Last updated 19:45, Thursday, 17 July 2008

DISTINGTON ARL’S new life president Sol Roper was on hand to present the prizes at the club’s annual awards night.

And coach Gary Hewer revealed there couldn’t have been a more popular choice than the Workington Town legend.

Hewer said: “Sol has coached Distington on a couple of occasions and I hold him in such high regard for what he achieved in the game. The whole village is the same.”

Roper made his county debut against Yorkshire at 18 years and two months, just 16 days after his Town debut.

He went on to feature in the club’s Wembley final defeats against Barrow and Wigan in the 1950s but went on to pick up a winner’s medal in 1962 when Town beat Widnes to lift the inaugural Western Division Championship final at Wigan.

And he amassed 398 appearances for Town, going on to make a further 82 for Whitehaven.

“He’s a very humble man, and it took us a couple of months to get him to come to the presentation night,” Hewer added.

Prop Aiden Worthington was the Cumberland League division one outfit’s player-of-the-year, and he also landed the coach’s award.

Centre Gavin Martin picked up three awards, taking home the players’ player, and supporters’ player accolades, and sharing the young player honour with Scott George.

Daniel Dryden and Stephen Burns shared the most improved player award, and Paul Ashe was Pro Roofing sponsor’s player-of-the-year.

Hewer said: “Aiden broke his leg this season and missed eight-10 games, so to come back and win the player-of-the-year award, as voted by opposition coaches, shows his calibre.

“I thought he was unfortunate not to get in the Cumbria squad. He played prop alongside Paul Ashe, who also had a fantastic season.

“These two set the platform for others to play off. Our forward pack were absolutely immense this year.

“Trevor Dryden was a rock and played some of the best rugby of his career. Unfortunately, Gavin Martin has picked up a bad leg injury playing football.

“Hopefully he’ll be able to get fit again because he has great pace and good hands, and he’s really developed during the three years the club has been back in operation. We wish him a speedy recovery.”