Award for Milton United

Friday, 28 April 2006.

Fittingly on St Georges Day 23rd April, Milton United were presented with The FA Charter Standard Development Club Award by Brian Moore Chief Executive of the Berks & Bucks FA.

The FA Charter Standard Development Club Award was presented to George Cannon, Patron of Milton United. George, 93 years young in June, was one of the villagers who resurrected the club after WW2 in the early 1950's. Milton United, originally formed in 1909, had gone into decline during the 1940's, when George Cannon and others reformed the team. In football terms George was not a young man then, but he played regular football for the club at that time, and even now participates in sport playing 18 holes of golf most week days at Frilford Heath. The Cannon's passion for the village team carried through the family, Georges' brothers Alf and Tom played for Milton, and his son's Philip (aged 63) and John, in the 60's and 70's. 67 year old John Cannon, the current club president, hold's the club record having won 54 medals for Milton in various competitions during the club's time in the North Berks League.

Milton United has been a part off the local community for many decades, the award is not only recognition for the standards it has currently achieved in good football practices but a confirmation of the ethos that has been passed down by the generations of people from the community who have been a part of the club. Not many clubs can say that the had a presentation party to receive the Charter Standard Award consisting of players who from the 1950's through to youngsters of the current day, represented by 13 year old Laura Humphries and her 11 year old brother Scott, who both play in Milton United teams.

Also in line with the community spirit that is the strength of non-league football, the presentation was made prior to a Lions Club International Southern area final for Under 15 Age Group teams, which was hosted by Milton United. The tournament is nation wide, all teams entered are sponsored by their local Lions Club International who make contributions to the costs of playing in the tournament. Polkeris from St Austell in Cornwall and Corinthians from the Darrent Valley in Kent travelled to Oxfordshire to play in the Southern Area final. Milton United, with assistance from the Hellenic League, were able to secure the services of Premier League and International referee Dermot Gallagher, who prioritised the fixture in his busy schedule. Dermot kindly waived his normal fee level for the standard Hellenic League fee, though he must have felt fully rewarded for his decision with reception he received from the Under 15 year old players when he arrived, signing autographs and talking to the players for a good 15 minutes before he even got into the dressing room, plus giving a lot of his time after the game talking to parents and supporters of both teams. In keeping with the day Dermot's assistant referees were Danny Leach & Ashley Bradshaw, both 16 year olds who are starting their careers in refereeing, both lads were honoured to be under the wing of the "master" who will be hanging up his whistle at the end of this season. Comments from the team managers and supporters after the game praised all three officials for the way the game was handled, "not a wrong decision by any of them" was the general consensus.

Freya Coombe Berks & Bucks FDO was pleased that the club had achieved the award and commented that the club had worked extremely hard over a relative short time to achieve the FA kitemark. It was a fitting reward for all connected with Milton United FC.