Tuesday, 7th October 2008

News Archive

20th January 2007
Although First Division leaders Buxton managed a one goal home win over managerless Alsager Town they had their lead at the top reduced to seven points by Eastwood Town who had two away wins in the week without conceding a goal.

The "Badgers" have a game in hand on the leaders and have kept an impressive six clean sheets in their last eight outings. Things got even better for the top two when third and fourth Cammell Laird and Stocksbridge PS fought out a 1-1 draw whilst both Rossendale United and Colwyn Bay missed out on the chance to climb in to the play off positions. The Welsh club, who lost manager Peter Davenport in midweek, crashed 4-0 at Goole whilst Rossy lost at home to Bamber Bridge for whom it was a third win on the trot. In the other games Brigg Town owed their three points to sub Karl Slack who had only been on the pitch six minutes when scoring the only goal in the 88th minute against Clitheroe, Belper Town had a third win on the bounce when beating Shepshed Dynamo, Wakefield edged further away from the bottom two with a point at Warrington Town and Woodley Sports were held at home to a goalless draw by Gresley Rovers.

Henderson Named As Assistant At Wakefield

New Wakefield FC manager Gareth Stoker has named veteran central defender Damian Henderson as his assistant-manager. 33-year-old Henderson had been playing with Harrogate Railway whose boss Martin Haresign said "He was an integral part of our promotion winning squad last season but I think this is a good move for him. It isn't too often that Assistant Manager jobs become available". Stoker and Henderson know one another from their time together at Scarborough.

Clowes Makes Eighteen

Gary Clowes ensured the UniBond League managerial merry go round continued unabated when he announced he was quitting league newcomers Alsager Town immediately after last Saturday's 1-1 home draw with Ossett Albion. He is leaving to take charge at neighbouring North West Counties club Newcastle Town leaving captain Steve Elks and fellow players Dean Stokes and Richard Mitchell to take charge of team affairs until a replacement can be found.

Clowes, who became the eighteenth UniBond managerial change of the campaign, had an unusual record with Alsager whom he joined in 2000 when they were in the Staffordshire County Senior League. Indeed it is probably a unique record as, along with his Assistant Dorian Garner, he took the "Bullets" from the relative obscurity of the Staffordshire County League in to the North West Counties League and through both Divisions of that competition into the UniBond League First Division without actually winning anything! When the club was promoted from the Staffordshire County League they did so as runners-up because the champions did not have the required ground-grading and the same applied when they were promoted to the NWCL First Division after 2002 2nd Division champions Stand Athletic also failed to meet the necessary ground grading requirements. Alsager were promoted to the UniBond last season when five new clubs were required and they had finished third behind Cammell Laird and Skelmersdale United.

Clowes' luck also held in cup competitions when Alsager won through to the Final of the Mid-Cheshire Cup and were awarded the trophy because Northwich Victoria couldn't play due to other more pressing commitments!

And Davenport Takes It To Nineteen

Tuesday evening witnessed yet another managerial departure when former England international Peter Davenport informed Colwyn Bay that he was leaving to take over the full time post of manager at Conference National club Southport. The ex Manchester United and Nottingham Forest striker had been with the Welsh club since May 2006 when he replaced Adie Jones. Davenport's number two Huw Griffiths will be in charge of team affairs until Bay can find a replacement.
Signs Of A Troubled Season

The troubled season experienced by Chorley this term was highlighted this week when Keith Wedge became the seventieth player to be registered by the club who are also in to their third manager.

County Cup Bonanza For Warrington

Although Warrington Town lost their Liverpool Senior Cup tie at home to a strong Liverpool side on Tuesday evening they had considerable consolation from the attendance of 1,347 that will help fill the First Division club's coffers. It was the highest attendance at the ground since their successive appearances in the semi-final of the FA Vase in 1986 and 1987. The only attendance to come anywhere near Tuesday evenings was the visit of Merthyr Tydfil, then of the Conference, for a 3rd Round FA Trophy replay in 1992/3 that produced a "gate" just short of the one for the Liverpool game.

Noone Goes To Antwerp For Trial

Skelmersdale United winger Craig Noone could find himself plucked from obscurity and in to the big time by manager Tommy Lawson. The nineteen year old this week flew out to Belgium for a trial with Manchester United feeder club Royal Antwerp in a move that manager Tommy Lawson first suspected was a wind-up. Noone had appeared to be heading out of Skelmersdale until Lawson's appointment in the close season. The new manager took one look at him in the Reserves and fast tracked him to the first team three games in to the current campaign since when he has been a regular and earned himself a contract.

When Lawson first heard from Antwerp he thought it was a wind-up. The manager said "Let's just say I have one or two friends who are not beyond dishing out a wind-up like that. However it turned out to be genuine and after a conversation with the Chairman we agreed it was too good an opportunity for the lad. He is a talented player and it is an absolute disgrace that he has been overlooked by local senior clubs in the area. We have so many such clubs around here but their scouts cannot have been doing their homework. I don't want to lose my best players but if they are good enough to play at a higher level I won't stand in their way".

Prestigious Award For Head Of Marketing

Mark Harris, Head of the UniBond League's Marketing Committee and a Director of member club Witton Albion as well as being a former Chairman of Altrincham FC, has had his contribution to the business travel industry recognised by being named 2007 Business Travel Personality of the Year at a ceremony held at London's Hurlingham Club. Harris, who was nominated for the prize by a panel consisting of industry journalists and travel buyers, said "I was very shocked but naturally delighted to win this very prestigious award. I have been in the business travel industry for nearly seventeen years but honestly had no idea that the award was going to be bestowed on me until my name was read out at the ceremony".

The League's Chief Executive Officer Duncan Bayley said "When Mark returned to football as a Director with Witton Albion we quickly identified his unique talent and asked him to front our Marketing Department. We consider ourselves very fortunate indeed to have somebody of his calibre and experience to call upon".

Storm Shakes Skelmersdale

Today's game at Skelmersdale United where Bradford Park Avenue were the visitors was called off on Friday after Thursday's storms had wreaked havoc at Skem's Ashley Travel Stadium. The roof came off one of the stands and, in addition, floodlight pylons were badly damaged and left tilting making it impossible to ensure the safety of spectators. The club is now battling to get the ground in order for next week's visit of Clitheroe.

UniBond TV Goes Live

This weekend sees four UniBond clubs make history with their games being the first to be broadcast on UniBond TV - the League's new broadband TV service. Visitors to the League's website will be able to download highlights of the Marine v Leek Town game from lunchtime on Monday 22nd January with Witton Albion v Lincoln United following 24 hours later.

The first batch of matches scheduled to be broadcast will cover mainly Premier Division fixtures although the League does intend to cover some First Division games too. In addition to the above two games the following fixtures have been scheduled -

27/01/07 Hednesford Town v Whitby Town
03/02/07 Matlock Town v AFC Telford United
Witton Albion v Marine
10/02/07 Gateshead v AFC Telford United
17/02/07 Buxton v Skelmersdale United

For £1-99 a week fans will be able to download the highlights from the featured game(s) plus goal action from matches for which other UniBond clubs are able to supply footage. Once established it is hoped that more clubs will start to film matches for inclusion in the highlights package bringing a new dimension to the semi-pro game in the Midlands and North of England.

The initiative comes from the League's Marketing & Sponsorship Group following a hugely successful pilot scheme at the end of last season when over 1,000 fans downloaded highlights of the play-off finals in three days. It is the first time a Step 3 league has launched its own TV service which will be operated by Onside Sports, the company behind Charlton Athletic TV and production company for Sky TV's Hong Kong Soccer 7's and International Masters Football.

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