[dropcap]E[/dropcap]fforts on and off the pitch earned Detroit City FC and its supporters a pair of postseason awards from the National Premier Soccer League last Thursday night.
Midfielder Shawn Claud Lawson took home the league’s Staples Make More Happen Goal of the Year, while the 2014 Global Scarves Supporter of the Year award was given to the pair of Gene and Ken Butcher, both members of the Northern Guard Supporters, supporter group of Le Rouge.
“We are thrilled that DCFC and DCFC supporters swept these two awards,” DCFC co-ownerAlex Wright said. “We have the best fans in the country and they sing for the best players in the country at our level. It’s great to see Shawn Claud and the Butcher brothers get the national recognition they deserve.”
“It’s just more proof that we are Detroit’s soccer team.”
It’s unsurprising that DCFC swept the awards considering the method of voting was based on the number of Twitter retweets each nominee received. The passionate Northern Guard Supporters are largely responsible for the incredible attendance numbers the club posted over the course of the season, ballooning at 3,398 for a league contest against Fort Pitt Regiment on July 11 at Cass Tech High School.
Dubbed the club’s “super-sub” by City coach Ben Pirmann earlier in the year, Lawson, a junior on Oakland University’s men’s soccer team, scored the spectacular goal (below) in the aforementioned match, a 3-1 victory.
As part of capturing the award on behalf of DCFC, Lawson’s honor means Staples will donate $1,000 to the Ruth Ellis Center, a Highland Park-based organization that helps serve runaway and homeless LGBTQ youth within the area.
“We’re proud to support them and know that his donation will go a long way in helping the young people at the shelter,” Detroit City FC General Manager Donovan Powell said via a statement on the NPSL’s official website.
The Butcher brothers were nominated for the supporter-related award primarily due to charity work done with Hooligans for Heroes, founded in conjunction with the Wounded WarriorProject, a nonprofit organization that offers assistance to wounded veterans of the U.S. military forces.
Despite missing the NPSL playoffs in 2014, City and NGS combined for several other massive goals for good causes. $3,500 in proceeds were raised for the Ruth Ellis Center. Also, following the tragic death of Westland soccer referee John Bieniewicz, supporters raised $3,280 in July for Bieniewicz’s family. That amount was matched by the club, also.
This story was originally published by our partners at Press Row Sports & Entertainment.
