Vote leaves bad taste in mouth for Norwich City

David Cuffley

Norwich City's table-topping footballers have been overlooked in the short list for a top player of the season award.

Three Leeds United players and one from Southampton are the nominees for the PFA Fans Player of the Year Award for 2009-10 for League One.

The Canaries' 30-goal skipper, Grant Holt, star forward Wes Hoolahan and their team-mates do not figure in the supporters' poll, which closes at midnight on Sunday.

The four League One candidates for the prize - part of the official awards of the Professional Footballers' Association - are Leeds trio Jermaine Beckford, Robert Snodgrass and Luciano Becchio and the Saints' top scorer, Rickie Lambert.

The choice appears bizarre in the light of the way Leeds' season has faltered, while Paul Lambert's team have powered past them and forged a nine-point lead with six games to go.

But City have missed out because the short list is compiled solely from the winners of the PFA fans' monthly awards.

Snodgrass was the winner for August/September, Beckford took the prize for October, November and December, Lambert was the winner in January and March and Becchio was the choice for February.

Marie-Christine Bouchier, from the PFA, explained: “The names on the list are the winners of the monthly awards, voted for by the fans.

“If Norwich fans have not been voting for their guys to win each month, that's why they are not included.”

The Canaries have fared better in the Football League Awards during the season, with Holt the Coca-Cola League One player of the month for October, Chris Martin the League One young player of the month for January, and Tom Adeyemi named Championship Manager Apprentice of the Year at last month's ceremony in London.

But 27-goal Beckford, who asked for a transfer from Leeds in mid-season, was still named Coca-Cola League One player of the year, and award for which Wes Hoolahan was short listed.