Saints fan Herbie Taylor has won the EA SPORTS Fan of the Year award at the 2010 Football League Awards.
Herbie received the award at a gala dinner at Grosvenor House, Park Lane on Sunday evening in front of 900 attendees from clubs, sponsors and the football industry which incorporated FourFourTwo's Top 50 Football League Players.
Herbie is 79 years of age and began supporting Southampton aged just ten years old, way back in 1940. He has hardly missed a game in the sixty nine years since, with his longest absence from watching them being during his RAF service 1950/52. Even then he would hitchhike home from wherever he was posted in the UK to see Saints play and hitchhike back to his base after the game. Only when he was posted to what was then Southern Rhodesia did he have to miss games.
In his retirement he has been able to serve the club he so lovingly supports by being a volunteer Stadium Tour Guide at the St Mary's Stadium, and never misses an opportunity to show off the stadium and enthrall all who come on his tours with his knowledge of the stadium and the club's proud history. He loves his job and is well known in Southampton - to the extent he was recently voted as the best subject to be painted by a local artist as a true representative of Saints fans.
The Football League Awards judging panel commented that "Herbie has demonstrated a lifetime of dedication with humility; no journey has been too great for Herbie. From hitchhiking back from far off places while serving his country to support his beloved club and being the driving force behind charitable work. Since retirement, his true passion of supporting Southampton for nearly 70 years has been passed on to other fans making their pilgrimage back to St. Mary's. Herbie - a real fan and true Saint through and through."
Herbie said: "It means everything to me. My family will be thrilled, it is not just for me but my children and grandchildren who will be so thrilled for me. It has brought tears to my eyes.
"It is great to see The Football League including fans in an awards night. I honestly didn't think that I would believe I would win this - for the first time in my life I am speechless - I feel like Ryan Giggs because I've got nothing I can say."
 Herbie accepts his award on Sunday evening and will be introduced to the St. Mary's crowd on Tuesday evening at hlaf time during the game against Swindon Town. |
Commenting on the 2010 Football League Awards, Football League Chairman, Lord Mawhinney, said: "Once again, these awards have given us the opportunity to honour those clubs and individuals whose commitment to the game or their local community goes beyond the call of duty.
"The fifth Football League Awards have been an enormous success, and I congratulate all the winners on their achievements."
The number one spot in the FourFourTwo Top 50 Football League Players went to Newcastle United's striker Kevin Nolan. Jermaine Beckford of Leeds United was the highest ranked Coca-Cola League 1 player and Craig Dawson of Rochdale the best from Coca-Cola League 2. The full list of The Top 50 Football League Players can be found either in the May issue of FourFourTwo which is on sale now, or on the FourFourTwo website www.fourfourtwo.com.
To find out more about The Football League Awards, including all the photos and news from the evening, please visit www.footballleagueawards.com.
> Herbie will also be appearing on the BBC One programme Late Kick-Off at 11.25pm on Monday evening alongside regular pundit and Saints defender Graeme Murty.
