West Didsbury & Chorlton v Formby

Welcome to our inaugural fixture in the North West Counties Football League

2012/13 SEASON

PROGRAMME ÂŁ1.50 First Division Saturday 4 August 2012

v Formby FC

WELCOME to WEST DIDSBURY & CHORLTON AFC Life President Brian Cripps

First Team Manager: Andy Nelson 07952 567240 Asst Mgr and Coach: Dave Conlon

Chairman Glyn Meacher 07905 431526

Reserve Team Manager: Robert Madden 07730 655446 Asst Managers: Jim Hines & Shay Casey

Club Secretary Rob Turley 0161 448 1838 07891 298441

Physio Winston Luke

Membership Secretary Monica Creer 0161 881 1135

Club Coaches Steve Eckersley / Kris Mahon

Treasurer Dave Cooper 0161 434 8181

‘A’ Team Manager Chris Argent 07962 352619

Head of Fundraising Steve Eckersley

Vets Manager Sam Hickey 07980 521988

Community Development Davy Iredale

Programme Production John Churchman 07720 508082

ADD YOUR NAME TO OUR SPONSOR Join our growing list of sponsors, we have packages to suit your budget including:

THE CLUB

● Match Day Sponsor ● Player Kit Sponsor ● Pitch Advertising (3-year period) ● Programme Advertising

LIST

£100 £50 £250 per season £50 - £100

200

The 200 club is a vital source of income and is open to anyone. A monthly standing order payment of £2 entitles one entry into the monthly £200 of prizes to be won.

If you are interested in joining please contact Brian, Rob or Monica or ask for a form in the club house.

The sooner you complete a form and enter the draw the sooner you could win.

Editorial

4th August, 2012 - Formby FC

Welcome to Brookburn Road for this first ever game for the club in the North West Counties Football League [NWCFL].

This afternoon is the culmination of a lot of hard work over recent years as we have worked hard to fulfill our Vision of playing at the highest level we can whilst developing an infrastructure to further support a FA Charter Standard Community Club.

Our promotion to the NW Counties Football League has given the whole club a lift and we’ve had some further work to do in reorganizing our Committee structure and individual roles and responsibilities so that our Committee can administer the club effectively whilst the football club manager and coaches get on with the development of the first and reserve team squads necessary to be able to sustain football at this level.

It has been quite a journey over the past few seasons but we are delighted to have achieved the 3 year Vision we set out to reach the North West Counties by 2012 with both our first and reserve teams in that competition.

We look forward to the challenge and also to visiting some historic clubs and grounds as well as welcoming Counties clubs and their officials and supporters to Brookburn Road.

Our first visitors today are FORMBY FC and they are most welcome on this historic occasion [More on our visitors inside].

If you are visiting today for the first time please make yourself known to any of the Committee or helpers around the ground. It never ceases to amaze us how far people travel to take in a new ground but wherever you have come from today ENJOY THE GAME. YOU ARE MOST WELCOME. Finally, please note due to holidays the programme went to print on 25th July, accordingly some information may not be up to date.

Rob Turley We would like to express our thanks to our main club sponsor‌ WEST DIDSBURY & CHORLTON AFC

www.westdidsburychorltonfc.com

Welcome from the Chairman On behalf of the club I would like to offer a warm welcome to the Officials and Players of Formby FC, fans of both clubs and all those who simply follow non league football at this level, to The Recreation Ground, Brookburn Road for our first home match in the North West Counties Football League.

Our promotion to this league represents the next stage in our goal to becoming established as a leading grass roots football club in South Manchester, competing at the highest level possible in the Football pyramid, whilst continuing to be a successful, community based football club.

It has taken us 104 years from our foundation and 15 years from our purchase of the Brookburn Road ground in 1997, to get here, via enjoyable stays in the Lancashire and Cheshire, and Manchester Football Leagues.

We are very grateful for the support of the Lottery funding which enabled us to build the new clubhouse, the Football Foundation and The Football Association for their support, advice and grants, and also the many Companies and Individuals who have provided us with the finance to enable us to develop our ground and floodlights to the standards required for promotion to this league.

Thanks must also be given to the Committee members, Team management and Coaching staff and players for putting us in a position where we not only have a strong committee who will take the club forward, but also where we believe on the pitch we can be competitive, as we move to playing football at this standard.

It feels particularly appropriate at this time to highlight the contribution made by 2 people whose roles are changing. We give our thanks to Brian Cripps who resigned at the recent AGM as Chairman of the club to be elected Life President and also Monica Creer who stood down as Football Secretary to become Membership Secretary and much more importantly, to give her more time to manage the Catering within the club.

We are grateful to both for the enormous contributions they have made in helping the club develop to where it is today.

Finally, a special welcome if you are visiting us for the first time today. We trust you will enjoy the match day experience, the refreshments available in the clubhouse, and make yourself at home at Brookburn Road.

Thank you for your support.

Glyn Meacher

WEST DIDSBURY & CHORLTON AFC

OUR SPONSORS We would like to express our sincere thanks to our current pitch side board sponsors for their support. Without you we wouldn’t be where we are today.

www.westdidsburychorltonfc.com

CLUB NEWS We have made some changes to the roles and responsibilities of our club Committee in preparation for the new season with Brain Cripps stepping down as club Chairman to become Life President.

Monica Creer has also changed role to become membership secretary for all our club members and will also continue to manage our catering and hospitality.

Last but not least, club stalwart Glyn Meacher becomes our new Chairman and has quickly settled into his new role including attending the Regional Meeting for clubs held recently at Abbey Hey FC.

Match day Sponsor It’s fitting that our former chairman Brain Cripps who recently stepped down as club Chairman to become Life President is our first match day sponsor.

Brian steered the Committee and club development for many years and been involved with the club as player, manager and Committee member since 1965, some 47 years.

Speaking at our recent sponsors day Brian said, ‘I am delighted see the Club gain promotion to the North West Counties FL and eagerly wait to see how it adjusts to life in the higher level with the challenges faced both on and off the field. I wish the club a successful year and look forward to attending as many games as I can in my new role at the Club President.’

This month the 200 Club winners are: £100 Maurice Thompson £60 Tom Waring £40 Matt Eckersley

The next draw is on Monday 6th August so get a form and get signed up by the end of the month if you want to have the chance of a cash prize.

WEST DIDSBURY & CHORLTON AFC

COME AND JOIN US …

Wanted – Kit Manager We require a volunteer kit manager to take charge of our playing kit for home and away games in the North West Counties League for the coming season.

This means assisting the management and coaching staff on match days, pre-checking and setting out playing kit prior to the game, attending to any kit emergencies during the game and then checking in the kit after the game ready to go to laundry.

If you would like to be part of the dressing room team before the game and assist in this capacity then please contact us at www.westdidsburychorltonfc.com Or contact the secretary, Rob Turley on 07891 298441 or e-mail to: rob.turley@btinternet.com

Club Helpers Our club is dependent on the time and effort of volunteer helpers who act as club officials, manage and staff the bar and clubhouse on match days, produce the match day programme and undertake a host of other tasks around the clubhouse and grounds.

We have a monthly rota system for games this season so you can still be part of things even if you can only help out for an hour or two once a month.

If you’re into football and follow City or United then why not make us your second team and be part of the experience of quality grass roots football.

Every little helps so if you are interested in getting involved please use the same contact details as above.

First team early fixtures include: NWC First Division Chadderton, Wednesday 8th August v 7.45pm (A) Oldham Boro, Saturday 11th August 3.00pm (A) Northwich Villa, Tuesday 14th August 7.45pm (H) Darwen, Saturday 18th August 3.00pm (A) League Challenge Cup 1 Eccleshall, Saturday 6th October 3.00pm (H) FA VASE - 1st Qualifying Round Cheadle Town, Saturday 1st September 3.00pm (H) The winners will play Pontefract Collieries away in the 2nd Qualifying Round on Saturday 15th September.

www.westdidsburychorltonfc.com

WEST DIDSBURY & CHORLTON AFC

Our visitors… Formby FC The Early Years

The club was founded in 1919 at the end of the Great War and played under the name of Formby United until the summer of 1923. They spent their first season playing in the Southport and District League at several pitches in the town before moving to the ground that would be their home for more than 80 years, Brows Lane.

The move coincided with a graduation to the Liverpool and District League, where they were First Division champions in 1924/25. Later they transferred to the Liverpool League, achieving honours in two of that league’s cups in 1927/28, winning the Barnes Benevolent Cup and being finalists in the league’s knockout trophy, the RP Houston Cup. In 1929/30 the Squirrels achieved an extraordinary double, winning the RP Houston Cup on May 2nd 1930, and just three days later winning the Liverpool County FA Amateur Cup. In the early 1930s Formby moved on to the I Zingari Football League. (I Zingari in Padanian Italian dialect means ‘the Gypsies’. It is also the name of two amateur cricket clubs in England and Australia, founded in the nineteenth century to foster amateur participation in sport. The Liverpool league’s name makes reference to their spirit of amateur competition.)

In 1938 Formby joined the Liverpool County Combination, where they soon established a reputation as one of the top sides. They were particularly strong during and after the war, and for eight out of ten seasons Formby were winners or runners-up for a trophy or league title. In this period they won the ‘County Comb’ once in ’49, the Liverpool Amateur Cup for a second and third time in ’48 and ’49, the Liverpool Challenge Cup in ’53 and the Liverpool County Combination Subsidiary Cup in ’55.

After nearly a decade without a title of any kind, they won the Liverpool Challenge Cup again in 1964, and in ’65 were runners up for the cup and in the league as well as winning Liverpool County Combination’s knockout competition the George Mahon Cup. Moving Up a League 1968 saw revolutions in the Non-League world in the North, as the formation of the Northern Premier League stripped many local leagues of their more ambitious clubs. In the reshuffle, Formby FC joined the Lancashire Combination, to replace one of the clubs who had left to the new Northern league. They finished a creditable tenth in their first season.

In 1971 they moved to the Cheshire County League. (Showing a certain geographical license, but this was, after all, only a few years before Ted Heath took an axe to the entire national county structure – certain Formby residents have never forgiven him for shoving them in Merseyside.)

The 1973/74 season put Formby in the national news when they reached the First Round Proper of the FA Cup. Sadly for the record crowd at Brows Lane the result was a 2-0 defeat to Oldham Athletic, who at the time were top of the Third Division. (Note to children: this is what we now call League One. Grade inflation isn’t just for GCSEs...)

www.westdidsburychorltonfc.com

Formby FC continued…

In 1978 Formby became the first non-league team to lift the Liverpool Senior Cup, a trophy usually reserved for Liverpool, Everton, Southport or Tranmere Rovers.

North West Counties Football League The Cheshire League merged with the Lancashire Combination in 1982 to form the North West Counties Football League, where the Squirrels have played ever since (one season out due to ground standards notwithstanding). In the first four seasons of the new league Formby finished mid-table in the First Division (now the Premier Division, more grade inflation…).

A fine season was had in 1984/85, where the Squirrels almost equalled their record showings in the FA Cup and Liverpool Senior Cup. Their FA Cup 4th Qualifying Round tie with Penrith saw them lose the match - and thereby out on a second appearance in the First Round Proper - by a solitary goal. Having secured a Liverpool Senior Cup final against local rivals Marine they lost out on a second tenure as cup holders, also by one goal.

The following year they finished bottom of the table and were relegated. After spending 1986/87 playing in Division Two there was a two-season return to the top level, before going back down again in 1989.

Despite spending the next thirteen seasons in the lower division, this period saw two pieces of silverware come Formby’s way. They won the second division's knockout competition - the Lamot Pils Trophy, now called the First Division Trophy - in 1994/95. They went one better in 2000/01 when - a rare achievement for a lower division side - they won the league's knockout Challenge Cup (then called the Worthington Challenge Trophy).

Recent years In 2002 the club moved from Brows Lane to new grounds at Altcar Road, next to the Formby by-pass. The ground was not completed to the required standard in time for the start of the season and Formby were expelled from the League. They returned to the Liverpool County Combination, the league they had graduated from over thirty years earlier. Finishing ninth in the table, they jumped straight back to the North West Counties Second Division in 2003/04. A third-place finish that season sent them up to the First Division.

After finishing the first three seasons back in the Premier Division near the bottom of the table, from 2007 Formby consistently had results that ranked among their best. In 2007/08 they reached the fourth round of the FA Carlsberg Vase, their best performance to date in the competition and a full two stages beyond their previous record, as well as finishing 13th in the league, equalling their highest-ever placing of 1983/84.

Mid-table finishes continued, and reaching the 2nd round of the Vase in 2008/09 and the 3rd round in 2010/11 showed that the team were sustaining and building their prowess.

At the end of the 2010/11 season an administrative error garnered serious sanction from the league and Formby were relegated to the First Division. An entirely new regime of chairman, management and players took the helm over the summer of 2011, leading to sweeping positive changes and great optimism for the future of football in Formby.

WEST DIDSBURY & CHORLTON AFC

www.westdidsburychorltonfc.com

West presented with new kit at Sponsors day‌

Main sponsors KPMD present a new blue away strip for the 1st team, photo shows: (l-r) James Keys Jr., Conor and Rory Keys with Glyn Meacher and Brian Cripps

Club sponsors Belvoir present new reserve team strip, photo shows: (l-r) Brian Cripps and Glyn Meacher with Hari Dhaliwal and Kashif Afif

WEST DIDSBURY & CHORLTON AFC

What the paper’s said…

West’s delight at joining North West Counties AMATEUR FOOTBALL West Didsbury and Chorlton FC are one of the oldest clubs in South Manchester and now they have achieved a major ambition by being accepted for membership of the North West Counties FL for the coming season.

They were founded in 1908 as Christ Church FC by Mr RF Hartley, a Sunday School superintendent at the church on Princess Parkway, West Didsbury. Having played originally in the Manchester Alliance League until 1914 they entered the Lancashire and Cheshire AFL in 1920 changed their name to West Didsbury, playing at Christie Playing Fields.

They enjoyed many successes in the L and C, winning most of the trophies on offer and provided four league Presidents including their current Secretary Rob Turley.

After Christie PF was sold in the mid-1970s West had a nomadic existence until securing their present base in Brookburn Road, Chorlton and changed their name to West Didsbury and Chorlton to fully represent their new base and develop a vision as a community club and they joined the Manchester Football League in 2006 to help fulfill their ambitions of joining a higher pyramid of football which they are now very proud to have achieved.

Rob Turley said: “ We gained promotion to the Manchester League Premier division last season and finished high enough to win a place in the North West Counties and we have worked very hard on our facilities to attain the standards required.

“As well as our three senior teams we have also run a very successful Vets team and a Junior team and have strong links with Oswald Road JFC to keep our community image.

“In recent years seasons several players who started with West to be signed by top non league clubs but such is the sprit of the club that many of them return to what they see as a family club.

“West now look forward to fulfilling its ambition to play at the highest possible level it can whilst continuing to be run as a community club and transition to the NWCFL. “The ground and facilities have been further improved and floodlights erected to meet grading requirements and we competed in the FA Vase last season as a Step Seven club.

“We have opportunities for volunteer football enthusiasts interested in a variety of different roles”.

Geoff Garnett - South Manchester Reporter

Wishing West Didsbury and Chorlton AFC a successful season Parrs Wood High School and 6th Form Proud printers of the Match Programme

www.westdidsburychorltonfc.com

WEST DIDSBURY & CHORLTON AFC

Opening day fixtures 2012-2013 Division One Ashton Town v AFC Darwen Atherton LR v Chadderton Cheadle Town v Daisy Hill Holker Old Boys v Abbey Hey Irlam v Nelson Leek CSOB v Atherton Collieries Oldham Boro v Eccleshall Northwich Villa v Rochdale Town West Didsbury & Chorlton v Formby Final League table in Division One 2011-2012

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

Wigan Robin Park Norton United Abbey Hey Atherton Collieries Rochdale Town Chadderton Eccleshall Cheadle Town Holker Old Boys Irlam Formby Daisy Hill AFC Darwen Oldham Boro Nelson Northwich Villa Leek GSOB Ashton Town

P

W

D

L

F

A

Pts

34 34 34 34 34 34 34 34 34 34 34 34 34 34 34 34 34 34

25 24 22 15 14 13 14 13 12 13 13 12 10 9 9 7 10 6

6 8 3 7 10 10 5 9 9 5 4 5 8 10 5 10 7 9

3 2 9 12 10 11 15 12 13 16 17 17 16 15 20 17 17 19

90 110 82 69 72 53 52 60 53 68 72 59 62 52 40 51 50 49

36 43 44 52 57 51 64 61 64 75 69 67 77 56 83 86 70 89

81 80 69 52 52 49 47 45 45 44 43 41 38 37 32 31 30 27

www.westdidsburychorltonfc.com

The First Programme v Aldermere (A) February 11th 1922 We have been producing a regular match programme for the past few seasons in the Manchester League and before that on several one off occasions for a special match or visits of overseas teams. However, pride of place in the club archive goes to a programme from Saturday Feb 11th 1922, again from our first season in a new league, the Lancashire and Cheshire Amateur League, and from a Division 1 game against Aldermere.

This Aldermere programme was a 4 page affair produced on a stencil and then copied.

The outside cover and some other illustrations were hand drawn and a far cry from the high technology affair of 21st century printing. It was a folded sheet and cost the princely sum of one penny.

The inside cover contained the names of the two teams and the referee, Mr. J Richardson, with both teams lining up with two full backs, three half backs and five forwards.

Beneath this was note of the ‘gate’ at the previous Aldermere home game when…‘The collection raised 25/6d for which the Committee thanks you. – Today is the Secretary’s 21st birthday and there will be a collection as usual.

The Club extends a hearty welcome to our friends from West Didsbury. Let us hope the game will be as enjoyable as usual.’

The opposite inside page was NOTES and Comments including brief match notes of the previous games and answers to correspondents that – ‘No, there is no truth in the report that the secretary is taking the first team to Cleveleys for special training.

‘Contributions to the programme will be accepted up to Thursday of each week at their registered address. No charge will be made for insertions but the editor wishes to point out that cigars must be of the finest brands and cigarettes cork tipped.

The outside rear cover was another illustration of a player on a tightrope balancing the league table on his forehead and including the names of all the teams in Division 1 that season of 1921-22. The clubs were: Royton, Cheadle Heath, Victoria Park, West Didsbury, Hyde, Bramhall, Old Trafford, Old T St. Johns, Urmston, Davenport, Werneth and Aldermere.

NOTE: The collection total of 25 shillings and 6 pence on an admission charge of one penny means there was a crowd of paying spectators of 306. This was not unusual in the early days of the amateur leagues in and around Manchester and other archive reports confirm attendances higher than this, such was the interest in local area based clubs at that time.

We will be running other features from the club archive throughout the season and hope you find this feature of interest.

WEST DIDSBURY & CHORLTON AFC

North West Counties Football League – First Division Saturday 4th August 2012

Today’s Squads

West Didsbury & Chorlton White shirts, black shorts & socks

Ben Simpson (gk) Mike Kennedy Scott Jones Dave Conlon (Capt) Alex Baird Callum Jones Danny Summers Tom Waring Tommy Walsh Andy Levendis Lee Shillito Matt Eckersley Ashley Farlow Lewis Schofield Joe Warmington Liam Beckford Mark Woodcock Lee Malkin Steve Mellor (gk) Manager: Andy Nelson Assistant: Dave Conlon

Formby FC Yellow shirts, blue shorts & socks

Jack Mano (gk) Gary Edwards Mikey White Marvin Molyneux Mark Toohey Jack Bromilow Conor Murphy Paul Speed Joe Walker Connor Smith Kevin Pollard Francis Smith Mark Kirkby Jason Carey Emini Adegbenro Kieron Brislen

Manager: Jim Shirley

OFFICIALS: Referee: Matt Rickard Asst. Referees: Stephen Jones and Leslie Lever NEXT HOME GAME:

WEST Res v Irlam Res Saturday, 11th August 2012 – Kick-off: 3.00pm Please check the club website weekly at www.westdidsburychorltonfc.com and www.nwcfl.com for up to date information www.westdidsburychorltonfc.com

WHAT’S OUR

STORY?

Newly elected North West Counties League side West Didsbury and Chorlton FC, have come a long way in their 105 year history which began back in 1908 when the club was founded as Christ Church A.F.C. by Mr R F Hartley, a Sunday School Superintendent at the church on Princess Parkway, West Didsbury.

West first played in the Manchester Alliance League until the outbreak of the First World War (1914-1918). After the War the club joined the Lancashire and Cheshire League for the 1920/21 season and had to change its name to West Didsbury AFC, as the League did not permit association with any other body. The club was placed in Divisions 1 and A and stayed in the top flight for 25 seasons. The first honours were double runners up in Div 1 and Rhodes Cup in 1922/23, and the club remained in that league until 2006, winning many honours and providing 4 League Presidents along the way. Many of the current committee were players in that league.

The club played at Christie Playing Fields from before 1914 but had to relocate when given notice to quit by the Playing Fields Society in the mid 80’s when that body decided to sell the land for commercial gain. After several years nomadic existence the club kicked off the 1997-98 season at their splendid new home at The Recreation Ground at Brookburn Road, and began to develop a vision for a community club.

This was down to the hard work of a core of players and Committee who refused to let the club fold and secured the new facilities via a Lottery grant, new sponsors and fundraising, but without a penny of help from the Playing Fields Society proceeds.

Further name change followed in 2003 to reflect our new location in Chorlton and we were elected to the Manchester League in 2006. In 2007/8 Season West won Manchester League silverware for the first time, lifting the Murray Shield in the last game of our centenary year.

That team was the nucleus of the previously successful junior team and the following season West just missed promotion to the Premier Division and again reached the Murray Shield Final.

With a new management team led by Andy Nelson, who had previously managed at Leigh RMI, the 2009/10 season was very successful and honours spread throughout the club. The 1st team won the Murray Shield, (the third consecutive year we have been in the final) and finishing runners-up in the league. The second team won the Bridgewater League Cup and the U17 Youth team won their League. In 2010/2011 the 1st team won the Manchester League First Division title in style with a fantastic points total (65 points out of 72 possible). This ranks as one of the highest points totals per game in the history of the Manchester League dating back over a century. The clubs reserve team and youth teams also had terrific seasons, resulting in promotion and for the second year reaching the Bridgewater Cup Final.

The clubs ‘A’ team finished and the Youth team reached yet another final where they were just pipped to the trophy by New Mills. The Veterans were runners up in the Premier Division of the Cheshire Veterans League and then started a second veterans team such was the interest in the club.

Plans were also made to formally integrate junior football as the club Vision is to be a FA Charter Standard Community Club in every sense. In recent seasons several players who started at West have been signed by top non league clubs, but such is the spirit of the club that many players return to what they see as a family club.

The club now looks forward to fulfilling its ambition to play at the highest possible level it can whilst continuing to be run as a community club and transition to the NWCFL. The ground and facilities have been further improved and floodlights erected to meet grading requirements and West competed in the FA Vase for the first time in 2011-2012 as a Step 7 club.

The club was duly elected to the NWCFL at the AGM on 16th June 2012.

v\

MATCH DAY‌

CLUB INFO To contact the club please use the club website.

West Didsbury & Chorlton AFC The Recreation Ground, Brookburn Road, Chorltonville, Manchester, M21 8FF

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