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5th April 2008
Review Of The Week

WITTON ALBION's season long lead in the Premier Division has been cut to four points after two wins in the week for FLEETWOOD TOWN who beat BUXTON and STAMFORD. Albion, who were without a fixture this week, have played a game more than their rivals but have home advantage in three of their four final games.

GATESHEAD consolidated third place with two away wins whilst their rivals for the play-off spots BUXTON, GUISELEY and EASTWOOD TOWN were all dropping points.

Twelve of the bottom thirteen clubs met one another and hat-trick heroes Paul Fildes and Ashley Longstaff gave KENDAL TOWN and OSSETT TOWN a little breathing space helping their sides to 3-2 wins over WHITBY TOWN and LINCOLN UNITED respectively.

WORKSOP TOWN will also sleep a little better after their victory at PRESCOT CABLES but the other three games finished all square.

MATLOCK TOWN, however, could yet live to rue the fact that they let a two goal lead slip at home to FRICKLEY ATHLETIC and as the dust settled just 3 points separated ASHTON UNITED in 13th from the drop zone.

The first piece of UniBond silverware to be claimed this season went to RETFORD UNITED but the champagne was on hold at half-time with their game against ALSAGER TOWN goalless only for the deadly "God Squad" duo of Mick Godber and Mick Goddard to hit five in the second period to claim the inaugural First Division South title.

However, there is a caveat to that with Retford not being promoted due to ground grading issues covered elsewhere in this Press Release.

Their nearest challengers CAMMELL LAIRD moved closer to the runners-up spot with two wins in the week whilst all three of the other top five sides lost.

However, with the final play-off spot now down to sixth place plenty of other clubs will fancy their chances of making the end of season lottery.

At the bottom SPALDING UNITED must have thought they were on their way to a first home win of the season when two up against QUORN after 27 minutes but they were hauled back to 3-3.

It was all change at the top and bottom of the First Division North with CURZON ASHTON on the back of their fifth successive victory going back to the head of affairs whilst RADCLIFFE BOROUGH moved off the bottom rung for the first time this season when they beat WOODLEY SPORTS who replaced them.

Back at the top high winds caused the postponement of title favourites BRADFORD PARK AVENUE match at NEWCASTLE BLUE STAR in midweek and their hopes were blown further off course on Saturday when they suffered their first defeat under new boss Dave Cameron going down 0-2 at Curzon.

If it was a bad week for Avenue it was a terrible one for FC UNITED of MANCHESTER as they began to make in-roads in to their fixture backlog.

They picked up just one point from trips to SKELMERSDALE UNITED, OSSETT ALBION and WAKEFIELD and it was a poor week, too, for "Skem" who lost 3-5 at home to CLITHEROE on Saturday. OSSETT ALBION, however, kept their play-off hopes alive with three wins in five days and BAMBER BRIDGE after a quiet spell have come back with a vengeance and were winning for the fourth game in succession when hitting five at ROSSENDALE UNITED.

UniBond "Fair Play" Awards

The UniBond "Fair Play" awards for March have gone to MATLOCK TOWN, MOSSLEY and WARRINGTON TOWN respectively. Matlock, with just two cautions in seven games, were capturing the prize for the second month in succession and the third time during the campaign having previously won it in October.

MOSSLEY were also taking the accolade of the most disciplined team in their Division for the third time having been successful in both August and September.

Although they did have a dismissal against them in March Mossley had only one caution but even so finished level with Wakefield. The "Lilywhites" won the prize by having a better overall season to date record than the Yorkshire club.

Despite being in the top three of the First Division South "Fair Play" table throughout the season March was surprisingly Warrington's first monthly award and they took their reward for that consistency with four cautions in seven games. A bad February when they received eleven yellows and one red though may have cost Warrington their chance of catching season to date leaders Quorn but they have moved just in front of Kidsgrove Athletic to take second place.

Despite winning more Premier Division monthly awards than any other club Matlock are only third in the top tier's season to date tables and trail runaway leaders Witton Albion by a considerable distance. Strangely despite their commanding lead Albion have yet to win the monthly prize demonstrating a remarkable consistency over the course of the season. The bad boys of the month in this Division were Marine with four dismissals to their name although Buxton are bottom of the overall table after collecting another seventeen cautions in the month.

Newcastle Blue Star continue to lead the First Division North table whilst Mossley move up two places in to second after winning the March prize. At the opposite end of the table Curzon Ashton had another three players sent off in March taking their total for the season to a dozen - more than any other club in any of the three Divisions.

Warrington's March performance enabled them to cut the gap on leaders Quorn to 0.11 of a point in the race for the £1,000 Divisional first prize whilst Kidsgrove Athletic are not of the equation. Belper Town slumped to the bottom of the season to date table after picking up sixteen yellow cards and three reds in March.

Each of the overall season Divisional winners will pocket a cheque for £1,000 with the three second placed clubs taking home £650 whilst £350 will go to each of the three clubs occupying the third spots come the end of April.

Draw For European Championships To Be Held At Curzon

The draw for the European Learning disability championships is to be held at Curzon Ashton FC on Monday 28th April with Sir Trevor Brooking and a current England international, expected to be Micah Richards, doing the honours. The UniBond League club are hosting several games in the tournament at their Tameside Stadium including a friendly as a pipe opener between host nation England and the current title holders Holland on Sunday, 27th April.

Frickley Land Three On Contract

Frickley Athletic were delighted to announce this week that three of the players who have been instrumental in their revival from being relegation certainties have signed new contracts for next season. Central defender Steve Jones, midfielder Danny Walsh and striker Lee Morris have all put pen to paper.

Retford United Miss Out On Promotion

At a meeting held on 2nd April the UniBond League Ground Grading Committee gave full consideration to all the relative correspondence between the League and Retford United concerning ground grading requirements. When Retford joined the League at the start of the current season they were accepted with an "E" Grade and, at that time, were made fully aware that a "D" grade would be necessary by 31st March 2008.

In the meantime, due to Retford United's leading position as challengers for promotion, the League have re-iterated on a number of occasions that if the appropriate grading was not achieved by the stipulated date then Retford United would not be accepted for membership of the Premier Division either as the Champions of the First Division South or through the play-offs. Sadly, the grading was not achieved and, under the circumstances, the League decided they were left with no option other than to deny Retford United promotion.

The question of whether Retford United should retain their position as members of the First Division South due to their failure to achieve the "D" Grade by the stipulated date was also an area of concern.

However, after due consideration of all the circumstances particularly the advanced stage of work in progress, the Committee agreed that Retford United should be given the opportunity to remain in the League subject to providing written assurances regarding the completion of all the outstanding ground improvements.

As Retford United will not be promoted the eventual runners-up will receive the one automatic promotion spot with the clubs placed in 3rd to 6th positions competing for the one other promotion place via the play-offs.

Alsager Town To Be Relegated

Another important issue considered at the same meeting was the future status of Alsager Town FC who, for the second year in succession, had failed to achieve the "D" grade necessary to remain as members of the League. When the club was accepted in to membership of the League with an "E" grade in 2006 they were advised they needed to achieve a "D" grade by 31st March 2007.

The club failed to meet this deadline but were given dispensation for a further twelve months to 31st March 2008 but once again failed to achieve the "D" grade.

This matter was again the subject of much correspondence but, due to problems within the club itself surrounding the ground lease, Alsager Town FC made it clear that the required ground improvements would not be made until such time as the internal question of the ground lease was resolved.

Instead Alsager Town proposed a ground-share arrangement with Kidsgrove Athletic but the League was not prepared to accept this as it considered the proposal to be in contravention of criteria laid down regarding promotion and relegation.

Under the prevailing circumstances, therefore, the Ground Grading Committee had no option but to recommend to the Football Association's Leagues Committee that Alsager Town be relegated in accordance with the provisions of League Rule 2.4. This decision, should it be ratified by the League's Committee, will give a reprieve to whichever club finishes bottom of the First Division South.

Slovakian Hero

26-year-old Slovakian and ex-Crewe Alexandra striker Pavel Suhaj was the hat-trick hero for Nantwich Town as they lifted the UniBond Cheshire Senior Cup on penalties after drawing 3-3 with Conference National side Altrincham on Tuesday. To complete a night of threes it was the third occasion that Nantwich had lifted the Trophy.

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