Association announces annual award winners

The Canadian Soccer Association recognised its award winners at its evening banquet in Winnipeg, MB today. The banquet was presented in conjunction with the Canadian Soccer Association’s Annual General Meeting, hosted this year by the Manitoba Soccer Association. The banquet celebrated 2010 recipients for the Canadian Soccer Association’s Aubrey Sanford Meritorious Service Award, Ray Morgan Memorial Award, and Award of Merit.
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​Mr. Adrian Newman was presented the Aubrey Sanford Meritorious Service Award and Mr. Paul Ward was presented the Ray Morgan Memorial Award. Manitoba soccer community standouts William Laidlaw, Walter McKee and Lynda McLeish were all presented the Award of Merit.
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​Also applauded this evening were the six athlete award winners for the 2009 season. Those winners, first recognized in December, were Canadian Players of the Year Simeon Jackson and Christine Sinclair, Canadian U-20 Players of the Year Nana Attakora and Chelsea Stewart, and Canadian U-17 Players of the Year Russell Teibert and Abigail Raymer.
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​Mr. Newman received the Aubrey Sanford Meritorious Award for his outstanding service in the growth and development of soccer in Canada. Mr. Newman was the Canadian Soccer Association’s Director of Finance and a committee member of the Association’s Finance Committee, Volunteeer Screening and Harassment Policy Committee, National Stadium Project, and National Organising Committee. A long-time contributor to the game in Alberta, he was recognized this year as one of Alberta’s Top Contributors as part of the Alberta Soccer Association’s Centennial celebration.
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​The Ray Morgan Memorial Award is presented to the referee who has shown the greatest progress at the national and international levels. Mr. Ward, a two-time winner of the BC Soccer Official of the Year award, has now been on the FIFA Referee List sine 2007. In 2009, he was appointed to the CONCACAF Men’s Under-20 Championship, FIFA World Cup Qualifiers in Honduras, CONCACAF Champions League, CONCACAF Gold Cup, Nutrilite Canadian Championship, Canada Games Men’s Soccer Tournament, and Canadian Interuniversity Sport Sam Davidson Trophy championship. In 2009, he was also shortlisted for the MLS Referee of the Year award and invited to participate in the CONCACAF Elite Officials Course.
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​The three Award of Merit recipients have all made significant contributions to soccer in Canada, most notably in their home province of Manitoba. Mr. Laidlaw has served his sport as a referee, reaching the highest level as a member on the FIFA List of International Referees from 1993 to 1999. He was the Ray Morgan Memorial Award winner in 2001. Mr. McKee has served his sport as a coach as was one of the founding members of the Winnipeg Fury. Ms. McLeish has served her sport as an administrator and is currently President of the Winnipeg Soccer Federation. Both Mr. McKee and Ms. McLeish have previously won provincial awards for their volunteer efforts: Mr. McKee for the Fred Stambrook Award of Merit and Ms. McLeish for the Ralph Cantafio Award of Merit.
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​The Canadian Soccer Association congratulates all of its 2010 award recipients.