Ashby Ivanhoe FC vs Rainworth Miners Welfare FC Saturday 18 August 2018 by Ashby Ivanhoe FC

EAST MIDLANDS COUNTIES FOOTBALL LEAGUE PROGRAMME OF THE SEASON

ASHBY IVANHOE FC IVANHO Y E B

. F.C

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OFFICIAL MATCHDAY MAGAZINE SEASON 2018/2019 £1

19 4 8 - 2 01 8

70 YE AR S

VS RAINWORTH MINERS WELFARE EAST MIDLANDS COUNTIES FOOTBALL LEAGUE SATURDAY 18TH AUGUST 2018 – 3:00PM NFU SPORTS GROUND

NFU Mutual in Ashby is proud to sponsor Ashby Ivanhoe Football Club. Call our friendly team for an insurance quotation on 01530 412272 or pop into the office at NFU Mutual Office, 8 Mill Farm, Mill Farm Lane, Lower Packington Road, Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Leicestershire LE65 1GR

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WELCOME TO ASHBY IVANHOE FC

. F.C

IVANHO E BY

19 4 8 - 2 01 8

70 YE AR S

ASHBY IVANHOE FOOTBALL CLUB

NFU Sports Ground Lower Packington Road Ashby de la Zouch Leicestershire, LE65 1TS 01530 413140 ------------------------------------------------CLUB OFFICIALS Club Chairman: Stuart Bonser Club President: David Morris Vice President: Charlie Tissington Snr Senior & Matchday Secretary: Charlie Tissington Jnr Finance Manager: Jane Irving Operations Manager: Ian Irving Facilities Manager: Dave Buckley Project Manager: Jon Emmerson Commercial Manager: Stuart Bonser Child Welfare Officer: Joanne Banton Supporters Club Chairman: Mick Buckley Website & Programme Editor: Matthew Lester Matchday PA: Mick Buckley Photographer: Dean Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Shea

ASHBY IVANHOE vs ARNOLD TOWN

Welcome to the NFU Sports Ground for todays East Midlands Counties League fixture against Rainworth Miners Welfare

5 7

CHAIRMANS WELCOME

Club Chairman Stuart Bonser gives his latest thoughts ahead of todays match

FIRST TEAM UPDATE

Craig Picknell gives his latest thoughts ahead of todays match

FOOTBALL QUIZ

IN OPPOSITION

CLUB HISTORY

Can you answer all 40 quesitons correctly?

All the information of todays opponents Rainworth MW

A brief history of Ashby Ivanhoe Football Club

TWITTER: @AshbyIvanhoe_FC FACEBOOK: Ashby Ivanhoe FC FACEBOOK: Ashby Ivanhoe FC Soccer School

FIRST TEAM MANAGEMENT Manager: Craig Picknell Assistant: Marc Sargeant Coach: Stephen Guest RESERVE TEAM MANAGEMENT Managers: Robbie Avins & Andy Parry MIDWEEK U18S MANAGEMENT Coaches: Ian Stewart, Steve Gee & Sam Gee FOOTBALL DEVELOPMENT MANAGER Andy Topham GROUND STAFF Mark Pepper, Darren Wearmouth, Ryan Morris

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4-8 Kilwardby Street, Ashby de la Zouch, Leicestershire, LE65 2FU 2 Bolebridge Street, Tamworth, Staffordshire, B79 7PA

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CHAIRMANS WELCOME Good afternoon and welcome to the NFU Sports Ground for todays game against Rainworth Miners Welfare FC and may I extend a warm welcome to the players, officials and supporters of Rainworth, who are visiting us for the first time and hope that you enjoy our hospitality.

A good start for the team last Saturday at home against Arnold Town FC and some early signs that the results will match the performances this season which is great to see.

Today sees the start for the Knights in the Leicestershire Senior League Div 1 and we send our wishes to Robbie, Andy and the players and hope they get off to a good start.

It was pleasing to hear so many positive comments last weekend regarding the facilities and pitch and this is testament to the many hours that the club volunteers continue to put in each week and most of which goes un-noticed.

Congratulations to Dan Stevenson, who was the Man of the Match last Saturday and if you would like to register your vote for todays mana of the match please do so on our twitter page around 80 minutes and the player will be rewarded with a bottle of bubbly after the game.

In next weeks programme notes I will be sharing our plans, targets and objectives both on and off the field for this season and seasons to come and I am sure you will all get behind the plans as we continue to progress the club in the right way.

All that remains is to wish the team well today and hope you all enjoy the game

Stuart Bonser Club Chairman

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FIRST TEAM UPDATE Hello and welcome to the NFU, home of Ashby Ivanhoe FC. I am pleased that our first few games see us play at home. I genuinely love the NFU and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a ground that inspires me every time I walk on the pitch. Off the field the volunteers (Ian specifically) have spent considerable time getting the pitch in fantastic condition. This is important as we want to play football with the ball on the deck and with so many of our players excelling at travelling with the ball it is important we give them the platform to do this. We come into this game on the back of an excellent 3-1 win against Arnold Town last week. Our front 4 put in excellent performances and it is fair to say that to only score 3 was the biggest disappointment of the day. The Arnold keeper was in inspired form and kept them in the game. Today will be a tougher test against a relatively unknown Rainworth side. They took a voluntary relegation from the northern Counties league so I expect them to be strong. As with last week we will be going out with an attacking intent today and am hoping we can build on the performance last week to bank some more points and continue to improve. Here is to another season of football. Enjoy the game, keep the faith and please be vocal in your support. Craig Picknell 1st Team Manager FIRST TEAM UPDATE SPONSORED BY

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FIRST TEAM LEAGUE TABLE & GOALSCORERS League Table 2018/2019 Season East Midlands Counties Football League

Goalscorers 2018/2019 Season

Correct to Saturday 25th August 2018

inc. Cup Games

PTS

1 Clifton All Whites

2 Selston

3 Teversal

4 Sherwood Colliery

5 Ingles

6 Newark Flowserve

7 Kimberley Miners Welfare

8 Heanor Town

9 Ashby Ivanhoe

10 Eastwood C FC

11 Barrow Town

12 Graham Street Prims

-1

13 Rainworth Miners Welfare

-2

14 Belper United

-1

15 Gedling Miners Welfare

-4

16 Radford

-4

17 West Bridgford

-5

18 Clipstone

-6

19 Arnold Town

-10

20 Borrowash Victoria

-11

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FOOTBALL QUIZ 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40.

What type of cat was the official mascot for the 2010 FIFA World Cup? Which team did Tottenham Hotspur beat to win the 1973 League Cup? Which country won the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations? Zakumi was the name of the official mascot for which sporting competition? Which player scored for both sides during the 1987 F.A. Cup Final? What was the name of the dog that found the stolen World Cup (Jules Rimet Trophy) in 1966? German footballer, Oliver Khan, played in which position? Which country’s national football team was knocked out of the 1998 FIFA World Cup despite scoring six goals in their last match? Which English football team won the 2011 FA Cup? Which national team beat Hungary 4-2 to win the 1938 FIFA World Cup? Which country defeated England 1-0 on 29th June in the 1950 FIFA World Cup ? How many players are in a Gaelic football team? Which nation’s football team won the FIFA World Cup in 2006? In 1985, who became the first football player to be sent off during an FA Cup final? Which two countries jointly hosted the 2002 FIFA World Cup? Which was the first country to stage football’s European Championship final twice? Which country will host the 2014 FIFA World Cup? Who captained the England football team at the 1958 World Cup Finals? In which country was the 1990 FIFA World Cup held? Which country won the 1978 FIFA World Cup? In 1958, who became the youngest footballer, at age 17, to play in a World Cup? In the UK, what was the first Welsh football team to play in the Premier League? Which nation won the 2002 FIFA World Cup? How many goals did footballer Gary Lineker score for England? Which BBC sports commentator famously said ‘For those of you watching in black and white, Spurs are in the all-yellow strip’? Which English football club became temporary ground-sharing tenants with Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park in 1991? Barney the Owl is a mascot of which English football club? Who won the Yashin Award for Best Goalkeeper in the 2006 FIFA World Cup? Which English Premier League football club has the motto ‘Audere est Facere’ (To Dare is to Do)? ‘Gooners’ are supporters of which London football club? Which was the first British football club to win the European Cup? Which football club did Jimmy Greaves play for between 1977 and 1979? Which English Premier League football club has the motto ‘Nil Satis Nisi Optimum’ (Nothing but the best is good enough)? Which English football team knocked both Liverpool FC and Chelsea FC out of the 2007/2008 FA Cup? Who won the Golden Shoe (Boot) Award for most goals scored in the 1966 FIFA World Cup? Who won the Yashin Award for the Best Goalkeeper in the 1998 World Cup? Which country hosted the 1962 FIFA World Cup? Which country won the FIFA Award for Most Entertaining Team at the 2006 World Cup? How many players are on the field at one time in an American Football team? In which year year did English footballer Stanley Matthews play his final international game?

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MAN OF THE MATCH

Special recognition award presented to Matthew Lester for all of his years of producing the best match day magazine for miles - presented by Club Chairman Stuart Bonser

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MAN OF THE MATCH

Last weeks man of the match against Arnold Town F.C. was Dan Stevenson - presented with a Bottle if bubbly by Martin Cooper

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THE OPPOSITION STAPENHILL They were formed in 1947 and ten years after formation they joined the Leicestershire Senior League Division Two and found immediate success, gaining promotion in their debut season and winning the Division One championship in the following two seasons. They remained in that division, apart from a single season (1971/1972) in Division Two, winning the top flight, now renamed the Premier Division, twice more â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 1986/1987 and 1988/1989. They then joined the Midland Combination Premier Division, staying there for five seasons until they became a founding member of the Midland Alliance where they remained until resigning from the league in January 2002. Later that year they joined the Leicestershire Senior League and were promoted as runners-up into the Premier Division. In the 2007/2008 season, they were members of the Midland Football Alliance, but after a fire ravaged their home stadium the club was forced to close down. The club reformed in 2009 and rejoined the Leicestershire Senior League and gained promotion to the EMCL in the 2012/2013 season. Honours East Midlands Counties Football League Runners-up: 2013/2014 Leicestershire Senior League Champions: 1958/1959, 1959/1960, 1986/1987, 1988/1989, 2006/2007

Last 3 Seasons League Record Season

League

Pos

+/-

PTS

2013/2014

East Midlands Counties League

2 / 19

101

2012/2013

Leicestershire Senior League Premier

5 / 14

2011/2012

Leicestershire Senior League Premier

5 / 16

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IN OPPOSITION TODAY THE RAINWORTH MINERS’ WELFARE STORY - By Gordon Foster WEMBLEY AND THE EARLIER HISTORY Rufford Colliery FC, as they were styled until the 1970s, were founded in 1922, but it was not until 1976 that they really began to take off with the arrival of Brian Phillips, the former Middlesbrough and Mansfield Town centre half, as manager. Phillips succeeded the club’s first ever manager, Tony Porter, whose appointment made Rainworth the first Notts Alliance club to take this step, although it was a move which other clubs in the league soon copied. Phillips, whose death at the age of 80 was mourned by the club during the 2012 close season, led the side to runners-up spot in 1976, and then followed six successive league championships. They also enjoyed consistent success in the League Cup, and won the Notts Senior Cup twice. The League, League Cup and Senior Cup were all won in 1982, but the icing on the cake came in the FA Vase. It was only the third time the club had entered the national competition, but they went all the way to the Wembley final before losing 3-0 to the upwardly mobile Forest Green Rovers - who now play at the highest level of non-League. A crowd officially returned as 12,500 (many still believe this was woefully understated) at Wembley included 10,000 who made the journey down from Nottinghamshire, and although in the end they could not lift the Vase itself they did have the honour of being only the second true amateur club, paying subs to play, and the only Miners’ Welfare team, ever to grace the final. The home leg of the semi-final was, in its own way, even more memorable than Wembley itself. After a goalless first leg draw at former finalists Barton Rovers, Dave Hallam popped in two goals in the home leg to give the side a 2-1 victory before a crowd of 5,071, which remains a competition record outside the final to this day. The 1980s saw Rainworth, reach the last 16 of the Vase on three more occasions, plus further appearances in the Notts Senior Cup final, but after 1983 it was not until 1991 that silverware again graced the trophy cupboard in the form of the Notts Alliance championship, as Rainworth became the club everyone wanted to beat. Successive managers had to work in the shadow of that great side. They included former Bolton, Burnley, Birmingham, Oxford and Mansfield forward Neil Whatmore, John Slater - himself a member of that 1982 team - who after leading Clipstone Welfare to three successive titles made it a nap hand by winning the next two as Rainworth manager - and another former Mansfield player, Gary Saxby. In between, Brian Phillips also had another spell in charge aided by Mick Gould and John Wallhead, whose contacts brought a number of new and fondly remembered players to the club. The arrival of Sandy Pate heralded the dawn of the 21st century, and although his first season in charge saw the club down to 10th place - the lowest position for at least 20 years - the up side of the story was the number of promising youngsters he brought to the club to replace the aging old guard. The following season those young players, aided by a touch of experience, came of age and mounted a serious title challenge before finishing second. In their final Alliance season before joining the Central Midlands League they finished fifth, and reached the League Cup semi-final before bowing out to eventual champions Radcliffe Olympic. By this time many of the established Notts Alliance clubs had seen greener grass in the Central Midlands League, and while Rainworth remained faithful to the Alliance which had served them so well for so long, the loss of so many of their traditional rivals to the CML made it perhaps inevitable that they should ultimately follow suit. OUT OF THE SHADOWS WITH FUNK AND MILLAR In the five seasons leading up to promotion to the Northern Premier League, Rudy Funk and Billy Millar had brought about a revolution at the club with those three promotions, to lift the Wrens to their highest ever level of competitive football, making them the first and still the only Miners’ Welfare club in the country to achieve Step 4 status, and finally bringing the club out of the shadow of that 198182 achievement. Rudy and Billy arrived during the summer of 2005 when the club was at a very low ebb. Previous manager, former Mansfield Town favourite Sandy Pate, had led the club from the Notts Alliance into the Central Midlands Premier Division and then won promotion to the Supreme Division in third place at the first attempt. But midway through that first season in the Supreme Division the club was devastated by the sudden and unexpected death of highlyrated coach Mark Hallas. It was a blow from which they could not recover, they plummeted down the table, and finished in a relegation

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IN OPPOSITION TODAY position - the only time in the club’s history until last season that this had ever happened. Fortunately for Rainworth the failure of other clubs to meet the floodlighting deadline meant that they were reprieved and preserved their Supreme Division place. A brand new start was desperately needed. Sandy, broken-hearted, stood down from the club he had come to love, and Rudy - a former coach at Rainworth during his predecessor’s period in charge - returned as manager vowing to turn the club around and ultimately bring what was then UniBond League football to Kirklington Road—a promise he fulfilled before his shock resignation. In their first season Rudy and Billy steadied the ship and achieved ninth place, before going for and winning promotion to the NCEL Division One the following year, finishing third behind Bottesford Town and Barton Town - all three made the step up, fully 12 points clear of the rest of the pack. Third place qualified for promotion that season only because of a restructure at step 4 with the Northern Premier League's First Division splitting into North and South. A successful first season in the NCEL saw the Wrens finally finish fourth, falling away slightly at the death, largely as a result of an horrendous injury list, after looking likely promotion contenders for most of the campaign. That season also marked the first year back in the FA Cup for over half a century, and they reached the penultimate qualifying stage before very unluckily bowing out at then Southern League Chasetown - who went all the way to the third round proper and lost to eventual finalists Cardiff City. Missing out at the end of that season made the management all the more determined to go one better next time around, and they won promotion as runners-up to runaway champions Scarborough Athletic - who had risen out of the ashes of the former Football League club. Rudy boldly proclaimed prior to the start of the next season, in the NCEL Premier Division, that Rainworth were not in the division just to make up the numbers and, after a slightly uncertain start, they embarked on a club record breaking 16 successive league wins which saw them top the league. Unfortunately, with the league record of 21 straight wins held by Guiseley in sight, they then hit an indifferent spell and played 10 games in all competitions without a win, before ending the season with another run of seven victories on the bounce to claim runnersup spot behind Bridlington Town. There was only one promotion place, but Brid, who finished the season 11 points clear after the Wrens hit that sticky patch, declined it because of the expense of travelling, so Rainworth gratefully accepted promotion instead. THE EVO-STIK LEAGUE YEARS Rainworth were placed in Division One South of the Evo-Stik League, and the management team opted to give the promotion-winning squad a chance to prove themselves at the higher level, but they made a difficult start to life at Step 4, and Rudy decided to step down part way through that first season. He had led the club from the bottom of the Step 7 Central Midlands League Supreme Division to the Evo-Stik League winning three promotions in four years so, although they were finding it hard going and had lost nine successive matches, the manager’s decision to go was a bolt from the blue. It was a sad end to a great era, but life went on, and between them Billy and promoted club captain Lee Wilkinson set about a massive repair job. At the time the Wrens looked deep in relegation trouble, but so much did the tide turn under the new management that, although they only finished one place above the relegation zone, there was a 19-point gap over next to bottom Shepshed Dynamo by the end of the season. And, for good measure, the club won the Fair Play award for Division One South. Unfortunately hopes that that improvement could be carried into the next campaign were unfulfilled. Indeed, between Kevin Gee’s appointment as manager and his first match in charge the club slumped to the bottom of the table. Gee was given just one task to fulfil – to avoid relegation. Although the club still struggled to score goals mathematical safety was achieved by the end of March, thanks largely to the best defensive record in the division outside the top three. The previous season’s league placing was bettered by one, and 14 points parted the club from the bottom two. Season 2013-14 had marked the start of yet another new era in the club's chequered history. Towards the end of their third season in the Evo-Stik NPL the Wrens took stock, faced up to the agonising realisation that in their circumstances they were punching above their weight financially at Step 4 of the National Leagues System, and notified the league of their intention to withdraw at the end of the season and take a voluntary drop to Step 5. It was not that the club were in debt – far from it. But some key funding initiatives were drying up, and it was felt that to continue and remain competitive in Step 4 was unsustainable. It was ironic that it had been the Wrens’ best season since their promotion from the Northern Counties East League. But when the story

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IN OPPOSITION TODAY of their resignation broke it was read by Mansfield Town director Mark Hawkins, who resigned his post at the One-Call Stadium, just as the Stags regained their Football League place from the Conference as it was then called, and offered his services to Rainworth, saying that the club had worked too hard in achieving their status to let it go. Mr Hawkinsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; arrival marked the start of a closer relationship with their Football League neighbours less than four miles away, and among the new initiatives brought about by Markâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s arrival was a brand new major sponsorship by Green Energy Power Solutions. Rainworth made a sound start to the next season as Gee brought in a number of new players, but a disappointing run of results during early September culminated in Gee's resignation after he had turned the club from perennial strugglers into a respected Step 4 outfit. Scott Rickards, who had joined as a player during the close season, was handed his first taste of management as Gee's successor, after a short but successful caretakership. Money was still tight though, and a cut in the playing budget midway through the season meant the departure of several of the experienced Northern Premier players that Gee had brought to the club. The fact that neither Rickards nor his assistant Matt Clarke lived locally hampered their ability to bring in suitable replacements, and the season petered out to a disappointing conclusion with a 15th-place finish, having looked like potential play-off candidates earlier in the campaign. And while a successful Notts Senior Cup run to the final provided some welcome relief, the final itself was a disaster as a badly depleted side scored first and last against Carlton Town, but conceded six in between. With Clarke moving on at the end of that season he was replaced as Rickards' number two by Dean Short, who had some success as Sutton Town manager. The hope was that Short would fill the blanks in Rickards' knowledge of local players capable of making the step up, but Rickards himself stunned the club just two days before the start of last season by walking out of the job. Most of the remaining senior players left with him, and Short was left in an impossible position with a team of basically Step 6 players with no more experienced men to guide them. Short brought in Dean Mitchell to help him, but with the two Deans not familiar with Step 4 football and therefore unable to attract enough of the right calibre of player, results suffered dramatically, to the extent that they and the club parted company by mutual agreement in mid-September. A new management team of Gary Sucharewicz and Ian Robinson were quickly appointed in their stead, and within a couple of days they had recruited several new players who they believed were able to be competitive at this level. Although it was largely a new team thrown together without the benefit of a pre-season, results immediately improved, and the club were optimistic that they could achieve respectability again. Sucharewicz unfortunately lasted only a few weeks before a change in his day job left him unable to continue, so John Knapper joined Robinson as his replacement. However, that early promise was never quite maintained as the managers were unable to establish a settled squad, and although the side were close to being capable of challenging at the top end too many unlucky single goal defeats cost them dearly. Meanwhile Mark Hawkins had resigned from the chairmanship to return to Mansfield Town, although the sponsorship of Green Energy continued, but as costs of remaining competitive as a Step 4 club mounted the club again took the decision to resign from the league and this time there was no going back. Unfortunately the news of the decision was released by the league in a most unsatisfactory manner before the management and players could be informed, performances in the final weeks of the season suffered in consequence, and the club plummeted to next to bottom. While this was a relegation position a reprieve would almost certainly have been granted, but the resignation stood, and so ended five years of Step 4 football. At least now, if the chance ever presents itself again, the club will be more clued up about life at that level, and that knowledge will stand them in good stead. WRENS REGROUP IN NCEL The Wrens had been proud to be the first and only Miners' Welfare club to have operated at step 4 of the National Leagues System but their heartbreaking decision saw them placed by the FA back into the NCEL Premier for last season. The new start saw virtually a completely new team under new manager, former Sheffield Wednesday and Luton Town defender Julian Watts and assistant Ady Smith. It was this pairing, in reversed roles, that led the Wrens' reserve side to the Central Midlands Reserve Supreme Division title in 2014 before the side was axed as an economy measure. Their first season in charge saw them eventually finish ninth, scoring 98 league goals in the process. Things grew worse though in 2016-17 season. The team struggled and only made certain of avoiding relegation after winning their

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IN OPPOSITION TODAY penultimate match of the season. Watts and Smith departed, and new manager Craig Denton was installed with Rob Poulter as his number two for last season. With a playing budget severely slashed Denton nevertheless brought about a significant improvement as the side finished in mid-table. THIS SEASON Lack of finance, however, continued to be a pressing problem and once again the club were forced to take a voluntary demotion to step 6 with a minimal playing budget. A preference for the East Midlands Counties League was expressed, with its much reduced travelling, and the committee were relieved when the National Leagues Committee granted that wish. However, the ambitious Denton and his management team opted not to remain, they moved on to attempt to awake the sleeping giant that is Worksop Town, and in their stead Ben Marvin, who had worked in a coaching capacity with Paul Cox at Mansfield Town, Barrow and Guiseley, was appointed along with Paul Rockley who returned to the club from Coalville Town as assistant manager. Marvin could be described as in the Denton mould, a young man taking his first managerial appointment and looking to make a name for himself. An almost completely new squad is made up primarily of younger players with one or two older heads to add on-field guidance, and the club are optimistic of a good season in their first taste of EMCL football. THE KIRKLINGTON ROAD STADIUM At the time of the Wembley season there was no covered accommodation at Rainworth, and the main pitch was merely roped off. Looking at the ground now it is hard to visualise how such a vast crowd could have been accommodated for that Vase semi-final, but in those days there were huge banks behind the Kirklington Road goal and on the allotments side - which included some rudimentary railway sleeper terracing-and ‘Health and Safety’ was not such a big issue then as it is nowadays. The ground was essentially three sided, with a cricket square and a second pitch with training lights opposite. Eventually, in 1991, floodlights were put in - the club had a reputation as trail-blazers, having already been the first Notts Alliance club to appoint a manager, enter the Vase, and the joint first to begin producing a matchday programme, and now they were the first to instal lights. New FA Vase requirements meant that covered accommodation was needed so the small stand on the allotments side was put in, at a stroke cutting the ground capacity, and this eventually included seating. When application was made to join the NCEL a number of grading issues were raised, not least the need for new dressing rooms adjacent to the pitch to replace those which stood some 25 yards away, and enclosure of the main arena which was made possible by the removal of cricket. All this was completed, along with a brand new seated stand, hard standing all around the pitch, a new pitch barrier acquired from Nuneaton Borough’s old ground, turnstiles, hospitality suites, tea bar, manager’s office, and press room. Few visitors to Rainworth fail to compliment the club on their excellent facilities. The old dressing rooms and second pitch continue in use by Sunday and youth sides, while the new dressing rooms are of Conference standard. Capacity is 2,201 with 211 seats (the seating capacity was cut to 159 from 221 when the 62 seats in the Allotments Side stand were removed at the behest of the ground graders to provide more covered standing space. Since then 52 of those seats, still to be covered, have been re-installed adjacent to the pavilion at the Kirklington Road end of the ground). THE VILLAGE Rainworth is a large and growing village some four miles to the south-east of Mansfield in the heart of Robin Hood country. A former hamlet, it grew with the mining industry when Rufford Colliery was sunk, and the population rose to some 9,000. With the closure of the colliery in 1993 the place has become something of a ‘dormitory’ for Mansfield and Nottingham, but the old community spirit within the village appeared to disintegrate when the pit closed, and this is reflected in the difficulty that the club has in attracting attendances to match those old days. Apart from the exploits of its football club the village’s main claim to fame is probably as the place where the notorious mass murderer ‘The Black Panther’ was heroically captured and arrested. The popular local pronunciation of the village name is ‘Rennoth’, giving rise to the club’s nickname of ‘The Wrens’. THE WRIGHT DYNASTY – A RAINWORTH LEGEND No history of Rainworth MWFC could ever be complete without mentioning the immense contribution made over countless years by the late Alan Wright and his family. Alan served as goalkeeper, committee member, groundsman and secretary (taking over that position just in time to mastermind the administration of that amazing 1981-82 season) as well as being chairman of the Notts Alliance until he sadly died in 2002. Alan’s son Kim later became chairman and subsequently vice-chairman, and his support was immense. But he passed away midway through 2016-17 season, followed four weeks later by his mum and Alan’s wife Eileen who had served as hospitality hostess. It is to their memory and lifetime of service the wrought iron gates at the ground entrance are dedicated.

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Ashby Ivanhoe Football Club was founded in 1948 and play their home matches at the NFU Sports Ground, Lower Packington Road, Ashby de la Zouch in Leicestershire. This is the clubs new home from the beginning of the 2012/2013 season. Since being founded in 1948 up until the end of the 2011/2012 season the clubs previous home was at Hood Park also in Ashby de la Zouch.

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ASHBY IVANHOE FC CLUB HISTORY

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The club currently consists of three adult teams and a youth team. The first team play in the East Midlands Counties League, with the Reserves in the Leicestershire Senior League Premier Division. In the 2008/2009 season the club formed a Youth Team (Under 18’s) side who play in the Leicestershire Midweek Floodlit Youth League on Wednesday nights. A Sunday team was re-introduced for this season and they play in the Burton Sunday League Division Four. The club also has a large number of junior sides ranging from Under 7’s through to Under 18’s who play in the Burton Junior Football League, Tamworth Junior Football League and the Derby City League. The junior section came after the club merged with the David Hunt Soccer School at the beginning of the 2009/2010 season. In February 2004, Ashby Ivanhoe became an FA Charter Standard football club. The club is very ambitious and has plans to progress further up the league pyramid system. The club is run by an experienced management team and enjoys the support of some very prestigious commercial partners. Ashby Ivanhoe had one of their most successful seasons in 2010/2011 as they completed a league and cup double by winning the Leicestershire Senior League by nine points and also lifted the Coalville Charity Cup for the very first time after producing a superb second half comeback to beat Bardon Hill 3-2 in the final. They have also reached successive Leicestershire Senior Cup finals in 2011/2012 and 2012/2013 but had to settle for runners-up on both occasions losing 3-1, firstly to Ibstock United and then Aylestone Park. The 2013/2014 season saw the first team achieve a long-term ambition as they won promotion into the Step 6 East Midlands Counties League for the 2014/2015 season after finishing third place in the Leicestershire Senior League. It was a close title race with the top three all finishing level on points with Ashby third on goal difference. The Reserves were also promoted to the Leicestershire Senior League Division One. 2014/2015 saw Ashby compete at Step 6 of the non-league pyramid for the first time and they had a very good season and secured a top six finish in the East Midlands Counties League which featured victories against all of the sides above them. The Reserve side were involved in a tight title race and it went down to a last day decider against Lutterworth Athletic Reserves but despite the result going against them on the day they were still promoted for the second season in succession and would play at Step 7 in the Leicestershire Senior League Premier Division for 2015/2016.

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ASHBY IVANHOE FC CLUB HISTORY 2015/2016 saw Ashby have another fine season and they mounted a strong title challenge and they led the East Midlands Counties League for the majority of the season before finally finishing in third place. That saw them assured of a first ever appearance in the FA Cup for the 2016/2017 season. Last season was the most memorable in the history of Ashby Ivanhoe Football Club. For the very first time in the clubs history they were accepted to play in the most famous club competition in the world, The FA Cup. It turned into a thrilling journey with higher ranked opponents of Quorn and Loughborough Dynamo knocked out before Ashby fell to Ilkeston in the 1st Qualifying Round. Prior to the Ilkeston defeat Ashby received a visit from the FA Cup which was paraded through the town centre visiting local sponsors before players and spectators had the opportunity to view the cup at the NFU Sports Ground. The league season was inconsistent with a strong finish to the season seeing the team finish in tenth place. The season did end with a first appearance in the final of the Jenkins & Jenkins League Cup but Dunkirk overturned a one goal deficit late on to see Ashby end as runners-up. The new season sees a new management team at the helm of the club with Glyn Andrews and Craig Picknell joining the club from Friar Lane & Epworth with the aim of achieving promotion to Step 5.

CLUB HONOURS East Midlands Counties Football League League Cup Runners Up: 2016/2017 Leicestershire Senior League Premier Division Champions: 2010/2011 Division One Runners Up: 2007/2008

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North Leicestershire Football League Premier Division Champions: 1994/1995, 1996/1997 1998/1999, 2002/2003 Premier Division Runners-Up: 1997/1998, 2004/2005 Cobbin Trophy Winners: 1996/1997 Chairmans Shield Winners: 1995/1996, 1996/1997 Leicestershire Senior Cup Runners Up: 2011/2012, 2012/2013 Coalville Charity Cup Winners: 2010/2011 Runners Up: 2002/2003

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THE TEAMS

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ASHBY IVANHOE

MANAGER: Craig Picknell ASSISTANT: Marc Sargeant COACH: Stephen Guest

Nik Ivanov (GK) Alex Ford Harry Stewert Danny Turnock Dan Stevenson Chris Sykes Andy Hulley Jake Conkay George Welsey Josh Matkin Dan Matkin Ryan Pearce Sam Carline McCauley Holmes Mitch Woodbine Angus Blair-Park Trafford Pickering Josh Lawrence Kerr Horn Sam Kirk Kai Smalley Elliott Bott Jack Robinson

RAINWORTH MINERS WELFARE MANAGER: ASSISTANT/COACHES:

Jacob Lowe (GK) Warren Squires Roberto Labbate Nick Labbate Alfie Gaughan Jack Weatherer Adam Jackson Liam Jepson Luke Morton Jack Webster Connor Wright Tom Sharpe Sam Robinson Antoinio Wedderburn Jordan Denyer Blessing Adeleye Luke Walker Tom Gledhill Kieran Barnes Jordan Jenkinson

MATCH OFFICIALS

REFEREE: ASSISTANTS:

NEXT UP AT THE NFU SPORTS GROUND

ASHBY IVANHOE VS GRAHAM STREET PRIMS EAST MIDLANDS COUNTIES FOOTBALL LEAGUE SATURDAY 25 AUGUST 2018 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 3:00PM