Friday, 22nd August 2008

News Archive

2nd January 2006
Review Of The Holiday Period

Premier Division leaders North Ferriby United had a torrid holiday period conceding four goals in both games as they were sunk with hat-tricks by Whitby Town's Danny Brunskill and Blyth Spartans' Robert Dale. Marine took full advantage with two 2-1 wins that leave them five points adrift of Ferriby but with three games in hand. Level on points with the "Mariners" but having played a game more are Frickley Athletic who ended Farsley Celtic's excellent recent run with a stoppage time goal on Bank Holiday Monday. Celtic, however still occupy the final play-off place with Witton Albion sandwiched in between them and Frickley. Albion, after beating AFC Telford United 4-0 on Boxing Day, could only draw with them in the New Year return in front of the season's biggest crowd of 1,782. Apart from Marine the only other team in the top tier to register maximum points were Ossett Town who did their chances of escaping the drop the power of good with wins against Bradford Park Avenue and Wakefield-Emley. It was a similar story in the First Division where only Bamber Bridge, Colwyn Bay and Rossendale United managed a maximum haul. Rossendale's came against the top and bottom teams whilst Colwyn Bay's two victories enabled the Welsh club to close right up to Bridlington Town and Mossley and only one point now separates the top three. Another promotion hopeful, Fleetwood Town, however didn't enjoy the holidays with two defeats. At the bottom Ossett Albion's success over Stocksbridge Ps ended a run of fifteen games without picking up all three points as well as denying their opponents a play-off position. Finally, Liam Dickenson who Woodley Sports sold to Stockport County in the run up to Christmas scored for the Division Two strugglers on his home debut.

Former Rossendale 'Physio Picks Up MBE

Former Rossendale United 'physio Syd Parkinson has been honoured in the New Year's Honours list with an MBE. Rossendale, however, are just one of a host of Lancashire clubs that Syd has helped out over the past, wait for it, seventy odd years! Now aged 91 Syd is amazingly still involved with West Lancashire League outfit Barnoldswick and the MBE follows his success in the Lancashire Sports Personality of the Year award for 2005. Sir Alex Ferguson and Sam Allardyce put Syd's name forward for consideration.

A Fair Cop

Leek Town boss Nigel Deeley has signed Nottingham policeman Lee Collopy in an attempt to boost his side's firepower. The 26 year old striker began his career at Gillingham where he won a two year contract only to suffer cruciate and medial ligament injuries. He is a current England and British police international and it is understood that Deeley beat off competition from Conference clubs Burton Albion and Tamworth to get his man. Leek fans will be glad to see the back of 2005 as the new year could hardly be worse. Leek won just one league game from 12th February onwards!

Blyth Sole Survivors

Clitheroe's 2-1 defeat at Barrow on the Thursday prior to Christmas in a delayed FA Trophy 1st Round Proper tie leaves Blyth Spartans as the League's sole survivors in the last 32 of the competition. Despite giving away two divisions in status as well as ground advantage Clitheroe took an early lead which they held until just after the interval when they were felled with two strikes in almost as many minutes. Blyth will have home advantage when they take on Conference South side Welling United with the tie scheduled for Saturday, 14th January.

Ossett Turn To Beesley

Ossett Town, who lost only two of their opening eleven games this season (both by the odd goal in three) but have been dropping like a stone ever since, have turned to 24 year old Darren Beesley and former England youth international Ashley Scothern in an attempt to stem the flow of points away from Ingfield. Beesley was signed from Northern Counties East League outfit Malby Main but has played at a much higher level for most of his career. After stints with Airdrie, Kilmarnock and Rotherham United he signed for Boston United in January 2002 and was part of their side that won the Conference title later that campaign. He has played in the UniBond League previously with Worksop Town. 21 year old Scothern made one first team appearance for Barnsley before leaving the full time game and joins Ossett from Frickley Athletic.

Celtic Sign Up Former Leeds Youngster

Farsley Celtic boss Lee Sinnott was delighted when he unwrapped his Christmas present in the days running up to the festive season. He moved quickly to snap up midfielder Dominic Krief from Southport for whom the 22 year old had made fourteen appearances in the Conference this term. Krief spent ten years moving through the Leeds United junior ranks before moving to Harrogate Town in July 2004 and going on to win that club's "Player of the Year" award last season in addition to capturing a Conference North "Player of the Month" prize. He joined Southport at the start of the current campaign. Sinnott said "We are always on the look out for quality players and Dominic has a good background in the game. It's a measure of how far we have come when a player of his calibre expresses an interest to play for us and only us. He is a young player with a lot of ability and we see him as long term signing".

McDonald Signs Up Until 2008

Alvin McDonald, the man who had the unenviable job of taking over as manager of Marine from the legendary Roly Howard who held the post for more than thirty years, has had his current one year contract replaced with one that keeps him at Rossett Park until the end of the 2007/8 season. Club Chairman Paul Leary said "In the relatively short time Alvin has been manager he has brought in good players and produced our best results for some years. It is important for all concerned that we are able to plan longer term and I am delighted this can now be done with Alvin as our manager through until 2008 and, hopefully, longer. This is excellent news for supporters of Marine FC".

Scaife Out For Season

Whitby Town's Nicky Scaife is almost certainly out of action for the remainder of the season after again dislocating his shoulder in the recent League Challenge Cup tie against Goole AFC.

The UniBond League And The Irish FA

Press Release 18 gave details of comments made by Irish FA President Jim Boyce that could be clearly interpreted as being derogatory to the UniBond League. The Irish FA has since issued a letter of apology to the League and the matter is now considered closed.

Woodley Sell Dickenson To Stockport

Woodley Sports, who have made huge strides up the pyramid of football in recent seasons, have sold their second player to the full time game within twelve months. Young striker Liam Dickenson has been signed for an undisclosed fee by neighbours Stockport County although it may well take a good deal more than an untried 20 year old to dig County out of their present predicament. Earlier in the year left winger Simon Hackney became the first Woodley player to make it to the full time ranks when he signed for Carlisle United where he quickly became a fans favourite.

Woodley also lost another striker in the run up to Christmas when the club and Greg Brickell agreed to rip up his contract in order that he could return to Bamber Bridge from where Woodley had signed him during the summer.

Avenue Honour Long Serving Supporter

The term "long serving" is readily used these days but in the case of Bradford Park Avenue supporter Gilbert Fox it surely understates his stalwart efforts following the club through thick and thin. Avenue have presented Mr Fox with a momento in recognition of him supporting the club for an amazing 60 years!

Gilbert first started watching Bradford in the 1940's when the club was a prominent Football League side and during the next few years reached the quarter-finals of the FA Cup only to be defeated by Manchester United in a tie that went to a second replay after the first drawn game had attracted a crowd in excess of 80,000. Tough times, however, soon overtook Avenue who sank out of the Football League and later became insolvent in the 1970's. Gilbert, however, remained loyal and when Avenue were reformed in 1988 he was back watching them in the West Riding County League as they began their ascent back up the non-league pyramid.

Gilbert, who is still a regular at the Horsfall Stadium, said "Bradford Park Avenue is like my second home. Avenue was born in me and will always be with me".

Here Today, Gone Tomorrow

Not quite but Leek Town's recent signings Gareth Thornley and Andrew Varnes won't be around Harrison Park for long. International Clearance procedures from the USA where they are both on football scholarships delayed their inclusion in the squad until the Christmas fixture against Lincoln United. Unfortunately for manager Nigel Deeley both players return to the States to finish their respective courses in mid-January.

Another absentee will be striker Dave Whittaker who has flown out to New Zealand for a family reunion whilst Deeley also missed out on former Stafford Rangers defender Alan Dodd who signed instead for Lancaster City who are now managed by former Leek Assistant boss Peter Ward.

UniBond "Club Of The Month" Awards

The UniBond "Club of the Month" awards for December have gone to Witton Albion and Kendal Town respectively.

The Premier Division award was a keenly contested affair with both Farsley Celtic and Marine pushing Albion close. Witton and Marine were both unbeaten in five games whilst Celtic's only defeat in six outings came in a tough away FA Trophy tie at Kettering. Albion's record of four wins and a draw with a goal difference of 12-0, however, just gave them the edge.

Kendal, on the other hand, were clear winners of the First Division accolade with no other club anywhere near their five wins and a draw in six games in which they also found the net seventeen times.

UniBond "Fair Play" Awards

The UniBond "Fair Play" awards for December have gone to Witton Albion and Colwyn Bay respectively. Albion took the top tier prize with just two bookings in five outings whilst the Welsh club consolidated their lead at the top of the First Division season to date tables with just one caution in their four matches during the month. They continue to lead the race for the £1,000 first place prize money from Belper Town whilst Chorley and Shepshed Dynamo are locked together in third - the only four clubs in the Division to be averaging under one caution per game. Woodley Sports continue to have the worst record in either Division.

In the Premier Division Ashton United have taken over as leaders in the season to date tables from Farsley Celtic who had seven bookings during the month and as a result drop to second. They head Leek Town and North Ferriby United with the top four the only Premier Division clubs to average less than one disciplinary point per game. Blyth Spartans and Frickley Athletic are the only two sides from the top Division to average more than two disciplinary points per game.

Endsleigh Sports Insurance "Goalscoring" Awards

The Endsleigh Sports Insurance "Goalscoring" awards for December have gone to Farsley Celtic and Colwyn Bay respectively.

Having lost out on the top tier's Club of the Month prize to Witton Albion the Yorkshire club took their revenge in the goalscoring stakes just edging out the Cheshire side with thirteen goals in five games (excluding County Cup ties) against Albion's dozen strikes in the same number of matches.

Like Witton in the top tier, Kendal Town narrowly failed to make it a double when Colwyn Bay pipped them to the First Division goalscoring award. The Welsh club's twelve goals in four games for an average of exactly three goals per game just shaded Kendal's fourteen in five (excluding County Cup ties).

Bad Break For McInerney

Runcorn FC Halton's teenage midfielder Ian McInerney suffered a horrendous broken leg in the Boxing Day "Derby" match against Prescot Cables. The eighteen year old broke both his tibia and fibia with one broken in three places and the other in two.

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