FWA Footballer of the Year

The Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year (often called the FWA Footballer of the Year, or simply the Footballer of the Year) is an annual award given to the player who is adjudged to have been the best of the season in English football. The award has been presented since the 1947–48 season, when the inaugural winner was Blackpool winger Stanley Matthews. The latest winner of the award as of 2008 is Cristiano Ronaldo of Manchester United. Eight players have won the award on more than one occasion, the most recent being Ronaldo, who won his second award in the 2007–08 season.

The winner is selected by a vote amongst the members of the Football Writers' Association (FWA), which comprises around 400 football journalists based throughout England. The award was instigated at the suggestion of Charles Buchan, a former professional footballer turned journalist and one of the Association's founders.

Winners

The award has been presented on 60 occasions as of 2007, with 55 different winners. On one occasion two players shared the award for a season. 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).

Year		Player	Club	Also won	Notes
1947–48		Stanley Matthews	Blackpool
1948–49			Manchester United
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
1957–58			Tottenham Hotspur
1958–59			Luton Town
1959–60			Wolverhampton Wanderers
1960–61			Tottenham Hotspur
1961–62			Burnley
1962–63			Stoke City
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
1968–69		(joint winner)	Derby County
1969–70			Leeds United
1970–71			Arsenal
1971–72			Stoke City
1972–73			Tottenham Hotspur
1973–74			Liverpool
1974–75			Fulham
1975–76			Liverpool
1976–77			Liverpool
1977–78			Nottingham Forest
1978–79			Liverpool
1979–80			Liverpool	PPY
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
2004–05			Chelsea	FPY
2005–06			Arsenal
2006–07			Manchester United	PPY, FPY, YPY
2007–08			Manchester United	PPY, FPY

Breakdown of winners

Winners by country

Country	Number of wins	Winning years
England	32	1947–48, 1949–50, 1950–51, 1951–52, 1952–53, 1953–54, 1954–55, 1956–57, 1958–59, 1959–60, 1961–62, 1962–63, 1963–64, 1965–66, 1966–67, 1968–69 (one of two winners), 1971–72, 1973–74, 1974–75, 1975–76, 1976–77, 1979–80, 1981–82, 1985–86, 1986–87, 1987–88, 1989–90, 1991–92, 1992–93, 1993–94, 2000–01, 2004–05
Scotland	9	1964–65, 1968–69 (one of two winners), 1969–70, 1970–71, 1977–78, 1978–79, 1982–83, 1988–89, 1990–91
France	6	1995–96, 1998–99, 2001–02, 2002–03, 2003–04, 2005–06
Northern Ireland	4	1957–58, 1960–61, 1967–68, 1972–73
Republic of Ireland	2	1948–49, 1999–00
Netherlands	2	1980–81, 1997–98
Germany	2	1955–56, 1994–95
Wales	2	1983–84, 1984–85
Portugal	2	2006–07, 2007–08
Italy	1	1996–97

Winners by club

Club	Number of wins	Winning years
Liverpool	10	1973–74, 1975–76, 1976–77, 1978–79, 1979–80, 1982–83, 1983–84, 1987–88, 1988–89, 1989–90
Tottenham Hotspur	8	1957–58, 1960–61, 1972–73, 1981–82, 1986–87, 1991–92, 1994–95, 1998–99
Manchester United	8	1948–49, 1965–66, 1967–68, 1995–96, 1999–00, 2000–01, 2006–07, 2007–08
Arsenal	7	1949–50, 1970–71, 1997–98, 2001–02, 2002–03, 2003–04, 2005–06
Leeds United	4	1964–65, 1966–67, 1969–70, 1990–91
Manchester City	3	1954–55, 1955–56, 1968–69 (one of two winners)
Chelsea	2	1996–97, 2004–05
Everton	2	1984–85, 1985–86
Stoke City	2	1962–63, 1971–72
Wolverhampton Wanderers	2	1951–52, 1959–60
Preston North End	2	1953–54, 1956–57
Blackpool	2	1947–48, 1950–51
Blackburn Rovers	1	1993–94
Sheffield Wednesday	1	1992–93
Ipswich Town	1	1980–81
Nottingham Forest	1	1977–78
Fulham	1	1974–75
Derby County	1	1968–69 (one of two winners)
West Ham United	1	1963–64
Burnley	1	1961–62
Luton Town	1	1958–59
Bolton Wanderers	1	1952–53

See also

• PFA Players' Player of the Year
• SPFA Players' Player of the Year
• SFWA Footballer of the Year
• PFAI Players' Player of the Year

References

External links

• Football Writers' Association