Football Focus - Issue 48 by Kane Robinson

Issue 48 / £6.95 WWW.FOOTBALLFOCUS.BIZ

WOKING

STAMFORD

PLAYING A VITAL ROLE IN THE LOCAL COMMUNITY

A TEAM RECEIVING TERRIFIC BACKING FROM THEIR SUPPORTERS

WALDRIDGE PARK CLAIMED A LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP IN 2013/14

BOLTON WANDERERS

LOOKING TO PROGRESS DURING THE OFF SEASON

TRAFFORD

CELEBRATING THEIR 25TH ANNIVERSARY

DERBY COUNTY

PUSHING FOR PROMOTION TO THE PREMIER LEAGUE

Issue 48

CONTENTS

ISSUE 48 PUBLISHED BY PROCESS PUBLISHING LLP SUITE 1, SAVILLE EXTCHANGE, HOWARD STREET, NORTH SHIELDS, NORTH TYNESIDE, NE30 1SE

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4 DERBY COUNTY

47 BROMLEY GREEN

10 DUNBAR UNITED

49 ERITH & BELVEDERE

12 POLESWORTH

50 LUMLEY

13 NEWCASTLE UNITED

51 NOTTS COUNTY

15 BRENTFORD

54 SHORTWOOD UNITED

18 HALIFAX TOWN

55 CRAMLINGTON JUNIORS

19 TRAFFORD

57 STAMFORD

22 WALDRIDGE PARK

59 ELMORE

26 WALKER CENTRAL

60 CRAWLEY GREEN

28 WOODSON PARK

61 BRISTOL CITY

30 ST. PETERS

63 WOKING

32 BOLTON WANDERERS

68 CARSHALTON ATHLETIC

37 BISHOP SUTTON

71 CORPORATION CLUB

39 BRIDGEWATER TOWN

73 WORSBROUGH BRIDGE ATHLETIC

COMMERCIAL COMPANY MANAGER ANGELA THORNTON T: 0191 447 2376 E: ANGELA@SPORTIP.BIZ MEDIA DIRECTORS Jordan Beresford T: 0191 340 5587 E: jordanb@sportip.biz Gary Hoosan T: 0191 447 6767 E: garyh@sportip.biz Ian Bogie T: 0191 447 4135 E: ianb@sportip.biz Daniel Olusoga T: 0191 447 6107 E: daniel@sportip.biz Kane Hutchison T: 0191 597 8944 E: kaneh@sportip.biz Stuart Leach T: 0191 447 6363 E: stuart@sportip.biz EDITORIAL

40 HELSBY

75 CHESTER NOMADS

EDITOR IN CHIEF Jamie Seymour T: 0191 447 2512 E: editorial@sportip.biz

43 SILSDEN

77 HARBOROUGH TOWN

DESIGNER Catherine Goldsmith T: 0191 447 3718 E: design@sportip.biz

44 COVE RANGERS

79 GATESHEAD SUPPORTERS

45 KINCARDINE

WEB Kane Robinson E: web@sportip.biz

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32 BOLTON WANDERERS www.footballfocus.biz

Issue 48

DERBY COUNTY

Since March 2014 Cinos have been the proud Audio Visual partner of Derby County Football Club. The relationship started with Cinos demonstrating their capabilities at management level and crucially being able to deliver professional services and enhanced service level agreements that met with the football clubs’ modus operandi. The contract is managed from their Midlands offices located in Derby. As the largest and best supported club in the region Cinos are incredibly proud of their association and look forward to it flourishing over the coming years. In addition to being the largest football club in the County with over 20,000 season ticket holders and 500,000 fans annually supporting the team it is also the Midlands largest conferencing facilities; capable of hosting 2000+ delegates per day and over 500,000 per year. All of the available facilities require IT technologies on a daily basis and the Audio Visual element is a crucial component of the IT infrastructure. Each executive box has IPTV feeds for match day viewing, screen technology for presentations and a support agreement with Cinos that ensures the integrity and smooth running of the operations. Distributed throughout the stadium there is a 100+ screen digital signage solution utilised for match day marketing and sponsorship promotion, a powerful PA system and a state of the art broadcast suite that Cinos support on a daily basis in conjunction with Derby County’s own IT support team. As part of the agreement Cinos will be refurbishing the two executive suites currently used by Sky to broadcast live

games. This area will formally be known as the Cinos Suite. In order to meet a variety of business needs (ranging from conference and banqueting to match day hospitality) and to showcase a number of technologies, Cinos have been given permission to totally renovate this area. Due to the multi-functional nature of the conference spaces, executive suites and hospitality areas, Cinos need to meet both the requirements of business as well as delivering an excellent match day experience. During a normal working day the suite has to deliver all the benefits that clients would expect to find in a corporate environment such as presentation media, video conferencing facilities and state of the art peripherals. On a match day the environment needs to deliver a luxurious surrounding for corporate guests and football fans alike who will benefit from the bespoke furniture and chairs, the large screen technology delivering an exceptional viewing experience and the room management system which allows them to order beverages and a wide range of products without leaving the suite. In order to deliver on these requirements, ensure quality and still deliver a ‘wow’ factor, Cinos have worked closely with the leading Audio Visual manufacturers including AMX, Barco, NEC, Polycom and Revolabs as well as engaging with local flooring specialists, electrical contractors and bespoke furniture manufacturers for the interior design. The end result will be a visually stunning suite that delivers world class technology suitable for every guest that uses the facility.

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DERBY COUNTY

DERBY COUNTY Derby County FC plays their home games at the iPro Stadium, Pride Park and their first team currently competes in the SkyBet Championship. They are led by Chairman Andy Appleby whilst Steve McClaren is the team’s head coach and the team has made good progress under his leadership.

They enjoyed a strong campaign last time around as they put together a superb league campaign, winning 25, drawing 10 and losing 11 of their 46 matches. This saw them narrowly miss out on the automatic promotion positions as they ended up in 3rd place.

Despite this set-back Derby County should be pleased with their performances last season and were unlucky not to win promotion. Losing at Wembley will not have been easy for the team but hopefully they will be able to come back stronger from the experience.

This meant that they entered the play-offs and successfully made it through to the final at Wembley by coming through the two legged semi. Unfortunately, despite a strong performance, they were unable to find the crucial goal they needed against QPR before their opponents won it and a place in the Premier League late.

A particular highlight of the team’s play last season was the attacking brand of football that they managed to produce. This was reflected by the fact that they managed to net 84 times in the league alone at a rate of nearly two per match.

“A particular highlight of the team’s play last season was the attacking brand of football that they managed to produce.” 6

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DERBY COUNTY

Unite the Union Ticket Office Proud partners with DCFC Unite the Union is the largest trade union in the UK and Ireland and represents workers in all industrial sectors. Unite's Community membership also allows those not in employment to become part of the union family including students, carers, volunteers and retired people. All members of Unite are entitled to a wide range of legal and member services covering a range of issues, both inside and outside the workplace. Unite’s partnership with Derby County creates a fantastic opportunity for two winning teams working together for the benefit of our community and strengthens the work being done by both organisations. Visitors to the Ticket Office will be able to pick up literature and Membership Forms for both Unite and Unite Community or for more detailed information on Unite the Union and how to join, visit www.unitetheunion.org Unite the Union Collectively trade unions are the largest voluntary organisations in the UK - with some seven million members and over 200,000 workplace representatives and activists. Union members are present in every sector of the economy: they include computer programmers and shop assistants; factory workers and footballers; bus drivers and airline pilots, teachers and soap stars; musicians and motor mechanics. Representing over a quarter of the UK’s workforce, unions are the only workplace organisation able to present a cohesive voice on the concerns of working people and their families to employers, government and society in general. As a result of collective bargaining union members receive higher pay (on average 12.5% more per hour) together with better sickness and pension benefits and more holiday and flexible working than non members. There is also a significant reduction in pay inequality for women and black & Asian workers. Unite the Union are the largest trade union in the UK and Ireland and represent workers in all industrial sectors. Being part of a trade union is not just about having a voice in the workplace, it’s about being part of a movement to create a better society. Members of Unite are also entitled to a range of legal and member services covering a range of issues, both inside and outside the workplace. They can get help with personal injury claims, employment matters, wills, conveyancing and many other legal issues. Unite’s Community membership now welcomes those

not in employment into the union family to share these benefits whether you are unemployed, volunteering, family carers, retired, at school/college or university or raising children. The county of Derbyshire is already well represented by Unite with some 30,000 members, part of the 107,000 members Unite has in the East Midlands in the public and private sectors covering every kind of job and at every level. Successful and profitable companies locally have developed strong links with Unite – such names as Rolls Royce, Toyota, Bombardier and Eon are amongst those who recognise the importance of an organised workforce. Unite have strengthened their previous partnership with Derby County with Ticket Office naming rights for the coming 2 years in recognition of the synergy between the two organisations; both working hard for the benefit of the local communities. As part of the deal Unite the Union, whose Regional Office is based on Pride Park, will also sponsor Derby’s Group Tickets scheme. In particular Unite Community are looking forward to working alongside DCFC with their involvement in the local schools projects across Derbyshire. This is a clear indication of the shared aims and values that have strengthened the working relationship over the last year. Visitors to the Unite the Union Ticket Office throughout the period of the partnership will be able to pick up literature on Unite and Unite Community, as well as Membership Forms. For more detailed information on Unite the Union and how to join, visit www.unitetheunion.org

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DERBY COUNTY

As well as being successful on the pitch, Derby County also have a superb community section in place and Chief Operating Officer John Vicars provides the following statement about the trusts work on the club’s official website. “Derby County Football Club has the ability to engage people, raising hopes and aspirations, improving the lives of the people of Derbyshire. As a Club we are committed to ensuring that we respond to local needs whilst working strategically in line with regional and national agendas. We all recognise that sport can play a prominent role in addressing major issues such as rising obesity levels, community cohesion, health inequalities, un-employment and educational attainment. Through the diverse range of programmes delivered by our Derby County Community Trust (DCCT), we aim to get people healthier and more active, raise attainment in schools, develop talent pathways and improve our local community. Our partnership work strengthens the entire scheme delivery programme and enables us to work strategically within Derbyshire. We

Issue 48

This certainly meant that any supporters attending their fixtures were well entertained and should ensure that more of the local community get behind the club in the future. Playing with such style will also help to get the best out of some of the talented young players that Derby has such as Will Hughes. The club’s attentions will now have turned towards ensuring that they are well prepared for the new campaign and last year’s performances should provide them with a good platform upon which to build. As long as they are able to retain their current group of players and perhaps make one or two quality additions they are sure to be pressing for promotion once again.

DERBY COUNTY

“Derby County Football Club has the ability to engage people… improving the lives of the people of Derbyshire.”

are very aware of the cultural diversity that exists in our local community and we are committed to embracing it and providing equitable access.” Derby County are clearly a club that is doing a lot of good work both on and off the field and they appear well positioned to make a return to the Premier League. Hopefully they will be able to keep up the good work that they have been doing for many years to come and everyone at Football Focus Magazine would like to wish them the best of luck.

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DUNBAR UNITED

DUNBAR UNITED First established in 1925 Dunbar United FC is affectionately known by their supporters as the Seasiders. They play their home games at New Countess Park on Kellie Road in East Lothian and do a tremendous amount of good work in their local community. They are a club with a history of which they have every right to be proud and perhaps their greatest achievement to date came when they won the Scottish Junior Cup in 1960-61. This is not the only Cup competition they have been successful in however as they have also triumphed in the East of Scotland Junior Cup, the Brown Cup and the East Lothian Cup. The teamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s success has not been solely limited to cup competitions however as theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve claimed the Edinburgh and District League twice and the East Region Division Two 3 times. The current group of players will be keen to add to these successes over the coming years. Last time out their side enjoyed a solid campaign as they put together a record of having won 12, drawn 1 and lost 12 of their matches. This saw them finish in the top half of the table with 40 points on the board. This should give them a solid platform upon which to build as they look ahead to their 2014/15 campaign. As long as they are able to retain their current group of players and perhaps make one or two quality additions they should be in with a good chance of pushing on further up the table.

Issue 48

DUNBAR UNITED A particular highlight of the teamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s play has been the attacking brand of football that they have been able to play. This has been reflected by the fact that they scored an impressive 56 goals in the league alone at a rate of more than 2 per match. This will certainly have meant that any supporters attending their matches will have been well entertained and should ensure that more of the community gets behind the side in the future. Playing with such style will also help their players to produce their best form. There is much to admire about the Dunbar United set-up and this is thanks to the hard work that their Committee has put into the club. Hopefully they will be able to continue in the same manner for many years to come and everyone at Football Focus Magazine would like to wish them the best of luck for the future.

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POLESWORTH

POLESWORTH It is good news that the club will continue to run a youth side, showing their commitment to developing young players in the local community. This team looks to provide young players from the local area with an opportunity to play the game in a safe and enjoyable environment whilst helping them to reach their full potential.

Polesworth FC enjoyed a solid campaign last time around as they put together a record of having won 12, drawn 6 and lost 12 of their 30 matches. This saw them finish in 9th position with 42 points on the board which was a solid mid-table position. During the season they managed to score 59 times whilst conceding on 90 occasions and they had a stronger record at home than they did away. The team should be content with their performances on the whole as they generally played to their potential.

It is important for any club to be able to produce their own talent particularly in the current financial climate and this is an area they appear to have covered. It will certainly be exciting to watch to see how these players are able to progress over the coming years.

In a recent announcement on the club’s website Polesworth have confirmed that they will not be entering a team in any of the local Saturday Football League’s for the coming season, and will be using this year as a rebuilding platform. They stated, “Several factors have contributed to this decision being taken, some of which we could control but others are well outside of the club’s control, however with a possible ground move or upgrade to the existing facility in the pipe line in the coming years, we have decided to build towards that. This decision has not been taken lightly and this is very much the last resort. However the committee reached this decision unanimously as we strongly believe it is the right decision for the club at this time. But with the Polesworth FC name living on with the under 16s team which ply their trade in the Midland Junior Premier League, Football will still continue at Hermitage hill be it on a Saturday morning. We would like to thank each and every person who has contributed to the success of the club during our five year stay in the Midland Combination and would like to wish everyone all the success for the future.”

Issue 48

PROUD TO SUPPORT PO

LES

RT H

NEWCASTLE UNITED

NEWCASTLE UNITED Newcastle United has a history of being represented by some superb strikers over the years. Football Focus Magazine looks at some of those to have shone in the Premier League era. Andy Cole The first was Andy Cole who set the league alight after signing from Bristol City for ÂŁ1.75m towards the end of the 1992-93 season. He wasted no time establishing himself as a fan favourite, going on to net 43 goals in 58 games in the famous black and white shirt. Les Ferdinand Les Ferdinand was the next to be brought in in a ÂŁ6m move from QPR and his ability in the air marked him out as one of the best centre forwards in the country. Supplied by flamboyant Frenchman, David Ginola, Ferdinand was virtually impossible to deal with as defences across the league discovered. Alan Shearer The greatest goalscorer of the Premier League era followed Ferdinand to Tyneside in a then world record transfer of 15.6m. Turning down Manchester United and Sir Alex Ferguson to join his home town club cemented his popularity with the crowd before a ball had been kicked.

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NEWCASTLE UNITED

When he begun to play he quickly showed why he was the world’s most expensive footballer as Newcastle developed a reputation for being the most entertaining side in the country. When Shearer finally called time on his Newcastle career he had netted an incredible 148 goals in 303 Premier League games ensuring that he will always be a crowd favourite at St James’ Park. Recent Times Since then the club has brought in a number of centre forwards to fill the gap left by these great players with the likes of Andy Carroll, Obafemi Martins and Loic Remy enjoying various levels of success in front of goal. This summer they have added Emmanuel Rivière at a relatively low price in the modern game of £6m and are confident that he has the quality required to make an impact in the coming campaign. Speaking of his excitement after the move recently he said, “I’m very happy to be here at Newcastle. When the club spoke to me I said yes immediately. It was an easy decision because Newcastle is a big club with great fans and a good stadium.” Leading the line at Newcastle is a great honour and if you can score goals you will be adored by their supporters who will be hoping that they can look forwards to many more years of being entertained by terrific strikers.

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BRENTFORD

BRENTFORD First established in 1889, Brentford FC plays their home games at Griffin Park on Braemer Road and their first team will compete in the SkyBet Championship next season. They are led by Chairman Cliff Crown whilst Mark Warburton manages the first team.

The side certainly enjoyed a season to remember last time around as they managed to gain promotion which was a superb achievement. In the league they finished with a record of having won 28, drawn 10 and lost just 8 of their 46 matches which saw them end up in the 2nd automatic promotion position with 94 points on the board. Although some way behind eventual winners Wolves, they can be proud of their efforts and enjoy a growing reputation within

the game for playing football the right way. This is reflected by their free scoring nature as evidenced by the fact that they found the back of the net on 72 occasions. Playing in this style certainly meant that any supporters attending their matches were well entertained and this should encourage more of the local community to get behind the team. It will also help the club to attract quality players capable of improving the side further.

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Issue 48

BRENTFORD

Brentford is not a club to stand still and they will now have turned their attentions towards making sure that they are fully prepared for the new campaign. As long as they are able to continue to perform to the same level that they did last year then they should be in with a good chance of further success. The early signs in pre-season have been positive as they managed to defeat OGC Nice 3-2 at the weekend. Speaking to the club’s official website after the fixture, Mark Warburton said, “I thought it was a really good test. They showed us how well they moved the ball, the quality was outstanding. They punished us when we were sloppy and in the last 15 minutes we saw if you give the ball away you pay the price. We learned a lot, there were many positives. They were a good side and I hope we surprised them with our quality, certainly in the first 70 minutes. It was an interesting challenge, I am pleased it went well and I think the players benefitted enormously.” As well as being successful on the pitch Brentford also have a Trust in place that does some outstanding work in the community. One example of this was when coaches Josh Hinkson and Ryan Peters made the trip to Palestine to complete a placement in May. Their Community Sports Trust does a lot of other good work, particularly in relation to helping young people in the local area. There is much to admire about the set-up that Brentford currently has in place and this has been rewarded with some superb results on the field of play. Hopefully they will be able to keep up the good work that they have been doing and Football Focus Magazine would like to wish them the best of luck for the new season.

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HALIFAX TOWN

HALIFAX TOWN Halifax Town FC plays their home games at The Shay Stadium and their first team currently competes in the Skrill Conference Premier League. They are led by the team of Chairman David Bosomworth and President Robert Holmes and the club has made a considerable amount of progress under their guidance. They put together a superb league campaign last time around, compiling a record of having won 22, drawn 11 and lost 13 of their 46 matches. This saw them finish in a play-off position

with 77 points on the board, scoring 85 times and conceding on 58 occasions. The team were unable to claim promotion through the playoffs but their performances this year should provide them with a superb platform ahead of next year. So long as they are able to retain their current group of players they should be in for a successful campaign. The team gained plenty of plaudits as well for the attacking brand of football that they managed to produce which

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Issue 48

certainly ensured that any supporters attending their matches were well entertained. This should help to encourage more of the local community to get behind the side in the future. Playing with such an attacking style should also help the club to attract the quality of players necessary to help them to progress. It will also ensure that the current group enjoy representing the club and are able to produce their best form. As well as being successful on the field of play, Halifax Town also do a tremendous amount of good work in the local area through their Community group. It is led by Pam Burton and has seen the club out and about in different places over the past couple of years. Some of the work that they have carried out includes visits to the Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Ward at Calderdale Royal to provide presents for children at Christmas, Halifax Charity Gala, Elland Gala as well as hosting events such as meet the players, holiday courses and football tournaments. Halifax Town clearly enjoyed a superb season last time around and appear to have everything in place to continue to be successful over the coming years. As important as their work on the field is that which they do in the local community and they deserve a tremendous amount of credit for this. Everyone at Football Focus Magazine would like to wish them the best of luck for the future.

TRAFFORD

TRAFFORD Trafford FC is celebrating their 25th anniversary and has been making some superb progress both on and off the field recently. Football Focus Magazine caught up with their Match Secretary Dave Murray to find out more. Atmosphere He told us, “The mood all around the club is ‘buzzing’ after such a good campaign in our debut season in the Evo-Stik League Premier Division, a level we’ve never played in before. As well as finishing in a creditable 10th place Trafford won the Manchester Premier Cup beating Football Conference side Hyde FC in the final.” Community “We have always been known as a family club where we welcome all ages to Shawe View and with our management team of Manager Garry Vaughan and his Assistant Wayne Goodison have set up the GV Soccer School for young local players with regular Soccer Camps in school holidays. Also at the start of last season our followers set up a very successful Trafford FC Supporters Club with a number of their own fund-raising functions to help the clubs coffers.” Facilities

larger clubhouse as our present facilities are not really big enough to hold decent size functions.” Commercial “The club has a new Commercial Manager in Keith McKerracher who joined the club committee last season and has been out to the local businesses every day doing a fantastic job securing programme adverts, advertising boards for around the pitch plus many other sponsorship package deals. Our main sponsor who has just agreed his third season with the Trafford is Phil Rigney of KMD Recycling Ltd in Stockport. As well as sponsoring the club he and his young family attend most of our home games.” Challenges “The main challenge for Trafford Football Club is hopefully to maintain a high level of football in

“Trafford may be one of the smaller clubs in the Premier Division but when visiting clubs come to Shawe View they all comment about the condition of our fabulous pitch which our Football Secretary/ Groundsman Graham Foxall has been nominated for the Northern Premier League Groundsman of the Year for the past number of seasons, winning the award in season 2010-11. The ground is surrounded by trees and situated next to a Golf Course so as you can imagine it’s a very picturesque setting. Each close season committee members & supporters come to the ground to paint, repair and generally tidy the ground up ready for the start of the next season. At the present time the club have put forward plans for a

Issue 48

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TRAFFORD

Issue 48

TRAFFORD the Evo Stik League Premier Division. This is going to be very difficult with the limited financial resources a small club like ourselves has at the moment, but the management have been doing a fantastic job with the team over the last few seasons. This situation could be boosted if we could get our new clubhouse. The Club’s First Team Manager Garry Vaughan also took the time to speak with us Last Season He started by telling us about their last campaign saying, “Overall we are happy with our first season at Premier Division level. Most of our Players had never been at this level so the season was one for us all to learn and to have a top 10 finish year of a link with Wellacre College was testament to their ability and where the Boys who are studying a approach. Like every team we aim BTEC Sport related course are also to do as well as possible I guess! our Academy team. We as a club have come a long way in just 25 years so if we can Last season we saw 4 boys make continue the progress of the last 3 appearances in our 1st team and seasons then we will be happy with there are others who will do so this that. year. We will never be a club that spends big on attracting players Youth and our philosophy will always be to “For us as a club, myself and my develop our own. That is why that staff it is vital that we not only particular link is crucial to us. develop players for our first team but now also forge links with In addition we now also run Soccer younger children. We are in the 2nd schools and Primary school

sessions in the area to not only provide an outlet for kids but to promote Trafford FC in our local community.” Integration “We have had 16 to 18 year olds play in our team recently and we try to ensure that they are integrated into our squad by training with us regularly and coming along on match days prior to actually getting on the pitch. We are lucky to have a settled squad and so that helps with continuity and the creation of a good atmosphere.”

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WALDRIDGE PARK

WALDRIDGE PARK Waldridge Park FC was founded in 2010 as an affiliate of Waldridge Park Junior Football Club in Chester le Street. The majority of Players and Team officials worked together since the late 1990s progressing through the age groups including Under 18 and 21 Russell Foster Youth Leagues proving to be an excellent grounding prior to starting Adult Football in the 2010/11 season. The first season in the Tyne and Wear Saturday Morning league proved the teams capability to compete but when that league folded due to lack of teams our application to the Gateshead Sunday morning league was accepted for the 2011/12 season. An excellent season followed building confidence and a top 3 finish saw promotion a real possibility. However the players and management were keen to enter the Durham and District Sunday League with so many local teams and Derby matches of course to look forward to. The 12/13 season saw yet more success gaining promotion to the Third Division and making a name for ourselves playing some quality football with a young team and showing a sporting and outstanding attitude throughout. Club Chairman Steve Days took the time to tell Football Focus Magazine more about the club. Atmosphere He told us, “The general mood at the club is very upbeat having just had a great season. We have some new young players coming in who will further complement those that we already have and everyone can’t wait for the new season to start. Last season was our most successful and shows we are going in the right direction. In our Leagues cup competitions we reached a quarter final, semi-final and a final in which we were defeated. More importantly we won our League losing only once to runners up Whitehills FC. We were rewarded with a League trophy for being the highest scorers in all divisions with 147 goals notched.”

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WALDRIDGE PARK

Youth “As the club’s foundations are built from youth football this still remains very important to our club. We remain affiliated to the junior club and continue to provide opportunities for players ending their youth careers to come to the senior team. Young players who come to the senior game through our club are made to feel extremely welcome by officials and players alike. They are able to integrate quickly as they can see other young players who have made the same transition and who are being successful at the club.”

Ambitions “The club is ambitious in respect of increasing the status of the club in our local community by challenging more established local teams for League and Cup honours. The club this last season has already proved their ability against teams from higher divisions and have won many plaudits for their style of football. In the next 5 years the club wants to continue its policy to give the opportunity to young players to progress into senior football from the youth team.”

Challenges “One of the biggest challenges will continue to be the finding of opportunities for funding which alleviates the cost of running the club from the players and officials. The club has been extremely fortunate to have found generous sponsors keen to assist but with more clubs being created in the local area also vying for sponsors the search becomes harder. A further issue that may be presented by the creation of further clubs in the area will be the lack of available and affordable playing fields.” www.footballfocus.biz

WALKER CENTRAL

WALKER CENTRAL Walker Central FC is a club with a terrific history of producing talented young players. Football Focus Magazine caught up with their U12 Team Manager to find out how their current youngsters are coming along. He told us, “I have been with Walker Central for almost 6 years, initially just helping out along the way at first as my lad attended the Saturday morning soccer camp for 5 year olds, held in the gym of old walker comprehensive school, a great little introduction to football for any young kid with the coach having a big emphasis on techniques, the A.B.C’s and the ‘fundamentals’. I currently look after the U12 age group which play in the pinpoint recruitment junior league in the Prem 2 Division, a very challenging league where most teams are capable of beating each other on any given Sunday. I love to attend courses and have completed my level 1 coaching award and youth modules 1&2, I’m currently attending my level 2 coaching award, the challenge of teaching the kids new techniques, skills and giving them an understanding of how to play the game is very rewarding. There has been a massive improvement in their development in the last 12 months. There’s a really positive mood at the club right now, where we’ve had a big drive towards recruitment of year one and two children and the introduction of a girls’ team at U13 level which looks like it will lead to other girls teams being founded at Walker Central. The season has been mixed to be honest, a couple of age groups didn’t do as well as we thought they would yet we’ve put lads in to the academy at Newcastle United and last season’s U12’s won 8 trophies across the season and a couple of our U7 and 8’s have done excellently with one side under Mark Rookes guidance going the season unbeaten and winning their national age group tournament at Warwick last week.

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Next season, I’ll continue to develop our U12’s and see if we can continue were we left off last season after 1 defeat in 17 games, playing some smashing football at times. Personally my aim is to complete my level 2 coaching badge and enrol on the final stage of the youth award (if I can find another £355 to pay for it!) I think our biggest challenge is to look after the early age groups, football is massive at year 1 and 2 and we have to provide quality coaches and venues for the kids to enjoy themselves, funding is always a challenge and we rely on the kindness of the local community and business’s to help us out with kits although we do have a diamond in Brian Clark the club founder who recently celebrated 25 years since the clubs establishment. Our ultimate goal is to become self-sufficient. The clubs ambition is to give the local kids the best coaches, venues and facilities for them to showcase their talents and simply develop at a rate that suits the individual. Enjoyment, feeling valued and providing a safe and welcoming environment is key in ensuring they keep coming back improving and who knows Brian might get another walker lad into Newcastle united first team. Check out his video on our website www. walkercentralfc.co.uk

WALKER CENRTRAL

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WOODSON PARK

WOODSON PARK Woodson Park is a club that clearly plays a vital role in the local community. Football Focus Magazine caught up with their Chairman Lee Cook to find out more about the good work that they have been doing lately.

Involvement He told us, â&#x20AC;&#x153;I have been involved with the club since it was founded in 2001 by my colleague Neil and I. As the club chairman of 13 thirteen years the role is now a bit like second nature. With a club of this size there are many challenges including finances, people management and looking at how to ensure the club moves forward. Having coached for over 15 years as well it is always a great leveller to be involved with our development squad of 4, 5 and 6 year olds where there is no pressure and the beautiful game can be enjoyed in its rawest form.â&#x20AC;?

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WOODSON PARK Atmosphere “As a club we are in a good situation with teams from U5 to our senior team playing at step 6 of the National League pyramid. Whilst we have lost a couple of teams this year for all sorts of reasons the general mood is a good one and everything is already in place for the new season. We are very much a community club. Our players are all from the local area and we are very proud of that.” Last Season

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“The 2013/144 season was ok. The weather didn’t help us and a massive fixture pileup meant that the last quarter was rather hectic especially for the senior teams. We had 4 teams that reached cup finals (2 winners and 2 losers), 2 divisional runners up and some team’s had a generally good all round season.” Youth “Youth football is incredibly important to the club. We started with the youth section and they are the life blood of the club. Having teams right through the club we start introducing senior football to youth players once they reach 16. We ease them in gently with training sessions and then the odd reserve team game starting from the bench.” Challenges/Ambitions “Football is now not a cheap sport. When I look at what it costs to run our club it’s like a small business and everything is getting more expensive. The red tape that we have to contend with turns a lot of volunteers off and trying to encourage parents or just keen individuals is becoming harder and harder. Kids want to play football and one of my biggest concerns is that it will soon be too expensive to be available to everyone. Our ambitions revolve around consolidation and gradual progression to enhance our facilities and coaching.”

Hertfordshire County Council Call 0800 917 0925 www.hertsdirect.org/fostering

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ST. PETERS

ST. PETERS St Peters FC is a club that plays a vital role in their local community and do a lot of good work in relation to the development of young players. Football Focus Magazine caught up with President Tom Du Feu to find out more. Involvement

All the inspiration I needed to be part of the progress and development of St Peter in future years, a club which I am very proud to have the honour of being President/Chairman for what will be 30 years at the end of 2014/15 season. Along with the pleasure of playing 454 matches and occupying just about every position in administrative level in the Club, and when I call it a day, YES I would do it all again.”

He told us, “My first involvement with St Peter started in 1955 when I was asked to play in the Parish Inter-Vingtaine competition for the junior boys’ section (this is inter-parish district). At the ground I used to help with all sorts of jobs in preparation for the matches, along with a gentleman called Frank Surcouf who, with his brother Peter, was an example to any young boy.

Atmosphere

We used to mark the pitch by hand with a bucket of lime, after the pitch lines had been burnt out with creosote prior to the season, spread mole hills that used to come up all over the pitch, sweep out dressing rooms that were in an old wartime prefab galvanised shed.

“Youth football is the lifeblood of Island football in general and at St Peter’s we place great emphasis on this route as a means of building future senior teams through the efforts of many coaches who organise football for over 300 players throughout the season at all age levels.”

Exciting

Community

“The whole experience used to excite me and came at a time when I was reading Matt Busby’s book titled “My Story” in which he detailed how he built Old Trafford into the fortress it was to become after the carnage of the World War.

“St Peter’s FC is a Standard Charter Community Club with community involvement in the local primary school. Each year we stage an Everton F. C. coaching week for 150 boys with eight of the Everton Academy coaches running

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“There is a good feeling and optimistic mood as respective managers strive to attract players to add to our developing squads of our Senior, Junior and Ladies’ teams. We have had a good season, with our first team finishing in mid-table with a blend of experience and young boys coming through from our Academy teams.” Youth

the week’s activity supported by Managers and Committee members of the St Peter’s Academy. We stage functions in our clubhouse ranging from fundraising for ‘Holidays for Heroes’, which helps disabled servicemen and women, flower arranging functions for our St Peter’s Parish Church, charity fetes to assist Autism sufferers.” Events “We provide training facilities for the Jersey Primary School football squad prior to their matches. We stage Mini-football tournaments at the end of the season. Family, supporters and members often hold BBQs & birthday parties. Earlier this month we catered for a wedding reception for over 160 people. All this is possible through the dedicated hard work of our ladies catering team, bar staff and Committee members.” Commercial “We do our utmost to maximize and encourage all opportunities available to our Club at all times being very proud of our very good relationship with all our current sponsors. We are always willing to listen to any proposal from any company, business or individual. We are supported by our principal Club sponsor, Malborough Fund Managers who are about to enter their fourteenth season in that position. The Academy is sponsored by the Sanne Group who has just completed their first season. A local legal firm Le Gallais & Luce sponsor our Ladies section. In addition we have another

ST. PETERS

twenty much valued support sponsors. We do our utmost at every opportunity to publicise their support of St Peter’s FC be it in or match programmes or in the local media.” Challenge “One of the biggest challenges we face is to maintain the culture and strength of our Club that has been built on a strong family link, brought about by hard work which is getting harder to maintain as years go by, when faced by so many outside interests for both adults and youths, along with the ever increasing financial costs rising every year.” Ambitions “As we are heading towards our centenary in 2019, we aim to have the top championship back at St Peter’s, along with success in League and Competition at all levels. We wish to provide enhanced facilities for players, supporters and persons visiting our Club in preparation particularly for the Island Games Tournament in2015 when we will be staging top matches during the week which sees islands from around the world competing . We will continue to foster links with premier and league football clubs at all times, making all our players aware that they could be the next Peter Vincenti (Rochdale FC) who we are all very proud of as he was one of St Peter’s star players in our last Championship winning team five years ago.

We are proud to sponsor St Peter’s Ladies Football Club and the Academy, and wish them every success in the coming season.

Give us the dedication and loyalty and St Peter’s will give you the pathway to succeed!”

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BOLTON WANDERERS

BOLTON WANDERERS Bolton Wanderers FC plays their home games at the Macron Stadium in Greater Manchester and their first team currently competes in the Championship. They are led by Chairman Phil Gartside whilst Dougie Freedman manages the team. The club has a history of which they have every right to be proud and enjoyed a fine run in the Premiership after winning promotion in 1997. They have also won the English 2nd tier on two other occasions in the 1908/09 and 1977-78 campaigns.

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They have also enjoyed plenty of success in the FA Cup, particularly in the 1920s when they managed to win the famous competition on 3 occasions. They won it for a 4th time in 1958. The current group of players will be keen to add to the clubâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s illustrious past over the coming years. Last time around the first team put together a steady record as they managed to win 14, draw 17 and lose 15 of their 46 matches. This saw them finish in a safe mid table position with 59 points on the board. This should provide them with a good platform upon which to build as they look ahead towards the new season. If they can get off to a good start to gain some momentum they should be in with a good chance of pushing for a return to the Premier League.

BOLTON WANDERERS

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BOLTON WANDERERS They have worked hard during the off-season and everyone at the club is now looking forwards to the new campaign with plenty of optimism. It will certainly be interesting to see how they get along in the new season. Jay Spearing has been appointed as the club’s new Captain with Matt Mills being named vice captain. Speaking of the appointments to the club’s official website Dougie Freedman said, “We’ve built up many leaders in our current group, and Jay and Matt are two of the players who are at the forefront of what we’re trying to do here. They both have a very good feeling for this club and know what is required to step up and lead from the front.” Spearing has made 85 appearances for Bolton, scoring on 2 occasions since his move from Liverpool. He told bwfc. co.uk, “It’s a massive honour to have been named as club captain. Having seen the great players who have previously had this honour, it is a very proud moment in my career. We’ve got a great group of players and staff here, and we’re now all looking forward to the new season.”

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The competition has been growing every year with over 120 teams competing this time around. The first day saw teams made up of Year 3 and 4 pupils taking part with the aim of helping the youngsters to develop their skills and enjoy the game. The tournament as a whole was a great success and the people taking part certainly enjoyed the day.

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BISHOP SUTTON

BISHOP SUTTON Bishop Sutton AFC was first established in the 1900’s and after a time out of existence was reformed for the 1977/78 season. Football Focus Magazine caught up with the club’s Secretary Malcolm Hunt to find out how they have been getting along recently.

He started by telling us about how he got involved with the club, saying, “I’ve been here since 1977 when a group of village residents identified the need for a local village club, the previous club having been disbanded in the 1950s. Two of the original founders, George Williams and myself are still much involved, George as chairman and myself as secretary. One of the biggest challenges for us is keeping the club solvent and maintaining playing standards. It was very rewarding in season 2012-2013 when we won the Premier Division of The Western League, (Step 5). The mood here is Optimistic as everyone is looking forward to a good season in 2014-2015 after a difficult 2013-2014. After winning the league but being unable to progress to the Southern League due to ground grading we had a complete exodus of the management team and every player last summer requiring a complete rebuild of the playing side of the club. This was achieved and we avoided relegation. We have put together a new management team of Lee Smith, Head of Football at Bath University and Billy Clark of Bath City U21s and are confident of fielding a young high quality team, capable of challenging for honours. Until last season, when we had a last minute management withdrawal we had a junior team every season since 1977. In recent seasons we’ve had an U18s team playing www.footballfocus.biz

BISHOP SUTTON in the Somerset County Floodlit Youth League. We consider that youth football is very important and our intention is to re-enter the league for season 20152016. We are a traditional village community club and our facilities are made available and are used by a number of local organisations. During the last season it became the home of Chew Valley U15s who will continue this coming season as U16s before becoming the nucleus of our U18s for the following season. Our clubroom is used for weekly skittles competitions and is popular for local parties and functions. We want to continue to generate income to sustain the ever increasing costs involved, particularly in the area of officialâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fees and expenses, insurances and utilities.Our aim is to further develop our ground to bring the grading up to step 4 standards and to produce a team capable of promotion to the SouthernLeague.

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BRIDGEWATER TOWN

BRIDGEWATER TOWN Bridgewater Town FC plays their home games at Fairfax Park on College Way in Somerset and their first team currently competes in the Calor Southern League Division 1 South and West. They are led by Chairman Pat Parker whilst Richard Fey manages their first team. The club was re-established in 1984 when they joined the Somerset County League. They made it to the Premier Division before establishing themselves as one of the best sides in the competition with 6 straight seasons where they finished in the top 3 between 1988 and 94. They won promotion back into the Southern League after a 23 year absence in 2006-07.

position in the league with 43 points. They will now have turned their attentions towards the 2014/15 season and will be keen for some improved performances. As long as they are able to retain their current group of players and perhaps bring in one or two quality additions they should have a good chance of a higher league finish. This is a club that is committed to providing as many players as possible from the local area with an opportunity to play the game and it is with this in mind that they also have a reserve side in place. This allows them to give twice as many players each week a game.

Perhaps the club’s most successful season to date came in 2009-10 when they made it into the Play-offs of the league competition and were also runners up in the Somerset Premier Cup. Their current players will be keen to build on their illustrious history over the coming years.

Another benefit of having more than one senior side is that it allows the first XI to benefit from far greater strength in depth. If they are ever left short on numbers through injury or suspension they have the option of calling players up with a limited amount of disruption.

It would be fair to say that their first team did not perhaps enjoy the campaign that they would have liked last time around as they put together a record of having won 13, drawn 4 and lost 23 of their 40 matches. This saw them finish in 15th

There is clearly much to admire about the set up that Bridgewater Town has in place. Hopefully they will be able to keep up the good work that they have been doing for many years to come.

www.bridgwater.ac.uk

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Bridgwater College and Bridgwater Town FC have announced an exciting new partnership which will see Bridgwater College manage the Bridgwater Town reserve team. The team will remain in the Somerset County Premier Division and operate under the name of Bridgwater Town Reserves, playing home games at Fairfax Park. It will be managed by Bridgwater College Sports Development Manager and former Bridgwater Town first team goalkeeper, Luke Buckingham together with former Bridgwater College student and former Bridgwater Town under 18’s Assistant Manager, Dan Wright. The players will predominately be current Bridgwater College students, although older, nonstudents will be involved to add some experience. This new partnership demonstrates the commitment of both the Club and the College to providing a platform for young players to develop and progress into senior football, and builds on the previous partnership work between them which has seen Bridgwater Town under 18s finish third in the Somerset under 18 Floodlight Youth League Premier Division and Bridgwater Town Ability Counts team reach Division 1 in the Somerset FA league. It also provides a direct link to the newly-established Club and College Football Development Centre which provides weekly training for under 14, under 15 and under 16 boys.

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HELSBY

HELSBY Helsby FC enjoyed a superb campaign last time around, with their first team going on a great run towards the end of the season to secure promotion. Football Focus Magazine caught up with their Secretary Paul Nicholls to find out more about the good work that they have been doing. Involvement He told us, “I have been involved with Helsby FC for the past 30 years, first as a player and then I moved ‘upstairs’, so to speak, to act as Treasurer and now Club Secretary. I grew up in Helsby, so it was the obvious choice for me - Helsby have always been a well-respected club who have competed at a good standard of amateur football in the West Cheshire area. You might say that I’ve got green blood in my veins!” The Role “The most challenging aspects of my secretarial role are probably much the same as those experienced by many in grass roots football – lack of time (football competing with work and family commitments), limited financial resources and a shortage of volunteers to help share the ever-growing administrative burden. I get most reward from on-the-field success, from helping to provide a football facility to the local community and from seeing youngsters enjoy the sport and develop as footballers as they progress through the junior ranks.” Atmosphere “The mood here is very upbeat. Our senior teams enjoyed successful 2013/14 campaigns, while our junior and youth teams are all moving in the right direction thanks to the enthusiasm and dedication of their managers and coaches. We are part of a larger multi-sports club and will be moving to a new site – still in Helsby – within the next 2 years which will give us outstanding indoor and outdoor facilities. We are all extremely excited at that prospect as it moves closer to reality.” Last Season “Last season ended on a positive note, our First Team and Reserves both securing promotion to the top divisions of the West Cheshire and Chester & District Leagues respectively. The First Team won 9 out of their last 10 league games to finish in runnersup spot. Our junior teams were yet again a credit to the club, winning plaudits for their 40

Issue 48

HELSBY

attractive style of play and ‘fair play’ attitude. We want to carry on in the same fashion next year – to be competitive and enjoy success on the field, and keep working hard to deliver the new facilities off it.” Youth “Youth football is extremely important – our junior and youth team footballers comprise our succession planning for the future. Being in a semi-rural village, we have traditionally found it difficult to recruit players from the larger towns and cities in the area. So to have youngsters who have developed an affinity and allegiance to Helsby FC through our junior section will, hopefully, see us retain them as they progress into open-age football.” Integration “Moving from junior/youth football into the senior game can be difficult. Whilst many youngsters can be excellent

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technically, they can initially find the physical and psychological aspects of open aged football demanding. We seek to ensure that the transition is gradual from U17s upwards, and that the youngsters are helped by older, more experienced players. The Cheshire FA has recently established an U21s League to act as a bridge from the junior to senior game, and that could well be an option we pursue in the future.”

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HELSBY Challenges “Our challenges are pretty much in line with what we have seen over recent years. Sustaining ourselves financially, while we aspire to progress and expand as a club. There is very limited governing body investment which filters through to our level of grass roots football, and attracting sponsorship from local companies is a struggle in the current economic climate. We need more hands on deck to help us off the field and on match days. And we are working hard to buck the general trend of decreasing participation in amateur competitive sport.” Ambitions “We have ambitions to have a senior team playing in the North West Counties League, and the plans for our new facility are future proofed to meet the Step 6 ground grading criteria. We want to increase the number of junior teams so that we span the full age range from U7s to U18s, supplemented by an U21s Development team as mentioned earlier. We would also like to establish some girls’ teams within our ranks if possible.”

D&D Recruit Ltd are proud sponsors of Helsby FC for the 2014/2015 season. We are a independent recruitment company that specialises in the logistics sector covering clients over the North West, we can also cater to any other staffing needs your business may need. Please call 01928 248822 if you have any queries.

GOOD LUCK FOR THE SEASON BOYS

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SILSDEN

SILSDEN First established in 1904, Silsden FC play their home games at the Asda Foundation Stadium on Keighley Road and their first team currently competes in the North West Counties Premier Division. They are led by Chairman Sean McNulty whilst Andy Geary is the First Team Manager. It would be fair to say that the club did not perhaps enjoy the campaign they would have liked last time around as they put together a record of having won 13, drawn 8 and lost 21 of their 42 matches. This saw them finish in the bottom half of the table with 47 points on the board. There were some positives to take from the season however and one of these was that they had a better defensive record than many of the sides around them. They conceded 70 goals in total at a rate of less than 2 per match. Being able to rely on a sturdy defence is crucial to success and knowing that the backline can be counted upon will help to instil confidence into players further up the pitch. It also gives the side the opportunity to win games even when they are not playing at their best. The clubâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s attentions will now have turned towards the new season and they will be confident of doing better this time around. The early signs are

promising as well as they managed to win their first match of the season by 4 goals to 1 against Abbey Hay. Silsden is not a club to focus solely upon senior football however and they also have a number of youth sides in place. These teams look to provide young players from the local community with an opportunity to play the game in a safe and enjoyable environment whilst helping them to reach their full potential. It is important for any team to be able to produce their own talent, particularly in the current financial climate and this is an area that they appear to have covered. It will certainly be exciting to see how their young players are able to develop over the coming years. Silsden is a club that plays a vital role in their local community and this is thanks to the hard work that their Committee puts into making them a success. Hopefully they will be able to continue in the same manner for many years to come and Football Focus Magazine wishes them the best of luck.

Bookings Advisable

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COVE RANGERS

COVE RANGERS First established in 1922, Cove Rangers FC plays their home games at Allan Park in Aberdeen and their first team currently competes in the Press and Journal Highland League. They are led by Chairman Keith Moorhouse whilst John Sheeran manages their first team and the club is looking to progress under their guidance. They joined the Highland League in 1986 and have played there ever since, winning the title on four separate occasions in 2000/01, 2007/08, 2008/09 and 2012/13. The club has also built a reputation for doing well in the Scottish Cup, managing to reach the 3rd round 3 times.

Cove Rangers attention will now have turned towards the 2014/15 campaign and they will be keen to ensure that they are well prepared. So long as they are able to retain their current group of players and perhaps make one or two quality additions they should be in with a good chance of claiming a higher league finish. Cove Rangers is a club with a fantastic history of success and with the set-up that they currently have in place they seem well positioned to add to that in the near future. Everyone at Football Focus Magazine would like to wish them the best of luck for the coming season.

Perhaps their most successful season to date came when they managed to win a quadruple in 2001 which included the Highland League, Aberdeenshire Shield, Scottish Qualifying Cup and Highland League Cup. The current group of players will be keen to add to their illustrious history over the coming years. Last season they put together a steady campaign, finishing with a league record of having won 16, drawn 7 and lost 11 of their 34 matches. This saw them finish in 7th position in the league with 55 points on the board. A particular highlight of the team’s play last time around was the attacking brand of football that they managed to produce. This was reflected by the fact that they were among the top scorers in the league, notching 91 times at a rate of more than 2 per match. Playing with such style certainly ensured that any supporters attending their matches were well entertained and should encourage more of the local community to get behind the side in the future. Having a reputation for playing football the right way should also help to attract and retain good quality players.

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KINCARDINE

KINCARDINE There is much to admire about Kincardine FC and they are clearly a very well-run set-up. Football Focus Magazine caught up with club representative Gary Horne to find out more about the good work that they have been doing lately.

Last season was a bit disappointing as some players discipline on the park let them down and cost us vital points which resulted in us finishing 6th in our league. We were also unfortunate to lose a cup final right at the end of the season which dampened the team’s spirit.”

Involvement

Next Season

He told us, “I have been involved with the club since it began in 2007. First as a player for around 4 years, then manager for 3 years, and now currently as the club secretary. I was attracted to the club as it is my local team and I wanted to represent my village.”

“For the season ahead we are changing associations from Welfare to Amateur League, which is regarded as taking a step upwards. It will be interesting to see how the players and team cope with this new challenge. In preparation for this we have doubled our weekly training sessions and are expecting more commitment from our players.”

Challenges/Rewards “The most challenging aspect is securing financial sponsorship and keeping funds up as the costs of running a men’s amateur team are getting higher every year. We are lucky however to have support from many local businesses year on year. The most rewarding aspect is when the team are performing well and enjoying playing football for the club. It’s not always about winning, the team can be winners off the park by uniting and coming together and building a proper team which they can be proud of.” Atmosphere “The mood of the club is good at the moment as players are just returning for pre-season and are looking forward to getting stuck into training and preparing for the season ahead. We have added a couple of new players to the squad who will hopefully fit in well and raise existing player’s performance level.

Youth “Youth football is very important to the club as it nurtures the next generation of players which is vital for years to come in order to keep the club going. Currently we have an U19 team whose players will hopefully make the step up over the next few years.” Community “Our club is very community orientated with most of the players involved being local boys who are eager to represent our club and promote our small community. Many of the boys on the team have grown up together and played football both organised and socially for years.” Facilities “Our facility is fairly new being only 2 years old, and is a fantastic facility with 2 main changing rooms, 3 smaller changing rooms for officials, a kitchen and meeting room.

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KINCARDINE

Visiting teams are always very complementary regarding our facility. We are always open for further improvement however, we have a few good years ahead where we are and are happy with our current home.” Challenges “One of the biggest challenges the club will face over the next 5 years will be the rising cost of hiring facilities for training and games during the winter when our own park is unplayable due to the weather. Also the lack of youths playing organised football due to the “computer generation” which will mean many teams will struggle to find players to join their teams once the current crop of players are finished playing.” Ambitions “We are hoping to push on with the community club which would mean having teams across various age groups to add to the two teams that our currently part of our club. We also hope to progress through the Amateur leagues over the next 5 years once we have established ourselves as an amateur club.”

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BROMLEY CLUB GREEN

BROMLEY GREEN First established in 1930, Bromley Green FC plays their home games at the Waterside Sports and Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Centre at Turner Close in Kent and they will be competing in Division 1 East of the Kent County Football League this season. They are led by the team of President Chris Dorsett and Chairman Stan Donald and the club is looking to progress under their guidance. They have a history of which they have every right to be proud and hold the distinction of being the only club in the area to have

won the senior section of the Kent Junior Cup which they took in 1984. The club was also the last ever winner of the old Amateur Kent League. Additionally, they have reached the final of the Kent Sunday Premier Cup twice whilst their youth set-up has represented England on a number of occasions. Their current group of players will be keen to add to the clubâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s history over the coming years. It would be fair to say that they did not perhaps enjoy the campaign that they would have liked last time around as they put together a record of having won 6, drawn 3 and lost 19 of their 28 league matches. This saw them finish near the bottom of the table with 21 points.

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BROMLEY GREEN

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Lift it, Shift it, Stack it There were some positives to take from the season however and one of these was the fact that they had the best defence in the bottom half of the table. In total they only conceded 54 goals at a rate of less than 2 per match. Having a good defensive record is important for any side that is looking to be successful. It gives a side the potential to win games even if they do not play to their full potential. The teamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s attentions will now have turned towards the 2014/15 campaign and they will be keen

Issue 48

to achieve a greater amount of positive results. As long as they are able to retain their current group of players and make one or two quality additions they will be confident of having a more successful season. Bromley Green is not a club that focuses solely upon their senior section however and they also run a number of youth sides. These teams look to provide young players from the local area with an opportunity to play the game in a safe and enjoyable environment whilst helping them to reach their full potential. It is important for any side to be able to produce their own talent, particularly in the current financial climate and this is an area that they appear to have covered. It will certainly be exciting to see how their youngsters are able to develop over the coming years. Although Bromley Green did not enjoy the season that they would have liked last time around this should not take away from the good work that is being done at the club. Football Focus Magazine would like to wish them the best of luck for the new season.

ERITH & BELVADERE

ERITH & BELVEDERE First established in 1922, Erith and Belvedere plays their home games on Park View Road in Kent and their first team will compete in the Premier Division of the Southern Counties East Football League. They are led by the team of Chairman John McFadden and President Larry O’Connell and are looking to progress under their guidance.

The team had one of their most successful seasons in 2012/13 as they managed to complete a memorable double to create memories that will last a lifetime for their supporters. Led by Micky Collins the team played some fantastic football of which they have every right to be proud. The league went right down to the wire as well as they needed to make up 5 goals to emerge as Champions on the final day. They did so to claim the title in style as they romped to a 7-1 victory. It would be fair to say that last season did not go how the team would have planned however as they put together a record of having won 6, drawn 4 and lost 36 of their 46 matches. This saw them finish bottom of the league with 22 points. Now that the dust has settled the team will be keen to rebuild in order to ensure that they are able to do better this time around. So long as they are able to retain their current group of players and perhaps make one or two quality additions they should be able to get back on track. A particular highlight of the Erith and Belvedere set up is the work that they do developing young players. Their youth section looks to provide people from the local area with an opportunity to play the game in a safe and enjoyable environment whilst helping them to reach their full potential.

“A particular highlight of the Erith and Belvedere set up is the work that they do developing young players.” After a disappointing performance last time around now would seem like an ideal opportunity to blood some youngsters. Coaching staff overseeing this part of the club are confident that they have a number of players on the books with the potential to make an impact at first team level and it will certainly be exciting to see how they are able to develop. Although Erith and Belvedere did not perhaps enjoy the season that they would have wished for last time around this should not take away from the good work that they have been doing as a club. If this continues they should be able to look forwards to a bright future.

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LUMLEY

LUMLEY Lumley F.C. was formed in July 1991 by Ritchie Tiffin and was originally known as Lumley Moor Snooker Club; and their first game was a friendly against The Fleece, Pelton. The team then joined ‘The Stanley & District Sunday League’ and although people were enjoying the games, it was over a month before the first win!

As with many clubs, the team continued to evolve through the years with the customary changes in management and secretaries. This saw a number of high points, including a league and cup double under the guidance of Gary Bell. The current team has been managed by Gary Brown since 1997. Behind the scenes the Club had ambitions to grow, and in February 2005, Lumley F.C. achieved Charter Standard Status from The Football Association. In June 2005 Lumley F.C. hosted trials, with the aim of entering teams at U7 and U8 age groups, hosted by Dean Smith and other qualified coaches Chris Jackson, Damon Robson, Carl Kalugarama, Paul Bainbridge and Gary Brown. This vision has developed into the club we are today; with Lumley F.C. currently hosting teams at Unified football (Gateway), U7’s, U8’s, U9’s, U10’s, U11’s, U12’s, U13’s, 2 x U14’s, U16’s and U17’s age groups. This means Lumley FC are giving the chance to over 200 local kids of all ages and abilities to play football, as well as having the original senior team. We are also proud that a number of the original boys picked from these trials have stayed with the club and are playing for our U17’s this coming season. In November 2013, Lumley F.C. became a supporting partner to

Issue 48

Great Lumley Community Centre to give back and do our bit to help sustain local amenities within the village. If you are ever passing through, call in for a cuppa and a bite to eat at the in house cafe. As the cliché goes, the 2013/2014 season has been full of ups and downs. Across the ages groups within the club we have won 3 leagues, 3 runners up spots, the other teams all performing well within their respective leagues and the senior team ending a baron 19 year wait for a trophy! To round off this rewarding season, Gary Brown, Club Secretary and Senior team manager, was named Durham & District League club official of the year and Lumley F.C. were named, Durham County FA Charter Standard Development Club of the Year. A

great achievement for the Club and just reward for the effort and commitment of all associated with the club. The challenge faced by the Club and the Committee is to build on the history and achievements above to continue to provide the basis for local kids to join, develop and progress within our structure and be part of, what we think is, a great Club. To help cement this we are working closely with the Durham FA and Lumley Ladies to achieve Community Club Status in 2015. Lumley F.C would like to use this opportunity to thank all the players, parents, coaches, Councillor Bell and especially the sponsors who make this all possible. The future is bright, the future is Blue and the future is Lumley F.C.

NOTTS COUNTY

NOTTS COUNTY Notts County’s Football in the Community does some fantastic work helping people in the local area. Football Focus Magazine caught up with their Business Develop Manager Tim Hatton to find out more about the good work that they’ve been doing. Involvement He started by telling us about his involvement with the club, saying, “I’ve been here three and a half years now. I relish being able to make a difference to people using sport and football in particular to

engage people that perhaps other organisations can’t. Notts County have an excellent reputation and we benefit from the brand as people in Nottingham respect it.” About Us “We’ve got about 35 staff here who are out every day and we work in the city. A lot of our work is in deprived areas and all the projects that we are delivering are based around local needs. Different areas in Nottingham have different problems so we use sport and football to help resolve them, whether that is health, social inclusion education or sports participation and I think we have a really good impact on local communities.”

Challenges “One of the biggest challenges we have is fundraising so we have to convince people to fund our projects. Everything we do has to be very business focused. Another challenge is recruiting people to take part in projects as we have to combat competition from cinemas, computers, TV’s etc. It’s difficult and we have to be resilient and keep offering people a stable service which they can become familiar with.” Current Work “We’ve taken over the Portland Leisure Centre that the council haven’t been able to make any profit

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NOTTS COUNTY

from so they want us to run it. There was a competitive tendering process and we’ve been chosen because of the good record we have locally. We do a lot of work in the Meadows which was notorious for gang crime and had a lot of negative publicity and it is improving now. We feel by going into the area we can have a positive impact and at the Leisure Centre they have a swimming pool, sports hall, gym and squash courts. It is quite old but we’ve managed to attract £1.2m in funding to improve the centre. We’re going to introduce an Education Centre with 100 students who come in for their full time education and link in a lot of the other work that we do with the facility that we have. There are all sorts of things that we can bring to the area where as at the moment there are not a lot of activities being delivered to people there.” Ambitions “Over the next year we need to ensure that the Portland Leisure Centre is a success. We’ve got a number of new projects around different disabilities, local primaries and women’s/girls projects and it’s going to be important to attract funding for them. Our education project has taken off hugely and we want to keep developing that with more students getting involved so that we can have a really positive impact on people who are quite often hard to reach or marginalised. We want to be delivering sport but also providing activities which cross over in order to get more people coming along and engaging in opportunities that are exciting for them.”

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CLUB

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SHORTWOOD UNITED

SHORTWOOD UNITED Shortwood United FC plays their home games at Meadowbank in Gloucestershire and their first team currently competes in the Calor League Division One South and West. They are led by the team of President Richard Webb and Chairman Peter Webb and the club is looking to progress under their guidance.

Their first team put together a strong campaign last time around as they compiled a record of having won 23, drawn 9 and lost 10 of their 42 matches. This saw them finish near the top of the table with 78 points on the board.

This certainly meant that any supporters attending their matches were well entertained and should encourage more of the community to get behind them in the future. Playing with such style should also help the team to attract/retain players.

A particular highlight of the season was the attacking brand of football that the team managed to produce. This is reflected by the fact that they were among the top scorers in the league, finding the back of the net 91 times at a rate of more than two per match.

The clubâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s attention will now have turned towards the new season and they will be confident of having another successful campaign. So long as they are able to retain their current group of players and perhaps make one or two quality additions they will have a good chance of mounting a title challenge. Shortwood United is a club that is committed to playing a vital role in their local community and this is reflected by the fact that they have an additional senior side. This allows them to give twice as many players a game every week and also provides young players with a chance to gain experience of adult level football. A major benefit of having more than one senior side is that it allows the first XI to benefit from far greater strength in depth. If they are ever left short on numbers through injury or suspension they have the option of calling players up with a limited amount of disruption. The promising campaign that Shortwood United had last season should provide them with a perfect platform from which to build. Their superb set-up off the field gives them a solid base to continue to progress and the club appears to have a bright future to look forwards to. Football Focus Magazine wishes them the best of luck.

Issue 48

CRAMLINGTON JUNIORS

CRAMLINGTON JUNIORS Cramlington Juniors FC is a club that has done a fantastic job of producing quality young footballers over a number of years. Football Focus Magazine caught up with club representative Adrian Farrar to find out what has been behind their success. Involvement He started by telling us about his involvement, saying, “I started just over 25 years ago at the start of the 1988-89 season and although I had a couple of seasons away with senior football I have been there ever since. While running coaching courses through Northumberland football association a fellow coach called George Beeby asked if I would be interested in running a team at Cramlington Juniors. To be honest having spent all my time running senior teams such as West Allotment and Seaton Terrace I had absolutely no idea what I was getting into or how long would last.”

“At mini soccer we are hugely successful, with outstanding sides at U8, U9 and U10’s”

The Role “The most challenging thing about my role is finding and producing top-notch junior players. Getting a young lad at 5 years and seeing him develop into a player that might play the game professionally is reward in itself, however it is equally rewarding to see players that played at the juniors playing in all of the local leagues. I am always disappointed when I see young players give up the game at 17 or 18. Nothing beats being involved, I cannot imagine life without football.” Community “I would consider us to be a community club, we try to work with local schools in the area to encourage the kids to come to us and have very strong relationships with

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CRAMLINGTON JUNIORS Cramlington High School and Astley High School who have always supported our training programmes. We have some excellent coaches at the club, some of whom are qualified to UEFA B standard. On top of that the lads that serve on the committee are extremely proactive and are always looking for ways to improve the club.” This Season “At mini soccer we are hugely successful, with outstanding sides at U8, U9 and U10’s, which is due mainly to Jason Hodgson who oversee the minis. On a weekend he can be found coaching the kids at Astley High School from 9 in the morning till 6 at night so it is no wonder we are doing well in this area. At the 11 a side we are generally one of the top 3 sides in the county. Staying at the top in this form has become very tricky due to the fact that a lot of our top end are in either Newcastle or Sunderland’s academies.” Progression “Any player that has come through the Cramlington Juniors system should able to adapt to playing senior football without too much of a problem. He should leave us with a good degree of ability but most importantly he should have very good discipline which he will need if he is to play senior football at a good level. Two of our U8s, Aiden Pogson and Sam Watts have just received academy places at Newcastle United. At present we have over 60 kids either in development or Academies from our club. Furthermore we have currently 3 players on scholarships Kyle Cameron and Macaulay Gillespie at Newcastle United and Nick Cassidy at Queen of the South. Added to this we also have a few players playing professionally namely Stephen Taylor at Newcastle, Jack Colback at Sunderland, Ben Pringle at Rotherham and Liam Noble at Carlisle.” Challenges/Ambitions “Producing good players is always the challenge, getting kids to come to our place is sometimes difficult. Some kids don’t think they are at a good

Issue 48

enough standard to play for CJFC and as a consequence we don’t get to take a look at them to make our own judgement. This has happend frequently when coaches have to convince players they are and to come along and see for themselves, but once we get them there the opportunities they have could possibly give them a career playing football. Our ambitions are to keep producing players of the highest quality, to improve the standard of the coaching, which is already the best but we want to get better and to provide a facility where kids can come and express themselves on pitches that allow them to show off there qualities.”

“Producing good players is always the challenge”

STAMFORD

STAMFORD Stamford AFC is based on Kettering Road in Stamford and their first team currently competes in the Northern Premier League. They are led by the team of Chairman Bob Feetham and President Vic Couzens and the team is looking to progress under their guidance.

Last time around the team put together steady league campaign, compiling a record of having won 17, drawn 7 and lost 22 of their 46 matches. This saw them finish in the bottom half of the table with 58 points on the board. One of the main positives to be taken from the campaign was the attacking brand of football that they managed to produce. This was reflected by the fact that they were one of the top scorers in the 2nd half of the division, finding the back of the net an impressive 75 times. This certainly meant that any supporters attending their matches were well entertained and should encourage more of the local community to get behind the team in future. This would have the potential to provide the club with a valuable additional source of income. Stamford’s attention will now have turned towards the new season and they will be keen to break into the top half of the league. So long as they are able to retain their current group of players and perhaps make

one or two quality additions they will have a great chance of doing just that. One of the stand-out features of the Stamford set-up is the work that they do in the local community and they have recently reached a deal with manufacturers Cummins Generator Technologies who will become their community partner. The deal will see Cummins giving yearly investment to help the club’s community activities. It is a long term arrangement and should greatly boost the club’s work in this area. Speaking of the agreement to the club’s official website Ian Evley, Chairman of Stamford AFC Football Development Centre, said, “We are thrilled that a local company with an international reputation for excellence has chosen us to demonstrate their support of, and commitment to, the local community. We look forward with great enthusiasm to working with Cummins in the future for the benefit of our supporters, players, coaches and the local community in Stamford and Rutland.

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STAMFORD

This arrangement is rare in a sporting context as it perfectly demonstrates what can be achieved when different elements of the clubâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s activities are integrated for a common objective. It puts us in a great place ahead of our exciting move to Borderville Sports Stadium in October.â&#x20AC;? Stamford clearly does a lot of important work in their local community and their Committee deserves a tremendous amount of credit for this. With such a solid base off the field the first team at the club should be optimistic of having a bright and successful future. It will be exciting to see how they are able to progress over the coming years and everyone at Football Focus Magazine would like to wish them the best of luck for the new season.

Issue 48

ELMORE

First established in 1947, Elmore FC plays their home games at Horsdon Park on Heathcoat Way in Devon and their first team currently competes in the South West Peninsula League Premier Division. They are led by the team of President Doug Glidden and Chairman Jed Hewitt and the club is looking to progress under their guidance. It would be fair to say that their first team did not perhaps enjoy the season that they would have liked last time around as they put together a record of having won 6, drawn 8 and lost 24 of their 38 matches. This saw them finish near the bottom of the table with 26 points on the board. There were some positives to take out of the season however and one of these was that they showed a considerable amount of goal scoring potential. This was reflected by the fact that they outscored many of the teams that finished around them in the league. Playing such an attacking brand of football ensured that any supporters attending their matches were well entertained and should encourage more of the local community to get behind the team in the future. Elmoreâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s attentions will now have turned towards the new campaign and ensuring that they are well prepared for the season ahead. As long as they are able to retain their current

group of players and perhaps make one or two quality additions they should be able to claim a higher league finish. One of the standout features of the Elmore set-up is the outstanding youth set-up that they have in place. This part of the club looks to provide young players from the local area with an opportunity to play the game in a safe and enjoyable environment whilst helping them to reach their full potential. It is important for any club to be able to produce their own talent, particularly in the current financial climate and this is an area that Elmore appears to have covered. Coaching staff overseeing their juniors are confident that they have a number of players involved with the potential to go on and have an exciting future within the game. In order to help their youngsters to make the sometimes difficult transition into senior football Elmore also run a reserve side. This allows them to give players experience of adult competition even if they are not yet considered ready for first team action. Another benefit of having more than one team is that it allows the first XI to benefit from far greater strength in depth. If they are ever left short on numbers through injury or suspension they have the option of calling players up with a limited amount of disruption. Although Elmore did not perhaps enjoy the season they would have liked last time out, this should not take away from the good work that they have been doing. If they can continue in the same manner off the field then good results are sure to follow on it.

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CRAWLEY GREEN

CRAWLEY GREEN First established in 1992, Crawley Green FC plays their home games on Sharpenhoe Road in Bedfordshire and their first team currently competes in the Spartan South Midlands Football League Division 1. They are led by the team of Chairman Alan Clark and President Reg Freeman and are looking to progress under their guidance. Their first team put together a strong campaign last time around, compiling a league record of having won 22, drawn 7 and lost 9 of their 38 league matches. This saw them finish in the top half of the table with 73 points on the board. A particular highlight of the teamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s form last time around was the attacking brand of football that they managed to produce. This

was reflected by the fact that they scored 79 goals at a rate of more than 2 per match which placed them amongst the top scorers in the league. This certainly meant that any supporters attending their matches were well entertained and should encourage more of the local community to get behind the side in the future. Attracting more fans to the club has the added bonus of providing some vital additional income. The club is now well into their preparations for the new campaign and will be looking to use last seasonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s performances as a platform from which to build. So long as they are able to retain their current group of players and perhaps make one or two quality additions they should be able to mount a title challenge. Crawley Green is committed to providing as many players as possible from the local area with an opportunity to play the game and this is reflected by the fact that they have an additional side. This allows them to give twice as many players a chance to play each weekend. Another benefit of having an extra team is that it allows the first XI to benefit from far greater strength in depth. If they are ever left short on numbers through injury or suspension they have the option of calling players up with a limited amount of disruption. Crawley Green had a promising season last time around and they will be keen to push on from here. They appear to have everything in place to do so and it will be interesting to see how far they can go in the new campaign. Everyone at Football Focus Magazine wishes them the best of luck.

Issue 48

BRISTOL CITY

BRISTOL CITY Bristol City Community Trustâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s (BCCT) role within the greater Bristol area is to use the power of football and other sporting activities to improve the lives of people through participation in sport, exercise and education. BCCT acknowledges with gratitude the support provided to the charity in this work by Bristol City Football Club. BCCT recognises the positive role it can play within the community. We provide fun, safe and enjoyable activities whilst making sure that quality counts in the services we provide. With a dedicated, committed and extremely passionate team of staff, the Trust is able to develop a wide range of creative projects whilst also delivering them to the highest standards. We recognise that football, and in particular, Bristol City Football Club, has the ability to engage people, improve community cohesion and raise the hopes and aspirations of people from the greater

Bristol region. BCCT is committed to ensuring that it responds to local needs whilst working strategically in line with regional and national agendas. Through the diverse range of programmes delivered by Bristol City Community Trust, we aim to get people active, raise attainment in schools, work closely with our communities and create a new paid and volunteer workforce to increase future capacity. The Trust currently runs activity programmes within Bristol, North Somerset, South Gloucestershire, Bath & North East Somerset and surrounding local authority areas. We are committed to furthering our reach and within the next four years will be taking our offer into Wiltshire, Devon, Gloucestershire, Cornwall and Dorset. We currently provide opportunities to 50,000 people of varied ages and abilities to play sport. This primarily involves football

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BRISTOL CITY

related activity but does include other sports. Although we are committed to providing sport and education ‘for all’ a large focus for the Trust is delivering provision to school aged children. This includes curriculum delivery, breakfast, lunch time and after school clubs. Breakfast clubs start the day off with a fun and active multi-sport session which helps get children ready for the school. These sessions typically start at 8am and last for 45 minutes. Lunchtime clubs keep pupils active and provide meaningful activity and reduce playground tensions. These also typically last for 45 minutes. After school clubs help to extend the school day and provide pupil, teacher and school development through a variety of fun activities designed to help develop confidence, skill, teamwork, social skills and healthy lifestyles. These typically last for 60 minutes. The Bristol City Community Trust Player Pathway Centres take place every evening across the greater Bristol region. For some it provides an opportunity for young people to play football in a fun, safe environment without the pressure of joining a competitive team. For others it is an opportunity to receive

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1. Increase participation in Sport and develop talent pathways 2. Promote wellbeing and healthy lifestyles within local communities 3. Deliver an inclusive programme of activities that involves and engages hard to reach groups, improving community cohesion 4. Develop and empower leaders, coaches and volunteers 5. Engage and inspire young people raising and celebrating educational achievement 6. Govern the operations of BCCT efficiently and effectively

high quality coaching in addition to their grassroots environment. Talented children attending these centres go on to play at the highest level at BCFC Academy. At our Community Park we have over 350 young people who attend sessions on a Saturday and at Ashton Gate Stadium. The park presents a great introduction to football for children aged between 4 and 11. The club has become a major pathway for children into local grass roots charter standard clubs.

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Our After School Coaching Programme including PPC’s (Player Participation Centres), in partnership with our Academy, has delivered a programme throughout the greater Bristol area which offers a stepping stone from grass roots football into elite Academy football. We have over 100 talented players training each week within the programme with the aspiration of signing for Bristol City FC’s Academy. Information provided by Amy Kington, Director at Bristol City Community Trust

WOKING

Based at the Kingfield Stadium in Surrey, Woking FC currently competes in the Skrill Premier League. They are led by Chairman Mike Smith whilst Gary Hill manages their first team and the club is looking to progress under their guidance.

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CLUB

Issue 48

WOKING

Their first team enjoyed a promising campaign last time around as they put together a record of having won 20, drawn 8 and lost 18 of their 46 matches. This saw them finish in the top half of the table with 68 points on the board. Club Representative John Moore told us how he felt that the season had gone, stating, “Woking were struggling up until the end of December; a lack of goals and very little confidence saw them at wrong end of table. They brought Jack Marriott and Scott Rendell in on loan and both strikers have been in good form since the switch helping Woking to climb the table well. Creative midfielders Josh Payne and John Goddard have also been playing really well.” Having such a positive 2nd half to the season enabled Woking to go into the off-season on a high and their preparations ahead of the new campaign appear to have gone well. They will now be keen to start their 2014/15 campaign positively and should have a good chance of at least mounting a push for the play-offs. First established in 1889, the club is known as the Cards from the Cardinal red of the red and white halves. One of the most famous times in their history came in the FA Cup in the 1990/91 season. Entering at the 4th qualifying stage they overcame 3 conference sides to set up a tie against West Bromwich Albion in the 3rd round who they defeated by 4 goals to 2 with a hat-trick from Tim Buzaglo.

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WOKING

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WOKING

This saw them rewarded with a tie against Everton and the team did themselves proud, only losing by 1 goal in front of a crowd of over 30,000. The supporters remained behind after the fixture to give the players a rapturous standing ovation. The club is keen to add to their history over the coming years and they have an Academy in place which looks to develop young players that will eventually go on to represent the first team. Alongside this they also look to provide them with an opportunity to further their academic studies. The scheme includes 6 hours of coaching a week with fully qualified UEFA ‘A’ and ‘B’ licenced coaches and a choice of academic studies. It is important for any club to be able to produce their own talent, particularly in the current financial climate and this is an area that they appear to have covered. A standout feature of the Woking set-up is the superb work that they do in the local community. They are committed to helping as many people as possible from the local area and their approach is to be admired. The good work that they have been doing in regards to this has been recognised recently when Woking Football in the Community was awarded the “Football Foundation Community Club of the Year” award at the Non-League Paper National Game Awards. Jane Spong, Chris Sexton and Ryan Dent were present at Fulham FC’s Craven Cottage to receive the award. There is much to admire about the work that Woking FC have been doing both on and off the field in recent times and this is thanks to the superb set up that they have in place. Hopefully they will be able to continue in the same manner for many years to come. www.footballfocus.biz

CARSHALTON

CARSHALTON ATHLETIC Carshalton Athletic FC plays their home games at the War Memorial Ground on Colston Avenue in Blanchard and their first team currently competes in the Ryman Football League South Division. They are led by Chairman Paul Dipre who is supported by Secretary Chris Blanchard. One of their most notable successes of recent years came in the 2011/12 season when they managed to make it to the 3rd round proper of the FA Trophy. The cup run saw them take apart Bishops Stortford by 5 goals to nil and overcome Conference Premier side Lincoln City 3-1. They were eventually knocked out by Newport County who went on to reach the Final at Wembley Stadium. By the end of that campaign the club had become one of the biggest community clubs in the country with 43 senior, youth and junior teams as well as seven girls’ sides and two academies. These efforts were rightly rewarded when they were recognised

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with the ‘Surrey FA Community Club of the Year Award 2012.’ Last season it would be fair to say that the club’s first team did not perhaps enjoy the season that they would have liked as they put together a record of having won 8, drawn 6 and lost 32 of their 46 league matches. This saw them finish near the bottom of the table with 30 points on the board. The club has now had the off-season to recover from their disappointing performance and have had a positive pre-season. So long as they are able to get off to a good start to build some confidence they should be well positioned for a much better campaign this time around.

CLUB

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CARSHALTON

One of the features that really stands out at Carshalton is the outstanding youth set up that they have in place which is a great example of how this section of a club should be run. The junior teams look to provide young players from the local area with an opportunity to play the game in a safe and enjoyable environment. It is important for any club to be able to produce their own talent, particularly in the current financial climate and this is an area that they appear to have covered. Now would seem like an ideal opportunity to blood some youngsters and it will certainly be exciting to watch to see how they are able to develop over the coming years. In order to help their young players to successfully make the transition into senior level football Carshalton also runs a reserve side. This allows them to give them experience of the adult game even if they are not yet considered ready for first team action which can be an important step in the development process.

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Another benefit of having more than one side is that it allows the first XI to benefit from far greater strength in depth. If they are ever left short on numbers through injury or suspension they have the option of calling players up with a limited amount of disruption. Off the field the club also has some quality facilities including the Robins Nest, a clubhouse and a meeting room which they make available to the public. This has the potential to provide them with a valuable source of additional revenue. Although Carshalton Athletic did not enjoy the season that they would have liked this should not take away from the fantastic work that has been carried out at the club. Hopefully they will be able to continue in the same manner for many years to come and everyone at Football Focus Magazine would like to wish them the best of luck.

CORPORATION CLUB

CORPORATION CLUB Corporation Club FC formed a new team in 2012 and is now looking forwards to the new season. Football Focus Magazine caught up with Club Captain Kane Hutchison to find out more about how they have been getting along.

Involvement

Last Season

He told us, “I’ve been playing for the Corpy Club for around 5 seasons now, and for the last 2 seasons I have captained the team. My mother, Sharon, is the bar manageress and also our close family friends are part of the committee, that’s how I initially got involved with playing for the team.”

“Last season we played in the Premier Division , and in all honesty , we struggled. However, the tough games we played last season along with the extra season’s experience playing in the Premier Division has definitely put us in good stead for the upcoming campaign.”

The Role “I personally don’t find being the captain of the team a challenge; it’s something I look forward to doing every weekend and something that gives me a boost when playing. The most rewarding aspect of captaining a team is obviously when you win games and see a good team spirit and all the lads enjoying there football.” Atmosphere “The mood at the club is fantastic at the moment , we’ve recently had a change in management with Mala Pegg taking over the job, with the help of Hardy, Kev, and Tommy. The latter 3 have been involved with the football team at the Corpy Club for over 10 years now and have played a pivotal role in ensuring the Corporation Club has a football team throughout those years.

This Season “My plans and expectations for this season could be completely different to our managements! but personally, I’d like to see us challenging the top 3 in the league and aiming for some good cup runs. We have a young team, playing in a 16 team league and there is going to be lots of opportunities for us to win games and it’s down to the players on the pitch to perform and pick up the positive results we need. I know the new management have discussed a 3 year plan with us, but as a representative from the players,

I know we will all be going out each to week to win every game and finish as high in the league as possible.” Community “I would consider our club to be a community club. The club itself is a social club and welcomes anyone in. We have a large Jewish community in the area and they are welcomed with open arms when coming in to the club, whether it be to watch the football , play pool or simply have a drink. The Corporation Club is the chosen venue for all league meetings for not only football, but also darts.” Challenges “With most clubs, finance is always the biggest challenge. However, thanks to the support of E&J Electrics, ABCA Systems and the actual members of the social club, we don’t regard finance as one of our biggest challenges.

There has been lots of comings and goings with regards to players, but we believe we will have a strong enough team this season to compete in every game and our ultimate aim is to establish ourselves in this league and if we can manage to pick up some silverware on the way, that would be fantastic.”

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CORPORATION CLUB Personally, I think with there being so many pub teams within the Gateshead area, one of the biggest challenges will be maintaining the same squad of players for a long time, with a few new additions throughout the years. On top of that, I think with us having a young team and the temptations of the bright lights and night life of Newcastle City Centre on our doorstep , it’s always hard to get your best 11 out on the pitch on a Sunday morning.” Ambitions “The ambitions for the next 5 years will be to definitely keep the team running and to also ensure that we keep up with our charter standard status which is a must if you are to compete in our league. However, we are all looking forward to next season and hopefully it’s a successful one. It’s a fantastic club we play for and we certainly do get looked after. I’d finally like to thank Wayne Backhouse and the rest of the committee for their commitment and financial support to the football team, Sharon Galbraith for the food after every game, and finally the bar staff for ensuring our strips are clean and dried every week.”

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WORSBROUGH BRIDGE ATHLETIC

WORSBROUGH BRIDGE ATHLETIC Worsbrough Bridge Athletic FC has been making a lot of progress in recent times and has recently started up their first ladies team. Club Representative Jonathan Cotterill-Bolsover took the time to tell us more about this exciting period. He started by telling us about his involvement, saying, “I have been at the club for two years, it was great to step up to the challenge of a semi pro club and the progression system for the players was superb. A very strong first team management team was in place as was the development team for the 16 year old plus players coming through. Worsbrough has never been a ‘rich’ club and we fight for every penny

we can earn to keep the club going, we are not a paying club but over the last few seasons have been up there with clubs that pay which is a tough job, but the way the club and community comes together season after season is inspiring. Everybody does their bit and works hard to keep us a high standard non-league club.

A disappointing end to the season saw us finishing 10th, but only 3 points away from 4th. The club broke a record last season as they went two years without losing a single home league game, a great run saw us top for a period of time but a string of tough results towards the end of the season saw us slip away from promotion places.

Ahead of the new campaign the mood is one of excitement and nervousness. We lost our manager Chris Hilton to Stocksbridge Park Steels last month, he has done a great job with us and attracted big players, it was sad to see him go but the move to such a higher club is a credit to his quality. We now have a new manager in Dave Mace who is looking to carry on the great work.

It is a very exciting time for us as we have introduced the first ever ladies side to the club, a great addition for us. We are all raring to go through the gruelling pre-season and hoping for new success. Our under 19’s play in the highly regarded Northern Under 19’S Alliance, we have a great pathway for many released academy players

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WORSBROUGH BRIDGE ATHLETIC from the local pro clubs such as Sheffield Wednesday, United, Barnsley and Rotherham. All in all over the past two seasons no less than 15 players have appeared for the first team which is exactly what we aim to do at the club. The transition from youth to first team is via our reserves who play in the local County Senior League, with a mix of younger players and 3/4 older players, this gives our youngsters a real experience of playing against ‘men’ as they prepare for that move up. We always involve the community where possible, we recently tagged on to a Sunday League side to offer them chance to be part of the club, they now train with us. We rely on members of the community for voluntary roles such as stewarding and café duties. As always money dominates, with ever increasing pitch maintenance and bills rising, our big challenge will be the financial side of the game. We want to gain promotion, ensure our youth system is stronger than ever and make major ground renovations over the coming years.”

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CHESTER NOMADS

CHESTER NOMADS Chester Nomads FC was first established in the summer of 1902 when a group of friends set up some friendly fixtures to take part in. The club began to develop and by 1904 had a well set-up fixture list but no name or ground. This was what led to them taking the name Nomads. Since then the club has put together a history of which they have every right to be proud and they now play a vital role in their local community. Their current group of players will be keen to add to this history over the coming years.

They play their home games on Boughton Hall Avenue on Filkins Lane and their first team currently competes in the 1st Division of the Carlsberg West Cheshire League. They are led by the team of President Phil Darlington and Chairperson Steve Smith. Last season the first team enjoyed a promising campaign as they put together a league record of having won 13, drawn 5 and lost 12 of their 30 matches. This saw them finish in 5th position with 44 points on the board. This should provide the team with a strong base upon which to build as

they go into their new season. As long as they are able to retain their current group of players and perhaps make one or two quality additions they will have a good chance of mounting a title challenge. Chester Nomads is not a club to focus solely upon their senior section however and they also have a thriving youth set-up in place. This part of the club looks to provide young players from the local area with an opportunity to play the game in a safe and enjoyable environment whilst helping them to reach their full potential.

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CHESTER NOMADS

Pictured L-R; Simon Whittle, Co-Chairman of Westgrove, Chester FC defender Michael Kay, Chester FC Manager Steve Burr, Steve Fives, Co-Chairman of Westgrove, and Chester FC Chairman Tony Durkin.

It is important for any club to be able to produce their own talent, particularly in the current financial climate and this is an area that they appear to have covered. Coaching staff overseeing their juniors are confident that a number of them have the potential to have a bright future. In order to help their youngsters to successfully make the transition into senior level football Chester Nomads also has a number of additional sides running. This allows them to give players experience of the adult game even if they are not yet considered ready for first team action which can be an important step in the development process. Another benefit of having so many teams is that it allows the first XI to benefit from far greater strength in depth. If they are ever left short on numbers through injury or suspension they have the option of calling players up with a limited amount of disruption. Chester Nomads is clearly a club that has come a long way since their rather humble beginnings. The work that they do in their local is there for all to see and their Committee deserve a tremendous amount of credit. Hopefully they will be able to continue in the same manner for many years to come.

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HARBOROUGH TOWN

HARBOROUGH TOWN Harborough Town FC plays their home games at Bowdens Park on Northampton Road in Leicestershire and their first team currently competes in the Chroma Sport and Trophies United Counties League Premier Division. They are led by Chairman Andrew Winston whilst Robert Dunion and Gordon Kyle manage the first team.

They play a vital role in the local community and have done for over 30 years. They moved to their own facilities where they still dwell now in the early 1990â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s. They were recognised as an FA Charter Standard Community Club in 2004. The club then gained the highest accolade available when they were awarded FA Charter Standard Community Club Status. They are not standing still however and hope to further their community work, particularly in regards to social and educational services.

It would be fair to say that the first team did not perhaps enjoy the campaign that they would have liked last time around as they put together a record of having won 7, drawn 5 and lost 24 of their 36 matches. This saw them finish near the bottom of the table with 26 points on the board. They will now be keen to move forwards and put last season behind them as quickly as possible. So long as they are able to retain their current group of players and perhaps make one or two quality additions they should be in with a good chance of pushing further up the table.

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HARBOROUGH TOWN

Harborough Town is not a club to focus solely upon their senior section however as they also have a number of youth sides in place. These teams look to provide young players from the local area with an opportunity to play the game in a safe and enjoyable environment whilst helping them to reach their full potential. It is vital for any club to be able to produce their own talent, particularly in the current financial climate and this is an area that they appear to have covered. It will certainly be exciting to see how their youngsters are able to develop over the coming years. In order to help their juniors to successfully make the transition into senior level football they also have a reserve side running. This allows them to give young players experience of the adult game even if they are not yet considered ready for first team action which can be an important step in the development process. Another advantage of having more than one team is that it allows the first XI to benefit from far greater strength in depth. If they are ever left short on numbers through injury or suspension they have the option of calling players up with a limited amount of disruption. Although Harborough Town did not enjoy the campaign they would have liked last time this should not take away from the good work that they have been doing at the club. Hopefully they will be able to continue in the same manner for many years to come.

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GATESHEAD SUPPORTERS

GATESHEAD SUPPORTERS Gateshead FC is fortunate enough to benefit from some superb support which was in full view at the Play-off Final at Wembley last season. Football Focus Magazine caught up with Tony Carter who has followed the club for 30 years. He started by telling us about the trip to Wembley, “There are so many great memories from my time following Gateshead but Wembley last year with 7,000 of us certainly stands out. I took my father and my daughter; it’s a family thing for me and was a great day. It’s a shame about the result of course but it was something that I never thought we’d get the chance to do. It was a strange year last year because we got off to a bad start after setting up a good squad at the start of the season. The Manager’s come in though and done a great job. He’ll be judged on this season because it’s his team now and I think that we’ll do well. Truthfully, I’d like to see us win the league this year. We’ve built a great squad so I think top 8 has got to be a minimum but I think we’re a good outside bet to win it. Two big sides in Cambridge and Luton have left the league which I think makes it a year where a number of teams will be thinking they’ve got a chance. Obviously we’ll have to do things right if we’re going to win it but I genuinely think we can. I’ve seen the club revolve many times over the years. The club’s fan base has come on amazingly as we’ve managed to attract a lot of younger supporters www.footballfocus.biz

GATESHEAD SUPPORTERS in recent years. There was a spell where we’d dropped down into the league above the Northern League and were only getting 50 or 60 supporters in to watch games. Thankfully we’ve moved on from that and if we can get on a good roll I think we can hit four figures for home fixtures. We’re a good cheap option because you can get in for a couple of quid. The club’s progressed well in recent years and if we can continue that that would be great. It’s important that we do gain success as it gives us a chance to establish ourselves at the higher level and until we hit that mark there’s always the danger we go the other way. Most teams that get promoted from this league are able to do well the following year. There’s not too much between the two leagues and I think we could do well if we do get promoted. As I’ve said I think we’ll be up there and if we are going to get promoted then this year will be as good a chance as any.”

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