SAINTS midfielder David Prutton handed out the prizes at the 2004 Fair Play Awards at St Mary's yesterday.

Prutton met a whole host of local youngsters honoured for their commitment and spirit towards the beautiful game at grass-roots level.

The awards, sponsored by Friends Provident, are now in their fifth year and this year nominations for awards were up on 2003.

Launched at the home match with Arsenal back in December, the Fair Play Awards are now an integral part of the grass-roots football calendar in the Southampton area.

West Totton Wanderers pipped Andover New Street Under-9s and Ranville Rangers to win the Fair Play Team of the Year award for the Under-10 Boys event.

Sky Blues Under-11s, from Southampton, were voted Boys Under-12 winners ahead of Eastleigh-based S & D Under-11s and Netley Royals Under-11s.

And Eastleigh Rangers were crowned Boys Under-16 award winners ahead of Eastleigh Imperials Under-14s and Aldershot Town Juniors Under-13s.

Hedge End Tigers Under-12s were voted Fair Play Girls Team of the Year, with Emsworth Pearls Under-12s and Hythe Strikers Under-14/16s runners-up.

Stefan Catlow, who plays for East Cowes on a Sunday, won the individual Fair Play trophy. Also nominated were William Jones (Lodden Sports Under-10s), Ricky Hewlett (Kings Somborne Youth) and Lewis Elkins (Forest Town Under-13s).

The unsung heroes - those who put so much time in helping youth football in terms of managing and organising - were also honoured.

Warwash Wasps secretary Mark Gibson received the Fair Play Contribution to Youth Football trophy and immediately said it was for everyone "who helped out behind the scenes - without them there would be nothing."

Vince Catton, manager and coach of Andover New Street Under-9s, and Beth Cocks and Helen Davies, two students at King Alfred's College in Winchester who have helped promote girls football in the area, were runners-up.

Prutton told the assembled youngsters that having fun and playing the game in the right spirit was the key.

"Please enjoy football as much as you can, that's what is important," he said.

"Gordon Strachan has won loads of trophies and Scotland caps but he always said he measured how successful he was by how often he laughed and smiled in a day - and when he left he said his time at Southampton was the most successful he's had."

Martin Penfold, competitions secretary of the Southampton Tyro League - providing football for over 250 youth teams each season - said: "Generally in football the better players are the ones that get all the honours.

"That's why the Fair Play awards are so important - they recognise those who play the game in the right spirit.

"They are also a tribute to the parents and everyone else associated with youth football off the pitch - instilling fair play often comes from those off the pitch more than those on it."