Craig Gordon is the only player to have won the award three times
Awarded for
The outstanding player in each given Scottish football season
Country
Scotland
Presented by
Scottish Football Writers' Association
First awarded
1965
Last awarded
2024
Footballer of the Year
Lawrence Shankland
Most awards
Craig Gordon (3)
The Scottish Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year (often called the SFWA Footballer of the Year, or simply the Scottish Footballer of the Year) is an annual award given to the player who is adjudged to have been the best of the season in Scottish football.[1] The award has been presented since the 1964–65 season, and the winner is selected by a vote amongst the members of the Scottish Football Writers' Association (SFWA), which comprises over 100 football journalists based throughout Scotland.[2] The first winner was Celtic's Billy McNeill, and the first non-Scottish winner was Mark Hateley of Rangers in 1994. Seven players have won the award on more than one occasion, and one, Craig Gordon, three times, winning his third award in the 2021–22 season.[3]
The award was instigated in 1965, eight years after the association was founded, and committee member Allan Herron was charged with obtaining the permission of the Scottish Football Association to make the first award. Each member of the association casts one vote and also nominates a runner-up. In the event of a tie for first place the number of runner-up votes is taken into consideration.[2] Although it is the older of the two awards, the SFWA award is considered by the players themselves to be of secondary importance to the PFA Scotland Players' Player of the Year because the winner of the PFA Scotland award is chosen by his fellow professionals.[4]
^Neil Cameron (10 April 2008). "I Would Have Voted For Ranger Alan Hutton As Best Player, Reveals Shunsuke Nakamura". Daily Record. Scotland. Retrieved 29 February 2008. We all have opinions about who is the season's best player and a year ago it was Nakamura who came out on top in voting for both the PFA and Football Writers' award.
^ abJim Black. "Fifty years of passion and prose". Sunday Herald. Retrieved 11 April 2008.[permanent dead link]
^Cite error: The named reference gordon3 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^Stuart Lovell (7 April 2008). "Why Aiden should run away with player prize". The Scotsman. Retrieved 11 April 2008.
and 25 Related for: SFWA Footballer of the Year information
selection by the Scotland national under-21 football team. SFWAFootballeroftheYearSFWA International Player oftheYearSFWA Manager oftheYear PFA Scotland...
1993–94 season, as he was voted both theSFWAFootballeroftheYear and the SPFA Players' Player oftheYear, as well as the league's top goalscorer with 22...
been voted the SFWA FootballeroftheYear three times, in 2006, 2015 and 2022, and was voted SPL and SFWA Young Player oftheYear in 2004. Born in Edinburgh...
the Year PFA Scotland Manager of the YearSFWA Young Player oftheYear White, John (2006). The Celtic Football Miscellany. Carlton Books. p. 66. ISBN 1844421627...
1996–97 Scotland The Rous Cup: 1985 SPFA Players' Player oftheYear: 1985–86 SFWAFootballeroftheYear: 1988–89 Scottish Football Hall of Fame Scotland...
Scotland, being awarded the SPFA Players' Player oftheYear, SFWAFootballeroftheYear and the Scottish Premier League Player oftheYear. He played over 250...
was also awarded the honours of SPFA Players' Player oftheYear, SFWAFootballeroftheYear, and Swedish FootballeroftheYear. The 1998–99 season ultimately...
one ofthe best Asian players to have ever played in Europe; he was nominated for the 2007 Ballon d'Or, was named Scottish Player oftheYear and SFWA Footballer...
with Celtic he won both the PFA Scotland Players' Player oftheYear and SFWAFootballeroftheYear awards, and he stayed with the club for a further two-and-a-half...
the honour ofSFWAFootballeroftheYear. He also helped Rangers to reach the 2008 UEFA Cup final. Ferguson made 45 appearances for the Scotland national...
(covering for the injured Pat Bonner), Hamilton Academical and Ayr United before leaving senior football. He was won theSFWAFootballeroftheYear and finished...
oftheYear: 1996 SFWAFootballeroftheYear: 2002 Scottish Football Hall of Fame: Inducted 2009 Norwich City Football League One: 2009–10 Football League...
won the Scottish Football League title with United in 1982–83 and the Scottish League Cup twice, in 1979 and 1980. He was named theSFWAFootballerof the...
SFWAFootballeroftheYear: 1998 Scores and results list Scotland's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Burley goal. List of Scotland...
The Rous Cup: 1985 runner-up: 1986, 1989 SFWAFootballeroftheYear: 1991 Scottish FA International Roll of Honour: 1992 Scottish Football Hall of Fame...
Global Information