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Alex Ferguson was last year?s Coach of the Year but Greater Manchester Sports Partnership wants to reward those who are not paid thousands of pounds and yet volunteer countless hours to create the stars of tomorrow.

The partnership wants to put amateur sports coaches on a pedestal and recognise their talent and achievements in motivating young people to play sport, develop leagues, or fine tune Olympiads.

Sports players and club officials have nominated hundreds of coaches for the Greater Manchester Coach Awards which will be presented on Monday, November 30 at the New Commonwealth Pool, Manchester.

Ex-international athlete Paula Dunn Thomas will present the winners with a commemorative certificate and the Coach of the Year prize.

Coaches up for awards include tennis coach Andrew Blackley and gymnastics coach Julia Gough of Stockport and Trafford lacrosse coach Richard summers.

Tameside netball coach Teresa Monaghan, basketball coach Danny Williams and cricket coach David Hannam, who runs Stalybridge St Paul?s club, have also been nominated.

From Rochdale, hockey coach Pete Nicholson and judo coach Warren Schofield are in the running alongside Salford rugby union coach Trevor Parrott.

Dave Evitts, a Bolton swimming coach who helped two young men to selection for the Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumper and the Sydney Olympics, is a possible winner.

He will be up against Nigel Harrison, an Oldham tennis coach and Manchester netball coach Maria Kennedy.