Tuesday, 6th January 2009

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1st November 2008
Review Of The Week

The highlights of the week came in the FA Cup with EASTWOOD TOWN and CURZON ASHTON scoring notable victories and these are covered in more detail elsewhere in this Press Release. Back on the domestic front a fifth successive victory sent HEDNESFORD TOWN seven points clear at the top of the Premier Division after beating CAMMELL LAIRD 4-1 in midweek.

Nearest challengers MARINE dropped points in a goalless draw at LEIGH GENESIS just before the latter club's financial crisis twenty-four hours later whilst third placed KENDAL TOWN missed out on the chance to go second on Saturday when losing 4-1 at home to GUISELEY who move in to fourth with four games in hand on the leaders.

At the opposite end last Saturday's bottom two PRESCOT CABLES and FRICKLEY ATHLETIC both lifted themselves out of the relegation slots. Frickley enjoyed their second victory of the season on Tuesday when beating ASHTON UNITED whilst Cables picked up four points with a win over NANTWICH TOWN in midweek and a draw at MATLOCK TOWN at the weekend thanks to a 93rd minute equaliser in a game where three of the four goals came from the penalty spot.

OSSETT ALBION continue to lead the First Division North after beating bottom club SALFORD CITY who are still searching for an elusive first victory but BAMBER BRIDGE are only a point behind after winning 4-3 at GARFORTH TOWN.

Only four points adrift of the leaders with four games in hand are NEWCASTLE BLUE STAR after winning 5-0 at MOSSLEY -the sixth time they have scored four or more goals in just ten league games! Also motoring are FC HALIFAX TOWN who won 1-0 at FA Cup heroes CURZON ASHTON to make it 19 points from the last seven games and LANCASTER CITY bagged the final play-off spot with a 1-0 success over CHORLEY.

Bottom club Salford are now six points adrift of HARROGATE RAILWAY who enjoyed their second successive three pointer after a dozen games without a win when they beat WODOLEY SPORTS. Railway now also have ROSSENDALE UNITED in their sights after the latter lost at COLWYN BAY.

In the First Division South, leaders CARLTON TOWN were held to a draw at LEEK TOWN after being two up with ten minutes to go allowing RETFORD UNITED to move to within a point with three games in hand.

Last week's second place RUSHALL OLYMPIC drop to fourth after losing at GRANTHAM TOWN who made it twelve points from four games under manager Phil Starbuck whilst SHEPSHED DYNAMO, after losing in the League Challenge Cup at SPALDING UNITED, in midweek returned there to win 2-1 and take third.

The FA Trophy saw the league win three and draw one of their four games against outside opposition whilst DURHAM CITY and SKELMERSDALE UNITED both turned over Premier Division opponents on their travels.

UniBond "Club Of The Month" Awards

The UniBond "Club of the Month" awards for October have gone to EASTWOOD TOWN, CURZON ASHTON and STAMFORD respectively. Eastwood took the top tier award on the back of their two fantastic FA Cup performances against Wrexham holding them to a goalless draw away and then beating them 2-0 in the subsequent replay.

They had also held Conference North side Harrogate Town to a draw and won the replay in the 3rd Qualifying Round as well as beating Nantwich Town and Ashton United in the league. Hednesford Town were their nearest rivals winning six of their seven games whilst Whitby Town were unbeaten in the month but drew a high percentage of their games.

The First Division North prize also went to FA Cup heroes with Curzon Ashton picking up the spoils. In addition to beating Hinckley over two games Curzon had secured wins over Mossley, FC Halifax Town and Glossop North End.

Clitheroe were Curzon's nearest rivals with four wins in five games. The First Division South accolade goes to Stamford who won five and drew one of their seven outings in the month including an excellent 3-0 FA Trophy win over Premier Division high flyers Kendal Town.

UniBond "Fair Play" Awards

The UniBond "Fair Play" awards in respect of October have been won by ILKESTON TOWN, COLWYN BAY and LOUGHBOROUGH DYNAMO respectively.

Ilkeston took the Premier Division award with just two cautions in five games and move up five places to seventh in the overall season to date tables that are still headed by Cammell Laird despite seven bookings and a dismissal such was their earlier good discipline. Second place Leigh Genesis, however, have closed right up to the Wirral side along with Nantwich Town. Kendal Town remain bottom after another poor month on the discipline front that saw the Lake District side pick up ten cautions and a dismissal in five games.

Last season's First Division North's £1,000 Fair Play prize winners Newcastle Blue Star continue to lead the current season's to date tables but it was Colwyn Bay who won the monthly award with just two cautions in four games. Although the Welsh club's record was equalled by both Mossley and Trafford they won it on the strength of a better disciplinary record in FA competitions. The naughty boys are Garforth Town who have easily the worst record in all three Divisions and added to their list of misdemeanours with another ten yellows and one red in four games.

Last month's First Division South Fair Play leaders Willenhall Town continue at the head of affairs at the end of October but monthly winners Loughborough Dynamo close up to fourth place with just three bookings in half a dozen games. It was in this Division that Retford United displayed the worst record of the month with no fewer than twelve cautions and a dismissal in just three matches.

The overall season winners in all three Divisions will win £1,000 each from the League Sponsors with £650 and £350 on offer to the six clubs who finish second and third in their respective Divisions.

Railway Sign Yorath

Amongst a clutch of signings made this week by Harrogate Railway as they attempt to climb out of relegation trouble is 22 year old Jordan Yorath son of former Leeds United and Welsh international star Terry Yorath. Obviously christened after his father's team-mate Joe Jordan he should be a good 'un!

Salford Rebuild

New Salford City boss Ashley Berry has begun to rebuild the League newcomers in his attempt to stave off an immediate return to the North West Counties with an influx of Yorkshire based players including striker Danny Toronczak and 32 year old midfielder Tony Carss who made more than 300 appearances in the full time game for Darlington, Cardiff City, Chesterfield, Carlisle, Oldham and Huddersfield Town.

FA Cup Glory For Eastwood And Curzon Ashton

Eastwood Town scored a notable victory over former Football League club Wrexham on Tuesday evening to reach the First Round Proper of the FA Cup for the second time in their history. The previous occasion was in 1999 when they made the long journey to the West Country only to lose 2-1 to Exeter City. The Nottinghamshire side now face Brackley Town of the Southern League at home where they are yet to lose this season for a place in the Second Round Proper. A crowd of approaching 1,000 is expected.

Eastwood's success followed a Curzon Ashton victory twenty-four hours earlier when the Tameside club also beat opposition from two rungs higher up the ladder than themselves although it took a penalty shoot-out to dislodge Hinckley United. It is a first ever appearance in the First Round Proper as until this season the club had never even been beyond the 3rd Qualifying Round and their reward is a home tie against Football League outfit Exeter City who regained their former status via the Conference play-offs last May. With such a distance for Exeter to travel Curzon are not expecting any more than around seven hundred for their biggest ever game.

The League has now seen its clubs win £292,000 in FA Cup prize money this season compared to £164,750 for the whole of the 2007 competition. UniBond clubs won 28 Preliminary Round ties against 22 last season, 30 against 23 in the First Qualifying Round, 15 against 12 in the 2nd Qualifying Round, nine against four in the Third Qualifying Round and two against just one in the 4th and final Qualifying Round.

Curzon Youngsters Double Up

It was a huge week for Curzon Ashton in FA competitions as their Youth team emulated their seniors and reached the First Round Proper of the FA Youth Cup with a 4-0 victory at fellow UniBond League club Cammell Laird. Curzon's victory sees them in the First Round Proper for a third successive season and gives the UniBond League five representatives. Indeed, the League will have at least one club through to the Second Round Proper as Curzon now play Nantwich Town. The other three contenders all play Football League opposition with Worksop Town and Hednesford Town both having very tasty local derbies lined up against Rotherham United and Walsall respectively. The League's other survivor Wakefield travel to former UniBond club Accrington Stanley.

League Cup Draw

The draw for the 3rd Round of the UniBond League Challenge Cup has been made and is as follows -

Ashton United v Leigh Genesis
Loughborough Dynamo v Ilkeston Town
Belper Town or Stocksbridge v Eastwood Town
Ossett Town v Worksop Town
Buxton v Matlock Town
Prescot Cables v Marine
Colwyn Bay or Skelmersdale v Bamber Bridge or Salford City
Retford Utd or Newcastle BS v Whitby Town
Frickley Athletic v Curzon or Clitheroe or Garforth Town
Sheffield or Durham City v North Ferriby Utd
Spalding United v Boston United
Guiseley v Bradford Park Ave
Witton Albion v Cammell Laird
Kendal Town v Nantwich Town
Woodley Sports v FC United of M/cr
Kidsgrove Athletic v Hednesford Town

Egan Quits At Rossendale

Rossendale United manager Derek Egan has quit on the back of the club's decision to cut its playing budget and becomes the eighth managerial departure so far this season.

Chairman Steve Hobson said "With the country rapidly heading towards recession the always difficult task of making ends meet at a non league club has become even more difficult. We are suffering low attendances in part due to our close proximity to Premiership and Football League clubs and also the saturation coverage of football on TV.

"The Board's decision to cut our cloth according to the circumstances and reduce the wage bill has been a step too far for Derek and he has decided to step down. We have had some tough times at Rossendale in the past few years and the Board felt we couldn't put a possible short term gain on the field of play in front of the long term future of the club.

"Derek has worked tirelessly for Rossendale United over the past three years and has stuck with us through some very difficult times. The Board fully understand his reasons for leaving and wish him well in the future".

Egan took over in November 2005 and his record read P125 W48 D32 L45. Taking charge of team affairs until an appointment is made is captain and leading goalscorer Phil Eastwood.

Leigh Genesis Suffer Consequences Of Stadium Delay

The long delays in the Local Authority opening the impressive new stadium that Leigh Genesis expected to have been installed in as long ago as last summer allied to the Council's decision to condemn the club's former ground at Hilton Park which resulted in all the club's home games being played outside the conurbation has taken its toll on Chairman Dominic Speakman who this week announced he was no longer prepared to carry on funding the club and was stepping down as Chairman.

Mr Speakman had saved the club from going under when he took over last January but the business budget put in place for two years on the strength of occupying the new stadium during the summer has been blown in nine months due to the delays.

In the wake of Mr Speakman's decision the club has immediately cut the wage bill to zero and are attempting to find clubs for all its contract players. Leigh have registered their reserve and youth teams and will fulfil their fixtures with these players together with the members of the current squad who are prepared to play for nothing until such time as they can find other clubs.

Obituary

Salford City were saddened last weekend to announce the death of club stalwart Harold Brearley who had been involved with the club from its early days.

He was Secretary during the club's greatest era as Salford Amateurs in the 1970's when they were successful in the Manchester area and further a field in Lancashire competitions. As Chairman, Harold guided the club's progress from the Manchester League through the Cheshire League and into the North West Counties League. He subsequently became Club President and retained a keen interest in club affairs right up to his death.

Mr Brearley's funeral will take place at 12.30pm at St Thomas' Church (also known as Pendleton Church), Ford Lane, Pendleton.

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