Tuesday, 14th October 2008

News Archive

6th October 2007
Review Of The Week

Ilkeston Town provided the shock of the day on Saturday when they travelled to the North East and came from a goal down to wreck Gateshead's previously unbeaten record and prevent the Tynesiders from joining leaders Witton Albion, who were without a game, at the top. Just one goal from leading scorer James Hanson enabled Guiseley to reclaim second place on goal difference from Fleetwood Town who scored nine times in the week.

Eastwood Town's goalless draw at bottom club Frickley Athletic was enough to hold on to the last play-off spot just ahead of Marine who are back in more familiar territory after their bad start. With Gateshead's defeat Curzon Ashton are now the only unbeaten team in the league after inflicting Bamber Bridge's first reverse in midweek and they top the First Division North table by three points from Ossett Albion who won at Bradford Park Avenue on Monday in a seven goal thriller.

Staying in this Division, midweek also saw a first league success for Clitheroe when they ended Mossley's mini run of three wins on the bounce. First Division South leaders Retford United won 5-0 at Spalding United on Tuesday but had their 100% home record demolished by Nantwich Town at the weekend whilst Sheffield moved in to third with an emphatic 3-0 win at Colwyn Bay who hadn't previously dropped a home point. FA Trophy highlights included an away win for Radcliffe Borough who have only one point in the league whilst there was an attendance of over 1,300 for the game at Bradford Park Avenue where FC United of Manchester were the visitors.

News Snippets

Ashton United striker Gareth Richards is in hospital in Slovenia where he has undergone two brain scans following a fall whilst away at a friend's wedding. He is currently heavily sedated but the good news is that the second scan showed some improvement from the first.........Cammell Lairds have signed Thomas Rooney, cousin of England's Wayne Rooney, who will team up again with the club's leading scorer Alex Hay with whom he played for several seasons in the Tranmere Rovers youth sides.

Rooney then moved to Macclesfield Town and subsequently Vauxhall Motors and Leigh RMI...... Former Hednesford Town skipper Steve Palmer has returned to Keys Park after spending the last three seasons with AFC Telford United and Hucknall Town. He was Club Captain when the "Pitmen" won the FA Trophy but had the heartbreak of missing the game through suspension.

It didn't take long for him to make up for it, however, as he returned to Villa Park twelve months later with Hucknall Town...... Hednesford also announced this week that Mark Patterson will be Jimmy Mullen's replacement as manager Phil Starbuck's Assistant. Patterson has had UniBond managerial experience with Chorley and, of course, enjoyed a very successful playing career for numerous clubs including Blackburn Rovers, Bury and Bolton Wanderers....

Former Minister of Sport Richard Caborn has become honorary Vice President of UniBond club Sheffield FC...... Former Leek Town manager Paul Ogden who recently resigned due to ill health stepped in to the breach at Fleetwood on Tuesday evening when the club was left without even a caretaker boss after Neil Brown left as planned following last Saturday's game at Eastwood. The charismatic Ogden was also in charge again today but Leek expect to make an appointment before their next game.

UniBond "Fair Play" Awards

The UniBond "Fair Play" awards for September have gone to Marine, Mossley and Nantwich Town respectively. The "Mariners" had just four cautions in seven games in the Premier Division whilst Mossley were winning the First Division North prize for the second successive month since manager Gerry Quinn took over. The First Division South accolade went to newcomers Nantwich Town who had only one caution their four UniBond games. The overall season to date tables can be found elsewhere in this Press Release.

McLean Becomes Manager Number Seven To Depart

Brigg Town's Dave McLean tendered his resignation after last Saturday's 3-2 defeat at Gresley Rovers to become the seventh managerial casualty of the season less than two months in to the campaign. McLean has been a loyal servant to Brigg over many years as player, coach and ultimately manager, the highlight of which was captaining the club's FA Vase winning side in 1996 at Wembley. Under McLean Brigg started promisingly in the UniBond League finishing eighth in both their opening two seasons but slumped to seventeenth last term and have had a disappointing start to the current campaign. Assistant Manager and Club Captain Steve Housham takes charge of team affairs in a caretaker capacity but will be considered for the permanent position along with any other candidates who apply.

Hancock And Hayward Return To Take Frickley Reins

Two former Frickley favourites have returned to the club to take over the managerial vacancy left by the resignation of Billy Heath two weeks ago. Mark Hancock enjoyed thirteen years as a player at Frickley after signing from local football before spending four years at Bradford Park Avenue. He rejoined Frickley as Player/Assistant Manager to Phil Sharpe but only stayed one season before taking over as manager of the newly formed AFC Barnsley. He spent three years there winning the league twice and the cup once before the demise of the club in 2005. He had a brief spell as a player with Wakefield before moving on to take charge of Ossett Town's reserve side.

Hayward is another favourite with the fans having been a prolific goalscorer for the club before signing for Rotherham United in 1994 with further spells at Doncaster Rovers, Hednesford Town and Barrow before returning to Athletic in 1999. Other moves saw him play for Bradford Park Avenue, Stalybridge Celtic and Ossett Town where he was also Assistant Manager but he left for North Ferriby in the last close season.

Grantham Honour Nixon's 1,000

Grantham Town Secretary Pat Nixon clocked up his 1,000th game in charge of his club's paperwork at today's FA Trophy tie against Alsager Town. To mark his superb commitment over such a long period of time Grantham's Board made a very well deserved presentation to Pat prior to today's game.

Guiseley Sign Up Marchant

Guiseley appear to have made an excellent off the field signing in capturing the services of Bob Marchant as General Manager. He has been living in the area for the last five years having returned from building his own marketing and promotions business in Central Europe. He has a wealth of experience on the commercial side of the sports industry having worked with such brands as Castlemaine XXXX and their sponsorship of Australian cricket touring sides, Wm Younger and their sponsorship of Fulham FC and AmBev's sponsorship of the Hungarian Premier League.

Macron "Safe Hands" Awards

Goalkeeping trio Jon Kennedy of Witton Albion, Bamber Bridge's Terry McCormick and Nantwich Town's Rob Hackney are the first recipients of the UniBond League's new monthly "Safe Hands" awards sponsored by Macron who supply kit and training gear to over half of the League's member clubs. The combined August / September winners will each receive a pair of top of the range goalkeeping gloves courtesy of Macron, the League's preferred kit supplier. But 'keepers around the League will be looking at capturing the seasonal prize for the goalkeeper with the best record over all three Divisions as whoever wins it will enjoy a week, all expenses paid, next pre-season with an Italian La Liga club sponsored by Macron. The overall season winner must be with a UniBond League on the last day of the season and must have been registered for at least three months. The monthly prizes, however, will be based on the number of clean sheets kept by a goalkeeper with only league games taken in to account with goals against taken in to account in the event of a tie. The monthly prize can only be won once by any one goalkeeper in the season.

FA XI To Play Sheffield Announced

The FA have announced the squad that manager Paul Fairclough has selected to play Sheffield FC on 23rd October at the club's ground in Dronfield as part of Sheffield FC's 150th Anniversary celebrations. The players selected all come from the UniBond Premier Division and it is a great opportunity for them to impress. The squad is Jon Kennedy, Rob Lloyd, Mark Peers and Adam Warlow (Witton Albion), Piotr Skiba (Ossett Town), Richard Dunning, Simon Sturdy, James Hanson and Mark Smith (Guiseley), Cieran Donnelly (Fleetwood Town), Tom Angus, Anton Foster and Jordan Hall (Buxton), James Curtis (Gateshead) and Matlock Town's James Lukic and Simon Barraclough. On stand by are Fleetwood Town 'keeper Danny Hurst along with team-mate Nathan Pond, Witton Albion's Liam Brownhill and Cavel Coo, Darren Brookfield (Marine) and Gateshead players Jamie McClen, Steve Salvin and David Southern.

Little Luck In FA Cup Draw For UniBond Survivors

There will be at least two UniBond clubs in the last round of the FA Cup qualifying competition before the Football League clubs join the fray thanks to the draw for the 3rd Qualifying Round pairing Harrogate Railway with Matlock Town whilst Woodley Sports travel to Kendal Town. Elsewhere, however, UniBond clubs enjoyed little luck with six of the eight other survivors all drawn away. The two clubs to enjoy home advantage are Belper Town and Guiseley although both will be playing tough Conference North opposition. Fleetwood Town, Hednesford Town, Stamford, Bamber Bridge, Bradford Park Avenue and Clitheroe are all on their travels on 13th October. The draw as it effects UniBond League clubs is shown on the Fixtures page.

President's Cup Gets Underway

This season's UniBond League President's Cup for which the ultimate winners will receive a cheque for £1,500 got underway in midweek with Carlton Town, Chorley and Wakefield all progressing. Just one further tie remains to be played in the 1st Round with Kidsgrove Athletic at home to Radcliffe Borough. The revised 2nd Round draw is as follows with ties scheduled to commence in the midweek of 29th October -

Belper Town v Gresley Rovers
Goole AFC v Spalding United
Bridlington Town v Ossett Albion
Harrogate Railway Ath v Bradford Park Ave
Brigg Town v Carlton Town
Kidsgrove Ath or Radcliffe Borough v Warrington Town
Cammell Laird v Alsager Town
Mossley v Skelmersdale United
Chorley v Nantwich Town
Newcastle Blue Star v Wakefield FC
Colwyn Bay v Woodley Sports
Rossendale United v Clitheroe
Curzon Ashton v Stocksbridge PS
Sheffield FC v Grantham Town
FC Utd of M/cr v Bamber Bridge
Shepshed Dynamo v Retford United

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Rovers Make A Point On The Road

New Signing

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

This evening, 7.45pm

View previous encounters with Willenhall Town