Sunday, 12th October 2008

News Archive

1st September 2007
Review Of The Week

Guiseley continue at the head of affairs after two wins in the week to maintain their 100% record and have now kept four successive clean sheets. However both Fleetwood Town and Gateshead can also boast 100% starts although the former have played one game less than the leaders whilst the latter have only played three. Witton Albion take second place though on goal difference but Hednesford Town suffered the shock of the day when beaten at home by Kendal Town and dropped to fifth. At the bottom both North Ferriby United and Frickley Athletic are looking for a first success as are Ashton United although the "Robins" have drawn three of their four games.

Just Curzon Ashton and Bamber Bridge remain unbeaten in the First Division North but it is Ossett Albion, despite losing their first game, who lead the way after Curzon were held to a draw on Tuesday by Radcliffe Borough for whom it was a first point of the campaign. Another team to win their first point was Clitheroe who drew at Garforth Town on Bank Holiday Monday that saw Newcastle Blue Star, Rossendale United and Wakefield all lose their unbeaten records. Securing their first wins at the fourth attempt were Mossley and Bridlington Town.

The Southern section of the lower tier sees Quorn top the table on goal difference from Retford United, Cammell Laird and Alsager Town with the latter losing their 100% start with a surprise defeat at Shepshed Dynamo whose Bank Holiday win was their first of the season. Only fifth placed Colwyn Bay are unbeaten in this section whilst at the bottom Spalding United are the only club in any of the three Divisions to be still searching for that elusive first point.

Saturday saw the First Division clubs set off on the FA Cup trail and of the twenty-two ties against outside opposition they won twelve and drew four with six defeats. Leading the way were First Division South leaders Quorn who hit six at Pelsall Villa. Radcliffe Borough, Clitheroe, Newcastle Blue Star, Brigg Town and Spalding United might be all without a win in the league but the FA Cup held no fears with the latter especially in form at last hitting five at home to Norwich United. Radcliffe beat fellow UniBond side Lancaster City 3-0 to avenge a 4-0 league defeat at the hands of the Giant Axe side a couple of weeks ago and another side turning the tables on an earlier league defeat were Bradford Park Avenue who won with a stoppage time goal at Ossett Albion. In one of the other three all UniBond ties on Warrington Town will not be able to talk about an FA Cup run to Minister of Sport Gerry Sutcliffe when he visits them on Thursday after losing at Chorley whilst the other two all UniBond games saw Cammell Laird and Stocksbridge outpoint Sheffield FC and Curzon Ashton respectively. The four sides to have try again in midweek are Belper Town, Colwyn Bay, Grantham Town and Wakefield.

UniBond "Club Of The Month" Awards

Guiseley landed August's Premier Division UniBond "Club of the Month" award with four straight victories in the opening weeks of the new campaign beating Stamford, Ossett Town, Eastwood Town and North Ferriby United whilst keeping clean sheets on three occasions. The First Division North award has gone to Ossett Albion after Curzon Ashton failed to beat bottom club Radcliffe Borough on Tuesday. Albion lost their opening game of the campaign but have recovered well to record three straight wins.

Newcomers Quorn just edged the First Division South accolade on goal difference from Retford United, Alsager Town and Cammell Laird whilst Colwyn Bay might consider themselves unlucky as they were the only unbeaten team in the Division.

UniBond "Fair Play" Awards

The first monthly winners of the UniBond Premier Division "Fair Play" award this season are Guiseley in the Premier Division whilst the two First Division awards went the way of Kidgsrove Athletic in the South and MOSSLEY in the Northern Section. Guiseley and Kidsgrove Athletic won last season's £1,000 first prizes in their respective Divisions and have obviously started this campaign where they left off last April as neither club picked up a single caution during August. Guiseley in particular have an affinity with this prize as they are trying to make it a hat-trick of wins having scooped the £1,000 prize in May 2006 as well as topping the 2007 tables and this month's prize was the third in succession they had lifted after winning the accolade in March and April 2007.

The First Division North was a much closer affair with Mossley, Rossendale United and Skelmersdale United all receiving three yellow cards with the former being awarded the prize by virtue of their opponents accumulating most points against. At the other end it is disappointing to see that the First Division's worst behaved club last season, Clitheroe, have not shown much improvement this time round. It is interesting to note that the worst Division for discipline by far is the First Division North where clubs are already averaging a full half point more than their counterparts in the other two Divisions.

Good behaviour on the playing field is well rewarded by the League Sponsors who have put up £6,000 in prize money to encourage fair play. Each of the three Divisional winners will pick up a cheque for £1,000 come next May, the runners-up in each Division's Fair Play table £650 and the third placed clubs £350.

Gresley Land Blenkinsopp

Gresley Rovers boss Gary Norton has ended his search for a striker by signing David Blenkinsopp from Nuneaton Borough. The 20 year old spent two months on loan with Rovers last season and scored four times in as many games before being recalled by Borough. The former Coventry City youngster's second spell was blighted by injury.

Holmes Signs For Mansfield

The discovery of last season, Ian Holmes, has been transferred by Matlock Town to Mansfield Town for what is described as a "healthy" undisclosed fee. The "Gladiators" plucked the 21 year old from the obscurity of University football in the summer of 2006 and he became an immediate success scoring 33 goals in his debut season. He is the second Matlock player to move in to the Football League inside three months with close friend and former University colleague Tom Cahill joining Rotherham United earlier in the summer.

Special Link

Today's FA Cup Preliminary Round cup tie between Cammell Laird and Sheffield FC had some little known history behind it. When the draw was made Cammell Laird programme editor Paul McLoughlin decided to do some research due to Sheffield's fame as the oldest club in the world. What he discovered was that his own club might not be in existence had it not been for the city of Sheffield. The Birkenhead ship building firm of Laird Brothers wanted to bring steel fabrication in house and, to do so, joined forces with a famous Sheffield steel maker Charles Cammell. Thus Cammell Laird Shipbuilders was born and the rest, as they say, is history

Sheffield Take Top Charter Award

Sheffield FC are officially the best Adult Charter Standard Club in the country having won the FA's National Award for 2007. The club, who celebrate their 150th Anniversary this year, have built up a thriving community programme with coaching in more than forty local schools as well as providing football opportunities for females, disabled children and young adults as well as youngsters with behavioural difficulties.

The club will be presented with their award at the England v Estonia European Qualifier at Wembley on 13th October and Chairman Richard Tims said "We employ three full time community officers and its great to be out there because we know what enjoyment football can bring to people. All football fans are linked to Sheffield FC because it was our forefathers who started it all so it is great to win this FA National Award. In addition to the coaching side Sheffield FC has supplied football strips to twenty local primary schools with the help of Sportsmatch and the club's community sponsors and are also involved in the Boots for Africa scheme.

Belper Look To Hannah

Belper Town are looking to Ross Hannah to help them over their slow start to the campaign. The 21 year old has returned to the "Nailors" after leaving to sign for Gainsborough Trinity in October 2006 after hitting 16 goals in just twenty games for Belper following a move from Stocksbridge PS in March of that year. As a youngster Hannah had spells with both Sheffield United and Sheffield Wednesday. Belper have also signed Mark Smith from Matlock Town.

Mayers Becomes Full Time

Chorley FC's Assistant Manager Kenny Mayers has become full time manager of the club's umbrella company Chorley Sporting Club where his duties will include running the club bar and all its social functions. Chorley Chairman Ken Wright said "Kenny is well respected and we are looking to put a little team together who are fully committed to the football club. This appointment is part of our efforts to move us forward on the social side and to get the right people in the right jobs. Kenny has taken a Licensee's Course and sees his new job as a challenge and we will give him full support".

Mayers, who returned to his home town club ten months ago and still intends to carry on playing in addition to his new duties and those of being Assistant Manager to Gerry Luczka, said "Its another avenue in my career and I am looking forward to it. I'll give it 100% just as I always have in football. There is now a buzz about the place and I want to be involved in it".

Unibond League Television
Forthcoming Games
Sat 8th Sep Matlock Town v North Ferriby United Match of the Week
Tue 11th Sep Colwyn Bay v Kidsgrove Athletic Live game
Sat 15th Sep 1st Division League fixture TBA [FA Cup] Match of the Week
Sat 22nd Sep Ilkeston Town v Witton Albion Match of the Week
Wed 26th Sep Gateshead v Guiseley Live game
Sat 29th Sep 1st Division League fixture TBA [FA Cup]

All games can be accessed through the banner link on www.unibondleague.com

Coyne In At Radcliffe

Former England schoolboy sensation Peter Coyne who scored on his only full start for Manchester United but never got another chance has been named as Director of Football at Radcliffe Borough to fill the gap left recently by Andy Johnston's departure. Coyne's appointment comes at a time when he is looking to progress with his coaching career having passed his UEFA "B" Licence. After leaving Manchester United in the seventies Coyne went on to find the net around fifty times for Crewe Alexandra and another thirty times for Swindon Town.

Genovese Becomes A Director At Spalding

Another club to make a significant appointment off the field of play are Spalding United where former Peterborough United player and Kettering Town manager Dominic Genovese, who joined the "Tulips" during the close season as Director of Football, has now become a full blown Director of the club. Club Chairman Chris Toynton said "Dominic has a wealth of experience, particularly in non-league circles and will be a great asset to us in addition to his involvement on the youth side".

Clitheroe Place Byrom On Contract

Clitheroe have signed up striker Joel Byrom on contract after he turned down the offer of one from Conference club Southport. Byrom, who is 21 in a fortnight, finished last season as Clitheroe's leading goalscorer after being released by Accrington Stanley. His form for Clitheroe alerted Southport and in two games for the "Seasiders" he scored twice against Gainsborough Trinity and once against Workington. Despite the offer of a contract from Southport, however, Byrom plumped to return to Clitheroe.

Is It The Biggest?

Sheffield FC and the city's leading Estate Agents Blundell's are both celebrating Anniversaries this year but Blundell's are some one hundred and twenty years adrift of the Football Club's 150 years. However, that has not stopped them sponsoring numerous advertising hoardings around the ground one of which must surely be a contender for the biggest in non-league football. The monster hoarding is around one hundred feet!

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Rovers Make A Point On The Road

Lincoln Pre-match News

At home to:
Willenhall Town (UniBond President's Cup 2nd Round)

Tuesday 14th October, 7.45pm

View previous encounters with Willenhall Town