The PFAI, in association with Ford, today announced the nominees for the 2007 PFAI Player of the Year Awards at a press briefing in Portmarnock.
The nominations for the Players’ Player of the Year, First Division Player of the Year, Young Player of the Year, and Referee of the Year, along with the Premier Division and First Division teams of the Year as voted for by the eircom League of Ireland players, were all announced.

The prestigious 2007 Ford sponsored PFAI Awards will take place on Sunday 18 November at the Burlington Hotel in Dublin.

The PFAI announced earlier in the year that Ford had become the official sponsor of its highly successful annual players’ awards in a four year deal. As part of the sponsorship Ford will provide the Premier Division and First Division Players’ of the Year with the exclusive use of a new Ford Focus for the following year.

Mr Eddie Murphy, chief executive of Ford Ireland, congratulated the PFAI nominees and also the players selected on both the Premier and First Division teams of the year:

“It is great to be involved in something that provides direct rewards and recognition for the players and I would like to congratulate the nominees for the PFAI Players’ Awards and also the individuals named on the Premier and First Division teams of the season. It’s the players that provide the passion and the skills that light up the League of Ireland, so the recognition is fully deserved,” Mr Murphy said.

Stephen McGuinness, acting General Secretary of the PFAI, said that the PFAI was delighted to see Ford become involved with the awards. “We are thrilled that Ford has extended their sponsorship in the game directly to the players and it’s great that the player of the year in each division will win a Ford Focus car for a year. In a change from previous years the eircom League of Ireland players chose both teams of the season after a shortlist was drawn up by the 22 League of Ireland managers and members of the media.

“The Premier Division team of the year is made up of players from eight different clubs which has opened up dramatically from the last two years where only three clubs were recognised. And in the First Division it’s great to see a newcomer to the League of Ireland, Conor Sinnott of Wexford Youths, made the team alongside players from the champions Cobh Ramblers.

“We look forward to a long and successful relationship with Ford over the coming years,” McGuinness said.