Do you know someone who’s fanatical about their Essex football team and their favourite players and loyally backs them from the terraces or sidelines in good humour? April is the month of the ‘Supporter’ for the #CelebrateEssex Twitter competition and nominations for the County’s top fan are invited by Sunday 8th April.

#CelebrateEssex, organised through our Twitter account at @EssexCountyFA, aims to promote inspirational personal examples and stories, encouraging new faces to get involved and grow the grassroots community. Once nominations close, a select group will be chosen for a Twitter poll to identify the monthly winner who’ll receive a prize and extra public plaudits.

A model football supporter possibly follows their club home and away - or local Essex football in general - knowing the Laws of the Game and the history of their club whilst enjoying friendly rivalries and following them in all weathers. They embrace community spirit on Essex’s fields and terraces and welcome new faces, displaying levels of behaviour which set an example. They can manage their emotions and contribute to a positive atmosphere.

Nominations for each month’s category winner are collected, analysed and whittled down into candidates for a Twitter online poll/vote. This lasts for seven days, after which a winner is named and celebrated. A #CelebrateEssex web page will be created featuring the details of the project, a schedule of forthcoming votes and a listing of previous winners.

March brought about the launch of the #CelebrateEssex series, which saw Frinton & Walton YFC’s Lisa Ursell named as the first winner of the ‘Footie Mum’ category. The competition will also feature: May: Treasurer, June: Footie Dad, July: Chairperson, August: Manager, September: Secretary, October: Welfare Officer, November: Young Volunteer, December: Fundraiser, January: Groundsperson, February: Coach.

Stage One: Make Your Nomination on Twitter

If you know a Supporter who you think should receive some special thanks, anyone can make a nomination by tweeting (by 8th April):

“I nominate [Insert Name/Handle] as @EssexCountyFA #CelebrateEssex Supporter because…”

State why your nominee should be the winner and be as descriptive as you can in 280 characters! It’s important to use the #CelebrateEssex hashtag to ensure your entry is registered.

Stage Two: Nominations Reviewed

Once the window closes, all the nominations received will be collated and a panel will decide which individuals will be progressed to the Twitter poll/vote...

Stage Three: Let Voting Commence!

A Twitter poll/vote will be available at @EssexCountyFA for seven days, featuring profiles of the nominees so voters can make an informed decision on who to vote for.

Stage Four: And Our Winner Is…

The winner of the poll will be contacted to be that month’s ‘Volunteer of the Month’, who’ll receive a prize plus promotional activities to celebrate their work.

Follow the #CelebrateEssex hashtag on Twitter to keep track of the competition! To find out more about volunteering in grassroots Essex football,  browse the 'Volunteers' menu above, follow @EssexCountyFA on Twitter and search for ‘EssexFootball’ on Facebook.