[NBR] Local non-league - Fleetwood Town, AFC Blackpool, AFC Fylde, Squires Gate etc

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Results for Saturday 24th January 2009

An unusual day on the Fylde Coast with Blackpool at home to possible promotion bound Birmingham City in The Championship, Fleetwood Town at home to high-flyers (and one of the best supported non-league clubs) AFC Telford United and AFC Fylde playing their home match against Needham Market in the FA Vase, not at their home Kellamergh Park in Warton, but in Blackpool at Squires Gate's School Road ground!

Conference North

Fleetwood Town 1 AFC Telford United 0, attendance 1,016
A trademark Jamie Milligan free-kick secured all three points and a morale boosting win for Fleetwood against fourth placed Telford.

Telford applied some pressure during the first half but failed to turn that pressure into goals. Fleetwood produced some good football in the second half against a Telford side who played the entire half with ten men.

The result means Fleetwood are now in 16th place with 25 points, five points above the relegation places and with two games in hand on all three clubs at the bottom.

North West Counties League, Premier Division

Atherton Collieries 0 Squires Gate 0, attendance 38
While AFC Fylde were playing at Gate's School Road ground in the FA Vase, Gate themselves were in Greater Manchester playing out a scoreless draw with Atherton Collieries, one of two clubs from the town of Atherton in the NWCL Premier Division (the other being Atherton Laburnum Rovers). However, Colls are struggling to avoid relegation to the First Division and this result won't have helped their cause. Nor does it really help Gate moving up the table.e

North West Counties League, First Division
AFC Blackpool's match at Darwen was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch.

FA Vase - Fourth Round replay
AFC Fylde 1 Needham Market 2, attendance 457

In a match played in Blackpool, at Squires Gate FC's School Road ground, and with a decent crowd of 457, AFC Fylde were knocked out of the FA Vase in this 4th Round Replay.

Full match report taken from the NWCL website -


AFC Fylde’s epic FA Vase journey is over after being sunk by a late penalty in their Fourth Round replay against Needham Market.

A goalless draw after extra time in the first tie in the first tie in Suffolk meant that the sides met up again 7 days later, this time at School Road in Blackpool, the home of Squires Gate as the pitch at Kellamergh Park is still recovering from renovation work.

After going behind early in the 2nd half, a Steve Palmer piledriver on the hour brought Fylde back on level terms. But a successfully converted two minutes from time taken by Needham Market's Danny Thrower, sent the Suffolk side through to the 5th round.

In the 21st minte Needham had the ball in the net, only to see the goal disallowed. Former Northern Ireland international Kevin Horlock shot from 25 yards from a corner. It took a massive deflection off Fylde's former Blackpool youth team defender Matt Lawlor, and ended up in the back of the net. However, as the Needham players celebrated, the referee consulted his assistant and ordered the corner to be re-taken as there were two balls on the pitch at the time it was taken!

Twelve minutes into the 2nd half the visitors took the lead when Jay Dennis fired home from eight yards. Fylde were back on level terms just three minutes later when Steve Palmer scored his first goal of the season with a 25 yard shot. Fylde then started to dominate the game and came close a few times to taking the lead, before Needham also came close to adding a 2nd goal. But, with two minutes remaining the visitors Pat Bendfield down just inside the penalty area after a challenge from Matt Lawlor, much to the dismay of the Fylde supporters. Danny Thrower who had spurned a couple of chances not long before, stepped forward to convert the spot kick and send the visitors through to the fifth round and so put an end to Fylde's defence of their FA Vase trophy which they won at Wembley last May.

Fylde manager Mick Fuller said after the match, "We didn't play well in the first half, we had too many players out of sorts. I don't know if our lads had it in the back of their minds that it was going to be easy, but we warned them it wouldn't be. We were fortunate to get away with the goal that they had chalked off. You have to say that two balls on the pitch is a strange reason to disallow a goal. In the second half I thought we settled down and I felt once we'd equalised that we'd go on and win it. We picked a bad day to have a poor performance and overall I think they probably deserved it. A number of our players have to hold their hands up as they have not performed."

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Results for Saturday 31st January 2009

Conference North

Fleetwood Town 2 Solihull Moors 1, attendance 811
Two quick early 1st half goals from Nathan Pond (17 minutes) and Ricky Mercer (19 minutes) gave all three points to Town as they battle to avoid relegation straight back down to the Northern Premier League. With four of the bottom five clubs losing it means Town move closer to mid-table.

North West Counties League, Premier Division

One mid-week match from last Tuesday -
Squires Gate 2 Runcorn Linnets 2, attendance 80
Gate were held to a dissapointing draw at home, with Runcorn grabbing an 80th minute equaliser.

Saturday -
Colne 1 Squires Gate 1, attendance 62
Gate recorded a second consecutive draw, with Colne taking the lead on 42 minutes before Gate equalised five minutes into the 2nd half.

Atherton Laburnum Rovers 1 AFC Fylde 2, attendance 82
AFC Fylde won with 29th and 58th minute goals, while Atherton got a goal back in the 75th minute, but Fylde clung on to earn all three points and so consolidate their position at the top of the table.

North West Counties League, First Division

AFC Blackpool 0 Norton United 0, attendance 41
A goalless draw means Blackpool are in 15th place on 17 points.

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Squires Gate manager Andy Clarkson interview

Gate boss Andy Clarkson is establishing the club as one of the leading clubs in the North West Counties Football League and he is now studying to earn his UEFA coaching badge. He works part-time as Gate boss and also coaches the youngsters at local junior club, Clifton Rangers.

Clarkson, 37 in February, said, "Very shortly I start studying for my UEFA B coaching badge, which leads to a UEFA A and then a pro licence. This time next year I hope to be UEFA B qualified. My ambition is to press on in football and land a coaching role, taking me into the schools and encouraging more football in the community."

He guided Gate to their highest-ever league place last season and they are on course to match that sixth place this season. Clarkson added, "I enjoy the camaraderie with the lads at the club and we have a respectful relationship which has created a great togetherness within the team. My backroom men Dave Butler and Mark Moretti are helping do a good job and long may it continue."

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Tuesday result

North West Counties Football League Cup, second round

AFC Fylde 4 Bacup Borough 1, attendance 101
After the dissapointment of losing in the FA Vase, Fylde got back to winning ways with this win over Bacup in the League Cup. In the Bacup Borough side was Rhodri Giggs, the younger brother of Manchester United veteran Ryan Giggs. Fylde were 2-0 up by half-time and added a third jsut after the break. Bacup pulled a goal back after 56 minutes, before Fylde wrapped the scoring up with a 4th goal on 64 minutes.

Wednesday result

Lancashire County Football Association Challenge Trophy, quarter-final

Fleetwood Town 1 Radcliffe Borough 2, attendance 192
Town missed out on the chance to reach the semi-final, losing out at home to Radcliffe who scored after just seven minutes through Tom Rutter. Adam Roscoe doubled their lead on 25 minutes. Town pulled a goal back on 79 minutes when substitute Joel Cowell, a reserve team regular, scored, but they couldn't score an equaliser in the closing minutes, and Radcliffe were deserved winners.

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Most non-league games were called off today, including Fleetwood Town and AFC Fylde (Snowbound, Frozen Pitch!) games.

Two games that did go ahead saw wins for two non-league Blackpool clubs. But one win may turn out to have been pointless but also historic!!! :eek:

North West Counties Football League Premier Division

Squires Gate 3 Alsager Town 1, attendance 72
Gate took the lead on 22 minutes and went in at the break 1-0 up. Although Alsager equalised on 58 minutes, Gate restored their lead eight minutes later, before wrapping up the game to claim all three points with a third goal on 74 minutes.

North West Counties Football League First Division

Darwen 0 AFC Blackpool 1, attendance 77
A 64th minute goal gave Blackpool the win and, for now, all three points. However, Darwen are a club in deep financial trouble. This coming Wednesday they face a winding up order.

On Wednesday 4th Febraury the league issued a statement saying

Darwen FC Chairman and owner Kevin Henry has informed both the Vodkat League (*) and the FA that the club faces a winding up order in court next Wednesday, 11th February. He has also indicated that the order will not be contested.

The FA has been in contact with the Vodkat League to confirm they have been notified of this development, and to reaffirm FA rules in instances such as these. The rules state that if a club is wound up during the course of a season, they automatically lose their league status and their playing records are expunged. This same rule also exists in the Vodkat League Regulations.

When these instances arise, if a new club is formed afterwards, FA rules state that the new club would be expected to enter the National League System two steps below the level at which the previous club was playing.

All of which means that if Darwen are wound up on Wednesday then their game against Blackpool today will have been their last ever game (hence it is historic). However, for AFC Blackpool if that happens then the win will have been pointless in the sense of both the three points will be deducted as Darwens results will be expunged and in the sense of the game itself having been a pointless exercise as the club have already confirmed that they won't contest the winding up order anyway. :D

(*) The name of the league with the sponsors name.

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Results for Saturday 14th February 2009

Conference North

Fleetwood Town 3 Redditc united 1, attendance 1,042
Redditch took the lead after 32 minutes with a Ryan Beswick low shot, but Town equalised shortly before the break on 43 minutes through a Michael Wilde tap in, and the teams went in level 1-1 at half-time. Early in the second half Town took the lead through Ricky Mercer. Wilde added his second and Towns third ten minutes later to take all three points.

North West Counties League, Premier Division

Abbey Hey 0 Squires Gate 1, attendance 31
Another three points for Gate with a 62nd minute goal giving them the win as they look on course to at least equal last seasons sixth place, their highest ever finish.

AFC Fylde had no match today. They were due to play Runcorn Linnets at home in the quarter-finals of the NWCL Cup, but the game was called off due to a waterlogged pitch.

North West Counties League, First Division Trophy, quarter-finals

AFC Blackpool 1 Norton United 2, attendance 43
Blackpool were knocked out of the First Division Trophy in the quarter-finals by Norton, who two weeks ago lost to the Mechs in their league encounter.

Update on AFC Blackpool's opponents last week, Darwen

An official statement from the league -

After earlier indications that their game against AFC Blackpool on 7th February could be their last, Darwen FC are still in business after a court hearing on Wednesday.
A winding up order was served on the club and was heard in court on Wednesday, 11th February, but Darwen FC Chairman and owner Kevin Henry challenged the order, and with the court hearing subsequently being adjourned the club has been given a stay of execution

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Mid-week results

North West Counties Football League Premier Division

Squirse Gate 2 Nelson 2, attenadnce 85
On Tuesday evening Gate drew 2-2 at home to East Lancashire club Nelson. The visitors took the lead after just six minutes. Gate equalised nine minutes later through a penalty, only for Nelson to regain the lead on 39 minutes and went in 2-1 ahead. Gate equalised again with another penalty late on in the second half.

AFC Fylde 1 Bacup Borough 1, attenadnce 174

Premier Division leaders AFC Fylde were held to a 1-1 draw on Wednesday evening by a 10-man Bacup Borough side they hammered 4-1 a fortnight ago.

In a home game played at Squires Gate because Fylde's pitch at Kellamergh Park is unfit, Tommy Turner gave the visitors a 28th-minute lead only to be sent off shortly afterwards after receiving a second yellow card. Fylde equalised on 34 minutes, when Chris Downey fired home from Micky Horsfall's cross, but they could not make their extra man count in the second half.

Hoever, they still move a point clear of second-placed Newcastle Town in the premier division, and still with five games in hand on Town.

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Saturday results

Conference North

Fleetwood Town 2 Droylsden 1, attendance 1,407
A 2-1 home win saw Fleetwood move up to 11th in the Conference North table. And in doing so they have surely eased any lingering relegation worries. They now lie nine points behind 5th placed Alfreton Town, who are in the last promotion play-off spot. The attendance of 1,407 was the highest at Highbury Avenue in the league this season, helped in no small part by free tickets for local youngsters. But also coming four days after one of the lowest crowds of the season of 587 in mid-week,

North West Counties Football League, Premier Division

AFC Fylde 1 Ramsbottom United 1, attendance 181
A poor result for Fylde drawing at their temporary home at Squires Gate to struggling Ramsbottom United. With other recent poor results, Fylde have now slipped from top spot in the table, replaced by Newcastle Town, who now have a 4 point lead. However, Fylde have 5 games in hand. New Mills though lie just 3 points back.

The top of the table now -

1 Newcastle Town pld 28 pts 60
2 AFC Fylde pld 23 pts 56
3 New Mills pld 24 pts 53
4 Congleton Town pld 26 pts 53
5 Glossop North End pld 24 pts 49
6 Squires Gate pld 28 pts 43
7 Ashton Athletic pld 28 pts 39
8 Atherton Laburnum Rovers pld 26 pts 37

North West Counties Football League, First Division

AFC Blackpool 0 Cheadle Town 2, attendance 68
Blackpool failed to keep up their unbeaten run, which stood at 4 games, losing at home to promotion chasers Cheadle. They lost to two late second half goals.

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Updates

Fleetwood Town
Yesterday Fleetwood convincingly won at Stalybridge Celtic, hammering them 5-0. They needed that result, coming after some disappointing results, 2-2 at home to Gainsborough Trinity in front of 502, (the lowest crowd of the season at Highbury Avenue) a 2-1 defeat at Hinckley United and a 3-1 home loss to Hyde United (att: 611).

Town are now in 11th place on 43 points in the Conference North, ten points off the promotion play-off places, but it would take a very good run of results for them to reach the play-offs now.

AFC Fylde
Fylde are still joint top of the North West Counties Football League Premier Division, equal on 63 points with New Mills, but with a better goal difference and four games in hand.

Fyldes form has dipped slightly in recent weeks. After a disappointing 1-1 home draw with Bacup Borough, they lost 1-0 at Congleton Town, then had another 1-1 draw at home, this time against Ramsbottom United. They then got back on track with a 3-0 win at Abbey Hey, but followed that up with a third consecutive home draw, 2-2 with Congleton Town.

They are having to use Squires Gate's ground in Blackpool while work is done on Fylde's pitch. And it seems that their temporary home doesn't suit them!

Squires Gate
Also in the Premier Division, Gate are hoping to repeat their highest ever place, 6th last season. However, they are another local club seeing a dip in form and will struggle to hold onto sixth place.

A 2-2 home draw with Nelson was followed by a 2-0 defeat at Congleton Town. They then beat Flixton 2-0 at home, but since then have suffered three consecutive home losses - 0-1 to Ashton Athletic, 1-2 to Bacup Borough and 1-2 to Formby yseterday.

Gate still lie in 6th place, on 46 points. however, all the teams imediately below them have games in hand. Ashton Athletic in 7th are on 45 points with a game in hand; Silsden in 8th place on 43 points have three games in hand; 9th placed Atherton Laburnum Rovers on 42 points, but with two games in hand; Runcorn Linnets in 10th place and also on 42 points, have six games in hand; In 11th place, Bacup Borough are on 41 points with nine (!) games in hand; and finally in 12th, Alsager Town are also on 41 points with four games in hand.

AFC Blackpool
In the First Division, Blackpool have had mixed results. A 0-0 home draw with Norton United was followed by a 1-0 away win at Darwen. They then beat Daisy Hill 3-0 at home and drew 2-2 at home to Padiham. A 2-0 home defeat to Cheadle Town was followed by a 2-1 defeat at Eccleshall, and yesterday they got a good result, drawing 1-1 at 4th placed, and promotion chasing, Wigan Robin Park.

Blackpool now lie in 13th out of 18 clubs, on 25 points. They are though 14 points above bottom placed Ashton Town, who have just 11 points from 24 games.

West Lancashire League
An update for all the local clubs in the three divisions of the West Lancashire League.

Premier Division
There are four local clubs in the top flight of the WLL, which has a total of 16 clubs. The current league leaders are Charnock Richard on 51 points from 23 games and Burnley United are bottom on just 6 points from 20 games, having won only once all season.

Freckleton are the highest placed local club sitting in 2nd place, six points behind Charncok Richard on 45 points, having played one game more. Blackpool Wren Rovers are in 3rd place on 38 points, but having played 20 games, so they have the chance to get up to 2nd. Poulton Town are currently 7th on 31 points from 26 games.

Last seasons WLL Champions, Garstang have had, by comparison a dissapointing 2008-09 season. They are 10th with 29 points from 18 games. However, with up to six games in hand on all the teams above them they should move up the table. Their manager left after leading them to last season's league championship citing the club's lack of ambition in that they have no aims to move up to the North West Counties Football League. There is no direct promotion or relegation between the two leagues. Clubs are promoted only if they apply to join the NWCFL and meet strict ground requirements.

Division One
There are two Fylde clubs in Division One, which has 14 clubs. Current table toppers are Tempest United, who are on 43 points from 19 games. Furness Rovers are bottom on 13 points from 18 games.

Wyre Villa lie in 7th place on 21 points from 19 games (and still probably the most picturesque ground on the Fylde coast), while Norcross & Warbrcek are one place below Wyre on 20 points from 16 games. Neither club it seems will be involved in relegation or promotion now as mid-table seems to be where both will finish the season.

Division Two
There are two local clubs in Division Two, which has a total of 13 clubs. Current league leaders are Furness Cavaliers who have 36 points from 17 games. They are though just two points ahead of 2nd placed Mill Hill St Peters and then Thornton Cleveleys, also on 34 points, but with a game in hand on both Furness and Mill Hill, so promotion is still a possibility. Lytham Town, in their debut season are in a respectable 6th place with 26 points from 17 games. Bottom of Division One are Lancashire Constabulary on 6 points from 15 games, the police side having won just once.

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Updates

Fleetwood Town
Town are still in 11th place in the Conference North, now on 48 points from 36 games. Results have been mixed with 1 win, 2 draws and 2 defeats in their last five games. The losses though have come in their last two games and probably means any hopes of reaching the play-offs have now gone.

Recent results -

18th March: Gateshead 2 Fleetwood Town 2 (att: 467)
21st March: Fleetwood Town 1 Harrogate Town 0 (att:1,051)
24th March: Redditch United 1 Fleetwood Town 1(att: 221)
28th March: Tamworth 2 Fleetwood Town 1 (att: 784)
31st March: Workington Town 3 Fleetwood Town 2 (att: 331)

AFC Fylde
Fylde sit atop the NWCFL Premier Division table on 75 points from 30 games. New Mills are 4 points behind on 71 points, also from 30 games. The top two are promoted and only Newcastle Town in 3rd on 69 points (33 games) stand any real chance of getting into the top two.

Fylde have their last 4 games, scoring 16 goals and conceding just twice.

Recent results -

18th March: Fylde 4 Atherton Collieries 0 (att: 205)
21st March: Atherton Collieries 2 Fylde 4 (att: 65)
25th March: Fylde 3 Silsden 0 (att: 178)
28th March: Winsford United 0 Fylde 5 (att: 126)

Squires Gate
With two wins from their last three game, Gate have consolidated in 6th place. They now have 52 points from 35 games.

Recent results -

21st March: Ashton Athletic 0 Squires Gate 1 (att: 30)
23rd March: New Mills 3 Squires Gate 0 (att: 111)
28th March: Runcorn Linnetts 1 Squires Gate 2 (att: 124)

AFC Blackpool
In the NWCFL First Division, Blackpool are now 15th (out of 18) with 26 points from 28 games.

Recent results -

21st March: Blackpool 1 Irlam 1 (att: 72)
28th March: Blackpool 3 Stone Dominoes 4 (att: 47)

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Fleetwood Town

Fleetwood finished the season in 8th place in the Conference North. A creditable achievement in their first season at this level.

Tamworth were champions, while Gateshead, Alfreton Town, AFC Telford United and Southport reached the Play-Offs.

Relegated were Hyde United, Burscough and Hucknall Town.

Fleetwood had the third highest average attendances in the Conference North, with an average of 920, behind only Kings Lynn on 986 and AFC Telford United with a very impressive 1,990.

Town will not though be playing FC United of Manchester next season. They failed to reach the play-offs in the Northern Premier League Premier Division, finishing in 6th place behind champions Eastwood Town and Ilkeston Town, Nantwich Town, Guiseley and Kendal Town.

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AFC Fylde

Fylde won back-to-back promotion on the final day of the season on Saturday with a 5-0 demolition of New Mills in front of a record home crowd of 1,217.

It was real "Roy of the Rovers" stuff as the final day of the season saw Fylde, in 2nd place and needing a win to go top and win promotion, play New Mills who were in 1st place and needed just a draw to secure top spot and promotion. New Mills came into the game on a remarkable 21 game winning streak. But it was Fylde who convincingly won all three points and with both clubs locked on 104 points it was Fylde who were crowned league champions and won promotion on goal difference!

Next season Fylde will compete in the Northern Premier League Division One North where they will play the likes of Lancaster City, former Football League club Halifax Town (though it is a new "AFC" Halifax Town as the original club went bust.), Bamber Bridge, Clitheroe, Chorley and Salford City.

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Squires Gate

Gate have had an average season in the North West Counties Premier Division, never threatening to beat Fylde or New Mills to the top two. And after spending much of the season in sixth place, they finished in 10th place. So an average season for Gate.

Their average attendance was 84, up 27.8% from 65 in 2007-08. However, that was mostly due to the derby against AFC Fylde which saw a crowd of 405 - the 4th largest crowd in the league behind only the 1,217 for AFC Fylde vs New Mills, 710 for New Mills vs Glossop North End and 455 for the reverse fixture, Glossop North End vs New Mills.

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AFC Blackpool

In their first season as AFC Blackpool (they were previously Blackpool Mechanics), they had a dissapointing season, finishing in 15th place in the North West Counties Football League First Division, above only Rochdale Town in 16th, Daisy Hill in 17th and Ashton Town in 18th.

Only seven wins from 34 games and just 34 goals. However, their average attendance of 64 was the 5th highest in the league.

Newly formed club AFC Liverpool failed to win promotion, ending up in 4th place.

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West Lancashire League

Final league tables

Premier Division

Position - Club - Played - Points

Charnock Richard 30 66
Blackpool Wren Rovers 30 64
Garstang 30 55
Dalton United 30 54
Freckleton 30 52
Barnoldswick Town 30 42
Euxton Villa 30 40
Haslingden St Mary's 30 39
Turton 30 38
Fulwood Amateurs 30 38
Vickerstown CC 30 37
Poulton Town 30 34
Coppull United 30 32
Stoneclough 30 29
Eagley 30 26
Burnley United 30 18
Champions Charnock Richard are an ambitious club. Based in the village of the same name, south of Preston, they have the aim to play at a higher level, and while there is no automatic promotion/relegation between the West Lancashire League and the North West Counties Football League, Charnock hope to one day move up.

For clubs on the Fylde, the 2007-08 champions Garstang, finished in 3rd place, while Blackpool Wren Rovers had a successful season, ending up as runners-up. Freckleton who play not far from AFC Fylde's ground, were 5th, and promoted Poulton Town had a reasonable first season in the Premier Division, finisihing 12th.

First Division

Position - Club - Played - Points

Tempest United 26 56
Lostock St Gerards 30 53
Hawcoat Park 30 44
Fleetwood Hesketh 30 43
Trimpell & Slyne 26 38
Millom 26 38
Norcross & Warbreck 26 35
Milnthorpe Corinthians 26 34
Hesketh Bank 26 33
Crooklands Casuals 26 32
Croston Sports 26 31
Wyre Villa 26 29
Crosshills 26 27
Furness Rovers 26 19
Two local in the First Division. Norcross & Warbreck finished in mid-table in 7th, while Wyre Villa just escaped relegation to the Second Division, in 12th place.

Second Division

Position - Club - Played - Points

Thornton Cleveleys 24 54
Mill Hill St Peters 24 50
Furness Cavaliers 24 49
BAC Springfields 24 47
Lytham Town 24 45
Burnley Belvedere 24 40
Bolton County 24 39
Todmorden Borough 24 34
Whinney Hill 24 24
Askam United 24 23
Lancashire Constabulary 24 14
Walney Island 24 10
GSK Ulverston Rangers 24 10
Thornton Cleveleys were recently announced as a new partner club with Blackpool and ended the season being crowned Second Division champions. The other local side, Lytham Town, in their debut year, finished a creditable 5th.

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A picture of the tiny stand at Hallgate Park - home of Wyre Villa on the edge of the small village of Stalmine in Over Wyre. (Sorry about the size!)


http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/55/WyreVilladugout01.jpg

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Fleetwood Town

Town are pushing ahead with plans to develop a third new stand which will be on the Memorial Park side at their Highbury Avenue stadium.

Although the design of the new stand is yet to be finalised, the plan is for it to contain 1,500-2,000 seats and to incorporate office space, conference facilities and executive boxes.

Chairman Andy Pilley said,

The new park-side project is very exiting. The board has met with a variety of people and I can promise it will be a magnificent facility which will cost several million pounds.

Arguably, this is a very good time to spend money given that the price of concrete and steel is cheap. It is hoped the construction will be over three floors and it will be a brilliant facility that can be used by the whole town and the whole community.

Not only the first team, but the Fleetwood Town Juniors and the community football schemes will also use the new facilities.

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Fleetwood Town
Chief executive Steve Curwood has confirmed that Town will have seven pre-season games including a home game against a Bolton Wanderers XI, which should be the first on their new pitch on Monday 3rd August. The opening friendly is at Scottish side Queens Park on Saturday 11 July.

Curwood said,

Final confirmation of the game has taken a couple of weeks but it was Bolton who requested a game from us. I understand their first team will also be in action that night but they have promised to field a strong XI.

It will be a good test for the lads with the season starting the following Saturday.

The 2009-10 Conference North season starts on Saturday 8th August and the fixtures will be announced on Friday 3 July. Town start pre-season training the following Tuesday, then head to Scotland later in the week for a training camp.

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Squires Gate
Following the departure of manager Andy Clarkson, who left last week to take up a player development role with neighbours AFC Fylde, Gate have moved quickly to name their new boss.

Russ McKenna, a 28-year-old midfielder who played for Gate last season has been appointed and he intends to be a player-manager. He spent five years with Morecambe, then helped Kendal win promotion to the Northern Premier League Premier Division. He then joined Clitheroe, but after two seasons he suffered a serious injury. After a lengthy period of recuperation, McKenna, who is a PE teacher, joined Squires Gate last season, and has gradually worked his way back to full fitness.

Gate Chairman Stuart Hopwood said,


We are delighted to have been able to appoint from within. Although we never advertised the positions, we received a number of good quality enquiries, but once we spoke to both Russ and Mark there was never any doubt about it.

In our view, it's up to us to provide the facilities, which we have done, and it's the manager's role to use his contacts to bring in the players.

We have a good squad, and the players have indicated that they are more than happy to work under Russ and Mark, but if the squad needs to be augmented Russ' pedigree will enable him to do just that.

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AFC Blackpool
Former Seasiders player Alan Hughes is the new manager of AFC Blackpool's Under-18s. He is recruiting players for the coming Lancashire FA Floodlight League campaign.

Hughes played for Blackpool FC from 1985 to 1989, under manager Sam Ellis in the old Third Division.

Squires Gate
New Squires Gate manager Russ McKenna has appointed Dave McCann as player-coach.

McCann runs the National Diploma in Football course at Myerscough College, overseeing the development of over 100 students. He was previously with Bamber Bridge and is looking forward to the challenge ahead.

He said,
I fully intend to continue my playing career, and with Russ also involved on the field he will need more than the normal level of assistance. With Mark Moretti as his no.2, I'm sure my experience and coaching qualifications will help make Squires Gate a force to be reckoned with next season.


McKenna said,
Dave is my first signing and he could well turn out to be the best. Apart from his coaching and excellent connections, he gives me an extra option in our back four.

AFC Fylde
AFC Fylde have already signed five new players as they prepare for the club's first season in the Northern Premier League (NPL) following promotion.

Phil Doughty joins on a season-long loan from Fleetwood Town and the Kirkham-born former Blackpool FC central defender is keen to prove a point next term. He became the youngest ever Blackpool player to play in the FA Cup in 2002. However, a serious leg break in 2005 hampered his progress. Fleetwood loaned him out to Welsh Premier League side Welshpool last season.

Stuart Howson and Alex Porter have joined from Bamber Bridge and will add experience and proven ability at NPL level. Defender Howson began his career with Blackburn Rovers, captaining their Under-17 side He joined Chesterfield in 2002-03 and made 55 appearances, scoring three goals. He then moved on to Accrington Stanley, Droylsden, Lancaster City, Barrow, Chorley, Bradford Park Avenue and Bamber Bridge. He is now back to full fitness after a double broken leg last season.

Porter, 26, was briefly at Blackpool FC after five years in the youth set-up at Crewe Alexandra. He moved on to Morecambe and has made over 200 appearances for Bamber Bridge, besides stints at Chorley and Fleetwood. He scored over 80 goals for Bridge and was again top scorer last season with 21.

Paul Fildes comes from Padiham, where he hit 32 goals last season, helping then win promotion to the North West Counties League Premier Division last season with 32 goals from 37 starts. A former Burnley trainee, he has also had spells with Nelson, Bacup Borough, Colne and Kendal Town

Mark Charlesworth is a former Bolton Wanderers player who finished last season with Burscough.

Meanwhile defenders Martin Moran and Phil Robinson have left Fylde to rejoin their former Fleetwood manager Tony Greenwood at Bamber Bridge.

AFC Fylde pre-season friendlies are:

Saturday 11 July - Irlam Town (away)
Saturday 17 July - Manchester United XI (home)
21 July - Freckleton (away)
25 July - AFC Blackpool (away)
8 August - Durham City (away)