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 coveted, prestigious and sought-after accolades in Irish sport.
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.
The award was discontinued in 2012 after Texaco withdrew their sponsorship.[1]
Recipients
| 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 | [2] One of only three winners to win, despite their county not winning that year's All-Ireland. |
| 2009 | Tomás Ó Sé | Kerry | An Gaeltacht | 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 | Centre Back |
| 2001 | Declan Meehan | Galway | Caltra | Wing Back |
| 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 |
| 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 | |
| 1963 | Lar Foley | Dublin | St Vincents | |
| 1962 | Mick O'Connell | Kerry | Young Islanders | Midfield |
| 1961 | James McCartan, Senior | Down | Tullylish | Second win. |
| 1960 | James McCartan, Senior | 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