Issue #04 - v Nelson FC (17/08/2024)

OFFICIAL MATCHDAY PROGRAMME

THE STAG

SATURDAY 17 AUGUST 2024 NWCFL First Division North vs NELSON FC KO 3:00PM

FREE

ISSUE 04

WHAT’S

INSIDE?

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KEVIN WATKIN PARTNER FOCUS EYES ON THE OPPONENT CLUB NEWSROOM PLAYER SPONSORS SQUADS

Produced and Edited by GR.VISUALS Official Club Photography by Ian Allington and GR.VISUALS

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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.

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“WE ARE OPTIMISTIC ABOUT THE TOUGH ENCOUNTER” 4

THOUGHTS FROM

G

THE DUGOUT

ood evening and welcome back to Rakesmoor Lane for today’s North West Counties Football League fixture against Nelson.

Welcome back to Rakesmoor Lane for what, on paper, looks like an exciting game.

We have started well with a run of 6 unbeaten. Today’s opponents, Nelson, who sit at the top of the league, will be looking to bounce back from their midweek defeat to Droylsden. We are optimistic about the tough encounter ahead and believe in our ability to perform well.

The lads know how important it is to keep working hard in games to get control. Then they can look to move the ball quickly, play football and create chances going forward, which we have done well in the previous games, so just a case of continuing what we have been doing.

Unfortunately, we have had to make a few changes after losing Brandon and Jason. Still, we have a squad who are capable of dealing with those losses, which starts today. I’m sure Tommy can continue his run of form in front of goal in their absence.

KEV WATKIN

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GOLD

PARTNERS

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SILVER

PARTNERS

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EYES O

OPPO FACTSHEET COLOURS Blue NICKNAME The Admirals GROUND NAME Victoria Park CAPACITY 1,500 RECORD ATTENDANCE 14,143 (vs Bradford Park Avenue - 10th April 1926) LEAGUE POSITION 1st

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ON THE

ONENT THEIR HISTORY

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hink of a club that was the first English side to beat Real Madrid away from home. A side that also won away at Old Trafford in the same season. A side which has obtained favourable results against six current Barclays Premiership clubs in league games (Manchester United, Crystal Palace, Hull City, Fulham, Southampton and Stoke City). A side that played in the Football League for ten seasons and has played competitive games against 34 current sides in the top four divisions. A side that has played many FA Cup ties in the competition proper with a record home attendance of over 14,000. All this, and more, has been achieved by ‘The History Boys’ of Nelson FC, also known as ‘The Admirals’.

They performed with some success, winning two of their four games - a 2-1 success against Real Oviedo and a 4-2 victory at Real Madrid.

The origins of Nelson FC can be reputedly traced to a group of townspeople who, in 1881, on witnessing a local football match between Burnley and Blackburn, were inspired to form their own team. However, it wasn’t until 1889-90 that they competed in a senior competition, joining the Lancashire League upon its formation. The Blues started well, with a series of top six finishes, and claimed the title in grand style in 1895/96, winning 22 of their 30 games and scoring 105 goals. However, in 1898-99, the original club was disbanded.

A return to Division Three North brought a drop in attendances, though big games saw new records established, such as 13,500 for the visit of table-topping Darlington. That first season back in the third tier of the Football League saw a second-place finish to the NorthEastern side, hence no promotion, and was the last time the Blues seriously threatened a return to the national stage.

Unfortunately, Nelson’s time in Division Two was shortlived, lasting just the one season in which they finished second-bottom of the table. They struggled early on and off the pitch but achieved some remarkable feats. They had a home victory over champions-elect Leeds United, one of only nine league defeats for the Yorkshire side. And their first away victory came at Manchester United. Few nonleague clubs can claim to have won away at Real Madrid and Manchester United!

Just a few months after their demise, Nelson were reformed and accepted into the North East Lancashire League, later joining the Central League. When football resumed after the First World War, Nelson embarked upon the most remarkable adventure of their history. In 1921 the thirteen non-reserve teams of the Central League were voted into the Football League’s newly formed Third Division North.

On 27th August 1921, the first league match brought a record attendance at Seedhill of 9,000.

The following season, 1922-23, saw the Blues lead a close race for much of the season, and five wins in a row during April saw them romp away to the title. One team was promoted from the Third Division North and South of the Football League then, which meant Nelson entered a nationwide league for the first time. On the back of their title triumph, and in preparation for life in Division Two, Nelson took the unusual step of an overseas tour to Spain in May 1923.

‘The side that beat Real Madrid’

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EYES O

OPPO The following season brought a new and never beaten record attendance at Seedhill of 14,143 for the visit of leaders Bradford Park Avenue. The home team went two goals down but came back to draw 2-2. Two seasons later, Nelson became serious strugglers, finding themselves £6,500 in debt. A rock-bottom finish meant a re-election application. They had conceded 136 goals during the season, and all the problems seemed to be down to insufficient gate receipts during difficult times for the area.

Re-election was granted in 1928, but three seasons later, Nelson were back in the same situation, and 1930-31 was to be their final season as a League club. Nelson struggled in the Lancashire Combination without winning any honours, and things became much bleaker in 1936. A significant loss was incurred that season and the club disbanded on 7th August.

Following the war, Nelson returned to action and the Lancashire Combination. They were involved in some terrific tussles for the title with Wigan Athletic over the next few seasons, winning it twice in 1949/50 and 1951/52. In those three seasons of 42 league games, Nelson scored 125, 120 and 139 goals, respectively. The first title season also saw Nelson clinch the Lancashire Combination Cup to seal a historic Double in one of the premier leagues in the country outside of the Football League.

The men at the forefront of this period of success were two young player-managers. Centre-half Bob Johnson moved from Burnley for the start of the 1949/50 season, and, when his contract expired, the Blues landed a young man from Manchester City, 30-year-old Joe Fagan. The team built by ‘Uncle Joe’ romped to the title in his first season in 1951/52. Joe left to join Liverpool’s boot room team in 1958, and 25 years later, he was the manager who took the Reds to a European Cup, League Championship and League Cup treble.

Nelson joined the Third Division of the newly created North West Counties League - an amalgamation of the Lancashire Combination and Cheshire County League - in 1982. During that era, Nelson also moved out of their old Seedhill ground, sadly demolishing it to make way for the M65 motorway. However, the route was subsequently tweaked, and most of the original site is still intact, minus the stands and buildings. The club were transferred into the Second Division of the North West Counties League when the Third Division was dropped six seasons later.

However, after one more season, the club’s new ground was deemed not up to league standard, and the team was forced to play in the Second Division of the West Lancashire League for four seasons. It was challenging for the Blues, and they finished no higher than 15th. After much hard work, the new ground at Victoria Park - known by the locals as ‘Little Wembley’ - was brought up to scratch, and the club were re-admitted to the North West Counties League.

Nelson usually finished in the top half of the lower Division in the following years.

A cruel end to the 2000/2001 season saw Nelson finish above Atherton LR in the third and final promotion place on the last day of the season, only to see the latter granted a replay of their final game as their opponents had fielded an ineligible player. Atherton won the replayed game to snatch away the third spot from the Blues.

As Fagan was beginning his long association with the Merseysiders, Nelson’s fortunes were to move, quite markedly, in the opposite direction. A third Combination Cup arrived in 1959/60, but a second-place finish in 1960/61 was the nearest they came to winning the Combination title again. A third place was collected in the final season of that league in 1981/82 - which by this time had lost much of its former quality and status - before the restructuring of the non-league pyramid.

Seedhill, home of Nelson FC (Pictured in the 1960s)

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ON THE

ONENT Former Blackburn Rovers coach David Hall took over the manager’s role at the start of the 2004/05 season and set about rebuilding a new young team. Hall was to leave after a poor start to the following season, but his assistant Graham Howarth took over and oversaw an incredible late run which propelled the Blues to a third-place finish, bringing with it a first promotion for the club in 83 years.

The club fought off relegation threats and maintained a place in the Premier Division for four seasons before administrative troubles forced the club to resign from the NWCFL in the summer of 2010. After a year out to regroup, Nelson rejoined the First Division under new ownership.

With a composite board containing English and Asian board members that reflect the diversity within the town in the modern era, the club now aims to build a robust multicultural community club. One acts as a bridge between diverse community sections, uniting everyone under the common banner of football and providing a pathway into senior non-league football for any local players good enough, regardless of their race, religion or background. In the long term, the club wants to re-establish itself as the leading non-league club in the region and eventually regain the Football League place they lost in 1931.

The first season back was a transitional one as the new owners learnt about life running a senior football team, and a 15th place finish was achieved. The 2012/13 season started with a new young management team of Robert Grimes and Michael Morrison, and things started well with The Admirals racing to the top of the table. However, cracks soon began to appear, and a couple of months in, the management team departed along with most of the squad. Nelson limped along for a few weeks, taking some heavy defeats due to fielding what was effectively the clubs’ reserve team before manager Mark Fell arrived.

He immediately brought stability to the club, an upturn in fortunes, and a host of new signings. Through his contacts, he also established a permanent training ground and base for the club at Accrington & Rossendale College, meaning the club now boasts the same training facilities as League Two neighbours Accrington Stanley. On the pitch, the side recovered to a mid-table 10th position.

Fell’s first entire season brought long-awaited success back to the town, a first league title in 62 years. Fell’s Nelson were outstanding, scoring a remarkable 157 goals in 45 games and winning the NWCFL Division 1 by five clear points. Nelson’s Peter Wright became the league’s top scorer with 38 goals.

2014/15 saw the Admirals return to the NWCFL Premier Division, with The Blues finishing a respectable 11th place, the club’s highest position in over 30 years. Last season, despite a bright start, a run of seven defeats in nine games saw Mark Fell decide to step down as manager and be replaced by ex-Nelson Striker Paul Fildes who guided Nelson to 16th by the end of the season. Just before preseason Fildes was offered the Manager position at Ramsbottom Utd and left Nelson looking for a new manager. Ahead of the 2016/17 season, ex-Burnley player Phil Eastwood was appointed manager; however, after only one win in the first ten league games, Eastwood stood down in October. The Admirals decided to promote Youth Team manager Alex Norwood to First Team Manager as the club look to avoid relegation from the Premier Division.

Unfortunately, relegation was confirmed, and now the club are looking to bounce back and fight at the top end of Division One.

‘Little Wembley’ - Main Stand

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EYES ON THE

OPPONENT

Little Wembley, Nelson

Little Wembley, Nelson

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2024/25

PLAYER SPONSO

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JOE AMISON

MATT BAILEY

LEWIS BALLANTYNE

BRANDON COLLINS

TOM DAWSON

LUKE DAVEY

FRANKIE ELLIS

LUKE ELLIS

CALLUM FAWCETT

JAMIE HODGSON

SAM JOEL

FINLEY MARTIN

ORS JOE MCGLADDERY

WILL MCGLADDERY

LUKE MITCHELL

NATHAN REID

TYLER SPENCE

JASON WALKER

TYLER WOOD

JOSH WOODEND

KEVIN WATKIN

DAVE ROUND

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MANAGER KEVIN WATKIN & DAVID ROUND

MANAGER ARRON RIPLEY

Joe AMISON Matt BAILEY Lewis BALLANTYNE Callum BAYNES Brandon COLLINS Tom DAWSON Luke DAVEY Max DIXON Dylan ELLIS Frankie ELLIS Luke ELLIS Callum FAWCETT Farryl FOSTER Jamie HODGSON Sam JOEL Freddie LAWTON Finley MARTIN Joe MCGLADDERY Will MCGLADDERY Charlie MCGLOWN Harry MELLEN Luke MITCHELL Nathan REID Tyler SPENCE Jason WALKER Kevin WATKIN Tyler WOOD Joshua WOODEND

Owen ANDERSON Ryan BOLTON Lewis BROWN Jack BURROWS Joseph DODGSON Jack DOHERTY Kian ELLIS Jude ENTWISTLE Charlie FROST Sefton GONZALES Andrew GRANT-SOULSBY Vaughn GREEN Logan GRIMSHAW Jacob HAMILTON Darren HOLDEN Sean INCE Harry JACKSON William LUDLOW FOSTER Jak MCKINLAY Jay NOLAN Billy PRIESTLEY Jordan SCOTT Christopher THOMPSON Joshua WALNE Tom YATES