#BNSFC

OFFICIAL PROGRAMME: ISSUE ONE

Saturday 5 August 2023 Barrows Farm

Versus Malpas (H) 2pm kick-off

Two of the town's most respected grassroots football clubs have merged into a solitary side for the 2023/24 season and beyond.

Billinge and New Street had their merger approved by the County FA on 6 June and will be known as ‘Billinge New Street Football Club’, with immediate effect.

The two clubs - with 55 years of history between them - have been friends for many of those years with many players representing both clubs and will compete in the Cheshire Football League this coming season.

Billinge chairman Andy Vaughan said: "After a couple of meetings it was apparent that there was a real synergy with a shared vision and the same ambitions.

"In recent years Billinge has been seen as an 'easy touch' with our best players and management picked off by other clubs but by joining up with New Street that gives us a set of players and a management team that are not only very talented, but they are extremely loyal to the club.

"It also brings two very strong committees together, strengthens our commercial clout, allows us to build up our youth and reserve sections and get more involved in the local communities."

New Street chairman and manager Steve Hallwood added: "We have shared a training pitch with the Billinge lads all last season so know the club well and we are really looking forward to this new challenge.

The new club will be based at both Barrows Farm and the Sutton Leisure Centre with the first team Saturday games being played on the 3G pitch at Sutton with Vaughan saying: "I'm incredibly excited that we are playing on Sutton as - in my view - it is quite simply the best playing surface in the area along with brilliant facilities.

"It is now a case of making it both a fortress and a home, and we'll be looking at various ways in the coming weeks of achieving this and will be looking to pack the place out come kick-off time."

Hallwood added: "The lads and me have really enjoyed our time in the Warrington and District Football League and we've had some huge successes, but the time has come to challenge ourselves in the Cheshire Football League.

"We now look forward to welcoming supporters of Billinge and New Street to Sutton where together we can create more great memories.

The coming weeks will also see the club restructured in small ways to help the progression getting everything in place for the start of the 2023/24 season with Vaughan saying: "I'm really looking forward to being involved in the rebranding of the new club and a really successful future."

Billinge New Street had a disappointing start to the season when they lost 4-2 at home to newly promoted Upton JFC of Chester.

After a good pre-season the recently merged side left their first below-par game for this first League match.

That said there were still positives as they started and ended the match brightly.

In fact, Billinge took the lead on six minutes when a loose ball was pounced on by Adam Horkins who stabbed the ball home from 12 yards out.

On 18 minutes James Lally went close for the visitors following a good free-kick routine and then three minutes later they were level when Sam Rockall finished from a tight angle.

The remainder of the half was a tight affair, but New Street's keeper Danny Still had to be at his best to deny James Lally who was through on goal after an earlier mistake by the home side.

This kept the score at 1-1 at half time.

If Billinge had started the first-half the better of the two sides, it was the visitors turn as with the wind on their backs they took the lead on 51 minutes with - this time Lally finishing after a skilful solo run.

The Storks response was immediate after a strong run and cross by Jonny Newton unfortunately evaded the onrushing attackers.

Sadly, the visitors went 3-1 ahead on 70 minutes when a corner hit Street's Sean Cotterell and went into the net for an unfortunate own goal.

This, however, seemed to spur the home side on as Jordon Hallwood and Jordan Pilling both went close.

Then on 85 minutes Billinge narrowed the deficit with the goal of the game; substitute Danny Lamb received the ball out wide, drove on and hit an unstoppable shot from 20 yards out.

Three minutes later Cotterell produced a brilliant cross that was met by the head of Hallwood, but the ball went agonisingly wide.

Lamb almost got on the end of a lovely through ball from Adam Morris before he put a great cross in that just evaded Newton coming in at the near post.

With the game entering the final Billinge New Street were caught on the break as the excellent Paddy Lally made it 4-2 and killed off the home side's hopes of salvaging a draw.

After the game Street's manager Steve Hallwood was disappointed saying: "It's very rare that I say our midfield was outbattled but that was the case today.

"That set the tone of the game, but we were also unfortunate that we lost both strikers with injuries in the first half losing our cutting edge up front.

"But we'll dust ourselves down, take the positives from the game and go into the next match with confidence."

One of those positives was the form of Jordon Hallwood who picked up the man-of-the-match award sponsored by SC Renewables for a battling and skilful performance for the full 90 minutes.

Billinge New Street bounced back from the opening day's defeat with an excellent battling 0-0 draw against Golborne Sports at Barrows Farm on Tuesday night.

Games between the two are always feisty affairs and this was no exception as no quarter was given by either side.

While there were no goals there was plenty of action as both had chances to win it.

Golborne's best came on 12 minutes when the prolific Jordan Coates found himself through on goal only to be denied by a great save by Danny Still.

Street responded well as Warren Gerrard went close with a 25-yard free-kick before Jack Dougherty did the same with a header.

On 30 minutes it was Gerrard who was the provider as he put an inch-perfect cross onto the head of Martin Dearden who unfortunately guided it the wrong side of the post.

Dearden worked his socks off upfront but couldn't find the net as a few chances fell to the normally deadly striker.

As the game progressed Scott Walker went close for the visitors and Gerrard had another long-range drive go just over the bar.

The final chance of the game fell to Dearden who couldn't quite guide the ball home following a teasing cross from Jordon Hallwood.

After the game it was generally considered that it was a fair result as both teams would have been gutted to lose the game.

For Billinge manager Steve Hallwood it was just a case of bouncing back from Saturday's defeat and putting a performance in as Saturday's was not representative of how the team can play.

He was pleased with the way the midfield battled against a very physical side with Adam Morris, Hallwood and Gerrard being very influential throughout the ninety minutes, but it was Gerrard that just edged it picking up the SC Renewables man-of-the-match award.

TODAY’S VISITORS

MALPAS FC

Today’s opponents Malpas play their football at the excellent Malpas & District Sports Club down by the Welsh border.

A bit like Barrows Farm, a lovely place to visit when the sun is shining but the complete opposite when it’s hammering down. That said they do have an excellent all-seater stand.

Last season it wasn’t needed as the sun shone and we came away with a decent 1-0 victory. The same can’t be said for the home fixture when Malpas came away with the three points after a thumping 4-0 victory.

Not that much can be gauged from last season’s results as both sides are now under new management with the visitors now managed by Crewe Alexandra legend and Northern Ireland international Steve Jones.

It all adds up to being an interesting game down at the San S(utton)iro today.

MALPAS SQUAD

Peter Aidley - Lloyd Chesters - Harry Cunningham - James Dear

Zak Entwistle - Jake Foster - Kyle Gregory - Adam Hailes

Teddy Hall - Jack Hinchliffe - Thomas Hughes - Luke Jones

Stephen Jones - Charlie McMullan - Thomas Milburn -Nathaniel Palin

Reece Quinn - Alexander Radcliffe -Ablay Sowe - Stewart Van Ark