THERE was cause for double celebrations at Netherdale on Saturday as Gala Fairydean Rovers followed up their victory over Hearts by being named as the Scottish Non-League Programme of the Year Award winners.

The Netherdale club went one better than last season where they finished runners-up.

The award is backed by Programme Monthly Magazine and 45 entries from the Highland, Lowland, Junior, East of Scotland League and South of Scotland League were judged on a range of criteria such as design, content and information available in each production.

Club secretary and programme editor Graeme McIver was delighted with the accolade. He told us: "We are delighted to have won this award.

"As a club we have attempted to improve the way we present and market ourselves and the high-quality of the programme is one of the ways we hope to achieve that aim.

"We are indebted to Karen Galbraith for her unsurpassed design skills and also to Darren Bunker at Qube GB for his support and sponsorship of the programme over the past three seasons.

"Also thanks to the Border Telegraph for photographs and our regular contributors Steven Noble, Rob Fairburn Kenny Patterson, John Clayton and Debi Ritchie.”

Buckie Thistle were the inaugural winners in 2013-14, with Luncarty taking the title last season.

Gala held off strong competition from fellow Lowland League sides Edinburgh City and Whitehill Welfare to take the 2015/16 title.

A spokesman for the judging panel stated: “The Lowland League stepped up to the mark with three exceptionally strong entries with the Highland League also producing another couple of contenders.

"It was exceptionally difficult to separate the top four, every one of them has improved over last season and could have claimed the title with strong issues in slightly different ways, but someone needs to win, and that someone was Gala Fairydean Rovers.

"The Dean had come close last season finishing runners-up. This season continues in the full colour format and has added four pages for the same price from last season and clearly a lot of thought has gone into improving the content. It’s a polished, professional production with a good balance of articles, stats and pics with not much space filling and adverts kept to a minimum. It would not look out of place as an SPFL issue and just edges out its competitors by the narrowest of margins to claim this seasons award.”