2014/15 SEASON / MATCH DAY PROGRAMME £2.00
Official Club Sponsor
THE FA CUP Preliminary Round
Brighouse Town Saturday 30th August – 3.00pm
WELCOME WELCOME
to WEST DIDSBURY & CHORLTON AFC CLUB CONTACTS
FOOTBALL CONTACTS
Club President
First Team
Brian Cripps
Glyn Meacher 07905 431526
Manager: Andy Nelson 07952 567240 Asst Mgr: Steve Settle (coach) Asst Mgr: Steve Eckersley (admin) Match Secretary: Rob McKay 07706 302397
Club Secretary
Reserve Team
Rob Turley 0161 448 1838 07891 298441
Manager: James Plowright 07900 332825 Asst Manager: Jim Hines
Membership Secretary
Club Coaches
Chairman
Dave Cooper 07961 063195
Kris Mahon – First Team Rob Madden – First Team Tony Holmes – Goalkeepers Joel Hudson – Reserves
Head of Fundraising
Physio
Steve Eckersley 07788 112909
Paddy Murphy
Community Development
‘A’ Team Manager
Monica Creer 0161 881 1135
Treasurer
Davy Iredale
Danny Iredale 07939 392828
Publicity and Web
Youth Team Manager
John Churchman 07720 508082
Press Officer, Social Media & Web Rob McKay 07706 320397
Ian Depeiaza 07838 232401
Junior Football Co-ordinator Mark Rogers 07841 112903
Vets Manager Chris Smith 07867 171815
Ownership: In accordance with THE Football Association Rule 2.13 Publication of ownership in relation to Step 1 to Step 6 clubs in the Football Pyramid we hereby confirm that the legal status of WEST DIDSBURY AND CHORLTON ASSOCIATION FOOTBALL CLUB is as not for profit private members club. Any gain arising from the carrying on of the Club shall be applied for the benefit of the Club or for some charitable or benevolent purpose or purposes approved by resolution at a general meeting of the Club.
CLUB INFO… To contact the club please use the club website
www.westdidsburychorlton.co.uk West Didsbury & Chorlton AFC The Recreation Ground, Brookburn Road, Chorltonville Manchester M21 8FE
EDITORIAL
Brighouse Town
UP FOR THE CUP! It’s that time of year again and today we welcome Brighouse Town players, management, club officials and travelling support for this first ever encounter between our two clubs. Inside you will read more about Brighouse and their history but sufficient to say that the last few years have seen them on an incredible journey from local league football in West Yorkshire, through the two divisions of the Northern Counties East League, [the equivalent of the North West Counties on the other side of the Pennines] culminating in their promotion to the Evo Stik North League for this season. They have already made their mark in that competition by defeating Radcliffe Borough and Ossett in their opening league fixtures and are a very well prepared and well organised side. They have left nothing to chance as regards today’s game having watch West at home a couple of weeks ago when we went down to Runcorn Town and again last weekend at Runcorn Linnets. Whilst we have been delighted with our own progress and progression in the Premier Division of the Counties we congratulate Brighouse on their even more impressive achievements in recent years and look forward to an interesting challenge today. Whilst Brighouse start as firm favourites to progress to the next round we can expect a fighting performance from our own squad seeking to forget the very poor performance against a very good ‘Evo Stik’ quality side at Runcorn Linnets. BOTH CLUB’S IN LAST SEASON’S FA CUP It was the FA Cup which kick started our season when we won our debut game in the competition by defeating Abbey Hey 2-0 here at Brookburn Road, [attendance 122]. Then we went out to Evo Stik side Burscough before a slightly improved attendance of 136. That was an entertaining and end to end game when we had our share of the chances and put in a strong performance. It was very even up until late in the game when a couple of late breakaway goals secured victory for the visitors when we threw everything at them in search of an equaliser to their opening goal. Brighouse had a good cup run of their own last season starting with a 4-0 replay victory at home to Billingham Synthonia [Attendance 220], which they then followed up with a 4-1 home victory over Crook Town [Att 161], both Northern League sides. In the second qualifying round they lost narrowly 1-0 away to Stockport County before a sizeable crowd of 1,704, and that close result is testimony to the level of challenge we face today. However, we have nothing to lose and there is the huge incentive of a home tie against Ashton United if we can manage to pull off a shock victory. That should be motivation enough for everyone. THANK YOU Today we say goodbye and thank you to someone who has been hard at work behind the scenes, week in week out and in all weathers, and instrumental to our success in recent years. Nick Brearley our long suffering grounds man is now retiring after 15 years of association with the club during which time he has made continual improvements to our playing surface and undertaken miscellaneous other tasks from footings for the floodlights to setting out foundations for the new stands. There is virtually nothing that Nick hasn’t had a hand in as we’ve developed the infrastructure of the ground and we are deeply grateful. Nick and his wife Grace are our guests today and there will be a presentation to Nick before kick off. Last Saturday at Runcorn was also the last game in the dugout for Kristian Mahon who has been a key part of the coaching staff since our Manchester League days over 5 years ago. Kris is an enthusiastic and positive coach who will go far, no pun intended, and he is now moving to take up a coaching role working in Abu Dhabi and the Emirates. We are extremely grateful to Kris for his contributions and wish him well with this exciting new role. Thank you all for your support today, ENJOY THE GAME and we look forward to seeing you next Saturday at 3pm when our visitors are Nelson. Rob Turley Cover picture: Lewis Schofield in action against Glossop North End
WEST DIDSBURY & CHORLTON AFC
www.westdidsburychorlton.co.uk
From the Dugout… Hello and welcome to Brookburn Road for today’s FA Cup tie against Evo-Stik League First Division North side Brighouse Town. We’ve been having a tough time of things recently with several keys players missing over the last four games and we’ve struggled to pick up points as a result. It’s also not helped that we’ve had to face two of the league’s biggest sides. Against Glossop North End we were slow to start and were punished for it. Jordan Hitchen made a top save in the first minute and we didn’t heed the warning and were 1-0 down after 5 minutes. That meant that we were forced to chase the game for 85 minutes but we were unable to create enough chances to really put Glossop under pressure. However we had young Jordan Poole making his debut and he, Gary Lilley and Danny Summers were able to recover and give a good account of themselves. We travelled to Runcorn Linnets last Saturday and everything that could have gone wrong did, we only travelled with 14 players after Mike Taylor pulled out through illness on the morning of the game and we also lost Sam Mitten in the warm up meaning we only had 2 subs. Runcorn Linnets were an incredibly hard working side and we simply didn’t show up, we were behind after 9 minutes and didn’t really trouble them after that. Linnets never let up, as all great sides do and were determined to keep going until the 90th minute. At Alsager Town on Tuesday night we were much improved particularly in the first half where we controlled much of the game, in fact it was hard to see anything other than a West win other than a mistake gifting Alsager a goal. That is exactly what happened; disappointingly at 1-0 down we then squandered a number of good chances before falling further behind, following a corner which wasn’t dealt with. Today we face a Brighouse side who rampaged to the Northern Counties East League title last season with 101 points and 138 goals scored. This season, at the time of writing they’ve made a terrific start to life in the Evo-Stik league with wins over Radcliffe Borough and Ossett Albion before drawing with Clitheroe last Saturday so we know its going to be a tough game as when we faced Burscough in this round last season. I would like to thank all those in attendance for coming and wish the players, officials and supporters of Brighouse Town a safe journey home after the game. Enjoy today’s game. Andy Nelson
PLEASE NOTE: REPLAY ARRANGEMENTS If today’s game is drawn the replay will be at The Dual Seal Stadium, Brighouse, next Tuesday 2nd September at 7.45pm. If not we wish everyone from Brighouse a safe journey home across the hills after today’s game.
WEST DIDSBURY & CHORLTON AFC
West 0 Glossop North End 1… match report Having had the weekend off due to having received a bye in the FA Cup, West slumped to their third consecutive defeat of the season at the hands of Glossop North End. The visitors arrived at the Recreation Ground with a 100% record having won all four of their league games as well as advancing past AFC Blackpool in the FA Cup Extra Preliminary Qualifying Round. Andy Nelson was forced into making eight changes to his match day squad from the original squad that beat Barnoldswick Town on the opening day of the season with 17 year old Jordan Poole making his debut with both Richmond Botchey and Danny Summers making their first starts of the season. Glossop started the game well with West goalkeeper Jordan Hitchen forced into tipping a header onto the bar after just three minutes from a brilliant curled in cross from the right. After 5 minutes Glossop took the lead when West lost the ball deep in their own half, a shot was cannoned of the bottom of Anthony Potts hand and whilst most of the Glossop team appealed for a penalty Aaron Moxam reacted quickly and fired the loose ball in off the inside of the post to give the Hillmen the lead. The opening 15 minutes were tough for the home side as they struggled to get to grips with the intensity of the game but Poole, Summers and Gary Lilley got stuck into the midfield battle and West clawed their way back into the game with Summers having a beautifully curled shot from long range fly past the post. It was a game of few chance and the sides went into the half with the scoreline 0-1 with the front three of Lewis Schofield, Jamie Tandy and Lee Malkin gradually growing into the game with Tandy and Malkin particularly industrious on both wings. The best chance coming on the stroke of half time as the Glossop goalkeeper was forced to tip a shot from Tandy over the bar. In the second half West grew in confidence and had the greater share of possession playing with greater fluidity inside the opposition’s half but were unable to create enough chances to bring themselves level. West were the more threatening with substitute Steve Settle chasing on the end of several excellent passes from Poole and Lilley posing a permanent threat in the middle. Glossop, however, remained a danger on the break and also had a chance cleared off the line and the rebound fired wide. The best chance of the second half was when West debutant and second half substitute Kieran Halliwell headed home from a corner only for the referee to blow for a free kick whilst the ball was in the air. West showed much more determination than in recent matches but couldn’t find the goal they needed as Glossop were able to maintain their 100% start to the season. Team: Hitchen, Baird, Botchey, Poole, C.Schofield, Potts, Malkin, Summers, L.Schofield, Lilley, Tandy. Subs: Settle, Baldwin-Willis, Halliwell, Taylor, Dee
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West v Glossop North End… match action
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.
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CLUB MERCHANDISE…AVAILABLE AT THE BAR Support your local club and show your support with our latest official club merchandise! New for this season at £6 (£5 for club members and supporters’ club members) we have beanie hats and a club crest scarf. There are now more ways than ever to buy club merchandise as in addition to being able to purchase on match days our new online club shop is open. Simply log on to www.westdidsburychorlton.co.uk today to purchase what you want and have it delivered straight to your front door! Wrist bands £1, Mugs at £5, Key rings at £1, Club badges at £3 Club Ties at £12.50 Programme Back Issues
Follow News Updates on West via Twitter and Facebook! Can’t make it to the game and want live match updates? Wanting the very latest news from the club on the move? Make sure that you log onto our Facebook page for all the latest news, views and updates on all things West Didsbury & Chorlton by clicking on www.facebook.com/westdidsburychorlton Alternatively you can follow on the very latest goings on the club with exclusive content by logging onto Twitter and following us @WD_CFC (picture of club badge)
Ground Safety In the interest of spectator comfort and safety, the following conditions apply at the clubs Brookburn Road ground and must be observed at all times.
In case of fire or other emergency that requires the clubhouse or ground to be evacuated instructions will be given over the public address system, and we ask that you comply with those instructions immediately. The chanting of racist or obscene chanting is strictly forbidden. Glasses, bottles, gas canisters, knives, darts, tools, flag poles or any other articles likely to cause injury are not permitted into the ground. Alcohol may be purchased and consumed in the bar area only. Children are not allowed in the Club House unless accompanied by an adult. Encroachment onto the playing area is forbidden at all times. Standing is not allowed in front of the seated areas. All forms of transport on the clubs car park is at the owners’ risk.
The club reserves the right to remove any person from the ground who is in breach of these rules or whose presence is a source of danger or annoyance to others. We hope you understand the reasons for the above are in order for the game to be enjoyed in safe and pleasant conditions. Thank you, West Didsbury and Chorlton AFC Committee
WEST DIDSBURY & CHORLTON AFC
Our visitors
Brighouse Town
The club was originally formed in 1963, as a representative side of the Blakeborough Valve Company of Brighouse and their home games were played on the Woodhouse Recreation Ground, with the side competing in the Huddersfield Works League. The club gained various league honours over the years, the most successful coming in the 1968/69 season, when they won both the League Cup as well as the Halifax District Cup. Following this success, the club took the huge step of obtaining its own ground at Hove Edge. Whilst at Green Lane, where they played for more than a decade, they achieved two more league titles before taking another major step, in applying for and achieving West Riding County Amateur League status in 1975. The club thrived there, until their Green Lane ground was developed for housing, upon which they moved to their present ground, just round the corner, on St Giles Road. There followed a period of stagnation, competing mainly in the lower divisions of the WRCAL until 1988 when the demise of the Blakeborough Company resulted in a new outlook, as well as a new name. This change proved to be the catalyst for the most successful period in the clubs history so far. The newly named Brighouse Town AFC won promotion to the WRCA Premier Division in their first season, as well as winning the WRCAL Division One Cup. In 1991 the Premier Division Championship was won for the first time and in 1992 soon followed the West Riding County Challenge Cup. In 1994 Town won the Premier Division League Cup and were runners up in the County Challenge Cup, and they were Premier Division Champions again in 1995. Season 1995/96 was perhaps the most successful season in the clubs history so far. Brighouse Town once again won the WRCAL Premiership title and also completed the double by winning the WRCA League Cup. They also won the Bob Wedgeworth Memorial Trophy. Season 2008-09, saw the club make the significant step into Semi-Professional football by entering and being accepted into the Northern Counties East League Division One. After only two seasons in NCEL Division One, the Club won promotion to the NCEL Premier Division under the guidance of Mark Brier and Daz Attwood. 2011/12 Season saw the appointment of Paul Quinn as Manager and after 4th and 2nd place finishes in his first two seasons, the NCEL Premier Title was achieved with a record points total in 2013/14 – the Clubs 50th anniversary season. Promotion to the Evo-Stik Northern Premier League Division One North brings the highest level of football in the history of the Club only six years after leaving the West Riding County Amateur League, and a new and exciting challenge ahead.
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Pen Pictures of the Brighouse Town Squad Management Paul Quinn – Manager since 2011/12 season in NCEL with 4th, and 2nd place finishes in first two seasons before winning the Championship and promotion to Evo-Stik NPL last season. Mark Booth – Assistant Manager, Town stalwart who has held numerous coaching roles with the Club over the years. Has also had experience coaching at Bradford PA and Ossett Town Rob Wilson - 1st Team Coach – Ex-Pro with Fulham, Millwall, Luton Town, Huddersfield Town and Rotherham. Coached at Huddersfield Town Academy before joining Town’s coaching team last season. Players Jacob Giles (DOB 12.10.85)– Goalkeeper . Started career on Huddersfield Town’s books before spells at Team Bath, Newport County, Bradford PA, Harrogate Rly and Guiseley before joining Town last season. Mark Bower (DOB 11.09.79) – Goalkeeper. Very experienced keeper naming Thackley and Albion Sports amongst previous clubs. Leon Henry (02.09.86) – Left Full/Wing Back. Club Captain. Lots of past experience in NPL with Guiseley, Mossley, Ossett Town, Ossett Albion, Frickley and Ashton Utd. Adam Field (DOB 03.11.92) – Defender. Joined Town after being released by Huddersfield Town in 2013. Luke Gibson ( 01.01.91) – Winger – Came through the ranks at Bradford PA before joining Town in 2011. Chris Fisher (DOB 22.03.90) – Left back – Junior at Leeds Utd, before spells at Bradford PA, Garforth, Frickley and Ossett Town. Adam Wilson (DOB 01.01.90) – Defender. Product of Huddersfield Town Academy before joining Town. Danny Naidole (DOB 23.03.91) – Midfield. Had a spell ay Ossett Albion before joining Town from local Huddersfield Club Bay Athletic. Last season’s player of the season. Martin Allison (DOB 18.02.81) – Midfield. Very experienced player at this level gained at Ashton Utd, Mossley and Ossett Albion. Tyrone Gay (DOB 02.09.88) – Centre Back. Made a big impression joining Town last season and using his experience at Ossett Albion and Ossett Town to help the promotion push. James Hurtley (DOB 14.04.89)- Midfield). Ex-Halifax Town Junior who has also played at Bradford PA and Liversedge. Ernest Boafo ( DOB 08.08.89) - Forward. Real team player for Town since joining from NCEL side Nostell MW. Ryan Hall ( DOB 09.06.94) Represented West Riding County FA side and Huddersfield Minors FA before coming through Town’s Development side to establish himself as a first team player. Craig Thompson (DOB 04.10.89) - Forward. Powerful forward who’s had a stop-start career at Town due to injuries since arriving from Bradford PA. Tom Matthew (01.06.86) - Forward. Stayed loyal to play with his local side Meltham Utd from being a Junior before joining Town 3 years ago and has been leading goalscorer in each season. Callum Charlton (DOB 13.11.96) – Forward. First season with Town after joining from Liversedge. Had spells with both Huddersfield Town and FC Halifax as a Junior. Jason Price (DOB 12.04.77) – Forward. Vast experience at professional level particularly at Swansea City and Doncaster Rovers. Great influence on the team since his arrival last season. Ben Thornton (DOB 01.09.90) – Midfield. Versatile and consistent player in his third season with Town after spells with Ossett and Garforth. Joe Jagger (01.01.94) - Forward. Young striker showing loads of potential since his arrival last season from Albion Sports Tom Brown (20.04.87) – Defender. Second spell with Town for the versatile and reliable defender after a brief spell at AFC Emley.
WEST DIDSBURY & CHORLTON AFC
Runcorn Linnets 6 West 0… match report An under strength West side headed to the Millbank Linnets Stadium with just 14 players and were given a stern lesson in finishing from the league leaders, Runcorn . West manager Andy Nelson handed Kieran Halliwell his full debut and Tre Baldwin-Willis was given his first start of the season. Runcorn Linnets dictated the play from the kick off with Captain Matt Cross given the freedom to play the ball from the back and put West under immediate pressure. Runcorn scored with virtually their first attack as a ball was lumped forward into the West penalty area, the header on goal was knocked down but the West back line was asleep and Kevin Towey pounced for a simple tap in after just 9 minutes. From there the floodgates opened as West tried to get back into the game but it was 2-0 on 27 minutes when West failed to react to a short corner and a long range shot was drilled off the inside of the post and the rebound smashed in by Kyle Hamid. It remained 2-0 until half time where it would get worse for West as Sam Mitten would be forced off on crutches after damaging cartilage in his knee warming up at half time. It didn’t get any better as Linnets scored immediately after the kick off after another West defensive error pouncing on a loose back pass and rounding West keeper Jordan Hitchen. It was four on the hour as Towey completed his hat-trick as the ball was played out from the back to the right wing, the ball squad behind the back West back line for another tap in. before Francis Smith made it 5-0 on 73 minutes. West’s best spell came in the final 20 minutes as Steve Settle forced a save from the Linnets keeper after a wonderful curved passed from Jordan Poole inside the full back. It was 6-0 on 76 minutes with the goal of the game as Chris Lomax fired a low half volley into the bottom left hand corner from 18 yards out. West sub Lee Malkin then had a difficult header just wide before Tre Baldwin-Willis had a shot fire low and just past the post. West’s best chance came as the Linnets defence was dispossessed at the edge of their area thanks to some rare West pressure releasing BaldwinWillis who’s low shot clipped the outside of the post with the whole goal at his mercy to the jeers on the home support. Malkin had another chance as a low cross came in from Settle on the right hand side but his shot was tapped tamely at the Linnets goalkeeper. Despite the home goalkeepers time wasting in search of a clean sheet that wasn’t the end of the action as in stoppage time West Captain Anthony Potts was decreed to have fouled Linnets Galvin Salmon despite his handling of the cross into the net. Salmon stepped up to take the penalty but blasted high enough over the bar to clear it into the next field and the referee mercifully blew the full time whistle. Team: Hitchen, Settle, Botchey, Baird, Halliwell, Potts, Poole, Summers, Baldiwn-Willis, Lilley, Poizer. Subs: Malkin, Dee, Mitten
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Runcorn Linnets v West … match action
WEST DIDSBURY & CHORLTON AFC
First Team Stats fixtures – results – appearances – goalscorers
In the League Challenge Cup West were drawn away in the second round at either Ashton Town or Chadderton to be played on Saturday 25th October. The two sides will meet at The Hardwick Group Stadium on Saturday 20th September. The first round of the Lancashire FA Trophy has been drawn and West will travel to take on fellow NWCFL Premier Division side Colne, the tie will take place w/c September 29th.
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First Team Stats fixtures – results – appearances – goalscorers
The next game at Brookburn Road… Saturday September 6th – 3.00pm v NELSON Tuesday September 9th – 7.45pm v CONGLETON TOWN
WEST DIDSBURY & CHORLTON AFC
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The FA Challenge Cup, the most famous domestic cup competition in the world, was born in 1871.
Charles Alcock, a Sunderland man educated at Harrow School, was the secretary of The Football Association for a quarter of a century (1870-1895) and was the founding spirit of both The FA Cup and international football. We owe him a great deal. Alcock, then 30, remembered playing in an inter-house ‘sudden death’ competition at Harrow and recognised that the idea could be employed on a much grander scale. He put his proposal for a national knockout tournament to an FA meeting at the offices of the Sportsman newspaper in Boy Court. Alcock’s proposal was swiftly agreed and The Cup was born with these 29 minuted words: “That it is desirable that a Challenge Cup should be established in connection with the Association for which all clubs belonging to the Association should be invited to compete”. The Cup rules were drafted and 15 clubs had their entries accepted to the first competition: Barnes, Civil Service, Clapham Rovers, Crystal Palace, Hitchin, Maidenhead, Marlow, Queen’s Park (Glasgow), Donington Grammar School (Spalding), Hampstead Heathens, Harrow Chequers, Reigate Priory, Royal Engineers, Upton Park and the Wanderers. Of course they needed a trophy. This was designed and made in silver by Martin, Hall and Company for £20. It was a stubby, heavily embossed pot, about 18 inches high, with two curved handles and the figure of a player on its lid. Here was the original FA Cup, soon to be known as ‘the little tin idol’. This is the 134th season of The Cup and sees 736 clubs competing for the fifth trophy in history. Bryon Butler wrote: “Every season it touches, directly, the heart of hundreds of cities, towns and assorted dots on the map; and it enchants scores of millions, all over the globe, by way of television and radio. "It offers fantasy, passion, democracy, warfare, tradition, ritual, instant fame and handy profit in one big and irresistible package. It is a band of gold in the fabric of a sporting nation”. Alcock, with his thick Victorian moustache and high collar, was a great man. He was a player, referee, administrator, committee man, author and journalist. He was talented and respected enough as a player to captain England and efficient enough as an administrator to be secretary of The Football Association and of Surrey County Cricket Club at the same time. He actually played in the first FA Cup Final, captaining the Wanderers to a 1-0 victory over Royal Engineers before a 2,000 crowd at Kennington Oval. The competition that was his brainchild encouraged many more clubs to become members of The FA. Why? They all wanted to play in The Cup
WEST DIDSBURY & CHORLTON AFC
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FA Cup, Vase and Youth Cup draws - 2014/15
The Roads to Wembley begin for another year at West as the draws for first qualifying rounds of both the FA Cup and the FA Vase. In addition to West’s Youth Team will enter the FA Youth Cup for the first time ever.
FA Cup In the FA Cup West face reigning NCEL Champions Brighouse Town today. Brighouse were crowned champions of the NCEL amassing an incredible 101 points and scoring 138 goals and now reside in the Evo-Stik First Division North. The winner will receive £1,925 form the FA Prize Fund. The winners of that tie will then face Ashton United in the 1st Qualifying Round at home on Saturday 13th September with the winner receiving £3,000 in prize money.
FA Vase In the FA Vase West receive a bye into the second qualifying round of the competition where they will face the winners of Rossington Main v AFC Blackpool. Rossington Main, of the NCEL First Division, and AFC Blackpool, NWCFL Premier Division, will face each other on Saturday 6 th September before West take on the winners at Brookburn Road on Saturday 4th October. West previously faced Rossington in the Vase year with West scoring a late Lewis Schofield winner to secure a 2-1 victory and West’s first ever FA Vase win.
FA Youth Cup For the first time in their history West have entered a team into the FA Youth Cup and will face Wrexham away in the First Qualifying Round to be played on Tuesday 23rd September 2014, kick off 7.15pm. This comes hot on the heels after the club’s youth team were accepted in the first division of the North West Youth Alliance.
WEST DIDSBURY & CHORLTON AFC
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Premier League Table after games on Tuesday 26th August
WEST DIDSBURY & CHORLTON AFC
Statistics as 26/08/2014
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Statistics 26.08.2014
The 200 Club is a key source of revenue for club, would you like the chance to be winner. Why wait? For a monthly subscription of just £2 you will be in the next draw and could win up to £100. Please ask in the clubhouse for more details.
WEST DIDSBURY & CHORLTON AFC
THANK YOU NICK Fifteen years ago at the start of the 200001 season we were three years into our ownership of The Recreation Ground and faced with several issues with the playing surface. The winter months saw regular lakes in the goal area at the pavilion end and on one famous occasion three herons took up residence on a Saturday morning looking for fish! Nick Brearley then started to work with us doing regular pitch maintenance and also installed the first of several drainage improvements. Two or three years later and the scrub area behind the goal was cleared and transformed into a warm up area, before becoming today’s match day car park. End of season pitch renovation, verti-draining and reseeding became part of the annual maintenance regime and then Nick laser leveled the entire playing area to create the even playing surface we enjoy today. Further drainage was installed around the centre circle and the frequency of weekly maintenance increased. Nick has looked after every blade of grass, kept the margins neat and tidy, kept the weeds at bay and, as if that wasn’t enough, he has had a hand in all our recent ground improvements. He carefully set out and installed the concrete floodlight bases and that for the generator, he then installed the hard standing at the car park end, along with the extended pitch perimeter rail so that we met the ground grading requirements for entry into the North West Counties League. If he thought it was time to take things easy, our immediate promotion to the Premier Division for last season meant otherwise. Nick was back in action shaping the grass banking on the southern boundary, working with the new stand manufacturers to install the concrete foundations for the two new stands and making further improvements to the hard standings for spectators. His meticulous attention to detail and practical and steady advice have stood the club in great stead and as he comes to retirement we are indebted to him for the patient way he has helped us to develop our facilities. He is now handing over the weekly maintenance to Ian and Andy who start next week, but Nick isn’t quite finished yet as he has agreed to help out with improvements to the entrance gate and some further drainage improvements along the southern boundary. Today is an opportunity for us as a club to say a thank you to Nick, and his wife Grace, for their part in our recent journey and we would be grateful for your attention as we make a short presentation to recognise his contribution to our success. Without the pitch and facilities we would not be where we are today and we’d certainly not be playing FA Cup football. Thanks Nick for all you have done to help us and we wish you and Grace well in your retirement. www.westdidsburychorlton.co.uk
From the Terrace… If you like to keep an eye on the latest goings on in the NWCFL league then you may have noticed the emergence of the website nonleague review over the last couple of months covering the goings on of our league and the Cheshire League. As part of his coverage the man known only as Stew put together a podcast with Runcorn Town fan Martin Fallon from the league committee, Atherton Collieries programme editor Joseph Gibbons and yours truly. The non-league review NWCFL podcast has generated more than 2,000 downloads in the 6 episodes to date. The podcast covers debate of the latest goings on around the nwcfl, interviews from around the league with the goal “To reach out to a younger, wider and more media knowledgeable audience.” Says Joesph Gibbons, known to all as Gibbo. Stew himself says that the reason for setting up this podcast was to “Expose clubs to greater audience and gain new insight from people within the league.” Adding; “I'm really enjoying non-league football as a whole, but being local to me I want to boost the profile for the NWCFL and the clubs involved. In the modern age I believe a podcast will do wonders for the NWCFL as a means of attracting a new younger supporter.” The league clearly agree as they will be posting a link on the site each week when it’s posted online via the audioboo website. Each week the team of four offer their views on the weekly round up with all the results and latest news from around the north west counties before previewing the weekends fixtures. There has been a memorable run in from Atherton Collieries Secretary Emil Anderson in search of a cup tea, the continuous jinxing of Rochdale Town by myself and the Christmas bloopers edition is already at breaking point so much has been taken out. There has been the odd technical snafu, as in true non-league fashion we’ve tried to do it as cheap as possible making Stew’s ambition for an eventual video podcast a grander scheme than anything Pinky and the Brain ever planned. A huge part of the podcast’s early success has come from Martin Fallon, the league’s website development analyst and ardent Runcorn Town fan; “I've really started listening to podcasts over the last two years because it's so easy to download and listen when you are on the move. There are hundreds of podcasts on football but very little on non league football so this was a perfect opportunity to plug a gap in the market. We are all learning as we go along and the feedback we have got has been brilliant so it's a pleasure to be involved.” If you want to give it a listen new shows are added weekly at audioboo and can be downloaded via itunes. http://audioboo.fm/channel/nonleaguereview Rob McKay WEST DIDSBURY & CHORLTON AFC
Join the action and support your local team‌ Please sign up on the poster in the clubhouse to get the number you want, there are only 16 shirts so don’t hang around! Already some numbers have been taken!! Picture by James Lobley
www.westdidsburychorlton.co.uk
A Brief History… 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 played friendlies at first and then in the Manchester Alliance League until the First World War 1914. 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 that League did not permit a name suggesting association with any other body. The club was placed in Divisions 1 and A, staying 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 the L+C League until 2006, winning many honours and providing 4 League Presidents along the way. The home ground from before 1914 until the mid 1980’s was Christie Playing Fields, and then the owners, Manchester and Salford Playing Fields Society, gave the club notice to quit having decided to sell off the land for commercial development – now ironically called ‘Christie Fields’ office park. After several years’ nomadic existence searching for a new home, the club acquired the redundant and overgrown Recreation Ground at Brookburn Road in 1996, and began to restore this to active use and 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. Work was completed in time to start the 1997-98 season using excellent new changing rooms and clubhouse facilities aided by a Lottery grant, new sponsors and members’ fundraising, but without a penny from the Playing Fields Society sale proceeds. Further name change followed in 2003 to reflect the new location in Chorlton and the club was then elected to the Manchester League in 2006. In 2007/8 West won its first Manchester League silverware 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 2008/09 West just missed promotion to the Premier Division and again reached the Murray Shield Final. won their League. With a new management team led by Andy Nelson, 2009/10 was very successful and honours spread throughout the club. The 1st team won the Murray Shield (the third consecutive year in the final) and was league runners-up. The reserves 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 65 points out of 72 possible. This ranks as one of the highest points totals per game in Manchester League history 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 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, playing at the highest possible level it can whilst remaining financially viable. Further improved saw floodlights erected in 2011 to meet FA requirements and West competed in the FA Vase for the first time in 2011-2012 as a Step 7 club. Election to the NWCFL followed in June 2012 and the club had an incredible first season winning the Div1 Trophy, finishing in 3rd position after an amazing run in during March and April to secure promotion and also winning a guaranteed FA Cup place. The over 45’s team again chipped in with Cheshire Veterans league silverware. 2013-14 saw the club meet a number of challenges on and off the field by recovering from a series of early season setbacks and defeats in August to consolidate with a very creditable 12th place league finish. Two new stands were installed to improves the spectator facilities, new grass pitches and youth teams were added as part of the long term development plan, whilst remaining as a volunteer run, ‘not for profit’ club. The other historic milestones achieved during the season were the 2-0 home victory over Abbey Hey in the club’s first ever appearance in the FA Cup followed by a 2-1 first ever FA Vase victory away at NCEL Rossington Main near Doncaster in mid September. This season the club hosts Brighouse Town from the Evo Stik league in the FA Cup at the end of August having been given a walk by the FA against NWCFL new club Cammell Laird 1907.
The FA Cup Preliminary Round Saturday 30th August 2014 – Today’s Squads West Didsbury & Chorlton AFC
Brighouse Town
White Shirts, Black Shorts & Black Socks
Tangerine Shirts and Socks, Black Shorts
G’keepers Ben Simpson Jordan Hitchen Defenders Callum Jones Scott Jones Richmond Botchey Sam Dee Anthony Potts Callum Schofield Kial Callacher Midfield Alex Baird Mark Rogers (Capt) Danny Summers Mike Taylor Jordan Poole Gary Lilley Lewis Schofield Steve Settle Scott Mason Rick Gleave Forwards Sam Mitten James Tandy Lee Malkin Jonathan Poizer Tre Baldwin-Willis Manager: Andy Nelson Assistants: Steve Settle & Steve Eckersley
Jacob Giles (GK) Adam Field Christopher Fisher Adam Wilson James Hurtley Ben Thornton Ryan Hall Daniel Naidole Ernest Baofo Thomas Matthews Leon Henry Jason Price Mark Bower Joe Jagger Callum Charlton Shaquille Clarke-Adams
Manager: Paul Quinn Assistant: Mark Booth
OFFICIALS Referee: Michael Crusham Assistant Referees: Bob Richards and Michael Clulow