As a result of the 2017-18 Football League season coming to a close, the EFL held their annual award ceremony last night, (15th April), to commemorate the outstanding performances of both, individual, clubs and communities. Rovers were heavily represented throughout the night, picking up 4 awards, which saw the club carry the on-pitch positivity into the ceremony.
The first 2 awards which bared Rovers’ name, were communal awards which represented the value that the club had to the town and it’s tight-knit community. Additionally, it represented the hard work and effort that the club had regularly put in, in order to keep the relationship between the town and the club as strong as ever. These two awards were the AmazeRealise Family Club of the Year, both, for League 1 and the Football League, as a whole. These awards saw the club recognised for a whole host of reasons, which included family-themed activities on matchdays, a game room, which allows families to face-off on FIFA 18, the FanZone, plus many more activities which constitutes a family outing. In addition, the launch of the 1875 club and Junior Rovers schemes this year, also increased Rovers’ stock which allowed the club to earn the award.
The 2nd prize which Rovers were awarded, saw captain, Charlie Mulgrew and playmaker, Bradley Dack inducted into the EFL’s 2017-18 Team of the Season (see below), which saw additions from the Championship and League 2 as well. Whilst the pair were also inducted into the League 1 Team of the Season, alongside ‘keeper David Raya, their stellar performances for Rovers this season, which has seen the pair notch 29 league goals between them, to date, as they’ve helped fire Rovers to certain promotion to the Championship.
The final award which Rovers were taking home following the award ceremony’s conclusion, was the Sky Bet League 1 Player of the Year Award, as Rovers’ number 23, Bradley Dack claimed the prestigious trophy for the 2nd time in 3 years, after first receiving the award at Gillingham, following the conclusion of the 2015-16 League 1 season, which saw Dack pitch in 13 goals and 10 assists towards the Gill’s playoff push, which ultimately came short. 2 years on, Dack has returned firing in Blue and White, despite displaying the Rovers badge on his chest, rather than that of Gillingham and with that, managed to notch 16 goal this campaign, coupled with 8 assists, which – with 4 games of the season left to play – the midfielder will be hoping to add to before the season is out. Dack’s competition to the award, was not easy to overcome however, as the midfield maestro overcame Wigan Athletic’s Nick Powell and Peterborough United’s Jack Marriott, to claim the trophy. The two runners-up had fine seasons in their own right as Powell, has netted 15 goals with 6 assists so far, whilst Marriott has topped the league’s goalscoring charts with 26 goals, accompanied by 4 assists as of the ceremony. Their exploits however, were not enough to deter managers and journalists away from voting for Rovers’ star man, as the fan favourite reaped the rewards of his hard work following a fantastic season.
The evening of awards wrapped up, what was has been a great season for Blackburn Rovers Football Club, and hopefully, leading into the final 4 games of the season, the lads can continue their form which they showed throughout the season and secure automatic promotion to the Sky Bet Championship.
