News

The late icy blast of winter decimated this week's fixtures but where play was possible Frickley Athletic failed to go clear at the top of the Premier Division on Tuesday evening when they lost a two goal lead to Ashton United and had to settle for a point that still took them ahead of long time leaders North Ferriby United on goal difference. With both Frickley and Ferriby frozen off on Saturday, Marine had the opportunity to join them on 60 points but lost their unbeaten 22 game record to the resurgent Leek Town who looked dead and buried at Christmas but are currently enjoying a great time under caretaker boss Mark Cartwright. The Staffordshire side now have fourth bottom Bradford Park Avenue firmly in their sights but both AFC Telford United and Ilkeston Town relieved their relegation worries to some extent with 2-0 home wins. Ossett Town, meanwhile, continued their ascent up the table when they beat the unpredictable Prescot Cables to register their fourth straight win. First Division leaders Mossley went eight points clear but will probably consider their goalless draw at lowly Goole as two points dropped whilst third place Fleetwood Town got their show back on the road with a 3-2 win over Eastwood Town and Woodley Sports moved in to the play-off spots for the first time after picking up four points in the week.

Snippets

Former Blackburn Rovers and England Under 21 International Graham Fenton has clocked up his 100th appearance for Blyth Spartans. Marine's Rossett Park has been chosen to host the FA Sunday Cup semi-final between Liverpool & District side Club Lobster and Luton based St Joseph's from the North Home Counties Sunday League. It is the third season in succession that Marine have had the honour of hosting an FA Sunday Cup semi-final tie. Ilkeston Town player-manager Nigel Jemson, another England Under 21 international, has landed long time target Adam Muller from Wakefield-Emley. The 23 year old striker, who has scored ten goals this season, was on loan to the "Robins" earlier in the campaign when he impressed so much that he has been signed on a contract that keeps him at Ilkeston until the end of next season. Guiseley have been selected to run an anti-racism project under the Stand Up, Speak Up banner, which is being promoted by Arsenal star Thierry Henry with funding from the King Baudouin Foundation and the Football Foundation. Frickley Athletic are already in to World Cup fever despite it being three months away. They have launched a "World Cup Fever" draw with hat-trick hero Geoff Hurst's signed England shirt from the 1966 World Cup Final as the star prize. It is fully framed and includes the matchday programme and a photo of Hurst scoring the fourth goal. Tickets cost £2 each or 3 for £5 and can be purchased from the club's official website at www.frickleyafc.co.uk. Gresley Rovers have donated £300 to the Chairman of South Derbyshire Mr Raymond Jones for his chosen charity following their participation in the 2005 Bass Charity Vase. Farsley Celtic have gone under the hammer in a shirt deal with Leeds based Auctioneer Gary Don that will see his name on Celtic shirts until the end of the season. Morecambe has recalled on loan Lee Dodgson, who has been instrumental in Leek Town's revival.

Northern Premier League Refer Dispute To Arbitration

After months of negotiations the Northern Premier League (UniBond) has reluctantly had to accept that their dispute with the Football Association over the level of restructuring to be implemented in 2006 has finally reached an impasse despite the League's concerted efforts to resolve the problem within the game. Unfortunately, due to the restrictions under the "Regulations for the Establishment and Operation of the National League System" this has left the League with little option in pursuit of their reasoned objective for a 1,2,3,6 structure other than to give formal notice to the FA of the NPL Board's decision to refer the matter to arbitration.

The NPL made a final written plea on 14th February requesting the position be reviewed so that Arbitration could be avoided and this was considered by the FA League's Committee at their meeting on 23rd February. The decision of the League's Committee was that the 1,2,3,5 structure would be implemented for season 2006/7 and they would endeavour to implement a sixth First Division in the North for season 2007/8.

The dispute centres on an unprecedented "U" turn by the FA League's Committee at the end of September 2005 when they decided to change the decision notified prior to the start of the current season to all participating Leagues and clubs that they were to implement a 1,2,3,6 structure in 2006. This structure allocated two Regional First Divisions to each of the Isthmian, Northern Premier and Southern Leagues to feed in to each of those League's three Premier Divisions - an eminently logical, fair and sensible structure considering that the FA plans the number of Leagues to feed from the next level was to be reduced to twelve.

When the FA's League's Committee met at the end of September they, without any notice or consultation, changed their original decision to have six First Divisions to that of a 1,2,3,5 structure leaving the Northern Premier League as the only senior competition without two regional First Divisions although the FA did indicate that another Division may be allocated to the Northern Premier League at some undefined stage in the future. Undoubtedly this decision undermined the position of the Northern Premier League within the structure as it was inequitable and also had a detrimental impact on the future of football in the North and particularly on the Feeder Leagues with links to the North who between them would be providing a significant allocation of clubs for promotion within the formally notified 1,2,3,6 structure.

The North West Counties League, the Northern Counties East League and the Midland Football Alliance have all given their committed support to the Northern Premier League's efforts to have the 1,2,3,6 structure re-instated. This is in addition to the support already given by the Football Conference and Isthmian League. Also of note is the volume of support across the country to back the 1,2,3,6 structure with over one hundred clubs applying for promotion to the higher level.

The change to a 1,2,3,5 structure also has an adverse effect on clubs in the North Midlands whether currently in the Northern Premier League or its feeder Leagues. All these clubs face an uncertain future as those in the Northern Premier League may find themselves transferred to the Southern League, very much against the wishes of most of them whilst clubs in the Midland Football Alliance and the more southerly regions of the North West Counties League and Northern Counties East League will face a lottery each season as to whether they will be promoted to the Northern Premier League or the Southern League. It should be clear for all to see that promotion to the Southern League from either the North West Counties League or the Northern Counties East League fails to make any sense whatsoever.

No convincing reason has been given by the Football Association for their change in direction and action of this nature defies all the fundamental principles of good practice in governance when the governing body of the game makes such a significant change part way through a season contrary to the terms and conditions it had submitted to all participants prior to the season starting.
The Northern Premier League has given notice that Mr Graham Bean has agreed to act as their Arbitrator. It is the League's understanding that until such time as the Arbitration process has been finalised any decision on restructuring will be placed "on hold" although this has yet to be confirmed by the Football Association.

UniBond League "Club Of The Month" Awards

The UniBond League "Club of the Month" awards for February have gone to Blyth Spartans and Belper Town respectively. Blyth took the Premier Division prize with five wins and a draw in six outings ahead of Ossett Town and Frickley Athletic both of whom were also unbeaten in the month but had played fewer games.

Belper were another unbeaten side during February and scooped the lower tier's accolade with wins over Bamber Bridge, Gresley Rovers and Colwyn Bay before being held to a draw by Spalding United.

UniBond League "Fair Play" Awards

Matlock Town and Belper Town made it a Derbyshire double in the UniBond "Fair Play" awards for February with the "Gladiators" clear winners of the Premier Division prize with just two cautions in the month whilst the "Nailers" had an even better record with just one caution. However Belper were far from clear winners as Clitheroe also only had a solitary caution with the prize going the way of Belper by virtue of their better overall season to date record. Amazingly it is the third time this season that Belper have tied for the prize!

Ashton United continue to lead the race for the £1,000 Premier Division first prize for the season as a whole and are the only top tier side to average under one caution per game. They lead from Guiseley who, in turn, are just clear of North Ferriby United and Prescot Cables in joint third. Belper Town's excellent run of discipline has enabled them to take over top spot from Colwyn Bay in the season to date tables with Shepshed Dynamo third and Chorley fourth. In addition to the first prize of £1,000 in each Division the season's runners-up receive £750, third place £500 and fourth place £250 making a total of £5,000 put up by League Sponsors UniBond.

Endsleigh Sports Insurance "Goalscoring" Awards

The Endsleigh Sports Insurance "Goalscoring" awards for February have gone to Bradford Park Avenue and Rossendale United respectively. Bradford took the Premier Division prize averaging 2.5 goals per game the same as Frickley Athletic and just ahead of Matlock Town's 2.4 goals per game. To separate Avenue and Frickley cup-ties were removed leaving only league games and Bradford with eight goals in three games. Amazingly, Bradford didn't win any of those matches and after the last fixture against Witton they parted company with manager Gary Brook.

Rossendale United were clear winners of the First Division prize with twelve goals in four games during the month. Nobody could dispute they were not worthy winners with all four opponents, Mossley, Fleetwood Town, Bridlington Town and Colwyn Bay in the top seven places at the time of the games!

Bradford Part Company With Brook

Gary Brook became the UniBond League's sixteenth managerial change of the season when Bradford Park Avenue terminated his contract after last Saturday's 3-2 home defeat at the hands of Witton Albion. That result was Avenue's fourteenth game since a league victory and left the club just four points off the relegation places after a comparatively bright start to life back in the UniBond following last season's relegation from the Conference North.

Brook had been called in by Avenue to replace previous incumbent Carl Shutt during the close season and initially things went well with Bradford sitting in fourth place at the end of October before a disastrous sequence of results saw the club plummet towards the relegation zone. Brook's Assistant Brian Crowther is taking charge of team affairs helped by Reserve Team manager Steve Newton.

Naylor Back With A Bang

Former Crewe Alexandra and Port Vale striker Tony Naylor came back to playing on Tuesday evening with a real bang as he struck home two spot kicks to prevent Frickley Athletic going clear at the top of the Premier Division. Now Assistant Manager at Ashton United Naylor, who will be 39 later this month, was only registered in an emergency just before the four hour deadline to allow to him to participate in the game and hadn't played for some considerable time. He made around four hundred appearances in the full time game scoring well over a century of goals after starting off in the UniBond League with Droylsden.

Belper Line Up Dutch Opposition

First Division club Belper Town will create a piece of club history in August when they stage their first ever game against foreign opposition. As part of their pre-season warm up the "Nailers" have invited Dutch non-league side DVV Duiven to play at Christchurch Meadow on 12th August. The driving force for the fixture has been Belper Secretary Dave Laughlin who has friends in the Dutch town and has been to the football club there on several occasions when visiting Holland. He said: "They are a very similar set-up to Belper in many ways and I would like to think that if the trip is successful we can make it an annual event with Belper travelling to Holland in 2007". The clubs will play for the "Caroline Melbourne Trophy" which has been commissioned by Belper Town Supporters Club in memory of the long standing supporter who tragically passed away just a few weeks ago.

Borough Close To Finalising £300,000 Investment Deal

Radcliffe Borough have announced that they are close to finalising a deal with property developing firm MDA that will see the UniBond League outfit reap a £300,000 investment and give the green light to a bright new era at the club. The money will be invested in the clubhouse, outdoor pitches and eventually the ground itself. Under the deal MDA Directors Mark Evans and Stuart Holmes will become non-executive members of the Borough Board with the vision being the venue becoming the focal point of the local community.

Mr Evans said: "Our ambition is to create a place that local people will want to visit, not only on match days but throughout the week. The club has huge potential as a public entertainment venue" whilst Club Chairman Bernard Manning Jnr added: "The money will be spent on the infrastructure that will allow us to maximise our revenue potential in the future".