Issue #03 - v FC St Helens (29/08/2022)

OFFICIAL MATCHDAY PROGRAMME

THE STAG

MONDAY 29 AUGUST 2022 NWCFL First Division North vs FC ST HELENS KO 3:00PM

FREE

ISSUE #03

WHAT’S

INSIDE?

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KEVIN WATKIN PARTNER FOCUS A TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE EYES ON THE OPPONENT CLUB NEWSROOM PLAYER SPONSORS SQUADS

Produced and Edited by Glen Ritchie Official Club Photography by Ian Allington and Steve Miller

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“WE NEED TO IMPROVE FROM SATURDAY; WE CAN’T AFFORD TO CONCEDE THREE GOALS AT HOME.” 4

THOUGHTS FROM

G

THE DUGOUT

ood afternoon, and welcome again to Rakesmoor Lane for today’s North West Counties Football League fixture against FC St Helens.

When the fixtures are issued at the beginning of the season, I’m sure all managers look for the Bank Holiday weekend games to hope for that home tie on the Monday. This year we’ve been fortunate to get Saturday and Monday at home, reducing the demand on the players slightly, which can be a real boost.

We went into the weekend on the back of two wins which gave us confidence going into the game. We are happy to have come through that test against AFC Blackpool. The fact that the next game is so soon after is seen as a positive for us, as sometimes in football, momentum can be a significant factor and will also give us a chance to utilise our solid squad.

We know that the last result means nothing in football, and we all know we need to improve from Saturday; we can’t afford to concede three goals at home.

There is an element of the unknown for the fixture today with FC St Helens being new to the North West Counties, so we have prepared no different, but it will be nice to welcome them to Rakesmoor Lane for the first time.

KEVIN WATKIN

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GOLD

PARTNERS

6

SILVER

PARTNERS

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A TRIP DOWN

MEMORY LANE

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MATCH FACTS vs Competiton Venue Date Result

Bury FC NWCFL Neuven Stadium Saturday, 15th January 2022 2-0 9

EYES O

OPPO FACTSHEET COLOURS Red & White NICKNAME Stripes GROUND NAME Windleshaw Sports Ground CAPACITY 1,000 RECORD ATTENDANCE Not Recorded LAST TIME OUT First Outing

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ON THE

ONENT THEIR HISTORY FC St Helens was formed in 2014 at the heart of the town. A club developing constantly and growing based on a strongly held set of values. Playing football the way they believe it should be played and conducting themselves appropriately with a professional approach to our progress.

They strongly emphasise developing young players from the town and allowing them to represent St. Helens.

Their first season saw them playing in the Third Division of the West Cheshire League. They secured a top-six finish having won 11 of their 26 league games, but they were some way behind champions Kirkby Town Railway. They also reached the semi-final of the West Cheshire Bowl, losing out to Bootle Reserves.

That summer saw them move to the Cheshire League, with better facilities at most grounds and teams playing a better standard of football would aid the development of players.

Placed in the Second Division of the league, they finished fourth, losing just five games that season. They also topped their group in the J A Walton Cup before losing a penalty shootout in the quarter-finals against Golborne Sports.

That fourth-place finish was enough for promotion to the First Division for the next season, and 14 wins from their 30 games brought them fifth place, an excellent showing for a newly promoted team.

They went one better in the J A Walton Cup, which was a knockout this season, progressing to the semi-finals before being beaten by eventual winners Warrington Town Reserves.

drawing 1-1 with Whaley Bridge Athletic but losing 4-2 on penalties.

A ground grading visit from the NWCFL took place, with a list of jobs to bring the ground up to NWCFL standard.

The primary item was expanding the changing room block to increase the dressing room size for all changing areas and provide a new changing room for if there are mixedgender officials.

The 2019/20 season saw FC St Helens in fifth place, 5 points off leaders Whaley Bridge Athletic but with two games in hand. Yet, with two weeks remaining, Covid-19 brought a premature end to the season.

The following season was late getting underway, but FC St Helens got off to a flier. Eight successive league victories followed a 4-4 draw, and by Christmas, the club were unbeaten and 12 points clear with a goal difference of +30.

Covid-19 abruptly ended yet another season.

Football briefly returned in April for the JB Parker Cup, but FC’s run ended in the quarter-finals. This season did see them lift their first major trophy - the Lancashire County Amateur Shield, winning 2-0 against Lostock St Gerrards.

Covid-19 meant that much of the ground work was completed. In addition to the changing rooms, a covered stand was erected behind the goal and hard standing on three sides of the ground. The final task was obtaining a grant for floodlights to go up after promotion.

The 2017/18 season saw them finish fifth. They won 15 of their 28 league games, and with the league so close, they were only six points from the league champions.

2020/21. After two frustrating years, they finally lifted the Cheshire League Premier Division trophy, winning the league by 12 points and losing just four games all season.

The J A Walton Cup saw a disappointing first-round exit, but the season was a success at the AGM. With Ashton Town promoted back to the NWCFL and Rudheath Social and Warrington Town Reserves both folding, FC St Helens were promoted to the top flight of the Cheshire League only three years after joining.

The club was set for promotion, but a final twist brought news that they had failed to reach the required ground grading. This was due to a difference in interpretation of the hard-standing around the ground.

Resolved by an FA appeal, the club was promoted to the NWCFL for the 2022/23 season.

They did superbly in the JB Parker Cup, beating Malpas, Congleton Vale Rovers and Eagle Sports to reach the Final,

The summer has seen the hard-standing extended to four sides, with floodlights installed by September 2022.

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NEWSROOM

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2022/23

PLAYER SPONSO

14

PATRICK ALLINGTON

JOE AMISON

JAY BARKER

BRANDON COLLINS

TOM DAWSON

CALLUM FAWCETT

JAMIE HODGSON

SAM JOEL

HAKAN MCCRACKEN

SEAN PATERSON

NATHAN REID

GARETH SMITH

ORS SAM STEPHENS

KEVIN WATKIN

JASON WALKER

TYLER WOOD

JOSH WOODEND

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MANAGER KEVIN WATKIN & DAVID ROUND

MANAGER OLI MACBRYDE & JACK GRAHAM

Patrick ALLINGTON Joe AMISON Jay BARKER Callum BAYNES Brandon COLLINS Reece CRESSWELL Tom DAWSON Max DIXON Callum FAWCETT Jamie HODGSON Sam JOEL Ross LIDDICOTT Finley MARTIN Hakan MCCRACKEN Joe MCGLADDERY Will MCGLADDERY Luke MITCHELL Sean PATERSON Daniel PATTINSON Nathan REID Gareth SMITH Tyler SPENCE Sam STEPHENS Jason WALKER Robbie WALLACE Kevin WATKIN Tyler WOOD Josh WOODEND

Steve ASHTON Jack BALL Ishmael BANKS Joe BARKER Liam BOTT Elliott BRADSHAW Jack GIBNEY Jack GRAHAM Brad GREEN Joe HAMPSON Liam HOUGHTON Michael HOUGHTON Lewis JENKINSON Ryan JOHNSON Matthew KNOWLES Joe MASON Ryan MASON Joe MCKEEGAN Patrick MCLOUGHLIN William MEREDITH Liam PLATT Ryan PLATT Ben READE Zak RILEY Daniel RUSSELL Thomas SCARBOROUGH Jacob STRETCH Paul SWEENEY Neil WEAVER