Friday, 10th October 2008

News Archive

17th December 2005

Review Of The Week

Not one away side tasted success in the Premier Division on Saturday and leaders North Ferriby United continue to lead the table by nine points from Frickley Athletic with both sides winning by the only goals of their respective matches. Athletic's win moved them above Marine who dropped two places after being held at home by Matlock Town with the other beneficiaries being Witton Albion after hitting four without reply against Guiseley. At the opposite end of the table only Ossett Town of the bottom six sides in action failed to pick up a point. In fairness four of the clubs played one another and couldn't find a goal between them but Ilkeston Town ended a run of five games without bagging the three points when they overcame Bradford Park Avenue. In the one remaining game Burscough's poor run since their FA Cup exit continued with defeat at Wakefield-Emley.

There were goals and shocks galore in the First Division where none of last Saturday's top four won. Indeed, all four would have suffered defeat had it not been for a penalty three minutes in to stoppage time at Bamber Bridge which salvaged a point for leaders Bridlington Town. Second place Mossley hang on to their spot despite a four goal set back at lowly Belper Town whilst Gresley Rovers were mauled 6-0 at Colwyn Bay, a result that sees the Welsh club climb to third and drops Rovers to sixth. Fleetwood Town were another side to be surprised by bottom half opposition when they went down at home to Goole AFC and drop to fifth with Kendal Town going fourth after a 4-0 home win over Kidsgrove Athletic who hadn't lost in their previous seven outings. In the FA Trophy Farsley Celtic were desperately unlucky to go out to a stoppage time penalty at Kettering whilst Blyth Spartans won at First Division Warrington Town.

Not Such A Lucky Charm For Tong

Burscough central defender Adam Tong who broke both bones in his right leg early in the recent FA Cup tie at Burton Albion returned North from hospital last Tuesday and revealed he had been given a lucky charm the day before the game by a mystery Chinese fan who said he recognised him from a newspaper photo and that it would bring Tong and Burscough luck in their big game. Tong had the charm inside his shorts when he played 24 hours later and now says "It hardly brought me luck and I'll be throwing it away the first chance I get". Manager Derek Goulding, who along with Chairman Chris Lloyd, has been in daily contact with the player said "Adam was on the verge of becoming irreplaceable for us". Results since his horrific injury appear to substantiate Goulding's comments.

Ashton Part Company With Futcher

The number of UniBond League managerial changes reached double figures this week with the departure of Paul Futcher from Ashton United after a run of poor results culminating in last Saturday's 3-1 home defeat by Prescot Cables. Futcher's record this season was just five wins in twenty league games whilst Ashton's cup efforts were even worse with the Hurst Cross club having gone out of four cup competitions at the very first hurdle.

Futcher had taken over the Ashton hot seat last February but wasn't able to save United from relegation. Since taking over the hot seat Futcher used no fewer than 64 players in less than forty games as he searched to try to find some consistency. His Assistant Gerry Luczka also leaves.

Taking over in a caretaker capacity is the former Bolton Wanderers, Wigan Athletic and Wrexham player Scott Green whose first action was to call all players committed to the club to attend a friendly last Monday evening against Accrington Stanley who, of course, are managed by a former Ashton boss John Coleman. Ashton won that encounter 2-1 with goals from Phil Cooney and Cieran Kilheeney after which it appeared that Green would be a popular choice with the fans. Whilst it would be Green's first stab at management, club officials could rightly point out that it was they who unearthed Coleman and gave him his first chance in similar circumstances. Green made approaching five hundred appearances in the full time game including more than two hundred for both Bolton and Wigan.

The other nine clubs to have parted company with their managers this season for one reason or another are Bishop Auckland (Brian Honour), Eastwood Town (Bryan Chambers), Gateshead (Tom Wade), Goole AFC (Paul Marshall), Ilkeston Town (Phil Stant), Ossett Town (Steve Richards), Rossendale United (Mark Molyneux), Spalding United (Steve Welsh) and Witton Albion (Gary Finlay).

Goals Galore In UniBond Cup Ties

The final six games of the 2nd Round of this season's UniBond League Challenge Cup played in midweek produced no fewer than 32 goals including two seven goal thrillers with only the Premier Division's bottom team Leek Town able to win by more than one goal when they enjoyed a rare victory with a 3-1 success over fellow strugglers Ilkeston Town. Gateshead and Guiseley went to extra-time before the Yorkshire side emerged as 4-2 winners whilst another game to go in to overtime was at Whitby Town where First Division Goole AFC pushed the top tier outfit all the way before going out to a 120th minute 4-3 winner. Goole, however, finished the match with only nine men following the extra-time dismissals of Jamie Jackson and Rob Constable.

There was even more drama at AFC Telford United where First Division Gresley Rovers looked to have knocked out the Premier Division side only for ace marksman Luke Reynolds to net an equaliser in stoppage time and then, even more amazingly, bag a penalty before the stoppage time had expired. One lower tier side that did knock out Premier Division opposition was Fleetwood Town who were beating FA Cup heroes Burscough for the second time in just over a fortnight having already despatched the "Linnets" from the FA Trophy. The all First Division tie between Clitheroe and Kendal Town Town was another game that saw seven goals go in before the Lake District side came out on top 4-3 despite twice being behind and having Paul Sparrow sent off.

Plug Pulled On Telford's Record Attempt

Last week's Press Release carried the story of AFC Telford United's attempt to storm in to the Top Thirty music charts with their anthem "Keeping the Dream Alive" sung by the Telford Stage School. The CD secured a place in the Top 30 of the Independent Radio Charts and was undoubtedly heading in to the Top 30 of the Official Charts when the plug was pulled on them due to "irregular sales patterns".

Ash Baldwin, manager of the Stage School, said "Of course bulk buys were made. These were to satisfy pre-orders from football fans and stage school students and their families. However, the success in selling more than 2,500 copies in six days just goes to show the sense of community spirit and civic pride that enabled AFC Telford United to rise from the ashes when the old club hit difficulties".

Ducati Rider Says Thanks

Leon Haslam, the Airwaves Ducati rider who finished fourth in the 2005 British Superbikes championship was at Ilkeston Town's match at home to Bradford Park Avenue today to say "Thank You" to Ilkeston Chairman Paul Millership for his support over the last ten years. During that time Mr Millership has watched Haslam develop from a schoolboy motocross champion to an appearance in the World Superbikes series as well as last season's fourth place in the British version.

Haslam said "It is great to be able to come and thank Paul for all his support over the years. He has been a big factor in getting me to where I am today". Mr Millership added "Leon was very clearly a promising talent when I first met him ten years ago and I am just pleased to have been able to help him achieve his current status. He has had a fantastic year".

Cables To Press Ahead As A Community Club

Prescot Cables officials were cock-a-hoop this week after the Football Association and UniBond League agreed the transfer of ownership from former Chairman Ted Mercer to a company formed by a group of supporters. Mr Mercer still owns the Valerie Park ground at which Cables will continue to play whilst paying rent to Mr Mercer in much the same way as Runcorn FC Halton also do. However the running of the club is now all in the hands of the new company and new Chairman Tony Zeverona said "Now that the transfer has been ratified by the FA and the League we want to move on to develop an association with local junior teams and become the community club for the Borough of Knowsley which does not have anything at this level of the game".

Chambers Resurfaces At Ilkeston

Long serving Eastwood Town manager Bryan Chambers has resurfaced at Ilkeston Town. Chambers, who surprisingly quit at Eastwood earlier this season after fourteen years in the hot seat at Coronation Park, has been appointed Director of Football. He was in the dug out for Tuesday evening's UniBond League Challenge Cup defeat at Leek Town alongside player-manager Nigel Jemson who has brought the former "Badger" boss in to share the burden. Jemson, the former Nottingham Forest and England Under 21 international, does not have a wealth of knowledge of the game at this level having spent most of his career in the full time game and said "Bryan will be a big help to myself and assistant-manager Craig Gaunt. He has a lot more non-league experience. I have found this to be a hard job but I am confident we can make a push for promotion next season".

FA Introduce "Team Of The Round" For FA Trophy

The Football Association has announced they are to introduce a "Team of the Round" for the FA Trophy (and FA Vase in which UniBond League clubs do not participate). The added incentive began with today's First Round Proper which comes a little bit late for UniBond League clubs who have fought themselves to a virtual stand still knocking each other out in the qualifying competition to leave just four clubs, Blyth Spartans, Clitheroe, Farsley Celtic and Warrington Town still standing going in to today's ties. The winners in each round will be chosen by a panel that will include the head of FA competitions Steve Clark and David Barber also of the FA. Steve said "In every round outstanding performances are produced by any number of teams. It should be a well contested prize".

Meanwhile, the tradition of awarding the leading goalscorer in each round a VIP trip to the Final will continue with the sharpshooters being presented with silver salvers on the pitch before the match.

Mixed Emotions For Big Boxing Day Derby

Farsley Celtic manager Lee Sinnot's two sons Tom and Jordan could well find themselves experiencing mixed emotions when arch rivals Guiseley entertain Celtic in the big local "derby" match on Boxing Day. Whilst Dad manages Farsley his two sons both play for Guiseley's junior teams! Indeed, Sinnot (a former FA Cup Finalist with Watford) helps out with the coaching of the Jordan's Under 12 team along with former Leeds United, Bradford City, Newcastle United, Middlesbrough and Barnsley star John Hendrie who also has a son in the team. Sinnot's other son Tom, plays for Guiseley's Under 16's.

Guiseley's Under 17's, meanwhile, have wrapped their league title before Christmas having won every game with a goal difference of 62. The side is managed by Guiseley reserve team 'keeper James Earl who is only nineteen himself! The Leeds Metropolitan University student was attached to Bedworth United before moving North to study and he has brought a number of fellow students to Guiseley such as former Darlington and Spennymoor midfielder Adam Gilroy and Hereford Reserve and youth team left back Paul Collins who are pushing hard for first team places.

Spartans Take Appleby On Loan

Blyth Spartans have taken twenty year old midfielder Andrew Appleby on loan from Hartlepool United for whom he made fifteen first team appearances, all from the bench, last season scoring twice.

Stanley Matthews Daughter Guest Of Honour At Kidsgrove

When Kidsgrove Athletic's recent home game against Fleetwood Town was postponed little did club secretary Alan Thompson realise that it would lead to the daughter of one of the world's most famous players asking to attend their next home game. With the Fleetwood match off Alan, along with Kidsgrove Director Ray Green, went to watch the Stoke City v QPR fixture where they were introduced to Mrs Jean Gough, daughter of the legendary Sir Stanley Matthews. Mrs Gough enquired about the background to Alan's UniBond League tie that he was wearing and promptly said she was interested in football at all levels of the game. True to her word she and her husband arrived at 2.30pm prior to Kidsgrove's next home match against Bishop Auckland when she was presented to both teams prior to the kick off.

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