Texaco Footballer of the Year

The Texaco Footballer of the Year was a Gaelic football award, created in 1958, that honoured the achievements of a footballer of outstanding excellence. The award was part of the Texaco Sportstars Awards, in which Irish sportspeople from all fields were honoured.

The award was presented annually to the Gaelic footballer considered to have performed the best over the previous year in the Football Championship. Voting for the award was undertaken by a select group of journalists from television and the print media. The award itself, standing 14 inches high, was one of the most sought-after accolades in Irish sport.[citation needed]

This award is distinct from the All Stars Footballer of the Year, awarded by the GAA since 1995, as part of the GAA GPA All Stars Awards. Marc and Tomás Ó Sé of Kerry, and Alan and Bernard Brogan (junior) of Dublin are the only pairs of brothers to have won the award. Jack O'Shea of Kerry has won the award the most times, with four wins.

The award was discontinued in 2012 after Texaco withdrew their sponsorship.[1]

Recipients

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Year Player County Club Notes
2011 Alan Brogan Dublin St Oliver Plunketts Played half forward, succeeded his brother Bernard who won in 2010
2010 Bernard Brogan Dublin St Oliver Plunketts One of only three winners to win, despite their county not winning that year's All-Ireland[2]
2009 Tomás Ó Sé Kerry An Ghaeltacht Played right-half back
2008 Sean Cavanagh Tyrone Moy Played at full forward
2007 Marc Ó Sé Kerry An Ghaeltacht Corner back
2006 Kieran Donaghy Kerry Austin Stacks Full forward
2005 Stephen O'Neill Tyrone Clann na nGael Full forward
2004 Colm Cooper Kerry Dr Crokes Corner forward
2003 Peter Canavan Tyrone Errigal Ciarán Full forward
2002 Kieran McGeeney Armagh CLG Na Fianna
2001 Pádraic Joyce Galway Killererin Full forward
2000 Séamus Moynihan Kerry Glenflesk Centre back
1999 Trevor Giles Meath Skryne Centre forward
1998 Michael Donnellan Galway Dunmore McHales Wing forward
1997 Maurice Fitzgerald Kerry St. Mary's Cahirciveen Corner forward
1996 Martin O'Connell Meath St. Michaels Wing Back
1995 Paul Curran Dublin Thomas Davis Wing Back
1994 Mickey Linden Down Mayobridge Corner forward
1993 Henry Downey Derry Lavey Centre back
1992 Martin McHugh Donegal Kilcar Centre forward
1991 Colm O'Rourke Meath Skryne One of only three winners to win despite their county not winning that year's All-Ireland
1990 Shea Fahy Cork Nemo Rangers
1989 Teddy McCarthy Cork Glanmire
1988 Robbie O'Malley Meath St Colmcille's
1987 Brian Stafford Meath Kilmainhamwood Full forward
1986 Pat Spillane Kerry Templenoe Wing forward, second win
1985 Jack O'Shea Kerry St. Mary's Cahirciveen Midfield, fourth win
1984 Jack O'Shea Kerry St. Mary's Cahirciveen Midfield, third win
1983 Tommy Drumm Dublin Whitehall Colmcilles Centre back
1982 Martin Furlong Offaly Tullamore Goalkeeper
1981 Jack O'Shea Kerry St. Mary's Cahirciveen Midfield, second win
1980 Jack O'Shea Kerry St. Mary's Cahirciveen Midfield
1979 Mikey Sheehy Kerry Austin Stacks Corner forward
1978 Pat Spillane Kerry Templenoe Wing forward
1977 Jimmy Keaveney Dublin St Vincents Full forward, second win
1976 Jimmy Keaveney Dublin St Vincents Full forward, did not win an All-Star
1975 John O'Keeffe Kerry Austin Stacks Full back
1974 Kevin Heffernan Dublin St Vincents The only person to be awarded this award while not a player but a manager
1973 Billy Morgan Cork Nemo Rangers Goalkeeper
1972 Willie Bryan Offaly Walsh Island
1971 Eugene Mulligan Offaly Rhode
1970 Tom Prendergast Kerry Keel
1969 Mick O'Dwyer Kerry Waterville Wing forward
1968 Seán O'Neill Down John Mitchel
1967 Bertie Cunningham Meath Ballivor
1966 Mattie McDonagh Galway Ballygar
1965 Martin Newell Galway Father Griffins
1964 Noel Tierney Galway Milltown Full back
1963 Lar Foley Dublin St Vincents
1962 Mick O'Connell Kerry Young Islanders Midfield
1961 James McCartan Sr. Down Tullylish Second win
1960 James McCartan Sr. Down St Patrick's
1959 Seán Murphy Kerry Dingle
1958 Jim McKeever Derry Ballymaguigan Inaugural winner. One of only three winners to win, despite their county not winning that year's All-Ireland.

References

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  1. ^ Wattersson, Johnny. "Star sponsors put tuxedos away after 54 years". Irish Times. Retrieved 11 August 2015.
  2. ^ "2010 Texaco Sportstars of the Year". Irish Independent. 3 November 2010. Retrieved 10 November 2010.