The 2025 Football Supporters' Association Awards, the UK's largest fan-voted football ceremony, celebrated its winners at a glittering event in central London on Monday evening. The night belonged to The Independent's Chief Football Writer Miguel Delaney and Adam Clery of The Adam Clery Football Channel, who landed two of the most prestigious accolades.
Journalism and Digital Media Honoured
Miguel Delaney was named Football Writer of the Year, capping a remarkable 2025 for the journalist. His year included leading The Independent's coverage of England's dramatic penalty shootout victory over Spain in the Women's Euro 2025 final. Delaney's acclaimed book, States of Play: How Sportswashing Took Over Football, previously won the Charles Tyrwhitt Football Book of the Year award and was shortlisted for the William Hill Sports Book of the Year. He also successfully launched his exclusive subscriber newsletter, Miguel Delaney: Inside Football.
In the digital sphere, Adam Clery won the Social Media of the Year award for his work on The Adam Clery Football Channel (ACFC). The YouTube channel, part of Independent Studio, has built a dedicated community of over 182,000 subscribers with its weekly tactical analysis of the Premier League and wider football world. Clery also authors a popular weekly newsletter column focusing on the game's more peculiar aspects.
Fan-Voted Player of the Year Awards
The awards, which attracted a staggering over 400,000 votes from supporters, also recognised outstanding on-pitch talent. Arsenal and England midfielder Declan Rice was voted Men's Player of the Year, seeing off competition from Erling Haaland, Antoine Semenyo, Jean-Philippe Mateta, Moises Caicedo, and Ryan Gravenberch.
"It's a massive privilege to receive the FSA Player of the Year Award, seeing the players I'm up against," Rice said. "To be recognised by the supporters, to vote for me to win, it's really, really special so I can't thank them enough."
In the women's game, Arsenal and Lionesses striker Alessia Russo claimed the Women's Player of the Year trophy. She triumphed in a category featuring Chelsea's Erin Cuthbert and Millie Bright, Manchester United's Maya Le Tissier, Manchester City's Yui Hasegawa, and her Arsenal teammate Mariona Caldentey.
"Thank you to all the fans that voted, it means a lot," said Russo. "It was an incredible summer, an incredible few months, winning the Champions League and the Euros. Hopefully it's inspired us to carry on winning because that's what it's all about!"
A Celebration of Football's Key Voices
The ceremony underscored the powerful connection between football's leading voices and its supporters. The FSA Awards have firmly established themselves as the premier supporter-led event in the UK football calendar. By honouring both elite athletes and influential media figures like Delaney and Clery, the awards highlight the multifaceted nature of the modern football industry, where analysis, commentary, and fan engagement are as celebrated as match-winning performances.
