Halesworth Town Football Club were officially crowned 2008/09 Division Two Champions at the Suffolk and Ipswich League presentation evening at Copdock.

Halesworth Town Football Club were officially crowned 2008/09 Division Two Champions at the Suffolk and Ipswich League presentation evening at Copdock.

Four weeks earlier Town had pipped local rivals and fellow title-chasers Saxmundham to the top spot.

Town had been involved in a three-horse promotion race since Christmas, with Saxmundham and Bacton United.

But Town's amazing post-Christmas run, which saw them win 16 of their remaining 19 fixtures, meant that a final-day home win would hand them the title if Saxmundham failed to win their remaining match.

After winning their own match comfortably a tense wait followed to find out the result of the Sax game.

Finally, via the magic of mobile phone and internet technology, the result Town needed finally came through; Saxmundham had been held to a draw and Halesworth were champions.

The following week, with celebrations on-going, Town held their presentation night, at the Triple Plea.

Chairman Adrian Waters started the proceedings by congratulating the players and the management team of Bo Ling and Mark Jeffries on a fantastic achievement and highly successful season.

First-team manager Bo Ling handed out his team's awards with leading scoring Richard Idle picking up Player of the Year and defender Joe Allen getting the vote for Players' Player.

Reserve Team manager Kevin Dawson thanked all the players that had been involved in his team this season and although they drop down a level next season, he hoped that all the players could build on their efforts for this campaign, particularly the younger players, and take their improved second half of the season into the next one.

The young and promising Reserve goalkeeper Dan Oakes then scooped both the Manager's and Players'

Player awards.

Chairman Adrian Waters presented the Club Person award, which this year went to the dedicated Mark Jeffries.

On behalf of the committee, he thanked Mark for all his hard work, from taking training each week to marking out the pitch and putting up the nets.

Young goalkeeper Dan Oakes then picked up his third award of the night when the Chairman's Trophy was presented to him by honorary life

vice-president and ex-Halesworth Town goalkeeper, Gerald Ellis.

The final player award of the night, Young Player of the Year, was awarded to Jack Holmes, who at just 17

had played in almost every first-team game in what was his first season of men's football.

Life vice-president Gerald Ellis also congratulated the team on their achievements this season and handed out a few awards of his own - to the hard-working club secretary Arthur Ling, to Bo Ling for guiding Town to promotion and to Caroline Mortlock for the superb job she does as both treasurer and kit washer.

Halesworth now look forward to the forthcoming season when they will be competing in Division One of the Suffolk and Ipswich League.

Training will resume in early July. New players, supporters and volunteers are always welcome.