Tuesday, 6th January 2009

News

17th November 2008
Review Of The Week

It was a bad week for Premier Division leaders HEDNESFORD TOWN who lost at ASHTON UNITED in midweek and were then held to a home draw on Saturday by KENDAL TOWN who confirmed their right to be up there slugging it out with the big boys although they will be regretting letting slip a 3-1 lead with ten minutes to go.

Level on points with Kendal in joint third are NORTH FERRIBY UNITED who made it five straight wins with two victories in the week including hitting MATLOCK TOWN for six on Tuesday.

It was a day of comebacks as, in addition to Hednesford, EASTWOOD TOWN denied ILKESTON TOWN a first win in five as they maintained their unbeaten home record with two goals in the last ten minutes to grab a point and NANTWICH TOWN came from two down to beat BUXTON.

Dropping in to the relegation slots, albeit with games in hand, are BOSTON UNITED who have taken just one point from the last six matches whilst MATLOCK TOWN are also heading south with no win in six after OSSETT TOWN beat them 3-1 to move out of the bottom four.

In the six pointer at the foot of the table WORKSOP TOWN came out on top leaving WITTON ALBION on a losing streak of eleven games. The performance of the day, however, was possibly LEIGH GENESIS who, with virtually a reserve team caused by their cash crisis, grabbed a point at in form WHITBY TOWN whilst the scoreline of the week was a 5-5 draw on Wednesday when FC UNITED of MANCHESTER came from 5-2 down to earn a point against CAMMELL LAIRD.

First Division North leaders FC HALIFAX TOWN made it seven wins on the bounce after trailing at the interval to CHORLEY whilst DURHAM CITY maintained their unbeaten record with two home wins in the week scoring nine goals in the process.

At the bottom there was first win of the season for SALFORD CITY.

In the First Division South CARLTON TOWN kept top spot thanks to a Darryl Thomas hat-trick against GOOLE whilst second place RUSHALL OLYMPIC maintained their unbeaten home record with a 2-0 win over GLAPWELL who drop out of the play-off slots as a result of the defeat.

RETFORD UNITED in third kept their unbeaten away record intact with victory at KIDSGROVE ATHLETIC and BELPER TOWN registered their first away win at bottom club BRIGG TOWN who are still searching for a first win.

Shorts

Lancaster City are on the lookout for a physiotherapist - anyone interested is asked to ring manager Barrie Stimpson on 07775 997508... Cammell Laird would like to hear from anybody who is interested in taking over the posts of Press Officer and Programme Editor at the Wirral based club. Person to contact is Paul McLoughlin on 07711 747216... Durham City have been selected by the FA as the "Team of the Round" for their 2nd Qualifying Round FA Trophy knock out of Marine.

Eastwood And Curzon Ready To Battle For Last 64 Place

UniBond League top tier club EASTWOOD TOWN and First Division North outfit CURZON ASHTON are ready to battle it out two weeks today with Wycombe Wanderers and Kidderminster Harriers respectively for a place in the last 64 of this season's FA Cup.

Eastwood, with an excellent home record this season, have made their game with Wycombe an all ticket affair on police advice with a ceiling of around 2,000 probably going to be announced of which Wycombe have requested 750.

Curzon, after winning five of their six ties to get this far on their own soil albeit two of those in replays, now have to travel to a tough looking tie at former Football League club and beaten FA Trophy finalists in 2007 Kidderminster Harriers.

They are expecting to take eight coach loads of fans which is well up on their usual number of travelling supporters who normally simply help fill the team bus.

The UniBond League are the only competition at this level to have a representation and should Leiston from the Eastern Counties League lose their replay against Fleetwood Town Curzon will be the lowest ranked team left and Eastwood the next lowest.

It is the first time since Vauxhall Motors and Barrow made it through in 2002/3 that the UniBond League has had two clubs in the 2nd Round Proper whilst Curzon's victory over Exeter City in the First Round Proper last week meant that UniBond League clubs had taken the scalps of Football League clubs in two of the last three seasons.

The other success was Burscough's against Gillingham in 2006 whilst Harrogate Railway went close in the intervening year giving Mansfield Town a scare before losing 2-3 last season.

A fact that seems to have mainly escaped the media's attention during Curzon's great run is that PFA chief Gordon Taylor was one of the founder players of the club as a Sunday School side in 1955 and, in order to raise funds to buy the first kit, went round houses selling firewood that he and his pals had cut up.

Former Manchester United goalkeeper Jack Crompton, who has just had his autobiography published and was an FA Cup winner in 1948, is the club's President and is a regular attender at home games despite his age.

Thanks in part to the £40,000 picked up by Eastwood and Curzon with their First Round wins UniBond clubs have now pocketed £332,000 in prize money from this season's FA Cup compared to £164,750 twelve months ago.

Boston Pick Up £250 Prize For "Boots To Africa" Appeal

The UniBond League is pleased to announce that Boston United have been awarded £250 by League Sponsors Henkel Ltd for having collected the highest quantity of boots up to 8th November in the "Boots for Africa" appeal that the League and its Sponsor are wholeheartedly supporting in conjunction with Sheffield FC.

This is the first of three £250 incentives to clubs being offered by Henkel with the other payments to follow at the end of January and April by which time the League hope to have achieved their target of 2008 pairs of boots.

The League's UniBond Sponsorship Manager Duncan Bayley said, "Unfortunately the campaign has got off to a slow start with only Rossendale United, Leek Town, Quorn and Stamford in to double figures along with Boston United's thirty pairs. However, with the early season's hectic fixture schedule now diminishing and Christmas providing an ideal opportunity for the promotion of a "new boots for old" initiative in true Christmas spirit, the League is optimistic that the number of boots collected by member clubs will increase significantly. The League will be making a determined effort to ensure that all member clubs give the campaign their maximum support during this second stage of collection".

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