Footballers crowned Team of the Year at YO1 Sports Awards
York College Girls Football Team have been crowned the best Secondary School & Higher Education Sports side in the county.
The talented group (pictured in the main image with Sports Development Centre Coordinator Stu Horsfield and Progress Coach Emma Haigh) were presented with the accolade at last night’s 2025 YO1 Radio Sports Awards at York Barbican, which celebrated the finest sporting achievements across North Yorkshire over the past 12 months.
During an excellent season, the team secured the regional ECFA (English Colleges Football Association) title and went on to reach the semi-finals of the National Premier Cup before suffering an agonising penalty shoot-out defeat to Barking Abbey School.
The side also progressed to the quarter-finals of the National Schools Cup before unluckily losing another spot-kick decider against Bede Sixth Form College and five players have since gone on to secure scholarships to universities in the USA, including Grace Sykes, who represented the England Colleges team throughout the season and helped her country reach the final of an international tournament in Italy.
Grace was shortlisted for the evening’s Young Sportsperson of the Year Award, along with our Carpentry and Joinery student Max Knight in recognition of his achievements for Heworth Rugby Club and the England Lions Under-16s team.
The category was won by gymnast Jonah Wild.
York College and University Centre were also headline sponsors of the event and the Outstanding Contribution to Sport Award, which was presented to City of York Council’s Community Sports Development Manager Paul Ranskill to honour his 30 years’ service transforming lives through sport.
The evening was hosted by YO1 Radio's Claire Pulpher with six-time World Snooker Championship finalist Jimmy White in attendance as a special guest, along with Lord Mayor of York, Martin Rowley.
To learn more about York College’s Sport Development Centres, please click here
