The Tale of a Tame side

[N-man]

This story will chronicle my FM09 journey with Blue Square North outfit Stalybridge Celtic, written in the style of local and national media looking at a non league club. All feedback welcome……. Enjoy

[N-man]

Saturday 5th July 2008

Tameside Advertiser

Burr’s successor: Appointment imminent

Following the departure of Steve Burr, it is expected for Stalybridge Celtic to name their new manager on Monday morning, at a Press Conference. Speculation has been rife over recent weeks as to who will fill the vacancy. Burr’s number two at Celtic, former Gainsborough Trinity manager Paul Mitchell has already ruled himself out of the running, owing to work commitments, and his future at the club also seems to be unclear, despite him taking today’s training session as the players return from their summer break.

Also ruling themselves out of the running are former manager John Reed, now with Unibond League outfit Buxton, and his former assistant Mark Atkins, the former Blackburn Rovers star. While Ashton United’s supremo Danny Johnson has remained a frontrunner, he is on holiday until next week and so seems to be out of the equation

Celtic chairman Rob Gorski has already confirmed that this season’s budget is a lot more modest than last term, and although Keith Briggs is the high profile name spearheading an influx of new arrivals who penned contracts before Burr departed, the Stalybridge faithful have lost Ashley Winn (Barrow), James Dean (Harrogate), Alex Meechan (Altrincham) and Chris Hall (Bradford PA) to name but a few over the close season.

With a few of the bigger clubs in the league splashing the cash in the summer, it appears to be an uphill struggle for the Bower Fold outfit to reach last season’s dizzy heights, as next week’s appointment looks to a new era at the club.

[N-man]

Monday 7th July

www.nonleaguedaily.com

Surprise appointment at Bower Fold

Blue Square North outfit Stalybridge Celtic have made a surprise managerial appointment in the shape of rookie Nathan Simpson, taking his first job in management following some coaching spells around the North-West of England.

Having retired from playing at the age of 21 due to injury, Simpson has worked towards his coaching badges and spent time on the backroom team at several sides including Witton Albion and Nantwich Town.

Although he will be working with a lesser budget than Celtic were able to extend to Steve Burr last season, there are no fewer than twenty players signed up for the coming season. Assistant manager Paul Mitchell has made his stay at Bower Fold rather brief though, and has agreed to leave the club despite overseeing Saturday’s first pre-season training session.

Simpson said of the new job,

I’m pleased to have the chance to work here, it’s a great club with great potential to get into the Conference and compete there, so long as we get the backing of the Stalybridge public. I realise that I’m not a high profile name, but I really hope that will change soon!

I’ve got a great network of contacts in the area, and although the budget won’t allow me to make many changes too soon, I’m sure if we need the right players in quickly then we’ll be fine. However, the squad looks to have the ability to compete in this league, and has a nice balance to it, so I’m really eager to get cracking.

Hopefully before Saturday’s trip to Mossley I’ll have been able to introduce my assistant manager to the fans. It’s certainly a name they’ll be familiar with, and should hopefully whet the appetite for what I’m sure will be a really memorable season.”

[N-man]

Thursday 10th July

www.stalybridgeceltic.co.uk

England International checks into the Fold

Stalybridge Celtic chairman Rob Gorski has hailed the club’s “biggest ever coup” as former England star Geoff Thomas has agreed to assist new manager Nathan Simpson. Thomas, the former Crystal Palace and Wolves star, had an injury fuelled career that surely put paid to him adding his nine England caps.

Skippering Crystal Palace to the 1990 FA Cup Final was another of his tremendous achievements, but the tough tackling midfielder is perhaps better known for his battles after the end of his professional career, when in June 2003 it was announced that he had been diagnosed with leukaemia, from which he later recovered.

In 2005 he won the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Helen Rollason Award, for raising over £150,000 for the Leukaemia Research charity, by cycling 2,200 miles in 21 days, completing the route of the 2005 Tour de France a few days before the race itself.

Geoff is currently setting up “The Geoff Thomas Foundation”, a charity that will raise funds for the treatment of cancer.

Tremendously respected both professionally and personally, Geoff is a very welcome addition to Stalybridge Celtic football club.

[N-man]

Sunday 13th July

Non League Today

Seel Park Stalemate

Mossley 1 (Wharton 14)

Stalybridge Celtic 1 (Barwick 68)

After a drab opening, Mossley went ahead in the 14th minute with the first real chance of the game, as Ben Wharton made the visitors pay for failing to clear their lines following Phil Charnock’s teasing freekick. Stalybridge squandered two chances to get the ball to safety, and Wharton was on hand to turn the ball home from close range.

Matty Barlow wasted a good chance to reply instantly, as his weak header was easily saved. Terry Barwick tried his luck from distance, but Celtic lacked the fluidity to cause the hosts problems.

Some half time substitutions seemed to spark a bit of life back into Stalybridge, as they took the game by the scruff of the neck and it was no surprise that they eventually hauled themselves level. Subs Danny Wood and Chris Williams linked up well to provide the industrious Barwick to slot home a low drive from inside the area.

Williams then slipped his marker and unleashed a ferocious drive that just whistled over the crossbar, before Barrie Keeling headed wide from a deep corner. Chris Spooner then rattled the bar from distance, before a flurry of late substitutions turned a lively second half into a damp squib late on.

The Unibond League side will be pleased to have held their esteemed neighbours to a very creditable draw.

[N-man]

Monday 14th July

www.stalybridgeceltic.co.uk

Fixture list announced

The Blue Square North’s eagerly awaited fixture list has been published, with some mouthwatering matches in prospect very early on in the season, none more so than on the opening day of the campaign as we make the short trip to Ewen Fields to take on local rivals Hyde United.

Our first home game is on the following Saturday, when the side we beat in last year’s play off semi finals, Southport, are the visitors. League new boys Fleetwood Town come to Bower Fold on Boxing Day, and we also end the campaign on home soil against another of the newly promoted sides, Gateshead.

The fixtures in full are:

August

9 – Hyde (a)

12 – Stafford (a)

16 – Southport (h)

23 – Hucknall (h)

30 – Harrogate (a)

September

13 – Tamworth (h)

20 – Burscough (h)

23 – Redditch (a)

30 – Blyth (a)

October

4 – Hinckley (h)

18 – Droylsden (h)

21 – Alfreton (a)

25 – Vauxhall (h)

November

1 – Workington (a)

11 – Solihull (h)

15 – King’s Lynn (a)

25 – AFC Telford (h)

29 – Gainsborough (a)

December

6 – Farsley (h)

20 – Gateshead (a)

26 – Fleetwood (h)

January

3 – Stafford (h)

10 – Southport (a)

17 – Hyde (h)

24 – Tamworth (a)

27 – Hucknall (a)

31 – Harrogate (h)

February

7 – Burscough (a)

14 – Redditch (h)

21 – Hinckley (a)

28 – Blyth (h)

March

7 – Droylsden (a)

10 – Vauxhall (a)

14 – Workington (h)

21 – Alfreton (h)

April

4 – Solihull (a)

11- King’s Lynn (h)

13 – AFC Telford (a)

18 – Gainsborough (h)

21 – Farsley (a)

25 – Fleetwood (a)

May

2 – Gateshead (h)

Cup fixtures to be announced in due course

[N-man]

Tuesday 15th July

Tameside Advertiser

Setanta Shield Draw

The first two rounds of the Setanta Shield were drawn yesterday, with a potential second round Tameside derby at the Butchers Arms between Droylsden and Hyde United should they overcome Vauxhall Motors and Alfreton Town respectively.

Staylbridge Celtic have had a less kind draw, with a second round trip to either Southport or Tamworth if they win at tricky first round clash away at Redditch United.

[N-man]

Thursday 17th July

Tameside Advertiser

Classy Latics ease past Celtic

Stalybridge Celtic 0

Oldham Athletic 2 (Stam 31, Wolfenden 77)

League One outfit Oldham ultimately proved too strong for a spirited Stalybridge side, as the Latics cruised to a two goal victory.

The warning signs were there for the hosts from the off, as with the game only moments old an incisive breakaway from Lee Hughes down the left saw a cross headed goalwards by Craig Davies, with Paul Phillips saving uncomfortably. Hughes and then Sean Gregan fired efforts over the top, before Stefan Stam drilled home the opening goal of the night. Neal Eardley almost doubled the advantage but was unlucky to see his strike crack the woodwork and Matty Wolfenden was similarly frustrated as his effort was chalked off for an offside flag.

After a quiet second period, Wolfenden did get himself on the score sheet as he ghosted in at the far post to convert Andy Liddell’s deep cross. The home side rallied briefly, and former Athletic striker Matty Barlow squandered three half chances, with Greg Wilkinson also going close.