News

Guiseley moved level with FA Cup participants Burscough in joint fourth with a single goal victory at Ilkeston Town and Bradford Park Avenue complete the top six after a win over Wakefield-Emley that made it sixteen points from their last six games. At the other end of the table Gateshead moved out of the bottom two with a 3-2 success over Ashton United.

The First Division saw its third different leader in eight days on Saturday when Bridlington Town's fifth successive victory enabled them to depose Clitheroe who had gone top on Tuesday with a win at Chorley. Things could have been much worse for the midweek leaders on Saturday as they trailed 2-0 with two minutes to go at home to Kidsgrove Athletic before claiming a late point. They still dropped to fourth, however, as the previous week's leaders Mossley beat Goole AFC whilst early season pace setters Fleetwood Town had their first win in six league outings when they ended Stocksbridge PS's eight match unbeaten run. Completing the top six are Gresley Rovers and Colwyn Bay but so tight is at the top that only three points separate the Welsh club from top spot! A great week for Spalding United who took a long time to get off the mark this term but bagged six points thanks to an amazing 6-1 win at Goole AFC in midweek before following up with another valuable three points against Bishop Auckland on Saturday. Bottom club Belper Town haven't tasted success since winning on the opening day of the campaign whilst their victims that day, Bamber Bridge, are now nine games unbeaten after winning 3-1 at home to Eastwood Town. In the FA Cup Burscough and Blyth Spartans went in to the hat for the 1st Round Proper and will be at home to Gillingham and Oldham Athletic respectively if they can win their replays.

Ilkeston Appoint Jemson

Former Nottingham Forest and England Under 21 international Nigel Jemson has been appointed player-manager of Ilkeston Town after a short spell running team affairs in a caretaker capacity following the recent departure of Phil Stant. Now aged 36, Jemson won his one cap in 1991 whilst with Forest and went on to clock up around 500 games in a long career taking in numerous clubs. Another senior player, Craig Gaunt, will be his assistant.

Ferriby Lose Another Player

In the wake of leading goalscorer Gary Bradshaw's recent move to Cheltenham Town, Premier Division title chasing North Ferriby United have lost another key player with the departure of midfielder Graham Hockless to play down under for Richmond in the Australian Premier League. 23 year old Hockless, a summer signing, has first team experience in the Football League with Grimsby Town.

Gary Finley

Former Witton Albion manager Gary Finley who parted company with the club earlier this month has contacted the League to say he wishes to clarify the report contained in Press Release No.9 as he states it doesn't accurately record the events that led up to him resigning his position. He wishes to make it clear that he took his decision to resign due solely to the club informing him that it was intending to take steps to reduce the playing budget. He is particularly keen to stress that an incident in the player's tunnel during the previous day's game against Bradford Park Avenue resulting in a player leaving the club - a matter which was referred to in Press Release No.9 - had no bearing what so ever on his decision to resign. He felt the club's decision to reduce his playing budget would impact on his ambition to take Albion to the Conference North and it was that decision only that caused him to consider his position with the club and resign.

Albion Chairman Mike Worthington said "Although we strive for success it cannot be achieved at an "any cost" policy. We were unable to meet the financial requirements to achieve the ambitions and expectations of Gary and consequently he felt he was unable to continue his career at Witton Albion. I have enjoyed working alongside Gary and on behalf of everyone at the club I wish him every success in the future".

Meanwhile former Witton Albion manager Benny Phillips has returned to the club as Assistant Manager to Finley's replacement Jim Vance just over two years after resigning his position in August 2003. Phillips had been working as number two to Tommy Lawton at Clitheroe and it came as a shock to the Lancashire club who went top of the First Division in midweek for the first time ever.

First Division FA Trophy Replay Success

The three First Division clubs involved in FA Trophy replays against Premier Division opposition more than held their own on Tuesday evening. Gresley Rovers disposed of top tier neighbours Ilkeston Town whilst both Warrington Town and Stocksbridge PS took Frickley Athletic and Ossett Town respectively to extra-time and a penalty shoot out. Although Stocksbridge eventually bowed out, Warrington overcame high flying Frickley. With Kidsgrove Athletic and Fleetwood Town winning at the first attempt against Ashton United and Wakefield-Emley it was four wins for First Division sides in the ten ties against the top tier.

Kidsgrove and Fleetwood after their victories over Ashton United and Wakefield-Emley have it to do all over again in the 2nd Qualifying Round when they travel to Gateshead and Burscough respectively. Gateshead, incidentally, take their place against Kidsgrove having twice scored stoppage time equalisers in both 1st Qualifying Round games against Bradford Park Avenue before winning 4-3 in extra-time on Wednesday evening. In addition to Kidsgrove and Fleetwood, three other First Division sides, Clitheroe, Kendal Town and Goole AFC, are also pitted against Premier Division opposition and, like Kidsgrove and Fleetwood, have all been drawn away. In addition there are three all Premier Division ties, three all First Division games and one match against outside opposition.

The full draw as it effects UniBond clubs is as follows with the ties to be played on Saturday 12th November -

AFC TELFORD UNITED v GOOLE AFC
GRESLEY ROVERS v MOSSLEY
BISHOP AUCKLAND v WOODLEY SPORTS
GUISELEY v KENDAL TOWN
BLYTH SPARTANS v WHITBY TOWN
Grantham Town v LINCOLN UNITED
BURSCOUGH v FLEETWOOD TOWN
MARINE v MATLOCK TOWN
BRIDLINGTON TOWN v WARRINGTON TOWN
OSSETT TOWN v CLITHEROE
GATESHEAD v KIDSGROVE ATHLETIC
PRESCOT CABLES v FARSLEY CELTIC

Warrington Sign Sheron

Warrington Town have signed former Manchester City and England Under 21 international Mike Sheron following his release by Shrewsbury Town. The 33 year old striker made around five hundred appearances in his full time career including more than a century for City and over 150 for Barnsley as well as stints with Norwich City, Stoke City, QPR, Blackpool and Macclesfield Town in addition to Shrewsbury. He found the net on over 120 occasions for a strike rate of around one every four games.

Unibond League Challenge Cup Gets Underway

The UniBond League Challenge Cup gets underway during the first midweek of November with the First Round being played over that midweek and the following week. There has been a trebling of the winner's prize money for this competition with the last man standing taking home a £3,000 prize in comparison to the £1,000 won last season by Matlock Town. There are just two all Premier Division ties with Lincoln United hosting Frickley Athletic and Gateshead travelling to OssettTown. The three ties at Blyth Spartans, Marine and Wakefield-Emley see the top tier sides face First Division outfits Goole AFC, Bamber Bridge and Bishop Auckland respectively.

The full draw for the First Round games during the midweek commencing 31st October can be found on the fixtures page apart from the two games at Blyth Spartans and Ossett Town referred to above which are held over to Tuesday, 8th November due to County Cup commitments.

Mixed Results In FA Youth Cup

The two UniBond League clubs involved in FA Youth Cup action during the past week suffered mixed results with Goole AFC going down 2-1 after extra-time at Vauxhall Motors but AFC Telford United overcame Bromsgrove Rovers 3-2 to join Farsley Celtic, Burscough, North Ferriby United and Leek Town just one round away from a possible meeting against Football League opposition. All five clubs, however, have suffered in the draw with all of them on their travels. The draw as it effects the five clubs is as follows with ties to be played over the coming week -

Burton Albion v AFC TELFORD UNITED
Hednesford Town v LEEK TOWN
Daisy Hill v FARSLEY CELTIC
Southport v NORTH FERRIBY UNITED
Workington v BURSCOUGH

Bamber Bridge Host Canadian Under 18 National Squad

First Division club Bamber Bridge is playing host to the Canadian Football Federation's national Under 18 side during their current tour of the North of England. The Canadians will train each day of their two week stay at "Brig's" Irongate Ground in preparation for fixtures against the Academy sides of Bolton Wanderers, Huddersfield Town, Manchester United, Liverpool and Everton. The tour is aimed at giving the Canadian team experience at a high level of competition as they are hosting the FIFA Under 20 World Championships in 2007.It isn't the first time that Bamber Bridge have opened their doors to a visiting national side as in 1996 the Czech Republic, who went on to become surprise Finalists, used Irongate as their base for their Euro' 96 campaign.

On the playing front "Brig" have lost the services of goalkeeper Cyril Sharrock who made 114 appearances for the club in two spells and has now emigrated to Australia. In addition to Bamber Bridge, Sharrock has also appeared in the UniBond League for his home town club Chorley, Lancaster City and Kendal Town as well as being a regular in last season's Moore & Co Solicitors North West Counties League championship winning club Fleetwood Town.