PHOTOGRAPHY BY DAWN MARSHALL
GROUND SPONSOR
Charity No: 1151548
ASHTON TOWN AFC The Scott Rees & Co Stadium, Edge Green Street, Ashton in Makerfield, Wigan, WN4 8SL
# Onward Onwards s & Upwards
COMMITTEE
President - Jimmy Cahill Chairman - Mark Hayes Vice President - Stephen Barrett Secretary - Stefan Ochwat Clubhouse Manager - Clare Peters Committee Member - Peter Williams Committee Member - Kieran Johnson Committee Member - Joanne Round Committee Member - Joanne Bourne Committee Member - Jayne Watkinson Catering - Denise Brady Advertising & Programme Editor - Ian Pomfrett All Advertising enquiries - i.pomfrett@yahoo.com Welfare Officer - Gordon Johnson Grounds Team - Jimmy Cahill, David Bourne, Keith Peacock
www.facebook.com/ashtontownafc Twitter - @ashtontownafc Life Member - Billy Pomfrett Club Photographer - Dawn Marshall
This Club is Unincorporated PHOTO BY JOHN MCKIERNAN
www.ashtontownafc.co.uk
WELCOME TO OUR CLUB Good evening, and welcome to the Scott Rees & Co Stadium for this North West Counties First Division fixture against Emley AFC. Today's visitors are the first of the leagues new boys to visit us, and Huddersfield based Emley come to us after winning their last two games, following an opening day defeat to Lower Breck. With Emley and Golcar they come to us rather unknown, however I know for a fact that gaffer Dave Dempsey has done his homework on today's visitors. Closer to home, and certainly for me, comes the challenge of fellow new boys Pilkingtons at their place on Bank Holiday Monday, following a long trip to Holker this Saturday. Pilks will be a great game as it's a derby, plus I also have my bet with their Chairman which I certainly wont let lie.. Remember we are always out to improve our fan base and we are proudly linking up with Wigan Athletic fans again to offer free entry with your season tickets. Today sees Latics away at Middlesbrough, so here's hoping we have a few of you reading this and cheering us on too. If Saturday is anything to go by then you will be in for an entertaining game. Never have I seen a team so poor in one half, and then come out as world beaters in the other. The 4 goals in the first 11 minutes of the second half was stunning. Enjoy the game., and thanks for your support as always. Mark Club Chairman Ashton Town AFC
FORTHCOMING FIRST TEAM FIXTURES Sat 24/08/19 Holker A 15:00 Mon 26/08/19 Pilkington A 15:00 Sat 31/08/19 Cheadle Heath Nomads A 15:00 - FA VASE Sat 7/09/19 Nelson H 15:00
@northernpromise
Emley afc factfile Le-
gal Entity: Unincorporated Ground: Fantastic Media Welfare Ground, Off Upper Lane, Emley, Huddersfield 01924849392 www.emleyafc.co.uk Twitter: @Emley_AFC Registered Colours: Maroon Shirts, Sky Blue Shorts, Maroon Socks Registered Goalkeeper Colours: Green Shirt, Black Shorts, Black Socks. Alternative Colours: Sky Blue Shirt, Maroon Shorts, Sky Blue Socks Alternative Goalkeeper Colours: Orange Shirt, Black Shorts, Black Socks Secretary: Joanna Gray, Chairman: Nigel Wakefield, Manager: Mark Wilson & Richard Tracey, Programme Editor: Dan Brownhill, Committee / Directors: Dan Brownhill, Andrew Wray, Nigel Wakefield, Joanna Gray, Ian Steele, Tony Worthington, Andrew Painten, Marcus Pound, Jayne Loveday, Mark Parsons, Darren Cocker, Ian Mason County Affiliation: Sheffield & Hallamshire FA, Year Formed: Reformed 2005 Record Attendance: 2,726 v Kettering Town (FA Trophy 3rd Round) 1990-1991 Previous Leagues: Northern Counties East League
Senior Honours: Yorkshire League Champions (4): 1975-76, 1977-78, 197980, 1981-82 Yorkshire League Cup Winners (3): 1969-70, 1978-79, 1981 -82 Northern Counties East League Champions (2): 1987-88, 1988-89 Northern Premier League 1st Division Runners-up: 1990-91 Unibond Northern Premier League Runners-up: 2000-01 Sheffield Senior Cup Winners (8): 1975-76, 1979-80, 198081, 1983-84, 1988-89, 1990-91, 1991-92, 1997-98 Best in FA Cup: 3rd Round: 1997-98, Lost 2-1 to West Ham United Best in FA Trophy: Quarterfinals 1990-91, 1998-99 Best in FA Vase: Runners-up: 1987-88 Best in FA Amateur Cup: 3rd Round replay 1969-70 (last 16)
www.emleyafc.co.uk
MANAGERS NOTES Good evening and welcome to Ashton Town for this midweek NWCFL game against Emley AFC.
We have had a really good start to the season and we are hopefully going to carry on our good form tonight. AFC Emley will pose their own threats and the new boys this season have also had a great start. In terms of my knowledge regarding AFC Emley, I know nothing about them other than they will be hard working and we will need to be at the races from the first whistle to get anything out the game. Last time out you witnessed a game against Bacup Borough where my players let themselves down and everyone who paid to watch them massively in the first 45 minutes. I would like to think everyone was entertained in the second half and the 5 goals we scored made up for the weak performance in the first half. My lads have shown a lot of character and resilience so far this season and I am hoping that we can show that tonight but from the start of the game and hopefully come away with a nice, quiet routine 3pts. Thanks for your support as always Demps
By Dave Dempsey
HALF TIME QUIZ QUESTIONS By Gordon Johnson 1.Who scored the first ever Premier League goal? 2.Which England player scored in 46 different Premier League games throughout his career? 3.Who is the only person born before 1960 to score a Premier League hat-trick? 4.Who is the Premier Leagueâ€&#x;s all-time leading goal scorer? 5.Which team lost two games by an eight-goal margin in 2009-2010? 6.Which player holds the record for scoring the most goals in his debut Premier League season? 7.The highest scoring Premier League game finished 7-4. Which two teams played? 8.Who scored the first Premier League hat-trick? 9.Name the player that scored the fastest Premier League hat-trick? 10.Who was the first ever winner of the Premier Leagueâ€&#x;s Golden Boot?
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www.ashtontownafc.co.uk
NWCFL 1st div north FIXTURES 20/8/19
SATURday’s 1st div north FIXTURES24/8/19
www.nwcfl.com
NWCFL WEEKEND ROUN It was another great afternoon across all three of our leagues on Saturday, with 29 NWCFL fixtures, 58 games, and over 100 goals. We start the round-up in the NWCFL top flight as the top three sides all kept their 100% records. Five-second half goals for 1874 Northwich against Charnock Richard guided Wayne Goodison's side to a win, whilst Rylands beat Avro by the same scoreline, George Lomax and Harry Molyneux both grabbing a brace. And Joe Cuff grabbed a hat-trick and guided Whitchurch Alport to a 4-1 win over Padiham. Probably the game of the day in the NWCFL Premier Division saw Winsford United run out 5-4 winners against Squires Gate. Sam Madeley grabbed a first-half brace and Nathan Cotterell added a third. Madeley completed his hat-trick before Squires made a game of it with two quick-fire goals. Obi Anoruo added Winsford's fifth but Squires added two injury-time goals for a grandstand finish at the Barton Stadium. Runcorn Town returned to winning ways as manager Paul McManus netted a first-half penalty as they ran out 2-0 over Bootle. Barnoldswick Town won their first game of the season as James Crorken scored a second-half goal to guide Matt Barnes' side to a win against Ashton Athletic. Longridge Town secured their second win of the season, thanks to a Finlay Sinclair-Smith brace and a Paul Turner goal, away at Congleton Town, with all four goals coming in the opening 15 minutes. 165-spectators witnessed Northwich Victoria win 2-0 against Skelmersdale United who are yet to win this season, whilst two late goals, one for either side, saw Irlam draw away 1-1 at Burscough. The final game in the Premier Division saw Hanley Town and Litherland REMYCA end goal less at Abbey Lane. In the First Division North, Lower Breck maintained their status as leaders at the top of the league as they defeated Nelson 4-1 - Stephen Milne bagging a brace. The biggest winners in the division were St Helens Town, recording their first win of the campaign with a stunning 6-0 win against Cleator Moor Celtic.
www.nw
NDUP 17TH AUGUST 2019 Ashton Town leap-frogged AFC Darwen, who did not play, in a thriller against Bacup Borough. Brent Peters' side were two-nil up at the break but an inspiring half time team talk saw four goals in eleven minutes which turned the tie on its head. Town eventually ran out 5-3 winners, delighting the home crowd. AFC Blackpool finish the weekend in the fourth league position with a two-nil win over AFC Liverpool. And Atherton LR's Connor Comber rounded off a perfect day for David Jones' side with a hat-trick against Steeton - their first win of the season. Holker Old Boys held on against Chadderton for an important 2-1 win, whilst Emley AFC moved up to sixth in the standings after a 4-2 away win at Daisy Hill. Golcar United's Michael Fish bagged the match ball with a hat-trick as they ran out 5-1 winners at Garstang. And lastly, Prestwich Heys came from behind away at Shelley to move up to ninth in the table. In the First Division South, FC Oswestry and Vauxhall Motors continued their impressive unbeaten runs with wins over Cheadle Town and Ellesmere Rangers respectively. Matt Burton's side won 5 -1, whilst Mick McGraa's team headed back along the M53 with a smile on their faces after a late winner gave his side a 2-1 win. An Ashley Wood's brace for West Didsbury & Chorlton kept Brad Cooke's side hot on the leader's heels with a 3-1 win away at Abbey Hey. Cheadle Heath Nomads returned back home with a 2-0 win over Barnton, whilst a fourgoal haul for Luke Blondel secured a great 4-0 win for Cammell Laird 1907 over Maine Road. Lee Cropper grabbed a brace for Abbey Hulton United, whilst Kieran Lazenby went one better and netted a hat-trick as they ran out 5-1 winners at Stockport Town. There were wins for Stone Old Alleynians, up to sixth win a 2-1 win over New Mills, whilst Sandbach United defeated St Martins 3-2 and Wythenshawe Town beat Eccleshall 3-0, Brad Byrne fired in a brace. Finally 72 spectators saw Alsager Town and Wythenshawe Amateurs battle out a 0-0 draw.
wcfl.com
MATCH REPORT V Bacup Borough 17/8/19 With a strong start to the season followed by some disappointment, everyone was counting on Ashton Town pulling together and playing as a team like they did at the very start of the season, however that wasn’t the case. Saturdays match was definitely a game of two halves, with both teams fielding strong sides the away team took an early lead with a smooth pass that could have been blocked, shortly followed by an unfortunate deflection that put Bacup Borough two nil up ahead of the half time interval. Manager Dempsey changed the format of the team with two substitutions just ahead of the half time break and as the players took to the field for the second half it didn‟t take long for Ashton long to regroup and start playing as we know that we can. Straight from the restart Town pressed with a Dylan Glass shot being blocked by the away keeper that fell straight into the path of Jesse Dowling who smashed home the rebound. Moments later Town won a corner from which Dylan Glass rose above everyone to score the equaliser with a fantastic header. Just 5 minutes into the second half Ashton Town took the lead with another header this time from David Moore. Town were no w dominating the game and six minutes later a looping cross from Charlie Duke gave Alex McMillan an easy header at the far post scoring the 4th goal for Ashton Town. Bacup Borough were not finished however and produced an outstanding goal almost from the halfway line to make the score 4-3. Ashton regained control however when Dylan Glass set up substitute Luke Edwards who coolly slotted it home making the score Ashton Town 5 Bacup Borough 3. This truly was a game that had everything other than any „Sin Bin‟ offences or sendings off !!!! Photos by Dawn Marshall #UpTheTown #DareToDream
www.ashtontownafc.co.uk
MAN OF THE MATCH AWARD
Saturday's Scott Rees & Co Man of the Match against Bacup Borough.. S o m e f a n t a s t ic s ec o n d h a lf performances, five different scorers, two great substitutions, however there were a couple of stand out men with never say die attitudes, one being JAY THOMAS. Award presented by Stefan Ochwat. #UpTheTown #DareToDream
HALF TIME QUIZ ANSWERS 1.Brian Deane
6.Kevin Phillips
2.Darius Vassell
7.Portsmouth and Reading
3.Gordon Strachan
8.Eric Cantona
4.Alan Shearer
9.Sadio Mane
5.Wigan Athletic
10.Teddy Sheringham
By Gordon Johnson
NWCFL NEWS The North West Counties League is entering an important season as all 60 clubs are vying for eleven promotion places across three Divisions at Steps Five and Six of the National League System. Due to a restructure at Step Four at the end of this season we are expecting the regional structure of our three Divisions to change and this could mean lateral moves and a further opportunity for successful and well-organised clubs at Step seven and beyond to join the North West Counties League before the structure settles in 2020-21, making it more challenging to obtain a promotion position into the National League System (NLS). We would like to encourage clubs who are considering applying for promotion at the end of the 2019-20 season to get in touch with us via their Leagues Secretary to discuss arranging an advisory visit to your facility and discuss your mid-long term planning for progression. The North West Counties League have a number of avenues available to clubs, currently playing at Step Seven and Grassroots level to assist clubs who are keen to progress and potentially apply to join Step Six at the end of the season. First and foremost, potential promotion depends on a successful league season and finishing position. However, there are minimum requirements with regards to Ground Grading that need to be met. There are also a number of myths and misconceptions about what a club needs to participate at Step Six and we are able to work with clubs with advice, a structured presentation and contacts to help dispel these and give you a clear idea of what is required. A number of clubs who have been very successful in the League over recent seasons have welcomed an advisory visit from the League's Grading Officer, Geoff Wilkinson and League Management Committee representatives as part of the process of their application. We have been able to guide a number of clubs on a number of issues as well as preventing some clubs from over-investing! Grading Chairman Geoff Wilkinson says “We can cost clubs money but the most important thing is we can save money, the best example being Wythenshawe Town who had received a quote for £23,000 for something that was not required. Our aim is to help clubs understand what is required, and help them achieve their ambitions, but equally as important is to ensure clubs play at the level they can sustain and maintain their facilities to the appropriate level.” Tony Bennett, Club Secretary at Rylands FC, who enjoyed good Success in the Division One South last season, indeed winning the League and promotion to Step 5 and the NWCFL Premier Division offers this advice….. "I would say that overall the experience of joining the NWC league was a positive one.
www.nw
NWCFL NEWS It wasn‟t easy, and we found there were lots of different things we needed to accomplish if we wanted to join, however I did find the advice and assistance from Geoff Wilkinson and the League Advisory Committee to be of great help in the process. "You can see why lots of clubs want to join the league. It is of a good standard and I‟ve been impressed by a lot of the clubs in how professional they approach matches and the league itself. My advice to any new club wanting to join the league is do your homework. By that I mean understand completely what is required, not only from a ground and facilities perspective for what‟s needed, but also from an administrative point of view. We found this side just as challenging as the ground criteria. I‟d advise a „plan on a page‟ to understand exactly what you need to do, by when and how much the cost will be for your club, this will then give you a schedule to work to complete. Also, make the time to understand what funding you can acquire from bodies such as the Football Foundation and any local agencies, this can be invaluable for costly items such as floodlights and ground maintenance. "I‟d also not be afraid of asking for advice. The grading committee are happy to help and advice I found, but also strict on the standards that you need to achieve, and rightly so. I would also encourage any new applicants to contact and visit other North West Counties League clubs in their area for help and advice as everyone has been in their shoes and I find most clubs are generally happy to help the newer clubs (we‟ve all been there!) and actually seeing what‟s required in an already established member club can be very helpful. "Finally, make sure you have plenty of help around your club and committee. As always it‟s the volunteers who rally round and get stuck in to do the tasks that are required to get your club to the standard needed. Most of all good luck and enjoy the ride – it‟s worth all the effort once you finally get admitted to the league and the journey begins…. "Jim Davies, Club Secretary at Lower Breck FC who had a top 5 finish in Division One North in their first Step 6 campaign last season also added some advice to clubs who are contemplating getting some advice…. "When we first made the decision as a Club to Step up to the North West Counties level our first concern was our venue and the grading required to fulfill the desired criteria. Our first point of contact within the League was the grading committee, namely Geoff Wilkinson and John Deal. From the start of the process both were knowledgeable, helpful and informative. Apart from supplying us with the relevant documentation for research they became an invaluable resource from start to finish by being available through every single stage of the actual ground grading and up to the final authorisation. "From visits to phone calls they were accessible throughout and made the administrative side of the process trouble-free and user-friendly. We encountered numerous issues along the way such as funding regulations, planning permission and contractor deadlines. When we had an issues we were able to call upon the advice needed from Geoff, which was delivered to us in a timely manner enabling us to navigate the process in a comparatively short space of time.
wcfl.com
MATCH STATISTICS S MATCH PHOTOS ASHTON TOWN
Photos by Da
SEASON 2019-2020 & AFC V BACUP BOROUGH 17/8/19
awn Marshall
MATCH PHOTOS ASHTON TOWN A
Photos by Da
AFC V BACUP BOROUGH 17/8/19
awn Marshall
On this day 20th August 1960 John Trollope made his Football League debut for Swindon Town in a 1-1 draw with Halifax Town. He went on to make 770 League appearances for Swindon which is the most any player has made for a single club. On achievement which saw him receive the MBE. Trollope was also a member of the Swindon Town team that beat Arsenal 3-1 after extra time at Wembley Stadium in the 1969 League Cup Final. 20th August 1971 Manchester United played a home match at Liverpool FC's Anfield ground! Crowd problems the previous season had seen the FA close Old Trafford for the first two League matches of the 1971/72 season. So on 20th August 1971 United played their first home First Division fixture of the season against Arsenal at Anfield. A crowd of 27,649 saw United beat Arsenal 3-1. Three days later United completed their punishment with a home match at Stoke City's Victoria ground where a crowd of 23,148 saw another 3-1win for United, this time against West Bromwich Albion.
By Gordon Johnson
VLC have been providing lifts and specialised access products for over fifteen years. We’re absolutely passionate about what we do and how we can help people. We’ve built our professional reputation on quality and the level of service that we provide: we do that by working as a team from start to finish; all of us committed to giving our best.
STAIRLIFTS, HOISTS LIFT SALES AND PLATFORM LIFTS & REPAIR SALES,SERVICE SERVICE & REPAIR COMPETITIVE MAINTENANCE COMPREHENSIVE RANGE OF PACKAGES PACKAGES 24 HOUR EMERGENCY BREAKDOWN 24 HOUR EMERGENCY HIGHLY TRAINED ENGINEERS BREAKDOWN RAPID RESPONSE
FREE SURVEYS & ADVICE STAIRLIFTS PLATFORM LIFTS CEILING TRACK HOISTS THROUGH FLOOR LIFTS MOBILE HOISTS STEP LIFTS
www.versatileliftcompany.co.uk
1ST DIV NORTH LEAGUE TABLE TABLE UPDATED 18TH AUGUST 2019
www.nwcfl.com www.hallmarksecurityleague.com
WHO’S PLAYED AT EDGE GREEN ST Deiniol William Thomas Graham was born in Cannock, Staffordshire on 4th October 1969. He previously played as a forward for various clubs in the Football League after playing in the Manchester United youth and reserve teams. Graham signed for Manchester United as an apprentice in October 1985, leaving school in the summer of 1986 and turning professional a year later. He made his debut for the Manchester United first team in the 1987–88 season, coming on as a 53rd-minute substitute for Mike Duxbury in the club's League Cup Second Round second leg match against Hull City on 7 October 1987 and made one further appearance that season. Graham scored his first and only goal for the Manchester United first team on 11 January 1989 in a 2–2 draw with Queens Park Rangers in an FA Cup Third Round replay. However, just over a month later, he suffered a broken arm in a youth team match against Bury Reserves and was ruled out for eight months, severely denting his first team opportunities. He only made one more appearance for the first team before Mel Machin signed him for Barnsley for £50,000 on 5 August 1991. At Barnsley, Graham's first-team opportunities were more frequent but he was still unable to hold down a regular place, making around 40 appearances and scoring just two goals in his three years there. In 1992, he was loaned out to Preston North End, where he made 11 appearances and scored one goal, in the FA Cup. A loan spell at Carlisle United followed in 1993, and Graham was given a free transfer by Barnsley at the end of the 1993–94 season. He was then picked up by Stockport County, scoring two goals in 11 matches before joining Scunthorpe United a year later, but after two months there, including three appearances and one goal, he moved into non-league football, playing for Colwyn Bay and Caersws, amongst others. At the end of his playing career, Graham moved into management. He was made manager of Llandudno, but left the club for a time before re-joining them in October 2011. Graham‟s appearance here at the Edge Green Street came on the 25th May 2019 when he lined up alongside the likes of Bryan Robson, Quintin Fortune and Lee Martin in the Manchester United Legends team that drew one all with the Joseph‟s Goal Latics Legends team who eventually ran out winners on the day following a penalty shootout to decide the tie.
By Gordon Johnson
HISTORY OF ASHTON TOWN AFC Ashton Town Association Football Club originally joined the Div 2 of the Lancashire Combination in 1903 and were promoted Div 1 in 1st season. However, relegated back to Div 2 after finishing 16 in first season of Div 1. Towards the end of 1910/11 season club withdrew from league and fixtures 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 persistant man named Derek „Mick‟ Mycock. In 1962 the Club was forced to move from its original ground at Windsor Road because of 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, at which point the Club purchased a piece of land at Edge Green Street, 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, and in 1975 the present dressing room facilities were built. During this period the Club joined the Lancashire Combination in 1971, and then in 1978, they left to join the Cheshire County League for four years. 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 since then 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 and Jimmy Cahill. 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 Horner made a massive boost to the club with the long overdue formation of a Junior 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 and more recently, Keith whose dedication and workrate 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, who has on and off, over the years worked behind the scenes painting, digging or mending often 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.
www.ashtontownafc.co.uk
HISTORY OF EMLEY AFC The history of football in Emley can be traced back to 1903. Over many decades, the original Emley AFC became the most successful non-league team in Yorkshire. Success in the Yorkshire League, NCEL and Northern Premier League was matched by historic cup runs with a trip to Wembley in the FA Vase and the run to the FA Cup third round proper, culminating in a trip to Premier League West Ham United in 1998. That success was followed by an ultimately unsuccessful move to Wakefield to try and push on further and avoid demotion due to new ground grading regulations. When the original club dropped „Emley‟ from the club name and disbanded the reserve team – which had continued to play at The Welfare Ground since the move – a new club playing in the village of Emley and in the name of Emley was formed by a group of fans. AFC Emley was born in 2005 with a single season in the West Yorkshire League before elevation to the Northern Counties East League. The new Emley really started to create headlines with a run to the 4th round of the FA Vase in 2012-13. There soon followed two successive „oh-so-nearly‟ promotion pushes. Firstly, losing out on sudden death penalties in a play-off final in 2016 – a season that included the headline grabbing scoring exploits of Ashley Flynn with 73 goals (it would have been 78 but for the expunging of one team‟s record). Then in 2016-17 the club had an even better season gaining a record 95 points but missing out on promotion on goal difference. Disappointment carried through to an unsuccessful play-off bid. Following two season of mid-table finishes, the summer of 2019 saw three major developments. The club reclaimed its old name of Emley AFC, a new management team installed that included two members of the West Ham team – Mark Wilson as joint manager and Steve Nicholson as assistant. They will be joined by former Ossett Albion manager Richard Tracey as joint manager. The third change was an out-of-the-blue lateral movement from the NCEL to NWCFL. Initially a shock, the club decided to embrace the change and spread the Emley story to new grounds in new parts of the country.
www.emleyafc.co.uk
OUR CHOSEN CHARITY Joseph Michael Kendrick was born on the 9th May 2009, after an unremarkable pregnancy at 42 weeks. After his birth, although Joe was very quiet, he was thought to be otherwise healthy by the doctors. However, over the next couple of days, Joe rapidly deteriorated, and fell into a coma. Joseph was immediately taken to the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit where they began to test him to find the cause of his lethargy and low muscle tone. After six days, the Kendrick family found out that Joseph had a severe form of a very rare genetic disorder known as NKH. The Kendricks received the devastating news that Joseph was unlikely to live past 10-days old, and almost certainly wouldn‟t reach his first birthday. Luckily for the Kendrick‟s, they were surrounded by a very supportive family who helped get them through the dark first few days. Paul, Emma, and the family waited every day around Joseph‟s cot, praying that he would wake up, open his eyes or cry. The family was informed of a special medicine (sodium benzoate), which may help Joseph to wake up, and remove some of the glycine from his brain, but not from his cerebral fluid. On day 13, to the relief of his family, Joseph finally „woke up‟, started to cry and act more like a „normal‟ little baby. Joe‟s parents were able to change his nappies, feed him through his tube and cuddle him, which meant everything to Paul, Emma and the family. Paul and Emma were told that he was very jerky due to a seizure called a myoclonic jerk, and if he lived, they would turn into other types of seizures. Joe managed to fight through the horrible days in hospital and was able to go home for the first time with his family around a month after his birth. Paul and Emma had a very worrying year waiting for him to fall very unwell as they were told by doctors and to stop breathing, but thankfully Joe never did. Joe is doing really well despite his condition. Joe still has frequent seizures but takes medicine to help control them. Having ate orally until he was 4-years-old, Joe now has a gastrostomy for milk and medicines which is much easier to feed him through. Joe still manages tasters of food when he‟s well, and really enjoys yoghurt and ice cream in the summer months. Joe is also a very proud big brother to Sam and Tom and is doing really well at school. Joe‟s parents are very proud of their “strong and resilient” little boy and are proud on how well he has done to exceed all expectations. Joe made it very clear to his parents in showing that he wants to fight all the way, and his parents were inspired from this to fight on his behalf to help create awareness of this heart-breaking condition, find better treatment for him, and one day find a cure for NKH. Parents, Paul and Emma Kendrick formed the Joseph’s Goal charity in 2012 and have raised over £700,000 since their foundation just seven years ago. Joseph‟s Goal are fighting to find better treatments and hopefully, a cure for NKH, with raised funds being sent to Dr Johan Van Hove at Colorado University, Denver, USA, and Professor Nick Greene at UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health in London for further research into the condition. Both doctors have presented their research findings to NKH families at conferences in the North West organised by Joseph‟s Goal, and trustees of Joseph‟s Goal have twice attended NKH conferences at Harvard University in Boston, USA. The many varied defective genes that have been found in different children/families in the brain that causes NKH have been identified, and the task now is to find a route to replace it with a healthy gene. There is finally some light at the end of a very dark tunnel, with real grounds for optimism that better treatments for NKH are not far away.
www.josephsgoal.org
JOHN COURTNEY BEN PURDHAM JOHN EDGERTON LUKE EDWARDS JAY TOMO MICHAEL WHITE ANTHONY SHINKS ALEX NOONAN ANT POTTS JAMES SIGSWORTH JESSE DOWLING JOE WHITTINGHAM ALEX MCMILLAN JACK RICHARDS CHRIS HILL BRAD SMART TOM MOLYNEUX DAVID MOORES CHARLIE DUKE DALEY WOODS DYLAN GLASS JASON CAREY Manager: David Dempsey Asst. Manager: Lee Bignell Head Coach: Chris Stammers Coach: Karl Bell GK Coach: David Billington Physio: Kaydrion Drimmie Colours: Red & White Shirts, Red Shorts, Red Socks GK: Purple
GEORGE CLARKE (GK) DECLAN DAWSON JAYDEN SANDHU ANDY MCMANUS JAMES STAFFORD WAYNE HUGHES JAMIE PRICE JOSH INGHAM DOM RIORDAN BEN WALKER CONOR GLAVIN JIMMY EYLES ROB BORDMAN JOHN LUFUDU MATEUSZ ZANIEWSKI (GK) SAMUEL GIBSON JACK COOPER DANIEL FARRAR ALEX METCALFE JAMES HART BEN MILLS KYLE LEIGHTON-BINGHAM ROSS HARDAKER FINLAY CAHILL MANASSE KIANGA STEVE NICHOLSON MARK WILSON
Managers: Mark Wilson & Richard Tracey Colours: Sky Blue Shirts, Maroon Shorts, Sky Blue Socks GK: Orange
Referee: Kavan Hurn, Assistant 1: Daniel Holden, Assistant 2: Don Lennon NEXT FIRST TEAM HOME GAME - 7/9/19 3PM V NELSON