Monday 30 March 2009
TRAUTMANN SIGNS FOR ST HELENS TOWN...AGAIN!
Legendary goalkeeper Bert Trautmann has again signed for St Helens Town – 60 years after leaving them to join Manchester City.
Trautmann, who began his incredible playing career with St Helens Town, will forever be remembered for his achievements at Manchester City which include helping the blues to life the FA Cup in 1956.  However, he retains an affection for St Helens Town and this week agreed to assist Town in their latest fundraising activities by signing various items of memorabilia.  He also generously donated a number of autographed pictures and signed shirts.  
St Helens Town’s commercial manager, Andrew Billson-Page, who met with Bert said: “Bert’s achievements at Manchester City were quite incredible but he also served St Helens Town with distinction while he was here.  There is no question he is one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time – a real legend.  It has been a great privilege to renew the Trautmann connection with Town, and we are very grateful to him for his continued support.”
The club will be auctioning many of the items at its end of season dinner, but is also making some of its memorabilia available online at www.sthelenstown.moonfruit.com.  Anyone wishing to purchase any of the items signed by Bert Trautmann should contact Andrew Billson-Page on 01744 889577 or by e-mail at sthelenstown@4-4-2.co.uk.
FRIENDLY AT ROCHDALE TOWN
Rochdale Town have arranged a challenge match at the Castleton Sports Centre against FC United of Manchester on Good Friday afternoon, 10^th April, kick-off 3 pm.
Rochdale Town Secretary Jim Picken said:  “FC United have very kindly agreed to bring a legends team to play a Rochdale Town legends team.  I understand they will bring a team comprising some past players, and manager Karl Marginson might play as well as some other ex players in their backroom staff.
“We hope it will be a fun day for all, but all the players involved will no doubt be taking it very seriously.  We will be making all the normal arrangements for food and stewarding etc. as though it was a normal league game.  Our ground at Castleton will accommodate around 2000 spectators but with only two turnstiles we advise people to arrive early.  The clubhouse will be open from 12 noon so we hope good numbers come along and have a good time.
“Entrance prices on the day will be £5 for adults, £2 for OAP’s and under 18`s free.”
CUP DATES
Dates and details of the end of season cup finals and the Reserve Cup semi finals are as follows.
Vodkat League Challenge Cup Final - to be played at the Tameside Stadium, home of Curzon Ashton FC, on Tuesday 5th May, kick off 7.45 pm.
Division One Trophy Final - Padiham v AFC Liverpool or Norton United - to be played at Brocstedes Park, home of Ashton Athletic FC, on Thursday 16^th April, kick off 7.45 pm.
The draw for the Reserve Division Cup Semi Finals is as follows:
Ashton Athletic or Cheadle Town v New Mills
Irlam or Atherton LR v Glossop NE
Dates TBA on completion of outstanding ties
Reserve Division Semi Finals will be one game only played to a finish on the night, with extra time if necessary, then penalties if needed.

Sunday 29 March 2009
ALL TO PLAY FOR AT GLOSSOP
Glossop North End have the upper hand going into the second leg of the FA Vase semi final, after a nerve jangling 3-3 draw down in Buckinghamshire against Chalfont St Peter in the first leg on Saturday.
In a game played in conditions that ranged from bright sunshine to hailstorms over the course of the 90 minutes, Glossop twice found themselves two goals down, but staged a terrific late comeback that nearly ended with them grabbing a last gasp winner.
A large travelling support made the trip from Glossop down to the Mill Meadow ground at Chalfont St Peter, but they had little to shout about in the early stages as the home side took full advantage of having a strong wind at their backs to dominate the opening 20 minutes.
Ash Gotham in the Glossop goal was regularly tested by a series of shots, headers and crosses before finally being beaten in the 21^st minute.
A ball into the box wasn’t dealt with by the Glossop defence, and Gotham did well to block close range shots from Terrell Lewis and Charlie Strutton, but was beaten at the third attempt when Strutton followed up his first shot to poke home the opener from close range.
It got worse for Glossop on 31 minutes when the wind played a part in creating a second goal for Chalfont St Peter.  Ben Stack’s inswinging corner kick was carried towards the top left hand corner of the goal, and although Gotham did well to get across to palm the ball on to the post, the ball rebounded to Chalfont centre half and captain John Carroll, who had the easy task of tapping home from a few yards.
As the game entered the closing stages of the first half, Glossop finally enjoyed a sustained spell of possession, and after Dave Hodges had a chance from Rick Bailey’s pass, Darren Hamilton narrowly failed to connect with Bailey’s cross into the six yard box.
Four minutes from half time, Glossop grabbed a lifeline when Jay Gorton had more time and space than he could possibly have expected to rise unchallenged and power a header into the back of the net from Jamie Kay’s corner kick.
It was the last chance of the first half, and gave hope that Hillmen would enjoy a better second half, but within four minutes of the restart, Chalfont restored their two goal lead.
Chalfont’s Gareth Paxton picked up a throw in from Ben Stack, hit the bye line, and from his cut back Barry Brosnan fired home from close range to put his side 3-1 up.
Within four minutes Chalfont keeper Mark Oliver gifted a Glossop a good opportunity when he picked up a back pass from team mate Terrell Lewis.  From the resultant free kick inside the penalty area, Darren Hamilton fired wide from Jamie Kay’s pass.
On 55 minutes Mark Balfe replaced Darren Hamilton for Glossop, and the newcomer made an immediate impact by forcing Chalfont keeper Oliver into a point blank save.
Glossop boss Steve Young  Sam Hind for Rick Bailey and Tom Bailey for Nick Allen in the space of five minutes just after the hour, and the freshened up visitors finally made a breakthrough with 18 minutes remaining.
A long ball forward from Mark Balfe deceived the Chalfont defence, and Dave Hodges sprinted clear and comfortably beat the keeper with a chip shot from 20 yards to reduce the deficit to one goal once more.
The home side were visibly deflated, and within a minute they had a let off when Jamie Kay fired a 30 yard effort just wide.
But with 12 minutes left the travelling support erupted when Glossop drew level, another long ball from Balfe catching the Chalfont defence unawares, and fellow substitute Tom Bailey ran through to finish with a low shot under the keeper to pull his side level.
The rattled home side were on the back foot as Glossop finished strongly, and Sam Hind just missed the target from a Jamie Kay cross, Mark Balfe sent in a long range effort that the keeper fumbled and grabbed at the second attempt.
A dramatic finish saw Chalfont substitute Micky Swaysland head wide from a Terrell Lewis cross, before the final action of the game saw an almighty goalmouth scramble in the Chalfont penalty area.  Both Dave Hodges and Dave Morris had shots blocked by desperate defending before the ball was cleared upfield and the referee signalled the end of a game that had provided fantastic entertainment for a crowd of 1185. 
As everyone drew breath in the bar afterwards at the end of an eventful afternoon, there was a general feeling of optimism among everyone in the Glossop camp.
Glossop Chairman Dave Atkinson:  “Even when we went 3-1 down I wasn’t worried, as I knew we could play a lot better than we had done up to that point. 
“We finished a lot stronger than they did and when we pulled it back to 3-2, I looked at their body language and I thought they looked worried.  That made me think we were in with a real chance of getting something from the game. 
“It’s a bit disappointing that we only really played to our full capabilities in the last 15 minutes of each half, but it’s all to play for now, and we can all look forward to the second leg.”
Manager Steve Young:  “We came here and started off with a draw and that’s what we’ve gone away with, and when I look back at the way the game went I have to say I’m happy with that. 
“I think we dug ourselves out of a big hole today, but in saying that, we could have even have nicked a win right at the end.
“I think Chalfont will be a lot more disappointed than we are.  I’d have been mortified if we had been 3-1 up at home in a Vase semi final with 20 minutes to go, and ended up being pulled back to 3-3.
“We showed a lot of nerves, especially in the first half, but I think we learned a lot that we can take into the second leg.  They caused us the problems we expected them to cause, so we have to address that and work on it in training this week.”
The second leg is, of course, at Surrey Street this coming Saturday 4^th April with a 3 pm kick off.  Anyone not able to get down for the game can follow it on High Peak Radio, who are once again providing full match commentary.  The station broadcasts on 106.4 and 103.3 FM in the High Peak area, and you can also listen to the commentary online at www.highpeakradio.co.uk

Saturday 28 March 2009
STEP 7 PROMOTION/RELEGATION RULES DRAWN UP
On Tuesday 17th March, a meeting was held of the North West Joint Liaison Committee, a group comprised of representatives from each of the NWCFL feeder leagues, and selected members of the NWCFL League Management Committee.
There are six Step 7 feeder leagues into the NWCFL and these are - Staffordshire County Senior Football League, West Cheshire Football League, Manchester Football League, West Lancashire Football League, the Mid-Cheshire Football League and the Liverpool County Premier League.  The Joint Liaison Committee meets twice a year, and the main topics for discussion revolve around issues relating to the  promotion and relegation of clubs from the NWCFL and the feeder leagues.
In theory, each champion club should be presented for promotion to the NWCFL at the end of each season, but as we know, this has rarely happened in recent years due to the champion clubs in each league not meeting the necessary ground grading requirements.
However, it is hoped that in the near future better access to funding will be available for Step 7 clubs, and that in turn could mean that more clubs will be able to meet the necessary grading for promotion to the NWCFL.
The NWCFL has been aware for some time that there has been a need to agree a framework for promotion and relegation, in the event that a number of eligible clubs in the feeder leagues meet the stipulated ground grading requirements.  Therefore, at the latest meeting draft proposals for play off games to decide promotion and relegation issues were agreed.  These will now be presented to member clubs of the NWCFL at the AGM in June for approval, and are as follows. 
In the event that Division One of the NWCFL comprises 20 or 21 clubs, the NWCFL management committee would look to relegate one or two clubs, if one or two champion clubs meeting the required grading standards had applied for promotion from a feeder league.
If Division One comprised 22 clubs, and there were three eligible clubs who applied for promotion from feeder leagues, again three clubs would be relegated and three promoted.
However, if there were more than three step 7 clubs eligible for promotion, these places would be decided through a play off system.  Three play off games would be played to determine the three clubs who would compete in the NWCFL the following season.  If 4 or 5 clubs from feeder leagues were eligible, the remaining play off places would be filled by clubs finishing in the bottom places of the NWCFL.  The play off games would be a single game played at a neutral venue, to be arranged by the NWCFL.
League Secretary John Deal said:  “As with any rule changes to the League constitution, these proposals have to be voted on by our existing member clubs.  They cannot be imposed by the League Management Committee. 
“However, we have been keen to get some agreement as to the procedure that would be applied in the event we had a number of eligible clubs from feeder leagues applying for promotion.  We do accept that there may not be a need for rules like this at the moment, but hopefully there will come a point when we have the situation that a number of step 7 clubs are eligible for promotion and we need to have a procedure in place to cater for this.
“We would hope that the member clubs will be happy to endorse the new rules, and obviously the intention is that in the not too distant future, we will be in a position where they need to be applied.”
MILLERS GEARED UP FOR PROMOTION PUSH
As the run in to the end of the season reaches a climax, New Mills are gearing up for an assault on promotion to the UniBond League, both on and off the field.
Anyone visiting the club’s Church Lane ground should now notice the series of ground improvements which have been undertaken over the past few weeks.  Football Secretary Sue Hyde explained:  “When we had our initial ground inspection to meet UniBond League standards, four major areas of work were identified as needing to be done, and these have now all been completed.
“The away dressing room was fractionally too small, so this has been rebuilt to the required size and new showers have been installed.  A new outside toilet block was installed last week, turnstiles that we purchased from Preston North End last summer have been put in place at the main entrance on Church Lane, and the dug outs have been repositioned on to the opposite side of the pitch.
“We have also been repairing the rails around the pitch and have been selling advertising boards to local firms to help with the enclosing of the pitch.  We have been selling these at a very reasonable rate and we are pleased to say that the take up has been good.
“We are also delighted at the terrific response we have had from supporters and volunteers who have come down and helped with running repairs and general tidying up.  Their assistance has been very welcome and the club would like to thank everyone who has given up their time to help.  We are now in a position where we expect to meet Grade E for the UniBond League and are probably not far off from meeting grade D either, so everyone is pleased at the progress we have made.”
On the playing side, like many clubs the Millers have a bit of a fixtures backlog to catch up between now and the end of the season, and with a 5-0 first leg lead over Padiham in the semi final of the Challenge Cup, they have one eye on cup success too.  But manager Tony Hancock is confident that his squad can meet the challenge.
“Obviously we have got a good run going in the league, but the cup ties have given us a break from league action and we take whatever game is thrown at us at the moment.  For us the cup ties have just been other games, they’ve not been a distraction.  We did a fantastic professional job at Padiham and barring a disaster the performance has put us in the final, and that gives us a boost at an important point in the season.”
The Millers have suffered along with many others from postponements over the winter months, but Tony says he has had no problems in keeping his squad focussed despite the disrupted schedule.
“We would rather have played the games, and we had a particularly bad January and February, especially in February when we hardly kicked a ball.  But I think I speak for a lot of managers in the Premier Division at the moment when I say that to be playing three games a week between now and the end of the season is ridiculous.  When people have to work, and be playing three times a week, there’s no recovery time, and it’s a big ask.  If the league could just be extended a bit at the end of the season, it would spread things out a little bit more.
“But it’s not hard to keep momentum going, even when we have missed numerous games, as we have a fantastic team spirit and it’s my job as manager to keep that going.  We’ve taken maximum points from our league games since the turn of the year, and the players know what they’ve got to do.  So when we get a game called off on a Saturday, we just go for a game of five a side or game of pool and have a beer, keep our spirits up and look forward to the next game.  We just hope the weather is kind to us for the rest of the season and we can get all our games in.
With the registration deadline looming, Tony is still looking to strengthen the squad and recently brought back Adam Morning from Bacup Borough, who left the club earlier in the season.
“We signed Adam towards the end of last season and he was terrific for us, and I was pleased to have him back at the start of this season.  He then went on his travels but he has realised there is nothing better than being at New Mills Football Club with his mates, so I’ve given him another chance and he knows what I want him to do. 
“Adam is desperate to get back to the form which he showed last season and regrets leaving the club earlier this season.  I believe that he will once again be a significant part of the squad and I know our fans will be excited as they are fully aware of what he is capable of doing.  Adam made his debut at Nelson and was outstanding, and we are glad to have him back.
“We have also brought in Richard Battersby, a big lad who can play anywhere in the back four.  He played for Steve Burr at Northwich and Stalybridge and was at Altrincham at the start of the season, and gives us extra cover in defence.”
Another signing that has been key for the Millers this season has been goalkeeper Liam Higginbotham, who Tony first met up with when he was manager at Woodley Sports.
“Liam first played for me at Woodley when he was only 17, and I had been trying to sign him for about two years.  I think he’s a great keeper, one of the best in this league and for me he’s better than many in the UniBond and Conference North.  He is a great lad and he is very loyal too, which you don’t always find in football these days.  He’s kept a load of clean sheets recently and has been a great signing for us.”
With plenty of games still to be played, it promises to be a fascinating run in to the end of the season at the top of the Premier Division, and Tony and his squad are ready for the challenges that lie ahead.
“We’ve got a lot more games at home than away to play, and I’m not so worried about our home games as we always feel we can get three points when we’ve got the backing of about 300 fans behind us, because the fans are so vocal and passionate about the club. 
“Out of the games at home, the only team out of the top five we have to play is Glossop, all the other teams that have to come to us are from outside the top five, so I’m putting the lads under a bit of pressure by saying I expect them to win every game at home. 
“It is the away games that concern me more, as they are five big away games, and we have to go to those games looking to win.  But even if we get five points out of fifteen in those games and win all our home games we should be there or thereabouts.”
“It’s an old cliché, but we have to take one game at a time now.  AFC Fylde, Newcastle and Glossop will push us all the way, but we know what we have got to do and hopefully we can get the results we need to get that promotion place that everyone at the club wants.”
ANOTHER AWARD FOR ALAN
A man who is well used to collecting awards for his work in grassroots sport over the years has been on the winners’ rostrum again in the past few weeks.
Alan Smith, Secretary at Padiham, was presented with an award from Burnley Borough Council at the “Best of Burnley” awards ceremony on the 17^th March.
The “Best of Burnley” awards are aimed at recognising individuals and groups working in Burnley and Padiham who help to improve the lives of residents, through work in areas such as health, environment, sports, hospitality, activities for children and teenagers, and interfaith activities.
The awards are given out annually, and the nominees for the various award categories are invited to a glittering awards ceremony, which this year took place at Burnley Mechanics. Each winner is presented with a Best of Burnley Trophy and a framed certificate.
Alan was nominated for the Sporting Excellence Award, which is designed to recognise the sporting achievements of a group or an individual on a local or national stage or the exceptional efforts of a sporting coach, manager / mentor, in promoting and encouraging participation in sport.
Alan said: “Myself and a few other club representatives went to the presentation night, and we enjoyed a good meal and entertainment.  When you go there, you don’t know who is going to get the awards on the night.  I was nominated in the final three last year in the category for sports clubs and sporting organisations, but didn’t win, so it was nice to win this time around.
“The award is actually to Alan Smith on behalf of Padiham Football Club, and is a recognition for what the Club has done for sport in the area.  It’s the first time that anyone from Padiham has won one of the “Best of Burnley” awards, so we are all very pleased that we have chalked up a first for the town.”
NEWS FROM AFC FYLDE
AFC Fylde have completed the signing of Lancaster City's highly rated midfielder Danny Mahoney. Mahoney, 23, started his career with Wigan Athletic before moving to Burscough in 2002-2003. He then moved to Morecambe where he had a 2 year spell before joining Bamber Bridge at the start of the 2005-2006 season. At the end of 2008 he made the move to Giant Axe.
Fylde made their move following glowing reports from Tony Greenwood, who had been working as a scout for AFC Fylde in recent months. Mahoney's signing is another recruit who has experience at a higher level. He is a playmaker with good distribution and an eye for goal.
Vodkat League officials have confirmed he is eligable to join up with his new team mates for this weekend's game at Winsford Utd. AFC Fylde Manager Mick Fuller was pleased to get his man.   “We have had Danny watched in recent months and he is a signing that will add quality to our squad in our bid for promotion this season. We also have one eye on the future and he has proven ability and experience at the next level." 
Earlier this season Danny made 20 appearances for Bamber Bridge scoring 8 goals, whilst at Lancaster he made 12 appearances scoring once.
Following the announcement that Tony Greenwood has taken the Manager’s job at UniBond League North side Bamber Bridge, the club has thanked him for his efforts since he joined as a scout after losing his job at Fleetwood Town earlier this season, and wish him well for the future.
Mick Fuller said:  “I called Tony following his appointment and thanked him for his work for the club over the last few months.  I hope we will be facing each other next season!”
REGISTRATION DEADLINE
The Vodkat League Registration Secretary John Cowley would like to remind all clubs that the deadline for registering players to play in games for the remainder of the season is Tuesday 31st March at 5pm.
This means that registration forms will be accepted until 5pm on that day, but players will only be eligible to play on 1st April if the forms are received by 12 noon on the 31st.  Forms received after 12 noon but before 5pm on the 31^st will still be registered, but the players in question will only be eligible to play from the 2nd April. 
Players can be registered to play for the Reserve sides only, at any time after this closing deadline.
PLAYER MOVEMENTS THIS WEEK
Transfers
Robert Batty            Runcorn Linnets to Padiham
Joseph Brizell           Nelson to Daisy Hill
Registrations
AFC Blackpool          James Taylor 
AFC Fylde                Daniel  Mahoney      
AFC Liverpool           Dale McDonald        
Alsager Town           Terence Cain 
Ashton Athletic         Jonathon Bathurst, Alan Fitzpatrick, Thomas Perkins, Richard Sharpe    
Ashton Town            Jamie Campbell, Phillip Cross, Adam Howard       
Bacup Borough         Gary Lloyd, Brent Peters, Martin Peters    
Chadderton              Robert Flynn, Mark Reeves, Gavin Young  
Cheadle Town          Stephen Lees
Flixton                    Stuart Wellstead      
Formby                   John Bruns, James Felton, Anthony Lally, Thomas Lamb, Paul McDonnell, Joseph McKane         
Glossop North End    Matthew Cooper      
Holker Old Boys        David John    
Irlam                      Daniel Rowcroft, Kane Snelgrove   
Nelson                    Michael Barron, Jason Jones, Isaac Kusaloka, Christopher Scott 
New Mills                 Gareth Jones 
Newcastle Town       Robert Powner        
Norton United           David Beswick, David Johnson       
Oldham Town           William Fold, Nathan Gibson, Rob Hughes  
Padiham                  Dominic Counsell, Callum Little, Jordan       Salter, Nicholas Smith        
Runcorn Linnets        Martin Campbell, Joel Pilkington     
St Helens Town        Gary Bickerstaffe    
Stone Dominoes       Barry Weston
Winsford United        Omar Mahmoud, Nathan Southern
TOP ATTENDANCES
Monday 23^rd March 2009
New Mills v Squires Gate 111
Tuesday 24^th March 2009
Congleton Town v Atherton LR 118
Wednesday 25^th March 2009
AFC Fylde v Silsden AFC 178
New Mills v Abbey Hey 147
Saturday 28^th March 2009
Chalfont St Peter v Glossop North End 1185 FA Vase
Padiham v Bootle 219
Daisy Hill v AFC Liverpool 175
Winsford United v AFC Fylde 126
Runcorn Linnets v Squires Gate 124
Ramsbottom United v St Helens Town 112
VODKAT LEAGUE LANDMARKS
Monday 23^rd March 2009
New Mills 2^nd goal, scored by Nathan Wharton, in their 3-0 victory over Squires Gate was their 200^th home league goal.
Tuesday 24^th March 2009
Runcorn Linnets played their 100^th League Game
Wednesday 25^th March 2009
Holker Old Boys 3-1 victory at Daisy Hill was their 200^th League victory.
Saturday 28^th March 2009
Formby’s first goal, scored by Steve Rhodes, in their 3-0 victory at Atherton Collieries was their 1400^th League goal.

Tuesday 24 March 2009
LIVE COMMENTARY ON THE FA VASE SEMI FINAL TIES
Anyone wishing to follow Glossop's progress in the FA Vase semi final ties against Chalfont St Peter on the next two Saturdays can keep right up to date thanks to High Peak Radio.
The radio station's sports presenter Ben Price will be providing full match commentary on both legs of the semi final, with the first leg taking place down in Buckinghamshire this coming weekend.  High Peak Radio broadcasts on 106.4 and 103.3 FM in the High Peak area, and you can also listen to the commentary online at www.highpeakradio.co.uk.

Sunday 22 March 2009
League Management Committee members Geoff Wilkinson and John Cotton presented Nelson's Adam Hayton with the Premier League Player of the Month award for February prior to Nelson's home game against Newcastle Town.


Saturday 21 March 2009
FA VASE SEMI FINAL PREVIEW
The last weekend of March sees the FA Vase semi final first legs take place, and as we know Vodkat League interest is provided by Glossop North End, who make the trip down south to face Chalfont St Peter FC of the Spartan South Midland League Premier Division.
Chalfont St Peter is located in the Chiltern district of south-east Buckinghamshire, between the bigger towns of High Wycombe and Rickmansworth.  It has a reputation for being very upmarket and exclusive, and its close proximity to London, and the Pinewood and Elstree film studios, has seen it dubbed as “mini Hollywood” because of the number of celebrities living in the area. 
How many of them are regulars at the football club’s Mill Meadow ground is open to question, although Chalfont St Peter FC is well established in the local community and has a long standing history, having been formed originally in 1926. 
Nicknamed The Saints,  the club spent the 1970s and 80s in first the Athenian League and then the Isthmian League, before reconstruction of the Pyramid saw them placed in the Spartan South Midland League Premier Division for the start of the 2006-07 season.
The club’s ground at Mill Meadow is located around green belt land, and over the years they have had to overcome planning permission problems when attempting to keep the facilities at the ground up to the required standard.  In 1996 they were nearly thrown out of the Isthmian League because of their inability to carry out ground improvements but were saved at the eleventh hour by the Council eventually agreeing to allow the necessary work to be carried out.  In recent times though, significant developments have been undertaken with two new stands at opposite ends of the ground having been erected in the past couple of years.
Appearing in the FA Vase semi final means the club are well and truly in uncharted territory.  Their previous best performance was a place in the Third Round proper, which they achieved twice in the 1970s, once in the 1990s and more recently in 2005-06 and 2006-07.
This season Chalfont joined the competition at the First Round stage, two rounds after Glossop began, and looking over their results in this season’s competition, the most eye catching result is a 6-5 win away at Dunston Federation of the Northern League in the Fourth Round. 
In the previous round Dunston had won 4-0 at Formby, and an amazing 90 minutes in the North East saw the sides tied at 4-4, taking the game into extra time before Chalfont eventually emerged victorious.
In the quarter final, Chalfont were drawn away at Needham Market, conquerors of AFC Fylde.  After a 1-1 draw in Suffolk, their first draw in the competition this season, Chalfont eventually got the better of their opponents at home after a goalless stalemate was eventually decided by a sudden death penalty shoot out.  But Chalfont had to survive a strong shout for a Needham Market goal in the first half, when a shot appeared to have crossed the line before being cleared.
That goalless draw was the first time Chalfont had drawn a blank in this season’s competition, having scored 20 goals in their previous six ties up to that point.  However, Glossop have been no slouches in the competition when it comes to goalscoring, with 28 goals in their eight ties, and they have never scored less than twice in each of the eight games.
It’s always difficult to draw conclusions when comparing goalscoring performances in different leagues, but the stats make interesting reading.  Chalfont sit third in the Spartan South Midlands Premier League and have scored 72 goals in 27 games.  After 28 games in our Premier Division, Glossop had scored 57 goals. 
However, a quick glance at Chalfont’s playing record this season reveals that on successive Tuesdays in December, they won 7-1 away at Biggleswade United and then the following Tuesday won 10-1 at home to Kentish Town.   Impressive scores certainly, but take those two results out and the goalscoring records of the two clubs in league games become very similar. 
To add further spice to an evenly matched contest, both sides have good away records at the time of writing, with both having lost more league games at home than they have away. 
Both clubs are planning to produce a special match programme for their respective home games, with Chalfont’s issue likely to be 72 pages long and priced at £2.  Glossop’s Programme Editor Neil Rimmer is in the process of finalising plans for their programme a week later, which is planned to be in full colour.   
It all adds up to a fascinating semi final tie that promises to be tense and close fought, and once again, well done to Glossop for ensuring a Vodkat League presence in the semi finals for the fourth year in a row.
RACE TO MEET GROUND GRADING REQUIREMENTS
A number of clubs in our Premier Division have been working hard in the past couple of weeks to beat a deadline for ground grading set by the FA.
The FA’s Leagues Committee held a meeting on Thursday 5 March, and a series of decisions were made with regard to the Step 5 ground grading process, which could have far reaching ramifications, not just for our league but for all leagues at our level across the country.
The result is that a number of clubs in our Premier Division now face the prospect of relegation, if they do not comply with the F Grade ground grading requirements for clubs at Step 5.  The decision of the Leagues Committee is mandatory and non negotiable, and was reconfirmed at a further meeting at the FA’s headquarters in Soho Square attended by Vodkat League Chairman Dave Tomlinson on the 11th March.
The main points can be summarised as follows.  For the benefit of anyone not aware, Step 5 refers to our Premier Division and Step 6 the First Division.

• The FA’s Ground Grading Technical Panel will submit to the Leagues Committee a detailed list of Step 5 clubs that have failed to meet the F Grade requirements by 31st March 2009.  This report is to be made available by 10th April 2009.

• Any club that fails to meet the F Grade will be advised that they will be classed as being one of the “relegated clubs” at the end of the current playing season.

• Should there be more clubs in a particular competition that fail to meet the F Grade  than there are relegation places, then the aforementioned clubs will be ranked in accordance to their final league positions and relegation applied accordingly. Clubs that are retained without the F Grade will continue to be classed as relegated clubs, and will be dealt with accordingly the following year should they again fail to meet the requirements of the F Grade.

• Clubs relegated from Step 5 will be replaced by clubs from Step 6 that fully comply with the current requirements of the G Grade and can prove that they will be able to meet the F Grade by 31st March in the year following promotion, and qualify for promotion by virtue of their final league position.

• Should there be sufficient clubs at Step 6 that meet the G Grade requirements then they will be promoted to replace the clubs that fail to meet the F Grade.

In simple terms, this could lead to a larger than normal number of teams being promoted and relegated at the end of the season.  For example, if four teams in the Premier Division fail to meet the F Grade grading requirements, and four teams in Division One comply with G Grade and can prove they will meet F Grade by 31st March next year, the Premier Division teams will be relegated and replaced by the four Division One teams. 
To add further complication, if the teams finishing in the relegation positions in the Premier Division meet grading requirements and a number of the teams finishing above them do not, it will be the teams who fail to meet the grading requirements who will be in pole position to be relegated.    
League Ground Grading Chairman Geoff Wilkinson said:  “There are serious implications for Clubs not achieving Grade F by 31st March. To put it bluntly, they will face relegation if they have not completed ground grading work to the required standard.
“At the time of the FA’s decision, there were 15 of our Premier Division Clubs who had not completed work as previously instructed.  It should be pointed out that some of those on the list only had minor issues to address, and should have no problem in getting the necessary work done in time.
“Also, certain clubs knew that work needed to be done and had planned on completing it before now, but they have unfortunately been thwarted by the bad weather we have had in the past few months.  
“All the clubs involved have been individually contacted by e-mail this week, to remind them of the work that is outstanding and needs to be completed.  We are hopeful that the clubs involved will all be able to comply, but if they do not, they need to accept that failure to meet the standards detailed within the Grading Report is in their own hands.  The FA has made it clear that no exceptions will be made, and we as a League will not be able to overrule the policy that the FA has laid down.”
FARNY AT THE FAR POST
A few news items have cropped up over the past week or so that I’d like to pass on.
At the end of the current season we shall be saying goodbye to our newsletter editor Rob Hurst.  Rob has decided to cut back on his football commitments in order to spend more time with his family.  As everyone knows, Rob’s first love is, and always will be, Curzon Ashton and with their elevation of the UniBond League Rob has been putting more and more time into his duties there.  So when something had to go, unfortunately it was us who were the losers.
Rob was appointed to the League Management Committee in season 2002-03 and quickly became first of all an important member of the grading squad and to me a valued friend.  As we travelled up and down the country his sense of humour made the days much shorter, instead of longer as they should have been, considering the amount of times he got us lost. 
I have previously been the victim of his sense of humour on more than one occasion, but don’t worry Rob, just because you’re going doesn’t mean you are off the hook, I’ll get you one day.
Rob will also be cutting his links with our website, which he has run for several seasons, and lately with assistance from Ian Templeman and Andrew Moffat.  Anyone who knows anything about football administration will know how vital it is to have people like these with know how and commitment to the job.
Rob has also been ably supported by the committee and of course, he has had no better supporter than his wife Jeanette, who has also become a friend of many of us.  Perhaps, Jeanette, he will now have time to take you for that new dress he’s always promising you – you must be sick of that one with the veil.
Rob, we shall all miss you, but I have no doubt our paths will cross from time to time, especially when you return to us with your beloved Curzon Ashton.  So for all you’ve done for us as a league and for clubs past and present, a big thank you for all of us.
However, Rob also passed on some very sad news to me on Wednesday.  It was with a heavy heart I received the news that Arthur Clancy had passed away.  I got know Arthur through Rob, as wherever Curzon were playing Rob and Arthur would be there.  Wherever Rob was, Arthur seemed to be there too.  Any death reminds us how fragile life really is.  The last time I saw Arthur he was with Rob at a game at Flixton, when we had a good laugh, and a pie too of course.  His passion for fun and laughter came second only to his family and football.
Arthur touched so many lives and will be long remembered by all of us who were privileged to know him.  If they have a football pitch up in Heaven, then Arthur will already be putting it in perfect condition for the next game.  God bless you Arthur and thanks for the friendship.
On a totally different note, I bumped into a contact of mine who works in the construction industry.  He was telling me that he has several tonnes of road plainings, which (for the benefit of anyone who doesn’t know) are old pieces of road surfacing material.  These are ideal for car parks or pathways, and they are available from between about £5 and £8 a tonne, depending on where they are to be delivered.  Anyone interested in finding out more should contact me and I’ll point you in the right direction.
Finally, it’s a big “well done” from me to Bacup Borough manager Brent Peters.  Following the gas explosion at Christmas time in the Rossendale valley, most of the people who were affected have recently received compensation.  What do you think Brent did with Bacup’s payout?  He could have spent it on the ground, or the club, but what he has done is to invite local pensioners from sheltered accommodation and old folks homes to be his guest at a game. 
The deal also includes transport to and from the game plus hospitality.  Brent, we applaud you, and I think this is a splendid gesture. Myself, and my fellow committee members Dave Tomlinson and John Reid look forward to the bus arriving to pick us up.
See you “at the far post”.
Farny
TURF MAINTENANCE COURSE
The website pitchcare.com is advertising a one-day General Sports Turf Maintenance course, which is being held at Burnley Football Club on Thursday 2nd April.
This course is suited to volunteer and part time Groundsmen looking after football and rugby pitches. You will learn how to prepare and maintain a winter sports pitch and how to carry out repairs after each game.
A Course Manual, a copy of which is given to each delegate, includes working diaries showing the range of tasks needed to be undertaken month by month throughout the year.
The course cost, which is LANTRA Awards accredited, is just £85.00 + VAT per person, and includes training materials, a copy of the Course Manual (incorporating working diary) refreshments and lunch.
Call 01902 440256 for further details or you can book online through a link on the website, which can be found at www.pitchcare.com
PLAYER MOVEMENTS THIS WEEK
Transfers
Adam Morning Bacup Borough to New Mills
Registrations
Abbey Hey                          Grant McElroy
AFC Blackpool                    Sean Mulholland
AFC Fylde                            Andy Tracey, Chris Turner, Richard Worswick
AFC Liverpool                    Bradley Gregson, Sean Wilkins
Ashton Town                     Ashley Charnock, Andrew                                                                           
Colquhoun, Francis Foy, Lee Prescott
Atherton Colls                   Matthew Lucas, Daniel Watling
Bootle                                   Thomas Obasi
Chadderton                        Calum Beckett
Cheadle Town                   Jamie Firth
Flixton                                  Daniel Byrne, Mark Gee
Glossop North End          Rob Smith
Irlam                                      Nicholas Parker, Ben Ravenscroft, Adam Tinsley
Maine Road                        James Moore
Nelson                                  Matthew Benfield
New Mills                            Richard Battersby, Jake Grimshaw
Padiham                              Aaron Roberts
Wigan Robin Park             Ryan Edwards Jr
Winsford United              Peter Handley, Joe Harnick, James Hilton, Leslie Miranda, Jordan Neill
TOP ATTENDANCES
Tuesday 17^th March 2009
Runcorn Linnets v Ashton Athletic 139
Newcastle Town v Formby 100
Wednesday 18^th March 2009
AFC Liverpool v Bootle 541
AFC Fylde v Atherton Collieries 205
Glossop North End v Bacup Borough 151
Saturday 21^st March 2009
AFC Liverpool v Norton United 221 First Division Trophy
Padiham v New Mills 164 First Division Trophy
Runcorn Linnets v Silsden AFC 162 Vodkat League Cup
Maine Road v Glossop North End 142
VODKAT LEAGUE LANDMARKS
Tuesday 17^th March 2009
Norton United recorded their 400^th League goal in their 2-1 defeat against Wigan Robin Park and was scored by Steve Allen.
Saturday 21^st March 2009
Holker Old Boys second goal in their 2-1 victory at Rochdale Town was their 1000^th League goal and was scored by Dave Swarbrick.
Chadderton’s 2-1 victory at Ashton Town was their 150^th away League victory.

Sunday 15 March 2009
There was a double presentation at Padiham prior to the club's triumph over Oldham Town in the Division One Trophy semi final.
 

Graham Howarth was presented with the Division One Manager of the Month award for February, and Sean Davis with the Safe Hands Division One Goalkeeper of the Month award by Frank Clayton, one of the Club Representatives on the League Management Committee.

Saturday 14 March 2009
PRESENTATION OF AWARDS
A double presentation took place at Booth Street before Congleton Town's recent game against Silsden.


League Development Officer Geoff Wilkinson presented the February Manager of the Month award for the Premier Division to the Bears' management duo of Anthony Buckle and Darren Twigg, and the Safe Hands Goalkeeper of the Month award was presented to goalkeeper Matt Conkie.

TEAM OF THE ROUND AWARD FOR GLOSSOP
Glossop North End have been selected by the FA as the “Team of the Round” for their performance in the FA Vase Fifth Round when they won 2-0 at Bitton on Saturday 14 February 2009.
The Club will be presented with an FA Presentation Plaque and will receive 20 complimentary tickets for the Vase Final at Wembley on Sunday 10 May 2009 along with four cases of Carlsberg beer.
The official FA statement read:  “Glossop North End came away from a trip to Gloucestershire to play Bitton with a 2-0 victory in the FA Carlsberg Vase inspired by a penalty by Ash Gotham, a 17 year old goalkeeper, that brings the Vodkat North West Counties League Premier Division side from Derbyshire the award of being the Carlsberg Team of the Round”.
The FA Vase Committee Vice Chairman, John Ward will present the commemorative plaque to Club representatives on Saturday 4^th April 2009 at Surrey Street, before the Hillmen’s semi-final second leg against Chalfont St Peter.
NEWS FROM ASHTON ATHLETIC
Ashton Athletic are working in tandem with Wigan Council on a plan to develop the facilities at Brocstedes Park. 
In addition to the two pitches already in place at the club, plans are being developed to construct a third pitch and a state of the art 3GL surface.  There will also be additional changing rooms built, with the expectation that will lead to the adoption of a ladies’ team at the club.  The whole development will be enclosed within a perimeter fence and all the facilities will belong to Ashton Athletic, but will be available for use by the local community.
Chairman Steve Halliwell explained:  “We already have met with Council representatives and their legal advisers to discuss the development at Brocstedes Park, and further meetings are planned.  The Council are working with us and helping us to move the project forward. 
“One of the guys we met is a specialist in sourcing grants for various types of development, and the Council have offered his services to us to help move the project forward.  We will be approaching organisations such as the Football Foundation, the Sports Council and the Coalfield Regeneration Fund, and the project has been costed at £444,000.”
Steve says that by heading up the project, the club will build on its existing links with the local community. 
“We are a community focussed club and while we have to focus on club matters, at the same time we don’t want the local community to be forgotten either. 
“We originally took over the lease and the trusteeship of second pitch as it had fallen into disrepair through lack of attention, and a lack of people being available to make it usable and organise for its use. 
“The nearby Downall Green area of Ashton is crying out for decent leisure facilities.  There are no leisure facilities in the area and if the residents of Downall Green want to use leisure facilities they have to travel to Wigan Robin Park or Ashton Leisure Centre, both of which are a few miles away. 
“There is a community trust in the area, and when we met with them they told us that they really wanted someone to take the initiative and do something for the area.  So we said let’s do it. 
“Money is available if you incorporate certain elements into a development like this, and as we will be making facilities available for junior teams and the local community, that will give us access to community funds too. 
“Our Lady Immaculate Primary School and Our Lady Immaculate Church are both on Downall Green Road which backs on to the area where the facilities will be developed.  The 3GL pitch and changing facilities will be available to them to use, which should mean the facility will be well used by both our club and the community as a whole.
“The Wigan Youth League have also given their backing to the project, and are delighted to hear that additional facilities will be available locally.  They have told us that local teams are having to travel into Wigan and as far away as Atherton at time to find facilities to play their games.   
“We are very focussed on doing this properly, and getting it right first time, because once the facilities are in place they will serve the club and the local community for many years to come.  We’ve been advised to get the lease secured to make sure we have maximum access to grants, so we are working on getting our lease extended so that we have security on the land, and then we can really get things moving.”
On the playing side, the team’s performances in their first ever season in the Premier Division has surprised a few people, and Steve says that he is extremely happy with the way the squad has performed.
“Both the first team and reserves have done very well this season.  The first team, in their first season at this level, are in the running for a top six finish and the reserves are second in the reserve league and into the next round of the Reserves Cup after beating Colne 7-2.
“We are finding that a number of clubs are putting seven days notice on some of our players but the pleasing thing from our point of view is that none have left yet.  They have pride in playing for the club and want to play for the jersey.  Our manager David Powell is getting a good calibre of lads coming down and there is a great atmosphere at the club, and a great togetherness between all the players who play in the first team and reserves.
“If a player drops out of the first team for a couple of weeks he makes his comeback in the reserves and there’s no complaint about it.  In fact, in recent weeks we have sometimes had five or six players in the first team who were in the reserves just a few weeks previously.
“I must admit I am surprised sometimes when we go to other clubs who have no reserve team and when I ask them why, they often say it’s too costly.  I think you have to look outside the finance side of things sometimes, and to my mind there’s no reason why running a reserve team should be costing too much money. 
“At our club we don’t pay money like other teams in this league do, and all the players pay into a lottery to generate funds for the club, which is run by the club captain.  That helps with the funding of a reserve team, and there’s never an issue with players in the first team playing in the reserves.  The reserve team is a big and important part of our club and will continue to be so.” 
Manager David Powell is also upbeat about his team’s performances, especially when you consider that he had less time than anyone else to prepare for Premier Division football this season.
“When you consider that we didn’t even know we would be in this division until a week after pre-season training started, it’s not surprising we struggled in certain games at the start of the season.  The preparation wasn’t ideal, but we have worked hard on improving the standard of player we have at the club and since October we’ve come on leaps and bounds.
“We have had several excellent players come in to bolster the squad, most notably Paul Prescott who got injured at Skelmersdale United and needed games to get back to fitness.  He’s come in and has scored eight goals in seven games for us, which is a great return.  His goals got a few draws in his early games and then at Squires Gate he got the only goal in a 1-0 win.
“We have brought a couple of lads in from Leigh Genesis too who are good players, and we’ve got Michael Douglas in too, also from Skelmersdale, who has done well for us and has given us a little bit extra in the games he has played in so far.
“The new players have given us more strength in depth, and the squad overall now are a great bunch of lads that train their hearts out twice a week.  It’s very rare that anyone skips training and I think that shows on the park in the way that they all fight for one another.  
“They are a group of players who want to play for the club, whether that is in the first team or the reserves.  They are, in the main, all local lads too.  The reserves have gone 12 games unbeaten now, and for me that is a good sign as it shows the strength in depth we have.  That will help us in the run in to the end of season which has already exceeded the expectations we had in August.
“We’ve done well and now just want to finish as high as possible, and I think realistically we can aim for a top eight finish which would be a great achievement.  But we need to be looking at strengthening the squad further to try aim for a top four place next season.
“I think if you look at the results we have had against the sides in the top four we have been found to be lacking a little bit, so if we are aiming to move on we have to give ourselves a chance of winning those games.
Looking ahead, David has his sights set on the UniBond League.
“I think we can realistically aim for the UniBond League and compete at that level.  I don’t think our ground is too far off UniBond standard now, we have just installed 170 seats in our main stand that we acquired from Leigh’s Hilton Park.  It will take maybe two or years perhaps before we can seriously aim for that level of football, and we recognise that if you are going to compete at that level you need financial backing that we don’t have at the moment.
“But I don’t think that you can expect to get out of this league without financial backing anyway, so alongside the development of facilities that will give the club new income streams, the next step is to develop the commercial side a bit more.  I think Woodley Sports are an example of that, with the income they are able to generate on the back of having a 3G pitch, and we are hoping the new development will be the first stage in the plan to move the club on to the next level.”
NEWS FROM SQUIRES GATE
Squires Gate have enjoyed a windfall of over £3500 from an unexpected source – their gas supplier.
After extensive investigations by club Treasurer Geoff Mackay, the club’s gas supplier E-On finally admitted to an overcharge for gas, which covered the period from April 2004 up until October last year.
Geoff explained:  “When the new changing rooms were built, a new gas meter was installed, and readings from the new meter began in April 2004.  When I came to club a couple of years later, I was surprised to find that the gas bills for what seemed to be fairly small usage were so expensive.
“It got to the point where I calculated that simply by using the showers in the dressing rooms, it was costing about £25 a time.  We stopped training at the club, and we began switching the radiators off too, which led to a number of complaints from visiting clubs.
“Finally, after numerous phone calls and letters, I managed to be put in contact with one of E-On’s energy advisers, and within minute of our conversation he identified the problem.  The gas meter that we had installed was measuring our gas use in metric units instead of imperial units, and as result our gas bills were about ten times more expensive than they should have been.  On top of that, we had been getting charged VAT at the normal rate, instead of the 5% rate that should have been charged to us as a non-profit making organisation.
“After a struggle we have managed get £3600 refunded to us by E-On, but on the advice of the club solicitors, we are still in discussions with E-On regarding compensation and loss of interest on the money they took from us incorrectly.”       
The unexpected boost to the clubs coffers didn’t sit in the bank account for long though, with ongoing ground improvements immediately accounting for the money.  A new stand on the club house side of the ground is being constructed to hold the requisite number of seats, and the work will be completed by the 31^st March.
Also, the club’s recent home game against Nelson saw the official switch on for the new floodlights, which are now up to UniBond League standard.  As result the club is in a position to offer the old units for sale, possibly for use as training lights.  Geoff said: “We’ve already had many people commenting that the new lights are a big improvement on the old ones, and I’ve certainly noticed the difference.  It’s been a big help to me to be able to make notes for my match reports during evening games which I can actually read afterwards.”  
Meanwhile on the field, Gate boss Andy Clarkson has his sights set on improving on last season’s best ever league finish of 8^th position.  A good home record has been a feature of the team’s performances so far and Andy is hoping that form will continue until the end of the season.
“We’ve only lost twice at home all season.  The first home defeat of the season was on Boxing Day against AFC Fylde and then we lost to Ashton Athletic on the first Saturday in March.  I like to pride myself on making us a difficult team to beat at home and we have done well so far. 
“Some people maybe thought we would be a flash in the plan after finishing in our highest ever position in the league last season, and at the start of the season I said I’d be happy with a top ten finish.  As long as we do that, with the budget I’m working to, I’d be happy with that every year with hopefully a good cup run here and there thrown in too. 
“People might say that we should be looking for improvement on last season, but if we finish in the top ten I think that is a good season for us.  I think to improve on where we finished last year would be a big achievement, because in my opinion this league is stronger this year than it was last season.  For a start there’s 22 teams now, and many of them have similar squads that have been together another year and are a bit more experienced.
“Nobody is miles adrift at the bottom of the league, and the teams at the bottom are capable of taking points from the teams at the top.  We saw that just the other week when Atherton Collieries beat Newcastle Town who were top of the league.  Glossop have made the semi final of the FA Vase and have been in fourth or fifth place for most of the season, and if we end up just a few places and a few points behind them, I think we can justifiably look at ourselves and say that we are not a bad side.
“We’re doing the best that we can but there are teams in this league with big budgets and we can’t compete with them.  What we do have is a nice set up, a nice ground, an honest bunch of players who are happy to stay at the club and fight for a place. 
“I’ve got great respect for the players I have in the squad, and although there are a lot of teams fighting for a top six spot, they will all take points off one another between now and the season and I think we are capable of getting in there.” 
PITCH MARKING EQUIPMENT DEMO
A demonstration of pitch marking equipment has been arranged by Pitchcare.com, a website aimed at Groundsmen, Greenkeepers and anyone involved in turf maintenance.
In co-operation with Wayne Lumbard, Head Groundsman at Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club, Pitchcare has invited a number of Line marker manufacturers to supply one or two of their Spray jet markers for impartial testing and review by Wayne and his staff.
All submitted sprayers will follow a pre-determined series of tests, and the results will be correlated and published on the Pitchcare website and in a future edition of the Pitchcare magazine.
Additionally, on Wednesday 25th March Pitchcare will be holding an open day for Groundsmen and Greenkeepers to come along and look at all the sprayers on display and in use. There will be a representative from each manufacturer to give advice and information about their products.
The Open Day is to be held at Wolverhampton Wanderers FC Training Ground, the address for which is:  Compton Park, Compton Road West, Wolverhampton WV3 9BF.
There is no charge for attending the event, however Pitchcare would need to know the number and names of people who are attending.
Anyone requiring further details or wishing to confirm attendance should contact Laurence Gale by e-mail at Laurence@pitchcare.com or on 07817 354 610.
BEARS TRY TO EASE EFFECTS OF CREDIT CRUNCH
Earlier in the season, Congleton Town tried to experiment with a reduced price admission policy for the home game against Bacup Borough. That effort failed as the match fell to the adverse weather.
The club are trying again, this time with the home fixture against Atherton LR on Tuesday 24^th March with a kick off time of 7.45 pm.  Admission prices will be £3.00 for adults (normally £5.00), £2.00 OAPs (normally £3.00) and Children under 16 free (normally £3.00).
Chairman Pete Evans says “We hope that our regular supporters will appreciate the gesture and encourage as many friends and colleagues to take advantage of the special offer.
“We hope too that advertising these special prices may encourage some who have not been to the ground, either in recent times or at all, to give it a try and see what a good standard of football is on show at our level.  We will review the success or otherwise of the venture and if it proves popular, we may well try another before the end of this season.”
PLAYER MOVEMENTS THIS WEEK
Transfers
Tony Lancashire                Atherton Collieries to AFC Blackpool
Registrations
Abbey Hey                          Theo Coley
AFC Blackpool                    Elliot Wai Hang Pau
AFC Fylde                            Chris Murch
Ashton Athletic Chris Dykes, Mark Ratcliffe
Ashton Town                     Graeme Begley
Atherton LR                        James Edwards
Bootle                                   Daniel Wise
Colne                                    Doni Clarke
Daisy Hill                              Craig Farnworth, Daniel Smith
Eccleshall                             Daligizwe Dulamini, Francis Muzuva
Flixton                                  Mike Turner
Formby                                Anthony Carroll, Leigh Hammill, David Lynch, James Pearce
Glossop North End         Jake Trucca
Maine Road                        Lee Ellis, Graeme Strang, James Woods
Nelson                                  Krystian Liptrot, Daniel Oates
Newcastle Town              David Iacono
Norton United                  Thomas Jackson
Oldham Town                    Stephen Robinson
Padiham                              Sam Anderson, Christopher Nuttall
Ramsbottom United      Graham Jebb, Chris Thompson, Matthew Woods
Runcorn Linnets               Christopher Blundell, Mark Dwyer
St Helens Town Neal Holden
Stone Dominoes              John-Paul Jones
Wigan Robin Park             Kyle Gallagher
TOP ATTENDANCES
Monday 9^th March 2009
Atherton Collieries v Runcorn Linnets 115
Wednesday 11^th March 2009
AFC Fylde v Congleton Town 174
Saturday 14^th March 2009
Nelson v Runcorn Linnets 130
Ramsbottom United v Congleton Town 127
Silsden AFC v Abbey Hey 114
Padiham v Oldham Town 112 First Division Trophy
VODKAT LEAGUE LANDMARKS
Monday 9^th March 2009
Runcorn Linnets 2-1 victory away at Atherton Collieries was their 50^th League victory.
Tuesday 10^th March 2009
Oldham Town’s second goal in their 5-1 victory over Leek CSOB was their 800^th home league goal and was scored by Stuart McGill.
The 1000^th goal in the Premier Division was scored today by Ryan Mitchell of Alsager Town.
Saturday 14^th March 2009
Eccleshall played their 200^th league game away at Holker Old Boys.
Abbey Hey’s only goal in their 2-1 defeat at Silsden AFC was their 600^th League goal and was scored by Adie Nevins.
Ashton Athletics’ 2-1 victory at Winsford United earned them their 200^th League Point.

Sunday 8 March 2009
TEAM OF THE ROUND AWARD FOR GLOSSOP
Glossop North End have been selected by the FA as the “Team of the Round” for their performance in the FA Vase Fifth Round when they won 2-0 at Bitton on Saturday 14 February 2009.
The Club will be presented with an FA Presentation Plaque and will receive 20 complimentary tickets for the Vase Final at Wembley on Sunday 10 May 2009 along with four cases of Carlsberg beer.
The official FA statement read:  “Glossop North End came away from a trip to Gloucestershire to play Bitton with a 2-0 victory in the FA Carlsberg Vase inspired by a penalty by Ash Gotham, a 17 year old goalkeeper, that brings the Vodkat North West Counties League Premier Division side from Derbyshire the award of being the Carlsberg Team of the Round”.
The FA Vase Committee Vice Chairman, John Ward will present the commemorative plaque to Club representatives on Saturday 4^th April 2009 at Surrey Street, before the Hillmen’s semi-final second leg against Chalfont St Peter.

Saturday 7 March 2009
GLOSSOP JUST ONE STEP FROM WEMBLEY
Glossop boss Steve Young was celebrating what he called his “proudest moment as a manager” on Saturday as his side surged into the semi finals of the FA Vase with a cracking 5-2 victory over battling Marske United of the Northern League.
The Hillmen once again kept the flag flying for the Vodkat League, with a victory in front of a terrific attendance of 1120 that ensures our league has a presence in the semi final for the fourth season in a row.
Midfielder Rick Bailey was the hero of the day with two goals and two assists, but Young refused to single out any member of his side for special praise, declaring “the whole team were awesome”.
The game could not have started better for the Hillmen when on 2 minutes winger Dave Hodges received a throw-in in the box.  He twisted into a shooting position to give North End the lead, and 10 minutes later Bailey tapped in from 6 yards, taking a Darren Hamilton cut back from the by-line.
Shellshocked Marske finally got some encouragement when Benn Thompson headed home on 20 minutes, and Glossop were having to soak up pressure as Jonathan Newton chipped a shot just wide.  But on 29 minutes a long ball was flicked on, and Bailey outpaced the defence and netted Glossop’s third goal.
North End had chances to add when Hodges had a shot cleared off the line and Ledgeway saved well from Hamilton, but at the other end teenage ‘keeper Ash Gotham pulled off a tremendous save to deny Skelton.
Jamie Kay appeared to have won the game on 61 minutes when he headed home a Bailey cross, but the 3 goal cushion lasted just 2 minutes as Skelton lashed home a shot from the left.
Marske changed their formation to a 4-3-3 as they looked to grab a lifeline, but that left gaps at the back and although Morris missed a gilt edged opportunity from 6 yards the 5^th goal came in the 90^th minute.  The tireless Bailey was again involved as his hat-trick seeking shot rebounded off the keepers’ chest for Sam Hind to tap home.
Glossop’s Jonathan Haggart said:  "Although we came out on top, all in all this game was simply a tremendous advert for football at this level.  7 goals for a fiver, and two sides 100% committed to the cause, both playing exciting football.  Credit must go to Marske, because right up until the 5th goal we were biting our nails a little.  They had some excellent players, particularly a lad called Glenn Wesson who seemed to pop up everywhere. 
”In the end though, I think we just had too much in our attacking armoury for them.  The pace of Darren Hamilton, Dave Hodges and Rick Bailey overwhelmed them at times, and Rick in particular caused them problems every time he had the ball.  He might have had 4 or 5 goals on the day, but their keeper made some good stops.
”As for the crowd, that surpassed all expectations.  We had started off hoping for maybe 700, but all week we were all getting texts and queries from people we hadn't heard from for ages and suddenly our estimates went up. 
“By Saturday morning we were thinking 1000, especially after the New Mills game was called off, but 1120 was amazing.   Everyone behaved themselves, despite it being very very busy.  The Marske fans were fantastic, singing throughout and full of colour with their flags.  I've never seen a mascot at this level, but they had their bulldog conducting their songs.
”Andy Ollerenshaw has updated his blog again with a report for the game - http://www.thefavase.blogspot.com/ - and I very much like his closing line. - "Hold on to these very special memories Glossop, but at the same time leave a little room for a few more" .  Whether it be Needham Market OR Chalfont St Peter, I'm sure that's what we'll do."
Vodkat League Chairman Dave Tomlinson was at the game and said afterwards that the Hillmen are a credit to the league.
“It was a terrific game and the big crowd created a great atmosphere.  Once again Glossop have done our league proud.  It’s brilliant that we have a club in the semi final for the fourth year in a row, and I’m pleased for everyone at Glossop.
“It was an outstanding team performance, although I must say that I was also particularly impressed with the turn of pace shown by the High Peak Radio commentator, who I think was just about on the pitch before the final whistle to ensure he got some interviews.”
That man with the microphone was High Peak Radio’s Ben Price, whose athleticism at full time came on the back of his full match commentary on the game, which was broadcast on the internet through the station’s website.  Ben said:  “It was a great game and a great day.  We've had e-mails from across the world saying they listened online.”
The draw for the semi final paired Glossop with the winners of the replay between Needham Market and Chalfont St Peter.  The Hillmen will be away in the first leg on Saturday 28^th March, with the return at Surrey Street a week later.   
NEWS FROM AFC LIVERPOOL
As we enter the crucial last couple of months of the season, AFC Liverpool Chairman Paul McCombs is satisfied with the way the club is progressing in its inaugural season.
At this time last year, the club was just in the process of being formed, and since those early days there have been a number of personnel changes behind the scenes on the steering group.  However, Paul says everything is now settling down.
“I think you had to expect a bit of turbulence because we were a new club and everyone was new to this level of non-league football and new to working with another”, he said.
“We’ve all got full time jobs, and with none of us having been involved in football at this level, you would have to expect there would be some changes and movement as we went along.
“I don’t think it was ever as bad as some people made out and it’s certainly settled down now, which is for the better of the club.”
One of the main issues Paul and his colleagues are addressing is comparisons between themselves and FC United of Manchester, and he is keen to highlight the differences.
“I think there still seems to be a bit of an identity crisis out there, with regard to what AFC Liverpool actually means to people.  We are aware that there are a lot of Liverpool FC fans who are antagonisitic towards LFC and want us to be like a breakaway club, but we don’t want to operate like that. 
“We want to be friends with the football club and we also want to stand on our own two feet.  We certainly don’t want to be going to them with a begging bowl asking for money to help keep us going.
“People compare us to FC United of Manchester, and we’ve had people saying if we did this or did that like FC United did, and act like a rebel club, we’d get more fans.  That might be right, maybe we would but that is not how we are going to work.”
Paul says that the club is making progress on a number of areas, and their involvement in community based activities in Liverpool is high on their agenda.
“Looking back, I think we maybe tried to run before we could walk.  We have got nine teams running now, but maybe we should have concentrated on getting the first team out on the pitch and focussed our activities around that. 
“When we started we had loads of ideas for getting out into the community but a lot of those good plans have been on the back burner, because there is so much work involved in getting the first team and all our other teams out on the pitch playing games.
“But now we have more people on the steering committee allocated to particular tasks, that should give us more time to do all the community work that we always planned on doing.
“Within the city of Liverpool we have potentially got hundreds of fans but we’ve got to get out there and sell the club to them all.  We are doing our best in trying to get out into the community and the community projects are crucial to us.  Liverpool is a big city and we believe we can bring more people in to the club. 
“There is still a perception that we are aiming to get to people who are disenfranchised with Liverpool FC or can’t go there because of the cost, but what about people who have never thought about going to a football match before?  If we can get to those types of people and encourage then to come along and bring their kids as well, that would be a huge step forward for us.
“We are not targeting specific areas of Liverpool particularly, we want to spread our net far and wide to try and attract people to the club. 
“There is an organisation in the city called KIND, that looks after disadvantaged children, and we have been in touch with them and offered them the opportunity to bring some of the children they are involved down to a game, free of charge obviously.  We like to bill ourselves as being a cheap alternative to Premier League football, but we have to remember that some people might be in a position where £5 and £3 for children to get into a game is still out of reach for them.
“So one of our aims is to reach out to the disadvantaged people within the city’s population and in due course we want to be getting involved with schools and bringing them down to games too.”
Another of the club’s stated objectives is to establish a permanent base in the city, and Paul says they are making progress on identifying potential sites.
“We don’t want to be sharing a ground with Prescot Cables for ever, we want to be inside the City of Liverpool in our own ground as soon as possible.  We’ve got to be seen to be making moves to get established within the Liverpool boundary.  There’s no point in being called AFC Liverpool if we are not intent on putting roots down in the city.   
“We have so far identified a number of pieces of land in the city, and we have meetings arranged with the City Council and they are certainly paying us a lot of respect with the number of people that they have said will come and meet with us.  It’s not like they are just sending one person to talk to us, we have had contact with a number of key people.
“Now the City of Culture programme is finished the Council have designated 2009 as being a year for environmental issues to be addressed, and we have a meeting arranged with the person who is heading up that initiative and we hope that there may be benefits in getting involved with that. 
“Prescot appreciate that we are not planning on staying there for the long term, and I think the ground sharing arrangement has worked well for both clubs.  From a ground grading point of view, the ground is hosting football four levels above us, and in turn we have helped them generate a bit of revenue by paying a rent to play there, so there’s benefits on both sides.   
One of the higher profile initiatives that the club has been involved with recently is the production of replica first team jerseys bearing a logo to commemorate the Hillsborough disaster, and Paul is pleased with the reaction the club has had to the idea. 
“I think the involvement with the Hillsborough groups has been a fantastic idea, especially with the 20^th anniversary looming.  We had no shirt sponsor arranged for the rest of this season, although we are talking to people about being our shirt sponsors for next season, and we had talked about maybe featuring a charity on the shirt. 
“But I think it was one of the fans on one of the forums who suggested that we could put some sort of Hillsborough memorial on the front of the shirt, and we thought that was a fantastic idea.  Within a week the steering committee came up with a design idea, and that in turn went to the firm who does the kits and they came back with the design for us. 
“It’s a fantastic opportunity for us as a club to show support for the anniversary, and I think it’s important that any football related activity in Liverpool should always remember Hillsborough.  With it being the 20^th anniversary there’s never going to be a better time to publicise the groups involved. 
“As a club which bills itself as a Liverpool FC supporters club, there’s no doubt that we have an obligation to show support for anyone affected by Hillsborough, and I think we can take pride in the fact that we have done something to commemorate the event before Liverpool FC did.
“We were very worried at first about marketing the football kits with the logo on as something to sell and make money on.  For that reason, initially we were only going to have the players wearing the kit and not put any shirts on sale. 
“But since the three support groups involved with Hillsborough families gave us the go ahead to sell them, they have been flying off the shelves.  We’ve had orders from all over the world.
“The 20^th anniversary is on 15^th April and we certainly wouldn’t want to play a game on that day.  However, we do plan on doing something at the one of the matches we play near to that date to commemorate the event, in a low key way.  We have thought long and hard about what to do, and being a new club we wouldn’t want anyone to be accusing us of getting involved in something that was seen not to be our business.  But we will do something to mark the occasion.”
On the playing side, Paul is happy with the position the club is in as they enter the closing stages of the season.
“I think some of the football we have played has been excellent.  I’ve been pleasantly surprised at what we have found going around the clubs.  People want to make friends, and most people have welcomed us with open arms. Some teams try to play football but haven’t got the players to do it.
“If you had said at the start of the season that in March we’d be top of the league and in a cup semi final, we would have been happy with that.  Obviously we’d like to be 15 points clear but you can’t have everything!”.
FLOODLIGHTS FOR SALE
Following the upgrade of their floodlights, Squires Gate FC are now in a position to dispose of the old units, possibly for use as training lights.  There are 12 lights, each 200w, single phase, and each comes with fittings, lamps and separate gear trays which need to be mounted immediately below the lights.
The lights measure 70 (h) x 60 (w) x 30 (d) and weigh approximately 17kg.  The gear trays are 30(h) x 25 (w) x 20 (d) and weigh 18 kg.  There are two spare lamps available and following re-lamping, all the lights may well be suitable for match use.  The club is looking for £50 for each light/tray.
Anyone interested should contact Geoff Mackay on 01253 729389.
STAND FOR SALE
Following the completion of the installation of 170 seats in the main stand, Ashton Athletic are now seeking a buyer for their other seated accommodation, a standalone prefabricated 52 seater stand.
This would be ideal for any new Clubs seeking to gain entry into Step 6 of the non league football pyramid, or to add to existing seating capacity.
The single unit stand which also includes 2 disabled bays is about 3 years old but is now surplus to current  requirements. The stand was manufactured by AAS – see  www.aas-spectator.com  for further details.  All enquiries should be directed to David Powell on 07770 696747.
SIGNS FOR SALE
Eccleshall FC have a quantity of Exit signs that they are willing to sell to any interested parties.  The signs are green running man exit signs left or right 450mm x 150mm (NOT Fire Exit, just Exit).  They are plastic coated and suitable for indoor and outdoor use.  Anyone interested can purchase them through Eccleshall at £2.10 each, plus postage 50p per sign postage.  Multiple buys gets reduction in postage.
There are limited quantities available and it would be advisable to check availability first of all with Eccleshall Secretary Richard Marsh.  Richard’s e-mail address is rjmarsh_07@ntlworld.com.  
Payment should be made by cheque, made payable to Eccleshall Football Club.
SUMMER FIVES TOURNAMENT AT COLNE
Colne FC have announced that the 2nd Annual Bill Heywood Memorial 5 a Side Soccer Tournament will be staged on Sunday 25th July 2009 at the Holt House Stadium
The entry fee will be £25.00 per team, which is non refundable should your team pull out.  All teams will be notified of their acceptance into the competition by post.  The first 32 teams to apply will be accepted and entry fees should be paid no later than 28 days prior to the day of the competition.  Anyone requiring more information should contact Kelvin Metcalfe by e-mail at kelmet@hotmail.co.uk.
NEW ROLE FOR DARREN
Rochdale Town bade farewell after their game at AFC Liverpool on the 28^th February to assistant manager Darren Ford, who left the club to take up a goalkeeper coaching role at Unibond League Mossley.
Darren had been assistant to manager Mike Lester since the pair took over the managerial reins at the Castleton Sports Centre in September last year.  Their first game in charge was away at Norton United on the 27th September which Town won 3-2. 
Rochdale Town Secretary Jim Picken said:  “We are saddened by the loss of such a popular coach to another club, but of course we wish Darren every success at Mossley.  He was not just assistant manager, he was also of tremendous help to our keeper Mark Canning at training. 
“Being a keeper himself, Darren knew exactly the kind of training and pre-match warm up Mark needed, and I’m sure Mark would be the first to agree that Darren’s input had a very positive effect on his performances this season.”  
MANAGER OF THE MONTH AWARDS FOR FEBRUARY
PREMIER DIVISION – ANTHONY BUCKLE AND DARREN TWIGG OF CONGLETON TOWN
Results:
10.02 - Runcorn Linnets (away) won 1-4 (Mid Cheshire Senior Cup)
14.02 - Nelson (away) won 1-3
21.02 - Squires Gate (home) won 2-0
24.02 - AFC Fylde (home) won 1-0
28.02 - Flixton (away) won 0-3  
DIVISION ONE – GRAHAM HOWARTH OF PADIHAM
Results:
07.02 - Holker Old Boys (home) won 4-0 (Division One Trophy Round 3)
14.02 - Stone Dominoes (away) won 1-2 (Vodkat League Challenge Cup Quarter Final)
21.02 - AFC Liverpool (home) drew 1-1
24.02 - AFC Blackpool (away) drew 2-2
28.02 - Norton United (away) won 1-3
VODKAT LEAGUE PLAYER OF THE MONTH AWARDS FOR FEBRUARY
PREMIER DIVISION – ADAM HAYTON OF NELSON                  
Adam is a versatile midfield player who likes to be in the thick of the action. He is twenty years old but his slight build disguises a tough and resilient character. He has excellent ball control and distribution skills and used them to great effect throughout the month at the centre of Nelson’s midfield, after being moved in from the right wing in January. 
He was a vital part of the engine room of the side as they ground out three draws from four games, and got on the scoresheet with a well taken goal against Glossop North End to earn the Blues a point.  Adam is the type of quality player which Nelson need, as they build towards a better future in the Vodkat Premier League.
DIVISION ONE – CHRIS PALMER OF IRLAM
Club captain Chris turned in three tremendous performances in Irlam’s three games during February.  With no fixture on the 7^th due to bad weather, Irlam’s first game of the month was away to Bootle, and two assists from Chris enable Irlam to overturn a 1-0 deficit and gain a 2-1 victory.
On the 21^st, Chris’s well taken equaliser in a hard fought game away to Rochdale Town ensured that Irlam escaped with a point, and he finished the month with a terrific performance on the 28^th February, at home to Daisy Hill.  A 40 yard run from midfield saw Chris meet a cross into the box to open the scoring, and later in the game his strong run into the visitors’ penalty area resulted in him being brought down for a penalty, which was converted by Ryan Hutchinson to ensure a 2-1 victory for Irlam.
It is fair to say that without Chris in the side these results would have been in question. In his first season at this standard he ended the month in joint 10^th spot in the leading scorers list, a commendable achievement for a player who is a winger and not a forward.
SAFE HANDS GOALKEEPER OF THE MONTH AWARD SPONSORED BY SAMEDAY
PREMIER DIVISION - MATT CONKIE OF CONGLETON TOWN
Matt conceded just one goal in February, and his three clean sheets were achieved while playing with one hand heavily bandaged after he split the palm of his hand in an accident.  His courage and bravery was shown throughout the games he played in, whilst in pain carrying an injury. 
He was outstanding in the game against AFC Fylde, at one point having to save a pile driver shot with his injured hand and played a major part in helping the Bears to a courageous but narrow 1-0 victory.
Some say goalkeepers are mad, but Matt has shown he has the skill and courage required to be a top shot stopper.
DIVISION ONE – SEAN DAVIS OF PADIHAM
Sean just gets better by the match and at 18 is easily one of the best keepers in the league.  He came into the side in September from the reserves and within a couple of months won the Division One Goalkeeper of the Month award for his performances. 
He sets up attacking moves with his kicking, handles the ball well from crosses and free kicks and is a natural shot stopper.  He seems to have elastic arms that go on for ever, and has an uncanny knack of getting up and backwards to tip shots over the bar. 
He is a massive asset to Padiham Football Club and a big contributor to the Storks current run of form, which saw them remain unbeaten during February with three wins and two draws from their five games during the month.
PLAYER MOVEMENTS THIS WEEK
Transfers
Jamie Longley    Colne to Silsden
Registrations
AFC Liverpool                    Joseph  Evans
Alsager Town                     David Cooper, Carl Glassar, Jamie Hull, Thomas Storer
Ashton Town                     James Walsh
Bootle                                   Michael Woodhouse
Chadderton                        Gareth Buckley, Aaron McKenna
Cheadle Town                   Cain Atkinson
Colne                                    Gavin Cooper, Samuel Hayes
Eccleshall                             Laffana Sidibe
Flixton                                  Ben Thornley
Formby                                David Pennell, Graham Sunners, David Woodward
Glossop NE                         Curtis Thompson
Leek CSOB                          Sam Pettitt
Maine Road                        Jonathan Lynch
Nelson                                  Wayne Duxbury, Michael Hall, Wesley Hensby, Jay Howard
Newcastle Town              Ajay Leitch-Smith
Padiham                              Josh Cliff, Daryl Holden
Ramsbottom United       Matt Ellis, Graham Jebb
Rochdale Town Steven Worthington
Silsden                  Robert Bingham
Squires Gate                      Anthony Stayte, Daniel Whittaker, Louis Wilkes
St Helens Town Scott Baker
Stone Dominoes              Gareth Rowe
TOP ATTENDANCES
Wednesday 4^th March 2009
Colne v AFC Fylde 115
Silsden AFC v Glossop North End 108
Thursday 5^th March 2009
Mossley v New Mills 163 County Cup
Saturday 7^th March 2009
Glossop North End v Formby 238
Darwen v AFC Liverpool 173
Runcorn Linnets v Nelson 153
Colne v Maine Road 135
New Mills v Winsford United 133
Newcastle Town v Atherton LR 101
VODKAT LEAGUE LANDMARKS
Monday 2^nd March 2009
Atherton Collieries 1-0 home victory over Newcastle Town earn them their 1101^st League Point.
Tuesday 3^rd March 2009
Alsager Town’s 2-0 away victory over Nelson earn them their 501^st League Point.
Saturday 7^th March 2009
Maine Road’s 1-0 victory at Colne was their 350^th League victory.
New Mills 3-0 home victory over Winsford United earned them their 301^st League Point.
Newcastle Town’s 4^th goal in their 4-0 victory over Atherton LR was their 900^th home League goal and was scored by Paul Donnelly.
Glossop North End 2^nd goal in their 4-3 defeat at home by Formby was their 750^th home League goal and was scored by Melford Knight.

Wednesday 4 March 2009
ASHTON ATHLETIC STAND FOR SALE  
Following the completion of the installation of 170 seats in the main stand, Ashton Athletic are now seeking a buyer for their other seated accommodation, a standalone prefabricated 52 seater stand.
This would be ideal for any new Clubs seeking to gain entry into Step 6 of the non league football pyramid, or to add to existing seating capacity.
The single unit stand which also includes 2 disabled bays is about 3 years old but is now surplus to current  requirements. The stand was manufactured by AAS – see  www.aas-spectator.com for further details.

All enquiries should be directed to David Powell 0777-069-6747
FRIENDLY WANTED
Stoneclough FC are looking for some mid week friendlies over the next 2/3 weeks to help in their build up to the Goldline Final against Atherton LR.  Any help from any clubs would be much appreciated, as the weather has taken a huge toll on their recent fixtures, and interested clubs should contact manager Trevor Ball at   trevor.ball1@ntlworld.com
Tuesday 3 March 2009
GLOSSOP JUST ONE STEP FROM WEMBLEY
Glossop boss Steve Young was celebrating what he called his “proudest moment as a manager” on Saturday as his side surged into the semi finals of the FA Vase with a cracking 5-2 victory over battling Marske United of the Northern League.
The Hillmen once again kept the flag flying for the Vodkat League, with a victory in front of a terrific attendance of 1120 that ensures our league has a presence in the semi final for the fourth season in a row.
Midfielder Rick Bailey was the hero of the day with two goals and two assists, but Young refused to single out any member of his side for special praise, declaring “the whole team were awesome”.
The game could not have started better for the Hillmen when on 2 minutes winger Dave Hodges received a throw-in in the box.  He twisted into a shooting position to give North End the lead, and 10 minutes later Bailey tapped in from 6 yards, taking a Darren Hamilton cut back from the by-line.
Shellshocked Marske finally got some encouragement when Benn Thompson headed home on 20 minutes, and Glossop were having to soak up pressure as Jonathan Newton chipped a shot just wide.  But on 29 minutes a long ball was flicked on, and Bailey outpaced the defence and netted Glossop’s third goal.
North End had chances to add when Hodges had a shot cleared off the line and Ledgeway saved well from Hamilton, but at the other end teenage ‘keeper Ash Gotham pulled off a tremendous save to deny Skelton.
Jamie Kay appeared to have won the game on 61 minutes when he headed home a Bailey cross, but the 3 goal cushion lasted just 2 minutes as Skelton lashed home a shot from the left.
Marske changed their formation to a 4-3-3 as they looked to grab a lifeline, but that left gaps at the back and although Morris missed a gilt edged opportunity from 6 yards the 5^th goal came in the 90^th minute.  The tireless Bailey was again involved as his hat-trick seeking shot rebounded off the keepers’ chest for Sam Hind to tap home.
Glossop’s Jonathan Haggart said:
"Although we came out on top, all in all this game was simply a tremendous advert for football at this level.  7 goals for a fiver, and two sides 100% committed to the cause, both playing exciting football.  Credit must go to Marske, because right up until the 5th goal we were biting our nails a little.  They had some excellent players, particularly a lad called Glenn Wesson who seemed to pop up everywhere. 
”In the end though, I think we just had too much in our attacking armoury for them.  The pace of Darren Hamilton, Dave Hodges and Rick Bailey overwhelmed them at times, and Rick in particular caused them problems every time he had the ball.  He might have had 4 or 5 goals on the day, but their keeper made some good stops.
”As for the crowd, that surpassed all expectations.  We had started off hoping for maybe 700, but all week we were all getting texts and queries from people we hadn't heard from for ages and suddenly our estimates went up. 
“By Saturday morning we were thinking 1000, especially after the New Mills game was called off, but 1120 was amazing.   Everyone behaved themselves, despite it being very very busy.  The Marske fans were fantastic, singing throughout and full of colour with their flags.  I've never seen a mascot at this level, but they had their bulldog conducting their songs.
”Andy Ollerenshaw has updated his blog again with a report for the game - http://www.thefavase.blogspot.com/ - and I very much like his closing line. - "Hold on to these very special memories Glossop, but at the same time leave a little room for a few more" .  Whether it be Needham Market OR Chalfont St Peter, I'm sure that's what we'll do."
Vodkat League Chairman Dave Tomlinson was at the game and said afterwards that the Hillmen are a credit to the league.
“It was a terrific game and the big crowd created a great atmosphere.  Once again Glossop have done our league proud.  It’s brilliant that we have a club in the semi final for the fourth year in a row, and I’m pleased for everyone at Glossop.
“It was an outstanding team performance, although I must say that I was also particularly impressed with the turn of pace shown by the High Peak Radio commentator, who I think was just about on the pitch before the final whistle to ensure he got some interviews.”
That man with the microphone was High Peak Radio’s Ben Price, whose athleticism at full time came on the back of his full match commentary on the game, which was broadcast on the internet through the station’s website.  Ben said:  “It was a great game and a great day.  We've had e-mails from across the world saying they listened online.”
The draw for the semi final paired Glossop with the winners of the replay between Needham Market and Chalfont St Peter.  The Hillmen will be away in the first leg on Saturday 28^th March, with the return at Surrey Street a week later.

Monday 2 March 2009
FLOODLIGHTS FOR SALE
Following the upgrade of their floodlights, Squires Gate FC are now in a position to dispose of the old units, possibly for use as training lights.  There are 12 lights, each 200w, single phase, and each comes with fittings, lamps and separate gear trays which need to be mounted immediately below the lights.
The lights measure 70 (h) x 60 (w) x 30 (d) and weigh approximately 17kg.  The gear trays are 30(h) x 25 (w) x 20 (d) and weigh 18 kg.  There are two spare lamps available and following re-lamping, all the lights may well be suitable for match use.  The club is looking for £50 for each light/tray.
Anyone interested should contact Geoff Mackay on 01253 729389