OFFICIAL MATCHDAY PROGRAMME
THE STAG
SATURDAY 04 NOVEMBER 2023 NWCFL First Division North vs SHELLEY CFC KO 3:00PM
FREE
ISSUE #33
WHAT’S
INSIDE?
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KEVIN WATKIN PARTNER FOCUS EYES ON THE OPPONENT LEAGUE TABLE SQUADS
Produced and Edited by GR.VISUALS Official Club Photography by Ian Allington and Steve Miller
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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 WANT TO HAVE A STRONG PERIOD UP TO CHRISTMAS” 4
THOUGHTS FROM
G
THE DUGOUT
ood afternoon and welcome back to Rakesmoor Lane for this afternoon’s North West Counties Football League fixture against Shelley CFC.
It feels like it has been a while since we have been at home, and it’s nice to be coming back on a run of good form with seven wins and two draws from our last nine games. We are keen to build on that run, and we know each game gets more challenging as teams have added motivation to be the team to break the form. We have got to adapt to a number of forced changes. With Brandon still missing through injury and Mitch missing through suspension, it’s an opportunity for some players to take their chances. Frustratingly, after today, we have a three-week break from the league due to FA Vase next week away at Ashville FC, followed by two league cup fixtures. Still, momentum is important, and we want to have a strong period up to Christmas to give us every chance of achieving our goals for the season.
KEV WATKIN
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GOLD
PARTNERS
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SILVER
PARTNERS
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EYES O
OPPO FACTSHEET COLOURS Red & Black NICKNAME Shelley GROUND NAME The Stafflex Arena CAPACITY 1,000 RECORD ATTENDANCE 320 (vs FC United - 2013) LEAGUE POSITION 17th
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ON THE
ONENT THEIR HISTORY Shelley are back in the North West Counties League again, having previously spent two years in this league. Shelley village, six miles South-East of Huddersfield, first had a football team back in 1903, and it was part of the local league set-up until folding in 1972. The club was resurrected in 1980 by Paul Hirst, Steven Shephard and previous manager Ash Berry, a highly experienced non-league boss who has also coached at the academies of a string of Football League clubs. Having spent more than 30 years in the Huddersfield District League, the progressive club joined the West Yorkshire League in 2011 and, with the support of the Leslie Sports Foundation and the Football Foundation, moved to Storthes Hall Park, now known as the Stafflex Arena, the same year. Shelley quickly progressed to the West Yorkshire League Premier Division, winning the Second Division title in 2012 and finishing First Division runners-up the following year.
The expansion of the North West Counties League provided the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of fellow West Yorkshire club Silsden, who crossed the Pennines to join the competition in 2004. Shelley finished 12th in their first season. Unfortunately, they dropped out of the North West Counties League in 2020 due to COVID-19 to ensure their continued existence and profitability. Still, they ensured promotion by their league position in the 2022/23 season. Shelley, whose climb to step six of the non-league system has been long in the planning, also run a reserve side in the West Yorkshire League, plus an over-50s Walking Football group. The picturesque venue, set amid woodland and close to University of Huddersfield student accommodation, was originally the sports ground for the Storthes Hall psychiatric hospital, which operated from 1904-1991. It was then used as a training base by Huddersfield Town before Shelley set up residence and began an impressive programme of improvements, with the multi-pitch facility, which Huddersfield Town Ladies also use. The site was officially opened by Sarah, Duchess of York, in 2015.
The Stafflex Arena, Shelley
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Shelley CFC
The Stafflex Arena, Shelley
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LEAGUE
TABLE
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COMMERCIAL
OPPORTUNITIES
HOLKER OLD BOYS AFC
COMMERCIAL OPPORTUNITIES 2023/24 SEASON
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MANAGER KEVIN WATKIN & DAVID ROUND
MANAGER ROY MASON
Joe AMISON Jay BARKER Callum BAYNES Brandon COLLINS Luke DAVEY Tom DAWSON Dylan ELLIS Frankie ELLIS Callum FAWCETT Farryl FOSTER Jamie HODGSON Samuel JOEL Jack LITHERLAND Finley MARTIN Hakan McCRACKEN Joseph McGLADDERY William McGLADDERY Luke MITCHELL Nathan REID Jackson ROUND Gareth SMITH Samuel STEPHENS Tom STEPHENSON Kevin WATKIN Tyler WOOD Joshua WOODEND
William ALDERTON James ALLAN Louis ANDRE Edson BANGALI Richard BASHA Niall BENT Craig BILLINGTON James BOOTLAND Curtis BROADFIELD Jacob BUCHANAN Oliver CASTLE Thomas CLARKE Adam DAFFERN Declan DAWSON Morgan EAST Allan GREENWOOD Matthew HAINSWORTH Jacob HAWKE Adrian IGIELSKI Dominic KUBINSKI Akram LASALIRE Antony LEECH Daniel LOCKWOOD Innocent LULY Jenson McALISKEY Dominic McDONAL-WEBSTER Ethan NIXON Wayne NDLOVU Thomas RADLEY Sheiden RODGERS Thomas ROSE Cyrus ROWE Chay SEARSTON Cain TAILFORD Jugal THAPA Zack TURNER Kymarley VINCENT Daniel VINTEN Zak WADDINGTON Harris WALKER Hayden WEBSTER George WHITTAKER