Most improved earn Wembley reward

Brentwood Town, Cray Wanderers and Tooting & Mitcham United have been handed a pair of top tickets each to watch England warm up for the World Cup at Wembley as the Ryman League’s reward for their commitment to the Football Association’s Respect campaign.

Two representatives from each club are set to enjoy an all expenses paid trip and a full hospitality package to see England take on Denmark next month after showing the biggest improvement in the Respect stakes since last season.

The trio were named on Saturday as winners of the tickets for the game on Wednesday March 5 as part of the Ryman's own reward for taking second place in the FA’s national Respect Awards last season.

While Soham Town Rangers, Folkestone Invicta and Bognor Regis Town currently lead this season’s Respect tables, the Wembley bound trio demonstrated the greatest percentage improvement up to December 31 when the disciplinary points clubs accumulated in the last campaign were considered as a starting point.

Only cards for dissent and foul and abusive language are taken into account in the divisional Respect tables along with the technical area marks awarded by referees on the behaviour of the Ryman’s management teams.

Rangers and Invicta must both be favourites to win the Ryman’s annual divisional Ryman Respect Awards and collect cheques for £1000 each for their impeccable behaviour so far this season. To the credit of both, they have collected just one disciplinary point between them since the start of the campaign, Invicta having the one slip-up. In the top flight, the Rocks are leading the way with just six points.

The success of clubs in continuing to cut out dissent and foul and abusive language this season is aiding the Ryman League’s overall efforts as it strives to win back the National League System Steps 1 to 4 FA Respect Gold Award. With the current campaign seeing a drop in cautions, despite the expansion to 72 clubs, collecting the coveted gold accolade for the second time in three seasons after last season's silver is the target.

Craig Johnson, the Ryman League Director charged with leading efforts to boost Respect among clubs, said: "Our clubs have made great efforts in recent seasons and are continuing to the lead the way on Respect. As it stands we are on course for of our best performances yet so congratulations to everyone for their hard work and especially to the three clubs leading the current tables and in particular Soham for a remarkable effort in not collecting a single black mark.

"The three clubs heading to Wembley certainly deserve the trip after the way they have turned around their disciplinary performances since last season. Well done to them for taking on board everything the Ryman and FA are trying to on Respect and showing it can be done. They are a great example and if our other clubs can continue to perform the way they have been, we’ll all be looking back on another season to be proud of."