Squires Gate V Barnoldswick Town

YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT

We would like to thank our sponsors for their continued support. It is very much appreciated. Enjoy the match!

To view all of our available sponsorship opportunities, flick to page 10 or email our Head of Media James Ashton at jamesashton2000@icloud.com for any additional queries.

Good evening! A warm welcome to everyone attending tonight

s match between Squires Gate and Barnoldswick Town!

This week

s issuefeatures club stalwart and groundsman Roy Frost as our cover star, brilliantly designed by Chris Stewart (@Kitforbrains).

There

s a lot of exciting content this week, including a feature on Luke Evans for his 100th match in charge, 5 Surprise Fantasy Premier League players, an insight into Barnoldswick Town, Ones to Watch from the WSL, and lots more!

Thank youfor attendingtonight

s edition of

s game, and for purchasing your programme! Like what you see? Tag us on Twitter @TotG_SG with your thoughts on today

SquiresGateFC

Good evening, and welcome to tonight’s NWCFL Premier Division match between Squires Gate and Barnoldswick Town. A warm welcome to the visiting players, fans and committee.

It’s a special one for me tonight, as I take charge of Squires Gate for the 100th time. It’s been a huge honour to be a part of such a special club and I’m really proud to hit such a bigmilestone. Focusing on the match though, and Barnoldswick will bring a challenging test for my lads tonight. They’re always a hard-working side, with talented players who can hurt you. We’ll have to be at our very best tonightifwewanttocome

awaywiththreepoints. We’re feeling confident though after another win last week over Ashton Athletic. The 2 1 scoreline doesn't tell the whole story - we dominated the match andshould’ve won bya few more. We have to be more clinical than we were but I was happy with the quality we showed throughout the game.

We’ve got another tough match on Saturday too with a trip to Vauxhall Motors, I hope to see you Gate fans downtheretoo!

A big thank you to everyone attending tonight’s match, I hope you enjoy yourevening!

Gaffer

#WeAreGate

LUKE EVANS: 100 GAMES AT GATE

THE GAFFER TAKES CHARGE OF HIS 100TH MATCH AT SQUIRES GATE TONIGHT!

Tonight’s match against Barnoldswick Town will be Luke Evans’ 100th game in charge of theclub.

Evo joined the club just after the start of the 2019/20 season, with his first match an away trip to Avroonthe26thof September.

With Evans leading Gate to 9th place, a strong first season at the club was curtailed due to Covid.

The next season was even shorter, cancelled before the New Year, but a memorable moment in the club’s history was still made, as Gate’s FA Cup tie against Maine Road was broadcastedliveonBBC.

Evans and his players, like always, thrived on the big occasion and eased their way to a 5 0 win in front of the nation to put SquiresGateonthemap.

It was the start of great progression off the pitch for Gate, as the sense of unity Evans brought to the club and increased emphasis on social media made Squires Gate one of the most belovednon leagueclubs.

On the pitch, Evans and his players returned for the 2021/22 season with lots of hope and excitement. A steady league campaign was overshadowed by a club record equalling run in the FA Cup. The gaffer led his side to the 2nd Qualifying Round, with the Preliminary Round bringing a 6 4 victory over newcomers Macclesfield FC and a record attendance of 738 at The Brian Addison Stadium. Another mark of progression. Evans signed a new three year contract at the club shortly after, extending his stayattheclubuntil2024.

Coming into the new season, along with coaches Andy Baker and Liam Robinson, Evo has shownhiseyeforlocaltalentand brought in the likes of Prince Yelegon, Nathan Cliffe and Rowan Chambers from nearby academy's to strengthen the squad. It has been a solid season so far, with Gate sitting 12th and into the Second QualifyingRoundoftheFAVase.

On Evans’ magnificent achievement, club secretary John Maguire said: “It very eventful 3 years for Squires Gate with Luke at the helm. After a difficult start we went on a brilliant run before the pandemic started.

“Since then we have improved immeasurably as Luke has brought quality to the team with experienced players he has known but particularly in bringing through younger players giving them the opportunity to develop

“We have had 2 mid table finishes and a memorable FA cup run so we have made significant progress both on and off the pitch Luke was recognised by the LFA for his tremendous work throughout the pandemic when his hard work and dedication kept the club going Long may his reign continue!”

AVAILABLE TO

AVAILABLE TO

AVAILABLE

CHRIS WEBSTER

HARRISON WEBSTER

ISAAC ABANKWAH

NATHAN BARTRAM

RHYS DALY (Physio)

NATHAN PENNINGTON

JOSH WESTWOOD (Captain)

LUKE EVANS (Manager)

ANDY BAKER (Asst. Manager)

LIAM ROBINSON (First Team Coach)

AVAILABLE

SPONSORED BY DENISE GIBSON

ROWAN CHAMBERS

GARY PETT

RYAN POWELL

NATHAN CLIFFE

A BIG THANK YOU!

We would like to show our appreciation to Paul Coggins and Sue Nolan, Managing Director and Customer Services Manager of SITECO UK, for their helpful support in replacing the broken glass in our floodlights free of charge!

Thank you so much for your help and kindness, it’s massivelyappreciated.

PLAYER OF THE MONTH: ROWAN CHAMBERS

After gaining the most votes across Twitter and Facebook, our August Player of the Month award wenttoRowanChambers. The midfielder, who joined from AFC Fylde over the summer, has impressed in the middle of the park with his ability on the ball, hard work and reading of the game. He also grabbed his first goal for the club with a smart finishatCharnockRichard.

Welldone,Rowan!

CVER STAR

The cover star for today’s programme is club stalwart and groundsman Roy Frost. Another valuable volunteer at the club, Roy’s work behind the scenes is massively appreciated and he is a huge part of the club!

Anexclusivelookbehindthescenesof

SOCIAL MEDIA SPONSOR

DIRECTORS & SPONSORS STAND SPONSORSHIP

PITCH-SIDE

MATCH

SPONSORSHIP

MATCHBALL

Your perfect meal deal? (Butty, snack & drink) Hoisin Duck Wrap, Twirl, Salt & VinegerCrisps,Coke.

You can listen to one album on repeat. Which do you pick?

Drake TakeCare

LIAM

ROBINSON

Your go to Maccies order?

Sweet Chilli Chicken Wrap, CheeseBitesandaCoke.

Your all-time 5-a-side with players you’ve played with?

Jarek Bitner, Sam Hibbert, Jack Hindle, Jack Sowerby & Rhys Turner

to alcoholic drink?

Your favourite joke?

What’s the fastest colour in the world Neeeeeon.

If all the lads were on Love Island, who would win? Boydy, Gal or Webby. Rhys Daly would back himself but he’s got more chance of winning the

Roll/Cob/Barm/Muffin - What do you call it?

Barm anythingelseiswrong.

Worst banter at the club?

A fewhaven't shown theircolours

Theo and Olly’s shouts just tmakesensehalfthetime.

Last thing you do before walking out onto the pitch?

Just make sure I don’t forget the walkie talkieforRhys!

LIAM ROBINSON IS SPONSORED BY

SQUIRES

Report by James Ashton

Cliffe repaid Evans' faith inside the first minute, firing Gate in front for the perfect start. James Boyd threaded a lovely pass in behind for Cliffe who set himself and fired clinically into the far bottom corner.

It should have been 2 0 just six minutes later, with an excellent passing move from Gate ending with MekkaouiAbouzaid placing agonisingly wide from inside the area.

Gate continued to threaten, with a dangerous ball fired across goal by Cliffe going without the vital touch.

Nathan Bartram was needed at the other end to make a vital block, before a flying stop by in form goalkeeper Nathan Pennington kept out a well struck effort from the edge of the box.

2-1 ASHTON ATHLETIC

Gate got their deserved second goal on 56 minutes. Pett showed brilliant quick thinking to play a quick throw in behind the Ashton defence for Cliffe, who raced onto the ball and finished clinically past the goalkeeper.

It was almost 3 0 just a minute later, with a free kick from Riley headed back across goal by Josh Westwood but Pett couldn't find the target with his header at the back post.

Against the run of play though, the visitors got a goal back on 65 minutes through Sam Houghton. A corner was only half cleared by Gate, with Houghton reacting first to fire a low drive into the bottom corner from outside the area via a deflection.

Cliffe missed a chance to seal his hat trick, poking wide after a defence splitting pass in behind from Hughes.

AUGUST 2022 IN PICTURES

A COLLECTION OF OUR FAVOURITE MOMENTS FROM AUGUST, CAPTURED BY IAN MOORE!

Northwich Vics (FA CUP

Aug 22 Litherland REMYCA

Aug 22 Padiham

Aug 22 Longridge Town

Aug 22 Easington Collieries (FA

Aug 22 Bury AFC

Sep 22 Wythenshawe Town

Sep 22 Ashton Athletic

Sep 22 Barnoldswick Town

Sep 22 Vauxhall Motors 15:00

Sep 22 Prestwich Heys 19:45

Sep 22 West Allotment Celtic (FA Vase Q2) 15:00

Oct 22 Winsford United 15:00

Oct 22 Wythenshawe Town 15:00

Oct 22 Cleator Moor Celtic (MACRON R1) 15:00

Oct 22 Charnock Richard 15:00

Oct 22 Avro 19:45

Oct 22 Irlam 15:00

05Nov22 WinsfordUnited 15:00

09 Nov 22 FC Isle Of Man 19:45

19 Nov 22 Bury AFC 15:00

Nov 22 Northwich Vics 19:45

Nov 22 West Didsbury & Chorlton 15:00

03 Dec 22 Congleton Town 15:00

10 Dec 22 Kendal Town 15:00

17 Dec 22 Ashton Athletic 15:00

Dec 22 Burscough 15:00

Jan 23 Barnoldswick Town 15:00

14 Jan 23 Lower Breck 15:00

Jan 23 Congleton Town 15:00

Jan 23 FC Isle Of Man 15:00

04 Feb 23 Northwich Vics 15:00

11 Feb 23 Avro 15:00

18 Feb 23 Longridge Town 15:00

Feb 23 Litherland Remyca 15:00

04 Mar 23 West Didsbury & Chorlton 15:00

11 Mar 23 AFC Liverpool 15:00

Mar 23 Kendal Town 15:00

Mar 23 Prestwich Heys 15:00

01 Apr 23 Vauxhall Motors 15:00

Burscough 15:00

Apr 23 Lower Breck 15:00

Apr 23 Padiham 15:00

Hughes

Hughes Welsh Chambers

Hughes Welsh Chambers

Hughes Welsh Chambers Abankwah

Gray Welsh Chambers Bartram

Hughes Welsh Chambers Bartram

Hughes H. Webster Gray Bartram

Hughes H.Webster Chambers Bartram

Westwood Riley Webster Ball Chambers Yelegon Holden Boyd Burgess Powell Hughes

Westwood Riley Webster Pett Chambers Hughes Cliffe Yelegon Burgess Hesford Ball

Westwood Riley Webster Ball Pett Hughes Cliffe Eastham Burgess Kay Powell

Westwood Riley Webster Ball Cliffe Boyd Smith Eastham Kay Powell Hesford Westwood Riley Webster Ball Cliffe Boyd Smith Yelegon Kay Abouzaid Powell

Westwood Riley Abouzaid Ball Cliffe Boyd Abankwah Gray Kay Pett Yelegon

Westwood Riley Abouzaid Pett Cliffe Gray Smith Burgess Kay Robinson Yelegon Westwood Riley Abouzaid Pett Cliffe Boyd Shields Powell Eastham Ball Yelegon

Westwood Riley Abouzaid Ball Cliffe Boyd Gray Eastham Yelegon Powell Yilmaz

Westwood Riley C.Webster Pett Chambers Boyd Kay Yelegon Abouzaid Cliffe Ball Westwood Abouzaid C.Webster Pett Cliffe Boyd Kay Yelegon Riley Gray Ball

BARNOLDSWICK TOWN

United(1972) so called due to being canny Yorkshiremen had there been a previous club named Barnoldswick United and they had outstanding debts the new club would have been liable for them.

The field started out as a grazing meadow for cattle, after a lot of hard work, it is now the pitch we play on. The club had 2 teams playing in the Craven & District Football League, in the early 1990's we joined the East Lancashire Football League again with 2 teams.

In the late 1990's we had 3 teams our 1st & 2nd team teams joined The West Lancashire Football League, our 3rds staying in The East Lancashire League.

The 2003/2004 season brought the amalgamation of Barnoldswick United (1972), Barnoldswick Park Rovers and Salterforth Juniors and we changed our name to Barnoldswick Town Football Club.

to get our ground up to the minimum standards of The North West Counties Football League and the 2009/2010 season saw us accepted into The North West Counties Football League.

Alongside our main pitch we have a floodlit training pitch. Our club house can hold up to 100 people and be hired out for functions. Our main sponsor is Silentnight Beds Ltd and the ground is named The Silentnight Stadium.

In 2009/2010 our first season in The NWCFL saw us finish runners up in Division 1 and finalists in the prestigious West Riding County Cup beating Guiseley who won promotion to the Conference North along the way. It was an interesting season as we only expected to hold our own and try to make sure we didn't end up at the bottom of the league. Following on from our success in the 2009/2010 season we went from just looking to avoid relegation in the Premier Division 2010/2011 to astound ourselves by

reaching a round further in The FA Vase. Our Reserves finishing 4th in their respective league, with players being selected for the first team squad showing we have strength and depth in the club.

In June of 2014 we achieved Charter Standard Development Club at both Senior and Junior level, which was an excellent achievement by both Senior & Junior Committees. The season had ended on a knife edge, if results on the last day of the season had gone a different way we would have been relegated.

For the 2017/2018 Barnoldswick Town have one team in the Hallmark Security League and one team in The Lancashire Football League Western Division (Galaxy League). The Junior section has 21 teams in The East Lancashire League from U7's U18's, plus one U12's girls team playing in The West Riding League. They also have a Tiny Town Junior Academy for 4 6 year olds.

Q&A WITH JORDAN GIDLEY

Who is the DJ in the changing room?

CharlieWhiteoakisalways connected

Worst taste in music?

Worst banter at the club?

AndyHill

Who is the worst dancer?

Who will be a future manager?

sacoupledefoAndyand

100m race. Who wins?

If you were all to go in the jungle, who would be the most likely to back out of the challenges?

KudaChingwaro

Who would be most likely to win Love Island?

AlexRalph

Most intelligent player?

AndyHill

The player you’d want to be stuck on a desert island with?

chop

Who has the worst fashion sense?

all time Barnoldswick Town 5 a side team?

Shaun

Dale and GazHill.

FROM THE AWAY END

Q&A WITH KAREN CLARK

What is your most memorable matchatBarlick?

Most memorable match. As I said last year was the first full season so a bit limited on choice but after the other weekend when we had our trip to the IOM I think that will be up there. A very exciting match, 6 goals and a bit of controversy thrown in coupled with an overnighter has always got to be memorable .

Programmes now. What makes a good programme to you? Any stand out programmes that have impressedyou?

withtheclub?

4 of my 5 boys have come through the junior section ranks where I used to photograph most matches. Before the start of the 2019/ 20 season I was asked if I'd photograph the first team. With my hubby managing our East Lancs reserves at the time & my eldest 2 playing it was a case of 'if you can't beat them join them' After the chap who covered media left I was asked if I'd take over social & also programme editing.

Barnoldswick have a well run social media page for our level, do you have a routine for content?

What are your favourite club platforms in our league?

Thanks for the compliment on our Social Media. Main routine is to make sure that all upcoming matches are advertised and pushed together with matchday coverage on twitter. If we have events coming up then these get slotted in together with advertising player sponsorship, events or other things that may be happening.

Covid was keeping the SM going when there was no football being played. With regards to a favourite club platform in our league I think it would be unfair to judge as I'd say the majority rely on volunteers who will have to work around busy lives and full time jobs so the quantity & quality of content will depend on the amount of time they have to commit to the cause. Matchday Routine, Usually try to get down to the ground about an hour & a half before KO so I can get the VEO set up, chat with fans, do a few pre match pics if we have mascots or sponsors & help out anywhere else if needed. Home or away ? Enjoy both to be fair. variety is the spice of life as they say although being on our committee means I do get half time sandwiches at away games

What is your favourite platform forcontent?

Fav platform when it comes to Football tends to be Twitter. There's a lot more interaction & that's why we do our live match coverage on Twitter. Must give a shout out to 13 year old Will Clark who does our matchday tweets & has put together the graphics & gifs himself.

I think a great programme is one that caters for the away fans too & also one that has a variety of things for the home fans. I would love to get more variety in our programme but sadly we are limited with time constraints. Will Clark does do very comprehensive match reports for us, we have a couple of fans who occasionally do quizzes for us & in the past we have had sports media students working with us who were a great help but have now gone on to greater things. A stand out programme has to be your own. I noticed very early on that you try to involve articles that are of interest to both sets of fans & they are very professionally produced.

Yourscoreprediction?

I watched Squires Gate play Colne in pre season & noticed you'd brought in quite a few younger players. We've a few of our young U23s who have come through to our first team too so tough one to call. After the last 2 games I could say 3 3 but I’ll hazard a guess and say you will maybe get the first goal but then our lads will bring it back to 1 2 to us at FT. I've everything crossed!

THE BENEFITS OF VOLUNTEERING IN NON-LEAGUE

Words by Gary Langley

I’ve been lucky enough to get around a number of clubs this season, many on matchdays but also a number not so. One such club was Vauxhall Motors for their recent game against FC Isle of Man, I was there with a purpose, not just to nip in and see how things were and to do the usual early season support checks that member of the League Management Committee do. I was a guest of the Vauxhall Motors FC Media Team to commentate on their game for their YouTube Channel.

I had not had the pleasure of speaking with their media person as yet but when I arrived I was taken to their Media Cabin and introduced to the team which consisted of 4 very talented young men who were clearly motivated, keen to get their work seen and proud to be in club gear. Long story short these guys are volunteers, they’re volunteering at a great club and they’re enjoying their role and the fact that their work is getting seen.

We are here to watch a game today and some of us will barely give the volunteers a second thought, however without these guys, gals and non defined’s, the game this evening wouldn’t happen. It is the same at most clubs who don’t benefit from the luxury of monopoly money from Champions League or Premier League. Indeed, my team that I support in Scottish League Football, none of the club officials are paid, the perks are perhaps a club tie on accounts and a chance to jump on the team bus to away games. That is Senior Football, even a couple of EFL Clubs I have seen advertising for Volunteer and apprentice roles over the summer. I was speaking with a club near me recently, these guys are low in numbers on a matchday.

The look on the Club Secretaries face was one of stark reality, “They all want to work for [insert premier league teams here] or want paying….” was the response. Paying!! Really?

Over the years when I have been at Clubs Volunteering myself, I have always tried to bring people in to clubs but using the benefit of my negative experiences to open the subject out. It used to annoy me when people would offer to volunteer at clubs and the first thing a Chairman or Sec would ask is “Can you do some Commercial work for us, phone around a few places and knock on some doors for us?” Can you imagine the pressure that puts on people right at the outset and what they think volunteering at a club is? I always say to people who mention that they are looking for a role at clubs or are able to offer time, to be right up front at the outset what they want to do, what they can do and then when they get that chance to do it, try and learn other skills from it. I listen to Radio City and read the Liverpool Echo and every now and again, two names pop up, I won’t name them but the girls came to Litherland Remyca as students of South Sefton Sixth Form College, looking for a chance to build up a portfolio and see how sports media functions. They did some interviews, got their work into a match programme, a couple of pieces in the local papers on behalf of the club and then suddenly their portfolios have live work in them and their CV’s have a head start. They’ve not done too badly since!

Again, I use my experiences, I started off responding to an ad for Stranraer in 2002 which read loosely, can you spare a couple of hours a week to help us update our website

Yeah no problem, that’s my team, I can work this internet thing, why not? I started of with 2hrs a week, then 5, then I started doing match reports, then Programme Articles, then writing reports and interviews for The local paper, then SFA Courses then I ended up on the Management Committee. I loved it, yes it took a toll, but I was and am so proud of the work I did.

Many of us who know volunteers at clubs will know people who have had similar experiences, start off doing one thing then another, and another but many will enjoy themselves in the process. What are people looking for in these roles? Well, generally it’s to help a club out, to have a purpose, maybe to meet people and for some it’s about getting into watch the footy for free with a brew.

A couple of my lads had a moan at me a couple of years back about not getting a chance for experience, I mentioned volunteering at football clubs and they scoffed at me. But where else can you get involved in making a difference and pick up skills that others are offering and adopt them as your own? Many non league clubs have legacies, for some it’s a trophy room or a Committee Room full of pennants, a historical club tie but for many its skills in football coaching, Football admin, Media, accountancy and even life skills such as building repairs, these skills being passed around volunteers.

One of a clubs biggest assets can be it’s people. let them develop and even offer them some training and help, then the future of the game can be assured. If you're reading this and can spare a couple of hours a week at your local club, then ask someone who is already volunteering there, it can be a game changer!

R E W I N D

R E W I N D

Gate last hosted Barlick in November 2021. A brace from Jack Iley, as well as goals from Sope Awe and James Boyd, secured a 4-2 victory for Gate after a strong performance from Luke Evans’ men

RECENT FORM SQUIRES GATE

PLEASE DON'T TAKE ME

HOME: A LOVESTORY WITH FULHAM FOOTBALL CLUB

With global coverage of the English Premier League, and the reach of social media, you are just as likely to see fans wearing the colours of Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City and United in the bars of Beijing, New York, Sydney and Tokyo, as you would back in London, Liverpool and Manchester. Given the effort that these Clubs put into attracting overseas fans, i.e. with trips to play in friendlies and tournaments abroad, it was a pleasant surprise to read Please Don't Take Me Home: A Lovestory with Fulham Football Club, a story of an Italian who has come to love the club from Craven Cottage who despite recent years in the Premier League, cannot be considered one of the ‘big hitters’ in English football.

Simone Abitante like many Italians is football crazy. Born in November 1975, he first attended games in the 1980s watching his local team, Vicenza, graduating to his first season ticket at the club in 1991. Around that time Abitante was exposed to the English First Division and its clubs as they transitioned into the Premier League. Abitante’s hometown side I Biancorossi, won the Italian Cup in 1996/97 which meant that the club entered the European Cup Winners Cup the following . season. Incredibly the little known team from North East Italy reached the Semi Final and were beaten 3 2 on aggregate by Chelsea so beginning Abitante’s dislike for Fulham’s West London rivals from Stamford Bridge.

He initially came to London in November 2000 and was looking for a team to support. He read in the Metro newspaper about Fulham then in the Football League First Division now the Championship) who ran away with the title to gain promotion to the Premier League.

From here the book details events from that point to the end of the 2019/20 season as Fulham beat Brentford 2 1 in the Championship Play off Final with COVID ensuring it was played at an empty Wembley Stadium.

It very much has the feel of a diary format as Abitante travels to and from London as his work and personal situation changes. Like any diary, it is written with passion and honesty, whether about the good times or the bad. From a football perspective, the reader gets to feel Abitante’s joy at attending his first game at the Cottage and on each occasion as he takes friend and family to the ground by the Thames. The Italian’s support coincides with Fulham’s longest stretch in the Premier League (2001/02 to 2013/14), a European trophy (UEFA Intertoto Cup in 2002) and reaching the UEFA Europa League Final in 2009/10 and in the last few season, the yo yo existence as the club bounces between the Premier League and the Championship.

With Abitante moving around Europe as his jobs change, and in the years when Fulham are playing in the Championship, he has at times a battle to watch and get information via the internet about The Whites, something readers who have been in the same situation can sympathise with. However, his passion for the club remains steadfast, whether Abitante is attending games at the Cottage or hundreds of miles away, and that comes across to the reader in his writing.

As well as his love for Fulham and football, you can add, family and friends to those things most dear to Abitante’s heart. And he talks with real love about his relationships with those close to him, none more so than two friends,

Umberto Scomparin and Giampaolo Bonato, who died tragically young and to whom this book is dedicated.

The book closes with Fulham beating Brentford at an empty Wembley Stadium due to the Global pandemic and Abitante dreaming of returning to the Cottage to see the club back in the Premier League. What he also manages to capture is the strangeness of the time that COVID created and there is something haunting about his return to Italy in May 2020:

Bergamo’s airport is almost empty. I’ve never seen it like this. I’m used to a crowded and bust terminal while this time you could hear the echo of your voice if you screamed. Also the flight is so unusual, just a few masked passengers. Surreal, this is the word.

Thankfully, the world has returned to some sort of reality, whilst Fulham continue with the ‘normaility’ of being relegated once more from the Championship, only to return again for the 2022/23 season. One can only hope that Abitante will once again get back to the Cottage to see The Whites once more in the top flight of English football

FANTASY PREMIER LEAGUE:

SURPRISE PLAYERS

Words by Sam Sheppey

With over nine million downloads this season, Fantasy Premier League has never been more popular as leagues between friends and family are fiercely contested, with managers constantly scrutinising their transfer plans ahead of the deadline each week.

With high profile players such as Erling Haaland, Gabriel Jesus and João Cancelo being so heavily owned, many managers will be looking for alternatives to either catch up or stay ahead of their league rivals. Listed below are five players who have a low ownership that have surprised many with their high points tally thusfar.

PASCAL GROß

Pascal Groß has flourished in recent weeks, epitomising Brighton’s brilliant start to the campaign, playing every minute of the Premier League season so far.

Notable performances include a brace in a 2 1 victory against Man United on the opening day, awinninggoalagainstLeeds

United three GW’s later and an assist in a 5-2 rout of Leicester City. These three games amounted to 31 points, a fantastic return for a player who started the season priced at £5.5M.

After the departure of Graham Potter to Chelsea, it will be intriguing to see if this impacts the performances of the midfielderlong

MARCUS RASHFORD

A player currently experiencing an upturn in form, Marcus Rashford looks to be a key component in Erik Ten Hag transformManchesterUnited.

Rashford will be desperate to impress England boss Gareth Southgate beforetheWorld CupI November.

The attacker is certainly proving his worth. A goal against Liverpool in a 2 1 victory and a brace against Arsenal in a 3 demonstrates the talent and attackingability.

This has seen Rashford be ranked as one of FPL’s highest

KIERAN TRIPPER

As with Marcus Rashford, Kieran Trippier will be looking for a Cup squad, and the defender is definitely heading in the right direction with his recent spearheaded by Eddie Howe has proven be to fruitful thus far, with a series of solid performances highlighting the potential of the Magpies this season.

Tripper has been impressive at the back, returning clean sheets against Nottingham Forest, Brighton and Crystal Palace whilst also scoring a sublime free kick against reigning champions Manchester City in a stunning 3

lack of attacking threat so far this season they have been defensively solid, keeping clean sheets against Bournemouth, Fulham and

José Sá is vital to the success of defence, a stand out player last season who is once again a key component to Bruno

Difficult fixtures are ahead for Wolves, but the Portuguese shotstopper may score highly because of save points and is certainly great value at a price of £5.0.

With the fixtures coming up and higher priced defenders underperforming, Trippier is a player to

LAUREN JAMES

When Lauren James signed for Chelsea last season from Manchester United, she became the most expensive signing in history between two WSL clubs. The attention on her was immense. Not only was James justifiably regarded as one of the most talented up and coming English players, but the fact that her brother Reece was already an established star at Chelsea only saw more attention poured on top of the transfer.

And then she disappeared. James featured for only 113 minutes of Chelsea’s WSL campaign last season, not making a single start in the league and scoring a solitary goal. Critics suggested this was just another example of Chelsea hoovering up talent whilst the club said they wanted to give her the time to get properly fit after a mixedinjuryrecordatUnited.

Now it seems James is raring to go. Picking up her first England cap at the weekend, she has shown in pre season just how much she can offer this Chelsea side. Her dribbling ability makes it seem like the ball sticks to her feet. In the 2019 20 season, only Rinsola Babajide completed more dribbles than James (3.8 per 90 vs 3.7).

Where Chelsea in the past have struggled to unpick low blocks, Jamesissettoofferatotallynew skillsettothecurrentchampions.

STINA BLACKSTENIUS

It can be hard to adjust to a new club when you arrive halfway through the season but it did not take long for Stina Blackstenius tosettleinatArsenal.

Blackstenius scored six goals in seven starts for her new side in the second half of the season, but the pressure will be greater as she enters her first full season intheWSL.

Blackstenius excels when she is running into space, with her ability to sniff out vacated areas allowing her to take high quality shots. She demonstrated this perfectly at the Euros for Sweden where she ended up with the thirdhighestxGper90.

In some ways Blackstenius has had the pressure of her role removed because the woman she is replacing is still playing for Arsenal. But all eyes will be on not just how she interacts with Vivianne Miedema, but also with BethMeadandCaitlinFoord.

The WSL has been home to some thrilling Golden Boot races over the past years. If Arsenal are going to make a good run at the title, they will need Blacksteniustobepartof it.

There are plenty of big names who starred at Euro 2022 who can be expected to have a big impact on the upcoming English Women’s Super League season. All eyes will be on Beth Mead, Alessia Russo and Ella Toone to see if they can replicate their summer form at club level. But who are the players who could end up making their own mark on the 2022 23 campaign?

FILIPPA ANGELDAHL

When Filippa Angeldahl arrived at Manchester City at the start of last season, City had secured the services of oneof Sweden’smost highly rated midfielders. It was some surprise then, when she started only six games across the entirety of the season. Now with two of City’s starting midfielders in Caroline Weir and Georgia Stanway having moved on, Angeldahl looks primed to finally make her impact on this ManchesterCityteam.

Primarily operating on the right hand side of midfield (where Stanway formerly played), Angeldahl is not the kind of midfielder who is looking to always get into the box, preferring instead to link up with playersoutonthewing.

She is adept at dropping back if she needs to, to provide cover for other players to get higher up the pitch while she helps with build up play. Angeldahl is also keen on playing riskier passes which means whilst her accuracy might not be as high as some players, she can find that moment to unlockadefence.

City will need to get their new look midfield up to speed and fast. Angeldahl is the perfect playertohelpthemdoso.

JORJA FOX

Fox is a player who everyone seemstoknowis goingtohavea breakout moment the only question is when. Having been loaned to Brighton by Chelsea, she now has her first opportunity to get regularWSL minutes, after she made her WSL debut as a 17 year old.

Fox will have a tough task ahead of herinaBrightonteamthathas lost key parts of its defence in Maya Le Tissier and Emma Koivisto this summer. With the ability to play at left or right back, Fox has spoken about her desire to learn more of the defensive side of the game from Hope Powell. She looks set to get a good chunk of minutes this season and if she thrives could find herself back playing WSL footballforChelseanext year.

YUI HASEGAWA

It came as some surprise when at the end of a successful season with West Ham, manager Olli Harder announced his departure from the club. In his place has stepped former assistant Paul Konchesky who will have a hard act to follow. Whilst Harder’s methods did not always translate to on pitch success, there was a real sense that he was building somethingatthe club.

Fortunately for West Ham, they have kept the vast majority of their players from last year and hanging on to Yui Hasegawa in particular could be key for them. The 25 year old Japanese midfielder impressed with her guile and footwork, and seems to have spent pre season largely scoring ridiculouslygood goals.

In this mini series I am introducing some of the very best young talents currently playing in the National Division, who have the best chance to move abroad and maybe even make it as a pro in thefuture!

ALEX SACRAS

Racing Union Luxembourg’s summer arrival has been given some of the best opportunities to develop in Europe already. The young winger spent four years abroad, two in Franceat FC Metz and another two at German heavyweights Bayer Leverkusen. Having not been provided a pathway to get near the first teams though, he decided it was time for a move in the summer of

dribbling skills in the national team at youth level, scoring 4 goals in 22 games across variousagegroups.

the best players in the league in a team struggling through most of the seasons, fighting merely againstrelegationmainly.

He seems to have the pace and the technical ability to produce magic as much as a left back can, and with a little more experience he could easily find a way toaprofessionalleague.

Progrѐs Niedercorn announced his arrival in July, and it can be seen as the perfect stepping stone before moving on to achieve greater things in the future.

P R O S P E C T S

2019 and spent the following season at Belgian lower level club Virton, where he was given some senior opportunities. After the season, he made his return home after 6 years abroad, and joinedDudelange.

Unfortunately for him, he found himself in the role of a fringe player once again, and after a one season loan at Union Titus Pétange, Racing decided to sign him on a permanent contract this summer. He has already shown his quick feet,agilestyleandeye-catching

Sacras’ continuous development and rise to national team contention has been one of the feel good stories of the league lately.Unlikehisbrother,Alex wasn’t deemed good enough for his academy club Swift Hesper, so he had to look at other opportunities that could come his way. Aged only 18, he departed on loan to Hostert where he got sufficient game time in the top tier of the country. Hostert were so satisfied with him they decided to make the loan move permanent, and Sacras has been a true revelation. From his left-back position, he has slowly become a key player on the pitch, both with and without the ball.

In his three years wearing Hostert’s green and white colours,hehasbecomeoneof

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