York Acorn starlet Johnny Waldron scooped two awards at the club's open age and Under-18s end-of-season presentation night.

Half-back Waldron, Acorn's leading try-scorer in their National Conference League second division, won the first team's most improved player of the year and players' player of the year gongs.

He received the awards from guest presenters, Leeds Rhinos players Jamie Netherton and Ewan Dowes.

The other first team award winners were clubman of the year Julian Smith, who also picked up the prestigious Donald Shepherd Award for outstanding services to the club, man of steel Michael Embleton, and coach's player of the year Paul Dodsworth.

The 'A' team award winners were: players' player - Craig Fox; clubman of the year - Gary Taylor; most improved player - Paul Day; man of steel and Andy Cowl Memorial award - Alex Benn; coach's player of the year - John Tattersfield.

The U18s award winners were: coach's player of the year - John Tattersfield; players' player of the year - James Morrow; most improved player of the year - Andy Gargan; man of steel - Tom Lyons; clubman of the year - Jason Harper.

Earlier in the evening there had been a fundraising raffle on behalf of the campaign to relaunch a professional York rugby league club, with guest appearances made by former York, Castleford and Great Britain hero and current Cas coach Graham Steadman and the York fan fronting the campaign Gary Hall.

Pictured: Castleford coach Graham Steadman (left) and York RL fans' leader Gary Hall (right) get ready to draw the raffle at York Acorn's presentation night, alongside Acorn 'A' team player-coach Kev Warters. Money raised from the raffle was to go towards the resurrection of professional rugby league in York

Updated: 11:40 Tuesday, May 21, 2002