaul LambertCeltic[8]
2002–03 SCOBarry FergusonRangersSPFA[8]
2003–04 SCOJackie McNamaraCeltic[8]
2004–05 WALJohn HartsonCelticSPFA[note 6][8]
2005–06 SCOCraig GordonHeart of Midlothian[8]
2006–07 JPNShunsuke NakamuraCelticSPFA[note 7][8]
2007–08 ESPCarlos CuéllarRangers[8]
2008–09 SCOGary CaldwellCeltic[11][8]
2009–10 SCODavid WeirRangers[12][8]
2010–11 HONEmilio IzaguirreCelticSPFA[13][8]
2011–12 SCOCharlie MulgrewCelticSPFA[14][8]
2012–13 SCOLeigh GriffithsHibernian[7][8]
2013–14 SCOKris CommonsCelticSPFA[15][8]
2014–15 SCOCraig GordonCeltic[16][8]
2015–16 SCOLeigh GriffithsCelticSPFA[3]
2016–17 ENGScott SinclairCelticSPFA[17]
2017–18 SCOScott BrownCelticSPFA[8]
2018–19 SCOJames ForrestCelticSPFA[8]
2019–20  FRA Odsonne Edouard Celtic [18][19]

Breakdown of winners

Winners by country
CountryNumber of winsWinning seasons
 Scotland
44
1964–65, 1965–66, 1966–67, 1967–68, 1968–69, 1969–70, 1970–71, 1971–72, 1972–73, 1973–74, 1974–75, 1975–76, 1976–77, 1977–78, 1978–79, 1979–80, 1980–81, 1981–82, 1982–83, 1983–84, 1984–85, 1985–86, 1986–87, 1987–88, 1988–89, 1989–90, 1990–91, 1991–92, 1992–93, 1997–98, 1999–00, 2001–02, 2002–03, 2003–04, 2005–06, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2011–12, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2017–18, 2018–19
 England
3
1993–94, 1995–96, 2016–17
 Sweden
2
1998–99, 2000–01
 Denmark
2
1994–95, 1996–97
 France
1
2019–20
 Spain
1
2007–08
 Japan
1
2006–07
 Wales
1
2004–05
 Honduras
1
2010–11

Winners by club
ClubNumber of winsWinning seasons
Celtic
25
1964–65, 1966–67, 1968–69, 1972–73, 1976–77, 1982–83, 1986–87, 1987–88, 1997–98, 1998–99, 2000–01, 2001–02, 2003–04, 2004–05, 2006–07, 2008–09, 2010–11, 2011–12, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2019–20
Rangers
16
1965–66, 1971–72, 1974–75, 1975–76, 1977–78, 1988–89, 1991–92, 1992–93, 1993–94, 1994–95, 1995–96, 1996–97, 1999–00, 2002–03, 2007–08, 2009–10
Aberdeen
4
1970–71, 1979–80, 1983–84, 1989–90
Dundee United
3
1981–82, 1984–85, 1990–91
Heart of Midlothian
2
1985–86, 2005–06
Hibernian
2
1969–70, 2012–13
Partick Thistle
1
1980–81
Morton
1
1978–79
Scotland
1
1973–74
Raith Rovers
1
1967–68

See also

Notes
  1. First player to win the award twice.
  2. First player to win SFWA and SPFA awards in the same season.
  3. First player to win the award twice with two different clubs.
  4. First non-Scottish winner.
  5. First winner from outside the British Isles
  6. Hartson shared the SPFA award with Fernando Ricksen.
  7. First winner from outside Europe.

References
  1. Neil Cameron (10 April 2008). "I Would Have Voted For Ranger Alan Hutton As Best Player, Reveals Shunsuke Nakamura". Daily Record. Scotland. Retrieved 29 February 2008. We all have opinions about who is the season's best player and a year ago it was Nakamura who came out on top in voting for both the PFA and Football Writers' award.
  2. Jim Black. "Fifty years of passion and prose". Sunday Herald. Retrieved 11 April 2008.
  3. Mullen, Scott (9 May 2016). "Leigh Griffiths named SFWA Player of the Year for second time – and looks for a third". Evening Times. Herald & Times Group. Retrieved 10 May 2016.
  4. Stuart Lovell (7 April 2008). "Why Aiden should run away with player prize". The Scotsman. Retrieved 11 April 2008.
  5. "Scotland – Player of the Year". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. 6 February 2008. Retrieved 31 March 2008.
  6. Barnes, Stuart (2007). News of the World Football Annual 2007–08. Invincible Press. p. 63. ISBN 978-0-00-725555-9.
  7. Forsyth, Roddy (17 May 2013). "Hibs striker Leigh Griffiths nets another accolade". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 17 May 2013.
  8. Brown, Alan (3 December 2015). "Scotland – Player of the Year". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 8 May 2016.
  9. Paul, Ian (11 May 1984). "McStay up for two awards". Glasgow Herald. p. 9. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
  10. "A word in your ear – from one law man to another". Glasgow Herald. 2 May 1988. p. 9. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
  11. "Celtic ace Gary Caldwell scoops football writers award". Sunday Mail. 10 May 2009. Retrieved 12 May 2009.
  12. Halliday, Stephen (8 May 2010). "Walter Smith hails player of the year David Weir as 'best professional I have worked with' award". The Scotsman. Johnston Press. Retrieved 12 May 2010.
  13. "More awards for Izaguirre, Goodwillie and Paatelainen". BBC Sport. 15 May 2011. Retrieved 16 May 2011.
  14. "Charlie Mulgrew caps fine season by being named Scottish Football Writers' Association Player of the Year". The Daily Telegraph. 3 May 2012. Retrieved 3 May 2012.
  15. Smith, Andrew (11 May 2014). "Kris Commons voted writers' player of the year". Scotland on Sunday. Retrieved 11 May 2014.
  16. Halliday, Stephen (20 May 2015). "Craig Gordon named writers' Player of the Year". The Scotsman. Retrieved 20 May 2015.
  17. "Celtic: Scott Sinclair named player of the year by football writers". BBC Sport. 21 May 2017. Retrieved 21 May 2017.
  18. "Shankland, Edouard, McGregor & Morelos in writers' award frame". BBC Sport. BBC. 1 June 2020. Retrieved 1 June 2020.
  19. "King Eddy is our top man". SFWA. 13 June 2020. Retrieved 13 June 2020.

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