TOWN

My notes last week were partly about our Reserves team, and the search for a new manager. I’m very pleased to say that after a competitive process involving 10 good applications, we have appointed Matthew Birchall to the position, with Darren Peers as his assistant.

Both are well-qualified coaches and with good experience of open-age football. They have excellent reputations and existing links to the club (Matthew having assisted with one of the junior teams recently, and Darren having previously worked with the Reserves). We are very happy to welcome them both to Town in their new roles, and look forward to working with them closely.

Things are moving on behind the scenes, too. At our Committee meeting on Monday we agreed to carry out a project to develop a proper vision for the club, over the next few months. Those of us who took on the ownership of the club last year all had a common view of some of the key things we want over the years ahead: principally a sustainable club with strong connections to the St. Helens community, representing the town and its identity with pride. We also said that we wanted to move towards fan or community ownership, as part of that.

We have made a good start on achieving part of that, but if we are to do it properly and successfully, for the long term, we have to be really clear as to what it is we are trying to achieve. That starts with setting out a specific vision, and understanding the main milestones we have to achieve on the way to that, and what we need to equip ourselves for that journey.

For example, there are different models of fan and community ownership. We need to understand their advantages and disadvantages, and to see how they compare to other ownership models. In doing so we can learn from other clubs who have undertaken similar journeys in recent years, to help us make informed decisions. This is for the longterm, and we won’t be rushing into anything.

I’m really pleased that Committee Member Neil Hitchen has agreed to lead this project for us, in consultation with each of the other Committee Members, the junior team staff and other people with an interest in the club. Neil has lots of experience in the process of developing clubs through his international work with the Manchester City Group. Whilst we’re not operating in City’s environment and their models aren’t a direct fit for us, Neil’s expertise in the development process is an asset we are very fortunate to have. I’ll write about the project more in the months ahead. Meanwhile, come on the Town!

Ste Lingard

A word with the manager

First off, myself and the club would like to welcome everyone from Liverpool NALGO to Ruskin Drive today.

We're looking forward to another tough challenge, and it should be an enjoyable, entertaining game. No matter what the score is, we hope you’ll join us after the game for refreshments in The Wicket bar. Well we finally got there!

The lads got their just rewards for their hard work and efforts, and we got our first home win of the season. I was so proud of each and everyone of them for sticking with it through some really hard patches. It wasn’t just the result, it was a continuation of recent performances and togetherness of the squad with a fantastic attitude.

It was pleasing for all the supporters who have been fantastic with all of us to see smiling faces after a home game was pleasant.

Enough of the back slapping, and onto another tough game for us today. We are again hindered with injuries adding Alex Petterson to that list, we wish him a speedy recovery.

Once again thank you for your continued support let’s hope for a similar result. X

A BRIEF HISTORY OF TOWN

The original St. Helens Town club was formed in 1901 and played at Park Road, behind the Primrose Vaults public house. Although it was known as the Primrose Ground, the players changed further down Park Road at the Black Horse pub. Playing in the Lancashire League and Lancashire Combination, the team enjoyed some early success, but struggled after the Great War and appears to have folded midway through the 1928/29 season.

The club was re-formed by George Fryer and a group of local businessmen in 1946. They took out a lease of the former cricket ground at Hoghton Road, Sutton, adjacent to the St. Helens Junction railway station and, although it entered in the FA Cup in the 1946/47 season, a team could not be raised in time to fulfil its tie with Prescot Cables.

Friendly games were played, then local team Derbyshire Hill Rovers were taken over in April 1947, those players forming the nucleus of the team which entered the Liverpool County Combination at the start of the 1947/48 season. St. Helens Town soon began to prosper and early results included a sensational 10-4 win over Everton “A” on 6th December 1947. Former German prisoner-of-war Bert Trautmann joined the club in the Summer of 1948, the strapping goalkeeper helping the team to win its first trophy, the George Mahon Cup, which was secured with a 2-1 win over Runcorn at Prescot on 7th May 1949. Crowds averaged over 2000 that season, peaking with a league record attendance of 3012 against Burscough in October 1948.

The following season, 1949/50, Town entered the Lancashire Combination and, despite losing Trautmann to Manchester City in October 1949,

they won the Second Division title in some style the following season, three players, Albert Leadbetter (36), Harry McCann (32) and Terry Garner (31) all netting over 30 goals apiece. An all-time club record attendance of “between 8000 and 9000” witnessed a friendly game against Manchester City, arranged as part of the Trautmann transfer deal, in April 1950 and another 4000 witnessed a second match with City the following season.

Although relegated by a slender margin from the First Division in 1951/52, the club continued to look forward, even contemplating Football League status and, in order to further its ambitions, moved to the former St. Helens Recs. rugby league ground at City Road. Initial crowds were encouraging but, despite success, the club decided to move back to Hoghton Road in October 1953, where they remained until April 2000.

Town produced a number of fine players who joined Football League clubs, including Bill Foulkes (Manchester United), John Quinn (Sheffield Wednesday) and John Connelly who joined Burnley, later transferring to Manchester United and who played in the England 1966 World Cup

winning squad. More recently, Dave Bamber scored goals in all four divisions of the league with a host of different clubs, starting and ending his league career at Blackpool and in more recent times, Karl Ledsham, who had a productive career at conference level with Southport, Lincoln City, Barrow and Stockport County before moving to the USA.

Following a second relegation in 1956, St. Helens Town continued to play in the Lancashire Combination, winning the Championship in 1971/72, by nine points ahead of Accrington Stanley.

from Phil Layhe and one from Brian Rigby.

They were regular promotion candidates for many years, largely due to the scoring exploits of Steve “Pellet” Pennington, who grabbed 216 goals in 351 games, his season’s best hauls of 45 in 1993/94 and 46 in 1997/98 just failing to beat the club record of 47 scored by Phil Stainton in 1963/64. Former club captain Andy Gillespie won the NW Counties’ golden boot with 34 goals in the 2015/16 season and netted another 24 times the following season.

Town moved from Hoghton Road in 2000 and groundshared with Saints Rugby League club pending an intended move to their new stadium, which took many years longer than anticipated and finally moved out of Knowsley Road when it closed in September 2010. Plans for the move were shelved following a disagreement and Town went on a nomadic existence, playing out of town at Ashton Town, Ashton Athletic, Prescot Cables and odd games at Atherton Collieries, before St. Helens Council redeveloped the Ruskin Drive multi-sports complex and St. Helens Town moved back home there in August 2017, playing on an artificial 3G surface.

However, the formation of the Northern Premier League in 1968 led to a gradual drain of stronger clubs from the Combination and St. Helens joined the Cheshire League in 1975, becoming founder members of the North West Counties League seven years later. They held the proud record of being the only club to play in the NW Counties’ top flight every season until they were relegated in April 2015, conceding an injury-time equaliser to Silsden in the last game of the season, a match they had to win to stay up.

Town enjoyed a golden era in the late 1980s, just missing out on an appearance in the First Round proper of the FA Cup in 1985/86, losing to Morecambe in a Fourth Qualifying Round Replay, but they obtained ample compensation by winning the FA Vase at Wembley in 1987, beating near neighbours Warrington Town 3-2, with two goals

2021-22 saw Town in their eighth season at Step 6, the NWCFL First Division North, and it proved to be a disastrous campaign which Town record only four wins and four draws from 36 league games. Town finished 21 points adrift of Atherton LR in eighteenth place, 24 points from guaranteed safety. The bottom place finish confirmed the club’s relegation to step 7 and the start of a new journey in the Liverpool County Premier League.

Significant changes took place on a off the field over the Summer of 2022; a new consortium purchased the club from St Helens RLFC and they have joined forces with a number of existing club officials to start a rebuilding programme. Paul ‘Peo’ Piert was appointed as Town manager and he will be assisted by Lee O’Connor.

John McKiernan

CULTURE VULTURE Club and County

Well, as I'm sitting here on Wednesday 1st, putting my programme piece together in a last minute panic, I can feel the frustration of programme creator Dan Castrogiavanni, radiating from the otherside of the M60.

I'm hoping and praying to whatever god will listen that finally we are welcoming Garswood Primary pupils - from the recent football clubs we set up at the school in partnership with Freedom Football.

The reason I'm trying to gain the favour of ancient deities is because this is the third time we've tried to welcome our Garswoodian neighbours. On both other attempts we've had the fixtures called off due to a frozen pitch. So if the parents are reading this, I'd like to give a BIG St Helens Town AFC warm welcome to you all and hope you enjoy the match. Our very own Luke Diggle has been coaching the Garwood children, and we look forward to seeing them show off their soccer skills today.

The club's continued work in the community is growing from strength to strength, as we move towards the end of the first season under the new ownership. This community work is essential as we move towards putting together a solid future plan for the town's club.

Garswood pupils enjoy a day at The Dream with Northwest Miners Heritage Association

Those of you who closely follow and support Town know how hard a season it's been on the pitch. What has absolutely amazed me is the kind words of appreciation we have received from supporters, and it's wonderful to see the new faces regularly turn up to matches.

We had around 25-30 at the away match versus BRNESC FC the other week, which is amazing at the level we currently find ourselves at. Home gates of around 100-180 have been amazing, and is a great basis to grow the club on – and we will grow, I don't even need to pray to Zeus to promise you that.

Remaining in the community, we have two extremely exciting projects coming up. Next week we will be starting our first football sessions alongside St Helens College for our refugee community. We are looking forward to welcoming our town's new residents, and making them welcome here at Town.

Also we are working alongside St Helens Chambers to deliver sporting career advice to primary schools across the borough. No rest for Culture Vulture or The Town. Enjoy the match and as always "C'mon The Town!!"

Mike Bagshaw Culture Vulture

Luke Diggle

Away Day Fans

THECLONE ROSES25TH ANNIVERSA RYCELEBR ATION

Saturday 13th May 2023 HEATON PARK, MANCHESTER

THE SQUAD

Ruairi McDaid

Michael Rowlinson

Thomas White

Long Michael Dunn

Dunne

Rugg Kenny Dixon

Songsters

Garvey & Phil Smith

A big thankyou to all our player sponsors. Player sponsorship is available for £70, and (alongside the warm feeling you get knowing you're helping support your local team), you will also receive a season ticket and visible presence in the programme as well as on social media and the website.

For information email us : sthelenstownafc@outlook.com

Scott McGregor

Danny Hughes

Alex Higham

Liam Diggle

Dale Whitehead

Danny Greene

Oghenetega Okeregha Ryan Cook

FWD

MID

FWD

FWD

FWD

FWD

FWD

FWD

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Sponsored by: Michael Allison

Michael Featherstone Award Fitness

Kazbar

The Clone Roses

Delph Tavern

John McKiernan

Reds Cafe

Town in Action

Town 2 - 1 FC Orient - Feb 25th

Photos by Mary Castrogiovanni

Liam Diggle

Chris Greene

Harry Long

Dale Whitehead

Alex Higham

Raydin Bigoude

Town Reserves 1 - 2 NAYLO - Feb 25th

Steven Mayston fires in Town's goal

The lads celebrating Josh Panther's winner Ryan Cook

ST HELENS TOWN HONOURS

1949 George Mahon Trophy Winners

1951 Lancashire Comb Division 2 Champions

1972 Lancashire Combination Champions

1973 Bass Charrington Cup Winners

1974 Watson Trophy Winners

1978 St Helens Hospital Cup Winners

1979 St Helens Combination Div 1 Runners Up

1979 St Helens Hospital Cup Runners Up

1980 St Helens Combination Div 1 Champions

1985 NWCFL Reserve Division 2 Runners Up

1986 NWCFL Reserve Division 1 Runners Up

1987 FA Vase Winners (Wembley)

1994 League Challenge Cup Finalists

1994 NWCFL Reserve Division Runners Up

1995 NWCFL Reserve Division Champions

1996 NWCFL Reserve Division Runners Up

1998 Floodlit Trophy Finalists

1999 REALCO Fair Play Award Winners

2009 Bert Trautmann Trophy Winners

2014-15 South Lancs League U17s Cup Finalists

2014-15 Cheshire FA U21 League Champions

2015-16 Cheshire FA U21 Premier Cup Finalists

2016-17 Cheshire FA U21 League Cup Finalists

2016-17 Cheshire FA U21 Premier Div Runners Up

2017-18 NWYA U18s President’s Cup Winners

2020-21 NWYA U18s President’s Cup Winners

Record Attendances:

3012 at Hoghton Road v Burscough (1948)

8000 at Hoghton Road v Man City (1950)

1723 at Knowsley Road v FC United of Man (2006)

9000 at Prescot Cables v Runcorn (1949)

Programme Awards:

NWCFL Programme of the Year

1993-94, 1995-96, 1997-98, 1998-99, 1999-00, 2000-01

NWCFL Premier Division

2009-10, 2010-11, 2011-12, 2012-13, 2013-14, 2014-15

NWCFL First Division / First Division North

2015-16, 2016-17, 2017-18, 2018-19, 2019-20

Wirral Programme Club National Survey

NWCFL Programme of the Year

1996-97, 1997-98, 1998-99

Programme Monthly

NWCFL Programme of the Year 2007-08

Soccer Club Swap Shop National Programme Awards 2010-11 28th,

M60 Programmes

NWCFL Division One North Programme of the Year 2019-20

Teardrops Hub, 110 Crab Street, St. Helens, WA10 2DJ 01744 733233

www teardrops org uk

Registered Charity Number: 1169427

Rough Sleeper, Sofa Surfer, Hostel, or own home?

We all need help and advice whatever your status is. Drop in and see how we can help.

Appointments available Monday – Friday - Please contact us to book.

 Night Café – 7pm to 9pm every Tuesday and Wednesday

 Night Café - 7:30pm – 8:30pm every Friday

 Multi Agency drop-in every Monday and Thursday (9:30 am - 3pm)

 Homeless intervention, prevention and one to one Support

 Housing and benefit advice

 Resettlement support

 Advocacy and liaison service

 A voice on the street

 Activity Led School and Group workshops

 Adult courses and workshops

 Employment, interview, and key skill support

 School and college workshops

 Volunteering opportuntites

BEAT THE YICKER

1. Which former striker once claimed if he wasn’t a footballer he’d be a virgin?

2. Which current EFL club used to play home games at Bath City’s Twerton Park ground?

3. Italian club Sampdoria are from which city?

4. Luton Town and which league 2 club are known as The Hatters?

5. England women’s international Georgia Stanway joined Bayern Munich in the summer from which WSL club?

6. Which North West counties club play at Adie Moran Park?

7. CSKA v Levski is a derby from which European capital?

8. Which MLS franchise team does David Beckham own?

9. Which former Town forward has recently joined Runcorn Town?

10. Fram FC are from which European country?

LEAGUE TABLE & FIXTURES

Answers at the bottom of the page.

1. Peter Crouch, 2. Bristol Rovers, 3. Genoa, 4. Stockport County, 5. Manchester City, 6. Prestwich Heys, 7. Sofia, 8. Inter Miami, 9. Neil Weaver, 10. Iceland.

CLUB INFO

Honorary Life President: Alan Wellens

Vice Presidents: Jim Barrett, Steve Ball and David Watkins

Chairman: Ste Lingard

Vice Chairman: Gavin Scott

Secretary: Paul Styles

Youth Secretary: Stacey Savage

Treasurer: Ste Lingard

Commercial Manager: Gavin Scott

Media Manager: Michael Bagshaw

Committee

Michael Bagshaw, Steve Ball, Daniel Castrogiovanni, Michael Featherstone, David Morris, David O`Keefe, Ste Lingard, John McKiernan, Gavin Scott, Paul Styles, Stacey Savage and David Watkins.

Management Staff

1st Team Manager: Paul 'Peo' Piert

1st Team Coaches: Lee O'Connor & Danny Hughes

U18s Development Team Manager: James Kelly

U17s Manager: Paul Hilton

U16s Manager: Dave Morris

U14s Manager: Drew Kordinzki

U12s Manager: Nick Quirk

Main Club Sponsor: Paramount Digital

1st Team Kit Sponsor: Paramount Digital, AE Holland Memorials, The Griffin Inn

Charity Partners: St Helens Mind, Teardrops & Tunza's Pride

Legal St Helens Town Limited Private Limited Company Company No. 04392840

Date of Incorporation 12.03.2002

Ground

Ruskin Sports Village, Ruskin Drive, Denton’s Green, St Helens WA10 6RP

Website: sthelenstownafc.com

Twitter: @sthelenstownfc

Facebook: facebook.com/StHelensTownAFC

Instagram: sthelenstownafc

ST HELENS TOWN LIVERPOOL NALGO

KYLE RUGG

RUAIRI M c DAID

HARRY LONG

MICHAEL NEWTON

LUKE DIGGLE

THOMAS WHITE

KENNY DIXON

DANNY HUGHES

MICHAEL LACEY

RYAN COOK

ALEX HIGHAM

DALE WHITEHEAD

CHRISTOPHER GREENE

MICHAEL DUNN

ALEX PETTERSEN

LIAM DIGGLE

DANIEL GREENE

OGHENETEGA OKEREGHA

JOSHUA PANTHER

RAYDIN BIGOUDE

Manager

PAUL PIERT Assistants

LEE O'CONNOR

DANNY HUGHES

JOSHUA MAGUIRE

FRANCIS FOY

CHRISTOPHER MCGANN

JOSEPH COSTELLO

BRODIE KEARNS

ALEX NOONAN

CARL PEERS

FRANCIS SMITH

PATRICK JOSEPH WHARTON

CHARLIE MCLOUGHLIN

MATHEW PARKER

CHRIS BRADSHAW

MITCHELL CULSHAW

JOSEPH GIBILIRU

JOSEPH HALLIGAN

JOSEPH WRIGHT

JOSEPH DUFFY

CONOR ROBERTS

LIAM LEARY

ALEX ANDREW GOFTON

Manager

BILLY ROBERTS

MATCH OFFICIALS

A. GENT, B. M c EVOY, C. WILLIAMS

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