People's Choice Award 2018

Scottish FA Grassroots Awards
in association with the Sunday Mail and McDonald's.

People's Choice Vote 2018

McDonald's Grassroots Awards

Kirsty Cunningham

Category: Girls' & Women's Football
Central Region

The nomination caps a landmark few years for both Cunningham and the club’s women’s section, which had just one playing group – Fun Fours at under-nine level – when Cunningham took charge as a teenager.

Since then, she has overseen the development of the women’s section into a fully-fledged pathway, with over 70 players in teams ranging from under-nines through to a competitive senior team.

Still just 24, Cunningham’s commitment to the women’s game has seen her championed as a driving force in grassroots football. In addition to often leading four training sessions per week as well as her administrative commitments, she has also recently completed her C Licence and has set her sights on working her way through the programme of coaching badges over the coming years.

Her pathway has borne fruit over recent seasons; the club’s under-13s claimed league glory in 2017/18 under the guidance of Cunningham – with the majority of the team having been part of Cunningham’s ‘originals’ – whilst one of the team’s stars, Clare Goldie, was invited to attend Central regional under-14s squad training.

Peter Kingston

Category: Youth Football
East Region

Riverside Community Sports Club chairman Peter Kingston has been nominated for the Scottish FA Grassroots People’s Award in the Youth category, following a year of tireless dedication to the grassroots game.

The past year seen the club introduce a full pathway for players at the club, with Kingston overseeing the implementation of a clear structure from the youth section all the way through to the senior teams.

Riverside’s coaches have also benefitted from Kingston’s commitment to the game, with his work in line with the Scottish FA’s Quality Mark scheme leading to an increase in coach retention at the club – an area which had previously been an area of concern for those involved with the Dundee team.

Developing the women’s and girls’ section and summer holiday camps are just two of the further successes Kingston is able to boast, with increasing para-football opportunities in the area the next target on Kingston’s radar.

Off the field, Kingston has been instrumental in streamlining the club’s online membership registration system, which now allows players to register and pay fees as well as receive important club communications. Not only has this simplified the process for current and prospective players, but it has also provided the club with a sustainable financial model for future seasons.

Robbie Anderson

Category: Young People
South East Region

Robbie Anderson, of the Spartans Community Football Academy, has given over 200 hours of voluntary support to a range of grassroots football projects over the past two years, each of them targeted towards young footballers in the South East region.

These initiatives include a programme tailored to students at Edinburgh’s specialist primary schools, where pupils in attendance require additional support needs for autism, ADHD and more.

A positive role model for those following his lead, the 22 year old is in the process of working his way through his Scottish FA coaching badges, having completed levels up to 1.3 thus far.

Anderson also donates his time to help further projects within the Spartans Community Football Academy, including volunteering with both the under-13s team and the Spartans Connections Para-Football team.

His work does not stop for the summer break either; Anderson is a key component of the academy’s summer camps, offering his time to assist in the successful delivery of holiday football programmes to children in the community.

Enrolled on a NC Sports and Fitness course at college, Anderson harbours ambitions of becoming a lead sports coach himself, with his drive to succeed in this goal continually inspiring those around him.

Voting for 2019 will open later this year.