STRATTON FC Youth coach Gary James won Volunteer of the Year at the Gloucestershire FA Grassroots awards.

Gary is often labelled an inspiration by his colleagues at Stratton Youth.

He has coached and mentored at the club for 15 years, as well as enthusiastically undertaking pitch and building work tasks behind the scenes.

GFA chief executive David Neale said: “These awards are all about recognising people right across the grassroots spectrum who make a difference to their clubs and communities.

“There are thousands of volunteers across the county and it’s about thanking them for being among the best of them.”

The county association’s football development officer Jason Lee added: “We genuinely appreciate everything everyone does for the game to make grassroots football possible in Gloucestershire.

“We had 130 nominations in the various categories and that’s a tremendous achievement.”

Elsewhere, the FA Coach of the Year award was handed to Tim Butler.

The Hardwicke Under-11 and Cheltenham Powerchair coach has married football alongside his studies at University of Gloucestershire.

Grassroots Match Official of the Year went to Will Wain, who has officiated in the county for 25 years.

Prestbury Phantoms’ hard-working chairman Martin Johnson was the recipient of the FA Supporter of the Year distinction.

Jamie Griffin, of Longwell Green Sports club, was Young Volunteer of the Year prize.

Gloucestershire County Women’s League, which successfully introduced a programme to cater for 84 participants who couldn’t commit to playing on a weekly basis, collected the FA Charter Standard League of the Year gong.

Abbeymead Rovers picked up FA Charter Standard Club of the Year for its walking football provision and active support of “all areas of the game”, including refereeing.

Finally, University of Gloucestershire scholar Jade Wardle, a level five referee, was handed the GFA Young Referee of the Year prize having become the highest-ranked referee aged under 25 in her very first season with the whistle in the Gloucestershire Northern Senior League.