TODAYS OPPOSITION

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TODAYS OPPOSITION SANDBACH UNITED FC

Sandbach United Football Club was established in 2004 when Sandbach Albion and Sandbach Ramblers joined forces. Hence the R & A on the club badge. Sandbach Albion was formerly known as Hays Junior Football Club and was founded in 1994, playing on the pitches of what was then Albion Chemicals. As health and safety issues became more prevalent in the 90’s they left that site and for 5 years the Senior home ground was at Sandbach cricket club. In 2006 Sandbach United formed the adult team, which initially competed in the Crewe and District League before moving to the Staffordshire Senior League First Division and then being promoted to the Premier Division for the 2008/9 season. The Sandbach Community Football Centre was opened early in the 2011/12 season. United switched to the Cheshire League in 2011 and won promotion to the Premier Division for the 2013/14 season before moving to The North West Counties Division one league for the 2016/17 season. The clubs first season in the NWCFL D1 League was better than they could have dreamt, winning the Macron Club of the Month in December, finishing in 6th place and the playoffs in Division 1 as well as being Reusch First Division Challenge Cup Runners up. Their goal keeper, Ryan Moss also collected two Reusch Keeper of the Month awards. In another first for the club, the 2017/18 season saw the club enter The FA Vase with a home 2nd Qualifying Round fixture against AFC Emley. The 2018/19 season provided the club with its first trophy since joining The North West Counties Football League as they defeated Avro FC 4–2 to lift The First Division Challenge Cup. The club also made their debut in the FA Cup, joining the competition in the extra preliminary round, but got knocked out by Parkgate in this round. The 2019/20 season was very different indeed, Sandbach United were unable to replicate the high league position for most of the season and struggled with many player changes which disrupted the team. However they did continue to impress in the challenge cup as holders it gave the team hope of some success. Sadly the season was curtailed and declared null and void due to COVID 19, this ironically was to be a blessing a it gave the team chance to regroup and when the league decided to play out the remaining rounds of the cup in September 2020 Sandbach took the chance and went on to retain the cup in an exciting game against AFC Liverpool. The game finished 2-2 with Sandbach coming from behind twice, the cup was ultimately decided on penalties with Sandbach the victors with a 4-3 shootout score. A further piece of luck sees Sandbach get another shot at promotion after the null and void season meant it was 4 to be promoted again in the 2020/21 season. The 2020/21 season was once again badly affected by the COVID 19 pandemic and was curtailed with Sandbach holding one of the promotion places. However a change in how the FA decided to calculate the PPG meant that we missed out again on promotion. The club has over 600 players and 40+ teams that operate from its Hind Heath Road base. United have teams playing in the Mid -Cheshire Youth League and the Cheshire Girls League among others and the age range covers adults and veterans teams right down to Soccer School for Reception and Year 1 children.