st helens town v alsager town 2013-14

North West Counties Football League Premier Division Programme of the Year 2009-10, 2010-11, 2011-12 & 2012-13

Executive Programme Sponsor



Today’s Teams . . .

Cover photograph: Action from Town v Maine Road 24.08.13

No Gls St Helens Town

Ryan Taylor

Andy Mawdsley

Shaun Judge

Lee Crompton

Lewis Coyle

Dan Wright

Neil Weaver

Nathan Parish

Karl Bergqvist

Paul Cook-Hannah

Phil Williams

Chris Williams

Ste Edwards

Connor Sanderson

Ste Milne

Cole Ashton

No Gls Alsager Town

Aaron Best

Ryan Connor

Jed Davies

Angelo Errico

Lee Garwood

Alex Hedley

Mariuzs Kisiel

Reiss Lee

Chris Lunn

Joel Mills

Thomas Parkes

Leigh Skellern

Dean Smith

Jordan Stafford

Kyle Wilding

David Woodvine

CLUB INFORMATION

Honorary Life Presidents: Bert Trautmann OBE

and Bill Foulkes

Vice President: Jim Barrett

Chairman: John McKiernan (07713 339682)

Vice Chairman: Glyn Jones

Hon. Secretary/Treasurer: Jeff Voller (07843 692695)

Commercial Manager

Darryl Picton (07908 833554)

Full Committee: John McKiernan, Jeff Voller, Jim Barrett, Darryl Picton, Ste

Ball, Chris Ford and Glyn Jones.

Trustees: John McKiernan and Eric Bond

Club Manager: Ian Granite

Assistant Manager: Stephen Edwards

Coaches: Ian Price, Paul Jones

and Nick Matthews

Reserve Team Manager Nick Robinson

Youth Team Managers:

Rob Walker Anthony Dunne

Email:

[email protected]

Main Club Sponsor: Johnsons Toyota Liverpool

Legal:

St Helens Town Limited Private Limited Company

Company No. 04392840

Date of Incorporation 12.03.2002

Company Directors: Jim Barrett & Gordon McDonald

Saturday 31st August 2013, kick off 3.00pm NWCFL, Premier Division

Manager: Ian Granite Assistant: Stephen Edwards

Manager: Andy Turner Assistant: Callum Carey

Referee: Mr C Whitaker (Liversedge) Assist: Mr M Saville (Cleckheaton) & Mr P Secker (Cleckheaton)

Today’s Match & Match Ball Sponsor:

St Helens Town Red & White Shirts

White Shorts, Red & White Socks

Alsager Town Black & White Shirts

Black Shorts, Black Socks



Talk of the Town . . . Good afternoon and welcome to Brocstedes Park for this North West Counties Football League, Premier Division contest against our friends from Alsager Town. May I open by welcoming our visitors I hope they enjoy the short time they will spend with us and have a safe journey home after the game. It was nice to get back to winning ways on Tuesday evening when a long trip North to Barnoldswick saw us record a hard fought 2-1 victory over a team many will have fancied prior to the start of the season for a tilt at the Championship. With three new signings coming into the fray after the dismal performance here a week ago against league leaders Maine Road, we looked more dangerous going forward with the addition of some attacking impetus we dominated large parts of the first period and it was no surprise when a good move ended with Shaun Judge powering the ball home at the front post, netting his first of the campaign after what was a prolific pre-season for him.

We went into the interval a goal to the good and we knew that the hosts would come out firing at the start of the second period (partially because we could hear the rocket they got off their manager at half time as we sat in the hospitality room having a cup of tea!) and indeed Barlick were level less than three minutes after the restart as we conceded another penalty which the hosts converted with the aid of the inside of the right upright. The visitors were not to be deterred though and we were soon back in front after a flowing move saw Weaver link with Bergqvist who supplied an

excellent low cross which Cook-Hannah swept home from close range as it turned out this was enough to secure all three points and make the 90 minute journey home all the better! Earlier that night and somewhat closer to home the reserves had secure a 3-1 win at Merseyside Police with goals from Adam Owens and a brace from Ste Bowen enough to send them back to the top of the West Cheshire League, Division Three table, well done to the boys. It has also been a great start to the season for the Youth Team as they have secured two 1-0 wins in their opening two matches over Glossop North End & Avro. Next Saturday we take the trip to Pontefract in the First Qualifying Round of the FA Vase and there are still seats available on the coach to the match leaving the Rockware Pub, Shaw Street, St Helens at 11.30am. With return fares at the bargain price of £5 each! To book your place or for more info then please speak to a committee member or ring Darryl Picton on 07908 833 554. Finally, let’s get behind Town this afternoon and hopefully cheer them onto a victory. Enjoy the game . . . Jeff Voller



In Town Today . . . No previous history can be found at present about the club before the 1971/72 season when Alsager FC joined the Mid Cheshire League and they finished 12th in their first two seasons. Following the 1972/73 season the club changed their name to Alsager Town and thirteen years later they were still members of the Mid Cheshire League and for most of that time had competed in Division One. For the start of the 1986/87 season they changed their name again, this time to Alsager United. They finished runners up in their second season under the

United banner but for some reason they disbanded. Twelve months elapsed before the club re-formed for the 1989/90 season as Alsager United joining the Crewe League Premier Division. After two seasons the club moved back to the Mid Cheshire League Division 2 back under the Alsager FC banner, for the start of the 1991/92 season, They remained there until the end of the 1997/98 season when they moved to the Springbank Vending Midland League. Alsager finished runners up in their first season and were promoted to the North West Counties League Division 2 for the start of the 1999/2000 season. After just two seasons they again decided to change their name back to Alsager Town. The name change proved to be lucky for them as they finished in the runners-up spot with promotion to Division One. They remained in that league until the end of the 2005/06 season when they finished in third place. Due to changes being made by the FA to the non-league pyramid system Alsager were invited to step up to the Northern Premier League Division One which they did, finishing their first season in a creditable 14th place. Further changes were to be made by the FA to the non league system which saw Alsager Town move side ways in to the Unibond League Division One South. Another 14th place finish was the outcome but the club fell foul to the ground grading regulations and with required work not completed they were relegated back to the North West Counties League Premier Division. Due this set back the top management of the club walked out. Former chairman Peter Clegg stepped in taking control of the club . Clegg appointed former Witton Albion reserves coach, Neil Gill as manager. For two seasons Neil Gill did a good job in keeping Alsager Town in the N.W.C.F.L Premier Division and then in early 2011 with finances tight the players expenses budget had to be cut and then later stopped completely. This was followed by the news that there were to be major changes at the club at the end of the season. Neil Gill, his assistant, the players and the committee walked away. Acting Chairman Mike Cross had to Act quickly and Alsager’s remaining committee voted for change. Terry Greer the former Chairman of Biddulph Victoria was elected to be the new Chairman. A new management team and playing staff had to be found. Stepping into the fray were Damian Grocott and Andy O’Connor they began the job of keeping Alsager Town in the N.W.C.F.L. Premier Divison. They worked hard to keep the status of the club secure which they did with three games in hand. For the 2011/12 season the club is looking to move forward with a new committee which was installed at the AGM in May their aim being to improve the club in all aspects on and off the pitch. With things going well off the pitch, new showers had been installed, the dressing rooms



. . . Alsager Town FC and some of the club house re-decorated. The ground in general had been given a face lift when on the night of the Monday 11th July a catastrophic fire destroyed the office and part of the dressing rooms and club house, the whole building had to be demolished due the asbestos it was constructed with and the electricity was cut off due to the damage caused with the switch boxes etc. Since then the committee have worked tirelessly to get things in to place so that football can return to The Town ground. The committee of the N.W.C.F.L. have been superb in the way they have switched fixtures for The Bullets due to their massive problems. The season ended with the Bullets finishing in 13th place with 57 points at end of the season poor run, but it was their best tally of points for some time. After the season ended manager John Brown stepped down and Chairman Terry Greer quickly set on former Kidsgrove Athletic Coach Andy Turner on as manager. Andy retained the previous season backroom staff but added another coach. Most of the 2011/12 season players stayed and Andy added a number of new faces, eventually finishing in 15th place with 14 wins.

Season League P W D L F A GD Pts Position 1998-99 MIDL 38 28 6 4 94 18 76 90 2/20

1999-00 NWC-2 34 11 8 15 48 64 -16 41 12/18

2000-01 NWC-2 38 19 8 11 48 42 6 65 7/20

2001-02 NWC-2 40 24 9 7 77 31 46 81 2/21 2002-03 NWC-1 42 15 11 16 61 67 -6 56 11/22

2003-04 NWC-1 42 16 15 11 54 47 7 63 9/22

2004-05 NWC-1 42 19 11 12 65 47 18 68 7/22

2005-06 NWC-1 42 27 7 8 87 43 44 88 3/22 2006-07 NPL-1 46 18 7 21 72 75 -3 61 14/24

2007-08 NPL-1S 42 12 7 23 58 88 -30 43 14/18

2008-09 NWC-P 42 18 5 19 66 72 -6 59 7/22

2009-10 NWC-P 42 11 7 24 60 79 -19 40 18/22

2010-11 NWC-P 42 10 8 24 57 94 -37 38 20/22 2011-12 NWC-P 42 16 9 17 63 65 -2 57 13/22

2012-13 NWC-P 42 14 8 20 66 78 -12 50 15/22

Date Opposition H/A K.O / Score Goalscorers

Sat 03/08/13 Silsden H L 1-2 Leigh Skellern (2)

Tue 06/08/13 West Didsbury & Chorlton H W 2-0 James Hampson (43)

Leigh Skellern (89p)

Sat 10/08/13 Wigan Robin Park A W 3-2

Chris Lunn (22)

Chris Lunn (65)

Reiss Lee (88)

Tue 13/08/13 Norton United A L 2-4 Own Goal (7)

Chris Lunn (44)

Sat 17/08/13 Atherton Collieries (FAC) H L 1-3 Joel Mill (75)

Sat 24/08/13 Bootle H L 1-4 Ryan Connor (8)

Tue 27/08/13 Runcorn Linnets A L 2-4 Ryan Connor (40)

Leigh Skellern (90p)



Chairman’s Notes . . . Good afternoon and a very warm welcome to Brocstedes Park, for this NWCFL Premier Division encounter with our friends and rivals Alsager Town FC. Let’s hope their players, officials and supporters along with our own

followers are treated to an entertaining game. Many thanks to this afternoon’s match and ball sponsors Johnsons Toyota Liverpool and in particular General Manager Gareth Shone for his continued support. The last time we were here at Brocstedes Park Town were on the wrong end of a 0-5 defeat by league leaders Maine Road. Our visitors played some excellent football and scored with some top draw finishes - the major disappointment was that we paid them too much respect and let our heads drop when they scored their third goal midway through the second half. Thankfully on Tuesday evening Ian Granite saw his side take the fight to our hosts Barnoldswick Town and we recorded our first victory at the Silentnight Beds Stadium with an excellent 1-2 win. We welcomed back Phil Williams as well as a couple of new faces from Prescot Cables - striker Karl Bergqvist and midfield player Nathan Parish. On the night Shaun Judge put Town ahead before a ‘soft’ penalty allowed Barlick back into the game but Town regained the lead after a great move involving Weaver and Bergqvist ended with Paul Cook-Hannah (pictured) slotting home from six yards. We had a nervy end to the game as Barlick looked to level but Town also had chances to extend their lead before the final whistle. Today’s visitors, like ourselves, have had a mixed start to the season and currently lie a place below Town in the league table with six points from as many games. Midweek saw them lose 4-2 at Runcorn Linnets and on the same evening the league’s final 100% record was lost as Maine Road drew 2-2 with in-form Norton United. There’s no midweek game next week but Saturday 7th Sept sees the start of this seasons FA Vase exploits and a trip to Pontefract Collieries. Coach travel details can be found elsewhere in the programme - your support at the game would be greatly appreciated by the lads. Many thanks to Johnsons Toyota Liverpool who are sponsoring our away travel in this season’s FA Vase - let’s hope we have a lengthy run in the competition. Our next confirmed home fixture is at the end of September when Bacup & Rossendale Borough are our visitors on Saturday 28th September. There may well be changes to fixtures due to replays etc, so check the club website www.sthelenstownafc.com and the local press. Following today’s game our first monthly 500 Club Draw will take place in the club house. If you’ve not entered it’s not too late - please see Darryl Picton or any of the committee for details! Winner details will be published on the club website as well as via Facebook and Twitter. Enjoy the game. John McKiernan Chairman, St Helens Town AFC



Maine Road hand out a football lesson Saturday 24th August 2013 St Helens Town 0-5 Maine Road

One consolation for St. Helens Town is that they won’t come up against a side like Maine Road very often this season. Last season’s NW Counties Premier Division runners-up have now won six out of six and are clear favourites for promotion this time around and they handed out a lesson in clinical finishing to leave Town reeling at the wrong end of a 5-0 thrashing. On the positive side, however,

Town had the better of the game for lengthy periods when only two goals behind, but could not get into a clear scoring position against a very well drilled defence and once the third goal had gone in, the young Town team’s heads went down. The strong, gusty wind played an important part in the first half at Brocstedes Park and Maine Road were able to take full advantage, both goals coming from distance. The first was netted from the corner of the box after 14 minutes, centre forward Saul Henderson giving Ryan Taylor no chance with a drive which dipped over the keeper into the far corner of the net. Taylor was called into action again on 20 minutes when the dangerous Josh Gittings let fly from close range and it was the same player who scored the second from the edge of the centre circle, the ball beating Taylor’s despairing dive at his left post after 34 minutes. Taylor injured a shoulder a short time later following a collision with a Maine Road forward and, though he continued to play, his movements were obviously restricted. Paul Cook-Hannah was the pick of the home forwards and he was involved in a number of bruising tussles with central defender Richard Gresty. He was able to hold up the ball several times, but the defence stifled the supporting play of Steve Milne and Connor Sanderson so much so that chances in good positions were few and far between. As the interval beckoned, Town had their best chance of the half as Milne surged past two defenders but, with only the keeper to beat, managed to miss narrowly past the right hand upright. There was just enough time for another spectacular shot from the visitors, but the effort hit the top of the upright. St. Helens began the second-half in more determined fashion, perhaps due in part to the assistance of the wind. Skipper Lee Crompton went close on 53 minutes, heading powerfully from a corner, only for keeper Greg Hall to pull off a good save. Cook-Hannah, who has still to attain full match fitness, was substituted and his presence up front was sadly missed. Fifteen minutes later, Maine Road tied up the points with a remarkable goal, from a move which began with Hall almost putting the ball into touch on the half-way line. His right winger kept the ball in, then put Henderson clear of the defence and as he hit his shot at goal, Gittings ran in to distract Taylor on his line and the ball bounced into the net. Within 10 minutes, it was 5-0. Neil Chappell hit a spectacular shot past Taylor from 25 yards after 72 minutes and substitute Richard Williams completed the scoring with another well-worked goal. Town had two good chances in the closing stages to reduce the deficit. Milne found Cole Ashton with a good pass, but Ashton scuffed his shot with the goal at his mercy and then Milne himself fired wide of the right post just before the final whistle.

Town v Maine Road FC . . .



Barnoldswick v Town . . . Town break their Barnoldswick duck in Style Tuesday 27th August 2013 Barnoldswick Town 1-2 St Helens Town

St. Helens Town turned in a great performance to earn a first win at Barnoldswick on Tuesday and were well worth their 2-1 victory. Fielding three players on loan from Prescot Cables, Town looked confident going forward with the returning Phil Williams and the teenaged Neil Weaver terrorising the Barlick defence every time they got the ball. Paul Cook-Hannah had great support from Karl Bergqvist, who had an outstanding

game on his debut and there were solid contributions from Nathan Parish, Dan Wright and Lewis Coyle, with Andy Mawdsley and Shaun Judge dominant in defence. The only negative was another injury to captain Lee Crompton, who had to leave the field after only 20 minutes, but his replacement Chris Williams turned in a faultless display in the centre of defence. Beaten on each of their previous visits to the Silentnight Beds Stadium, Town laid the ghost of their heavy defeat at the hands of Maine Road three days earlier in style. They started the stronger and, after only 12 minutes, Judge surged forward from full-back past several players only to see his shot blocked on the line by the veteran Billy Carrington in the Barnoldswick goal. Phil Williams showed his speed to gain possession after 23 minutes, rounding the home defence, passing to Weaver, who set up Bergqvist for a shot which fizzed just over the bar and, three minutes later, the latter created a chance for Cook-Hannah, whose header was only just off target. Town were dominant at this stage and took a deserved lead on 36 minutes when Phil Williams broke at speed and full-back Judge outsprinted his bemused opposite number to the corner of the penalty box and this time beat Carrington at his near post. Town could have extended their lead in the minutes before the break, with Phil Williams and Judge both going close. Barlick had a rollicking at half-time and drew level in the opening minutes of the second half, Danny Boyle scoring off the far post from the penalty spot. St. Helens took only six minutes to restore their lead when Weaver’s dash down the flank found Bergqvist on the goal-line and his cross was driven emphatically into the net by Cook-Hannah for his first goal for the club. The same player could have scored again on the hour when he pounced on a mix-up in the home defence, but his shot hit the post with the keeper beaten. Phil Williams had another good chance a few minutes later, but he was just wide, and Weaver nearly scored with a deft lob over Carrington which hit the top of the bar when it might just as easily have dropped in. As the game entered its final 20 minutes, Steve Milne and Cole Ashton came on for Cook-Hannah and Weaver respectively and both players fitted seamlessly into the eleven. Barnoldswick turned on the pressure, looking for an equaliser, but the Town defence was well-organised and Taylor in the St. Helens goal capped a solid performance with a point-blank save from Harry Thompson in the closing exchanges to secure the three points.



Action from Tuesday evening’s 1-2 victory over Barnoldswick Town at the

Silent Night Beds Stadium

. . . Match Photos



Back to Business . . . It’s Saturday afternoon once and again which can mean only one thing, its game time. Today we welcome our visitors from Alsager for what should be another tasty encounter between the two sides. Last Saturday saw Town demolished 5-0 at home by a very good Maine Road outfit, but the lads showed great strength to bounce back with a stunning performance in midweek bringing home 3 vital points from our away trip to Barnoldswick, a notoriously tricky fixture for us over the years The introduction of three new signings added some much needed strength, guile and creativity to the Town team and we were worthy of a bigger winning margin on the night in a game we dominated from start to finish. Away from the pitch things continue to develop with Johnsons Toyota Liverpool very kindly agreeing to sponsor the clubs away travel for the season ahead of our trip to Pontefract Collieries in the FA Vase next week. I would like to remind our supporters that there are still places available to travel to and from Pontefract on the team coach at just £5 per seat. I would also like to take this opportunity to draw your attention to our Comedy & Curry Night Event on Saturday 7th September at the Windleshaw Sports Club. Tickets are priced at £15 per head and this includes a Curry, and three great comedy acts for your evening’s entertainment. Plans are also in progression for both a Bert Trautmann Memorial Match and our End Of Season Charity Dinner in aid of the Hearts and Goals Campaign. The club hopes to be able to make further announcements on these events in the coming weeks and I encourage supporters of all clubs to get behind the events and come and join us for two great evenings of outstanding entertainment. We also have a fundraising Race Night on Friday 18th October - big screen races, raffle, auction, etc. Tickets are £3 and includes a hotpot supper. Back to today and I hope all visitors to the club enjoy the game this afternoon and have a safe journey home following the conclusion to today’s contest. Warm Regards Darryl Picton Commercial Manager



How we Compare . . . St Helens Town - last 6 matches

All Competitions Most recent

Home W D D W D L

Away L D L L L W

Collated L W D L L W

Alsager Town - last 6 matches

All Competitions Most recent

Home L W L W L L

Away D L L W L L

Collated W W L L L L

St Helens Town games since...

Alsager Town games since...

All Competitions (24/8)

All Competitions

(24/8)

Clean sheet

8 Clean sheet

5

Goal Scored

0 Goal Scored

0

Loss 1 Loss 0

No score draw

8 No score draw

53

Score draw

3 Score draw

10

Win 0 Win 4

Previous Meetings Since 1949/50

All Competitions

P W D L F A GD Win %

Home 11 1 4 6 13 21 -8 9.09

Away 9 6 0 3 15 10 5 66.67

Collated 20 7 4 9 28 31 -3 35.00

at St Helens Town

Previous Meetings

at Alsager Town

NWC-D1 1998-99 MIDL

NWC-D1 1999-00 NWC-D2

NWC-D1 2000-01 NWC-D2

NWC-D1 2001-02 NWC-D2

22/03; 1-1 2002-03 19/10; 1-0

11/11; 1-2 2003-04 15/10; 0-1

22/03; 1-1 2004-05 14/08; 2-0

16/08; 1-4 2005-06 28/02; 1-0

NWC-D1 2006-07 NPL-1

NWC-D1 2007-08 NPL-1S

22/11; 0-1 2008-09 09/08; 3-2

02/03; 1-1 2009-10 13/04; 3-1

27/04; 5-1 2010-11 07/08; 1-2

28/02; 0-3 2011-12 05/11; 2-3

20/10; 2-2 2012-13 19/03; 0-2

31/08/2013 2013-14 01/02/2014

St Helens Town Scores First

Games Played 18

St Helens Town Wins 6

Draws 4

Alsager Town Wins 8

St Helens Town Goals 25

Alsager Town Goals 27

Percentage Town Wins 33.33



A Brief History . . . The original Town club was in existence from 1901 to 1928, but George Fryer and a number of local businessmen decided to re-form the club in 1946. They obtained a lease on the Hoghton Road ground in Sutton, adjacent to St. Helens Junction station on the Liverpool to Manchester railway line, took over a local St. Helens Combination team, Derbyshire Hill Rovers, signing a number of players from other clubs and entered the Liverpool County Combination in the 1947/48 season, playing against Everton “A” and Liverpool “A” and several reserve sides from the leading non-league clubs in the Merseyside area. Success was first attained in May 1949 when Runcorn were defeated in the final of the George Mahon Cup, played at the Prescot Cables ground. The following season, 1949/50, Town were elevated to the Second Division of the Lancashire Combination and they were promoted as Champions in only their second season to the First Division, where they ran up against teams such as Ashton United, Nelson and New Brighton, newly relegated from the Football League. Sadly, Town were themselves relegated in their first season and although promoted briefly again in 1955/56, they spent most of their early years in the Second Division. Improvements were quickly made to the facilities at Hoghton Road in the early years, but in November 1952 the decision was taken to re-locate to the former St. Helens Recs’ rugby league ground at City Road in order to further their ambitions of reaching the Football League. Initially, the move resulted in some encouraging crowds, but the club had a change of heart and returned to Sutton in the October 1953. The ground was purchased and further developed and a social club and floodlights were added in later years. Town were Champions of the Lancashire Combination in 1971/72 season, losing only one game, finishing 6 points clear of Accrington Stanley. 1975 brought a switch to the Cheshire League, where they remained until the formation of the North West Counties League in 1982 and St. Helens Town is the only club to feature in the top division of that league throughout its existence although, after a very good start, they very nearly lost that proud record last

season. The club’s major achievement was victory in the FA Vase at Wembley in 1987. After a stuttering start in the Preliminary Round with a 5-4 extra-time win over Colne Dynamoes, further home successes over General Chemicals, Wren Rovers, Guisborough Town and Wythenshawe Amateurs, led to wins at Wisbech Town, at home to Rainworth Miners Welfare, away to Falmouth Town (after a replay) and in the away leg at Emley when, following a 1-0 home defeat in the first-leg, a 2-0 win in Yorkshire secured a Wembley Final against local rivals Warrington Town, who were dispatched 3-2 with goals from Phil Layhe (2) and Brian Rigby. St. Helens Town boast an impressive “Hall of Fame”, including legendary goalkeeper and former German Prisoner-of-War Bert Trautmann, who signed for Manchester City over 60 years ago and who went on to play the game of his life in the 1956 FA Cup Final,

despite breaking his neck in the latter stages. Bill Foulkes was transferred to Manchester United, where he had a glittering career, surviving the Munich Air Disaster in 1958, in which



. . . of St Helens Town AFC

he bravely rescued some of his stricken team-mates. John Connelly, an England squad member in the victorious 1966 World Cup campaign, was sold to Burnley and he later moved to join Foulkes at Old Trafford. Other future stars, groomed at St. Helens Town, included John Quinn (Sheffield Wednesday), Geoff Nulty (Burnley, Newcastle United and Everton) and, most recently, ace goal scorer Dave Bamber, who began and ended his league career at Blackpool and who played in all four divisions of the Football League. Captain of the FA Vase winning team was Tommy O’Neil, who began his league career playing alongside George Best, Denis Law and Bobby Charlton at Manchester United. Town sold their Hoghton Road ground in 2000 to move in with St. Helens Rugby League Club at their Knowsley Road base. Their farewell appearance at Sutton produced a 1-0 win over Champions Vauxhall Motors and the initial campaign at Knowsley Road got off to a cracking start, with Town leading the table for most of the season, before finishing in a rather disappointing fourth place. Recent seasons have been more of a struggle, ninth place in 2009/10 being the best finish since. Season 2010-11 saw Town slide to 16th and in 2010/11 next to bottom, when they would have been relegated, but for Flixton’s decision to resign from the league. Town began the 2012-13 season under new manager Ian Granite, who brought in a new team and coaching set-up who battled well to avoid relegation. Though the club have the benefit of an 80-year ground-sharing agreement with Saints, they have been unable to re-locate to the new stadium at Langtree Park and having spent over two seasons sharing Ashton Town’s ground at Edge Green Street a new ground share agreement has been brokered with fellow Premier Division side Ashton Athletic to cover their immediate future as plans for a return to St Helens continue.

Club Honours: 1949 George Mahon Trophy Winners

1951 Lancs Comb Division 2 Champions 1972 Lancs Combination Champions 1973 Bass Charrington Cup Winners 1978 St Helens Hospital Cup Winners

1979 St Helens Comb Division 1 Runners Up 1979 St Helens Hospital Cup Runners Up

1980 St Helens Comb Division 1 Champions 1985 NWCFL Reserve Division 2 Runners Up 1986 NWCFL Reserve Division 1 Runners Up

1987 FA Vase Winners (Wembley) 1994 League Challenge Cup Finalists

1994 NWCFL Reserve Division Runners Up 1995 NWCFL Reserve Division Champions 1996 NWCFL Reserve Division Runners Up

1998 Floodlit Trophy Finalists 1999 REALCO Fair Play Award Winners 2009 Bert Trautmann Trophy Winners

Record Appearances: Allan Wellens Record Goal Scorer: Steve Pennington

Record Attendances:

4000 at Hoghton Road v Manchester City 1723 at Knowsley Road v FC Utd Manchester

9000 at Prescot Cables v Runcorn (1949)

Programme Awards 1993-94 NWCFL Programme of the Year 1995-96 NWCFL Programme of the Year 1997-98 NWCFL Programme of the Year 1998-99 NWCFL Programme of the Year 1999-00 NWCFL Programme of the Year 2000-01 NWCFL Programme of the Year

2009-10 NWCFL Premier Division 2010-11 NWCFL Premier Division 2011-12 NWCFL Premier Division 2012-13 NWCFL Premier Division

Wirral Programme Club National Survey 1996-97 NWCFL Programme of the Year 1997-98 NWCFL Programme of the Year 1998-99 NWCFL Programme of the Year

Programme Monthly

2007-08 NWCFL Programme of the Year

Soccer Club Swap Shop National Awards 2010-11 Placed 28th 2011-12 Placed 8th 2012-13 Placed 7th



Hearts and Goals . . . St Helens Town has a new high-profile national charity partner for the 2013/14 season after joining up with Hearts & Goals, a lifesaving campaign for which Fabrice Muamba is ambassador. The club has forged a new partnership with Arrhythmia Alliance, the charity behind Hearts & Goals,a national campaign to tackle the UK’s biggest killer sudden cardiac arrest, by helping communities place lifesaving public-access AEDs (automated external defibrillators).

The campaign’s ambassador, former Bolton midfielder Fabrice Muamba, suffered a sudden cardiac arrest on the football pitch in March 2012 and went on to make a remarkable recovery thanks to prompt treatment with CPR and an AED. Everyone at the club was so moved by his experiences and the work he and the charity has done through Hearts & Goals, Town want to raise as much money as possible for the campaign by holding a series of fundraising events throughout the season and beyond, as well as dedicating a percentage of all incoming sponsorship deals to the charity. Sudden cardiac arrest claims 100,000 lives in the UK every year and AEDs, like the one used on Fabrice on the pitch at White Hart Lane, increase a person’s chance of surviving from just 5% to 50% if they suffer a sudden cardiac arrest. The devices do not require training and can be used by anyone to shock a person’s heart back into its normal rhythm in the event of someone suffering a sudden cardiac arrest. Arrhythmia Alliance has already helped communities up and down the UK place public-access AEDs as part of Hearts & Goals. The devices are placed in secure cabinets which are logged with local ambulance services and available to anyone in the community 24/7. In the event of an emergency anyone who phones 999 is then given immediate access to the lifesaving defibrillator. St Helens Town Commercial Manager, Darryl Picton, said: “The idea to forge this partnership came from Fabrice’s story.



. . . Our Charity Partner “Never before have I witnessed such an event that has brought football fans, clubs and players together in support of one man as what happened on that horrific day at White Hart Lane. “The story touched the hearts of everyone and transcended sport. Those events really hit home to everyone at St Helens Town how quickly and unexpectedly tragedy can

strike in a community and having access to this essential equipment will save hundreds of lives. “We are proud to be associated with Hearts and Goals and with Fabrice, and we will work tirelessly throughout the year to raise every penny poss ib l e for the campaign.” Trudie Lobban MBE, Founder and CEO of Arrhythmia Alliance, said: “We are absolutely delighted St Helens Town AFC have chosen our Hearts & Goals

campaign as their official charity campaign. “Hearts & Goals focuses on tackling the UK’s biggest killer, sudden cardiac arrest, which kills 100,000 people in the UK every year. “We have already been able to help communities up and down the country place lifesaving AEDs (automated external defibrillators) and with partners like St Helens we can continue this work. “It is clear all involved at the club are very passionate about the campaign and we are delighted to welcome them on board.” A host of fundraising events are already planned throughout the year, including a Question of Sport tournament evening on Saturday 24th August and a Race Night on Friday 18th October. For full details of events or to make a donation to the campaign contact Darryl Picton on 07908 833 554 or by email at [email protected] Visit www.heartsandgoals.org for more information.



Date Opponents Comp KO Result GK 2 3 4 5 6

Aug 3 NORTON UNITED NWCFL 3.00 3-3 D Clark Mawdsley Harrison Williams(C)1 Coyle Cooper

Aug 6 Squires Gate NWCFL 7.45 3-0 L Clark Mawdsley Harrison Wright Crompton(C) Williams

Aug 10 Winsford United NWCFL 3.00 2-1 L Clark Mawdsley Judge Williams(C) Coyle Ashton Aug 13 WIGAN ROBIN PARK NWCFL 7.45 4-1W Taylor Mawdsley1 Harrison Williams(C) Coyle Chesworth

Aug 17 Ashton Athletic FAC Rep 7.45 1-0L Taylor Mawdsley Harrison Williams Crompton(C) Ashton

Aug 24 MAINE ROAD NWCFL 3.00 0-5 L Taylor Mawdsley Harrison Crompton(C) Williams Ashton

Aug 27 Barnoldswick Town NWCFL 7.45 1-2W Taylor Mawdsley Judge1 Crompton(C) Coyle Wright Aug 31 ALSAGER TOWN NWCFL 3.00

Sep 7 Pontefract Collieries FAV 1QR 3.00

Sep 11 AFC Liverpool NWCFL 7.45

Sep 14 Bootle NWCFL 3.00

Sep 21 Wigan RP/Winsford United FAV 2QR 3.00

Sep 28 BACUP & ROSS BORO NWCFL 3.00

Oct 1 Runcorn Linnets NWCFL 7.45

Oct 5 Glossop North End NWCFL 3.00

Oct 8 SQUIRES GATE NWCFL 7.45

Oct 12 W DIDS & CHORLTON NWCFL 3.00

Oct 15 Wigan Robin Park NWCFL 7.45

Oct 19 Abbey Hey NWCFL 3.00

Oct 22 CONGLETON TOWN NWCFL 7.45

Oct 26 ALSAGER TOWN Lge Cup 2 3.00

Oct 29 BARNOLDSWICK TOWN NWCFL 7.45

Nov 2 Bacup & Ross Borough NWCFL 3.00

Nov 9 AFC BLACKPOOL NWCFL 3.00

Nov 12 WINSFORD UNITED NWCFL 7.45

Nov 23 STOCKPORT SPORTS NWCFL 3.00

Nov 26 BOOTLE NWCFL 7.45

Nov 30 West Didsbury & Chorlton NWCFL 3.00

Dec 7 COLNE NWCFL 3.00

Dec 14 Silsden NWCFL 3.00

Dec 21 TBA NWCFL 3.00

Dec 26 Ashton Athletic NWCFL 3.00

Jan 4 RUNCORN TOWN NWCFL 3.00

Jan 11 Norton United NWCFL 3.00

Jan 18 ABBEY HEY NWCFL 3.00

Jan 25 Runcorn Town NWCFL 3.00

Feb 1 Alsager Town NWCFL 3.00

Feb 8 RUNCORN LINNETS NWCFL 3.00

Feb 15 Stockport Sports NWCFL 3.00

Mar 1 Colne NWCFL 3.00

Mar 29 AFC LIVERPOOL NWCFL 3.00

Apr 5 SILSDEN NWCFL 3.00

Apr 12 AFC Blackpool NWCFL 3.00

Apr 19 GLOSSOP NORTH END NWCFL 3.00

Apr 21 ASHTON ATHLETIC NWCFL 3.00

Apr 26 Maine Road NWCFL 3.00

Aug 17 ASHTON ATHLETIC FAC EPR 3.00 2-2 D Taylor Mawdsley Harrison1 Williams(C) Coyle Ashton

Name1 Player name and number of goals scored

Name Player name and CAUTION

Name Player name and DISMISSAL

Name10 Player name and number of replaced player

Name Player name and DISMISSAL FOR 2 CAUTIONS

2013-14 Fixtures, Facts and Figures . . .



14 Fixtures, Facts and Figures . . . 7 8 9 10 11 12 14 15 16 17

Weaver Wright Milne Sanderson Judge Pullinger Ross Bowen Owens61 Edwards71

Ashton Judge Edwards Milne Sanderson Pullinger Weaver11 Coyle5 Cooper Bowen9

Cooper1 Wright Milne Sanderson Etchells Pullinger Bowen7 Ross11 Chesworth Weaver9

Ashton Judge Cook-Hannah Sanderson1 Milne2 Pullinger10 Wright Bowen Weaver11 Edwards9

Weaver Judge Cook-Hannah Sanderson Milne Pullinger/Ross Cooper/Wright Sykes-Wright Edwards9 Coyle10

Weaver Judge Cook-Hannah Sanderson Milne Pullinger Edwards Etchells Coyle Wright9

Weaver Parish Bergqvist Cook-Hannah1 P.Williams C.Williams4 Edwards Sanderson Milne10 Ashton7

Cooper Judge Milne Cook-Hannah Etchells Finlay Pullinger Edwards10 Weaver71 Ross



St Helens Town AFC . . . St Helens Town Statistical History by Glyn Jones

Part 10 – Season 1956/57 - LANCASHIRE COMBINATION DIVISION 2

FINAL LEAGUE TABLE P W D L F A Pts

Rossendale United 34 25 3 6 111 34 53

Crompton’s Recs. 34 19 7 8 72 45 45

Clitheroe 34 17 10 7 90 56 44

Rolls Royce 34 20 4 10 100 74 44

Earlestown 34 20 1 13 95 86 41

St. Helens Town 34 15 9 10 87 67 39

Nelson Reserves 34 14 10 10 72 52 38

Lytham 34 15 8 11 73 59 38

Lomax 34 15 7 12 86 89 37

Prescot Cables Reserves 34 15 5 14 67 75 35

Burscough Reserves 34 14 4 16 72 75 32

Wigan Athletic Reserves 34 14 3 17 62 71 31

St. Annes Athletic 34 10 6 18 78 97 26

Darwen Reserves 34 10 5 19 48 101 25

Leyland Motors 34 10 3 21 57 81 23

Great Harwood 34 9 5 20 57 84 23

Chorley Reserves 34 9 4 21 52 95 22

Padiham 34 6 4 24 57 95 16

Opponents Home Result Away Result

Burscough Reserves Feb 9 Won 3-1 Sep 29 Lost 1-3

Chorley Reserves Mar 23 Won 3-0 Apr 26 Won 4-1

Clitheroe Apr 19 Won 4-3 Apr 23 Won 4-2

Crompton’s Recs. Dec 25 Won 2-0 Dec 26 Won 2-0

Darwen Reserves Nov 3 Won 5-1 Mar 16 Won 5-1

Earlestown Apr 20 Lost 1-2 Nov 24 Lost 0-4

Great Harwood Dec 15 Won 7-0 Aug 18 Drew 1-1

Leyland Motors Oct 6 Won 4-1 Feb 16 Drew 3-3

Lomax Dec 8 Drew 3-3 Sep 15 Drew 2-2

Lytham Dec 29 Lost 0-2 Sep 1 Lost 3-6

Nelson Reserves Aug 25 Lost 2-5 Apr 30 Won 5-1

Padiham Mar 9 Won 3-0 Oct 27 Drew 2-2

Prescot Cables Reserves Oct 20 Lost 2-5 Mar 2 Won 3-0

Rolls Royce Apr 29 Won 3-2 Oct 13 Lost 1-2

Rossendale United Reserves Nov 17 Drew 2-2 Mar 30 Lost 0-2

St. Annes Athletic Apr 13 Drew 3-3 Jan 12 Drew 2-2

Wigan Athletic Reserves Sep 22 Drew 2-2 Feb 2 Lost 0-3



. . . Season 1956-57 Player App Goals

Appleton, Dave 13

Ashcroft, Stan 39 1

Barnes, R (Dickie) 37 18

Connelly, John 4 2

Cooke, John 39 1

Critchley, John 1

Davock, Mike 13 6

Dewsnip, Jimmy 2

Eden, James 39

Fairweather, Ray 19 3

Farrell, B 8 4

Ferguson, Jack 39 15

Green, Eric 3

Johnson, W 14 8

McGinn, Jack 13

Madison, J 2

Manley 2

Maloney, Derek 41 5

Mills 22 9

Owen, J 7 2

Pickett, Gerry 1

Proudlove 1

Quinn, John 6 2

Smith, Dave 36 1

Smith, Ken 9 1

Topping, Maurice 4

Turner, L 14

Tyrer, Arthur 23 23

Totals 451 101

FA CUP

Sep 8 Preliminary Round

Marine (H) 2-2 D

Sep 13 Preliminary Round Replay

Marine (A) 2-1 L

LANCASHIRE JUNIOR CUP

Jan 19 1st Round

Bacup Borough (A) 4-4 D

Jan 26 1st Round Replay

Bacup Borough (H) 1-4 L

LANCASHIRE COMBINATION CUP

Aug 30 1st Round

Burscough (H) 4-6 L

LIVERPOOL NON-LEAGUE

SENIOR CUP

Aug 23 1st Round

South Liverpool (H) 1-4 L

LIVERPOOL NON-LEAGUE

CHALLENGE CUP

Nov 10 1st Round

New Brighton (H) 1-4 L



Reserve Team News . . .

DATE TIME HOME AWAY VENUE

L 30/08/2013 18:15 St Helens Town Res Bootle Res Windleshaw Sports Ground

L 04/09/2013 18:15 Marshalls Res St Helens Town Res I.M.MARSH #2

L 07/09/2013 15:00 St Helens Town Res Chester Nomads Res Windleshaw Sports Ground

L 14/09/2013 15:00 Kirkby Town Railway St Helens Town Res Kirkby Sports College #2

L 21/09/2013 15:00 Neston Nomads St Helens Town Res Neston Recreation Centre

O 28/09/2013 14:00 Jay Mc St Helens Town Res To Be Announced

Cup 26/10/2013 14:00 St Helens Town Res Kirkby Town Railway Windleshaw Sports Ground

DIVISION THREE P W D L F A

1 St Helens Town Res 4 3 1 0 10 3

2 Hale Res 4 3 1 0 14 8

3 Capenhurst Villa Res 4 3 0 1 14 5

4 South Liverpool Res 4 3 0 1 15 7

5 Bootle Res 4 3 0 1 10 7

6 Belfry 4 2 0 2 7 6

7 Ford Motors 4 1 2 1 11 8

8 Widnes Vikings Res 3 1 1 1 5 6

9 Rainhill Town 3 1 1 1 3 4

10 Kirkby Town Railway 2 1 0 1 9 5

11 Chester Nomads Res 4 1 0 3 5 7

12 Christleton Res 3 1 0 2 5 8

13 Marshalls Res 3 1 0 2 4 9

14 Upton AA Res 4 1 0 3 5 14

15 Neston Nomads 3 0 0 3 6 15

16 Merseyside Police 3 0 0 3 1 12

GD Pts

7 10

6 10

9 9

8 9

3 9

1 6

3 5

-1 4

-1 4

4 3

-2 3

-3 3

-5 3

-9 3

-9 0

-11 0

St Helens Town Reserves Nick Robinson’s charges have made a great start to their West Cheshire League Division Three campaign. Ten points from twelve possible has been a great start with and opening 3-0 victory over Rainhill Town which saw Andy Gillespie hit a hat-trick. Two days later the team travelled to Christleton Reserves (Chester area) and recorded a 0-2 victory with goals from Ryan Johnsons and Dom Whelan. Widnes Vikings Reserves looked to be on course to inflict the Reserves first defeat as the visitors hit two first half goals, an advantage they held until six minutes from time when Dave Hunter reduced the deficit before Steve Powell struck with two minutes remaining to earn his side a point. Last Tuesday evening the Reserves recorded a 1-3 win at Merseyside Police Ste Bowen (2) and Adam Owens on target as the team regained top spot. Next up for the Reserves is a trip to Marshalls Reserves on Wednesday 4th Sept, 6.15pm



Results Round Up . . . Wednesday 28th August 2013

Premier Division

Bacup & Rossendale B 3-0 Silsden HT: 2-0

Simon Thompson (5) Att: 63

Boic Nhwziyo (10)

Matty Bryan (47)

Colne 3-1 Wigan Robin Park HT: 2-0

Tom Fowler (32) Danny Davies (73) Att: 71

Mark Coyne (34)

Jason Hart (65)

First Division

AFC Darwen 4-2 Holker Old Boys HT: 0-1

Lee Turner (51, 64) Brad Hubbold (31) Att: 75

Stephen Lee (54) Stuart Pattinson (90)

Ryan Steele (57)

Formby 1-3 Nelson HT: 1-1

Own Goal (45) Liam Boswell (16) Att: 61

Ritchard Allen (54)

Daniel Finch (79)

Widnes Vikings 2-0 Atherton LR HT: 1-0

Daniel Garvey (39) Att: 82

David Wilson (61)

Tuesday 27th August 2013

Premier Division

Ashton Athletic 2-2 West Dids& Chorlton HT: 1-0

Dean Callaway (44) Daniel Summers (65) Att: 43

Ryan Small (80p) Scott Jones (90)

Barnoldswick Town 1-2 St Helens Town HT: 0-1

Daniel Boyle (48p) Shaun Judge (37) Att: 82

Paul Cool-Hannah (54)

Bootle 2-1 AFC Blackpool HT: 0-1

James Riley (60) James Walker (26) Att: 93

William Smart (62)

Congleton Town 4-2 Runcorn Town HT: 0-1

Own Goal (49) Gareth Grant (9) Att: 152

Griff Jones (52, 56) Daniel Dalton (51)

Jack Graham (88)

Maine Road 2-2 Norton United HT: 2-0

Saul Henderson (30) Thomas Winkle (52p) Att: 102

Saul Henderson (43p) Jon Beaumont (85)

Runcorn Linnets 4-2 Alsager Town HT: 2-1

Gavin Salmon (12) Ryan Connor (40) Att: 293

Anthony Hickey (45) Leigh Skellern (90p)

Mark Houghton (65)

Chris Lomax (85)

Squires Gate 1-1 AFC Liverpool HT: 1-0

Max Landless (29) Paul Brown (60) Att: 110

Stockport Sports 0-0 Glossop North End HT: 0-0

Winsford United 1-2 Abbey Hey HT: 1-0

Andy Hurst (22) Richard Chetcuti (53) Att: 154

Desmond Flanagan (90)

First Division

Daisy Hill 3-5 Oldham Boro HT: 1-2

Andrew Buckley (38) Damien Schofield (35p) Att: 49

Nial Callaghan (59) Adam Alwill (40)

Sakeel Abdullah (62) John Greenwood (75)

Scott Highton (76, 90)

Monday 26th August 2013

First Division

Atherton Collieries 2-1 Ashton Town HT: 1-0

Paul Prescott (9p) Bradley Smart (48p) Att: 116

Aaron Cringle (82)

Saturday 24th August 2013

Premier Division

Abbey Hey 2-1 Silsden HT: 1-1

James Moss (37p) Andrew Hill (7) Att: 64

Emmanuel Dube (75)

AFC Blackpool 1-2 Runcorn Linnets HT: 1-0

Lloyd Balazs (27) Matt Cross (75) Att: 92

Anthony Hickey (85p)

AFC Liverpool 2-0 Barnoldswick Town HT: 0-0

Shaun Harris (76) Att: 101

Liam Loughlin (92)

Alsager Town 1-4 Bootle HT: 1-1

Ryan Connor (8) T Peterson (45p 77 85p) Att: 78

Matthew Harris (82)

Bacup & Rossendale B 0-2 Ashton Athletic HT: 0-2

Dean Callaway (24) Att: 46

Ryan Small (42)

Colne 5-1 Winsford United HT: 1-0

Kristian Evans (41, 80) Andy Hurst (57) Att: 58

Ashley Carter (65)

Mickey Saunders (67)

Ed O`Neill (90)

Glossop North End 5-0 Wigan Robin Park HT: 4-0

Dave Young (2) Att: 161

Nath Neequaye (24 39)

Tom Bailey (31)

Lee Blackshaw (77)

Norton United 2-2 Squires Gate HT: 1-2

Dan Brown (42, 53) Max Landless (16) Att: 61

Jon Beaumont (58) Chris Churchman (45)

Lee Talbot (67)

St Helens Town 0-5 Maine Road HT: 0-2

Saul Henderson (14) Att: 50

Josh Gittings (34)

Saul Henderson (70)

Neil Chappell (74)

Rick Williams (79)

West Dids& Chorlton 1-0 Congleton Town HT: 1-0

Tommy Walsh (37) Att: 112



Ryan Taylor - joined the club from Atherton LR during the 2012/13 season. Ryan featured at both full back and in goal last season and has worked hard to establish himself as the club’s number one goalkeeper for the 2013/14 season. Andrew Mawdsley - plays right back but is also comfortable at centre half. He joined the club at the beginning of the 2012/13 season from Wigan Robin Park. Andrew’s previous clubs include Ashton Town and Skelmersdale United. Greg Harrison - a left back who is equally as effective playing left midfield. He joined the club at the beginning of the 2012/13 season from Wigan Robin Park. Greg also had a spell with Ashton Town. Chris Williams - a centre back who joined the club early on in the 2012/13 season from AFC Liverpool. Before playing for AFC Liverpool Chris played for Wigan Robin Park. Lee Crompton - Lee joined the club from Wigan Robin Park where he was part of the NWCFL Division One winning team. The centre back is the club captain and has been since he joined at the start of the 2012/13 season. Prior to playing for Wigan Robin Park Lee played for Ashton Town. Lewis Coyle - can play centre back or centre forward. He joined the club at the start of the 2013/14 season from Atherton LR. Lewis has also had spells with Ashton Town and Marine Reserves. Shaun Judge - a versatile left footed player who can play centre midfield as well as left midfield and left back. Shaun joined the club during the 2012/13 season from Wigan Robin Park and has previously had spells at Ashton Town and Burscough. Cole Ashton - a central midfield player who joined the club at the start of the 2012/13 season from Wigan Robin Park. He can also play on down the right. Cole is a former youth player at Wigan Athletic. Kenny Cooper - a central midfield player who joined the club from Golborne at the start of the 2013/14 season. Connor Sanderson - a versatile player who can play centre midfield, left midfield or centre forward. He joined the club at the start of the 2013/14 season from Stockport Sports. Neil Weaver - a winger who is equally effective on both flanks. Neil joined us at the start of the 2013/14 season after having spells at Formby and Warrington Town.

Player Pen Pictures . . .

Lewis Coyle

Neil Weaver

Connor Sanderson



David McNamara - a left sided player who can play both in defence and in midfield. Dave joined us at the start of the 2013/14 season from Cheshire League outfit Pilkington FC. Lee Chesworth - a tough tackling central midfield player. He joined us from Wigan Robin Park and has previously represented Ashton Town. Stephen Edwards - an experienced goals corer who joined the club as player/assistant manager from Wigan Robin Park at the start of the 2012/13 season. He also had spells at various clubs including Ashton Town, AFC Liverpool and Burscough. Paul Cook-Hannah - a centre forward who joined the club at the start of the 2013/14 season from South Sefton Borough. Paul includes Denbigh Town and Northwich Victoria among his previous clubs. Daniel Wright - a centre midfielder who joined midway through the 2012/13 season after relocating from London. Steven Bowen - a centre forward who joined the club at the start of the 2013/14 season.

Stephen Milne - a centre forward who joined the club at the start of the 2013/14 season. Ben Etchells - a left sided player who can play both in defence and in midfield. Ben joined us at the

start of the 2013/14 season. Sam Pullinger - is a right back who joined us at the start of the 2013/14 season from Atherton LR.

. . . St Helens Town 2013-14

Sam Pullinger Ben Etchells

Ste Milne



Tea Break Teasers . . .

Q1. Which Scottish football club were named after an English rugby team?

Q2. Giuseppe Wilson won 3 international football caps for which country?

Q3. Ali Daei scored 109 international goals for which country?

Q4. Which player scored a hat-trick in the Charity Shield for the reigning champions be-fore winning the title with a different team later on that season?

Q5. Presenter Ray Stubbs was on the books of which English club?

Q6. What is the biggest city in the UK never to have had a league team?

Q7. With which “side” did Pele and Bobby Moore play together?

Q8. Which team’s ground is closest to the River Mersey?

Q9. Which British team’s ground is in two countries?

Q10. Which English team has been champions of Europe more times than they’ve been champions of England?

Q11. St Johnstone can stake which alphabetical footballing claim?

Q12. Which English League club did Ian Botham play for?

Q13. Who was the first goalkeeper to score in the Premier League?

Q14. Which English League ground is the highest above sea level?

Q15. Who is the only Scottish Player to have been named European Footballer of the Year?

1) Rangers 2) Italy (but born in Darlington) 3) Iran 4) Eric Cantona with Leeds & Man Utd 5) Tranmere Rovers 6) Wakefield 7) The Allies in Escape to Victory 8) Stockport County’s Edgeley Park 9) Chester’s Deva Stadium 10) Nottingham Forest 11) The only professional team in England or Scotland with a “J” in their name 12) Scunthorpe United 13) Peter Schmeichel 14) The Hawthorns (West Brom) 15) Denis Law



Ashton Athletic v Town . . . Town slip out of the FA Cup to late goal Ashton Athletic 1-0 St Helens Town Tuesday 20th August 2013

Having done so well to come back twice on Saturday to earn a replay, St. Helens Town turned in an encouraging performance against their landlords on Tuesday, only to succumb to a Nathan Ward goal five minutes from time. Whereas Ashton Athletic had enjoyed more of the game on Saturday, Town were the better side by some distance on Tuesday and were beaten largely because they missed any number of

good chances which should have been tucked away. Ashton Athletic began brightly, forcing a save from Ryan Taylor in the St. Helens goal in the first minute. Taylor was again called into action after 10 minutes, saving from the edge of his box. However, Town soon surged into action and captain Lee Crompton, returning from injury, had two chances in quick succession. His first was a driving shot from 12 yards after 16 minutes, which was blocked by Athletic’s grateful defence and, seven minutes later, just failed to connect with a low corner kick right on the home goal-line, when any sort of touch would surely have given Town the lead they deserved.

Ten minutes from half-time, in a rare Ashton raid, Athletic were given a penalty for a Town foul, only for Taylor to pull off a great save low to his right. Making up for their disappointment, the home side re-doubled their efforts and more pressure was exerted, St. Helens’ defenders doing well to block a goal-bound shot from a corner on 36 minutes and Taylor made another save from an Ashton header on 38 minutes. Scoreless at the interval, Town began the second-half in the ascendency and all their best chances came in the third quarter of the game. The burly Paul Cook-Hannah was proving a handful for the home defenders. Three minutes into the second-half, Crompton was hauled down in the box and should have had a penalty, but play moved on and Cook-

Hannah seemingly only had to connect with the ball to score, but he lost his footing as he drew the keeper, who easily saved. Two minutes later, he had another great opportunity, but his powerful drive whistled inches over the bar. Following these efforts, Ashton tightened up their marking and Cook-Hannah came in for some robust challenges, which took their toll and he had to leave the field soon afterwards. Without his support up front, the youngsters Steve Milne and Connor Sanderson were finding their attacking options rather more limited, but Milne had his best chance with twelve minutes remaining, shooting high and wide. Cole Ashton also had a good chance in the closing stages, but his lob was comfortably gathered by the advancing goalkeeper. St. Helens were the more dominant of the sides as extra-time loomed but, in an isolated attack, Ashton made ground down the right wing and an accurate cross found Ward on the edge of the box and he calmly placed his shot just inside Taylor’s far post for what proved to be the winning goal.



. . . in the FA Cup Replay

Action from last week’s FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round Replay 1-0 defeat v Ashton Athletic at Brocstedes Park



Club News . . . Social Media bonus for St Helens Town The club’s use of social media has led to some unexpected benefits at the start of the new season and has meant an increased profile locally including a visit from the town’s Mayor as well as reaching 2000 Twitter followers. The club has previously made use of both Facebook and Twitter to update supporters and followers of club news, match results and scorers, and upload match photographs. More recently it has been a starting point for much of their commercial and sponsorship activity and the club has been reaping the benefits as a number of sponsors have been recruited courtesy of information tweeted or posted. The club recently undertook a push to break the 2000th Twitter follower barrier and this brought an unexpected bonus as Mandy Miller (@m_mmiller) owner of St Helens town centre based ‘Classy Cuts’ salon also purchased a programme advert with the club, as well as the ‘title’ of 2000th follower. Town has also been chosen by the St Helens Hub Club (@sthelensculture) – a St Helens Twitter feed promoting the arts, music events, culture, photography, sport, food, drink, bars and charities - as their Twitter Page ‘header’ for the month of August. This means any visitors see the club’s badge and all the club’s information is re-tweeted to the Hub Club’s 3700 followers. The growth in the club’s on-line presence has also attracted some local celebrities and high profile followers. St Helens Mayor Councillor. Andy Bowden has started to ‘follow’ Town and both he and fellow Councillor David Baines were guests at Town’s FA Cup fixture against landlords Ashton Athletic last Saturday. There are plans in the pipeline to work with the Mayor and Cllr Baines, who is the Ward Councillor for the area covering the proposed Ruskin Drive development, on a number of events throughout the next year. The club has also developed a partnership with local hero and war veteran Andy Reid, a triple amputee who has become a prolific charity fundraiser and motivational speaker. Andy recently joined forces with business partners Kev Armstrong and Darren O’Neal in opening ‘Cinema Bar’ which has already supported the club with match and programme sponsorship. Andy delivered a motivation session to the club’s players and staff on the eve of the NWCFL campaign and further projects are planned. Town Commercial Manager Darryl Picton said, ‘There have been a number of opportunities that have come our way that simply would not have happened without our use of social media. These have led to increased sponsorship as well as partnerships being developed that will hopefully have a significant positive impact on the club’s future. ‘Councillor David Baines is an old friend of mine I had not seen in 17 years and without Twitter we would never have got back in touch with each other, but not only did social media allow this, David’s career as a town Councillor and his close connections with the Mayor has helped the club form new partnerships and explore new avenues with some influential support. ‘Twitter and Facebook have also given the club an opportunity to promote the companies and individuals who are supporting us and it was key in the return of our main sponsors Johnsons Toyota Liverpool (@JohnsonsCars) who understand the importance of social media and their online presence.’ Chairman John McKiernan said, ‘The nature of our current ‘nomadic’ existence makes it even more important that we develop the club through all possible avenues. We receive good coverage in our local press and developing our use of social media means we can keep the casual follower of updated. It’s important that while we remain out of town that we don’t allow the public to forget about us. He added, ‘Posting a link on Twitter and Facebook to our online match day programme has seen huge increase in coverage – our opening day programme versus Norton United has already had over 1550 views and while this was our Bert Trautmann commemorative programme we have also seen over 500 views, in the first week, of our match programme against Wigan Robin Park.’



Town v Maine Road FC . . .

Action from Town’s 0-5 home defeat to Maine Road

last Saturday at Brocstedes Park



Head to Head Results . . . NW Counties

Football League

Premier Division

RESULTS GRID

Up to Wed 28.08.13

Abbey Hey

AFC Blackpool

AFC Liverpool

Alsager Town

Ashton Athletic

Bacup & Ross Boro

Barnoldswick Town

Bootle

Colne

Congleton Town

Glossop North End

Main Road

Norton United

Runcorn Linnets

Runcorn Town

Silsden

Squires Gate

St Helens Town

Stockport Sports

West Dids & Chorlton

Wigan Robin Park

Winsford United

AFC Blackpool

1-2

AFC Liverpool

2-0

2-3

Alsager Tow

n

1-4

1-2

2-0

Ashton Athletic

0-1

1-1

2-2

Bacup & Rossendale Borough

0-0

0-2

1-1

3-0

Barno

ldsw

ick Tow

n

2-3

1-2

Bootle

2-1

4-0

2-0

5-0

5-1

Colne

2-0

0-4

3-1

Congleton Tow

n

4-2

4-2

2-3

Glossop

North End

0-1

0-1

1-0

Maine

Road

3-1

1-0

2-2

2-1

5-0

Norton United

4-2

4-1

4-2

Runcorn Linne

ts

4-2

3-1

2-1

1-5

Runcorn Tow

n

2-1

4-1

Silsden

1-3

2-2

1-0

Squires Gate

2-2

1-1

0-1

3-0

St H

elen

s Tow

n

0-5

3-3

4-1

Stockpo

rt Sports

1-1

0-3

0-0

3-0

West D

idsbury & Cho

rlton

1-3

1-0

1-2

Wigan Robin Park

0-8

2-3

1-3

Winsford United

1-2

1-1

0-3

2-1

Abbey Hey

2-1

1-2

2-1



League Standings . . .

P W D L F A GD Pts

1 Maine Road 7 6 1 0 17 6 11 19

2 Runcorn Linnets 7 6 0 1 17 13 4 18

3 AFC Liverpool 7 5 1 1 21 5 16 16

4 Bootle 7 5 1 1 19 6 13 16

5 Norton United 7 4 2 1 23 13 10 14

6 Colne 6 4 0 2 13 11 2 12

7 Abbey Hey 6 3 2 1 10 8 2 11

8 Glossop North End 7 3 1 3 11 5 6 10

9 Winsford United 7 3 1 3 10 14 -4 10

10 Stockport Sports 6 2 3 1 9 8 1 9

11 Runcorn Town 6 3 0 3 11 12 -1 9

12 Ashton Athletic 6 2 2 2 8 7 1 8

13 Silsden 7 2 2 3 8 12 -4 8

14 Congleton Town 6 2 1 3 11 11 0 7

15 St Helens Town 6 2 1 3 10 15 -5 7

16 Alsager Town 6 2 0 4 11 16 -5 6

17 Squires Gate 6 1 2 3 8 11 -3 5

18 Bacup & Rossendale

Borough 6 1 2 3 5 8 -3 5

19 West Didsbury &

Chorlton 7 1 1 5 5 15 -10 4

20 Barnoldswick Town 4 1 0 3 6 7 -1 3

21 AFC Blackpool 6 0 1 5 5 13 -8 1

22 Wigan Robin Park 7 0 0 7 5 27 -22 0

Premier Division

Premier Division Table 2013-13 as at 28th August 2013

* points deducted for a breach of league rules

Saturday 31st August 2013

F.A. Challenge Cup Preliminary Round

Atherton Collieries v Radcliffe Borough

Bootle v Barton Town OB

Curzon Ashton v Ashton Athletic

Formby v Northwich Vics

Ossett Albion v Runcorn Linnets

Prescot Cables v Congleton Town

Ramsbottom Utd v AFC Liverpool

Rugby Town v Norton United

Runcorn Town v Glossop North E

Warrington Town v Winsford United

West Dids & Chorl v Burscough

Premier Division

Abbey Hey v Colne

Barnoldswick Tn v AFC Blackpool

Silsden v Maine Road

Squires Gate v Wigan Robin Park

St Helens Town v Alsager Town

Stockport Sports v Bacup & RB

First Division

Atherton LR v 1874 Northwich

Eccleshall v AFC Darwen

Hanley Town v Rochdale Town

Holker Old Boys v Chadderton

Nelson v Irlam

Northwich F Villa v Ashton Town

Oldham Boro v Widnes Vikings

Monday 2nd September 2013

First Division

Oldham Boro v Widnes Vikings

Tuesday 3rd September 2013

Premier Division

AFC Blackpool v Ashton Athletic

Alsager Town v Congleton Town

Barnoldswick Town

v Squires Gate

Norton United v Glossop North End

Wigan Robin Park v Runcorn Linnets

First Division

1874 Northwich v Ashton Town

Rochdale Town v Atherton Collieries

Friday 6th September 2013

Reserve Division

New Mills v Glossop North End



League Standings . . .

Division One P W D L F A GD Pts

1 Nelson 7 5 1 1 18 9 9 16

2 Atherton Colls 7 4 2 1 18 13 5 14

3 Widnes Vikings 7 4 1 2 16 10 6 13

4 Hanley Town 6 3 3 0 13 7 6 12

5 Irlam 7 3 3 1 9 7 2 12

6 Daisy Hill 8 4 0 4 17 17 0 12

7 Chadderton 6 3 2 1 12 10 2 11

8 Cheadle Town 6 3 1 2 10 10 0 10

9 Ashton Town 6 2 3 1 15 12 3 9

10 1874 Northwich 6 2 3 1 10 10 0 9

11 AFC Darwen 6 2 1 3 11 9 2 7

12 Oldham Boro 6 2 1 3 11 13 -2 7

13 Atherton LR 7 2 1 4 10 15 -5 7

14 Holker Old Boys 6 1 3 2 13 13 0 6

15 Formby 6 1 3 2 9 11 -2 6

16 Leek CSOB 6 1 1 4 7 10 -3 4

17 Eccleshall 5 1 1 3 6 9 -3 4

18 Northwich Flixton Villa

6 1 0 5 7 22 -15 3

19 Rochdale Town 4 0 0 4 3 8 -5 0

Division One Table 2013-14 as at 28th August 2013

* points deducted for a breach of league rules

Saturday 7th September 2013

F.A. Carlsberg Vase 1st Qualifying Rd

Abbey Hey v Congleton Town

Armthorpe Welfare v AFC Liverpool

Bottesford Town v Ashton Athletic

Bromyard Town v Norton United

Cheadle Town v Daisy Hill

Dudley Town v Leek CSOB

Glossop North End v Nostell Miners W

Irlam v Runcorn Linnets

Maltby Main v Squires Gate

Oldham Boro v 1874 Northwich

Pontefract Collieries v St Helens Town

Selby Town v Formby

Stockport Sports v Atherton Colls

Wigan Robin Park v Winsford United

Worsborough BA v Ashton Town

Premier Division

Bacup & Ross B v Alsager Town

Colne v Maine Road

Runcorn Town v Barnoldswick Tn

Silsden v Bootle

West Did & Chorlton v AFC Blackpool

First Division

AFC Darwen v Rochdale Town

Atherton LR v Northwich F Villa

Eccleshall v Chadderton

Hanley Town v Nelson

Widnes Vikings v Holker Old Boys

Monday 9th September 2013

Premier Division

Maine Road v Stockport Sports

Runcorn Town v Bootle

First Division

Atherton Collieries v Oldham Boro

Wednesday 11th September 2013

Premier Division

AFC Liverpool v St Helens Town

Bacup & Rossendale Borough

v Wigan Robin Park

Colne v Barnoldswick Tn

Silsden v AFC Blackpool

st helens town v alsager town 2013-14

Documents

premier division manager

premier division contest

stephen edwards manager

main club sponsor

ian granite assistant

town v maine road

league leaders maine

long trip north