YORK’S greatest-ever parks players and officials will be celebrated on Friday, April 25 in the racecourse’s Voltigeur Suite.

The first York Football Legends awards night is being hosted by City Football Development and tickets, including a pie and peas supper along with comedy from Austin Knights, are available at a cost of £15 each.

Nominations are now being welcomed for a host of different categories and the winners will be presented with trophies and inducted into a Hall of Fame at the event, which the organisers hope will be held on an annual basis.

With the aim to reward the York & District League players and officials who have made the greatest contributions to grassroots senior football in the city, the categories are: best-ever team, top player of all-time (the top five will all be recognised), best-ever manager, top goalkeeper, greatest goalscorer, greatest contribution from a father and son, best administrator and the lifetime achievement award.

Nominations can be emailed to nelly@cityfootballdevelopment.co.uk with an explanation as to why the candidate would be a suitable winner of the award.

Neil Sanderson will also take suggestions over the phone on 07779 352603, as well as orders for tickets.

Acclaimed York & District League graduates Andy Leaning and Iain Dunn have both agreed to attend the Legends night.

Leaning is now Leeds United’s goalkeeping coach having kept goal for York RI and Rowntree Mackintosh before going on to play for York City, Sheffield United, Bristol City, Lincoln and Chesterfield.

Striker Dunn also started out on the local pitches before enjoying a professional career with York City, Chesterfield, Huddersfield and Scunthorpe.

Since retiring from the full-time game, he has played and coached at Huntington Rovers and managed the York Minster Engineering League representative side.

Other pros to have cut their teeth first in the York & District Senior League include Barry Jackson, Dave Dunmore and Mick Granger, who all hailed from Cliftonville before going on to become great servants for York City and one-time York RI forward Neil Grayson.

Jackson still holds the all-time appearance club record for the Minstermen.

Ahead of the evening, the York Football Legends organisers are trying to make contact with footballers from the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s eras, most notably the likes of Roddy Richardson, Trevor Chappell, Dave Magson and John Hudson.

“We have quite a lot of knowledge about local football in York and players post-1970,” organiser Sanderson explained.

“But we are looking for as much information as possible on players from earlier generations and we would like to hear from anybody who could lay claim to being the oldest surviving former York & District League player.”

Sanderson is also hoping to attract sponsors for the event and the different trophies.

Prices start at £500 for the event and £50 for individual trophies.

Programme advertising is available too and anybody interested should contact Sanderson on the above phone number or email address.

All money raised from the evening will be donated to City Football Development to assist with their junior coaching programmes.