The Nomads vs Salford City (30-07-2016) by Connah's Quay Nomads FC

OFFICIAL MATCHDAY PROGRAMME Â£2

THE NOMADS vs SALFORD CITY Pre-season Friendly Saturday, 30th July, 2016 - 3:00pm

The Nomads vs Salford City

WHO’S WHO Honorary Club Patrons Lord Barry Jones, Roger Speed Life Presidents Richard Jones, Bill Dudley

DEESIDE STADIUM Coleg Cambria Kelsterton Road Connah’s Quay Deeside Flintshire CH5 4BR

Chairman Gary Dewhurst

Ground Capacity 1500

Vice Chairman John Gray

Matchday Telephone 01244 816418

Club Secretary and Licensing Officer Trevor Green First Team Manager Andy Morrison Assistant Manager & Director of Football Jay Catton Club Doctor Dr. Brian Johnson Club Consultant Chartered Physio Ashley James Goalkeeping Coach Neil Ebbrell Head of Logistics Mal Latter Emergency Aid Officer Colin McGivern (Events Medical Team) Matchday Sports Therapist Gemma Bamford Matchday Physio Matt Steel Media Officer Nik Mesney Supporters Liaison Officer Will Catterall Hospitality Roma Gray

CLUB HONOURS League of Wales League Cup 1996 Europa League Play Off Winners 2016 Welsh Intermediate Cup 1981 Welsh Amateur Cup 1953 North Wales Coast FA Cup 1994 North Wales Intermediate Cup 1981 North Wales Amateur Cup 1952, 1953, 1955 Welsh Youth Cup 1948 North Wales Coast FA Youth Cup 1986, 2009 Cookson Cup 1988 Barritt Cup 1995 Clwyd League 1980, 1981 Clwyd League Challenge Cup 1981 President’s Cup 1981 Huws Gray Alliance League 2011, 2012 Welsh Premier League U19 2013 U19 National College Champions 2015, 2016

The Nomads vs Salford City

MATCHDAY PARKING Players, playing staff, matchday staff and fans are allowed to park on the Coleg Cambria grounds where designated parking spaces are outlined. Please note that vehicles parked in non-allocated parking spaces may be subject to a fine or clamping.

EVACUATION PROCEDURE In the event of an emergency requiring the evacuation of the whole or part of the stadium, spectators are requested to leave the stadium by the identified exits. These will be identified in the evacuation announcement. Stewards will assist the evacuation.

GROUND SAFETY In the interest of safety, spectators are asked to co-operate with the Club Stewards in keeping all gangways and emergency exits clear. In the interest of safety, spectators are asked to co-operate with the Club Stewards in keeping all gangways and emergency exits clear. Spectators are reminded that they must observe all ground regulations. Persistently ignoring these regulations may lead to possible further action by the club, including, but not limited to, the withdrawal of any ticket (without reimbursement) and other benefits.

PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEM (Ground Safety Announcements) All ground safety announcements will be made on the public address system. Spectators are asked to listen carefully to those announcements and follow any instructions given.

EDITOR’S WELCOME

Good afternoon and welcome back to Deeside Stadium... it seems like an age since we were last here against Airbus back in May, but at the same time it seems like we've not stopped! It's been a fantastic experience over the last six weeks which has included trips to Belfast, Geneva, Norway and Serbia as part of the UEFA Europa League and it's preparations and I've got some memories that will last me a lifetime. The performances by the team were phenomenal and I was proud to be a part of the backroom staff that helped everything tick along nicely behind the scenes. Today, we welcome a team that needs very little introduction with their "Class of '92" ties and I am looking forward to seeing football back at Deeside Stadium... it's just a shame we've got to wait another month until our first home Welsh Premier League fixture! Hopefully you will all like the new look of today's programme... a new season, a new era and a new look to match - if you have any feedback, please let me know. Come on The Nomads! Nik

Editor and Designer Nik Mesney Contributors Andy Morrison Jay Catton Will Catterall Trevor Green Nik Mesney Mark Rowlands Gary Dewhurst David Rapson

© All editorial in this programme is the copyright of gap Connah’s Quay Nomads FC and shall not be reproduced without permission. Content correct at time of print. The views of the individual contributors do not necessarily reflect the views of the Club.

CONTENTS

8 12

14 16

20 22

WELCOME BACK TO DEESIDE STADIUM A look at today's game and the next time we are here in the Welsh Premier League

YOUNGSTERS SHINE IN PRESEASON WIN Match report from The Nomads' 4-1 victory over Denbigh Town

NOMADS BOW OUT OF EUROPA LEAGUE Match report from The Nomads' 2-1 defeat to FK Vojvodina in the Europa League

26TH ACADEMY PLAYER SIGNS FOR PROFESSIONAL CLUB Joe Johannsen signs for Fleetwood Town

A VIEW FROM THE STAND Will Catterall gives his thoughts of our Europa League run and today's game

GREEN'S PIECE Club Secretary Trevor Green looks at Europe and the new WPL season

THE NOMADS ARCHIVE David Rapson takes a look at the forthcoming WPL season

SALFORD CITY CLUB HISTORY A look at the back story of the team from the suburbs of Manchester

SALFORD CITY PEN PICS Check out the squad and management of Salford City

PLAYER STATISTICS Appearances and goals for The Nomads in the 2016/17 campaign

NOMADS PEN PICS Whos' who in The Nomads first team squad

FIXTURES AND RESULTS Full match information for the 2016/17 season

FIRST TEAM STAFF A look at the team behind the team at Deeside Stadium

The Nomads vs Salford City

gap personnel are proud kit sponsors of The Nomadsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; 2016/17 campaign.

gap personnel group are solutions people. 200 specialist recruiters delivering the very best temporary and permanent workers for industry. Through collaboration & innovation, we increase clientsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; productivity and exceed their efficiency targets. All delivered with full compliance and commitment to service excellence.

Call 0800 999 5100 www.gap-personnel.com The Nomads vs Salford City

MATCH PREVIEW

Welcome back to Deeside Stadium This afternoon's game sees a strong challenge for The Nomads as we prepare for the start of the Dafabet Welsh Premier League, two weeks today when we travel to Carmarthen for our opening game of the season. Today's opposition, Salford City, will come into the game in positive mood, having won promotion to the Vanarama National North League, in the same way that The Nomads secured European football, through end of season play-offs. The Nomads come into the game off the back of a 4-1 victory at Denbigh on Tuesday night, however the team that faced Denbigh will be considerably different to today's starting lineup with a number of younger players making their first team debuts at Central Park on Tuesday night. Salford's pre-season has seen three defeats and two victories so far, defeating Rylands 3-0 and Irlam 4-0 whilst losing out 4-1 to Fleetwood Town, 1-0 to Hampton and Richmond, as well as a 5-1 defeat to a Manchester United XI on Tuesday night. The next time that we are back here at Deeside Stadium will be when we host Newtown on Sunday, 28th August, but ahead of that, The Nomads have three fixtures on the road with a friendly next Saturday at Caernarfon Town before we start our Welsh Premier League campaign at Carmarthen, live on S4C on Saturday 13th August. The following weekend we head up the A55 to take on a new look Bangor City, who are now without Neville Powell at the helm following his departure from Nantporth earlier this week.

The Nomads vs Salford City

MATCH REPORT

Matty Owen got on the scoresheet for The Nomads for the first time

Denbigh Town

Trialist (7’)

The Nomads

M. Owen (24’), J.Jones (47’), Own Goal (60’), Leonard (72') Pre Season Friendly | Tuesday 26th July 2016 Central Park, Denbigh

Youngsters shine in pre season win A Nomads XI of both academy and senior players secured a 4-1 over Denbigh Town in a pre season friendly on Tuesday evening. The game was The Nomads' first pre season friendly since their UEFA Europa League campaign, which ended on Thursday evening after a 2-1 (3-1 on aggregate) defeat to FK Vojvodina. With many players from that game rested, the squad featured the likes of Matty Owen, Nick Rushton, George Coulton and Ben Nash. 6

The Nomads vs Salford City

The Nomads latest signing Tom Field also made his debut having joined the club earlier in the day. The game began and the hosts kicked off to a high tempo, which awarded them the lead in the seventh minute. From a corner ball, Denbigh sent a low header into the bottom corner of Jon Rushton's net to score. Although Denbigh were enjoying possession in the midfield, The Nomads did cause problems for them with Jake Jones sending a dangerous cross into the Denbigh area in the 15th minute, with the home side eventually clearing their lines. The home side nearly increased their lead when they enjoyed two chances within two minutes,

PRE-SEASON FRIENDLY both saved at close range by Jon Rushton, who, determined not to concede any further, performed brilliantly throughout the game for The Nomads. Following this, The Nomads equalised via a Matty Owen goal. The Nomads' summer signing striking low into the bottom right corner of the net from around 18 yards. With a goal back, The Nomads began to grow into the game after Denbigh's strong start, making for a even 20 minutes to end the first half. It took only two minutes for a goal to come in the second half and it went The Nomads' way in spectacular fashion. From the edge of the Denbigh penalty area, Jake Jones sent a lobbing effort towards goal which at first looked as if it would be dealt with by the 'keeper. However, the ball came down towards him almost vertically and went into the left inside netting of the goal. This was a great moment for The Nomads Academy product, who was one of two players to get on the scoresheet on his debut on Tuesday evening. The Nomads third goal of the evening came just 13 minutes later, when, from a cross into the Denbigh box, a home player sent the ball into his own net with an attempted defensive clearance. Despite The Nomads' 3-1 lead, Denbigh continued to stay in the game and create good chances. Former Nomad Alan Bull sent a shot just over the crossbar from 20 yards before he had a penalty saved superbly by Jon Rushton. After replacing Connor Harwood, first team debutant Jake Leonard then came on to score The Nomads' fourth and final goal. Despite being on for just minutes, he got himself in a great position in the Denbigh area to coolly slot a through ball into the net. As the game drew to a close The Nomads were now in control of the game but this was not without chances from Denbigh which were neutralised well by Jon Rushton.

MATCH STATS The Nomads: J.Rushton, Doran, Nash, Coulthon, Blizzard, J.Jones (Bridges), Field (van Schie), M.Owen, Bibby, N.Rushton, Harwood (Leonard) Goalscorers: The Nomads - M. Owen, J.Jones, Own Goal, Leonard Denbigh Town - Trialist

The Nomads vs Salford City

MATCH REPORT

Michael Wilde attempts to break down the Vojvodina back line

The Nomads

Wilde (65')

FK Vojvodina

Meleg (8', 49') UEFA Europa League Second Qualifying Round | Thursday 21st July 2016 Belle Vue Stadium, Rhyl | Attendance: 809

Nomads bow out of Europa League The Nomads bowed out of the Europa League on Thursday evening after a 2-1 loss at the hands of Serbia’s FK Vojvodina. The result meant The Nomads had been beaten 3-1 on aggregate following a 1-0 defeat in the first leg. On the night, a Meleg brace secured Vojvodina’s place in the third qualifying round despite Wes Baynes netting for The Nomads. The game began to a frantic start which saw both sides try to make their mark early. Vojvodina quickly introduced their slick passing technique into The Nomads' area, with Wilde launching an attack for The Nomads only to be found guilty of a foul. On seven minutes, FK Vojvodina delivered a blow to the home 8

The Nomads vs Salford City

side when Dejan Meleg scored a sublime free kick. From two yards outside of The Nomads' area, he curled the ball towards the top right corner of the Nomads net just beyond John Danby’s reach. Despite this major setback, which meant The Nomads now had to score three goals to stay in the competition, the team remained focus on their task making for a relatively even half. The Nomads grew into the game, having more and more chances, seen when Baynes came close with a free kick from 25 yards before Kearney had a bicycle effort saved by Vojvodina 'keeper Kordic. The goalscorer Meleg continued to cause problems for The Nomads, forcing Danby to make an excellent low save on 27 minutes, which forced a corner which was successfully defended by the home side. The Nomads made use of Lewis Short’s long throw in’s, with George Horan heading to narrowly miss the target from a throw in, in one of

the Nomads best chances of the half. Just before the interval The Nomads were denied a goal on two occasions in a flurry of attacks on the Vojvodina goal. Nathan Woolfe made a great run to enter the area and shoot from 10 yards, an effort which forced 'keeper Kordic to concede a corner. The corner triggered a scramble in Vojvodinaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s box, which saw Ian Kearney and Callum Morris have efforts blocked in a cruel but encouraging end to the first half for The Nomads. After the interval, The Nomads were again dealt an early setback at the hands of Vojvodina, when referee Peter Kralovic pointed to the penalty spot after George Horan fouled Palocevic. Dejan Meleg stepped up and slotted the ball to John Danby's left, enhancing the challenge that faced The Nomads to an even greater level. A substitution was made which saw John Disney make way for Les Davies, who had a big effect on the game, his strength and physicality causing problems for the Serbian defence. He immediately got involved in the action, sending a wicked cross into the area which Wilde just missed. Vojvodina hit back quickly, with some heroic defending from Baynes and Morris denying them a further lead. In the 64th minute, it seemed that Michael Wilde had scored his first goal as a Nomads player as a Wes Baynes ball cut through the Vojvodina area and brating Kordic in the goal. On further review of the video footage, we can confirm that it was in fact a Wes Baynes goal as Wilde did not get a touch on the ball. This goal proved a huge boost to The Nomads, who were now asking serious questions of Vojvodina with more than 20 minutes of Europa League football still to play. Les Davies found himself with just one defender to beat in the Vojvodina area, and turned to send a tame shot towards goal which the 'keeper dealt with. As the game went on, Vojvodina began to retake control of the game despite The Nomadsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; outstanding efforts to get at the Serbian goal. The Nomads then lost Andy Morrison from the touchline with around 10 minutes to play after Kralovic requested he go to the stands. Further substitutions saw Matty Owen replace Jay Owen, and Ashley Ruane come on for Michael Wilde. In the last ten minutes, the game began to slip away from The Nomads, but not without dramatic moments such as Horan heading just wide from a Baynes cross, with many spectators believing he had scored. A controversial incident occurred in the 84th minute, when The Nomads' contingency and the crowd of the Belle Vue believed a clear handball had been committed by a Vojvodina defender in his own area, but the referee waved the penalty appeals away. Following just one minute of injury time, full time was confirmed meaning The Nomads exited the UEFA Europa League in respectable fashion, losing 3-1 over two legs to a dynamic Vojvodina with a wealth of European experience.

MATCH STATS The Nomads: Danby, Baynes, Horan, Kearney, Smith, Morris, Disney (Davies), J.Owen (M.Owen), Short, Woolfe, Wilde (Ruane) FK Vojvodina: Kordic, Kovacevic, Meleg (Zlicic), Puskaric, Palocevic, Antic, Malbasic, Maksimovic, Jovanovic (Micic), Miletic, Trujic (Stamenic) Goalscorers:

The Nomads - Wilde FK Vojvodina - Meleg (2)

Yellow Cards:

The Nomads - Horan, Morris, Kearney FK Vojvodina - Mlbasic

The Nomads vs Salford City

NOMADS ACADEMY

26th Academy Player signs for professional club! Joe Johanssen of last seasons Under 14's has signed a one year deal at League One Academy Fleetwood Town. Joe joined the Nomads Academy last season and was an ever present in the under 14's in the centre of midfield. A very talented player with great desire and commitment we have no doubts Joe will do well at Fleetwood. A huge well done to Joe from all at The Nomads Academy and we wish him all the best during his time at the club. Remarkably, Joe becomes the 26th player from The Nomads Academy to be signed by a professional club in just over five years - more than any other academy in Wales. A huge well done also to coaches Leighton Sumner and Thomas Taylor. Another huge achievement for Sumner as a coach as in his five years at the club Joe becomes the seventh player under Sumner's coaching to be moved onto a professional club which a great personal achievement for him as a coach and ourselves as a club. The full List of Nomads Academy Players to be signed by professional clubs is as follows; Alex Peters U14 (Bury) Luke Blizzard U12 (Wrexham) Thomas Bridges U12 (Liverpool) Jamie Nash U9 (Wrexham) Daniel Spaven U11 (Wigan) Sam Williams U11 (Wigan) Daniel Malone U11 (Stoke City) Dominic Elsey McHugh U13 (Stoke City) Rhys Schofield U11 (Wigan) Rhys Healey Youth/First Team (Cardiff City) Joe Brett U14 (Tranmere Rovers) Jay Jay bell U10 (Wrexham)â&#x20AC;¨ Billy Nicholas U12 (Wrexham)â&#x20AC;¨ Harvey Tattum U13 (Stoke City) Steffan knight U11 (Wrexham) Ryan Edwards Youth/First Team (TNS 1st team) Vimal Yoganathan U9 (Liverpool) Louis Wynne U9 (Wrexham) Daniel Mayers Jones U9 (Manchester United) Dylan Evans U9 (Stoke City) Kai Evans U11 (Stoke City) Max Cleworth U13 (Wrexham) Alex Hughes U8 (Wigan Athletic) Reagen Nicholas U9 (Wrexham AFC) Lloyd Hayed U10 (Wrexham AFC) Joe Johanssen U14 (Fleetwood Town)

The Nomads vs Salford City

Book a pitch today at North Wales’ Premier 3G Community Facility Thousands of members of the North Wales footballing community have already taken advantage of The Nomads’ new 3G facility at Connah’s Quay High School, and you could be next. With prices starting from as little as £25 for an hour of 7-a-side, you can get your place at one of the best facilities in North Wales today! Find out more and book your pitch today by visiting

www.thequay3g.co.uk or calling 0800 201 4525

in partnership with gap Connah’s Quay Nomads FC and Connah’s Quay High School

The Nomads vs Salford City

A VIEW FROM THE STAND

BY WILL CATTERALL Hello and welcome to a view from the stand - the first of our pre season of the 2016/17 Dafabet Welsh Premier campaign. The Nomads' fans don’t need to run through all the happenings of our summer, because the football never really stopped! For our welcome guests, the Deeside Stadium you’re in today is fresh into a new era, as we have now graced European competition for the first time in our history. After winning our league play offs, we not only entered the UEFA Europa League but won in it, which is still a rarity for Welsh clubs. Beating Stabaek 1-0 over two legs, we drew the mighty Vojvodina of Serbia, and battled tirelessly over two legs losing 3-1 on aggregate, but it’s still a result to be proud of. In a nutshell, that’s been our inaugural, stressful, tiring, brilliant summer spent in Europe. Now we turn our attentions to the league again, and what a way to start preparing for it. Salford City are the non-league club that everyone’s heard of, with the "Class of '92" backing and a team who perform with just as much desire as they did, being promoted into the National League North, the highest ever level they’ve played at, and we know how that feels. We wish them all the best in the season ahead. Looking at the Welsh Premier League season ahead, no one can predict what’s going to happen, so I’m not going to try either. Many are looking at us as potential challengers to TNS’ title, due to four phenomenal performances against full time European sides, but you don’t just take a title off a team who have won it for the past five years. Those tipping us have their reasons – we want to be right up there, we want to get into Europe again, and we’ll fight all the way. However, it’s always best to take the season one game at a time, and our first is away at Carmarthen on August 13. If you can’t make it, the game is live on S4C, and you’ll eventually see us play at home in the league on August 28 against Newtown. Whilst the league is hard to predict before it’s kicked off, we can for certain say it’s going to be exciting. We’re a force off the back of a sensational European campaign, and the likes of Bala have made huge signings. Cardiff Met and Cefn Druids are the new boys, and who can write them off after what Llandudno did last season. To add real drama, legend of Connah’s Quay, Bangor City and indeed Welsh Football, Nev Powell left Bangor City this week, so who knows what we will see from the Citizens this year. We can’t wait to get started! Nomads Ultras Prediction: Nomads 3-1 Salford City Nomads Ultra’s Player of the Week: Wes Baynes At this stadium in May, Wes wrote himself into the club’s history books permanently as the scorer of the goal that sent us into Europe, but he is ever present at big moments. Last week a storming performance saw him assist (and he might even say score!) our goal against Vojvodina which put real pressure on the full time side. We hope to see more today! 12

The Nomads vs Salford City

Business Grade Fibre Broadband by Wire and Microwave with 3 months FREE rental* Simply quote â&#x20AC;&#x153;Nomadsâ&#x20AC;? when you call us.

0330 400 4321 www.prstelecom.co.uk

*Subject to survey, location and availability of product in your area. Business Line rental with calls required. Forms part of 24 month contract. The Nomads vs Salford City

GREEN'S PIECE

BY TREVOR GREEN Good Afternoon, A warm welcome to Salford City FC. This is the return match promised when we went to Kersal in the 2012 pre-season and won 2-0 with goals from Rhys Healey and Michael Thompson. A lot has happened for both clubs since and it would be true to say that both of us are now at a level we could only have dreamed of back then. In March 2014, the takeover of the club by former Manchester United players Ryan Giggs, Gary Neville, Phil Neville, Paul Scholes and Nicky Butt saw Salford climb to a twelfth position finish in the Premier League Division North. The new ownership team established by July 2014, and Giggs suggested the consortium had ambitious aims for the non-league club, with a target of Championship level football within 15 years. In September 2014, the ownership team announced that they had agreed to sell a 50% stake in the club to Singaporeâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;based billionaire Peter Lim, the owner of Valencia CF. Anthony Johnson and Bernard Morley were appointed joint-managers in January 2015. Despite the promising start, a dip in form during December resulted in only four wins from the following 11 matches. As a result, a new managerial team of Anthony Johnson and Bernard Morley was put in place. The team won 15 of the remaining 17 matches and were crowned champions, guaranteeing promotion to the Premier Division. The club reached the FA Cup 1st Round proper and in front of a crowd of 1400, and with many millions more watching live on Television they defeated Notts County. The second round saw them hold Hartlepool United to a 1-1 draw but two unopposed goals in extra time ended the run. Salford finished third to claim a playoff place. Ashton United were defeated 3-1 in the semi-final and a stunning 3-2 win over Workington gave them their place in the National North League for season 2016-17 - the highest level the club has ever reached in its 76-year history. We are refreshed from the adrenaline soaked UEFA Europa League campaign. Two matches against full time, in season, Stabaek of Norway gave us two clean sheets and Callum Morris'

The Nomads vs Salford City

goal in Fredrikstad won the tie. The intensity and discipline required was immense, with four full internationals in their side, Stabaek were anything but pushovers and many are saying this was the greatest Welsh result in European football. Next up was another step up - Vojvodina are giants. They have won the competition and previously won the UEFA Inter City Fairs Cup. Last year they beat Italian Serie A side Sampdoria 6-0 on aggregate! We went to Serbia knowing they were good; we just didn’t know how good... we soon found out. The Nomads team put in the game of their lives, chasing, tackling, keeping discipline and came away only 1-0 down and very much in the tie. Then last week at Rhyl, we were brilliant. It took two joke decisions from a very inept Slovakian official to knock us out. A free kick for a blatant dive was netted by their ex-Ajax man Meleg. Then a foul a yard outside the box was rewarded by a penalty. 0-2 and out. But we battled and battled. Possibly the best side we will ever play were forced back and we scored one and should have been awarded two cast iron penalties.

What a ride and we definitely want more next year. Our old adversaries Rhyl FC were tremendous hosts and we can’t thank them enough. We also had enthusiastic and full support from the FAW and they too are high in our good books, thanks all. Well, are we ready for the WPL season? We shall see today. We might give home debuts to seven new players - Ian Kearney, Mike Pearson, Jay Owen and Tom Field join from Airbus, Tom via a brief stop at Bangor City. Matty Owen from Newtown. Lewis Short comes after captaining Nantwich last year and Mike Wilde from TNS. We welcome them all and after the European campaign they seem like they have been with us for an age. We have the management; we have the team now let’s bring on the football. Many thanks to Nick Pratt, James Walker and Stuart Ellis for giving us their support today. Enjoy the game, Trevor The Nomads vs Salford City

NOMADS ARCHIVE

BY DAVID RAPSON With our European ventures consigned to happy memories, it’s time to take stock of what is only two weeks away – the start of another season of domestic football. Already, the Welsh Premier League has a managerial casualty after Bangor City dispensed with the services of Neville Powell. With changes behind the scenes at Nantporth, such a move was probably on the cards following two seasons in which The Citizens have under-performed by their own high standards. After 14 seasons with Connah’s Quay, Neville returned to Bangor in May 2007 replacing Steve Bleasdale. A former player with the club, Neville went on to win the Welsh Cup with City for three successive seasons between 2008 and 2010 and followed up by winning the league title in 2011. City pushed The New Saints into second place that year but all four of the other clubs to compete in the ‘Top Six’ Championship Conference in 2010/11, Neath, Llanelli, Prestatyn Town and Port Talbot Town, are no longer in the league, such is the wind of change. Bangor City will undoubtedly be looking to bring the good times back to north west Wales and must aspire to be challenging for that elusive ‘top six’ placing come next January. There is little doubt that The New Saints will be the team to beat as ever with Bala Town, Llandudno, Newtown and The Nomads being amongst the front-runners. The full-time professionals of TNS have been champions for each of the last five seasons but there have been signs over the past twelve months that other clubs are starting to catch up. Last term, Saints recorded fewer points as champions (64) than when they were runners-up in 2011 (68). Bala Town, runners-up in each of the past two campaigns, reduced the deficit between themselves and the champions from 18 points in 2015 to just seven at the end of last season. The Welsh Premier needs a Leicester City – a team that can rise to the challenge of knocking The New Saints off their perch. The question is can that be achieved by a team of part-time professionals? With three new grounds (Aberystwyth Town, Bala Town and Cardiff Metropolitan University) hosting games on 3G pitches next term, what effect will that have upon the remaining handful of clubs, ourselves included, still playing their home games on grass? Only time – and statistics – will tell. 16

The Nomads vs Salford City

It’s not so long ago that Barry Town ruled the roost in the WPL. Like TNS they were fulltime pros and carried all before them until a financial meltdown saw the club relegated in 2004. Current boss Gavin Chesterfield took the reins almost a decade since and the club has returned to Jenner Park. Last season, as Barry Town United, the Dragons finished runnersup to Cardiff Met. Only four points separated the two sides and Barry failed to win the championship on the back of too many drawn games. Perhaps we will be welcoming them back to the WPL in twelve months time. Across the border, football fans will be wondering if Leicester City’s fairytale was just that. Will the club be able to reproduce last season’s form? Is there another 5,000 to 1 outsider ready to claim the Premier League crown or will the arrival of a certain manager rekindle the glory days at Old Trafford? Our visitors this afternoon, Salford City, have both a major link with Manchester United and a ‘phoenix-like’ rise to fame of their own culminating in a national television feature and live coverage of two games in last season’s F.A. Cup. Having languished in the North West Counties League not so long ago, Salford City start their National League North campaign next weekend with a home game at Moor Lane against Gloucester City, a club that has been exiled from its home city for ten years. Salford fans will be relishing local ‘derby’ matches at this higher level against the likes of Altrincham, FC United of Manchester, Stalybridge Celtic and Stockport County. We wish ‘The Ammies’ well in their quest to achieve Football League status which is now just two divisions away. The next step up for Salford City is the National League itself in which some of our local former Football League teams are struggling. For Chester, Tranmere Rovers and Wrexham, the heady days of not-so-long-ago are becoming distant memories. Both Tranmere and Wrexham enjoyed success in the old Second Division and in Rovers’ case the Premier League dream was occasionally just a play-off away. In 2000 they even reached the final of the League Cup at Wembley Stadium, yet next Saturday Tranmere Rovers will visit Bromley on the opening day of the National League season. Meanwhile Wrexham host Dover Athletic and Chester travel up to Gateshead. As each season passes, the route back into the Football League becomes harder to travel. Plans are afoot to make this the new ‘League Three’ but in the meantime our local teams will have to face up to the battle of either winning the competition or the play-offs. Once that is achieved comes the problem of staying up at the new level. The same applies to the WPL now that the competition is growing stronger by the year. Twelve months ago Haverfordwest County returned to the WPL, having grabbed promotion in the very last game to deny Cardiff Met. County struggled throughout the 2015/16 season and finished bottom of the twelve teams. Cardiff Met (a reincarnation of Inter Cardiff FC, founder members of the League of Wales) have their chance now, as do Cefn Druids. The Huws Gray Alliance champions of last season, Caernarfon Town, carried all before them but failed to gain the necessary domestic licence. Druids won their last two games to take second place behind The Canaries, enough to regain their place in the top flight. There’s little doubt that Caernarfon will be looking to put that right in the coming year but other clubs will mount a challenge. Denbigh Town, for example, reached the final of theWord Cup last year beating The Nomads in the semi-final, while Porthmadog and Holywell Town have both enjoyed life in the WPL in the past and Prestatyn Town were in European competition only three years ago. For every club throughout the land there’s all to play for!

The Nomads vs Salford City

The Nomads team and mascots ahead of kickoff against FK Vojvodina Photo: NCM Media

THE NOMADS Wilde (65') The Nomads vs Salford City

-2

FK VOJVODINA Meleg (8', 49') The Nomads vs Salford City

SALFORD CITY'S HISTORY

1940 to 1989 The club was formed in 1940 as Salford Central and progressed steadily through local leagues until, in 1963, when it stepped up to the Manchester League and changed its name to Salford Amateurs. Nicknamed "The Ammies" the club became a real force in the 1970s, winning the Lancashire Amateur Cup in 1973, 1975 and 1977. All the Manchester County Cups and the League title came the club's way and in one season of note the club won seven trophies. The ultimate prize – Champion of Champions – was secured in 1977. In 1979, after a decade of success, the club took its first major step towards securing its status in non-league football. The players and committee took on the task of restoring the present Moor Lane ground. The pitch was in poor condition, the main stand roofless and derelict. Working all hours the challenge was met head on and Moor Lane was passed as acceptable for entry to the Cheshire League in 1980. When the North West Counties League was formed in 1982 with the amalgamation of the Lancashire Combination and the Cheshire League, the foresight of upgrading the ground bore fruit and Salford seized the opportunity of joining football's non-league pyramid. The transition has not always been easy but with the reorganisation into two divisions the club eventually took their place in Division One. 1989 to 2005 Salford appeared in the Manchester Premier Cup Final at Old Trafford in 1989 and the same season saw floodlights installed at Moor Lane and the dropping of the Amateurs tag to become Salford City. In 1990 the club celebrated its 50th year by entering the FA Cup for the first time and received national exposure on BBC Television's Grandstand's "Road to Wembley" feature. Relegation followed the same season, however. With League restructuring in 1992 the club regained its place in Division One and with ex-Manchester United starlet Billy Garton in charge finished ninth, the club's highest ever league position. The following years have seen improvement on this and under Andy Brown 20

The Nomads vs Salford City

they finished third (on goal difference) missing out on promotion only in the last few games as well as again reaching the final of the Premier Cup. The last few seasons, under manager Gary Fellows, saw the club establish itself as one of the dominant sides in the North West Counties League having won the League Challenge Cup in 2006 and just missing out on promotion in 2007 with virtually an all local squad. In the 2004–05 season, the club reached the third round of the FA Vase, and reached the third qualifying round of the FA Cup in the following season, also winning the North West Counties League Cup, beating Cammell Laird in the final. 2005 to 2010 The 2007–08 season proved the most successful in Salford City's history, as they finished in second place in Division One (now the Premier Division) of the North West Counties League, enough to clinch promotion to Division One North of the Northern Premier League, the eighth level of the English football league system. Competing in the Northern Premier League Division One North for the first time, the team suffered a difficult start to the 2008–09 season picking up only one point from the first 7 games. Despite leading the team to promotion during the previous season, Gary Fellows was relieved of his managerial duties in October 2008 and was replaced by former Bridlington Town and Stockport Sports boss Ashley Berry. After only two months, with results still not improving, Berry left the club, and former Flixton boss Paul Wright was appointed manager. Unfortunately due to a preexisting suspension from the Football Association, Wright was unable to start work until March, so his assistant manager, Neil Hall, deputised as manager for the first two months of 2009. By the time Wright took up his position, the club were languishing at the bottom of the league, having achieved one win and a total of eight points from their first twenty-six games, leaving them fifteen points adrift from safety. An unlikely 5–3 away win at Lancaster City prompted a change in fortune, and with the new management team settling

into their roles, the team proceeded on an astonishing run of results, garnering nine wins and a draw from their last fourteen games and finally clinching survival by two points with a 5–2 win away at Garforth Town on the last day of the season. The 2009–10 season saw strong performances in both the FA Cup and FA Trophy, but the team continued to struggle in the league. In February 2010, having lost four consecutive home matches, the club parted company with Paul Wright. Rather than appoint a permanent successor, chairman Darren Quick took the unusual step of taking on the role of caretaker manager himself for the remainder of the season. Under Quick, the team enjoyed a strong finish to the season, amassing 36 points from the remaining games and finishing the league in 11th place (the highest league position in the club's history). 2010 to present Despite the 2009–10 season's heroics, the team again struggled at the start of the 2010–11 season, and Darren Quick decided to end his tenure as caretaker manager, replacing himself with Rhodri Giggs who would act as player-manager alongside experienced coach Danny Jones. Results improved under Giggs with team finishing the season in 12th position. The club began well in 2011-12 with hopes of a playoff push, however a poor run of form at the start of 2012, combined with the frequent departure of the club's top players, resulted in a mid-table finish. After the final home game of the season, Giggs announced he was resigning from the post with immediate effect. In May 2012, the club appointed ex-professional Darren Sheridan as the new manager. The 2012–13 season started well in the league, and the club also enjoyed a local derby in the preliminary round of the FA Cup against FC United of Manchester. Over 1300 fans were in attendance at Moor Lane to watch the Ammies narrowly lose in a five-goal thriller. Sheridan's tenure at the club lasted only 8 months though, and he resigned from the club in January 2013 after a review of the club's budget. The club appointed Andy Heald as caretaker manager, before announcing his appointment on a full-time basis a month later.Under Heald's leadership, Salford finished a disappointing sixteenth place in the Premier League Division North, but enjoyed a good cup run by reaching the final of the Manchester Premier Cup where they faced Mossley at Edgeley Park. Despite a rousing late comeback to level the score at 2–2, Mossley eventually triumphed 4–2 in the resulting penalty shoot-out. At the end of the season, Heald and his assistant Chris Thompson left the club by mutual consent due to business and family commitments. Ahead of the 2013–14 campaign, the club appointed Barry Massay and Phil Power as joint managers and Salford based businesswoman Karen Baird took over as chairman from the long-serving Quick. The new management team got off to a strong start and were unbeaten after the first six games of the season, however form began to dip and in October 2013 the decision was made to reshuffle the management team

with Power assuming sole managerial responsibility and Massay dropping down to an assistant managerial role, before subsequently leaving the club completely a month later. In March 2014, news broke of the proposed takeover of the club by former Manchester United players Ryan Giggs, Gary Neville, Phil Neville, Paul Scholes and Nicky Butt, subject to Football Association and Northern Premier League approval, with the deal expected to be completed by the summer. The remainder of the 2013–14 season saw Power lead Salford to a twelfth position finish in the

Premier League Division North. With the proposed takeover of the club completed, the new ownership team were present at pre-season training in July 2014, at which Giggs suggested the consortium had ambitious aims for the non-league club, with a target of Championship level football within 15 years. It was confirmed that Baird would remain the club's chairman and Power would continue as manager. Prior to the start of the 2014–15 season, the club announced a showcase match against a 'Class of '92 XI' featuring all five of the new owners which Salford City went on to win 5–1. The 2014–15 season started with Salford unbeaten in the first 13 games. In September 2014, the ownership team announced that they had agreed to sell a 50% stake in the club to Singapore–based billionaire Peter Lim, the owner of Valencia CF. Anthony Johnson and Bernard Morley were appointed jointmanagers in January 2015. Despite the promising start, a dip in form during December resulted in only 4 wins from the following 11 matches which saw the team fall behind Darlington 1883 at the top of the league. As a result, Power was sacked in January 2015 after 18 months in the role. Owners Paul Scholes and Phil Neville acted as caretaker managers for the subsequent match against Kendal Town. before announcing the arrival of the new managerial team of Anthony Johnson and Bernard Morley. Johnson and Morley had led Ramsbottom United to promotion from the Northern Premier League Division One North during the previous season. The new managerial team went on to win 15 of the remaining 17 matches of the season, a feat which saw them regain their place at the top of the table. With Darlington 1883 failing to win their penultimate match of the season, Salford were crowned champions, guaranteeing promotion to the Northern Premier League Premier Division.

The Nomads vs Salford City

SALFORD CITY'S SQUAD

Jay Lynch Goalkeeper

Craig Dootson Goalkeeper

Stephen O'Halloran Defender

Michael Nottingham Midfielder

Steve Howson Defender

Simon Grand Defender

Billy Priestley Defender

Richie Allen Midfielder

Brad Barnes Defender

Scott Burton Midfielder

Luke Clark Midfielder

Jordan Hulme Forward

John Johnston Forward

Craig King Forward

Josh Hine Forward

Sam Livesey Forward

Mike Phenix Forward

James Poole Forward

Matt Warburton Forward 22

The Nomads vs Salford City

SALFORD'S MANAGEMENT

BERNARD MORLEY - Joint Manager Ex-Salford City player who enjoyed a long career in nonleague football before taking over at Ramsbottom United with managerial partner Anthony Johnson - another ex-Ammie. The pair's success at Ramsbottom is well documented and in January 2015 Salford City invited them to take over at Moor Lane following the departure of Phil Power. Fifteen wins from seventeen games earned the First Division North title for Salford who had been in third place at the turn of the year.

ANTHONY JOHNSON - Joint Manager Ex-Salford City player who enjoyed a long career in nonleague football before taking over at Ramsbottom United with managerial partner Bernard Morley - another ex-Ammie. The pair's success at Ramsbottom is well documented and in January 2015 Salford City invited them to take over at Moor Lane following the departure of Phil Power. Fifteen wins from seventeen games earned the First Division North title for Salford who had been in third place at the turn of the year.

The Nomads vs Salford City

NEXT UP AT DEESIDE STADIUM

THE NOMADS vs NEWTOWN AFC Dafabet Welsh Premier League Saturday, 28th August, 2016 - 3:00pm

The Nomads vs Salford City

Engineered to deliver excellence At gap technical we are aware that top technical talent is difficult to find. Our three specialist divisions are geared to actively seek and head hunt passive candidates for employment, especially those with very specific skills and experience. We cover three specialist divisions; - Engineering - Procurement - Scientific We look to support our clients by going beyond the ‘perfect’ CV. Our consultants and resourcers are trained to recognise a good CV and ensure it is aligned to actual skills, personality and work ethic. In addition we look at culture fit, market trends, benchmarking and engagement levels. To find out more about our specialist recruitment solutions call 01925 406525 or visit www.gaptechnical.com

O’r Bala i Bale, mae S4C yn caru pêl-droed Cymru From Bala to Bale, we’re covering Welsh football

Sgorio 4.45 Sadwrn Saturday Gemau Uwch Gynghrair Cymru Dafabet a Chwpan Irn-Bru - yn fyw Dafabet Welsh Premier League and Irn-Bru Cup matches – live Uchafbwyntiau Nos Lun Highlights Mondays

s4c.cymru The Nomads vs Salford City

Proud to be associated with gap Connahâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Quay Nomads FC Graphic Design Roller Banners NCR Pads

Digital Printing Posters

Litho Printing

Outdoor Banners

Foamex/ Alupanel Signs

B&W Copying

plus much more!...

01978 664726 info@bpandd.co.uk www.bpandd.co.uk Millwood House Coed Aben Road Wrexham Industrial Estate Wrexham LL13 9UH

S.T.A.M.P. www.stampcars.co.uk Stamp Cars provides a professional service to ensure you get to your chosen destination safely and on time. Our brand new cars and mini buses bestow comfort and convenience as you are transported from A to B, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Want to advertise here?

Now including Airport Transfers

Simply email tracey.smith@the-nomads.co.uk for more information on sponsoring The Nomads Contact Shaun Tarran on

01244 810280 The Nomads vs Salford City

M: 07967 732901

E: stampcars@btconnect.com

CYRSIAU RHAN-AMSER NEWYDD AR GAEL NAWR! NEW PART TIME COURSES OUT NOW!

www.cambria.ac.uk

0300 30 30 007 enquiries@cambria.ac.uk

The Nomads vs Salford City

Purely Welsh Proudly Supporting Welsh Premier League

The Nomads vs Salford City

PLAYER STATISTICS ° Indicates player no longer with club

Player

WPL

Europa League

FAW Cup

theWord Cup

Friendlies

A G

John Danby

0 0

4 0

0 0

2 John Disney

0 0

3 0

0 0

1 (1)

Paul Linwood

0 0

1 0

Ian Kearney

0 0

4 0

0 0

2 0

George Horan

0 0

4 0

0 0

2 0

Danny Harrison

0 0

3 0

0 0

2 0

Callum Morris

0 0

4 1

0 0

2 0

9 Ashley Ruane

0 0

0 (1)

0 0

1 (1)

10 Les Davies

0 0

0 (4)

0 0

1 (1)

11 Nick Rushton

0 0

1 (1)

12 Jack Riley

0 0

0 (1)

14 Kevin Holsgrove

0 0

0 (1)

15 Sean Smith

0 0

2 (1)

0 0

16 Nathan Woolfe

0 0

4 0

0 0

1 (1)

17 Chris Rimmer

0 0

18 Jay Owen

0 0

4 0

0 0

2 0

19 Matty Owen

0 0

0 (3)

0 0

1 1

20 Wes Baynes

0 0

4 1

0 0

1 0

21 Lewis Short

0 0

4 0

0 0

2 0

22 Michael Wilde

0 0

4 0

0 0

2 1

23 Mike Pearson

0 0

26 Ben Nash

0 0

1 (1)

28 Jon Rushton

0 0

3 0

Tom Field

0 0

1 0

¹ Indicates player on loan to another club

The Nomads vs Salford City

THE NOMADS' SQUAD

1. John Danby Goalkeeper

2. John Disney Defender

3. Paul Linwood Defender

4. Ian Kearney Defender

5. George Horan Defender

6. Danny Harrison Midfielder