TUESDAY 21 FEBRUARY 2023
NWCFL First Division North vs EUXTON VILLA FC
KO 7:45PM
FREE ISSUE #14
OFFICIAL MATCHDAY PROGRAMME
THE STAG
WHAT’S INSIDE? 4 6 8 10 14 18 22 KEVIN WATKIN WILL MCGLADDERY PARTNER FOCUS A TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE EYES ON THE OPPONENT PLAYER SPONSORS SQUADS Produced and Edited by Glen Ritchie Official Club Photography by Ian Allington and Steve Miller To advertisie in this programme please email commercial@hobafc.co.uk All editorial content within this programme is the copyright of Holker Old Boys AFC and can only be used with the club’s permission. The views in this programme don’t necessarily reflect those of Holker Old Boys AFC. 6 12 3
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“TONIGHT WILL BE A TOUGH TEST.”
THOUGHTS FROM THE DUGOUT
Good evening and a welcome to Rakesmoor Lane for tonight’s North West Counties Football League fixture against Euxton Villa FC.
Welcome back to Rakesmoor Lane, it feels like a long time overdue, but since we were here last, we have managed to maintain our run of good form, which is crucial at this stage of the season when other teams are dropping points.
Tonight will be a tough test. We know that from going down there and being second best by a long way. Euxton proved they were a very well-organised team that were capable of hurting us, so we need to do better tonight and continue our form to get what could be a big 3 points in the overall outcome of our season.
We are fortunate to have recently welcomed Brandon and Ell back into the squad, which gives us options to change the game when needed. We got the added bonus of Cal being back on Saturday after a short spell out through injury and hopefully, we can keep our momentum going and then start to welcome others back to keep pushing on.
The lads have the motivation to go one further than last year, and each game is as important as the next. Hopefully having a good number of home games remaining that we can make those count come April.
KEVIN WATKIN
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WILL MCGLADDERY
Today will be a big test for the lads against a strong opposition. They proved to us how good of a team they were when we went away to them in December. However, everyone involved knew the levels shown needed to be better that day. Today gives us an opportunity to get one over on Euxton and continue our great run of form in the new year.
The last few weeks have been very frustrating for me after suffering a hamstring injury away at Bacup. The recovery is slowly getting there, and I hope to be back involved with the team in the next couple of weeks and help continue the team’s great run. We know how long these seasons are and are taking each game as it comes. Hopefully, by April, we will be in the position we want in the league.
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“TODAY GIVES US AN OPPORTUNITY TO CONTINUE OUR GREAT RUN OF FORM”
THEIR HISTORY
Euxton Villa FC can trace their roots back to 1907. Playing simply under the name Euxton, the club led a nomadic existence, playing at various venues around the village. Before finally buying three farmer’s fields in 1985, thanks partly to a generous long-term loan from Jim Fowler, hence the ground name, though sadly, Jim did not live to see the investment blossom.
Some thirty-five years ago, they merged with junior teams from the village. The club continued organic growth to the present day, which sees a Euxton Villa of some forty-five teams of boys, girls and open age on a much-developed site, able to offer a route from early junior football right through into adult for boys and girls alike.
In 2002 we became the Community Club, proud to be one of the first in the country to attain this status. With the first team stepping up from the Preston and District League to the West Lancashire League, it was clear that further development was needed. A fundraising drive coupled a Football Foundation grant resulted in the opening of the current clubhouse in 2008 by Chorley MP and Speaker of the House Lindsay Hoyle.
In 2012 Villa were voted Community Club of the Year, and the year after were awarded LFA Charter Standard Development Club of the Year and, subsequently, FA North West Region Club of the Year. The club have since been awarded Tier 2 Status and have been selected as one of 150 Clubs nationwide for the FA Community Pilot Scheme. As is the case with most clubs, all of this has only been possible thanks to an army of selfless and enthusiastic volunteers.
On the playing side, as previously mentioned, Euxton Villa joined the West Lancashire League from The Preston District League, a huge step at the time. Still, under the stewardship of manager Mark McDonnell, back-to-back promotions were achieved in the first two seasons. Villa remained a prominent member of the Prem for twenty years or so, winning the Richardson Cup, The Bolton Wanderers Goldline Trophy, and the prestigious Lancashire Amateur Shield along the way.
Mark held the manager role for over 25 years before moving upstairs to oversee the next chapter in the club’s development. Matt Atherton, a product of Villa’s youth system and with extensive knowledge of the semi-pro game, returned as Player Coach, and the push for the next step began in earnest. Although the pandemic somewhat stymied plans, a vast and ongoing investment of time and capital sees Euxton Villa embark on a new adventure in another massive step up to the NWCFL.
15
Runshaw Hall Lane
v Stockport Georgians FC
Forward, Mike Galliers, Sees Yellow
v Chorley
JAMIE HODGSON
JOE AMISON
SAM JOEL
JAY BARKER
HAKAN MCCRACKEN
JOE MCGLADDERY
TOM DAWSON
WILL MCGLADDERY
ELLIOT MOORE
CALLUM FAWCETT
LUKE MITCHELL
GARETH SMITH
JASON WALKER
KEVIN WATKIN
JOSH WOODEND
