Marion in a league of her own

9:34am Thursday 8th May 2008

YOUTH football stalwart Marion Picter has been named Malmesbury's Citizen of the Year.

The secretary of the youth football club was one of six nominations for the award first won by abbey groundsman Henry Wheeler.

Mayor John Lawton told the Standard: "They were all very deserving of the accolade, but obviously we can only award it to one and it was felt that Marion exemplified good citizenship.

"She is one of the unsung heroes of the town and of the club. She is recognised by the membership of the club, but hasn't been recognised by the community."

The announcement was made at a special ceremony on Tuesday night.

It is not the first time her efforts on behalf of the club have been noticed.

Back in 2002 she was among several people recognised for their work in the grass roots development of football.

Then she was presented with an FA National Football Volunteer Workforce Award in front of more than 60,000 spectators at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.

She is responsible for organising a host of events for the club, which has more than 200 members, and has been a major part in the bid to raise £300,000 for a new changing room and toilet complex at the Red Bull ground.

The committee has already secured a £175,000 grant from the Football Foundation and fundraising in the local community has brought in more than £60,000 towards the cost of the project.

Work to replace the current collection of portable buildings is expected to start in the next few months.

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