Greg Dyke was at Walsall on Saturday to present the club with the Respect Fair Play Award, which they won for the 2013-14 campaign.
The Saddlers collected a cheque for £10,000 from the FA Chairman ahead of their league match against Scunthorpe United.
Walsall, who shared top honours with fellow divisional winners Liverpool, Burnley and Exeter will plough the prize money into club-based community activities.
Dyke said: “English football is built upon a competitive spirit that makes it the envy of the world.
Respect Fair Play Award winners
- Premier League: Liverpool
- Championship: Burnley
- League One: Walsall
- League Two: Exeter
"The Respect Fair Play Award recognises the finest examples among clubs in the professional ranks that balance the combative intensity of 90 minutes on the field with the demonstration of Respect for fair play and sportsmanship.
“Walsall deserve huge credit for achieving this over the past season - which is why I am delighted to be on hand to congratulate them.”
Walsall FC Chief Executive Stefan Gamble expressed his delighted at the Black Country club’s achievement: "As a club we are extremely proud to have won the 2013/14 FA Respect & Fair Play Award for League One.
Walsall FC are certainly doing our part in this extremely worthwhile initiative and the financial reward that we gained from this will be well spent within the infrastructure of the club."
Alongside the Fair Play Awards, which focus on Respect in the professional ranks of the game, the FA has a range of awards which salute individuals, teams and leagues from grassroots upwards which are at the forefront of promoting the true values of the game.
“The FA’s Respect programme has helped achieve a real improvement in behaviour on and off the pitch”
Greg Dyke
Last year a 'People’s Award' was introduced which recognised spontaneous acts of Respect or Fair Play.
The Judges opted for two inspirational winners.
The first was the generosity of AFC Bournemouth supporters who raised money to pay for transport of Burton Albion fans to attend a rearranged FA Cup fixture.
Jackie Smith, a club Welfare Officer from Kent, won the second award after she showed remarkable courage to stand up to a gang of thugs that had invaded the pitch, intent on disrupting a youth fixture.
“The FA’s Respect programme has helped achieve a real improvement in behaviour on and off the pitch from the top of the professional game through to the grassroots,” added Dyke.
