TIME is running out for Dorset residents to vote for Chickerell’s Dave Drage to secure national honours at Wembley.

The United stalwart was the proud winner of the Outstanding Contribution to Community Football Award in Dorset, and now has the opportunity to go one further by winning the national people’s award – voted for by the public.

Drage, who has been an integral part of the Chickens’ set up for the past 17 years, is on a shortlist with eight other regional heroes recognised for their work at grassroots level.

Club secretary Ann Marie Brown, who is backing Drage to claim the award on August 10, told Echosport: “It’s great for Dave.

“We are all incredibly proud of him and will all be getting behind him in the hope he wins it.

“He 100 per cent deserves to win it, he is the face of Chickerell United Football Club.

“If you talk to members of the public they all know Dave.

“He has a great impact on the club, he knows a lot of people, and gets on well with the players.

“He does so much behind the scenes for the Chickerell Tournament and if anyone has a problem they will ring Dave or go and see him.

“It means a lot to the club as well, it gives us all new ideas and the FA have got involved more with our community status.”

Voting for the award is online at thefa.com/yourgame and closes on August 1.

If Drage accumulates the most votes he will be announced as the winner at the 2014 Community Awards ceremony at Wembley on Sunday, August 10.

Meanwhile, the club are still looking for more youth players for next season.

They have boys’ teams from under-6s to under-18s and girls’ teams from under-8s to under-16s.

Anyone interested in joining the youth set up should call Brown on 07598184433