54 Ramsbottom United v Trafford

rammy news

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v TRAFFORD 03-03-15

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Sat 16th Aug Tues 19th Aug Sat 23rd Aug Mon 25th Aug Sat 30th Aug Tues 2nd Sept Sat 6th Sept Wed 10th Sept Sat 13th Sept Tues 16th Sept Sat 20th Sept Tues 23rd Sept Sat 27th Sept Sat 4th Oct Sat 11th Oct Sat 18th Oct Tues 21st Oct Sat 25th Oct Sat 1st Nov Tues 4th Nov Sat 8th Nov Tues 11th Nov Sat 15th Nov Sat 22nd Nov Tues 25th Nov Sat 29th Nov Tues 2nd Dec Sat 6th Dec Mon 8th Dec Sat 13th Dec Sat 20th Dec Sun 28th Dec Thu 1st Jan Tues 27th Jan Tues 10th Feb Sat 14th Feb Tues 17th Feb Sat 21st Feb Tues 24th Feb Sat 28th Feb Tues 3rd Mar Sat 7th Mar Tues 10th Mar Sat 14th Mar Tues 17th Mar Thurs 19th Mar Sat 21st Mar Tues 24th Mar Sat 28th Mar Mon 30th Mar Sat 4th April Mon 6th April Weds 8th April Sat 11th April Tues 14th April Sat 18th April Tues 21st April Sat 25th April

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H KING’S LYNN TOWN A Workington A Rushall Olympic H NANTWICH TOWN A FC United of Manchester H MARINE H STAMFORD A Whitby Town A Buxton FAC 1Q H WITTON ALBION A Ilkeston H CURZON ASHTON A Frickley Athletic A Trafford H BELPER TOWN H BUXTON H WHITBY TOWN A Marine A Whitby Town FAT 1Q H WORKINGTON A Halesowen Town H WEST DIDS Lancs Cup A Nantwich FAT 2Q H GRANTHAM TOWN H BURSCOUGH Lg Cup A Banbury United A Salford City Lg Cup A Matlock Town A Atherton Collieries Lancs H STOCKPORT COUNTY A King’s Lynn Town H SKELMERSDALE A Nantwich Town H NORTHWICH VIC LgCup H HARROGATE RA LgCup A Stamford H RUSHALL OLYMPIC A Witton Albion A Blyth Spartans H ILKESTON H TRAFFORD A Skelmersdale United A Stourbridge H STOURBRIDGE A Buxton H BLYTH SPARTANS A Belper H BARWELL A Grantham Town A Curzon Ashton H FC UNITED OF MCR A Ashton United H FARSLEY LgCup SemiFinal H HALESOWEN TOWN H ASHTON UNITED A Barwell H FRICKLEY ATHLETIC H MATLOCK TOWN

2-3 0-1 4-2 1-4 1-3 3-2 3-1 0-2 2-3 3-2 4-2 1-1 2-4 1-0 4-2 2-0 4-0 3-1 2-1 1-1 0-2 3-0 3-1 3-1 5-1 3-0 3-1 1-1 1-2 3-0 1-2 0-3 2-3 3-1 3-1 1-1 2-3 1-2 0-2 1-2

322 Shenton 415 Shenton 161 Shenton 365 Shenton 1917 Shenton 250 Shenton 357 Shenton 265 Shenton 261 Shenton 231 Shenton 422 Shenton 309 Shenton 215 Shenton 294 Shenton 371 Shenton 470 Shenton 237 Shenton 366 Shenton 233 Shenton 250 Shenton 358 Shenton 132 Shenton 238 Shenton 351 Shenton 140 Shenton 235 Shenton 189 Shenton 257 Shenton 120 Shenton 907 Shenton 510 Shenton 372 Shenton 285 Shenton 158 Shenton 131 Shenton 319 Shenton 223 Shenton 349 Shenton 364 Shenton 290 Shenton

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Ahmadi * Cook Ahmadi # Cook Cook Williams Krou + Morley Morley Johnson Morley Johnson Morley Krou * Johnson Morley Johnson Morley Slaven * Cook + Slaven * Cook Robinson # Cook Morley Abadaki Pilkington Dean * Robinson 1+ Gaskell # Robinson # Pugh Robinson #1 Pugh Slaven * Piacentile Robinson + Pilkington * Gaskell + Robinson * Mota Piacentile Hulme # Mota Piacentile Kuba-Kuba Piacentile Dean * Johnson Piacentile Kuba-Kuba + Brooks Grayson Brooks Hartley Morley Kuba-Kuba Slaven Slaven Brooks # Slaven Morley Slaven # Morley Robinson Robinson # Smith Heron Lazenbury Lazenbury Frost Lazenbury * Grayson Slaven *

Smith

Our Club Needs Our Help If you can spare as little as half an hour to help Harry Williams keep Rammy’s pitch and ground in the impeccable condition that we’ve all become so proud of then please just come down and help, any day of the week from 11am onwards.

ures & results 2014/15 centre

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of second half. Robbo was gutted after the game he knows it was a rush of blood but that's football and we move on.

On the injury front we hope to have Ian Bennett back for the weekend and Alex frost is nearly over his groin problem. Donal McDermott is still not fit and we are unsure how long he will be out for.

Robbo and I are constantly making phone calls and enquiries for players who we believe can improve us but it's very difficult as good players are either playing regularly for their clubs or waiting for an opportunity, and clubs that are pushing for promotion or play off places are unwilling to let players leave to protect themselves incase of injuries or lack of form. We are in a position were wins are vital now and we have to fight tooth and nail and show bravery with and without the ball to make this happen so we don't have to keep looking over our shoulders with the league position not yet comfortable.

Our opponents tonight are fighting for their lives sitting second bottom of the table and I know a few of their lads they won't give up until the end, which will make this game in every sense of the word a cup final!

We need everyone pulling in the same direction and hopefully we can do the the business and bring the fans a much needed win.

Enjoy the game

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Looking back to Saturday's game against Ilkeston I thought we were unlucky not take take something from the game. Although they had most of the ball throughout the 90 minutes and created a number of chances, especially first half, we competed well with a team that are currently in one of the play off places.

First half we allowed them too much space and they caused us problems, and was it not for Grant Shenton in goal it could have been a very different score line, however we managed to get an equaliser on the stroke of half time which gave us a much needed lift going into the break.

We had a chat at half time and quite rightly some stern words to a few who weren't giving us enough within the game, and spoke about ways in which to nullify them in midfield which I thought worked well second half. We frustrated them much more and they started to go long, which isn't their style of play. We began to grow in confidence. Although we didn't create a great deal in terms of shots on goal we did have some better attacking play out wide and with more belief and confidence I'm sure the goals will come. e penalty ten minutes from time was a blow as the lads had worked so hard and remained disciplined to ensure we didn't allow them clear chances, which they had very little

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tony cunningham and the wonderful world of non-league football Welcome to the Harry Williams Riverside Stadium. A special welcome to today’s match officials, and of course, our visitors, Trafford and everyone involved with the club.

We have had many a good game against our Greater Manchester neighbours, but tonight’s contest is played against a slightly different background to that of our past meetings. Both sides are desperate for the points.

Trafford will have been disappointed at how their season has been so far. e appointment of local man Graham Heathcote may well prove to be a masterstroke, but there is no hiding the fact that the gap between them and ourselves is a pretty tough one to overcome.

As for ourselves, we have now gone eight games without a League victory, with that run shared between the two sets of management teams that we have had this season.

From nudging the play-off spots, we are now anxiously looking over our shoulder at the bottom four places, and it’s not a happy place to be. I know we have games in hand, but they count for nothing if the points aren’t gleaned.

I reckon we need at least 50 points to secure our place in this League next

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season, and after all the enjoyment and success we have had over recent years, surely we deserve to retain our position that we won with so much excitement at Bamber Bridge last May. ere are of course many ways to look at the current predicament. To have the managerial team and most of the players depart half-way through a season is a body-blow most clubs would struggle to overcome, and we all accept that. For a new and untested new management team to try and put together a new squad at such a time is almost akin to asking them to knit fog. It’s a thankless task, and to compound the process even further, the number of injuries we have already suffered with, mainly as a result of players not playing regularly, has also hit us hard.

Some of the newcomers may find it a step too far. Others have the experience at this level and just need more time to gel together. However, training sessions are thin on the ground due to the amount of matches we need to catch up with, so for Robbo and Edgey to put their philosophies into practice on the training pitch is again proving difficult.

Pulling a new squad together whilst playing the all-important games is hardly the ideal course of action, but we have no alternative.

It is so frustrating to be going through

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Andy Dawson equalising at Shawe View during Rammy’s 2-1 defeat back in 2012

“to put together a new squad at such a time is akin to asking them to knit fog” such a dismal run after all the success this club has had, but that is where we find ourselves. As a club, we all need to stick this out and hopefully progress through the next two months and gain sufficient points to keep our place at this level of the pyramid.

Our good friends from Trafford will be hoping the same, and I, for one, would be devastated if they were to succumb to relegation. I’ve always enjoyed going to Shawe View, and the hospitality we receive

there, and to lose that one season after regaining the rivalry would be very disappointing.

In an ideal world both Trafford and Rammy will stay up. Alas, as we know, not everything in this world is ideal.

I wish everyone at Trafford all the best for the rest of this season….but I’m sure they’ll excuse me if I add “after tonight”!

Enjoy your non-league football!

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î Łe Harry Williams Riverside Stadium 28th February 2015 Att: 290 Rammy Goals: Heron (44) Ilkeston Goals: Maguire (31), Reid (75)

Radio Northumberland had the audacity to call Lee Gaskell lazy last Tuesday. Well, here is the centreforward in his own 6-yard box helping Callum Jones defend!

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Compared with the previous 3 games even in continuing defeat this was an improved performance from the Rams and one which offered at least a shard of optimism of awakening from the nightmare. However now 5 games in the shortcomings in the new regime's valiant attempts at squad reconstruction are all to plain to see and there has to be a question whether the squad is good enough for the level the Rams are competing in. e over-riding sense is one of lack of pace mobility and composure both in attack and defence. When the opposition have the ball the pitch looks big and when the Rams have it it is all too easy for them to make it look small.

Ilkeston are a good young footballing team but a little lightweight and might have been made to struggle more on a heavy pitch. For the first 30 minutes not much of anything happened.

Ilkeston had the ball but did little with it while the Rams threat on goal came from sporadic sallies down the right flank by Osebi Abadaki. at changed on the half hour when Joe Macguire was allowed to glide into the box unchallenged to meet a James Reid free kick. His firm downward header was superbly saved with his feet by Grant Shenton but he could do no more than divert it back into Maguire's path and present him with the easiest of tap ins. For the next 15 minutes Ilkeston attacked at will carving out openings.

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î Łe Harry Williams Riverside Stadium 28th February 2015 Att: 290 Rammy Goals: Heron (44) Ilkeston Goals: Maguire (31), Reid (75)

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Lee Pugh, playing the game of his life at the back!

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î Łe Harry Williams Riverside Stadium 28th February 2015 Att: 290 Rammy Goals: Heron (44) Ilkeston Goals: Maguire (31), Reid (75)

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Only a succession of brave saves by Shenton prevented them not only from regaining the lead but taking a commanding lead. en against the run of play the Rams fashioned an equaliser. Luke Heron seemed deceptively off the pace in reaching an astute ball from Chris Baguley but suddenly he was on the end of it and sent a smart cross shot past Jordan Smith. e keeper did well to get a hand to it and for agonising milliseconds the ball hovered between spinning in and out from the foot of the post before rolling in.

Ilkeston are a team who want, indeed are only capable of, playing out from the back. e Rams pushed up and by dint of catching the visitors defenders in possession and trying to be too cute for a time looked like they might go not to win. Smith did well on two occasions to divert dangerous crosses from the despairing head of Lee Gaskell and was well beaten by a drive from Baguley which went inches the wrong side of the post. e Rams though were always vulnerable to the pace of Ilkeston's attacks with the full backs horribly exposed and it was no surprise that they retook the lead with 15 minutes left.

A rash tackle inside the box on Jake Wright resulted in a penalty. Reid stepped up Shenton guessed correctly got a firm hand to the ball but the shot had too much pace on it to prevent it finding the inside of the net.

So that leaves the Rams without a win now since the end of November and makes the home game against Struggling Trafford a must win game.

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An incredible fingertip save denies Osebi Abadaki another wonder goal

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î Łe Harry Williams Riverside Stadium 28th February 2015 Att: 290 Rammy Goals: Heron (44) Ilkeston Goals: Maguire (31), Reid (75)

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With just seconds remaining on the clock, Robbo flings himself at a cross

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trafford fc no strangers to the troubles of rammy e club was formed in 1990 under the name of North Trafford and was the brainchild of David Brown, John Harrison, David Law and Bill Whitten, with both Brown and Law still directors to this day. ey originally shared their home ground, ‘Shawe View’, with Trafford Borough Rugby League club and joined the Mid-Cheshire League Division Two for the 1990/91 season.

In their debut season manager David Law took North Trafford to second place in Division Two leading to promotion to Division One; an outstanding start for the new club. An added bonus for this successful start saw the club obtain sole tenancy of Shawe View, via a thirty year lease, which resulted in substantial ground improvements taking place. After a season in Division One, where they finished in 4th place, ‘e North’, as they are affectionately known, successfully applied to the North West Counties League (NWCL), finishing the 1992/93 season in 7th place. A stunning second half to the next season saw the club win twenty out of their twenty-two matches, gaining them second place and promotion to Division One of the NWCL. Promotion was granted after further ground improvements took place, this included the instillation of floodlights and the building of the South Stand. e club was launched under their present name, Trafford FC, in 1994 and finished in 4th place in the league and were also beaten finalists in both the Manchester Senior and

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Carling Cups. e next year saw them go one better in the league with a 3rd place finish and Trafford also reached the last sixteen of the FA Vase, beaten by the eventual winners, Brigg Town. e steady rise of Trafford FC continued and they won the NWCL Division One and were promoted to the Unibond League Division One, with David Law also claimed the NWCL Manager of the Year award.

Trafford’s stay in the Unibond League lasted five seasons and saw them pick up both the Unibond First Division Cup and President’s Cup along the way. Unfortunately after a difficult year, which saw them use two managers, ‘e North’ were relegated back to the NWCL in 2003.

It would be another four seasons until Trafford tasted success and promotion again.

Under a new management team, with Ged Kielty as Player Manager, ‘e North’ won the Vodkat League Championship by eleven points and were promoted back to the Unibond League for a second time after originally winning the title in 1997. From September 2007, they went on an incredible twenty-nine league game unbeaten run, including eighteen straight wins. e achievement’s kept on coming with Ged Kielty being named Manager of the Year in his first season.

After consolidating their position in the First Division North with a 15th place finish, Trafford claimed their second Unibond

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League Presidents Cup, nine years on from their first success. e start of 2009/10 saw the return of former Trafford stalwart Garry Vaughan to take over the managerial reins from Ged Kielty. During the 1990’s Vaughan made 305 appearances and scored 89 goals in his seven seasons as a player with Trafford. 2010 saw them finish in a credible 12th position and striker Scott Barlow scored 21 goals to become the clubs all-time leading goal scorer, pushing his manager to second place in the history books.

A poor start to the 2009/10 season led to Garry Vaughan making a number of personnel changes at the club. ese changes included bringing back former Assistant Manager Wayne Goodison and this seemed to change Trafford’s fortunes on the pitch, where they gained a respectable 14th place in the league.

Trafford gained promotion to the Evo-Stick

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Premier Division in 2012/13, via the PlayOffs beating Cammell Laird 4-2 on penalties after extra time on their own ground.

Last season saw Trafford playing at the highest level in their history, and considering this they had an extremely successful first year. ey finished in 10th position in the table and beat Football Conference side Hyde to win the Manchester Premier Cup at Bury FC’s Gigg Lane. is season has so far proved a difficult one for Trafford, with only five league wins to date, the club currently sit in the bottom three of the Premier Division. e last month has seen a number of changes in playing staff since the arrival of new manager Graham Heathcote, as Trafford try and pull themselves out of the relegation zone.

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Tom Read (Goalkeeper) Aged 28 Previous club; Altrincham After signing for Trafford in 2006, Tom became a first team regular during 2007-08 Vodkat League Championship season, which culminated in him being named Player of the Year. e experienced goalkeeper recovered from a broken ankle to be an ever present member of Trafford’s 201213 promotion winning team. Tom has now amassed over 220 appearances for ‘e North’.

Matt Doughty (Left Back/ Midfield) Aged 33 Previous Clubs; Chester, Rochdale, FC Halifax, Altrincham & Warrington Town An experienced defender/midfielder. Doughty has plenty of experience in both the Football League and the non-league pyramid. He signed for the club in January 2015.

Chris McDonagh (Forward) Aged 31 Previous Clubs; Bolton Wanderers, Curzon Ashton, Mossley & West Didsbury Another new addition to the playing squad, who arrived at the club in January 2015. is is McDonagh’s second spell with Trafford, having previously made 18 appearances and scoring 2 goals during the 2003/04 season. After scoring against Stamford, ‘e North’ will be hoping there is more to come from the experienced forward.

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four to watch

Steve Mason (Defender) Aged 24 Previous Club; Maine Road Signed from Vodkat League Maine Road in 2011 and was a member of the Trafford promotion winning team in 2013. Mason played 52 league and cup games last season and was part of the Manchester Cup winning team. He has previously been voted Managers Player of the Year in 2012 and last season he picked up the Supporters Player of the Year.

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meet the away fans trafford’s andy glinka fills us in What's the mood like in the camp at the moment? e mood in the camp (players/supporters) is ok considering our position. Obviously we have recently acquired a new manager and with it a lot of new players (very similar to your situation recently). e new players seem like a great bunch and are at least putting in the effort to try and save us, which in turn is making the supporters proud.

Are things going to plan would you say? e plan at the start of the season was to build on last seasons 10th place but realistically, the supporters would have taken just staying up. So are things going to plan, well I guess not. However, as we have a new manager and considering our position when Graham took over supporters are perhaps resigned to the inevitable but we just want to see some fight, and fingers crossed that will bring results, and fingers, toes, ears and eyes crossed, that keeps us up.

Can you talk us through the last couple of results please?

Our last two results have both been away on long trips, Stourbridge (finished 1-1) and Stamford (3-3). Both results have given the club something to be proud of where the players gave their all and showed some

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spirit. e Stourbridge game in particular was very encouraging where we led up until the 93rd minute before they equalised. Considering Stourbridge's home record this season, we took a lot of heart from that game. However, we know its wins we need and hopefully they will come.

For you who are the players to watch at the moment, and why?

With our previous manager leaving, it led to an exodus of players that were clearly playing for him. Such as Shelton Payne, who would have been my one to watch, however whilst he was a quality player, it may prove a blessing as he was our go to man all the time, over relying on him. Now other players need to step up and so far, that has been the case. Astley Mullholland looks a class act and we also look more dangerous from set pieces, which brings players like Adam Jones in to play.

How long have you been a supporter?

I first went to see Trafford about 10 years ago but have only been going consistently for the last 3 years.

How would you describe your supporters?

Our supporters are loyal, kind, genuine and friendly. We look after each other (and others too!) ere aren't loads of us but we are very passionate!

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What are your most memorable times with the club, and what sticks out for you this season?

My most memorable moment as a fan was the play off semi final win at New Mills in 2013. Bank holiday Monday, sun shining and our support was incredibly. Obviously winning the final is up there too but for me, the whole day out against New Mills will be hard to beat.

As for this season, well I'll be honest... there has been little to cheer. However, the away day at Stourbridge was cracking. I was fearing the worst before hand, had a few too many beers and sang my head off for 94 minutes and left with nothing but pride, a great day out!

How would you change the club if you won the lottery?

If I won the lottery I would pay for the new club house we have planned. I would also donate money to help the club get by and improve (players wages fascilities etc), but only on the proviso I get to wear the number 9 shirt in a game haha!

What are your hopes for the rest of the season?

My hopes... wow, if we stay up that'd be truly amazing. I can't hope for anything more than that!

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“My hopes... wow, if we stay up that'd be truly amazing.

I can't hope for anything more than that!”

How would you describe Trafford for any visitors, and what one word would you use to describe the ground catering?

Trafford is a very friendly atmosphere and we try and make away fans feel welcome. e facilities may not be the most modern but it has character. If by catering you mean alcohol (as this is all I have ever had) then its 'jobs a gooden'. I genuinely have never eaten from the snack bar (seriously) but I know the staff behind there are wonderful and very friendly.

What's the best pub for a pre-match / post-match pint, and why's it a good one?

Personally the best pub for a pre-match pint (or three) is 'e SteamHouse', about a mile away by Urmston Train station. I would advise away fans to try out the cracking selection of beers and ales then jump on the train to Chassen

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Road in time for the match. Afterwards I would have a pint in our little clubhouse or have a very short walk to the 'Bird ith Hand'.

What's your connection with the club?

Apart from being a fan, I am the chairman of the supporters club. It’s a role that I love and I have made lots of friends from!

Tell us a bit about yourself.

My name is Andrew Glinka, aka Glinks or Glinka. I am 35 years young, married with 2 children ( a little girl aged 3 and a step son aged 9). I teach and work with an autistic child at a primary school in Manchester. My hobbies include trying to keep my marriage together whilst attempting to follow Trafford FC home and away, whooping people at table tennis and tasting various ciders.

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goal sponsorship

We’d like to thank the following people who have already pledged to sponsor the team for every goal scored for the remainder of the season.

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Trigger Stephen & David Ste, Angie & Ethan Maria Mr & Mrs Darkside TobyTrotter Little Katie smiffylad Rammy Blue Chris S Johnno & Bernard Tony Cunningham Lui Delverto Rob Moss John Ayers Richard Isaacs Emma James Ian McCool Frank Crook Paul Gaskell

£2 £2 £4 £1 £2 £1 £1 £1 £1 £2 £2 £1 £1 £2 £2 £2 £2 £2 £2 £5

If you’d like to join in (you get your name in the programme and receive your very own signed team photo as a thankyou) then please make your pledge on the club forum, email rob.sax@musician.org or call Rob on 07944 038512 e Fans Fund total currently stands at £320

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If your face is featured then congratulations, you’ve just won yourself a cup of tea and a Mars Bar courtesy of Rammy United Supporters Club. Visit the tea bar now to claim your magniďŹ cent prize!

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Lee Gaskell

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tony’s teasers 1. Which two clubs will contest this season’s FA Trophy final.

2. Which side currently tops the NWCFL? 3. Who plays at Old Hawne Lane?

4. Complete the name of a former non-league club - Ellesmere Port and….?

5. What colours do Bishop Auckland play in?

6. South Shields are currently playing home games in which town?

7. Welsh club TNS’s initials stand for what?

8. Name Workington’s player-manager?

9. Anne Barker is Chairperson of which NPL club?

10. Ingfield is the home of which Ossett club?

ANSWERS: 1. Wrexham and North Ferriby 2. Runcorn Linnets 3. Halesowen Town 4. Neston 5. Sky and navy Blue 6. Peterlee 7. e New Saints 8. Gavin Skelton 9. Clitheroe 10. Ossett Town 0 24

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Henry loving the Ilkeston match, but that might be cos he can’t see over the barrier.

ANSW 5. Sky

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rammy in exile sky sports statto richard isaacs Good evening everyone and I hope I find you all well tonight ahead of this match against Trafford, which has now on taken all manner of importance for our club.

Well, it is 2.41am on Sunday morning and I am working and providing statistical information to our studio for a match that England actually might win against Sri Lanka in the Cricket World Cup. By the time this column goes to print, you will all know the answer to that and know the prophecy or tomfoolery of my prediction.

Sri Lanka are going quite well chasing England's 309-6 so you never know. is is becoming a regular feature of my world at the moment, staying up until the wee-small hours watching the sun shining in various parts of the Southern Hemisphere and sixes being clubbed for fun (175 in total as Dilshan pummels Stuart Broad into the stands).

It has been a busy tournament so far for me. e records have tumbled aplenty Chris Gayle's monster 215, AB deVilliers' sensational batting feats, England's woeful showing in Wellington, Tim Southee's seven wickets to name but a few of the highlights so far and not forgetting the amazing New Zealand v Australia match a few days ago. It has certainly kept me entertained and certainly kept me from my comfortable bed!

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I have to say that Saturday was another of those decidedly tough days. e rugby that I watched was entertaining as my local team, Tottonians, continued on their way at the top of the table with a good win over a side who had won their last 10 games. But my round ball interests endured another difficult afternoon, none more so than another three points exiting from the ground, giving us the unenviable record of 6 points from the last 36.

But, let us be positive. My apologies if my last column was a little bit fierce in my criticism - it was not meant to be. But as a passionate Rammy supporter, who, like so many of us, have enjoyed such wonderful successes, seeing our team with a long string of 'L' in the result column is hard to swallow and the Ilkeston defeat on Saturday was another which got away and now, rather than the excitement of what might be at the top of the table, the 'R' word is starting to creep into the psyche of the supporters on the forum and, no doubt, starting to reverbrate around the dressing room too. at brings its own pressure, when the gap between those in the drop zone and those just outside is narrowing game on game.

And there is little time for the gelling process to continue - it is starting to edge ever closer to make or break.

However - and, yes, it is a different team BUT ..... who remembers a couple of the great successful seasons where we ran into

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Ilkeston - another which got away, but not without a hell of a fight!

being well, I will be in the West Midlands for this one.

My final comment tonight (as Sri Lanka start to pile on the runs and it becomes slightly worrying from an England point of view), is on a personal note and many of you will have seen my shrinking frame over the last few years. Well, I am delighted to announce that I collected my 7st lost award last week with Slimming World down in Warsash (a small village between Southampton and Fareham), which took my overall total of weight lost since recording my very heaviest to nearly 9st now. As you can probably imagine, I am absolutely thrilled to have achieved this but I still have another 4st to lose so will be continuing to avoid Harry's pies for the time being!

Hopefully see you next Tuesday night down in Stourbridge and I can't wait to give it a big shout of "COME ON RAMMY!". e lads need it .....

STOP THE PRESS! Sunday 5.33am - Sri Lanka win by 9 wickets with 16 balls to spare. Bloody hell!

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the end of the season on a crest of a wave, with wins aplenty and honours of greatness piled upon us? We all do. An unbeaten March. An unbeaten April. e mammoth month of March's fixtures kicks off tonight and we have a bounty of games to play. So, lets plug into that memory and cheer the boys on. I appreciate that there has been some criticism of the team, some of the players not being good enough and we have miserable injury list too to counter. But something is going to click and its going to click very soon. So we need to show a little bit of faith in Robbo and Edgy's plans, the players on the park and give them our full support.

I am hoping to be able to get to the match next Tuesday night down at Stourbridge, which is sort of west side of Birmingham (not far from Halesowen, where we went before). It's about two hours from home so I am very tempted to make the journey up the A34, M40, M42 and the little bit of the M5 to come and cheer the lads on. I want to watch this new team and make my own thoughts on what I see, rather than consider the thoughts of others - so all

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Richard, seven stone lighter!

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ter!

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rammy united

meet the lads

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Jon ROBINSON

Phil EDGHILL

Date of birth: 28th December 1981 Place of birth: Salford Position: Player Manager / Striker Height: 5ft 9ins Previous clubs: Salford, Flixton, New Mills, Bacup A passionate and never-say-die striker who would score goals by sheer hard work and enthusiasm alone. Took over the managerial reins in January 2015.

Date of birth: 13th September 1979 Place of birth: Oldham Position: Assistant Manager / Midfielder Height: 6ft Previous clubs: Rochdale, Ashton, Chadderton, Rossendale, Curzon Ashton, Hyde, Salford A vastly experienced creative midfielder who returned to Rammy as assistant manager in January 2015.

Danny JONES

Darren GREEN

Date of birth: 3rd January 1976 Place of birth: Salford Position: Coach Previous clubs: Scunthorpe United, Altrincham, Curzon Ashton, Salford, Trafford An excellent and experienced coach with a class pedigree in league and non-league football.

Date of birth: 4th January 1979 Place of birth: Bury Position: Coach Previous clubs: Glossop, Bury, Bolton Wanderers A UEFA trained professional football coach who brings a wealth of expertise to the club.

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Cedric KROU

Date of birth: 28th January 1991 Place of birth: Newton Heath Position: Goalkeeper Height: 6ft 2ins Previous clubs: Maine Road, FC United A fantastic goalkeeper whose vision plays as much a part in creating goals as his athleticism plays in denying them.

Date of birth: 25th July 1991 Place of birth: Paris Position: Central Defender Height: 6ft 2ins Previous clubs: FC United, Trafford A calm and creative centre-back who has the skill to bring the ball out of defence.

Callum JONES

Matty BURKE

Date of birth: 10th May 1990 Place of birth: Salford Position: Centre Half Height: 6ft 1ins Previous clubs: Hindsford, Ashton United, Trafford A no-nonsense centre half.

Date of birth: 14th December 1985 Place of birth: Salford Position: Creative Midfielder Height: 6ft 1ins Previous clubs: Blackpool, Salford, Barrow, Vauxhall Motors, Hyde, Alfreton Town, Ashton United, Staffor Rangers A hard-working and commanding creative midfielder.

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Grant SHENTON

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rammy united

meet the lads

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Lee PUGH

George BOWYER

Date of birth: 26th May 1992 Place of birth: Rossendale Position: Left-Back Height: 6ft Previous clubs: Bury, Hyde, Bacup, Clitheroe, Chester A strong, no nonsense fullback with a priceless long throw. He also takes a mean free-kick.

Date of birth: 11th November 1990 Place of birth: Stockport Height: 5ft 10ins Position: Full-Back Previous clubs: Rochdale, Woodley, Mossley, Curzon Ashton, Bamber Bridge A determined and committed full-back who likes to get forward.

Kyle HARROP

Ian BENNETT

Date of birth: 22nd April 1987 Place of birth: Chadderton Position: Full-Back / Midfielder Height: 6ft Previous clubs: Curzon, Trafford, Sorrento and Mandurah (Australia), Ashton , Nantwich A versatile and experienced player who is equally happy at full back or in a holding midfield role.

Date of birth: 24th February 1986 Place of birth: Middleton Position: Midfielder Height: 5ft 7ins Previous clubs: Manchester City, Ashton United A creative attacking midfielder returning to football after a break to study at university.

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Jamie ROTHER

Date of birth: 24th February 1996 Place of birth: Bury Position: Wing-Back Height: 6ft Previous clubs: Oldham Athletic,Trafford A versatile wide player who is happy on either wing, or in defence.

Date of birth: 8th March 1989 Place of birth: Middleton Position: Midfielder Height: 5ft 8ins Previous clubs: Oldham, FC United, Bacup, Salford A hard working centre-midfielder who’s not afraid to get stuck in when necessary.

Malachi SLAVEN

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Luke HERON

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Donal McDERMOTT

Date of birth: 19th October 1989 Date of birth: 17th May 1994 Place of birth: Dublin Place of birth: Manchester Position: Forward Position: Midfielder Height: 5ft 10ins Height: 5ft 11ins Previous clubs: Manchester City, Scunthorpe Previous clubs: Bury, Macclesfield, Droylsden A decent quality midfielder who joined Rammy United, MK Dons, Chesterfield, Huddersfield pre-season but has been out on loan, only Town, AFC Bournemouth, Dundalk A classy and accomplished forward player with returning to the club just before Christmas. a great eye for goal.

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meet the lads

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Chris BAGULEY

Tom WILLIAMS

Date of birth: 1st September 1987 Place of birth: Salford Position: Midfielder Height: 5ft 8ins Previous clubs: Oldham Athletic, FC United, Mandurah, Leigh, Salford, New Mills, Rossendale, Ashton United Midfield playmaker and support striker with great technical ability

Date of birth: 4th September 1990 Place of birth: Bolton Position: Winger Height: 5ft 11ins Previous clubs: Bamber Bridge A class winger whose corners and crosses are exquisite.

Tom HARTLEY

Tom BROOKS

Date of birth: 11th November 1996 Place of birth: Rawtenstall Position: Midfielder / Striker Height: 5ft 7ins Previous clubs: Blackburn Rovers, Moston, Ramsbottom United Youth A tough young attacking midfielder/striker who progressed through Ramsbottom United’s youth setup.

Date of birth: 29th September 1989 Place of birth: Bury Position: Forward Height: 5ft 6ins Previous clubs: Bury, Walshaw, Bolton Wanderers, Radcliffe A fast and clinical striker who makes perfectly timed runs off the last defender.

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Date Place Positi Previ Accri A fir ‘Roon

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Date of birth: 22nd April 1991 Place of birth: Nigeria Position: Winger Height: 5ft 10ins Previous clubs: Nantwich, Halifax A speedy and tricky winger who can take on defenders for fun and whip in a mean cross.

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Date of birth: 7th February 1985 Place of birth: Salford Position: Striker Height: 6ft Previous clubs: Morecambe, Trafford, Walshaw, Warrington An incredibly skillful and creative striker who received the Evostik golden boot for season 2013-14.

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Lee GASKELL

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Harun Bhatti Date of birth: 31st December 1991 Place of birth: Burnley Position: Club Physio Previous clubs: Burnley, Blackburn Rovers, Accrington Stanley A first-rate physio, despite his nickname ‘Rooney’ and his supporting Arsenal

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from the darkside darren comer reports on the latest rammy ultras adventures Well, according to the old song, It’s a Long Way to Tipperary but, I’d wager that Blyth on a Tuesday night is not much shorter. e Rams fixture up at Blyth Spartans was originally planned for a Saturday but, with our January calendar decimated by the weather we now had to make the journey last Tuesday. is really was a shame as I’m sure we would have had a large travelling support but, a six hour round trip really was a big ask for many during the working week. As it turned out we managed to get quite a few travelling up to the north-east and braving the detours around Newcastle to ensure we had some support for the lads on the night.

A few of us had managed to arrange a mini Rammy Rocket for the journey, subsidised by the club, so at 3.30 last Tuesday six hardy souls were boarding a very plush, six seater Mercedes people carrier. I was joined

by Little Katie, Carlsberg, Sir Paul of Cropper and of course, e Masseys, Andy and Hilary. Harry sat himself up front with the driver, Kevin (who had taken us to Kendal and Lancaster the

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previous season). So, we had a long journey ahead but, as those of you who know them, any trip with Andy and Sir Paul on board is never going to be a dull one. We were soon making our way northbound with the main topics of conversation being Sir Paul’s pasty and the identity of Jim McDonald on the forum, with some of us convinced Mr McDonald was on board the mini Rammy Rocket with us. Before we knew it we were heading past Wetherby racecourse and making good progress through the rush hour traffic.

We arrived at Blyth’s Croft Park ground at 6.30 which meant we had plenty of time to partake in a couple of pints of Blyth Bitter. e subject of Blyth Bitter had been discussed on the journey up with Sir Paul saying it was a very nice pint but, with me arguing that the previous season it had tasted like Germoline. Well, Paul won the argument and I must have had a dodgy pint on my previous visit as tonight it went down very, very well. After a couple of pints, Carlsberg put in an order for our half time drinks (they have a great system where you pre-order your half time refreshments and, just like the shopkeeper in Mr Benn, they appear as if by magic). We had been joined by our hard working Matchday Secretary and all round nice guy, Andy Edmunson who had driven up with Rooney the Physio.

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Blyth Spartansjust a couple of weeks ago when they hosted Birmingham City in the FA Cup

Completing the travelling band of Ultras in the bar were Toppo, Toby Trotter and Alex Williams who had travelled up in the mini-mini Rammy Rocket. We were also joined, ten minutes into the game, by Paul and Rita Gaskell and Grandpa Gassy, who it is great to have back on board since Lee rejoined the club after his brief stint in the F.A. Cup limelight with Warrington Town. Not a bad effort from the ‘tiny team’ and I salute each and every one of you.

Spartans’ Crofts Park ground really is steeped in, mainly F.A. Cup, history and even Birmingham City had struggled up here just a few weeks earlier, coming away with a narrow 3-2 win after trailing to two early Blyth goals. On the journey up we had discussed what score tonights game would be and let’s just say that our hearts didn’t agree with our heads. We gathered on the

terrace, behind the goal Rammy were attacking in the first half, and it really did feel strange not having some of the regular Ultras alongside us to cheer the lads on. Although the terrace was sparse we were joined by the cast of Byker Grove, in the shape of some young Geordie whippersnappers, who took great delight in singing, in very good humour, You’re Just a Small Town in Blackburn, to us. Despite this being geographically incorrect, Little Katie did point out that at least they had done their homework on finding out where Ramsbottom actually was. I must admit here that I tended to sit at the back in Geography lessons at school (apart from the 4th Year when we had Miss Bramble, she was, as we would say back in 1980, well fit) so my knowledge of U.K. and European locations is based purely on if the town has a football team or not.

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from the darkside darren comer reports on the latest rammy ultras adventures It’s good to know then that the kids from Byker Grove now know which tiny town our tiny team hails from and we have helped with their education. e match itself was possibly the most one sided I had ever seen and not really something to dwell on in these pages. Indeed, we could, and probably should, have been a goal down after thirty seconds and only Shents, with the first of his many saves that evening, kept us in it. Well, kept us in it for the next few minutes until Blyth finally took

“We’ll keep the yellow flag flying high” - putting a brave face on it after a mammoth journey

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the lead, and to be honest we knew then it was game, set and match. Not long after they added a second goal and just before the half time whistle, makeshift defender Robbo got his second yellow card. e opinion amongst the travelling support was that both cards had been a little soft and another referee on another night would not have given either.

We were also in agreement that the resurrection of our club is not being helped

by Lady Luck who seems to have forgotten how to shine her light on us recently.

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Blyth’s goal without the ball in it a situation that would remain!

We shifted to the opposite terrace for the second half and despite a change of location there was no change on the pitch.

Although the players were far from their best, Rammy were actually up against a very strong, very fast, cohesive unit in Blyth Spartans. ey had a couple of tall wingers, the tallest I have seen in some time actually, who gave our full backs a torrid time and that ginger forward who found nationwide fame in November when he scored the winning goal against Hartlepool in F.A. Cup. ey managed to create a couple more goals in the second half and Rammy were lucky to come away with only a 4-0 defeat at the final whistle - don’t be surprised if Blyth are pushing for the play-offs come April. e highlight of the evening came at the final whistle when the Rams Army

(a small army I admit, but still an army) started singing We Love You Rammy, We Do, prompting the players to come over salute us, with Shents shaking all our hands and thanking us for coming.

After a quick pint back in the clubhouse we were boarding the mini Rammy Rocket for the long journey home at around 10.00.

As if the journey home wasn’t long enough we hit some road closures which saw us having to make a detour through Newcastle city centre and over the River Tyne (I’m sure Gazza and Lindisfarne will be pleased to hear it actually did have fog on it). We eventually landed back in Rammy at 1.30, feeling tired and emotional, but despite this, we had all had a great time and would do it all again for our beloved Rams.

(Many thanks to Ste Heard for the photos)

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grant shenton shouting from between the sticks After a couple of pretty hopeless performances, Saturday felt to be a great improvement, particularly against a full-time team. Did it feel better to the lads?

Parts of our game are getting better.

Our shape was good in the second half and didn't allow their very creative team to create many chances. at being, said we know we need to start creating chances - Rammy is a team known for its creativity. We are still a work in progress we will get it right I have no doubts about that.

Robbo seems to give everyone a roasting when he's playing. I'm sure he can be hard work at times, but does his presence give everyone the extra umpf?

We all know Robbo is a very passionate player and now even more so because he is gaffer, but he does know how to address each player differently in order to get the best out of them.

A good performance and a goal from youngster Luke Heron. Was he made up?

Yeah Luke will be more than happy with that finish - he's a young lad and wants to keep on getting better and better.

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We weren't as sure as the referee. Was it a penalty?

It was yeah - I had no complaints.

Stupid challenge, but one Robbo said he needed to make so I'll take his word for it. He knows the game and he said sorry so we forget it now.

Do we have any news on the players returning from injury, particularly Donal McDermott, Tom Williams and Ian Bennett?

Tom is pretty much ready to come back (hernia). Benno a couple weeks now we think and Donal we’re not really too sure about unfortunately.

Trafford seem to have been through a similar situation to us recently. It feels like tonight is a chance to measure our recovery against theirs. Would you agree?

Definately we need a win tonight as do they, so it will make for a very good game and one I'm looking forward to.

Once we get that one win then the new lads can get taste of winning games at this club and how it becomes a habit.

I know it's not nice to be on the receiving end of these defeats, but one positive is that the Rammy supporters can now fully appreciate the quality of goalkeeper we have - a good few told

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me that you were head and shoulders the best player on the field. I hope that's at least some consolation.

I appreciate it and I do love hearing compliments like that, which really helps my confidence.

But I want wins more than anything I'm a winner and I don't like losing. I’d much prefer the team to start winning games so I can care a bit less about my own form.

Do you think that the wear on the pitch will have a big impact on the results of upcoming matches, and is that necessarily a bad thing? e pitch is holding up ok and I think I've played on worse this season so it shouldn't have too much of an impact.

And it's the same for both teams. I'm never a fan of using that as an excuse for anything.

I’d just like to say a quick thank you to all the fans who keep turning up what ever the weather and wherever it the game may be. It means a lot to all the players and you really are the twelfth man so please stay behind us and keep singing your hearts out. And smack that drum.

COYR!

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supporters club on the terraces of rammy I heard all kinds of opinions before, during and after Saturday’s defeat, and some of them were a heck of a lot less than complimentary. I have to admit to having the horrible sinking feeling as I put on my coat and scarf to head to the match, and after the displays at Witton Albion and Blyth I really was fearing the worst - after all, we were about to take the field against a promotion-chasing team of young, fulltime academy players!

I really do quite strongly object to people voicing their negativity at the match itself, and if you’re one of those people then might I suggest you piss off back to league football. Rammy’s not the place for that have your say after the game, and criticise whoever the heck you want, but if you’re telling our players that they’re not fit to wear the shirt then I don’t consider you fit to wear the scarf, whether you’ve paid to get in or not!

One of the worst experiences of football that I’ve ever had was a Boxing Day game I witnessed at Northampton Town, football’s perennial yo-yo team who always seem to bounce between the bottom two divisions. eir ground is quite modern and bleak, with open corners and a pretty wierd grass bank behind the stand, from which you can

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watch the game. It feels like some kind of land-fill or something and is utterly characterless, very much like the “supporters” I came across. It was hardly a stirling performance, but with their crappy attendances the “supporters” really got the kind of players that the club could afford. e game progressed and the hardworking team managed to eke out a 2-0 lead going into the half-time break. I anticipated at least a little bit of enthusiasm from the fans, but I anticipated wrongly! In the queue for the tea-bar, in the gents toilets, in the bar and the stand all you could hear was a constant mumbling that “it won’t last” and “just you watch them throw it away!”

As the team came out for the second half to almost ironic cheers from the home “faithful” you just knew that they definitely were going to throw it away, and you knew why - because their fans were absolute crap! e ‘twelfth man’ that their crowd should have been was not absent (which would have been preferable), but he was like some kind of alcoholic wife-beater.

Sure enough the opposition (I forget who it was) bagged a first to make it 2-1, and the mumblings and grumblings increased in volume - the goal even got a sarcastic cheer. In went the second, despite the valiant efforts of the scrapping Northampton lads, and sure enough, with ten or so minutes on the clock, the inevitable reverse was completed and the

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Callum Jones worked his backside off against Ilkeston

miserable sods in the stands could shuffle away early, happy in the knowledge that all was well with the world - that their team was indeed as crap as they had expected.

Contrast that with the truly epic achivements of that legendary Republic of Ireland team who set Italia 90 on fire, not just progressing beyond the qualification group, but taking Germany to a penalty shoot-out. I recall a drunk Irish friend of mine commenting at the time that Jackie Charlton had “turned a complete shower of shite into a proper world cup team”. I remember those games really well - a draw against England, a draw against Holland, a draw against Germany - all fought for by a complete “shower of shite” and Niall Quinn. e important word is “fought”. e Irish chased down every ball, battled for everything, and completely ran their mediocre backsides into the ground through sheer pride of representing their country at the World Cup - and they

returned to Ireland as National heroes!

Now I know that Saturday’s result at the Riverside wasn’t a good one. I know that the performance at times was more than a little shaky, and I know that one or two of these players wouldn’t be first on the team sheet for Louis van Gaal, but you absolutely can’t fault the commitment of any of those lads that pulled on the Rammy shirt on Saturday. Lee Pugh played the game of his life, and Callum Jones looked like he’d been dragged through a hedge backwards by the time he staggered off the field after 90 minutes defending against a team of full-timers! ey were just two, but I could name anyone.

You may not be happy with what you’re seeing, but from where I’m standing these fellas are working their arses off and are absolutely deserving of that shirt, so if you’re one of the moaners who are dishing out the stick then lay off a bit eh.

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points total

league position

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Trafford Programme_Layout 1 01/03/2015 23:02 Page 52 0 24

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Manager: Jon ROBINSON

Grant SHENTON George BOWYER Lee PUGH Jamie ROTHER Callum JONES Alex FROST Osebi ABADAKI Matty BURKE Lee GASKELL Tom BROOKS Donal McDERMOTT Chris BAGULEY Kyle HARROP Tom WILLIAMS Luke HERON Ian BENNETT Jon ROBINSON Malachi SLAVEN Cedric KROU Phil EDGHILL

Manager: Graham HEATHCOTE

Tom READ Chris PALMER Matt DOUGHTY Steve MASON Adam JONES Andy SMART Brice WASSI Jeff KING Chris MCDONAGH Jimmy MCCARTHY Ashley MULHOLLAND John PRITCHARD Mark DERBYSHIRE Rees WELSH Oliver RILEY Russell SAUNDERS Akime PINDER

Referee: Chris Isherwood Referee’s Assistants: Mark Doherty, Spencer Doherty

Next home game: Saturday 14th March 3pm, Rammy v Stourbridge Today’s Matchball is sponsored by John Turner

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