Runcorn Linnets have been named as joint winners of the FA Respect Award in the North West Counties League Premier Division for 2014-15.

The Linnets and Colne, who are managed by former Linnets captain Steve Cunningham, were declared joint winners at the NWCL Annual Dinner which was held in Blackpool on Saturday after the league AGM earlier in the day. The league made the award based on monthly Respect data issued by the FA.

Neither Runcorn Linnets nor Colne received any cautions or dismissals for dissent during a campaign in which they finished in runners-up and fourth places, respectively.

Linnets club secretary Lynn Johnston said: "We congratulate our first-team management and players on sharing this award which only goes to show that you can be successful by playing within the spirit of the game and accepting the referee's decisions."

Meanwhile, Linnets must wait a little longer to decide who will be their initial opponents in the Men United Cup, the NWCL's Challenge Cup, in the forthcoming season.

The draw, traditionally made at the league's annual meeting, has been delayed as the constitution of clubs for 2015-16 is not yet finalised.

This is because the Northern Premier League (Evo-Stik League) AGM isn't until this weekend while Whitchurch Alport's appeal against an FA National Leagues Committee decision to deny them entry to the North West Counties League will not be heard until June 26th.

As things stand, Padiham will be returning to the NWCL scene after relegation from Evo-Stik League Division One North while champions Atherton Collieries and runners-up Cammell Laird 1907 are promoted to the NWCL Premier Division from Division One along with the play-off winners AFC Darwen.

Meanwhile Runcorn's first scheduled pre-season friendly at Vauxhall Motors on Saturday, July 11 has been cancelled after the Ellesmere Port club informed Linnets their ground will not be ready in time to stage the game.

Megan Pickering carried the Runcorn Linnets Ladies banner superbly on Saturday after being chosen for an Altrincham LFC Select XI against the Isle of Man FA team.

The 22-year-old striker was among the guest players named by Altrincham manager Keith Edleston and justified her selection with the game's opening goal and the players' player-of-the-match award.

Megan had opened the scoring in the 10th minute with a very nicely-taken goal, firing across the 'keeper after some good quick play out from the back through the midfield – the final pass splitting the two central defenders for Megan to score with a shot from the right side of the area.

The Isle of Man side equalised midway through the first half but the select team came back to go in front again from a direct free-kick more than 20 yards out.

Due to the very warm conditions, both sides agreed to play the game in three 30-minute spells.

The Isle of Man side broke the Select XI side down as the game went on and their physical style and fitness proved to be the game winner in the end.

In the second period, some goalkeeping errors allowed the visitors to take a 2-3 lead and in the third, the game was ended with further goals for the visitors making it 2-5.

The Select XI continued to push forward, however, with Megan getting in the thick of the action.

As the game wore on, she was moved to an unfamiliar right-back position where she made some telling well-timed tackles, preventing the visitors from creating further scoring opportunities.

Megan played well and, entering a game with a team and players she had never played with before, gave a good account of herself and represented the Linnets brilliantly.

She received fantastic support from the Linnets Ladies Team, a large number of the squad joining coach John Pickering in making the trip -underlining the fantastic team spirit in the camp.

Club chairman Derek Greenwood also went along to take in some of the game in between stints at Runcorn Linnets Junior tournament at Halton Sports and this was also really appreciated by Megan.

THE junior section of Runcorn Linnets has been honoured in the 2015 FA Community Awards.

Runcorn Linnets JFC were chosen as Cheshire's winner from the six candidates in the Charter Standard Club of the Year Category of the awards supported by McDonald's and now go forward to contest the North West prize.

In 2014-15, the Linnets fielded a club record 29 junior and youth teams, including for the first time a number of girls sides after the former Halton Girls JFC joined the set-up last summer.

The club's youngsters have gone on to enjoy various on-the-field successes - with the boys' Youth team winning the North West Youth Alliance Division Two Cup while the Under 13s landed a Halton & District Junior League and Stapleton Cup double, seven of this team also triumphing in the Halton & District Futsal Competition.

Other notable performances by Linnets junior teams included:

•U7s Yellow beat Linnets U7s Green in the H&DJFL Spring Cup final

•U8s Mads won the H&DJFL Spring Cup on penalties against a good HRBL side.

•U10s Girls Yellow were runners-up in the Cheshire League

•U12s Green won the Halewood and Merseyside League

•U12s Yellow lifted the St Helens & Rainhill Cup at the first attempt

•U14s were champions in their first year together and will be promoted two divisions in the Warrington League due to their exploits.

All county winners in the FA Community Awards receive a certificate, leather embossed folder and two tickets to an event hosted by the FA. The Charter Standard Club winners will also be presented with equipment packs and, along with the Charter Standard League winner, coach education bursaries.

Now in its sixth year, the annual FA Community Awards aim to recognise and reward the people and organisations that are driving grassroots football. Runcorn Linnets JFC's head secretary, Ciaran Clotworthy was nominated in the Volunteer of the Year category.

The Awards build on the continued commitment of Cheshire FA to improve the standards of community football and to increase participation across all aspects of the game through The FA Charter Standard leagues and clubs.

The seven category winners were selected by a panel of County FA representatives made up of staff, council members, two FA tutors and two of last year's winners.

The county's 2015 choices will now be shortlisted for the 2015 Regional FA Community Awards, being judged alongside other county winners for the right to represent the North West region in the National Awards shortlist.

National Award winners will be announced at The FA Community Awards ceremony, presented by McDonald's, at the FA Community Shield match in August.

Cheshire FA received a record number of nominations for their Community Awards, more than 100 being the second highest by a County FA nationally.

This is the second successive year that the club has been successful in the awards, the parent Runcorn Linnets FC having triumphed in the same category in 2014.

Simon Gerrard, Cheshire FA CEO, said: "The grassroots awards are a chance for us to recognise those volunteers, coaches and clubs that sacrifice so much throughout the year and say thank you to them. Without them we wouldn't have safe and structured environments where youngsters can develop their footballing talent.

"We are delighted that The FA and McDonald's have provided us with the opportunity to recognise them through The FA Community Awards and we wish them all the best at the regional and hopefully national stages of the Awards."

HOTSHOT Runcorn Linnets Ladies striker Megan Pickering has earned a call-up to a Select XI to take on the Isle of Man Women's National Team.

The match takes place in Altrincham this coming Saturday (May 23) and Megan's inclusion rewards her prolific scoring exploits over the season just ended.

The 22-year-old netted 30 times in all competitions for the Linnets Ladies in their second season of Cheshire Women's & Girls League membership, although she isn't just noted for scoring goals as she can also play as goalkeeper.

Megan signed for Linnets Ladies after spells with Halton Girls and Liverpool.

The Select XI has been put together by Altrincham Ladies manager Keith Edleston who as well as selecting players from his own team issued invitations to star players from other CW&GL clubs.

Runcorn Linnets Ladies were officially set up in 2013 after various meetings and discussions with their now parent club, whose men's side play in North West Counties League.

In 2012, as Runcorn Ladies, they had affiliated with the Liverpool County Football Association, playing in the LCFA Women's League.

2013/14 season saw Runcorn Linnets Ladies make the switch into the Cheshire League and a place in Division Two alongside established teams such as Altrincham Ladies, AFC Stockport, Irby and Wilmslow Town.

The team has continued to make encouraging progress in what has proved another tough yet enjoyable season.

A number of new players joined the set-up during the campaign with the second part of the season seeing some promising results and good performances.

Improvement was underlined in the closing weeks by Linnets Ladies restricting title winners Warrington Wolverines to a 2-0 victory on the champions' pitch.

The formation of junior and youth girls' sides for 2014-15, after the integration of Halton Girls into the ever-evolving Linnets camp, ensures a system is in place to feed into the senior women's squad.

With two seasons of invaluable Cheshire League experience behind them, Runcorn Linnets Ladies will now be looking to kick on in the forthcoming Cheshire League season.

RUNCORN Linnets manager Joey Dunn is close to finalising the club's friendly programme ahead of the 2015-16 first-team season with five games arranged and a possible sixth to follow.

One of the games already scheduled will see a reunion with Dunn's one-time Linnets team-mate - and former Runcorn manager - Liam Watson, who is to bring his Stalybridge Celtic team to the Millbank Linnets Stadium.

This is one of two home matches arranged with Vanarama Conference North sides, the other being against newly-promoted Curzon Ashton.

Mossley of Evo-Stik League Division One North are the other confirmed visitors.

The series of warm-up games begins at Vauxhall Motors of the West Cheshire League and closes with a trip to North West Counties League colleagues Barnton, who narrowly missed out on the Division One play-offs last season.

The full list of friendlies is:

Saturday, July 11th – Vauxhall Motors (Away)

Saturday, July 18th – TBA

Tuesday, July 21st – Curzon Ashton (Home)

Saturday, July 25th – Mossley (Home)

Thursday, July 30th – Stalybridge Celtic (Home)

Saturday, August 1st Barnton (Away)

Admission to home friendlies will be £3 for adults, £2 concessions and free for Under 16s. Saturday fixtures kick off at 3pm and midweek games at 7.30pm.

These pre-season games are, as always, subject to change.

The Linnets' NWCL Premier Division campaign gets under way on Saturday, August 8th.