Tuesday, 6th January 2009

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30th August 2008
Review of the week

GUISELEY dropped their first points of the season on Monday when held at home by MATLOCK TOWN but recovered at weekend to beat WITTON ALBION and lead the Premier Division on goal difference from ILKESTON TOWN who had two 1-0 home wins in the week. After a goalless draw on Monday MARINE were in a nine goal thriller on Saturday at OSSETT TOWN where they eventually emerged as 5-4 winners to be level third with HEDNESFORD TOWN. Right on the heels of the top four are ASHTON UNITED who spent most of last season battling relegation whilst six points in the week for NANTWICH TOWN sees the top tier's new boys only four points off the lead with a game in hand. WHITBY TOWN scored their first goals of the campaign but are still pointless whilst PRESCOT CABLE got their first reward of the season when holding BOSTON UNITED to a 2-2 draw.

Last season's beaten play-off finalists SKELMERSDALE UNITED head the First Division North table by a point after a narrow 3-2 home win over BAMBER BRIDGE who had been three down but it is second place NEWCASTLE BLUE STAR who are setting the Division alight making it sixteen goals, eleven of which have come at home, in four games with a six goal demolition of GARFORTH TOWN. Sharing second spot are MOSSLEY and CLITHEROE who after losing their opening game have won three on the bounce. Newcomers DURHAM CITY have only conceded one goal in their first four games but don't score many either and they are down in seventh spot on the same number of points as RADCLIFFE BOROUGH who have maximum points from their two away games but haven't earned a point at home.

STOCKSBRIDGE PS, RUSHALL OLYMPIC and the season's surprise package SHEPSHED DYNAMO head the First Division South table two points clear of another unbeaten side BELPER TOWN. A fifth unbeaten side are LEEK TOWN down in ninth after registering their first win on Monday against KIDSGROVE ATHLETIC following three draws. Four clubs GOOLE AFC, CARLTON TOWN, QUORN and BRIGG TOWN are still searching for a first victory.

In the FA Cup Preliminary Round the League didn't have a particularly outstanding day with seventeen wins and eight draws in the 35 games outside opposition

UniBond League "Club Of The Month" Awards

The first awards of the new season have gone to GUISELEY, SKELMERSDALE UNITED and STOCKSBRIDGE PS all of whom were unbeaten in August. Guiseley won four and drew one of their games as did Ilkeston Town but the Yorkshire side had the better goal difference. Skelmersdale were clear winners of the First Division North prize whilst Stocksbridge edged out Shepshed Dynamo in the South section.

First Managerial Change

The first managerial change of the season has arrived with former Gateshead captain Steve Bowey taking over as player-manager of First Division North side Newcastle Blue Star following the departure of player-coaches Dean Gordon and Mark Birch.

The 34 year old captained Gateshead to promotion last season to the Blue Square North via the play-offs but was unable to agree terms for the current campaign. A midfielder, he made around two hundred and fifty appearances in two spells with Gateshead scoring some sixty goals.

In between his two stints with the "Tynesiders" he played well over a century of games for Queen of the South and was a regular in York City's 2006/7 side. This is Bowey's first stab at management and he has brought with him former Gateshead Director of Football Tom Wade to be his eyes on the touchline whilst he himself is playing.

Although Blue Star have only been in the UniBond League for one full season Bowey becomes the club's fifth manager in their short membership of the competition following Andy Gowens, former Irish international Tommy Cassidy, Paul Baker who left to take up a scouting role with Norwich City and the duo of Gordon/Birch.

Ashcroft Signs Two Year Deal

Kendal Town announced this week that former England Under 21 international Lee Ashcroft who is now player-manager at the Lake District club has signed a two year deal. After joining Kendal three years ago as a player Ashcroft took over the managerial reins when Tony Hesketh left and in his first season he guided his side to a respectable eleventh place.

Club Chairman David Willans said: "We are delighted that Lee has agreed a two year contract as he has worked very hard to get the players he wants and I am sure we will continue to progress with him at the helm".

Tulips Faithful Rewarded At Last

It was a long time coming but Spalding United's 2-1 win on Monday was their first home success in a league game since 9th April 2007 when they beat Sutton Coldfield Town 1-0 in a Southern League Midlands Division fixture some 23 matches ago.

Ricky Miller and Martin Wormall were the goalscoring heroes as the "Tulips" surprised previously unbeaten Sheffield FC in front of one of their best attendances for a league match in some time. The supporters are warming to a squad that Alan Biley has rebuilt completely with just two players retained from last season's team that only escaped relegation through Alsager Town's ground grading problems.

Bay Hit 'Keeper Problems

Colwyn Bay have been badly hit by goalkeeping injury problems not helped by the FA of Wales rule that even non-contract players can only be registered with one club at any one time.

They started the campaign with England Futsal international Faria Jackson between the sticks against Garforth Town but he was injured in that game and replaced at Durham City by Chris Sanna.

When he was also injured Colwyn Bay had to turn quickly to Matthew Parry who they had been forced to release under the Welsh FA's rules as he had signed for Ruthin. That made it three keepers in the three opening games of the season which takes some beating.

Retford Sign Bray

Last season's First Division South Champions Retford United who are without a goal in their opening two home league games of the new campaign are looking to former Goole AFC striker Duncan Bray to boost their output.

The 28 year old bagged a total of more than forty goals in his two seasons with the "Vikings". The "Badgers", meanwhile, are hosting a friendly against Sheffield United on Tuesday evening with the Championship side expected to field several regular first teamers as they have no game for ten days due to the International break.

Greenwood Wins Non-League Manager Of The Year Award

Tony Greenwood, the manager of last season's UniBond League Premier Division champions Fleetwood Town, has won the Non-League Club Directory Manager of the Year award joining a prestigious list of former winners including the likes of Martin O'Neill, Steve Cotterill, Jan Molby and Nigel Clough.

The award was probably as much in recognition of what he had achieved over a number of years at the club as for last season's success as he had arrived in March 2003 at a club in decline.

Since then he has turned things round to such an extent that the club has enjoyed three promotions in addition to winning the UniBond League Challenge Cup in 2006/7 with victory over Matlock Town. His side enjoyed a fantastic run-in at the end of last season coming from some fourteen points off the pace at one time to pip Witton Albion for the title.

Fleetwood Chairman Andy Pilling said: "I congratulate Tony on winning the award and he is now right up there alongside some fantastic names and he is a very worthy winner. He kept believing last season that we would win the UniBond Premier Division and sure enough we did. But that is what Tony Greenwood does - he wins titles".

Barmby Dynasty Continues

The Barmby family's association with football took another step this week with the news that fourteen year old Jack Barmby, son of former England international Nick Barmby and generally regarded as one of the brightest prospects in the game at his age, had signed for Manchester United from Hull City where his father is currently playing.

The Barmby footballing dynasty, however, has its roots firmly in the UniBond League with his grandfather Geoff Barmby going in to the League's history books as the first player to score a hat-trick in the Northern Premier League Challenge Cup.

The eldest Barmby achieved his place in the record books on 22nd August 1968 when he netted his treble in a 5-2 win for Goole Town against Worksop Town in front of a crowd of more than 1,500 for what was a Preliminary Round tie!

The "Vikings" Preliminary Round success, however, was short lived as they went out in the First Round at Altrincham where a crowd in excess of 3,000 turned out. How times change!

Kidsgrove Appoint New Chief Executive

Kidsgrove Athletic have appointed a new Chief Executive Officer in the shape of Carl Holness who they will hope punches his weight as he has rubbed shoulders with such heavyweights as Joe Frazier and George Foreman and more recently he flew to Jacksonville in the USA to attend yet another heavyweight boxing champion's birthday party having received an invite from Ken Norton.

Holness, who admits to having "fantastic contacts in the sporting world", is Kidsgrove born and bred and wants to turn the club in to a community based club.

Lairds Sign Former Schoolboy International

Cammell Lairds have signed former England schools international Dave Challinor who has been released by Bury for whom he made over a century of appearances. Now aged 32 he also clocked up around a hundred and fifty games for his first club and almost a further hundred for Stockport County.

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