PFA stands for the professional Footballers’ Association Merit Award. Generally people know this award as the PFA Merit Award or more commonly called Merit Award. This Merit Award is very popular and given to the Professional footballers Association. This award is given for the effortless services to the football.The Merit Award is first given by Bobby Charlton and Cliff Lloyd. in the year 1974. This year award was won by Marcus Rashford.
Awards
Three new awards was introduced by the PFA
Players’ Player of the year award -This Award is given by the players jointly.
Young player of the year award -This award is given by the player to the young player by voting method by professional Footballers’ Association and select the best among all.
The Merit Award- This award is given to the person who is contributed to football the fullest with all his dedication and love for football.
Again in the year 1974 professional Footballers’ Association introduced the new team based award which is The team of the year award. in this award is given to all the eleven player in each league.
In the year 2001 the new award is introduced by the PFA which is Fans Player of the years award. As the name suggest this award is given to the player who is selected by the fans
After 12 years a new award was introduced by the PFA which is for female awards. Women Players player of the year award which is given to the female player who voted the best player of the season by the players itself.
Another award is the PFA Young Women’s Player of the Year award which is given to youngest player of the season.
Now in the present days the Player of the Year award was renamed as Men’s PFA player of the year and the Young Player of the Year was renamed as Men’s Young Player of the Year.
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Objectives of the PFA
The professional Footballers’ Association are the manager for the “Football Scholarship Programme” and also for the “Football in the Community Programme”. professional Footballers’ Association manages these two programs and also other programs related to the football.
PFA also a member of the Institute of Professional Sports Many member of the PFA is also a professional player earlier. The chief executive is Gorden Taylor who play for Blackburn Rover earlier.John Bramhall and Bobby Barnes who are the Deputy chief executive also a former football player.
PFA helps many of the ex player also also the player at present with funds for many of the educational programs that is related to the football. Many player had completed their degree in Physiotherapy from University of Salford with the help of the PFA. Apart from that many player has completed sport science degree and also Professional sports training degree from many big University like Manchester Metropolitan University and Staffordshire University which has a link from PFA.
In addition to that many other programs related to the fitness and training are also sponsored by the PFA to help the player. The foremost objective of the PFA is to help their player in attaining knowledge.
Ben Purkiss dispute
Ben Purkiss name was public that he is eligible to be a chairman in the year 2018. This become a dispute and many player wrote an open letter to Chief Executive Gordon Taylor to stand down and in this response Tayor also wrote an open letter to public that review of the union structure and operation will be done and he is promising that.
Then AGM that held in Manchester in March 2019 the agreement was done that the management committee with Taylor and Purkiss stand down during the completion of “full and open review.