Back in June, Thomas won the Berks & Bucks FA Grassroots supporter of the year award and was then short listed for The FA and McDonalds national award.
Prior to the Community Shield on Sunday 4th August, The FA and McDonalds hosted the national award ceremony in the FA Lounge at Wembley stadium. The ceremony celebrated the contribution, success and inspiration of those volunteering in Grassroots football in over 13 categories (read all the winners stories here).
Amongst this group of inspirational grassroots heroes was our own Thatcham Town Harrier, Thomas Woodrow. Having won the regional award, he then scooped up the national award first recognised by Danny Murphy during the ceremony and then on the Wembley pitch at half time by none other than England legend Sir Geoff Hurst.
This season Thomas has been unable to play football as he went through his second leg lengthening treatment at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital. A gruelling regime of lengthening and physio 3 times a day for the first four months and continued physio since hasn't put Thomas off supporting his friends, watching all matches for the U13 Blue and even some of the White's matches.
During one of the teams training sessions before the Community Shield Thomas was surprised by Southampton FC and England star James Ward Prowse to announce he had won the award. James was a great sport, spending time talking with Thomas, joining in the session and spending time for photos and autographs at the end.
You can hear more on Thomas's story and watch the moment that JWP surprised him on the video embedded in this page (sorry for how Pitchero lays it out!).