Cammell Laird 1907 vs Abbey Hulton United - Sat 25/03/23 - Matchday programme #24 2022/23

Lairds vs Abbey Hulton United

Saturday 25 March 2023

Matchday programme #24 2022/23

1907 competitive fixture #397

Welcome to the KR Couriers and Transport Ltd Stadium

Cammell Laird 1907 Football Club

St Peter’s Road, Rock Ferry, Birkenhead, CH42 1PY

Club directory

Legal entity: Unincorporated association

President: Roy Williams

Vice-president: Eddie Trotter

Chairman: Lee Atherton

Vice-chairman: Tommy Potter

Junior section chairman: Andy Grant

Director of Football: Stuart Humphreys

Secretary: Anthony ‘Toddy’ Wood

Treasurer: Shaun Holmes

Other committee members: Geoff Quick, Tony Thelwell, Chris Wood

Media officer: Patrick Burke

Manager: Stuart Keir

Assistant manager: Jordan Scott

Coaches: Josh Hine

Goalkeeper coach: Judd Lewis

Physio: Matthew McDonald

Website: https:// www.cammelllairdfc1907.com/

Twitter: @cammelllairdfc

Facebook: Cammell Laird 1907 FC

Email: toddywood@hotmail.com

Cover photo credit:

David Blackwood (Twitter: @David_JB_1965)

Club history

Cammell Laird 1907 FC can trace its history back to 1899 when a team from the Upper Boilers Shop of Laird Bros played in Birkenhead Park, before turning to the rugby code. It was not until June 1907 that the Cammell Laird Institute AFC was established, with its first fixture taking place on 2nd September 1907 against Tranmere Rovers, finishing 9th in the West Cheshire League in their inaugural season (1907/08).

In the early years, the Club played at a number of grounds and won their first trophy, the Shipley Cup, in April 1921, before in the summer of 1922 they moved to St Peters Road (which still remains their current home) as Kirklands FC. They disbanded in 1939 but reformed in 1946. The Club had their most successful period during the 1970s and 80s, winning the West Cheshire League on a regular basis. 1994/95 saw the club reach the FA Vase quarterfinals before losing to Arlesey Town.

The 21st Century

The early part of the new millennium saw the Club reach new heights. They started the rise through the pyramid, making history by becoming the first

Club to win the championship of the Second and First Divisions of the North West Counties League, which they achieved in 2004/05 and then 2005/06. In the same year as that First Division triumph, the club reached the FA Vase semi-finals, losing to eventual winners Nantwich Town, and two years later, the Club gained promotion to the Unibond Premier League. However, they were relegated after just one season due to ground grading.

Having fought relegation battles successfully, the Club finished bottom of the Evo-Stik Division One North in 2011/12, but were reprieved, and bounced back the following season by finishing league runners up before losing on penalties in the play-off final against Trafford.

Season 2013/14 saw Lairds finish 11th, but the decision was taken to resign from the Evo-Stik NPL and form a new Club: Cammell Laird 1907 FC.

New

club, new era

The new Club was formed on 28th May 2014 and entered the NWCFL Division One for their inaugural campaign in 2014/15. In October, the Club lost manager Tony Sullivan to Witton Albion, and appointed Paul McNally in the same month. He ably guided the team to promotion, which was achieved on Saturday 4th April. In the end, Lairds finished 21 points clear of 3rd placed AFC Darwen.

2015/16 saw the Club finish 15th in its first season in the NWCFL Premier Division. Early on, Lairds didn’t get the results that their performances deserved, drawing or even losing games that they largely dominated. However, they soon found their feet in the Premier Division. Their best result was an emphatic 4-0 victory against eventual champions Colne in October. In February, Tony Sullivan returned to replace Paul McNally as manager, and the Club ended the campaign with a solid mid-table finish.

At the end of the season, Sullivan departed and was replaced by former Prescot Cables and AFC Darwen manager Neil Prince. The new man in charge made an excellent start, two fine performances deservedly seeing off the challenge of AFC Darwen in the FA Cup. It is fair to say that luck was not on the side of Prince’s team at the start of the league campaign, with several fine performances not getting the results that they deserved. However, after the 3-1 defeat to Squires Gate in September, Prince resigned on good terms with the Club, who were very appreciative of his efforts, and both parties wished each other well for the future.

Prince was replaced by former Lairds striker Mick McGraa, who had taken

over the Reserve Team in the summer. McGraa has worked tirelessly to assemble a very promising young side, and again with a tad more luck in games that Lairds dominated, they could have picked up more points. Everything finally came together on Saturday 18th March 2017, as a brilliant performance saw Lairds beat AFC Darwen 4-1 to record their first league win of the season, which they followed up three days later with a 2-1 victory against in-form Hanley Town. Ultimately, results elsewhere consigned Lairds to relegation by the end of March, but the Club was now in a much stronger position ahead of the Division One campaign to follow in 2017/18. The rebuild commences

That season started off perfectly, the 4-1 win against a higher-ranked Maltby Main side in the Emirates FA Cup a sign of things to come! Lairds were eliminated from that competition despite a valiant effort at Evo-Stik League outfit Leek Town, but after a slightly shaky start, they went from strength to strength in the league. From 5th September to 21st April, they dropped just two points at Kirklands, also defeating Premier Division Congleton Town with ten men on their own patch in the Macron Cup. Lairds initially struggled on the road, but also improved on that front after the turn of the year. They finished the regular campaign as one of the division’s form teams, securing the final play-off place courtesy of a sensational 4-1 victory over championselect Silsden. The Cammells also enjoyed a run to the final of the LWC Drinks Cup, recording a notable 4-0 triumph at fellow top six challengers Alsager Town along the way. In the final against Prestwich Heys at Runcorn Linnets FC, Joe Malkin’s header drew Lairds level at 1-1 just before the hour mark. Despite hammering at the Prestwich door for much of the second half, there was a sucker punch as a brilliant late strike from John Main, followed by an even more incredible save by Heys’ Russell Saunders, saw McGraa’s men on the wrong end of a 2-1 scoreline. However, Lairds responded brilliantly in the play-off semi-final just three days later, stunning the division by going to a Prestwich side, who had hammered them 3-0 on the opening day and finished the season on 91 points, and coming from behind to win 4-1. That set up an all-or-nothing midweek play-off final away at Whitchurch Alport. There was to be more heartbreak as a nightmare start saw Lairds fall 2-0 behind within ten minutes. It just didn’t click for the visitors on the night, and despite Charlie MacInnes giving them hope late on, it was a case of so near yet so far. Two defeats in finals were a horrible ending to what was an outstanding campaign which saw McGraa’s team restore the pride around Kirklands, and deliver long-lasting memories.

opportunity to compete in the Wirral Senior Cup Final, which they had reached courtesy of victories over Poulton Royal, Ellesmere Port Town and Mersey Royal.

For the 2020/21 campaign, the club’s home at Kirklands was renamed the Prabhu Ventures Ltd Arena as part of a new sponsorship deal, while former player Stuart Humphreys was appointed as Director of Football. After a solid start to the delayed season, the North West Counties Football League was suspended from the start of November until mid-December as lockdown restrictions were re-imposed. During that time, Phil Burton and his backroom staff resigned after two-and-a-half years in charge. The season briefly resumed in December, but the season was soon curtailed due to Covid-19 after Lairds had played just seven league matches, with them team placed 13th in the table.

Silverware returns to CH42

With Lairds unable to play competitive football until May 2021, the club took their time before making a permanent managerial appointment. Stuart Keir was chosen as the man to take the club forward, the former AFC Liverpool boss’ CV impressing the committee as well as his strong reputation for developing youth players.

The Cammells finished 14th after a mixed season in the First Division South, but their exploits in the cup competitions were astonishing and made it a campaign to remember. A 3-0 victory over Heswall in the Wirral Senior Cup Final on 23 April 2022 clinched the first team’s maiden piece of silverware under the 1907 name, which was an afternoon to remember for all concerned. However, their season did not finish there, and an astonishing set of results sent them into the cup finals of both NWCFL cups. A famous comeback win in the A41 Derby at Vauxhall Motors was secured in the last minute by Jay Harvey, and featured in a successful Macron Cup run. Two semi-final wins in the space of four days – against Ilkley Town on penalties in the First Division Cup and Premier Division outfit Congleton Town in the Macron Cup – ensured that Lairds’ campaign would finish with two cup finals. The Macron Cup represented a remarkable feat for Keir’s team given that it included all 60 NWCFL clubs, but sadly the final against Charnock Richard, played at Chorley FC, proved a bridge too far as their opponents ran out 5-0 winners. The First Division Cup Final proved a more closely-fought affair away to promoted FC Isle of Man. Despite matching their opponents throughout, the Cammells unfortunately went down to a 1-0 defeat and they had to settle for finishing as runners-up. However, the incredible end to the season and appearance in three cup finals provides strong evidence that Keir’s team are on the right track going into the 2022/23 campaign.

Cheshire Senior Cup history-makers

An eventful close season saw McGraa depart for Vauxhall Motors, who rejoined the Hallmark Security League. The majority of the squad followed the manager to Rivacre Park, but the Committee acted swiftly and made a very exciting appointment in Phil Burton. He guided the club to a solid 15th place finish in the new First Division South, two cup quarter-finals, and extraordinarily Lairds became the lowest ranked team ever to reach a Cheshire Senior Cup Final, where they lost out to Nantwich Town. The 2019/20 campaign started off brightly for Burton’s team, and they were just outside the promotion places at Christmas, but their form then dropped off and only began to pick up shortly before the league was suspended in March due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Lairds were 13th after the final fixtures were played, but the decision was made by the FA to null and void the season. The premature end to the season meant that Lairds missed the

A new clubhouse facility opened in July 2022 also provides a welcome boost to the club. It will be open throughout every matchday, and significantly improve the experience of visitors to the renamed KR Couriers & Transport Ltd Stadium.

Good afternoon, and a warm welcome back to the KR Couriers and Transport Ltd Stadium for today’s game against Abbey Hulton United. We hope that the players, staff, officials and supporters from our visitors enjoy their stay with us here.

It’s hard to believe, but we have arrived at our final home game of the season. As always, the eight months have flown since we started away at Eccleshall at the end of July last year, and there are just four left to play, the final three of which are on the road.

It’s been a season that’s had its ups and downs and challenges associated with injuries and player turnover, but I firmly we have been competitive in nearly every match and have deserved more points on the board than we have. There are a group of teams from ninth down to 15th separated by just four points, and I personally think a fairer reflection of our campaign and displays would be to be in that bunch, but unfortunately that has not been reflected in the points tally and we need to make sure we pick up results in these final four matches.

We have been given a further boost by the recent performances and results, including the dramatic 3-2 win at Brocton which has to go down as one of the highlights of the season.

Our last outing here ended in a 2-2 draw to an in-form Eccleshall side, our goals coming from Ross Waring and Joe Downey. It was a decent game by all accounts, and a point apiece was perhaps a fair result.

After that, we travelled to third-placed Brocton for a midweek away fixture. Our opponents are third in the table and a very good side, so it was a difficult test. We fell 1-0 behind in the first half, but the lads worked extremely hard to limit further opportunities for the free-scoring Badgers. They looked a threat too, and got their rewards when Waring headed home an equaliser. The tide had turned remarkably in our favour when Cameron McGregor slotted home a penalty, and we looked comfortable until the home side found an equaliser with six minutes remaining. There were one or two hairy moments after that, but deep into stoppage time, one of our two outfield substitutes Charlie Fitzsimmons made it a night to remember when he latched onto a clearance, ran through and made it 3-2. It sparked wild scenes of celebration from everyone who made the journey down, and was a great reward for the hard work and persistence of players, management and all concerned. It was certainly one of those nights that makes being

part of this club special.

We then travelled to arguably the division’s in-form team in Cheadle Heath Nomads last weekend, where our hopes were not helped by an injury to goalkeeper David Potter after just 15 minutes. Skipper Ryan Smith donned the gloves, and although he played well in net, his presence outfield was certainly missed and he could not prevent a 3-0 defeat.

Onto today, and we face an Abbey Hulton United side having a very solid season. Our 2-1 defeat in the reverse fixture at the start of February was one of the campaign’s unfortunate results as we played very well on the night. Our opponents followed it with a series of impressive results, notably a 4-1 triumph at Sandbach United, and will be eager to bounce back from a narrow 1-0 loss at Barnton on Tuesday.

After today, we have away games at New Mills, local rivals Ashville and Ellesmere Rangers coming up on consecutive Saturdays to finish our season.

I would like to take this opportunity to say a big thank you to all concerned for their dedication this season. The Committee has worked tirelessly to manage off-the-field matters at the club, and a particular shout-out to the chairman Lee Atherton, vicechairman Tommy Potter and our brilliant and legendary secretary Toddy Wood for all the hours they have put in. A big thank you too to our director of football Stuart Humphreys, manager Stuart Keir and all of his backroom staff, who have gone above and beyond to help us achieve results on the pitch and continued to provide opportunities to young, local talent. Of course, it’s the players who are out on the pitch every week, and they have each given the club everything when they have pulled on the shirt and delivered some memorable moments along the way. Many thanks to all of our sponsors for their indispensable support, and of course to all of the supporters who have been down to the KR Couriers and Transport Ltd Stadium. Without all of the above, we simply could not survive and thrive.

I hope you enjoy today’s issue and the game, wish you all a great summer, and cannot wait to see what next season brings.

Up them Cammells.

All the best, Patrick Burke

Photo credit: David Blackwood (Twitter: @David_JB_1965)

Cammell Laird

1907 2022/23

 Kick-off times are 3pm for Saturday games and 7:45pm for midweeks unless stated

 Substitutions indicated by ›/‹ arrows

 Goal times as per the NWCFL website

 Man of the Matches as awarded by the opposition

 * = won 4-3 on penalties

 ** = won 3-1 on penalties

Kelly, Carr-Lowe ›, Hamm, McGregor, B. Wood ›› • Koura ‹‹, Philpott ‹, B. Kelly, Hughes • 25’ Kubwalo Edwards, Galt ›, J. Kelly ››, Hamm, B. Wood • Carr-Lowe ‹, Koura ‹‹, Doran, Hughes Hamm (15’) • 39’, 58’, 87’ Edwards Smith, Carr-Lowe ›, Hamm, B. Wood ››››, Koura ›› • Doran ‹‹‹, J. Kelly ‹, Frost ‹‹, Waring ‹‹‹‹, Hughes Kubwalo (51’), Frost (65’), Doran (78’) • 13p, 18’, 28’ Smith Kubwalo ›, Smith, Edwards, Hamm ››››, B. Wood, Waring • Doran ‹‹‹, Bolton ‹‹, Hughes, Frost ‹, Koura ‹‹‹‹ • 36’, 64’, 85’ Waring Smith ©, Edwards ››››, J. Kelly ›››, Downey, Koura › • J. Wood ‹‹, B. Wood ‹‹‹, Bolton, Frost ‹, Galt ‹‹‹‹ J. Kelly (4’), Rodgers (53’), Smith (61’) • 39p, 64’ Kerr Smith, Edwards ›››, Koura ›, Downey, Frost ›››› • J. Wood ‹‹, B. Wood ‹, Galt ‹‹‹, Philpott ‹‹‹‹, Hughes B. Wood (55’) • 31’, 41’ Smith Smith, Rubin ›››, B. Wood ››, Downey, Frost • J. Wood ‹, King, Jones ‹‹‹, Koura, Hamm ‹, Hughes Frost (34’) • 76’ Smith © ››››, Rubin, Hamm ›››, Downey ›››››, Frost ›› • Galt ‹‹‹‹, Edwards ‹, B. Wood ‹‹, Koura ‹‹‹, Carr-Lowe ‹‹‹‹‹ • 75’, 82p, 84’ Rubin Galt ›››››, Jones ››››, A. Lyons, Hamm © ››, B. Wood › • Bolton ‹‹‹, Frost ‹‹, Rubin ‹‹‹‹,, Koura ‹, Carr-Lowe ‹‹‹‹‹ • 5’, 44’, 67’ Waring Rubin, Downey, Hamm ©, B. Wood ›, Frost • Carr-Lowe, Koura ‹, Philpott, Hughes Frost (3’), Rubin (12’), Hamm (72’) • 39’, 45+5’, 79’ Downey Downey, Bolton ›, Hamm, B. Wood ›››, Koura ›› • J. Wood ‹, Carr-Lowe ‹‹, Rodgers ‹‹‹, B. Kelly, Hughes

• 8’, 65’, 79’, 88’, 90’ Stephens Stephens, Downey ›››, Bolton ››››, Koura, B. Wood, Frost • J. Wood, Kerr ‹‹, King ‹, Carr-Lowe ‹‹‹, B. Kelly ‹‹‹‹ Koura (10’), Bolton (18’) • 36’, 89’ B. Wood Kubwalo, Waring, Bolton ›, Koura, B. Wood, Downey • Smith ‹‹, King ‹‹‹, Carr-Lowe, Rubin ‹, Stephens

B. Wood (87’) • 33’ Rubin ›, Downey, Koura ››, B. Wood, Harvey • Cain, Jones ‹‹, Carr-Lowe ‹, B. Kelly, Hughes

Koura (11’), Rubin (21’) • 17’ Hulley Rubin, Jones ››››, Koura ›››, Downey, Harvey • Cain, Stephens ‹‹, B. Wood ‹‹‹‹, Bolton ‹, Hamm ‹‹‹ Harvey (5’) • 51p, 76’ Jones ››, Bolton, Hamm, Downey, Harvey ››› • Kerr ‹, Waring, B. Wood ‹‹, Koura ‹‹‹, Dineley Hamm (38’), Koura (90+4’) • 79’ Waring, Bolton ›, Hamm ››, Downey, Harvey • Kerr ‹‹‹, Smith, B. Wood ‹, McGregor, Koura ‹‹, Rodgers, Dineley Hamm (20p) • 41’, 81’ Waring ››, Downey, Koura, Frost ›, Harvey • Rodgers, Smith ‹‹, B. Wood ‹‹‹, McGregor ‹, Hughes • 38’

Doran Waring ›, Downey ››, Hamm ›››, B. Wood, Harvey • Smith ‹, McGregor ‹‹, Frost ‹‹‹, Koura ‹‹‹‹, Dineley Hamm (52’), Harvey (74’) • 82’

B. Wood Waring ›, Downey, Hamm ››››, McGregor, Harvey • Smith ‹, Jones ‹‹, Frost, Koura ‹‹‹‹, Rodgers ‹‹‹ Harvey (18’), Hamm (31’, 68p, 70p), Doran (60’) • 22’ Hamm Waring, Downey ›, Koura, Smith, Harvey • Bolton, McGregor ‹, B. Wood, Rodgers ‹‹‹, Ogiugo ‹‹ • 73’ Harvey Waring, McGregor ›, Harvey ›››, Smith ›››››, B. Wood ›››› • Downey ‹, Jones ‹‹‹‹‹, Hamm ‹‹‹, Koura ‹‹‹‹, Ogiugo ‹‹ B. Wood (8’, 31’), Harvey (60p), Downey (90’) • 20’, 32’, 47’

B. Wood Smith, Waring ›››, Hamm ›, B. Wood, Koura ›› • Bolton ‹‹‹‹, J. Kelly ‹‹‹, Frost ‹, McGregor ‹‹, Dineley Hamm (12p) • 24’, 66’, 73’, 90+2’ , Jones ››, Harvey, B. Wood ›››, J. Kelly ›››› • Smith ‹‹, McGregor ‹, Hamm ‹‹‹, Galt ‹‹‹‹, Davidson Harvey (26’, 74’) Waring, Jones ›, Hamm ››, Smith, Harvey • McGregor ‹, J. Kelly ‹‹, B. Wood, Frost ‹‹‹, Galt • 13’, 31’, 90+3’ Waring ›, Smith, Hamm, B. Wood ››, Harvey • Frost, J. Kelly ‹‹, Jones ‹, Galt, Downey Hamm (60’), J. Kelly (90’) Harvey Downey ››, Smith ›››, J. Kelly, B. Wood, Harvey • J. Wood, McGregor ‹‹, Frost ‹, Ogiugo ‹‹‹ Harvey (80’), Ogiugo (84’) • 23’, 28’, 90+4’ B. Wood

Waring ››, Downey, Harvey, Smith ©, B. Wood • McGregor ‹‹, J. Wood ‹, Koura ‹‹‹, Hughes • 68’ Smith ››, Downey ›, Hamm, Smith ©, Koura • Lancaster, McGregor ‹, Oguigo ‹‹, B. Wood, Clewlow

Wincer (72’) • 7’, 84’

Koura ›, Downey, Galt, Koura ››, Smith ©, J. Kelly • Clewlow ‹, W. Lyons ‹‹, Rodgers ‹‹‹, Hughes • 45+1’, 52’, 67’ Downey, Galt ››››, Hamm, Smith ©, J. Kelly ››› • J. Wood ‹, Rodgers ‹‹, Koura ‹‹‹, W. Lyons ‹‹‹‹, Clewlow • 28’, 90+1’ Downey Waring, Downey, Koura, Smith ©, Frost › • J. Kelly ‹, Galt, W. Lyons ‹‹, Rodgers Frost (38’), Koura (52’), Smith (57p) • 75’, 85’ Downey Waring ›››, Downey ›, Koura ››, Smith ©, Frost • Galt, Rodgers, W. Lyons ‹‹‹, Hamm ‹‹, J. Kelly ‹ Smith (48p), Stephens (81’) • 12’, 79’

Dineley Galt ›, Downey, Hamm ›››, Smith ©, Frost ›› • W. Lyons ‹, Ogiugo ‹‹, Koura ‹‹‹, Clark ‹‹‹‹ Hamm (60’) • 7’, 53’, 73’ Hamm Waring, Downey, Hamm ›, Smith © ›››, Koura ›› • J. Wood, Clark, W. Lyons ‹‹‹, Frost ‹, J. Kelly ‹‹ Koura (67’) • 7’, 77’

Koura Waring, Downey, Koura ›, Smith ©, J. Kelly • Clark ‹‹, Rodgers, W. Lyons, Hamm, Ogiugo ‹ • 14’, 46’

Downey ››, Waring, Hamm © ›, Downey ››››, Ogiugo ››› • B. Hughes, Rodgers ‹‹‹, J. Kelly ‹‹, Koura ‹, Jones ‹‹‹‹ Ogiugo (38’) • 85p ›, Waring, Downey, Koura ››››, Smith ©, Frost ››› • Cain ‹‹, Clark ‹, Nunn ‹‹‹, Fitzsimmons ‹‹‹‹, B. Hughes • 21’, 25’, 38’, 61’, 82’

Orumaa ››, Downey, Hamm ›››, Smith ©, Ogiugo • Lancaster, J. Wood, Nunn ‹‹‹, Frost ‹, Koura ‹‹ Frost (84’), Clark (85’) • 60’

Downey Waring ›, Downey, Hamm, Smith ©, Ogiugo • Lancaster, J. Wood, Koura ‹‹, Frost ‹, McGregor Hamm (45’), Wincer (73’) • 22p, 40’, 67’

Ogiugo Speed, Downey ›, Hamm, Smith ©, Ogiugo • Clark, Frost ‹, Koura ‹‹, McGregor ‹‹‹, Rodgers

• 48’, 62’ Downey, Frost, Smith ©, McGregor ›› • Stephens ‹, Fitzsimmons ‹‹, Hughes

Waring (21’), Downey (28’) • 19’, 51’ Nunn

Waring (57’), McGregor (67p), Fitzsimmons (90+4’) • 18’, 84’ Downey Downey, Frost ›››, Smith ©, McGregor ›››› • Rodgers ‹‹, Jones ‹, Koura ‹‹‹, Clewlow ‹‹‹‹‹, Fitzsimmons ‹‹‹‹

Downey, Frost, Smith ©, McGregor ›› • Clewlow ‹, Fitzsimmons, Hughes

• 6’, 52’, 76’ Smith

Abbey Hulton United

Club factfile

Year formed: 1947

Nickname: United

Ground: Drayton Beaumont Park

Record attendance: 605 (vs Stoke City, 10 November 2021)

Chairman: Lee Savage

Secretary: John Wightman

First team manager: Russell Leadbetter

Twitter followers: 3,209 (@HultonUtd)

2021/22

NWCFL First Division South: 16th/20, 42 points

FA Vase: First qualifying round

Macron Cup: First round

Edward Case Cup: Quarter-finals

Staffordshire Senior Cup: First round

2020/21: 17th/20, three points. Curtailed after seven games

2019/20: 15th/20, 31 points. Curtailed after 31 games

Record vs Lairds

Lairds wins: 5

Draws: 1

Abbey Hulton United wins: 4

Aggregate score: Lairds 16-13 Abbey Hulton United

The final visitors to the KR Couriers and Transport Ltd Stadium for this season are Abbey Hulton United, who triumphed 2-0 when this fixture was played early last season and are looking to climb from their current position of 13th..

Recent seasons

Abbey Hulton joined the NWCFL in the 2017/18 season. After a solid debut in the First Division which earned a 13th place finish, they then topped the table for much of the first half of the inaugural First Division South campaign, only to slip away to eighth place. Since then, they have established themselves as a solid outfit at this level, and look set to improve on last term’s 16th place finish.

The campaign so far

Russell Leadbetter’s team have enjoyed a solid season which could yet yield silverware as they have an Edward Case Cup semi-final away to Bacup Borough lined up next Saturday. Standout results have included a 7-1 thrashing of Foley Meir for their first league win, a 3-1 triumph at Brocton and big victories on the road 5-1 at Abbey Hey and 4-1 at Sandbach United. They were on a run of just one defeat in seven, that against leaders Stockport Town, before losing 1-0 at Barnton in the week. Their three matches before that ended in draws.

Ones to watch

Abbey Hulton’s defensive record ranks among the top five in the divison with just 44 goals conceded, goalkeeper Dominic Kurasik proving a very safe pair of hands. The star of the show though has been Liam Robinson, who boasts a division-high 11 Man of the Match awards and 18 goals from 36 appearances. Matthew Ward is another player to watch with 12 goals and six Man of the Matches, and Lee Cropper has netted five in his last seven.

Last three

Barnton 1-0 Abbey Hulton United

Wednesday 22 March 2023

NWCFL First Division South

Stockport Georgians 3-3 Abbey Hulton United Saturday 11 March 2023

NWCFL First Division South

Abbey Hulton United 0-0 Cheadle Heath Nomads

Saturday 4 March 2023

NWCFL First Division South

Abbey Hulton United club history

Abbey Hulton United Football Club was formed 70 years

ago in 1947, making it one of the oldest clubs still playing

Saturday football in North Staffordshire.

During its very early days the club played on council land in the Abbey Hulton area.

It continued to use this facility for the first 15 years, despite the fact that the changing facilities were more than a mile away from the actual pitch.

In 1962 it was decided that the team should move to the park’s facility at Bucknall Park, which was complete with its own changing rooms and showers adjacent to the pitch what a luxury!

The team continued to use Bucknall Park for another 23 years until 1985.

During the period from 1947 to 1985, the team played in many local junior leagues such as:

 The Longton League

 Fenton and District League

 Burslem and Tunstall League

 Newcastle and District League

They graced all the above leagues with great distinction.

Over the years the club became more financially stable and grew in ambition.

Finally in 1985 they acquired a piece of land at Birches Head Road on which it was able to obtain a 99-year lease.

This is the club’s current address.

Immediately, a clubhouse was built containing a bar and changing rooms for both teams and officials.

At the same time, an outside five-a-side football facility was built, complete with floodlights.

Having moved to this new facility, the club opted to join the North Staffs Alliance League.

It competed in this league before seeking election to one of the top leagues in the area, the Staffs County League (North), in 1987.

The team played in this league and finally had a momentous season in 1997/98 by winning the league, the cup and also the

Fair Play Award all in one season.

Having achieved this feat, the club applied to join what is the top junior league in North Staffordshire, the Staffordshire County Senior League.

In the season 2016/17, Abbey Hulton United FC won the Leek Cup and were the Staffordshire County Premier League champions.

They felt that it was the right time to apply to go into the NWCFL. Major ground improvements had to be achieved to allow them to enter the League.

With great support from club members and local volunteers, this was achieved.

After all the hard work, they were proud to be accepted into the League, and finished a very respectable 13th in their first season, then 8th in the First Division South in 2018/19.

Following two Covid-19 disrupted seasons, Abbey Hulton finished 16th last season.

Abbey Hulton United Football Club is named after the Scheduled Monument of Hulton Abbey.

The abbey was founded by Henry de Audley in the early 13th century.

Throughout its life, the abbey was relatively small and poor with one of the lowest incomes of all Staffordshire religious houses.

The abbey was dissolved by Henry VIII in 1538, with its land and assets being sold. Hulton Abbey was surrendered to the Crown on 18 September 1538, by which time it was worth only £200 per year and had only nine monks including the abbot. Little remains of the abbey today, but continued excavations have revealed the foundations of a number of the principal claustral buildings, as well as human burials.

In 1963, Hulton Abbey was designated a Scheduled Monument under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979.

However due to its poor condition it is considered Heritage at Risk.

The site is now owned and managed by Stoke-on-Trent City Council.

In the Domesday Book, Hulton is recorded as ‘Heltone’, meaning ‘hill town’.

Match report

Seventeen-year-old substitute Charlie Fitzsimmons came on to slot home a dramatic injury-time winner and seal a sensational victory for Cammell Laird 1907 at third-placed Brocton.

Lairds were coming off the back of a useful 2-2 draw against Eccleshall on Saturday, but a midweek trip to Stafford for one of their longest away journeys against a team who had won 14 of their 16 home league fixtures looked a tough assignment. Brocton were quick out of the blocks, and James Dineley made a great save early on to deny the division’s top scorer Regan Smith.

However, the commanding work of Dean Nunn in the Lairds rearguard and the tenacity of midfielders Ross Waring, Joe Downey, and Ryan Smith helped them to limit the opportunities Brocton had to move the ball at pace.

The home side took the lead on 18 minutes when Smith kept a cross alive at the far post and headed back for Charlie King to net from close range. Lairds looked a threat when driven forward, particularly through Michael Speed down the left, but they went into half-time 1-0 behind.

The second half proved one of the most dramatic 45 minutes of football witnessed this season and earned the hard-working Cammells a massive three points that their recent performances and persistence have deserved.

They levelled when Downey’s drilled free-kick was headed home by Waring, and turned the game on its head when they were awarded a penalty when Brocton goal-

keeper Tony Allsopp was sent off for reacting angrily in an incident with Kieron Frost.

Cameron McGregor found the corner from 12 yards, despite the stand-in goalkeeper getting a hand to his effort. Lairds turned to youngsters Charlie Clewlow and Charlie Fitzsimmons on the bench after Jason Clark and McGregor picked up knocks. Despite having several players out of position, Lairds continued battling away, and would have doubled their lead but Downey couldn’t quite pick out an unmarked Fitzsimmons for a tap-in.

With six minutes remaining, the home side equalised when Connor Haddaway found space in the box and rifled home, despite the best efforts of the retreating Clewlow. Both teams still believed they could turn one point into three, and it was Lairds who made it a night to remember when midfielder Fitzsimmons, playing as an emergency striker, showed maturity beyond his years to latch onto a clearance, outpace the defender and slide home in the 94th minute.

It sparked wild celebrations from the visiting players, management and supporters who knew the value of this fantastic away win.

Lairds lost 3-0 at in-form Cheadle Heath Nomads last weekend to a double from Adama Sidibeh and one from Eric Yahaya, although captain Ryan Smith was in goal for 75 minutes due to an inury to Dave Potter.

NWCFL 2022/23

Next up

Lairds’ season is set to conclude with three away games on the spin in April, starting with a trip to in-form New Mills.

Last season’s beaten play-off finalists have been unable to match last season’s tremendous form, and their chances of breaking into the top five from their current seventh place position appear slim given the 10-pont gap to Cheadle Town, although they have lost just one of their last nine.

Stuart Keir’s team’s first win of the season came by three goals to two against New Mills here in August, but the Millers triumphed 4-2 on home soil in this match last year.

Distance to Church Lane: 54.7 miles

Directions: Take the M56 towards Manchester then the M60 towards Stockport. Leave the M60 to junction 27, take the Stockport A560 exit. At Portwood roundabout take the fifth exit onto St Mary’s Way/A626, continue onto Stockport Road B6101 to New Mills. At the roundabout in New Mills town centre turn down Union Road to the traffic lights, turn left onto Church Road. At the top of the hill after St Georges Church, turn left into Church Lane.

Nearest train station: New Mills Central

Distance travelled so far 2022/23: 2,107.7 miles

The squads

Elsewhere in the NWCFL First Division South Today: Alsager Town vs Barnton; Cheadle Town vs New Mills; Eccleshall vs Stockport Georgians; Ellesmere Rangers vs Ashville; Foley Meir vs Sandbach United; Maine Road vs Brocton; Stafford Town vs Rocester; Stockport Town vs Cheadle Heath Nomads; Wythenshawe Amateurs vs Abbey Hey

CAMMELL LAIRD 1907

Manager: Stuart Keir

Assistant: Jordan Scott

Colours: Royal Blue

Players No. Gls Notes

James Dineley (GK)

David Potter (GK)

Sten-Marek Orumaa (GK)

Dominic Cain

Jason Clark

Charlie Clewlow

Joseph Downey

Charlie Fitzsimmons

Kieron Frost

Ethan Galt

Kieran Hamm

Benjamin Hughes

Michael Jones

Kalif Koura

William Lyons

Cameron McGregor

Dean Nunn

Joel Ogiugo

Lee Rodgers

Ryan Smith ©

Daniel Stephens

Ross Waring

Richard Wincer

Jack Wood

ABBEY HULTON UNITED

Manager: Russell Leadbetter

Colours: Maroon

Players No. Gls Notes

Dominic Kurasik (GK)

Daniel Allen

Joshua Bristow

Lee Cropper

Jack Flanaghan

Eric Graves

Callum Griffiths

Jack Gumbley

Zak Hill

Joel Igwenwanne

Joe Lewis

Durell Manhertz

Brandon Newell

William Tams

Keeylin Thomas

Matthew Ward

Jamie Weldon

Sam Wytcherley