BWPL’s annual Dave Warriner Memorial Trophy – for outstanding service to the League and the sport in general – has been awarded this year to Denry Leighton, a loyal table official in recent times but someone with a brilliant, long-serving record in numerous different roles.
Denry (pictured on BWPL table duty – photo by Trevor Hyde) played over many years for a number of clubs, including Everton, York and Nova. He coached Rotherham Metro to the old Division 4 title when the club entered the men’s National League for the first time in 1991. And in the 1990s he officiated as a table official at the World Student Games and European Championships, both in Sheffield.
BWPL has also announced this year’s winners of the Columbus Direct Trophies – for outstanding service to League and club.
The men’s winner is Neil Swainson, who holds the remarkable record of playing in every one of the last 32 National League seasons, beginning with Rotherham Metro. There were a few years when he appeared in the National League for South Derbyshire, the club where he is now chairman, before returning as an ever-present in the Rotherham team.
