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West Didsbury & Chorlton Official Matchday Programme - £2
Saturday 1 February 2020 – 3.00pm
West Didsbury & Chorlton AFC v Eccleshall
WELCOME to WEST DIDSBURY & CHORLTON AFC The Step Places Stadium, Brookburn Road, Chorltonville Manchester M21 8FE
Club Committee: Steve Eckersley; Rob McKay; Glyn Meacher; Rob Madden; Dave Cooper; Monica Creer; John Churchman; James Doxford; Davy Iredale; Dan Iredale; Tim Manley and Matthew Britton Ownership: In accordance with THE Football Association Rule 2.13 Publication of ownership in relation to Step 1 to Step 6 clubs in the Football Pyramid we hereby confirm that the legal status of WEST DIDSBURY AND CHORLTON ASSOCIATION FOOTBALL CLUB is as not for profit private members club. Any gain arising from the carrying on of the Club shall be applied for the benefit of the Club or for some charitable or benevolent purpose or purposes approved by resolution at a general meeting of the Club.
To contact the club please use the club website: www.wdfc.co.uk Main Club Sponsor:
Ground Safety In the interest of spectator comfort and safety, the following conditions apply at the clubs Step Places Stadium, Brookburn Road ground and must be observed at all times. • • • • • • • •
In case of fire or other emergency that requires the clubhouse or ground to be evacuated instructions will be given over the public address system, and we ask that you comply with those instructions immediately. The chanting of racist or obscene chanting is strictly forbidden. Glasses, bottles, gas canisters, knives, darts, tools, flag poles or any other articles likely to cause injury are not permitted into the ground. Alcohol may be purchased and consumed in the bar area only. Children are not allowed in the Club House unless accompanied by an adult. Encroachment onto the playing area is forbidden at all times. Standing is not allowed in front of the seated areas. All forms of transport on the clubs car park is at the owners’ risk.
The club reserves the right to remove any person from the ground who is in breach of these rules or whose presence is a source of danger or annoyance to others. We hope you understand the reasons for the above are in order for the game to be enjoyed in safe and pleasant conditions. Thank you, West Didsbury and Chorlton AFC Committee.
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Welcome to Eccleshall Good afternoon and welcome to today’s North West Counties League Division 1 South fixture against Eccleshall. We welcome their officials, players and supporters to the Step Places Stadium here at Brookburn Road and we hope they enjoy our hospitality today. When Eccleshall lost their first 2 games of the season, 0-4 against ourselves and 0-5 against FC Oswestry Town it would have been a brave man who predicted that come February they would be sitting in 4th place in the league, yet they have turned their season around to such an extent that that is exactly where we stand this afternoon with our visitors a place above us in the final promotion place. We are therefore expecting a very tough game today, yet it is one we really need to win if we are to achieve our aim of promotion. Our last home game on 14 January saw us defeat Cammell Laird 2-1. Since then we have had a 4-game road trip. We were very unfortunate to go down 2-1 at in-form Cheadle Town in a game we dominated for long periods. This was followed by arguably our best performance of the season to win 1-0 at Stone Old Alleynians, especially as they are one of the teams, we are chasing for a top 4 spot. Our next trip was to another top 4 challenger in Wythenshawe Town where we produced a tremendous 2nd half fightback to come from 2 goals down to earn a vital point. This was the replayed game following the abandonment of the original game due to a severe player injury. Town were 2 goals to the good at the time of the abandonment and as such will probably feel slightly aggrieved at the loss of 2 points, however after the effort we put in during the 2nd half we fully deserved our point. Last Saturday we finished our mini tour with a superb 2nd half performance to defeat Cheadle Heath Nomads 5-0. After a closely fought 1st half we took the lead just before the break and then cut loose with some clinical attacking play in the 2nd half. Our latest scheduled game last Tuesday against Sandbach was unfortunately called off less than an hour before kick-off due to a waterlogged pitch. This was extremely frustrating for all concerned as the pitch appeared playable up until a sharp shower in late afternoon left a couple of sodden areas which were deemed unsafe. The team has shown a real determination over the last few games following the disruption over the holiday period caused by the enforced managerial change and the inevitable change in personnel and we feel we can look forward to the rest of the season with renewed optimism. We now embark on a run of 5 consecutive home games, 4 of which are in the league and include home games on every Saturday in February, which will no doubt be welcomed by our supporters and will also help the club hugely by way of cashflow. Next Saturday 8 February Sandbach Utd return here to the Step Places Stadium in the quarter final of the Playermatch.com Cup. This is followed by Saturday games all with a 3pm ko against New Mills on the 15th, FC Oswestry Town on the 22nd and Barnton on the 29th. February, which has been the selected date for our formal ground naming ceremony, more information on that will follow. Thank you for visiting Step Places Stadium and have a safe journey home.
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Manager’s Notes… Good afternoon and a big welcome back to The Step Places Stadium to all the West fans. After 4 away games in a row, it’s great to have a home fixture, particularly after the late postponement of the scheduled game on Tuesday evening against Sandbach United. Arranging the fixtures is a difficult task but does present challenges for the club, it’s volunteers and of course cashflow as we have just completed a batch of away games and we now have a run of home games throughout February. As I mentioned in my notes for the Sandbach game which was cancelled, I’d particularly like to take another opportunity to make a special mention to our traveling fans during the recent run of away games. The support the lads have had from you has been phenomenal and it really hasn’t gone unnoticed in the dressing room - you 100% have been our 12th man!!! I’d also like to welcome everyone from Eccleshall, we hope everyone connected with our visitors receives a warm welcome and we wish you well for the season, after the game today! Myself and the rest of the new backroom team (Craig- Assistant Manager, Lenny1st Team Coach & Lee- Physio) thank everyone for their support and I hope especially over the last 6 games it is starting to be clear the style of football we want to play, the type of team cohesion we want and also the quality of player we want to be bring to West. Since joining the club there has been a number of new arrivals (as well as a few departures) but as alluded to before there is a real togetherness in the dressing room and we are all focused now on building on our recent performances. Enjoy the game & hopefully see some of you after the game in the bar. Chris Rowley
Action from our game at Cheadle Heath Nomads – courtesy of Simon Cook
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NWCFL Division One South Results and Fixtures
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26 -1-2020
Match Report… 21 February, 2020 Wythenshawe Town 2 (Crellin-Myers 13, Callacher 17) WEST 2 (Tinker 65, Matthews 77) Att: 235
hour mark as they looked to put the game to bed as quickly as possible.
West returned back up the Airport Metrolink line with a point against fellow South Manchester side Wythenshawe Town – but that’s far from the full story of a game that saw Chris Rowley’s side experience 45 minutes of agony, and 45 minutes that fell just short of ecstasy.
Opening the scoring was Crellin-Myers, who took advantage of chaos created by his teammates to acrobatically hit home from close range. A ball from deep to the far post met a Wythenshawe head in space, and Jones could only parry when recovering across his goal. With work still to do, CrellinMyers beat two West defenders to the ball to find space and hit the net.
Much water has passed under the bridge since the originally slated fixture – abandoned due to injury – and even more so since these two sides met at Brookburn Road back in August. West went into that game as slim favourites following a summer of stellar recruitment under then-manager Brad Cooke; this time out, Chris Rowley had an injury-ravaged, depleted squad to select from. Meanwhile, home team supporters predicted emphatic Wythenshawe Town victories on social media after their own recent additions to the squad, and fine form leading into the game.
Another aerial bombardment resulted in the second goal just 5 minutes later – a good corner kick found Kial Callacher, who nodded home before running to celebrate with the bench. At that moment, it looked as though the home team would be able to win by whatever amount they fancied, with West looking both leaden and fragile. It was Wythenshawe who would have the majority of the play for the remainder of the half too, forcing Jones into a few regulation saves but never doing much to make their pressure show. Curtis Miller – a bright spark in the first half, sadly robbed of impetus by West’s inability to get the ball into the final third with any real menace – was withdrawn at the break, with Rhian Davis his replacement. Serenaded by a new Englishman in New York themed song in his honour, he would perhaps be the most important player of the second period. Joel Swift, who had ploughed a lone furrow up top with little support as West struggled to attack over the opening 45, was taken off shortly after as Rowley looked to gain control of the midfield through the addition of Dylan Moloney.
Well resourced and with ambitions beyond the North West Counties, Wythenshawe Town had the added motivation of gaining three points that they felt had been earned when the first game was called off. Town were two goals to the good, but would’ve had 15 minutes to hold out with only 10 men having received a first-half red card. Still, their own match report suggests “this was a game which should have been won a long time ago” – a mentality that seemed to permeate through their side during the first half. West had a half-chance early on – a low cross eluding Curtis Miller – but Wythenshawe took control through a quickfire double either side of the quarter-
On 65 minutes, West had their breakthrough – a corner offered two bites of the cherry,
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with Tinker being the one to profit after a first header hit our own player with the ball goalbound. Popping up to Josh, he made no mistake as he forced the ball home and sent the travelling support – vociferous throughout, as has become the norm – into raptures, and giving hope of an unlikely comeback.
side rushing to celebrate with the travelling support. Though both sides pushed, there were few chances in the remaining 10 minutes: a softly earned free-kick had to be brilliantly saved by Jones late on, and West earned a few corners that were wasted. Still, the full time whistle was greeted by cheers from the away support, who made up a sizeable proportion of the reported 235 attendance and certainly accounted for the entirety of the game’s atmosphere. In fine voice throughout, they greeted the team after the game with a chant of Allez Allez Allez before shaking hands, hugging, and heading for the tram home with a well-earned and much deserved point and several new additions to the songbook.
Moloney, who had made a positive impact on the game immediately, wouldn’t last much longer after the goal, pulling up with a hamstring tweak. Billy Matthews took his place from the bench, and generating the game’s one moment of true quality to level the scores. Davis, the ball-playing Australian, found space in the middle of the park, deftly chipping in behind the defence for Matthews to chase. In a battle he seemed destined to lose, he somehow gained control, taking a touch to settle himself before chipping home over the prone Wythenshawe Town keeper from 20 yards. The emotion of the moment was evident, with the majority of the West
West: A. Jones, C. Jones, Gabidon, Tinker, Cook, Heathcoat, Miller, (Davis 46), Gavin, Swift (Moloney 48/ Matthews 66), Ryan, Blackwell. Sub not used: McLellan Report by Matthew Durrant
Today’s Mascot… Lucas Rycroft School: Chorlton Park Primary Team: West Didsbury & Chorlton: U9’s Harriers Position: Midfield General Supports (other than West!): Manchester United Favourite player: Daniel James Favourite West player: James Cottee Favourite football moment/memory in own games or professional: Scoring the first ever goal for the Harriers against one of the best teams in the league
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P W 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18
Vauxhall Motors 17 FC Oswestry Town 20 Abbey Hey 18 Stone Old Alleynians 17 Eccleshall 20 WEST 16 Cammell Laird 1907 19 Cheadle Heath Nomads 20 Wythenshawe Town 14 Stockport Town 19 Maine Road 16 Sandbach United 17 Abbey Hulton United 18 Barnton 19 Cheadle Town 16 Wythenshawe 15 Amateurs New Mills 19 Alsager Town 18
D
L
F
A
GD
Pts
15 14 12 11 10 9 8 7 7 7 7 7 7 6 5
1 2 3 4 3 3 5 5 3 3 2 0 0 1 3
1 4 3 2 7 4 6 8 4 9 7 10 11 12 8
47 50 40 35 46 31 41 26 37 37 33 30 26 21 26
12 25 27 16 30 19 35 30 13 39 32 32 48 36 31
35 25 13 19 16 12 6 -4 24 -2 1 -2 -22 -15 -5
46 44 39 37 33 30 29 26 24 24 23 21 21 19 18
4
4
7 18 23
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16
4 3
4 5
11 28 47 10 19 44
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16 14
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NWCFL Division One - South Saturday 1st February fixtures:
Abbey Hey Hulton v New Mills Cheadle Heath Nomads v Barnton Ellesmere Rangers v Cammell Laird 1907 Maine Road v Alsager Town Sandbach United v Abbey Hey St Martins v Wythenshawe Amateurs Stone Old Alleynians v FC Oswestry Town Vauxhall Motors v Stockport Town WEST v Eccleshall Wythenshawe Town v Cheadle Town
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Explaining Our Social Enterprise Partnership with…
Bounceback Food Cookery workshops & supper clubs in 2020 WEST agree social enterprise partnership with Bounceback Food CIC that will bring cookery workshops & supper clubs to Brookburn Road! This year WEST will once again be partnering with social enterprise Bounceback Food CIC – a community cookery school that supports people living in food poverty in Greater Manchester, Cheshire & North Wales. The non-profit organisation uses the 'buy one, give one' model on their public cookery courses to generate free places for people using foodbanks/getting third sector support and sells staple items of food (pasta, soup, rice etc.) in the same way as part of their foodbank drive at market events.
of their popular Secret dishes from around the world cookery courses from the clubhouse throughout the year (tickets are already sold out until May!). For every ticket bought, a free place is then given to someone referred to the club via the Longford Centre or Barakah Food Aid – ensuring the whole community can come together and share the joy of cooking. Tickets are available via their Eventbrite page or you can gift someone a place by buying them a voucher via their website.
We will be hosting several fundraising supper clubs as part of our Target 50 campaign too throughout the year – keep an eye on our social media and blog for dates and ticket information!
This proactive approach to tackling food poverty has helped them to teach over 1,500 people how to cook, donate almost 10,000 items of food to foodbanks and provide over 50,000 meals as part of their wider community outreach work which also includes catering (e.g. our bonfire party), supper clubs and corporate cook offs!
Find out more about Bounceback at www.bouncebackfood.co.uk.
After a successful pilot in September, we’ve agreed to let Bounceback run more
They are also on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram, search ‘Bounceback Food’.
West Team of the Decade picked by Rob McKay To end out the decade, we asked Rob – a man who has probably seen West in action just about as much as anyone else over the course of the past 10 years – to select his team that he defined the decade for West. Featuring fan favourites, and current club legends, it was a tough task but one he navigated with aplomb. Listen to the podcast below or subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any other podcast player of your choice by searching for West Didsbury & Chorlton.
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First Team Appearances…
On 26 January
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History of Eccleshall There has been football in the town of Eccleshall for over 100 years but very little archive material is available from those early years. However, we do know that Eccleshall Football Club was reformed in 1971 with the team being made up of locals and staff from the Eccleshall Secondary School which also provided training and playing facilities. At that time the club was called Eccleshall Old Boys Football Club.
1999-2000 moving to the West Midlands (Regional) League Division One (North) for the start of the following season. In the 2001-2002 season, the first team won the Springbank Vending Midland League Championship. In 2002-2003 Eccleshall’s first team joined the North West Counties Football League after securing both the Springbank Vending Midland League title and Staffordshire FA Vase. In probably the most successful season in the club’s history, our second team were also Staffordshire County League champions and our Under 18s won the Sentinel Cup. For good measure, our Under 16s won the Staffordshire FA County Cup, the Mid-Staffordshire League Cup and the Sentinel Shield. Regarding the Sentinel competitions, the last time a club had won both trophies in the same season had been some twenty five years previously – a great achievement.
In 1974, the team won their first trophies; the Mid-Staffs 3rd Division Cup and were also runners-up in that division, gaining promotion to Division 2. Old Boys was dropped from the club’s name and in 1979 the first team joined the Staffordshire County League (North) and a third team was formed.
The 2012-13 season marked the completion of 10 years in the North West Counties League and saw the club achieve its highest ever placing of sixth in Division 1.
In 1981, with the help of grants, fund raising and a loan, a four-acre field was purchased at Pershall. Manager Ted Dickinson was the driving force behind the fund raising. In the same year, the first team moved into the Premier Division of the Staffordshire County League (North). Work began converting the field into a football ground. In 1982, a building was purchased from British Telecom and, with a lot of hard work over the next couple of years on the building, car park and pitch, Pershall Park, as it was christened, was ready.
In the 2017- 18 season our Under17s had a very successful season, winning the Potteries Junior Youth League Cup, Staffordshire FA Youth Cup and finishing runners up in the league. Over the years since 1981-82, significant work has been undertaken to develop both the ground and the facilities to the standard which the club now enjoys. This includes enclosing the ground, the installation of floodlights, building a covered seated stand and pitch levelling. Last season the clubhouse was refurbished and upgraded with the addition of a treatment room and a security system. Prior to the 2018/19 season, a new kitchen and refreshments bar was added. All of this has been achieved by a strong committee management team behind the scenes, a number of which have given many years of service to Eccleshall FC together with the addition of new members who are helping to take the club forward. We consider Eccleshall FC to be a friendly club and we look forward to welcoming you to Pershall Park in the future and hope you will enjoy the facilities and the football.
In the 1983-84 season, the first team won the Staffordshire County League Premier Division Championship, the Premier Division Cup and the May Bank Cup. During the 1989-90 season, the first team won the Staffordshire Senior League title and the 1990-91 season saw the club entering the FA Vase for the first time. In 1991-92, the club reached the FA Vase 2nd round having gone through all the preliminary stages but lost at home to Wisbech Town 2-0 in front of a then record crowd of 368. The first team fared well in the league in the mid to late 90’s, finishing 3rd (97-98), 6th (98-99), 2nd (99-00) and 3rd (00-01). Eccleshall reserves won the Staffordshire County League (North) in
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League Tables On 26 January
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2019-20 First Team Stats results – appearances – goalscorers
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2019-20 First Team Stats results – appearances – goalscorers
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Recent Action…
Photo’s courtesy of Graham Currey
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Match Report… 25th January 2020 Cheadle Heath Nomads 0 West 5 (Hooper 42, Blackwell 55, Matthews 70, Cottee76, Tinker 89) Att: 142 West crushed Cheadle Heath Nomads with a devastating second-half display to move up to fifth in the First Division South.
Matthews, who scored a dramatic equaliser at Wythenshawe Town in midweek, got his name on the scoresheet again to add a third. It was a goal he had little right to score as he ran onto a loose ball with no support and facing two Nomads defenders, but he burrowed his way into the box and was rewarded for his perseverance when his shot nestled in the back of the net.
James Hooper’s debut goal gave West a slender lead at the interval, but Chris Rowley’s side turned on the style after the break as George Blackwell, Billy Matthews, James Cottee and Josh Tinker all scored to continue West’s increasingly-impressive start to 2020.
James Cottee, returning after limping off at nearby Cheadle Town ten days earlier, replaced Blackwell with 17 minutes remaining and inevitably marked his comeback with a goal, beating the beleaguered home keeper to a Hooper corner and nodding in his ninth goal in ten games.
The sides’ last meeting was a forgettable goalless draw at Brookburn Road in November, but this promised to be a vastly different encounter from the first whistle as both sides began quickly. West created the better chances in the opening period, with Jamie McLellan shooting straight at the Nomads keeper and Lee Gavin firing into the side netting, but the home side responded when a header from a left-wing cross flashed wide of Andrew Jones’ far post.
Josh Tinker, West’s other goalscorer in Baguely on Tuesday night, added an exclamation mark to proceedings in the final seconds when he latched onto the ball on the edge of the box. He crashed a shot high into the corner of the net to spark delirium among the already exultant West support that have quickly become accustomed to success on the road. After failing to win a league away game from September to the end of 2019, West have now taken 10 points from a possible 15 in away trips this calendar year under Rowley’s stewardship.
Debutant Hooper served notice of intent when he shot just wide of the near post, but he adjusted his aim to open the scoring in the closing minutes of the first half – after Sam Heathcote’s aerial pass had dropped into the left channel, the attacking midfielder cut inside and left the home keeper flat-footed with a shot inside the same corner. West’s half-time lead could have been doubled if Dontai Gabidon’s low shot in stoppage time hadn’t been tipped round the post, but the visitors, backed by another vociferous band of supporters, didn’t have to wait long to increase their lead. Seconds after firing over from a promising position, George Blackwell made amends against his former club when he seized on a Hooper through ball and impudently lifted the ball over the onrushing keeper.
With the promotion race intensifying West now return to Brookburn Road for a string of home games, and if Rowley’s side continue to play with this panache, there is every chance that West supporters will be celebrating an instant return to the Premier Division come April. West: A. Jones, Cook, Gabidon, Tinker, McLellan, Heathcote, C. Jones, Gavin (Ryan 65), Matthews (Coley 79), Hooper, Blackwell (Cottee 73). Not used: Argent-Barnes, Dale.
Confidence was coursing through West and Hooper could have had his second when he shot too close to the home keeper, but
Report: Rob Lee
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Juniors Sponsors We are grateful for the support of the many local businesses and organisations who support WD&C Juniors. If you are interested in joining them then please contact Tim Manley, Junior Chairman on timjohnmanley@gmail.com
OUR SPONSORS Chorlton Electric are your local electricians for all domestic and light commercial work. We are delighted to be sponsoring WD&C Under 8s.To contact us, please visit www.chorltonelectric.co.uk, email admin@chorltonelectric.co.uk or call 0161 881 8162
Mosquito are delighted to sponsor the Under 9 Hawks and Under 9 Harriers. Mosquito is an award-winning creative digital brand communications agency based in Manchester and Cheshire. Langscapes, with 20 year’s experience, are Indian stone specialists for your new patio or driveway. We also provide a range of services for the design of your garden. We are delighted to sponsor the Under 10 Owls. For more information, contact Alan on 07961200362
AIS Alarms have been providing Manchester with effective security solutions for over 30 years and we are delighted to be supporting WD&C Under 10 Eagles. For more information see our website www.aisalarmschorlton.co.uk
Beech Road is a laid-back mix of gift shops, independent outfitters, restaurants and pubs in Chorlton. Beech Road Traders are delighted to sponsor WD&C Under 10 Kestrels.
GetARoom are South Manchester’s specialists for loft conversions and extensions and are delighted to sponsor the WD&C u11s. Email getaroomloftsextensions@gmail.com to find out how you can “get a room”.
RAB Cleaning of Chorlton are proud to sponsor WD&C under 12s.
Batteries Support International are delighted to support the WD&C under 13s.
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Vectos are the leading transport planning and infrastructure design consultancy for the development industry across the UK and are proud to support the Under 14 Badgers. Find out more at www.vectos.co.uk
OpenMoney are delighted to sponsor the Under 14 Magpies. OpenMoney offer low-cost online financial advice and tools helping you manage, save and invest your money. Financial advice for all. Visit www.open-money.co.uk, email hello@open-money.co.uk or call 0161 204 3200
NetVu Ltd is an innovative technology and video surveillance company and are delighted to sponsor WD&C u15s. www.netvu.org.uk
South Manchester Credit Union offers financial services to all who live or work in South Manchester. It is a co-operative with deep roots in the community and we are proud to sponsor WD&C under 16s. For more information visit www.smcreditunion.co.uk WD&C under 16 Girls are proud to be supported by the Football Association’s Grow the Game Fund.
The Property File have been established for over 20 years and specialise in Student and Professional lettings and Landlord Property Management in South Manchester. See www.thepropertyfilelettings.co.uk, ring 0161 448 1800 or email info@thepropertyfilelettings.co.uk for more info. The Property File are delighted to support WD&C under 18s
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January winners of the draw are:
Tel: 0161 428 5101 Unit 2, Ashurst Drive,
£100 Robert Madden
Lawnhurst Trading Estate,
£60 Jamie Cottee
Bird Hall Lane, Cheadle
£40 Elizabeth Livesey
SK3 0SD
Don’t miss out…
www.printonuk.co.uk
Sign up in the Clubhouse - 20 -
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Berlin Football Weekends to run West fans trip to Berlin Set-up by West fan Paul Musco since he relocated to Germany, Berlin Football Weekends are running a West fanexclusive trip for the Bank Holiday weekend of Friday 8th – Sunday 10th May
From Bank Holiday Friday 8 May to Sunday 10 May, we’ll be taking West fans around Berlin, with three matches, a stadium tour, and a brewery visit to give you a perfect taste of what it means to be a fußball fan in Germany. There will be time for your own adventures into the bars of the city too.
With the North West Counties season entering the business end of the season, Berlin Football Weekends are pleased to offer fellow West fans a perfect way to celebrate the end of a (hopefully promotion) winning season – with an exclusive offer for a football-focussed few days in Germany’s capital city for the Brookburn Road faithful.
Find out more on the Berlin Football Weekends website, or get in touch with Berlin Football Weekends by emailing willkommen@berlinfootballweekends .com with the subject “WDCFC v BFW”.
Berlin is a footballing hotbed with in excess of 50 teams playing at every level, from Hertha and Union in the Bundesliga, through to the likes of Tennis Borussia in Oberliga Nord, and below. Berlin Football Weekends are curating 3 days that will be a perfect way to round off the 2019-20 campaign.
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Women’s Match Report… On 52 minutes, West’s luck ran out. This time it was the Wigan 4 who was allowed far too much time and space. She let fly from 20 yards out, the ball going high above Claire and into the back of the net. 1-0.
Wigan Athletic Women 2 WEST Women 1 Att: 20
West’s league away day woes continued as we went down 2-1 to a hard working Wigan team.
Another foul on Rach after 63 minutes, this one quite a nasty one from behind, when it was clear Rach had beaten her opponent for pace. Nothing more than a quick word from the ref. It does seem to me that women’s football officiating has a different view on using cards compared to the men’s game.
Both teams went into the fixture needing the 3 points to start looking up the table, rather than down. West started brightly enough, earning an early corner and having possession in the Wigan half. However, it was Wigan who had the first chance of the half, Claire in the West goal getting a strong hand to a shot to deny a certain goal.
On 67 minutes a mis-timed tackle in the West area resulted in a penalty to Wigan. Claire is sent the wrong way and the home team hold a 2-0 lead. West continued to plug away. Rach putting a couple of shots wide, and Katy Wilman getting her head to a corner, but the ball glanced off her and away from goal.
The game was pretty end to end for the next 10-15 minutes, Amy Vyas almost getting through on a couple of occasions with some neat touches, and Rach Dunlop always looking to run at the defence, and started to be on the receiving end of some rough treatment from some of the Wigan players. She had a powerful low shot well saved by the keeper on 26 minutes, and then fouls on 29 and 34 minutes led to free kicks, both easily dealt with by the home team.
Finally, on 86 minutes, Rach had the ball in the net, beating 3 defenders with her run, and just getting enough contact on the ball to take it past the keeper. 2-1 A glimmer of hope for West then, and suddenly a determination to get the ball, perfectly illustrated by a couple of amazing tackles from Katy Wilman. There was still no further breakthrough until we were awarded an injury time free kick. Caddy put a fine ball into the box, but a Wigan head was first to the ball to make an excellent clearance, and West were left to rue another patchy performance on the road.
Wigan were enjoying decent spells of possession themselves, and West were guilty of giving their 11 too much freedom on the left. Her efforts on goal had been wayward, but she looked to pose a definite threat. Half-time came around with the score at 0-0, and ended a pretty forgettable 45 minutes.
WEST Team: Jefferson (GK), Dolan, Wilman, Mason, Caddick, Bracegirdle, Kerr, Vyas, Jones, Hodges (Chalmers 74′), Dunlop.
Two things continued from the first half in the opening stages of the second. Rach was fouled almost immediately, and West gave the Wigan 11 too much space. This time she hit the bar and West were lucky not to go behind.
Goalscorer: Dunlop Attendance: 20 Report: Mike Curry
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Women’s Team Fixtures & Results
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On 26 January
OUR SPONSORS We would like to express our sincere thanks to our current pitch side board sponsors for their support. Without you we wouldn't be where we are today.
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A few facts about Step Places‌ Step Places’ core philosophy is to create places which are focused on people.
Step Places were founded in 2008, originally under the name First Step Group, and the business has evolved to become an award winning developer with a growing portfolio of residential and mixeduse schemes across the North West and beyond.
Their aim is to think creatively and collectively, which means they are passionate about their products and their people. Their team aspires to inspire, focusing on quality and innovation; harnessing nature and utilising cutting-edge technology.
As part of the company’s ongoing growth strategy, in 2018 they changed their name to Step Places to reflect better the work we do.
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West
Eccleshall
Andrew Jones (GK) Ashley Woods Billy Matthews Callum Jones Curtis Miller Dontai Gabidon Dylan Moloney George Blackwell James Cottee James McLellan James Sigsworth Joel Smith Joshua Tinker Keiron Dale Reece Coley Rhian Davis Lee Gavin Matthew Cook Matthew Eckersley Matty Argent-Barnes Sam Heathcote Morgan Newns Steve Hall Zachary Cooper
Louis McCarthy (GK) Harvey Collins © Lewis Dunn Jordan Benton Jake Griffiths Jake Langdridge Luke Lewis Callum Feeney Ryan Baxter Shay Finney Louis Downs
Manager: Chris Rowley Asst Manager: Craig Malbon Coach: Lennie Sullivan Goalkeeper Coach: Ian Parkinson Physio: Lee Cleaver
Manager: Kyle Adams/Craig Bould Coach: Colin Phillips Physio: Rebecca Keyte
Liam Tomlin George Woodroffe Ewan Cooper Robert Pearson Thamas Wakefield
Officials Referee: Danny Simms Assistant Referees: Dave Wolfenden & Barry Cropp
Come on, West!