Ian Coke, of Boulevard, PHC’s Na’eem Griffith and Tahj Bell, of North Village, are the top three contenders for the Most Valuable Player award from the 2016-17 Premier Division football season.

The awards ceremony will be held on Saturday night at the CedarBridge Academy Cafetorium starting at 7pm, with Victor Montagliani, president of Concacaf, the keynote speaker. Tickets are $30 and can be purchased from the BFA office.

Coke was the top scorer in the Premier Division with 20 goals while Griffith was outstanding in the heart of the PHC defence, helping them to reach three finals and finish second in the league before closing out their campaign with an 11th FA Cup triumph. Bell was outstanding in goal for North Village, who finished third in the standings.

Also nominated by their clubs were last year’s winner Angelo Simmons, of Dandy Town, Kyle Jones, of Devonshire Colts, Jawonday Smith, of Devonshire Cougars, Treshun, Smith of Flanagan’s Onions, Nathan Peskett, of Robin Hood and Anwar Telford, of Somerset Eagles. Nine players were nominated by their club for the MVP award, before those names were sent back out to the clubs’ coaches who could only nominate a player from an opposing team to be a finalist.

In the First Division MVP category, Donavan Thompson, of St George’s, Paul Simons, of X-Roads, Robert Rawlings, of Young Men’s Social Club and Tyrell Burgess, of BAA, are the finalists. Thompson was the top scorer in the second tier while Burgess was the leading marksman for BAA in his first season. Simons and Rawlings played key roles for X-Roads and Social Club, who gained promotion to the top flight.

Contenders for the Premier Division’s Young Player of the Year award are Tomiko Goater, of Dandy Town, who won it last year, Zari Simmons, of Devonshire Cougars, and Demetre Daniels, of North Village. In the First Division, the finalists are Jahkari Furbert, of BAA, Thompson, of St George’s, and Aaron Spencer Jr, of X-Roads.

Kyle Lightbourne, who guided Robin Hood to a first Premier Division title, is a leading contender for Coach of the Year, along with Scott Morton and Devarr Boyles, whose teams, PHC and Village, finished second and third behind Hood in the standings.

Farid El Karfa of X-Roads, Quincy Paynter of Social Club and Kyle Tannock are the finalists for the First Division Coach of the Year award.

PHC, Robin Hood and Flanagan’s Onions are the finalists for the Fair Play Premier Division Team of the Year while BAA, X-Roads and St George’s are the top contenders for the First Division’s Fair Play Team of the Year.

The shortlist for Defender of the Year in the Premier Division contains Griffith, Jalen Harvey, of North Village, and Darius Cox, captain of Robin Hood, while the First Division’s list includes Robert Richardson, of Paget, Jarreau Hayward, of St George’s and Jamin Furbert, of X-Roads.

Bell, Stefan Dill (PHC) and Jason Simons are in the running for the Premier Division’s Goalkeeper of the Year while Charless Marshall, of St George’s, Dashun Cooper, of X-Roads, and Reid Trott, of Social Club are the First Division contenders.

The BFA will also honour the Referee and Young Referee of the Year.

n The Referees Committee will hold a Referees Course, involving Fifa instructors, from April 25 to 30 at the CedarBridge Academy and BFA Field. New referees are invited. The course will be held from 5.30 to 9pm from April 25-28 and from 9am to 4pm on the 29th and 30th.