ASHTON TOWN AFC PROFILES PARK,
# Onward Onwards s & Upwards
Edge Green Street, Ashton in Makerfield, Wigan, WN4 8SL
COMMITTEE President - Jimmy Cahill Chairman - Mark Hayes Vice Chairman - Gordon Johnson Vice President - Stephen Barrett Secretary - Stefan Ochwat Clubhouse Manager - Clare Peters Treasurer - Peter Williams Committee Members - Kieran Johnson, Joanne Round, Joanne Bourne, Alison Sinnott Catering Manager - Denise Brady Commercial Manager - Jonathan Southward
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Programme Editor - Ian Pomfrett Welfare Officer - Gordon Johnson Grounds Team - Jimmy Cahill, David Bourne, Keith Peacock, Kit Manager - Keith Peacock Club Covid Officer - Mark Hayes
www.facebook.com/ashtontownafc Twitter - @ashtontownafc This Club is Unincorporated
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Welcome to our club Good afternoon and welcome to Profiles Park for this afternoons North West Counties North tie against Cleator Moor Celtic. As a club results for the first team haven't been good enough this season, and it was never going to be an easy change once we brought in Biggs. the lads are aware of it, but its easier said than done to change. What will help is us all backing them and helping push them forward together. To play Cleator today for me is great. They battered and bullied us last week so we know what's coming and we need to deal with it. A huge mention and thanks goes to our ladies team. They amazingly won 7 0 last week and top their division. They have been through some hard periods over the last couple of years but to their huge credit They have dug in and produced. Well done ladies !!
We have competed better, we have brought in better, Louis Sharp coming in sets Biggs standard, been playing higher level and a box to box player of a great standard, however mentally we still have work to do. We simply cannot keep letting in last minute goals. We all know that, and
Here's hoping we get the points today and we can finally kick start our season as it deserves.
Mark Club Chairman
@northernpromise
HISTORY OF ASHTON TOWN as Ashton Town Association Football Club originally joined the Div 2 of the Lancashire Combination in 1903 and were promoted to Div 1 in their 1st season. However, quickly relegated back to Div 2 after finishing 16th. Towards the end of 1910/11 season the club withdrew from the league and fixtures were taken over by Tyldesley Albion. The Club was reformed in 1953 as Makerfield Mill FC and after a short spell in the Wigan Sunday School League. They played in the St Helens Combination League for three years before joining the Warrington and District Amateur League in 1958.
The founder was a persistent man named Derek „Mick‟ Mycock. In 1962 the Club was forced to move from its original ground at Windsor Road due to land development and it was at this point the Club name was changed to Ashton Town AFC. Home games were played on a public park pitch at Whithill Street Recreation Ground in
Bryn until 1964 when the Club purchased a piece of land at Edge Green Street which was previously the home of Stubshaw Cross Rovers.
This became the Club`s new home, and development of the ground began. In 1969 the Clubhouse was completed, and was opened by Liverpool and England star Roger Hunt. Then in 1975 the present dressing room facilities were built.
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ssociation football club section. As did the arrival of our current Chairman, Mark Hayes, who has helped build the profile of the club both locally and nationally. Other volunteers to mention are Steve, Stefan, Denise, Ian, Dawn, Peter, Clare, Joanne and more recently, Keith whose dedication and work rate is second to none on quite often a day-to-day basis. It would go amiss if I didn‟t mention at this point Brian Cunliffe (pic below), who has on and
The formation of the North West Counties Football League 1982 saw Ashton Town join as founder members, and the Club has remained in the league ever since with the exception of season 1985-86, when they played in the Manchester League while essential ground maintenance work was carried out to bring the ground up to stringent ground grading requirements for the NWCF League. Throughout the years there have been many custodians of the club, owned by no-one, powered by volunteers. I‟ll surely miss out a host of names here but….Notable is the involvement of Jack Longstaffe, Pat Dooney, Barry & Sandra Longstaffe, Gordon Ellis, Les Bailey, Len Riley, Malcolm Magrath, Billy Pomfrett R.I.P 5/5/20 (right pic far right) and Jimmy Cahill (pic below far right). The latter two who have clocked up over a hundred years‟ service to Town and Jimmy is still here on a daily basis. In more recent times, Clare and James off, over the years worked behind the Horner made a massive boost to the club scenes painting, digging or mending often with the long overdue formation of a Junior without the right resources for the job…..it‟s people like this who really make a place what it is. So Many to mention, others to forget, but we are here and that wouldn‟t exist if it weren‟t for those who give up their time and effort to keep the club alive. Our motto ...... „Onwards & Upwards‟, sums us up as we now strive for promotion.
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HISTORY OF CLEAT the inclement weather 400 spectators witnessed a 2-1 victory to Keekle.
Association Football arrived late in the West Cumbrian town of Cleator Moor. The game was formed in 1863 when the Football Association laid out the first rules of the game. The Cumberland F.A. was formed in 1884 with its Senior County Cup first being played for in 1885/86. Cleator Moor United won the County Cup in 1903/04 with a team based at Bowthorn, made up with up to 10 players who had left Frizington White Star for monetary reasons. But all this was to change with the Formation, in the summer of 1909 of the Cleator Moor Celtic Club. The following article entitled “Football prospects at Cleator Moor" appeared in the Cumberland Paquet dated September 2nd 1909. "Great interest seems to be centred this season in football on Cleator Moor. An Association club has been formed called the "Celts" and a field has been acquired near to Cleator Moor Railway Station. Practice has been in progress, and the executive have got together a promising lot of youngsters, and hope to be rewarded by the general patronage of the public.”
In the 1950–51 season, Cleator Moor reached the first round of the FA Cup, where they lost to Tranmere Rovers 5–0, in a match played at Workington. The club has also competed in the FA Vase, reaching the second round in 1986–87. The club joined the Wearside League in 1988–89 and spent seven seasons in that league, their best finish in this period being in 1990–91 when they finished in eighth place. They re-joined the Wearside League in 2004–05. Cleator Moor Celtic celebrated its 100th birthday in 2008. In the 2017-2018 season Celtic achieved their highest ever placing in the Wearside League, coming 2nd and gaining promotion to the North West Counties League Division One North. Their most successful season ever also saw them win the Cumberland County Senior Cup with a 2-1 victory over Northern League side Penrith at Carlisle United‟s Brunton Park ground.
Their inaugural season in the NWCFL was a challenge for a young squad under the new leadership of John George and Craig Routledge, but they finished in a creditable 11th place Cleator Moor Celtic joined the Egremont Divisional proving they could compete at the higher level, league for the 1909/10 season with their inaugural with the young players who had to step up to the match taking place on Saturday 4th of September first team gaining many plaudits from opposing sides. They also got to the quarter final of the 1909 at home to near neighbour Keekle. Despite
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TOR MOOR CELTIC FC Cumberland Cup where they were only beaten by League Two side Carlisle United. After a difficult and curtailed 19-20 season, this season sees ex-player and coach Martin Mahone take over from Craig Routledge as club manager, with Dene White as his assistant manager. They will be hoping that they can improve on what the club has achieved in the last three
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seasons and end up in the upper echelons of the league. Celtic are very much the focal point for football in their locality, and host a number of teams from under 6s to open age, including a reserve side that play in the Cumberland County Football League.
Who’s played at edge green st Patrick Colm McGibbon was born on 6th September 1973 in Lurgan, County Armagh, McGibbon began his career at his local Irish Premier League club, Portadown, signing a professional contract with them in 1991, aged just 18. A year later, he was signed by Manchester United for £100,000. He made his debut for the Red Devils in a League Cup tie against York City in September 1995; United lost the match 3–0 and McGibbon was also sent off. He was loaned out to Swansea City and Wigan Athletic during the 1996–97 season. McGibbon impressed in his only appearance for the Swans, before injury struck. He trained some days with Manchester United during his time at Swansea and was injured in training, spending five months on the side lines, requiring two operations. McGibbon made ten appearances for Wigan Athletic during a successful loan spell at Springfield Park, and even scored the goal that guaranteed Wigan's promotion to Division Two. Wigan signed McGibbon on a permanent deal in the summer of 1997, paying Manchester United £250,000 for the defender's services, a fee which would eventually rise to £380,000. He had been offered a two-year contract extension by United but opted to leave Old Trafford saying he wanted regular, competitive football. In his five years at Wigan, McGibbon made over 150 appearances and scored 11 goals for the Latics. He also played at Wembley when Wigan won the Football League Trophy in 1999. McGibbon was granted a transfer request by the Latics in 2001, and began to fall out of favour with manager Paul Jewell towards the end of his tenure at the Latics. In February 2002, he was loaned out to Scunthorpe United for two months with a view to a permanent deal. However, McGibbon could not agree personal terms with Scunthorpe and he returned to Wigan. Nevertheless, he was released that summer, and was soon picked up by Tranmere Rovers, managed by McGibbon's former boss at Wigan, Ray Mathias. However, McGibbon only stayed at Tranmere for a month, and moved back to Portadown in September 2002. Two years
later, he signed for Glentoran and picked up an Irish Premier League winner's medal in his first season there. McGibbon did not complete a second season at The Oval, as he retired from professional football to go back to his physiotherapy business in Portadown in March 2003. Injury was originally cited as the reason for McGibbon's retirement, but after he went on record with major criticisms of the Glentoran board, it became apparent that there were deeper reasons for his departure. McGibbon won seven caps for the senior Northern Ireland team between 1995 and 2000. He also made five appearances for the Northern Ireland B team. McGibbon appeared here at Edge Green Street on 25th May 2019 when he lined up as part of the Manchester United Legends team to face the Joseph‟s Goal Latics Legends. He has however expressed a desire to club Chairman, Mark Hayes, to return and feature in the Latics Legends side on a future occasion so we have hopefully not seen the last of Pat McGibbon here at Edge Green Street.
By Gordon Johnson
HALF TIME QUIZ 1. 2. 3.
Which country won the first FIFA World Cup in 1930? Which nation knocked Portugal out in the 2004 UEFA Euros? Which Italian defender was on the receiving end of a head-butt by Zinedine Zidane in the 2006 FIFA World Cup Final? 4. There is only one player in history who has scored at hat-trick at two FIFA World Cups. Who is it? 5. Which English striker was top goalscorer of the 1996 UEFA Euros? 6. In which year was Real Madrid founded? 7. At which stadium did the first ever European Cup Final take place? 8. Who is the top goalscorer in the history of the Football League First Division? 9. Who became Britain‟s first £1m football player transfer n 1979? 10. In what year were yellow and red cards first introduced?
ANSWERS
Jimmy Greaves (357) Trevor Francis 1970
8. 9. 10.
1902 Parc Des Princes
6. 7.
Marco Materazzi Gabriel Batistuta Alan Shearer
3. 4. 5.
Uruguay Greece
1. 2.
By Gordon Johnson
League table
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FOOTBALL BOOK REVIEW ‘I want to play there. I want to be a Gunner,’ writes Olivier Giroud on his decision to join Arsenal from Montpellier in 2012 in his autobiography, Always Believe.
his team. Having not really followed his story off the pitch away from England, I am not too familiar with his background or journey so was hugely excited to read this autobiography.
These words epitomise not only why the Frenchman became a firm favourite in North London but also his determination and commitment to the shirt, in this case Arsenal, but before that Grenoble, Istres, Tours, Montpellier and later Chelsea, AC Milan and, of course, France. Yet, Giroud is perhaps one of the most undervalued, underrated and underplayed of modern footballers. I base this on the fact that Giroud sits in the top 10 of Premier League goalscorers for Arsenal, for headed Premier League goals and goal-scoring subs. He is a player who could be relied up on, who has delivered when it matters and always did a job for
The autobiography is fairly unique in style. It starts with traditional football book fire, diving straight into the 2018 World Cup, but from there it diverts away from football somewhat, with chapters on Giroud‟s childhood, religion, adolescence and love. It is fascinating to hear him open up on his faith and marriage, amongst other lesserexplored themes, which, indeed, tend to be minor or even absent in other football autobiographies, but which clearly pay a huge role in his life and footballing journey. The second half of the book sees the focus switch more inevitably to footballing matters and Giroud‟s trajectory from Grenoble to Milan.
By Gordon Johnson
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Notes from the MANAGER Well it’s good to be back. Ashton Town is a great club and one I have a fantastic relationship with. To say I was over the moon to be offered the job of first team manager by Chairman Mark Hayes and the club committee would be an understatement. I‟ve brought Michael Smith, better known as „Mouse‟, back to Ashton too as my assistant manager, with Adam remaining as our Head Coach, an area in which he has a proven track record, and Ben Purdham as our Goalkeeping coach. It‟s a good management team with a good blend of experience, knowledge and dedication. The squad is currently having a difficult time in terms of mentality and confidence, but I am confident that the staff and I can turn that round, getting the lads back playing with a smile on their faces which will hopefully start turning performances into points. This afternoon
training during the week and feel we have prepared well for this game. The lads know the areas we need to improve on so it‟s up to them to take on board the instructions we give them and adjust their mindset. If they can do that we will soon turn the corner and start to move up that table.
will be another tough game, Cleator moor
Hopefully we can reward the fans with an
are a very direct and physical side as we
entertaining game and three points
found out last week. In this league there
today, many thanks for your continued
are no easy games. We have worked hard in support, Biggs.
By Lee Bignell
On this day 20TH NOV 20th November 1965 Tony Read scored his first League hat-trick when helping Luton Town to a 5-1 Fourth Division defeat of Notts County at Kenilworth Road. Not bad..........for a goalkeeper! When he signed for the Hatters from Peterborough an injury prevented him playing between the posts so he moved to the outfield instead where he started scoring goals in the reserves and progressed to the first team. He played in 33 of Luton's 46 League matches in 1965/66 with only the last six being in his favoured position of goalkeeper, while in the other 27 matches, as a forward, he scored 12 times including that hat-trick. Not too bad a ratio for a goalkeeper! 20th November 1971 Ted MacDougall set a new goalscoring record for the FA Cup competition proper, first round onwards, when he scored 9 goals for
Bournemouth in their 110 thumping of Southern League Premier Division side Margate in a First-Round tie. When interviewed post-match he said "I was disappointed as I thought I should have got 11." 20th November 2004 Former Brazilian World Cup captain Sócrates made an unusual debut for his only English club side. He was 50, had been retired for 15 years and the club he played for was Garforth Town of the Northern Counties East Football League! His one game for the Yorkshire club saw him come on as a sub with 12 minutes remaining of the 2 -2 draw with Tadcaster Albion. Garforth's boss explained why that was his only match for them - "I decided not to play him in the next game because his warm-up had consisted of drinking two bottles of Budweiser and three cigarettes which we had in the changing rooms. I didn't think it was a good idea for him to carry on playing too much more although he was keen to."
By Gordon Johnson
OUR CHOSEN CHARITY Joseph‟s Goal is a Wigan-based charity, ran by a small group of family and friends who all volunteer their services. The charity has received support from Wigan Council, Wigan Warriors and Wigan Athletic, as well as schools, local organisations and the business community. Joseph‟s Goal have raised most of their funds through charity balls, football matches, bike rides, marathons and 10-Ks, swimathons, spinathons, Xmas jumper days, numerous other fundraising events, and hundreds of donations from generous people. Ashton Town AFC now host an annual charity legends football match, after the huge success of the inaugural match in May 2015, with the Latics Legends thumping a Hollyoaks XI 10-0 with a sensational performance. Town chairman, Mark Hayes was touched by Joe‟s story and has been actively involved in the charity‟s fundraising efforts for several years. This years event is the fifth annual Joseph‟s Goal legends game and is set to be another classic with the likes of Bryan Robson, Emmerson Boyce and Arjan De Zeeuw gracing the Ashton Town turf. Since Josephs story was shared publicly, the 10-year-old has become a little star in the local area and recognised throughout the United Kingdom for his fantastic story in defying all the odds. Joseph‟s Goal has
also received support from multiple football, rugby and television stars over the years including Pep Guardiola, Harry Redknapp and Joe Calzaghe.
lights in Wigan Town Centre. Joseph‟s Goal was recognised further in 2014 by the Wigan Council for contributing to the “Believe in Wigan” campaign. In April 2019, Joe returned to his role as Wigan Athletics‟ lucky charm as he featured pitchside at half-time during Wigan‟s shock victory against Leeds United. This was after more than 70 Latics fans heroically walked 58-miles over three days for the charity from Wigan‟s Euxton training ground to Elland Road, In 2013, Joe was the mascot organised by Martin Tarbuck for Wigan Athletic in the FA from the Mudhutter fanzine. Cup Final and was carried out Joseph‟s story has inspired onto the pitch at Wembley by thousands of people to help skipper, and charity fundraise for NKH and ambassador Emmerson Boyce, contribute to their bid in which led to television finding a cure for the very rare appearances on BBC North condition. West, ITV, Granada and Sky News. Many Latics fans believe Help us to raise money for that Joe was a lucky charm as further research and hopefully Wigan defied the odds to edge closer to the end goal of beat Manchester City 1-0 and helping Joe and other children claim their first major trophy in with the same condition. the club‟s history, similar to how Joe managed to defy all the odds given by the doctors to reach his 10th birthday on Thursday May 9th 2019. Joe‟s father Paul Kendrick, a life-long Wigan Athletic sup-porter and the Latics correspondent for Wigan Today, was gobsmacked that Joe was given the opportunity to be a mascot. In 2014, Joseph‟s family were the Joseph's Goal is a registered charity in WISH FM “Local Heroes Family England and Wales of the Year” and Joseph Charity number: 1151548 switched on the Christmas
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NEXT HOME GAME V BURY AFC - 4/12/21 - 3PM