Saturday, 11th October 2008

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1st October 2005
Review Of The Week

Midweek defeats for both Blyth Spartans and Burscough enabled North Ferriby United to go back to the top with a win at Guiseley. All three of the top sides won on Saturday leaving Ferriby a point clear of their two rivals who in turn are three clear of Frickley Athletic for whom Rob Pell scored a double on his debut at AFC Telford United. Level with Athletic are Guiseley who bounced back from their midweek reverse to celebrate their 600th UniBond League game in style with a 3-1 success at Wakefield-Emley. Their full record is P600 W261 D160 L178 F973 A792. At the opposite end of the table two doubles in five days from Mick Goddard lifted managerless Ilkeston Town off the bottom at the expense of Leek Town who lost twice in the week.

In the First Division Mossley cut Fleetwood Town's lead to just one point when the front- runners suffered their first league defeat of the campaign going down at Clitheroe on Tuesday and then only drew at home on Saturday to Ossett Albion after being two up. It could have been even better for Mossley but they too slipped up in midweek being held to a draw at Warrington Town. Two points further back are Colwyn Bay who scored twice in the last two minutes in midweek to win 4-3 and avenge an earlier 6-0 defeat against Kidsgrove Athletic who themselves scored twice in the last three minutes to win at Brigg Town at the weekend. Gresley Rovers who have been having difficulty winning away made no mistake at Rossendale United on Saturday and complete the top four after a 4-1 victory. At the bottom Spalding United still search for their first win of the season after losing to Mossley.

Bradshaw Makes Step Up To Football League

The League's leading goalscorer Gary Bradshaw this week signed for Football League club Cheltenham Town. The 22 year old made more than twenty appearances for his local side Hull City before being released and joining Ferriby on the understanding that they would not stand in his way if a return to the Football League beckoned. Ferriby therefore lose their leading goalscorer without receiving a fee as Bradshaw was a non-contracted player with them. Lincoln City and Rotherham United had also been watching Bradshaw on a regular basis before Cheltenham's swoop.

Farsley Stage Charity Match

Farsley Celtic are to stage a Charity Match arranged after their former manager Dave Fell, well known throughout West Yorkshire semi-pro football having been involved with numerous clubs, suffered a brain aneurism which left him seriously ill in hospital for three weeks earlier in the year. Amongst the former stars who have promised to turn out to raise funds for the hospital which saved Fell's life are Peter Lorimor, Terry Yorath, Scott Sellars, John Stiles, Andy Ritchie and Brendan Ormsby. The match takes place at the Throstle Nest next Sunday, 9th October with a 3.00pm kick off.

Morgan Signs For Old Premiership Colleague

Woodley Sports have signed the very experienced former Premiership player Steve Morgan whose last club was Accrington Stanley. The 37 year old defender began his career at Blackpool where he graduated from the junior ranks to make some 150 appearances before moving on to Plymouth Argyle to clock up well over another century of first team matches.

His form on the South Coast led to a £150,000 transfer to Coventry City where he became a regular in their Premiership side for a couple of seasons between 1993 and 1995 playing alongside current Woodley Sports boss Ally Pickering. Further clubs included Burnley and Wigan Athletic whilst loan spells at Bury and Bristol Rovers took his total number of appearances in his full time career to around the four hundred mark. Since dropping in to the semi-professional ranks his clubs have included top Welsh side TNS and Altrincham in addition to Accrington.

Teale Settles For Draw

Points have been at a premium this season for Chorley but manager Shaun Teale was very happy to settle for a draw last week as his name came up for a £1,000 prize in the club's Black and White draw run in conjunction with Preston North End. Club Treasurer Brian Haslam, the lottery agent who sold the ticket to Teale, is making a habit of selling winning tickets to the club's managers as he previously sold a big money winner to former incumbent Mark Molyneux. Teale said "It was a nice surprise and very welcome. Hopefully it is a sign that our luck is changing. The money will all go in to the player's pool and will probably pay for new training kit - nothing more exciting than that".

Teale's latest signings are both strikers as he attempts to improve his team's position with former Stockport County player Niell Hardy from Curzon Ashton and Tony Sullivan from Lancaster City moving to Victory Park

Barrett Returns

Gresley Rovers this week re-signed last season's joint Player of the Year Jamie Barrett who left the Moat Ground in the summer for Conference North outfit Hednesford Town. The 22 year old midfielder, however, has not been enjoying his football with the "Pitmen" despite playing in most of Hednesford's matches. Rovers manager Gary Norton said "We told him when he left that he would be welcome back at any anytime. His return gives me a selection problem due to the form of Carl Slater and Micky Lyons so he will have to fight for his place". Barrett made over 150 appearances in his first stint at Gresley including 56 last term when he scored seven goals.

Marrow Adds To Squad

Frickley Athletic manager Gary Marrow this week added 26 year old striker Robert Pell to his squad as he attempts to build on Athletic's best start for several seasons. Pell, who signed from Ossett Town, began his career as a trainee with Rotherham United progressing to play a couple of first team games before going on loan to Doncaster Rovers where he made ten Football League appearances. He has since played for Northwich Victoria, Southport, Droylsden, Guiseley, Harrogate Town, Worksop Town and Wakefield-Emley in addition to time spent playing in Finland. Marrow has also given seven days notice of approach to Stocksbridge PS for their recent signing Karl Colley and to Ossett Albion for the experienced former Huddersfield Town player Rob Edwards.

Wade Resigns At Gateshead

Less than six weeks in to the new season Tom Wade has resigned his position as manager at Gateshead. His resignation came immediately following last weekend's exit from the FA Cup at Salford City although that result had nothing to do with him stepping down as he had already informed Club Chairman Derek Bell of his intention. His decision came due to work commitments which meant Wade could no longer attend every match.

Wade had taken over as manager last December following Alan Bell's resignation and he went on to win a season long battle against relegation. He was in charge for 36 games with his record reading eleven wins, the same number of draws and fourteen defeats of which only two came on home soil. Bell said he was hoping that the club would not lose Wade's experience and that the former Blyth Spartans boss could be persuaded to move on to Gateshead's committee to help with the club's Football in the Community project and also on the commercial side.

Club coach Eric Tait took charge of team affairs for the visit of Ossett Town on Wednesday evening with the club expecting to advertise the position.

Stant Goes At Ilkeston

Phil Stant, a veteran of well over four hundred Football League games for some eleven different clubs, became the third casualty of the UniBond managerial scene on Monday. He took Ilkeston to promotion from the First Division last term but enjoyed only one win in the top flight from nine attempts. The FA Cup exit last Saturday at the hands of Solihull Borough also coincided with his team dropping to bottom place in the league table as other strugglers already out of the cup picked up points. His Assistant Ernie Oliver has also resigned.

In charge of team affairs until an appointment is made are senior players Nigel Jemson, a former England Under 21 international, and Chris Gaunt who started his career with Arsenal.

And Chambers Makes Three

The third and perhaps most surprising managerial resignation of the week and taking the number for the season to four was that of Eastwood Town's stalwart Bryan Chambers leaving Radcliffe Borough's Kevin Glendon now well out in front as the League's longest serving manager with fifteen years service. Chambers had managed fourteen with the "Badgers" when he called time after Tuesday night's FA Cup replay defeat at Cambridge City with all but one campaign (2003/4) spent within the UniBond League. Chambers was well known for producing players at Eastwood who went on to Football League careers and made the club a fair amount of cash over the years in doing so.

Eastwood Secretary Paddy Farrell said: "For once this is a genuine resignation with no question of pressure from the club. The decision was his and his only - in fact he had only just signed a new two year contract".

The club are not advertising the vacancy and have given Chambers' Assistant Paul Cox the opportunity to make the job his own. Cox made around fifty appearances in the Football League for Notts County in the mid-nineties before moving in to the semi-pro game with Kettering Town, Ilkeston town, Gresley Rovers and Leek Town.

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