Tuesday, 14th October 2008

News Archive

15th September 2007
Review Of The Week

After two consecutive draws Guiseley (for whom James Hanson has scored in seven of their eight league games) got back to winning ways with a 4-1 win on Tuesday evening over Whitby Town and continue to lead the Premier Division by a point from Witton Albion whose defence has not been breached in six successive games after their latest 2-0 victory against Matlock Town with both goals coming from the penalty spot. The team to watch, however, are third placed Gateshead who maintained their 100% start with a 4-1 success as victims North Ferriby United still search for a first win of the season and a first home point. Steve Salvin has scored in five of Gateshead's six league games with the North East side netting an amazing 25 goals in their last five league and cup games. Ossett Town have yet to score at home but their away form has been good enough to see them in eighth place after their latest win in midweek at Lincoln United. One team, however, relying on their home form are Stamford who added another point to their tally against Leek Town in midweek but have yet to gain a point on their travels. Another home defeat, this time at the hands of Ashton United, leaves Marine who have been involved in both the last two year's play-offs occupying unfamiliar territory in 16th place and already out of the FA Cup.

Last week's First Division leaders Ossett Albion maintained their 100% home record in midweek but lost top spot on Saturday when they went down 5-3 at Garforth Town. Taking over are Curzon Ashton who drew at Woodley Sports on Tuesday and then won at Bridlington Town at the weekend to keep their unbeaten tag along with third place Bamber Bridge who beat bottom club Radcliffe Borough in midweek. Bradford Park Avenue are not enjoying their travels and after two more defeats at Wakefield and Lancaster City respectively have taken only one point from twelve away from home. Skelmersdale United are the draw specialists of this Division with their goalless affair at Chorley on Tuesday being their fourth draw in six league outings. There are new leaders too in the Southern section where Sheffield FC took full advantage of their rivals being on FA Cup duty by beating Alsager Town to add to their 4-1 midweek win at Belper Town to go a point clear of Retford United. Tuesday also saw a first league win of the season for Brigg Town.

Honours were even in the FA Cup against outside opposition with seven wins and the same number of defeats with five to replay. The three all Premier Division ties went the way of the visitors with Prescot Cables, Kendal Town and Buxton all successful at Witton Albion, Worksop Town and Leek Town Respectively. The Six Clashes Between the Premier Division and their First Division counterparts finished all square with Stocksbridge PS, Skelmersdale Utd and Nantwich Town causing the upsets. Without a win in the league, bottom club Radcliffe Borough put four past Cammell Laird whilst the other all First Division tie between Chorley and Clitheroe will require a replay to decide who goes forward.

Ogden Becomes Second Casualty

Paul Ogden has become the second UniBond League managerial casualty of the campaign when he announced this week that he was stepping down at Leek Town after the health scare reported in last week's Press Release. The sixty year old had also been taking ill last Christmas when manager of Kidsgrove Athletic and his latest hospitalisation has prompted him to take stock and call it a day. A former professional with Port Vale Ogden was in his fifth spell as manager of Leek having taken the job on for the first time in 1969 when, in a five year stint, he landed the old Cheshire League title before moving on to manage Northwich Victoria. He returned to the helm in 1977 and also in 2002 and 2003 to 2005 before returning for a fifth time at the start of the current season.

Taking over in a caretaker capacity is Assistant Manager Neil Brown who last term was in charge of Altrincham Reserves.

Skem's Mcgee Takes Groundsman's Honours

Congratulations go to Skelmersdale United Groundsman Peter McGee who has won the FA's Groundsman of the Year award for the Northern Premier League and was also voted runner-up nationally for clubs at Steps 3 and 4. In the domestic section Peter pipped Ilkeston Town's Robert Brookes and Gary Lockley of Gresley Rovers whilst in the national awards at Steps 3 and 4 only Tiverton Town's Gordon Curtis proved to be considered more able. The overall national award went to a former UniBond club with Hyde United's James Skachill taking the accolade.

McGee, who is coming up to his 66th birthday, has tended his club's Ashley Travel Stadium since it opened prior to the 2004/5 season and prior to that had spent a couple of years looking after Skelmersdale's previous home. His success this season follows him being named as the best groundsman at Steps 5 and 6 during Skem's last season in the North West Counties League.

He said: "To be voted the best groundsman in the UniBond League gives me immense pride but to be voted runner-up nationally is unbelievable to me as I am self taught and have had to learn the job as I've gone along".

Kidsgrove Miss Out

Kidsgrove Athletic missed out on FA Cup action this weekend when the FA announced they were conducting a hearing in to a protest lodged by Willenhall Town against Kidsgrove's intended opponents Barnt Green Spartak amid an allegation that Spartak played an ineligible player during their win against Willenhall. Kidsgrove will not now know their opponents until Monday which is the day set by the FA for the hearing.

Nailers Re-open After Flood Devastation

Almost three months after devastating floods submerged Belper Town's picturesque Christchurch Meadow ground the facilities have now been lavishly refurbished and will be formally reopened on Sunday 23rd September. Over £130,000 worth of damage was caused to the club's function suite and dressing room complex when the nearby River Derwent broke its banks and left the ground under two foot of contaminated water. The reopening will be performed by Burton Albion manager Nigel Clough which is especially poignant as his father Brian Clough OBE performed the original opening ceremony of the complex in November 1999.

Mixed Fortunes For Unibond Clubs In Fa Youth Cup

There were mixed fortunes for the six UniBond clubs competing against outside opposition in the Preliminary Round of this season's FA Youth Cup. Eastwood Town, Harrogate Railway Athletic, North Ferriby United and Sheffield FC all progressed but Gateshead and Stocksbridge PS both went out. In the one all UniBond tie Ossett Albion edged out Worksop Town 1-0.

The five winners now join eighteen other UniBond clubs in the First Qualifying Round with just one all UniBond tie which sees North Ferriby United at home to Ossett Town. The games are to be played in midweek commencing 24th September as follows -

Alfreton Town v LINCOLN UNITED
Ashville v MARINE
Ashton Athletic v LANCASTER CITY
Blackstones v CARLTON TOWN
Colne v PRESCOT CABLES
Farsley Celtic v OSSETT ALBION
GARFORTH TOWN v Thackley
GRESLEY ROVERS v Mickleover Sports
Hall Road Rangers v BRADFORD PK AVE
Loughborough Dynamo v STAMFORD
MATLOCK TOWN v Glossop North End
NORTH FERRIBY UTD v OSSETT TOWN
Northwich Victoria v WARRINGTON TOWN
Redditch United v HEDNESFORD TOWN
SHEFFIELD FC v Halifax Town
Shirebrook v RETFORD UNITED
Silsden v GUISELEY
Southport v CURZON ASHTON
Stapenhill v EASTWOOD TOWN
Vauxhall Motors v NANTWICH TOWN
WITTON ALBION v Salford City
WOODLEY SPORTS v Altrincham
Yorkshire Amateurs v HARROGATE RAILWAY

Cassidy Wastes No Time

Tommy Cassidy the recently installed new manager at Newcastle Blue Star was a busy man this week strengthening up the side he inherited from Andy Gowens. He has signed 24 year old defender Lee Andrews from Torquay United for whom he made over fifty Football League appearances. Andrews also made exactly one hundred appearances for Rochdale and Carlisle United with his eight games at the former coming during a loan spell. Cassidy also raided his former club Workington to pick up Steve Birks and, in addition, signed Mark McLeod from Darlington. McLeod, a twenty year old midfielder had played half a dozen Football League games for Darlington at the time of his departure.

Clitheroe Make Gesture To FC Utd Fans

Clitheroe have reacted quickly to the problems caused when their floodlights failed against FC United of Manchester after 58 minutes of their match on Tuesday evening by donating £1,000 to FC United's Development Fund and reducing admission prices when the replayed game takes place to the First Division minimum of £4 with £2 in respect of concessions.

One In, One Out At Hednesford

On the back of four straight league defeats Hednesford Town's latest blow was when Simon Forsdick who has been the subject of attention from AFC Telford United informed manager Phil Starbuck that he intended to sign for the Conference club after they had made him an improved offer. However, one ray of light shone on Keys Park when former Portuguese Under 21 player Mario Pedro returned after spending the first month of the season at Tamworth.

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

This evening, 7.45pm

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