Sheffield Wednesday’s Marco Matias has won the Mitre Goal of the Year at The Football League Awards 2016.
Sheffield Wednesday’s Marco Matias has been awarded the Mitre Goal of the Year Award at The Football League Awards 2016 for his strike against Leeds United.Matias received the award at the gala ceremony at Manchester Central on Sunday evening in front of over 600 guests from clubs, sponsors and the football industry.
The Football League Awards 2016 was being hosted in Manchester for the first time, the same city in which The Football League was officially formed 128 years ago to the day. In its 11th year, the awards ceremony celebrates on and off pitch excellence across The League’s 72 clubs.
Matias beat off competition from Michael Duckworth (Hartlepool United), Kemar Roofe (Oxford United), Jermaine Beckford (Preston North End) and Danny Williams (Reading) to claim the overall Mitre Goal of the Year Award.
Matias’ goal won the club’s nomination for the Mitre Goal of the Year by a landslide – and you don’t need to watch it twice to see why. Coming in the Owls’ 1-1 draw with Leeds United at Elland Road in August, Marco flicked the ball over a defender with one foot before hitting a stunning shot in off the underside of the bar. A simply brilliant goal that will live long in the memory.
On winning the award, Matias said:
“I feel very happy, it’s a big moment in my life and I hope I have many more like this.”
With a total of over 4,800 goals scored in Football League competitions in 2015, each of the 72 Football League clubs nominated their best goal from the 2015 calendar year. In conjunction with Mitre and the viewers of Channel 5’s Football League Tonight show, the goals were narrowed down to a shortlist of five, with the overall winner being decide by a vote on the night at The Football League Awards.
Shaun Harvey, Chief Executive of The Football League, said: "During another action packed Football League season it is important to acknowledge outstanding performances, both on and off the pitch.
“We’re delighted to recognise this special group of nominees who have shown exceptional levels of talent, dedication and achievement. Congratulations to everyone who was nominated and particularly our winners, all of whom are deserving of their accolade.”
Other awards recognising players for their on pitch performances include the Sky Bet Players of the Year, Young Player of the Year and Football Manager Team of the Year awards, alongside the prestigious Sir Tom Finney Award. Further awards were presented for off the field achievements by players and clubs, while the Contribution to League Football award recognised an individual’s lifetime commitment to the game.
All the news, reaction and photos from the awards can be found via The Football League’s Twitter page, @football_league, while the awards ceremony was also broadcast live on The Football League’s YouTube channel.
To find out more about The Football League Awards, and for a full list of award winners, visit www.FLAwards.com or search #FLAwards on Twitter.