AC Benahavís Annual Awards Evening 2025/26
AC Benahavís players, together with their wives and partners, celebrated another outstanding season in style with our Annual Awards Dinner Dance at El Gamonal Restaurant in San Pedro.
The evening began with a warm welcome to everyone in attendance, with special recognition given to club legend Doug Llewellyn and Nora Verby for their valued support of the club.
Before reflecting on the season, members took part in an auction for a beautiful commissioned artwork, generously donated by local artist Josephine Coupe. Thanks to the incredible generosity of everyone present, all proceeds were added to our charity fund, which has now raised more than €3,000 this season through our charity football match, Marc Morris' popular pub quizzes and our participation in the Darkness Into Light Walk.
The evening celebrated a season full of memorable achievements, including:
• Participation in the Rojales Tournament.
• Winning the Over 65s League title.
• Winning the Over 60s Cup.
• Several players earning selection to represent Team Spain.
• Victory in our Ryder Cup-style competition.
• A fantastic FootGolf fun day featuring our young stars Will Keep and Seth McGeary.
• Celebrating milestone birthdays, with several members turning 70, including Peter "Popeye" Madden, who captained a league representative side to victory over an England International team.
Not every memory was football-related. We also reflected on a season that saw several members overcome injuries and health challenges. Dave O'Hara suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon, Gary Stevens and Marc Morris both underwent knee replacement surgery, Robert Jurewicz, Colin McGeary and Chris Warren faced heart-related health issues, while Terry Norrington is currently recovering from detached retina surgery. We are delighted that they all remain valued members of our club and wish Terry a continued speedy recovery.
We were also pleased to welcome several new members who have made an immediate impact both on and off the pitch: Ian Corner, Chris Lennon, Graham Curme, Sean Rowlands, Rob Byron and Peter Wrigley.
Our sincere thanks go to our sponsors for their continued support throughout the season:
• The Irishman
• The Hogan Stand
• Samaritans Spain
• Bag a Lux
The highlight of the evening was the presentation of the Players' Awards, voted for by the players themselves and presented by Club President Chris Warren.
Award Winners
🏆 Over 50s
Player of the Year – Chris Webb
Most Improved – Shane McAllister
🏆 Over 60s Atlético
Player of the Year – Marc Morris
Most Improved – Martin Delaney
🏆 Over 60s Deportivo
Player of the Year – John Campbell
Most Improved – Ian Corner
🏆 Over 65s
Player of the Year – Marc Morris
Most Improved – Michael Verby
The prestigious Clubman of the Year Award was presented to Steve Duffell. In a heartfelt acceptance speech, Steve paid tribute to the many people who work tirelessly behind the scenes to make the club such a success. He reflected on how fortunate we all are to still be playing football at our age and, more importantly, to enjoy the friendship,and camaraderie that AC Benahavís provides.
His closing words summed up the spirit of the club perfectly: "Let's make next season another one to remember."
With the awards complete, the music started, the dance floor filled, and everyone celebrated another unforgettable season together.
Here's to 2026/27.
Forza Benahavís! 💙⚽