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May, June and July 2009...
Weekend Preview:
One week to go, at least as far as the Reserves are concerned, and it's up to Slyne tomorrow for the penultimate pre-season friendly, kick off 3:00 pm. Barrie Stimpson was clearly pleased with Tuesday's performance against Bamber Bridge and he will be looking for the squad to build on that as they take on opposition from our own 'neck of the woods'. Playing last season as Trimpell/Slyne as a result of the former ICIHeysham team transferring its allegiance from Trimpell Sports and Social Club across to Slyne, Directions: Slyne with Hest is two miles north of Lancaster on the A6. After passing the Slyne Lodge Hotel on left take first right, Bottomdale Road and signposted Halton; the ground is situated 400 metres on the left. Pre-Season Training Schedule: Players should be at the Riverside Clubhouse by 6:30 pm for all evening training sessions in order that training can start promptly at 6:45 pm. In addition to your normal training kit, you will require trainers. If you have any queries about this schedule, please contact your team manager.
The Under 16's have announced three pre-season friendlies, to be played at The Beeches, ahead of their season in the Central Lancs Under 16's B Division - which kicks off in September.
There are nine teams in their Division, the others being: Brinscall Village, Deepdale Juniors, Fulwood Juniors, Gregson Lane, Hoole United, Myerscough, Penwortham St Teresas and Poulton Town. Stimmo's View: Like most of the Garstang faithful, I too, was pleased with Monday night's performance. Considering the calibre of opponents that I had chosen for the pre-season programme, I am reasonably happy with the progress we have made. although it isn't over yet as we will welcome a very good Northern League side, Gillford Park, to The Riverside next week. What is important is that we are aiming to 'peak' for a fortnights time and, whilst things are clearly improving, I still feel we need to make three or four more additions to the first team squad to give me the strength in depth that we will need in the coming season; something which, hopefully, will happen over the next couple of weeks or so.
Just a quick final word, on the excellence of the Riverside playing surface. Great credit must go to Bob and everyone else involved. Not only will it lend itself to the kind of passing game that I would like to play, but it will also help to attract potential signings, to whom I can confidently showcase our wonderful facility. New Pre-Season Friendly: When you add the fact that the First Team don't have a fixture on the opening day of the season to the fact that Northern League newcomers, Gillford Park, have had next weeks planned PsF with Lancaster cancelled; it seems logical that the two teams should get together! Tuesday August 4th at The Riverside; kick off 7:00 pm. More later.... Garstang 1 Bamber Bridge 2: Yet another good sized crowd took advantage of a perfect evening for watching a game of football; and Stimmo's squad didn't disappoint. Despite going behind to a third minute rocket, Garstang stayed organised, with Ben Pryce in good form, and worked hard, getting back on even terms before half time as Dre Matichecchia converted a through ball.
Substitutions inevitably disrupted the game in the second half during which Brig got the winner, courtesy of an own goal. A brief report here - and a chance to decide 'did it cross the line'! Thornton Cleveleys v Garstang: Whilst this double header looked an attractive prospect when it was first called, the unavailability of several players had Stimmo and Bails' resources stretched to the absolute limit, and then a bit more as injuries depleted the first team even further. That aside, both teams turned in creditable performances, the Reserves winning 2-1, whilst the First Team went down by the same margin. The Reserves took a 2-0 half-time lead thanks to a couple of cracking goals from Ian Wormleighton, again, and Tom Kelsall. The latter had a chance of making the Guiness Book of Records as he was moved across to the First Team game in the second half. The First Team looked sharp, in a feisty game, before injuries took their toll. Despite creating plenty of chances, Adrian Hunt and Dre Matichecchia being prominent, they conceded two route one goals in the second half before Geoff Wilson put away a penalty given for hand ball. Brief report here. Next up, Bamber Bridge!
Weekend Preview:
A busy weekend in prospect with both the Garstang senior sides heading for Thornton Cleveleys on Saturday for a unique double header against their Bourne Road opposites. Both games kick off at 3:00mpm. The weekend is rounded off on Monday evening, back at the Riverside, when Bamber Bridge are the visitors for the third of Manager Stimpson's high profile pre-season outings. Stimmo has certainly shuffled the cards in the games thus far, giving all of his current playing squad the chance to 'do their stuff', and introducing a few new faces as well. With both teams in action on Saturday, he and Reserves Manager Bailey, will have to be a bit more pragmatic in their selections, which should make for an interesting day from our side of the whitewash! TCFC have had friendly encounters with Wren Rovers and Poulton Town in the last week and, two weeks ago, fought out a 0-0 draw in the sun against Bamber Bridge, Monday's visitors. Brig are, of course, now managed by Tony Greenwood, who was one of Stimmo's mentors when he first cut his teeth in semi-pro management. Stimmo continued, "Tony has a record in management that is second to none, winning the Northern Premier League title with Brig in his early days in management. Anybody who knows the 'non-league scene', will be aware of Fleetwood's meteoric rise from the North West Counties to the Conference North, all under Tony's guidance: an incredible acheivement. Tony, who took charge of Brig at the end of last season, has made a number of significant signings during the summer, and I will be surprised if they are not challenging for the promotion places, come April next year." Included in Greenwood's new signings are Phil Robinson, Martin Moran, Mike Hale, Ashley Dunn, Phil Denney and Lee Pryers, all of whom played a part in his Fleetwood success, so it will be another demanding workout for the Garstang lads on Monday - kick off 7:30 pm. Garstang Reserves v Waterloo Sports & Social FC: Manager Bailey certainly kept this one close to his chest but, hey, surprise him and get down to the Riverside for 7:30pm! I can't say that I know too much about Waterloo, but they are a young team, going well in the Blackpool & Fylde Sunday Alliance and, managed by Terry Wallis, they now have a James Horton playing for them. See you there. **Result: Garstang 2 Waterloo 3 - goals from Ashley Murphy and Ian Wormleighton "A good workout against a reasonable side," reported Manager Bailey, "and the only real problem was not being clinical in finishing off the numerous chances we created. All in all, though, a very good opportunity to see more of the players in a game with a bit of an edge." Welcome to the New Season: Season 2009/10 will only be my second season with Garstang Football Club but, already, it has been necessary to re-write our sponsorship and advertising packages in order to reflect the progress that we have made as a football club. It is our intention to make Garstang FC the genuine ‘Town Team’ in the heart of our community, believing that a successful town team will put Garstang on the map and bring people into the area. We would, therefore, like you to respond positively to the contents of these commercial pages in the knowledge that you are supporting a club that wants to promote and provide for Garstang. We are now the parent club for Garstang Juniors and have formed a partnership with Cockerham Juniors. It is therefore possible for youngsters from the age of six to play their football under the umbrella of Garstang FC right through to senior level - another good reason why you might consider one of the many options you will find in these pages. We can match your budget, whether it is £5 a month to join our ‘Score’ Lottery, or £5000 for a major sponsorship in a tailored package to suit your business. However you view the following pages, I can assure you that our ambitions are realistic and our intentions are honourable. Why not come down to The Riverside and watch a game, get a feel for the place, and then consider the options. Thank you for reading this introduction and hope it leads to me meeting you in the future. Les Taylor Player Sponsorships: Garstang FC's longest serving player, Richard Wilson, has found himself a sponsor in the form of Jo & Cass Hair and Beauty. This means that a total of nine players have now submitted their completed sponsorship forms and, more importantly, the money! A big thanks to all these lads, and their sponsoring companies, for showing their support. Everyone at the club is positive about the Player Sponsorships and is confident that it will be well supported with most of the players having indicated that they do have a business to sponsor them. However, they are asked to get the forms completed, and money in, now in order that the Sponsor's Board and associated material can be produced in time for the new season - and their sponsors receive maximum benefit. Those with finalised sponsors are : Gary Fawcett - Patten Arms, Adam Swanwick - Cycle Aid, Ryan Twiname - Border Sales Ltd, Carlo Matichecchia - Bradshaws Farm Shop, Paul Southward - Garstang Cleaning Specialists, Joe Miller - A W Miller Ltd, Rob Butler - The Duchess and Dragon - Rory Waite - Allans Bobcat and Richard Wilson - Jo & Cass Hair and Beauty. Sportsman's Evening: Details of the event are shown on the poster below. Tickets, only available from Les Taylor, are limited to 120 and they are selling fast. Don't delay! The main speaker is Steve Kindon. With over 160 first class goals to his credit, this former striker\left winger starred with Wolves, Burnley and Huddersfield in the 70’s and 80’s when he also won caps for England Youth, the Under-23’s and England B. Unbelievably, for seven years running, he gained the title of the fastest footballer in Britain at the annual competition in the Meadowbank Stadium. Steve is supported by our good friend, comedian Mike Kelly.
Longridge Friendly: Tuesday's pre-season fixture at Longridge Town has been 'postponed' due to unforseen circumstances at their end. More details when we have them.......... Garstang Reserves 4 Morecambe Vets 0: Dre Matichecchia made the score more respectable with two late goals in yesterday's workout at The Beeches. There is a brief report on the Reserves Newspage.
Lancashire Amateur Shield: Garstang travel to Coppull United in the First Round of the Lancashire Amateur Shield on September 12th. The full draw is here. As a result, Garstang Reserves now have a home fixture v Charnock Richard Reserves on that day. Internet Explorer: Those of you who have recently upgraded their browser to Internet Explorer version 8 may well be experiencing problems with this, and many other, websites due to a conflict between IE8 and Adobe Flash, the software which, in our case, makes the menus work. You can force the menus to load correctly by right clicking on the page, and selecting 'Properties'. No doubt a fix will be along shortly, or you may prefer to use an alternate browser such as Google Chrome or Firefox Mozilla. Garstang 1 Lancaster City 4: Whilst this was another thorough workout for the whole Garstang squad, including a few 'new faces', the general feeling was that the scoreline was a little unfair! A mad five minutes in the first half, conceding three goals, settled the result. Adrian Hunt got the Garstang goal in front of another healthy sized crowd.
Match report here. League Fixtures: The August, September and October fixture lists are now confirmed. There are a couple of changes from the earlier issue, so check your diaries! This season, the West Lancs league have kindly provided the provisional listings for the whole of the season in order to help us with our matchday planning and sponsorships. Do remember, however, that these dates will inevitably change due to cup committments and weather, so don't book that winter week in Cleethorpes just yet!
'Mike's Sportsworld' has once again shown its support for Garstang FC by donating twenty training balls for the coming season. The owner of the shop, and former Garstang FC Chairman, Mike Thornton is pictured below with Club Treasurer Marc Armstrong.
The club would like to thank Mike, not just for the training balls that he has recently provided, but for his assistance over the years. We have an excellent relationship with the shop which we hope will continue for many years to come. Mike supplied our new kits and he put together a very good package, which also reflected his support for Garstang FC. Mike's shop is located at Nicksons Courtyard, Park Hill Road, Garstang and it caters for a full range of sports. He has a website here. Garstang v Lancaster City:
UniBond League North, and near neighbours, Lancaster City visit The Riverside on Wednesday, kick off 7:30 pm, in the second of our high profile pre-season fixtures. The Garstang/Lancaster relationship was already close, with former Garstang players Coar and Beesley moving to the Giant Axe last season, but the arrival of Lancaster favourite Barrie Stimpson at The Riverside this summer just strengthens the links even more - hence this pre-season friendly. Stimmo played over 200 games for Lancaster, and current manager Tony Hesketh is his 'best mate in football'. Stimmo assisted him in about 400 games for Lancaster and Kendal, in which they won four trophies, including promotion with Kendal. Lancaster have a PsF v Barrow tonight, Monday, before heading for Garstang and, with Stimmo expecting Lancaster to go close for promotion again this season, this will mean another 'good workout' for the Garstang squad on Wednesday!
As Garstang FC strives to improve, both on and off the field, the club is seeking to gain the FA Adult Chartered Club Standard. This means that the club needs to formalise some of the excellent work that is currently taking place. One key component of the Chartered Club Standard is that the club needs a formal Constitution and Rules. These rules will bind all members of the club and a draft verison has now been compiled. All committee members, players and coaching staff will become members of the club, as If you have any comments, the club would welcome them. Please email them here. The matter will be placed before the AGM which takes place at 6pm on Sunday August 16th at the Golf Club. The formal notice of the AGM is here. David Quinney Memorial Golf Day: The fifteenth Garstang FC Golf Day will be now held at Garstang Golf Club on Friday 25th September. Full details are available on the Community Newspage. Contact any committee member to book your team and tee-off time. Garstang 1 Kendal Town 8: OK, maybe we would have preferred a slightly less emphatic scoreline, but the primary objective of a 'very good workout' was achieved. Kendal fielded a very strong opening line up and, after a promising opening, Garstang spent most of the game on the back foot. Kendal then brought on a different, but equally strong, line up for the second half and so it was hardly surprising that Jimmy Brindle was amongst the busiest out there.
Lot's of positives, though, for Manager Stimpson to take from the game, particularly in the perfomances of some of the younger players. The Garstang goal, when it arrived, was certainly worth waiting for as a deserving Dre Matichecchia hit the top corner. A good 100+ crowd saw the game. Match report on First Team Newspage. Garstang v Kendal Town:
The pies are ordered, the weather is a bit more appropriate, and The Riverside is ready to welcome the first good crowd of the season - boosted by a few Cod Heads, in from the coast to see how their former players perform for Kendal. Manager Stimpson, his cards close to his chest at the moment, is relishing this one; his first competitive game for his new club. Come and join the fun! Kick off 7:30 pm. Get your kicks, just off the A6................................. Player Sponsors: More local businesses have signed up for Player Sponsorships. Our thanks go to Garstang Cleaning Services (Paul Southward), Border Sales Ltd. (Ryan Twiname), Cycle Aid (Adam Swanwick), and Bradshaw's Farm Shop (Neal Williams). The sponsors are listed on the Squad Profiles page. Training Schedule Update: Manager Stimpson has now finalised the preseason training schedule with a couple of updates. On July 11th at The Beeches, he has arranged a 'Reds v Blues' practise game, picking each of the teams from the full squad - now cancelled. Tuesday July 21st now sees the team heading for Longridge Town for a preseason friendly. Kick off is at 7:30 pm, but the exact venue is to be decided. Full programme on First Team Newspage. New Season Fixtures: The fixtures are out! Not quite with a bang though; the first team have the day off on August 8th. The good news is that the Reserves have a home fixture against newly promoted Haslingden St Mary's Reserves. Full details of all August, September and October fixtures are on the league site here and on the First and Reserve Team fixture pages. You can print out the full fixture list here. Monday Night Preview: So, here we go again; a new season, a new manager and a new dawn! In his short time with us, Barrie Stimpson has infected everyone with his enthusiasm for the game such that 2009/10 definitely carries the 'eagerly anticipated' label.
To quote Manager Stimpson after the first training session, "General fitness at this early stage is very impressive although, of course, some are a lot fitter than others! The first true judgment will be observed at the Kendal game." Stimmo acknowledges that he has organised a fairly tough pre-season schedule, but knows that a good pre-season under your belt will set you up, fitness wise, for the season. He recognises that there is a vast gulf in the pyramid between ourselves and Kendal, but feels Monday night will be a great work out for the team. "I expect to name about six subs for the game and I am really looking forward to seeing how the lads perform in a competitive game, for the first time." Stimmo was Assistant Manager to Tony Hesketh at Kendal and built up a good relationship with the people there. He recalls, "Lee Ashcroft, the current Kendal manager, was our top scorer during that period, and he was absolutely different class! He took over the reins when Tony left. 'Ashy' has done a fantastic job. Kendal were narrowly beaten to promotion to the Conference North last season and I expect them to go close again this season." Lee Ashcroft has just signed a new three year contract with the club. Kendal Town finished fifth in the UniBond Premier last season, losing out 3-4, after extra time, to the eventual play-off winners, Ilkeston Town. Kendal also returned to training last week although, by Monday, they will have had a couple more sessions than Garstang. With new signings Mark Wane, from AFC Fylde, together with Kieran Walmsley and Warren Beattie, from Fleetwood Town, all looking to command a place in the Kendal team, we should be in for a competitive game of football. 36 Days to the New Season:
With the freshly painted Riverside shimmering in the heat haze, doesn't it make you want to put on your training kit and get a few hard miles under your belt? The Senior Players return to training this evening! "SCORE" Lottery Winners!
**Bernard Blackledge has kindly donated his winnings to the club. Thanks guys! Pre-Season Training: The pre-season training schedule, applicable to all senior players, is now listed on the first team newspage - or you can download and print your copy here. *A further pre-season friendly is being arranged for Saturday July 11th - details soon. League Update: The West Lancashire League have today confirmed that AFC Darwen have been accepted into the Premier Division giving us a 32 game season. Welcome! As indicated earlier, both our teams will start the season on August 8th, with the customary early season evening games begining soon after, although the First and Second Divisions will not start until the following week, with evening games unlikely. It has also been proposed that the clubs in Division Two will have a subsidiary knock out competition. That's it for now. August fixtures should be with us within a week. Note: The West Lancashire League Rulebook is now available online on the league website. The Usual Suspects: Painting at the Riverside tonight as a few of the locals work off their Community Service Orders.
In addition to the above, Foreman Les Taylor attended, in his shirt and tie, and kept talking about getting changed to help - but it never quite happened. He did, however, manage to slow the job down by talking to everyone although he will be forgiven as he supplied the much needed refreshments seen being drunk in the picture. Reminder: Just a reminder that your help would be appreciated in smartening up the Riverside ground ready for the new season. The working party will be active from about 4:00 pm today, Thursday. We look forward to seeing you then - please bring a brush and paint container. More Help required: Even though there are still seven weeks of the 'close season' remaining, the off-field activities don't seem to have slowed at all! Two new, and somewhat contrasting, areas have been identified in which the Committee require additional help. 1. Matchday Team: Next season we are to provide our own bar staffing on match days and a rota of volunteers is being prepared. If you could help, whether occasionally or more often, please give your name to any committee member.
Firstly what is it? This is another vital building block in our Club's foundations, which can unlock the door to many development and funding resources. As a first step, we are looking for an individual to co-ordinate our preparations and subsequent application to become an FA Charter Standard Club. If you could help in this important area, please call Les Taylor for a chat - mobile 07979235217. Under 16's First Back: Garstang Juniors U16's were the first back into the new season's training when they held a hard working session at The Beeches last night. Read more here.
Reserves v Morecambe Vets: Paul Bailey has lined up an entertaining pre-season friendly against Morecambe Vets for Saturday July 18th. The game will be played at The Beeches, with a 3:00 pm kick off. The Vets team is being 'organised' by Jamie Painter, a former Garstang committee man. Site Updates: The site is being upgraded, over the next two days, with the installation of a Content Management System (CMS) which will make it easier for non-technical people perform updates. The only obvious change is that this page has a new name, so you may need to update your shortcuts. During the upgrade, some other page menus will be unavailable, but you can always come back here if you get lost! Next Season Takes Shape: Avid followers of non-league football will remember the good old days when promotion and relegation were decided by, remind me now, was it the number of points collected? This season the whole of the non-league pyramid has been afflicted by financial woes and misdemeanors, such that no league has escaped the attention of the ultimate referees, the accountants!
In the Premier Division, Lostock St Gerrard's and Tempest United are likely to make the step up, replacing the relegated Burnley United and, the North West Counties bound, Barnoldswick Town. As we write this, the nominated 16 teams are likely to be joined by a 17th, Darwen FC, bounced down the leagues by the FA after having gone bust, taking us up to a 32 game season. All of this means that it is now unlikely that the fixtures will be available before the end of the first week in July. Well, that's how it looks today. Watch this space! Garstang Juniors U16's:
As the season progresses, the U16's site content will grow to rival that of the senior teams and, with home fixtures well publicised, maybe one or two of you will find your way along to The Beeches on match days. Until then, it's down to pre-season training for the players, starting next Thursday at 5:00 pm, to be followed by a couple of friendlies - full details when they are finalised. So, follow the 'Junior Football' menu link and see what's happening. Work is also underway preparing the Cockerham Juniors section of the website. In the meantime, you can read of the Under 14's spectacular victory in the 17th Pendle Youth Football Tournament below.
Cockerham Under 11's and Under 14's competed in the 17th Pendle Youth Football Tournament, East Lancashire's biggest such event featuring all the top teams from the area, over the weekend of the 6th and 7th of June. The U11's began the group stages with a 1-0 win over Pendle Forest Green, followed by 4-0 victories over both Barrowford Celtic A and Rossendale Valley Red, and then ensured top spot in the group with a 1-1 draw against Burnley Knights. The semi final against Barrowford Celtic B was goalless after extra time and unfortunately Cockerham went out on a penalty shoot out. The following day the U14's began their group matches against the 2008 Lancashire Cup winners, Burnley Utd Juniors, and lost a tight game 2-0. Their second game was against Rossendale Valley and, although they dominated the game it took a spectacular overhead kick from Matt Parker two minutes from time to secure the three points. Next up were pre-tournament favourites, Nelson, and although Cockerham faced a strong wind, two first half goals from Parker and one from Tom Graham were enough to secure a 3-0 victory and send Nelson home early. The team then finished top of their group with a 1-1 draw against Barrowford Celtic, Graham heading home a Jack Swindlehurst cross. The semi final against Pendle Forest White was decided by an Alan France goal and a spectacular penalty save three minutes from time by keeper Jonathan Jones. The final was against Burnley United Juniors and revenge for the first game defeat came via a penalty shoot out following a 0-0 draw after extra time. That finished 6-5 to Cockerham after ten penalties each. Penalty scorers were Tom Whittle, Joe Collinson, Simon Lynch, Andrew Burch, Matt Parker and Jonathan Jones. A brilliant effort from the lads and a well deserved victory. News Update: The latest match poster, showing the tasty pre-season fixtures planned for the Riverside, is now And we have our first Player Sponsorship of the new season. The Patten Arms have signed up tosponsor Gaz Fawcett....... Jim Roskell picks up his May 'Score' Lottery win, here. Better late............ Several delegates from Garstang FC attended the West Lancs League Presentation evening at Blackpool FC last Saturday night, and they were most surprised when the first name called out was.........'Garstang Football Club'.
So, here we are with the Wilf Carr Memorial Trophy! It was so long since we won it, we'd all forgotten! A good night, and thanks to League president SM Ashworth for presenting the trophy. Work Detail: Obergruppenführer Armstrong is organising a working party, mainly to give the fencing and dugouts a lick of paint ready for next season. Meeting at the Riverside from 4:00 pm on Thursday June 25th, your help would be appreciated. Please bring a brush and a paint container, and beer. See you there!
Garstang Juniors are looking to make their first season back with the Garstang senior sides a good one as they return to training early on June 18th at the Beeches - 5:00 pm start. Manager Paul Gahan and Coach Lee Baker, with next season's youth team needs also in mind, are looking to add new players to their squad. Maybe you are a young player, but you've stayed clear of your local team because of some uncertainty about its future? Well, you can be certain now, can't you! Email Paul Gahan here, right now! And spread the word..... Player Sponsorships:
Last season, as we were discussing the merits of introducing Player Sponsorships, we were delighted to find that Stewart Fersina were ready to jump straight in with a sponsorship of Lee Baker. Having seen how well the idea can work, we are now ready to roll out the 'full package’ for the 2009/10 season. Obviously, it is about securing continued funding for the football club, but doing it in a way that has benefits for both players and supporters. This is how it will work: Good for the players: In common with many other West Lancashire leagues clubs, Garstang FC players have always paid a small ‘match subscription’ in order to defray some of the playing costs. At the request of the new manager, Barrie Stimpson, players who secure a sponsor will not be required to pay these ‘subs’. Several players have already approached their employers and other local businesses in order to set up their sponsorships. They should return their completed forms now so that the sponsorships are in place for the start of the season and their sponsors derive the maximum benefit. Those players who don’t have obvious sponsors in mind, or those who would prefer the club to negotiate on their behalf, must contact Les Taylor quickly, and he will help them secure a sponsor and put an end their subs!
So what’s the deal? The cost of sponsoring a player for the season is £100. In return for that, your name or logo, and a link to your company website, will appear on the player's profile, as above, and you will be credited on the 'sponsors board' in the clubhouse and in the Garstang Courier. There will be an invite to a 'Sponsors Day' match at the Riverside with half time refreshments and you will receive a signed photograph of your player as a memento at the 'End of Season' Awards. Good for the Club: As with everything these days, the costs of running our little club continue to escalate, and player subscriptions have been a significant part of our income in past years. If we can, however, eliminate them and replace them in this way with something that makes us a little more attractive to players and fans alike, then that's another brick in the foundations, and another step towards building our 'Team in the Community'! Whether you are a potential sponsor or a player; for more information call Les Taylor on 07979 235217 or download an application form, with full details, here. Garstang FC to Support Junior Football: Garstang FC today announced that it is joining with Garstang Juniors and Cockerham Juniors in order to create a structure that will facilitate the development of the young footballers of our community through the junior ranks and on into the youth and senior squads of Garstang FC. ‘This is a momentous decision,’ said Adrian Wilding, ’And one that should interest every parent in Garstang and the surrounding areas’. Read more below. Garstang FC to Support Junior Football: Garstang Football Club are pleased to be joining with Garstang Juniors Under 16’s and Cockerham Juniors in order to create a structure that will allow the young footballers in our community to develop and progress to whatever level their abilities and ambitions will take them.
2009/10 will be Garstang Juniors U16’s last year as a junior team. After that, they will become the new youth team of Garstang FC, but remain under the current management team of Paul Gahan and Lee Baker. The Beeches football pitch has now been secured by the club for the principle use of the U16’s and thus, eventually, the Youth Team. We are committed to improving and developing our facilities at both The Riverside and The Beeches in order to provide a better environment for all our players to train and play. With these facilities, we believe we can offer the best training and development opportunities for young boys to improve and advance their football to a higher standard. This is a very exciting time for all concerned, as it gives a great opportunity for the younger footballers to continue their playing careers with the people that they can trust and with whom they are familiar, hopefully going on to play for the senior teams, so keeping alive the tradition of Garstang FC being a town team. As the U16's are the only football age group still playing for Garstang Juniors, Garstang FC have approached Cockerham Juniors Football Club, who have young footballers playing at all the other junior age groups, and they have agreed to become affiliated with Garstang. This affiliation is great news for the football community as it will give Garstang FC direct access to young players coming up through Cockerham Juniors' ranks who can then look to move on up to the Garstang FC Youth Team and beyond. Cockerham JFC will continue to operate in their own right, but they will have the support of Garstang FC. As a first step, this website will soon launch new sections designed to cater for the needs of the Cockerham club. Garstang U16's will also have dedicated web support next season before they are assimilated into the main site as the Garstang FC Youth Team. Adrian Wilding / Garstang FC: This is a massive step forward for all three clubs and we are fully committed to helping junior football teams in the area. Yes, we will benefit from a supply of young footballers, but with our commercial help and by working closely together, it can only be a win-win situation. Cockerham Juniors have proved how successful they have been over the years in attracting young boys to play football and we are very excited about the future benefits that we can all enjoy. Les Taylor / Garstang FC: It is important that Cockerham keep their own organisational structure and identity in order to maintain the progress of their players until they venture into the Garstang Youth Team, hopefully with the same managers and the same players, but playing in a Garstang FC shirt. We are also looking forward to supporting Paul and Lee and the U16's this year, as they prepare to move up into youth football next season, to be followed year after year by the up and coming Cockerham Juniors teams. Paul Gahan / Garstang Juniors: Season 2009/10 will see the final season for Garstang Juniors as an independent club. The Under 16's of this season are the sole remaining age group representing the town in the Central Lancashire Junior Football League. With limited funds and resources, Garstang Juniors have been unable to attract young footballers to maintain the clubs status at all age groups in Junior football. This will be my second season as manager, having assisted with the team since 2004. The current Coach/Assistant manager of the U16's, Lee Baker, has been with the team since the U11's, running the team for four years and attaining his coaching badges through those seasons. Lee is well known in Garstang for his involvement in Junior football through St Thomas's primary school, and Garstang Juniors as a player and manager. He also represents the town, playing for Garstang FC. We are about to embark on our final season as a management team in Junior football but have been approached by Garstang Football Club to continue our involvement in 'Youth' football in the 2010/11 season. Our aim is to attract any players who have the drive, commitment and desire to represent Garstang at a youth level and then progress into the ranks of the increasingly successful Garstang FC 'Senior' teams. The Junior side has a nucleus of local players, some of whom have been with us from the first ball being kicked. In order to pursue the aims of the management team, we will be looking for a small number of new players to enhance the current squad and then take this squad forward into youth football. If you are a young player, or a parent, and you would like more details, email me here. Paul Andrews / Cockerham Juniors: For Cockerham Juniors this is the right opportunity at the right time. The club is now in its twelfth year and has a solidarity and depth in its structure, coaches and players. With over one hundred youngsters on the books, it gives them the chance to progress, with their current team-mates and friends, right through into adult football. I think this works positively on many levels and will be a great asset to our community for years to come. Obviously, as the developments unfold, you will be able to read all about them here. Fixture Changes: The Kendal and Bamber Bridge friendlies at the Riverside have been rescheduled as follows: Kendal Town - Monday July 6th - 7:30pm kick off This is due to the unavailabilty of the Clubhouse on the previous dates and, with good crowds expected, we needed to ensure that the full range of facilities were available. May "SCORE" Lottery Winners!
Stimmo continued to 'put down the markers' today when he added Tony Greenwood, the 2007/08 non-league manager of the year, and his Bamber Bridge team to the list of pre-season fixtures. The game will be played at the Riverside on Tuesday July 21st*, kick off 7:30 pm. *Now Monday July 27th.
Barrie Stimpson has confirmed an interesting pre-season encounter today with both the First and Reserve Teams taking on Thornton Cleveleys' two strings, errmm, at the same time! Both games kick off at 3:00 pm on Saturday July 25th at the Bourne Road ground, fortunately, on adjacent pitches!
Pre-Season Friendlies: Manager Stimpson has fixed up two more pre-season fixtures to follow the opener against Kendal Town on July 7th. July 15th will see Lancaster City at the Riverside, kick off 7:30 pm, and, on Saturday August 1st, the squad will head for Trimpell/Slyne and a 3:00 pm kick off. Expect more announcements soon! Season Review: All last season's facts and figures have now been grouped together in one easy to digest page accessible via Garstang Chronicles/ 2008/09 Review. Did we miss anything? Commercial Review:
Les Taylor
The West Lacashire Leagues' Teams and Managers of the Month for April are now out, and guess who's won? Erm, you won't! Read the list here. Naturally, like the BBC and the House of Commons, the website is impartial on matters of fact, unlike Northern Monkey on the forum!
Barrie Stimpson - Garstang's New Manager:
The new manager moved quickly, inviting all players to a meeting on Sunday lunchtime at the Riverside. At the meeting, Barrie congratulated the players on 'an exceptional season' and, as a result, he does not want to change anything. He continued, "I hope that you will all be back here for pre-season training in July when we can build upon the excellent work done by Scott, and Garry before him, and just take it one step further." "I've known Adrian Wilding and Les Taylor for a number of years and, when Scott resigned, they asked me to come along and have a look. They explained the fantastic things happening off the field, so it didn't take me too long to agree to join them, and work with you players to hopefully put the Club in the position where it can move to the next level. I am excited by this challenge." "Staff-wise, I will be bringing in Neil Crossley, who I've worked with for over two years, to join the management team. Dave Porter will still be around to help when work permits, and Steve Baker will continue as Physio. Paul Bailey will continue to work with the Reserves." "So go away, chill out for a few weeks, and return refreshed and focused for the new season. We return to training on July 2nd at 18:45 hrs prompt! In the meantime, get in a few runs so that pre-season isn't too hard, and if anyone has any questions, feel free to phone me at any time." Barrie cut his managerial teeth with Lancaster as First Team coach for Alan Tinsley before joining Tony Hesketh as his Assistant. He had eight seasons with Hesketh, three at Kendal and five at Lancaster, before taking over as the Lancaster City Manager in 2006, leaving them, in a healthy league position, just before the end of the 2008/09 season.
Adrian Wilding and the Management Committee are thrilled that a Manager of Barrie's ability has chosen to join Garstang FC and share his enthusiasm for the coming season. Football returns to the Riverside on Monday July 6th, kick off 7:30 pm, with a pre-season friendly against Kendal Town FC. Barrie's phone no. is 07775 997508 or you can email here. Thankyou John Armer: May 11th 9:30 hrs Garstang supporter, John Armer, had a good week last week, winning £50 at Bingo. He rounded off his week by attending the end of season awards, where he donated his winnings to the football club. Thanks John, you are marvelous! Barrie Stimpson of Garstang FC!
News of the appointment was made public earlier tonight, at the end of season 'Presentation Evening' held in the Riverside Sports and Social Club. "It was important," said Chairman Adrian Wilding, "That we moved quickly to recruit a new manager and, as soon as we heard that Barrie may be interested in the position, he moved to the top of our wanted list. Remember, only two seasons ago Barrie was managing in the Conference North with Lancaster City, before administration dropped them two divisions into the UniBond North. I'd like to think that filling the position with someone of Barrie's calibre demonstrates our ambition and commitment to making Garstang Football Club a success." A full interview with Barrie, along with his career details, will appear on here early next week, together with a listing of tonight's 'Season 2008/09 Awards' winners. *Update: Meet the Manager here. Garstang Finish Third: Happily, Wrens were in no mood to see their season fizzle out and, despite fielding some fringe players, they comfortably beat Dalton United at Bruce Park this evening. Dalton were industrious, but Wrens played much the better football. So that's it. A good third placed finish for Garstang FC. See you in August! The New Season Starts Here:
Preparation for next season will be under way later this week following this 'site meeting' before the Burnley game. The key attendees were groundsman and committee member, Bob Freeman and Carl Horrax, whose company 'Putt It Right' are involved in pitch maintenance with Fleetwood, Barrow, and Lancaster, amongst others. At the meeting, a 'verti-drain, seed, feed and sand' plan of action was agreed in order to have the pitch at it's best for next season. Carl will be at work on the pitch at the end of this week. We are hoping to screen off the area and would request that everyone keep off the pitch for a time. Spring Cleaning! As you can see, the website has been given a bit of a polish ready for next season. There are sure to be a few broken links: please report any issues here. The Commercial and fixture pages will gradually be updated in readiness for the new season, and the old season pages archived for future reference. Have a look around; there are a few new goodies! Phew! It's Sixth: The chasing pack all fell at the final hurdle leaving Garstang FC Reserves with their highest ever league placing. Euxton, too, fell at home to Thornton Cleveleys leaving Poulton Town secure in first place and their final game against Barnoldswick Town of no consequence.
The previous highest position was 13th in season 2001/2.
August 2009Weekend Results Service: September 6th 14:30 hrs 'Right football, wrong result' is how Manager Gahan described this morning's outing at The Beeches as Garstang Juniors lost their opening league game to Brinscall; the Garstang scorers were Brooks, Roskell and Panepinto. Match report and more photos on Juniors Newspage.
September 5th 18:30 hrs The Garstang defence contrived to make this 4-1 victory far more difficult than the scoreline implies, although the result was never in doubt with goals from Fawcett and Riley (pen), and two from the returning Mark Kippax. The Reserves picked up another 1-1 draw at The Riverside, goal from Andy Ireland, enough to lift them into a heady second spot in the table.
Tempest Match report: First Team Newspage Weekend Match Previews: Updated* A drying gale yesterday and The Riverside and Tempest pitches are fine. Games on!
Tempest currently occupy bottom spot. An opening day home defeat, 1-6 by Charnock Richard, was not the friendliest 'welcome to the league', but they showed some of last season's form, picking up points in their next three games before getting dumped at Turton and Coppull. Stimmo will again be playing selection roulette with his squad as more, albeit different, players succumb to unavailability and/or suspension. Despite that, the character of the squad has continued to shine through, delivering results in games when lesser teams would already have called it a day. So, we have the classic 'banana skin' scenario waiting the Garstang team. Tempest will not need motivating against the 'big boys'. The question is, can Garstang weather the initial storm, turn the tide, and show that the 'table never lies'? Read Stimmo's view on the First Team Newspage. *Premiership Game of the day? That must be league leaders' Charnock Richard's visit to unbeaten 'August Team of the Month' Lostock St Gerard's.
Directions: Take the M6 then M61 to J5. Follow the Westhoughton/Wigan signs to the A6 then turn right at the roundabout towards Chorley/Preston. At the first traffic lights, turn right at the White Horse pub, then first left on to Chew Moor Lane. Pass under the motorway and take the first right on to Tempest Road. The ground is on the right. Here.
Manager Bailey, a tad disappointed with the point at Fulwood last time, expects another tight game, although the team's hopes must be buoyed by the news of a returning player. Read Bails' 'Second Thoughts' on the Reserves Newspage. With second placed Charnock Richard Reserves having another day off, Bailey's Reserves could be heading for 'nose bleed' territory by the end of the afternoon!
Paul Gahan found the squad some tough pre-season games, through which team performances gradually picked up, culminating in a very good 5-1 victory over Cockerham Juniors in mid week, with Ryan Crouch netting a hat trick. Read that match report and Manager Garny's pre-match thoughts on the U16's Newspage. The team took four points from Brinscall last season, a 2-2 draw at The Beeches being followed by a 1-0 victory there so, building on the Cockerham result, another good performance is anticipated. Training This Week: The overnight weather, and the forcast for the next couple of days, mean that we will not be training at the Riverside this week. Instead, our block booking at St Martin's College has been brought forward by one week. Therefore, will all players please note that training will be held at St Martin's College on Wednesday September 2nd commencing at 5:45pm prompt. Richardson/Houston Cup Draws: The Garstang First team head for Poulton Town on November 7th for the first round of the Richardson Cup. In the Houston Cup, Garstang Reserves have a home tie against Thornton Cleveleys Reserves on November 14th. The full draws are here. Saturday Results Service: A fair result 2-2; a bit like last Tuesday, the opposition had the best of a scruffy first half although they didn't trouble Brindle much. Garstang took the lead in the second, a McEvoy header before a Baker slip, pushing a back pass away from Brindle, allowed Poulton back in. The strong running Poulton forwards then scored a second before up stepped Cropper again, to bang in a free kick for the draw, below.
The Reserves too earned a draw; a good result at Fulwood with the goal from Carlo Matichecchia. First Team match report now available on First Team Newspage.
Weekend Match Previews:
Poulton's resurgence is at the hands of new manager Mark Senior. At Freckleton last season, and Wrens before that, he has attracted some 'new' blood to the club and, most importantly, now has Lee Catlow starting regularly. Catlow, whose career with Fleetwood Town was curtailed by injury a couple of years ago, has already netted five times this season with former Garstang favourite, Danny Whittaker, adding a couple from midfield - no doubt his former colleagues will have a friendly Garstang welcome awaiting. Finishing a disappointing 12th last season, Poulton have always provided stiff opposition for Garstang. Last year, an early season defeat, courtesy of a Niall Cummins hat-trick, proved to be a bit misleading when they fought out a hard-earned 2-2 draw back at the Riverside in October; Cummins netting a penalty in that one, Simon Williams got the other. With Stimmo still cock-a-hoop following the midweek comeback aginst Wrens, the Garstang lads are clearly relishing this one, but it will be no easy afternoon as Poulton's top placing testifies. The Manager will be happy if he can go with the same formation and start to get some continuity into the starting line-up and on the bench. This match promises to be every bit as entertaining as the midweek Wrens game. Get down there!
The Garstang Reserves, however, whilst not yet settled into their stride, are certainly working out how to bring home the bacon, as last weeks tight victory over current Divisional Champions Poulton demonstrates. As the Garstang First and Reserve Team squads stabilise somewhat, Bails is now starting to get the consistancy, into his team selection and play, that augurs well for the coming season. So he'll be keeping it tight at Fulwood, with Miller marshalling the back line, and looking to his fast breaking front men to grab the points. And with Norcross and Charnock both 'resting' this weekend; the league table could make interesting reading come five o'clock!
Directions: Take the A6 towards Preston and, after the M55, turn immediately left to ‘Ingol’. At the roundabout take the first exit to Ingol. At the next roundabout, the second exit to Ingol and continue for ½ mile. Then turn right and follow signs to the ground. Garstang 2 Wrens 1: Wrens, who bossed the first half, could only manage one goal and would have been dismayed to see Gaz Fawcett convert Garstang's only chance of the half to go in level. The second half was different, the home team working hard and in their faces, and deservedly taking three points with a Wayne Cropper free kick. Match report on First Team Newspage with 'Stimmo's View'.
Apologies that the results were a little late. Our dependable League Fixtures Secretary Chris Wight, who is recovering from a very recent hip replacement operation, dropped them on the floor last night and couldn't pick them up until this morning! A speedy recovery Chris. Midweek Match Preview:
Wrens finished last season strongly, ending it five points ahead of third placed Garstang and, under new manager Dave Worthington, they have taken that form into the new season, winning their three (Vickerstown, Freckleton and Charnock Richard) home fixtures whilst drawing at Lostock St Gerards. Wrens and Lostock remain the only unbeaten teams in the Premier League. Last Saturday's demolition of 2008/09 Champions Charnock Richard by five goals to one should be enough to remind the Garstang defence that they have a job on their hands tomorrow. Striker Danny Rowe scored four against Charnock to make it six this season; Jack Sharlpes being their next best with two goals from midfield. For Garstang, Manager Stimpson is still looking forward to the day when he can select from his full squad as he awaits the Monday fitness reports from his players; Bardsley, Kilifin and McEvoy amongst those suffering after the Darwen game. Whilst Darwen did dominate a lot of the game, we did give them all three of their goals from sloppy individual errors. On the plus side, however, the spirit of the squad is undeniable and the last 'muck or nettles' ten minutes of Saturday's game very nearly nicked an unlikely point. For the neutral, this promises to be a very good game! Read 'Stimmo's View' on the First Team Newspage. Saturday Results: Darwen 3 Garstang 2: Garstang played well in the first ten and then the last ten minutes of this game, Niall Cummins grabbing two goals at the end. Unfortunately, Darwen dominated the game in between, notching three goals, two of them penalties. Match report and photos now on First Team Newspage.
Garstang Reserves 1 Poulton Town Reserves 0: Garstang just shaded a tight game with a goal from Tom Kelsall, although it needed a desperate save from Keeper Maycock near the end to keep the points safe. Match report and photos later.
Weekend Match Previews: Both teams are on duty again this weekend with Poulton Town Reserves visiting The Riverside whilst the First Team visit the reincarnate AFC Darwen.
The late victory for the Reserves in midweek will have done their confidence no harm, but they know that they will have to lift their performance to get anything from this one. AFC Darwen v Garstang FC: Darwen FC played their football in the NWC Premier Division last season, but folded at the end. AFC Darwen was born shortly after with, essentially, the same people involved and placed in the West Lancs League at the behest of the FA. They are, therefore, well equipped at their council owned ground and, although losing some of their playing staff, they will be expecting their Counties experience to give them a good season. Beating Coppull United 3-1 in their first game at the Anchor Ground, those aspirations will have been strengthened, until a Tuesday visit to Stoneclough saw them dumped 2-0. Last Saturday saw them entertain a pointless Freckleton, sharing the points in a 1-1 draw, so they are still looking signal their arrival in the West Lancs by stringing a few good performances together. The First Team midweek draw with Vickerstown will have been a timely reminder that this is still a tough league, with some good teams, and so Manager Stimpson will stressing the basics prior to their visit to the Anchor ground on Saturday. Directions: Follow the M65 to J4 and turn left at the lights on to the A666. In approximately 1/4 mile, turn left between Anchor Car Sales and Anchor Hotel. The ground is 200 yards on the left. Garstang 0 Vickerstown 0: Garstang dropped their first points of the season in this good honest game of football, with chances a-plenty and both sides thinking that they could have won it. Match report now available on First Team Newspage. Awaiting full results from league site. Garstang Reserves 2 Freckleton Reserves 0: Two late, late goals from Adrian Hunt were needed to settle this one. Match report later. Midweek Match Previews: After yesterday's endeavours, the whole squad will be looking forward to getting straight back into action with the visits of Freckleton Reserves (Monday) and Vickerstown CCFC (Tuesday) to The Riverside this week. Both kick off at 6:30 pm.
Last season, Freckleton Reserves grew to hate Garstang! Not only did Matt Baldin put five past them in a 6-1 victory at Bush Lane, they then found the Garstang First Team waiting for them, with a 7-0 pasteing, in the return. Bails, of course, is way too long in the tooth to draw any conclusions from that, and will be concentrating on keeping the shape and form shown at Wrens.
This term, Vickerstown opened with a 1-2 defeat at Wrens, their solitary goal coming from Keenan. The striker was a thorn in the Garstang side last season and, according to reports, he has been banging them in through pre-season. Saturday saw them at home to Fulwood Amateurs where, perhaps surprisingly, they lost one-nil, dropping to joint bottom of the league. Garstang know that they are better than that, so will be wary of a bit of a reaction from their visitors. Manager Stimpson's plans are no secret, simply keep it going! His starting line-up won't look too different, although Saturday's late injury to Lee Baker may enforce some change. Read 'Stimmo's View' here. A Good Day: Two excellent results today as the First Team defended a first half lead, courtesy of a Niall Cummins header, to beat a good and competitive Haslingden St Mary's 1-0, and the Reserves did get their 'show on the road, coming home 4-1 winners with goals from Ian Wormleighton, Paul Sothward, Rory Waite and Joe Miller..
First Team match report here Reserves later.
3:00 pm at The Riverside: After the midweek 'where did that come from' performance, today's game has both the players and the fans licking their lips in anticipation - and Haslingden St Mary's are just the team to get everyone's feet back on the ground! Three o'clock, see you there! Website Admin: Even website administrators get to see a bit of the sun occasionally so, for the next week, updates will be coming from France. If you have a need to get something on the site in a hurry, remember that you can post it on the Riverside Forum. Normal service resumes next weekend. D'accord? Training Day Changes: During the close season the club has been attempting to improve the midweek winter training programme in respect of the date, time and size of facility. The committee fully understand the importance of training and the benefit that it has to the club as a whole. During the close season, we have made contact with several sports complexes that offer the facilities we require. However, the majority of these have longstanding repeat bookings that mean they cannot help us. We have liaised very closely with St Martins College and, after negotiation, we have secured the different day and time slot which both Stimmo and Bails were pushing for. We have not been able to secure a larger pitch but, two out of the three requirements is an improvement. Training will, therefore, again be at St Martins College but it will now be on a Wednesday. This arrangement starts on September 9th and the facility is booked from 6:00 to 7:00 pm. Please note that the college have stressed that no studs or blades are worn. Weekend Preview: Both teams are in action this weekend and so, with holidays and injuries still plaguing the squad, our resources will be fully stretched in fielding two teams on Saturday. As we now know, however, what some see as a problem, others see as an opportunity, so neither team will be lacking in endeavour or spirit.
Historically, these meetings have been feisty affairs, although with Garstang winning the three league and cup encounters last season, the fuses have lengthened somewhat. Haslingden finished in 11th place last time, not helped by a points deduction but, with a victory over Freckleton and a draw at Tempest under their belts this season, they currently sit 4th and have yet to concede a goal. Last Tuesday's outstanding win at Dalton has certainly got everyone playing 'with smiles on their faces', which is the Stimmo way, but of course, it will count for nothing if we don't perform on Saturday. The game will be another stern test against a competitive team who can also play a bit of football! Let's hope the smiles are still there come five o'clock. Read 'Stimmo's View' ahead of the game here.
Manager Bailey 'thoroughly enjoys games against Wrens because of the locality and this adds a bit of spice to the game. With the defeat on Monday, this is an opportunity to try and get back to winning ways but I know it won’t be easy as they are usually a young, fit, hardworking side. At the moment (Thursday afternoon) I don’t know my side, but that is often the case as Reserve Team Manager. What I do know is that I am pleased with the players at the Club and, whatever team I put out, it will be capable of coming away from this game with something, if the effort of the first two games is anything to go by.' Garstang won the corresponding fixture 3-0 last season; kick off is at 3:00 pm.
Directions: Leave the M55 at J4 and turn left on to A583. At the first roundabout (B&Q) take the second exit, across the mini roundabout, to another roundabout. Take the third exit leading on to School Road. The ground is on the right, after the school. Post Code FY4 5DX Diary Updates: Firstly, a reminder: the Garstang FC AGM will be held at 6:00 pm next Sunday in the Garstang Country Hotel and Golf Club. Everyone is welcome; the agenda is here. Second, the September fixtures are now available for Garstang Juniors. They will play their home games at The Beeches, kicking off at 11:00 am on Sunday mornings, and their first visitors are Brinscall Village on Sunday September 6th. Details of all their fixtures are here and on the club calendar.
Dalton United 3 Garstang 4: A great game of football this. In years to come, people will say 'I was there'. Well, maybe not, but it was a cracking game as Garstang refused to lie down, twice going behind, then getting ahead only for Dalton to equalise, before finally grabbing the winner. Goals from Cummins 2, 1 penalty, Fawcett and Roskell. Match report later when Les Taylor has had time to condense his fifteen pages of notes into a one page report! Match report now here.
Garstang Line-up: Price, Kilifin, Bardsley, Baker, McEvoy, Wilson R, Riley, Fawcett, Cummins, Roskell and Matichecchia C Subtitutes: Miller, Murphy, Wilson G
Norcross & Warbreck 1 Garstang Reserves 0: After a promising first half display, Garstang Reserves turned around disappointed to be a goal down - to a free header, below. The second half, however, seemingly belonged to a different game when a rash of cards, including reds for Rob Butler and Manager Bailey, dominated proceedings.
It ended one - nil. Match report later. More images here. Garstang Line-up: Swanwick, Butler, Southward, Miller, Baldwin J, Twiname, Roskell, Wormleighton, Kelsall, Waite, Murphy
Midweek Previews:
Despite a good number of players with first team credentials being used on Saturday, and three points is three points(!), Manager Bailey did manage to get his new recruits, Murphy and Roskell, into the action and was delighted with the latter coming up with the winning goal. Joe Miller also deputised well for the injured Brooks, having his best game of the pre-season. Norcross & Warbreck also got their season off to a winning start, beating Freckleton 2-1 at Anchorsholme Lane. Last season, despite finishing well down the league, Norcross had the measure of Garstang, getting a 1-1 draw at The Riverside and winning a frozen New Year encounter 3-1 on their own patch, so Bails will be looking for a tangible sign of intent for the new season. Directions: Head for Fleetwood and at second roundabout, the one after the Wyre Inn, take the fourth exit. The ground is on Anchorsholme Lane, 600yds along on the left
Directions: From M6 – Leave at Junction 36, follow A591 to Barrow for approx 3 miles. Turn onto A590 towards Barrow. At the Dalton by-pass round-about bear left towards Dalton, follow the road over four sleeping policemen, then turn left just before Barclays Bank. Take the first left into Beckside Road. The ground is 30 metres down this road on the right. Garstang Reserves 3 Haslingden Reserves 2: A 'strong' Reserves team always had too much for their opponents today, even though Haslingden's enthusiasm was rewarded by a couple of gifts, courtesy of an unsighted referee and a generous back line. Dee McEvoy, with two, and Rocky Roskell on his debut, got the Garstang goals.
Match report here.
Good Luck for the Season: Good luck to all the officials , managers and players for the coming season. Let's hope for a bit of good luck when needed but, most importantly, let's all enjoy the season and have some fun! I look forward to working with everybody connected with the club this season and enjoying the craic and laughs on the way. To our supporters, please get behind our teams and support them; criticism is accepted, but at the right time, as the lads and management need all our support during the games. Success will come, I'm sure. Good luck: Adrian Wilding
Clear blue skies, baking sun - you've guessed it, it's the start of the football season! Garstang Reserves kick off the 2009/10 season tomorrow at The Riverside with what promises to be a tasty encounter against last season's Reserve Division Two Champions, the newly promoted Haslingden St Mary's Reserves. Haslingden will be keen to pick up where they left off last season and, winning 22 of their 26 games last time, they won't lack confidence! Bailey's Reserve squad, showing a couple of new faces in addition to those who played in last season's best ever sixth place finish, have enjoyed their high profile pre-season, mixing it with the Northern Premier League but, tomorrow, it will be back to the basics - work hard, keep it tight and take your chances! Paul Bailey 'Can’t wait for the new season to start'. He is especially looking forward to working under Barrie. 'I'm also looking forward to seeing how the two new signings, 'Ash' Murphy and 'Rocky' Roskell get on after previously being at our local rivals Wyre Villa. My aim is, of course, to finish higher in the league than last term, and I know that to do that, we must do better against the top clubs. Bring it on” he added! The Reserves are quickly back into action on Monday at Norcross & Warbreck while the First Team, without a game on the opening day, have another couple of days in bed before starting their campaign on Tuesday up at Dalton United. More of those fixtures before then.......... In the Premier Division, newly promoted Tempest United visit Champions Charnock Richard and the other newcomers, Lostock St Gerards and AFC Darwen, play Fulwood Amateurs and Coppull United, respectively. Our league has an odd number of teams due to the late arrival of AFC Darwen, hence our day off, but the league have announced that we will revert to sixteen teams next season, with three teams being relegated to facilitate the change. Reminders: Just a little reminder to get your bookings in for both the Garstang FC Golf Day to be held on Friday September 25th, full details here, and for the next Sportsman's Dinner, to be held at Pickerings Hotel on October 22nd, details here. Both events are now about 50% full so please call Les taylor on 07979 235217 soon to be sure of your place. Kit Sponsorships Complete: Garstang Football Club are delighted to announce a Short Sponsorship deal with 'Thorpey's Fish and Chip Takeaway and Diner' for the coming season. Billy Thorpe, the proprioter of the recently opened restaurant on the A6 at Cabus, is a local businessman who also lists The Horns Inn at Churchtown amongst his other business interests.
Les reported, 'When I approached Billy he had no hesitation in supporting us, another clear indication of how far we have progressed as a club during the past 18 months. We are very grateful for Billy's support which now completes our Kit Sponsorship for season 2009/10, with Paper Innovation on the front of the shirts and the Kings Arms on the back'.
Garstang 0 Gillford Park 2: An even first half saw Gillford Park getting the goals as Manager Stimpson rang the changes in the second. Brief match report here. Midweek Preview: Due to that late arrangement of this fixture, there will be no clubhouse facilities for spectators. Sorry!
We reach the end of the pre-season trail tomorrow, Tuesday, with the visit of Gillford Park FC to The Riverside, for what promises to be another thorough workout for the squad. Formed as recently as 2004, Carlisle based Gillford Park have clearly found themselves an untapped non-league resource in and around the Borders, rising rapidly through the ranks to gain promotion to the Northern League last season. They will be playing in the equivalent of the NW Counties Division One in the 2009/10 season. Their squad is a mix of former professional and semi-pro footballers who have pulled on the jerseys of the likes of Carlisle United, Workington Reds, Queen of the South, Annan Athletic and Cowdenbeath; up-and-coming footballers signed from Carlisle United and Workington’s academies; and youngsters from their own Youth Section who have graduated into the adult setup. Read more on the Gillford Park website here. Slyne with Hest 2 Garstang 2: Time will tell if this was 'after the Lord Mayor's Show' or 'the calm before the storm'! Either way we 'weren't at the races' today. Niall Cummins opened the scoring with a long shot inside the post before Slyne, with Hest, took the initiative and a one goal lead. Garstang grabbed an equaliser late on when an Andy Ireland free kick evaded everyone to find the net.
Report here..... September 2009Beesley Back at the Riverside: Manager Stimpson has eased his imminent goalkeeping worries by inviting Neil 'Tiny' Beesley back to play for Garstang FC. New Dad Tiny was 'happy to accept' and goes into the squad for Wythenshawe. Read more with 'Stimmo's View' on the First Team Newspage. Garstang FC Annual Golf Day:
The Garstang FC annual David Quinney Memorial Golf Day was successfully held on Friday 25th September 2009, the 15th year that this popular event has been staged. At 10:30 am the first team, Terry Heilbron, Angela Brooks, Ray Grayston and Cath Grayston teed off. Teams then went out every ten minutes, with the final team teeing off at 3:30 pm. The event was a huge success, with plenty of praise for the organisation and many great comments about the course at Garstang Golf and Country Club. Garstang FC would like to thank everyone who participated and supported the club. The money raised will go to the future development of the club at both senior, youth and junior levels.
For the record, all the scores are here, and some photographs of the day here. **Update: A letter from David Quinney's parents:- Dear All at Garstang FC, Weekend Results: A disappointing performance for the First Team away at Eagley and, on that basis, the 1-1 draw is, perhaps, not an unacceptable score! The Garstang goal, a tap-in, came from new signing Chris Brown on his debut. The Reserves also had a disappointing day, going down 1-4 to Norcross & Warbreck at The Riverside, and bringing to an end a run of seven games unbeaten. There is not a lot to add; Norcross clearly deserved it, and they missed a first half penalty. Adrian Hunt got the Garstang goal when his cross cleared the keeper and dropped into the net.
Match reports on team newspages.
Here are the September Winners:
Weekend Match Previews:
Eagley are currently suffering a poor run of results and they are still looking for their first victory of the season. However, if you look at who they have played, you will see that, after Saturday's game, they will have played all of the top six clubs in their first seven games! Last season's meetings were both keenly contested and close. Garstang won 4-3 at Dunscar early in the season, Niall Cummins getting two, and won again, 2-1 in a tetchy encounter back at The Riverside in November, goals this time from Geoff Wilson and an own goal diplomatically awarded to Wayne Cropper. Since then, they have had a bit of a clear out, most notably clearing out Carl Grimshaw to Charnock Richard, where he has netted fourteen times in ten games! Stimmo's side may have missed the drive of Gaz Fawcett last time out but, with Jamie Hastings starting to show his class, and a very impressive debut from Jamie Preston, the gaffer is gradually putting together a capable and competitive squad who, whether by accident or design, serve up some highly enjoyable games of football to the growing Riverside Army! Elsewhere near the top of the West Lancs Prem, neither Wrens nor Poulton should be troubled too much with the visits of Dalton and Stoneclough respectively, but Fulwood v Charnock and Lostock v Coppull both look close calls. Directions: From M65 J4, follow the A666, the main Bolton/Blackburn road, through Darwen and Egerton to Dunscar Bridge. Turn left into Dunscar Industrial Estate, following the signs for Unit 14; the ground is at the end of the lane. Nearest Post Code: BL7 9PQ
Games against Norcross are never straight forward, however, and they took four points off us last season, despite finishing five places below. Manager Bailey 'thought we deserved better' in this seasons opening away game, with Norcross hanging on to a gifted first half lead, below, to take all three points. His tribulations brought about by player availabilty, or more correctly unavailability, seem to be easing a little and he will be looking for more of the same from his solid defence, whilst his forwards have the chance to use the 'Riverside advantage' to cement their handsome second placing in the league. More thoughts from Bails on the Reserves Newspage. There is really only one other game of note in the Reserve Division as league leaders Euxton Villa visit third placed Charnock Richard. Yes, I know it's early, but it could be a championship decider!!
*Updated: The game has been postponed due to Swine 'Flu concerns at Poulton School. Finally, avid football watcher, and former Garstang manager, Scott Somerside won't be standing on some wind swept touchline this weekend, he'll be having a quiet weekend, recovering from his appendectomy. Get well soon Scott! Sportsman's Evening:
The event is now very close to a sell out with just a few tickets remaining. If you are still thinking about going, then you need to phone Les Taylor on 07979 235217 now! Full details are here.
Preston NE Womens JFC U14's team were without a venue for their Tesco Cup Regional Quarter Final tie against Curzon Ashton next weekend as their normal home at Preston Sports Arena was unavailable. Paul Hutton, whose daughter Emily plays for the Preston team, was happy to tweak Bob Freeman's arm and get this important game staged at The Riverside. Kick off is at 11:00 am next Sunday, September 27th. Both teams have an excellent reputation, so the prospects are good. Come and have a look! Read more about the Tesco Cup here. Matchday Sponsorships: I am delighted to announce that, with the help of the Chairman, all our scheduled First Team league matches, with the exception of the one on October 10th against Lostock St. Gerards, now have matchday sponsor*. Matchday sponsorship was introduced to Garstang Football Club last season. I had to prove that, with limited facilities, we could offer a decent day out to our Sponsors with a little advertising. The people who sponsored last season thoroughly enjoyed their day, proving to me that it could be done. It is hoped that, in the not too distant future, we will to improve our facilities and, in so doing, improve the "Matchday Experience". If you want to Sponsor the Lostock St. Gerards game on 10th October you had better ring me on 07979 235217 now! For £150: four people will have a pre-match meal and drinks in the Kings Arms before moving down to the ground to watch the match, half-time refreshments, select and present your man of the match and be presented with a momento in recognition of your day's sponsorship. Your Sponsorship will also be recognised on our Website, and at the end of the Match Report that appears in the Garstang Courier every Wednesday.
*The Coppull United game will become available once we are given a rescheduled match date by the West Lancashire League.
No fewer than thirty teams will take part in this years Garstang FC Golf Day at Garstang Golf Club next Friday, September 25th. It will be the fifteenth time that this popular event has taken place, getting underway at 10.30 am and ending with the Presentations at 8.00 pm. Weekend Results Service: Turton will still be wondering how they managed to dominate much of this game, and yet come away with zilch. If it helps, missing two penalties may have had some bearing! Garstang, to their credit, just got on with it, scoring two sweet goals thanks to Mark Kippax and, on his debut, Jamie Preston. Match report now on First Team Newspage.
Garstang Reserves picked up another draw; this time a very good 2-2 draw at Poulton Town, with goals from Rory Waite and Ashlei Murphy, his first for the Club.
Player Sponsorship Initiative: No fewer than twenty six companies have already given their support to Garstang Football Club’s “Player Sponsorship Initiative”. The registered players of the club were asked to go out and get themselves a sponsor for £100. In this way, they would no longer be required to pay their weekly £5 subscriptions.
The sponsoring company receives a number of benefits, which include a listing on the Sponsorship Board in the Riverside Social Club showing the players' name and that of their sponsors, the company name under the players' profile on the club website here, all players' sponsors to be invited down to a game, and all sponsors to be invited to the end of season presentation evening. “We are delighted with the positive response and are very grateful to the companies who have supported this sponsorship package. The players have very much played their part in making the deal work. We wanted to reward the players for their loyalty and commitment but needed the income that came from the 'subs'. This way everyone wins. It has become very expensive to run a club such as ours and, with new rules coming in to improve ground facilities, we will need to generate new income to keep up and move the club forward.” Here is the list of the companies, organisations, and individuals who have sponsored a Garstang player for the 2009/10 season
Weekend Match Previews:
Last seasons encounters were both settled by a one goal difference, Garstang losing 0-1 at Turton early in August, but winning the return 2-1 in April with a score that did flatter the visitors somewhat. You will have read Manager Stimpson's thoughts on our Coppull performance, so more of the same will do for him! He should also be close to fielding the same side, although the return of Jim Brindle and Adrian Hunt from suspension will offer him a couple more options - as will the arrival of Jamie Preston! Jamie, an 18 year old left sided player who was formerly with Morecambe FC Academy, signed for Garstang during the week and will take his place on the bench. Elsewhere in the league, Wrens entertain Stoneclough, Fulwood have a difficult looking visit to Euxton, Vickerstown make the long trip to Charnock Richard and, no doubt, the even longer trip back, and, in the game of the day, Poulton Town are to savour the delights of Darwen. Lostock, after losing their unbeaten tag, visit Eagley and Freckleton, having finally got their show on the road by putting six past Furness Rovers in the Shield, have no game this Saturday! Our best wishes to Thornton Cleveleys Reserves!
Whichever way you look at it then, Saturdays encounter promises to be another close game. Manager Bailey was less than pleased last week with 'player unavailability', as his 'Second Thoughts' reveal, although a draw with Charnock Richard is never a bad result. Hopefully normal service will be resumed at the weekend and, building on their solid defence, Garstang can bring home the bacon. There are only four fixtures in this league at the weekend, Fulwood Reserves v Charnock Reserves being the most relevant. Euxton, Hesketh and Norcross all have their feet up.
Garstang Juniors have no fixture this weekend. Garstang Vets 5 Lancaster Vets 2: Garstang Vets beat Lancaster Vets 5 - 2 at the Riverside last Sunday. The goals consisted of an excellent hat rick from Olly 'Snake Hips' Bradshaw and a fine individual effort from Mick 'Silver' Gornall. The other was an own goal. Unfortunately, the two Lancaster goals were also scored by Garstang players. The first came from Jim 'The Cat' Kippax, who was deputising in goal. A pure thunderbolt of a shot seemed to be going wide of the post but somehow Jim got his hands to it and unluckily the wicked spin on the ball turned it past the fallen keeper. Their second came from the head of Russ Hurst. It was a classic centre forwards finish that beat the sprawling Smith, who had long since replaced Kippax between the sticks. Unfortunately for Hurst, it was at the wrong end of the pitch and was a real let down to his side who had sweated blood in their cause to end a run of recent defeats. Heads may roll if this sort of incident continues. So, Bradshaw was a comfortable man of the match for his all action display. A special thank you to Ryan Twiname for his refereeing skills and apologies for the photographs which all consist of Sean 'Gerry' Rafferty and George 'Run of the' Mill.
Team Sheet: Goalkeepers: Russ Hurst / Alan Smith Defence: George Mill, Robert Tugman, Jon Cross, Jim Kippax Midfield: Sean Rafferty, Alwyn Bradshaw, Dave Porter, Mick Gornall Forwards: Ian Whittingham, Paul 'Injury Prone' Hutton The next game is versus Lytham Vets in November. Weekend Results Service: Garstang squeezed past a resolute Coppull United, 4-3 on penalties after extra time, to move on to Wythenshawe Amateurs in the next round of the Lancashire Amateur Shield. The full time score was 1-1 thanks to a superb goal from Dee McEvoy, but all the drama came in the shoot-out with Marc Armstrong stopping two shots and Jamie Hastings scoring the winner, on his debut. The Reserves were held to a 1-1 draw by Charnock Richard Reserves; Andy Taylor getting the Garstang goal. Garstang Juniors went down 2-4 to Penwortham St Teresa's at the Beeches. 'Out muscled and out played at times' says Manager Gahan. Read his report here. And the Vets triumphed over Lancaster; 5-2 they think. Autopsy here.
First team match report here. Fixture Changes: There are several fixture changes in the confirmed November schedule. Most interestingly, the First Team now have no fixture on the day that the Reserves meet Thornton Cleveleys in the first round of the Houston Cup at The Riverside. Check the fixtures pages for more details or download the fixture lists here. Weekend Match Previews:
Last season, Garstang picked up a gale affected point in the league game at Coppull, winning the return by a comfortable 2-0, with goals from Cummins and Horton.
Garstang FC have a soft spot for this competition, of course, having won it in 1999/2000, beating Stand Athletic of the Manchester and District Premier League 4-1, in the final played at the Lancashire FA ground in Leyland. The winners of Saturday's tie will travel to either Crooklands Casuals, where we lost 0-1 in the same competition last year, or Wythenshawe Amateurs in the Second Round, to be played on October 3rd.
Directions: From M61 – Leave at J8, turning right to join the A6 for Chorley. Stay on the A6 through Chorley until you reach the B5251 right for Coppull. Continue to the Springfield pub, turning left into Springfield Road. The ground is at the end of the road.
Manager Bailey, whose team are undefeated in their last five outings, is clearly delighted with the stingeyness of his defence, but knows that they will need to be on top of their game to keep that run going. His team selection is, as ever, dependent upon the First Team calls. I'm sure we'd all like to earwig Stimmo and Bails' weekly team selection chat but, whatever the outcome, Bails knows he'll have a competitive outfit on the pitch. Kick off is at 3:00 pm. Read Bails' 'Second Thoughts' on last Saturday's Tempest game on the Reserve Team Newspage.
St Teresa's are a good side, beating Hoole away, 4-1, in midweek, so the Garstang lads, looking for their first points of the season, will need to be on top of their game - and their finishing! The late switch of venue for the Juniors does, unfortunately, mean that their game now clashes with that of Garstang Vets, who are playing at The Riverside on Sunday, also an 11:00 am kick off. The Vets, another year older and wider, are playing Lancaster Vets. Phil Blackwell: Fulwood Amateurs player Phil Blackwell is now recovering in hospital after suffering a heart attack over the weekend of August 29th. The midfielder, who is in his mid-20s, was rushed to hospital on Sunday night and spent some time in intensive care. Blackwell, who joined AFC Fylde from Fulwood in the summer of 2007, returned to Fulwood this summer after winning the Vodkat Premier Division title and FA Vase with Fylde. Garstang FC would like to add it’s voice to the many wishing Phil a speedy and complete recovery. Leading Scorers:
October 2009Weekend Results: As promised, Stimmo rang the changes for this one, but even he wouldn't have predicted this result. Three goals for on loan striker Mark Jackson, plus a couple more from Aaron Helliwell and Niall Cummins, sent a sizeable Garstang following home happy.
Match report now available.
Although the quality of the competition in the West Lancs Premier seems to get higher every season, and every one of Garstang FC's games has been tougher this season, there is one game that always stands out from the crowd and that is Saturdays visit to Charnock Richard. Last season's champions are again going well, although it's looking a much closer call this time with Wrens, Coppull and Vickerstown already inflicting defeats on them. Their early season was characterised by 13 league goals from summer signing Carl Grimshaw, ex Tempest United. Although he has been sidelined recently by hamstring problems, he is expected to make the bench, at least, on Saturday. In his absence, Randell and King have been getting the goals. Last season, both games were keenly contested; both finishing at 2-2. A straight talking Stimmo believes we still need another gear, his view is on the First Team Newspage, and he is prepared to use the Charnock Richard game as an indicator of where we are and what's to be done. This game is one 'not to miss', and it all kicks off at 2:30pm. Elsewhere, Euxton v Coppull and Stoneclough v Lostock both look tight games, Poulton make the treck to Dalton, and Darwen drop in on their neighbours Vickerstown. Garstang Reserves and Garstang Juniors both have blank weekends.
Directions: From M6 J27, follow the signs for A49 Standish. Head north on the A49 through Coppull and turn right onto Chorley Lane (B5251) at the Hinds Head Pub. Continue on the B5251 for approximately 1/2 mile and take the next turning left onto Charter Lane. The ground is 200 yards on the left.
Another familiar face returned to the Riverside this week as Seydou Bamba signed from Lancaster City. Seydou, who played a handful of games for Garstang FC towards the end of last season, is 'happy to be renewing acquaintances' with his former team mates.
Seydou Bamba Back at The Riverside: Seydou Bamba re-signed for Garstang FC this week from Lancaster City, despite being a key member of Tony Hesketh's squad at the Giant Axe. Mali born Seydou is in the UK on a student visa, he is in the final year of a Sports Coaching degree at UCLAN, and this has prevented him playing semi-pro football. As Stimmo says, 'Tony Hesketh is a big fan of Seydou's and has worked for some time to try and get him clearance to play. However, it has all been to no avail and Lancaster's loss is our gain.' Seydou played for Hesketh at Chorley, where Stimmo first saw him play, and subsequently followed him to Lancaster, pausing briefly at Garstang last spring whilst trying for a work permit. Whilst disappointed at being unable to play at a higher level, Seydou is very happy to be renewing acquaintances down at the Riverside, and he has already trained twice with the squad. 'My former colleagues at Lancaster were very respectful of Manager Stimpson and so I was pleased to come and play for him,' added Seydou, who is in the squad for this weekend's visit to Charnock Richard. Fixture Changes:
Also, the next round of the Amateur Shield will be played at the Riverside on November 14th, replacing the First Team visit to Euxton and also necessitating a postponement of the Reserves v Fulwood game scheduled that day. These changes are now confirmed. Lancashire Amateur Shield:
Ties to be played November 14th at 1:30pm. Weekend Results: Not unlike the league meeting between the two sides, an underperforming Garstang presented Darwen with a two goal half time lead; the second an unneccessary penalty. Unlike the league meeting, however, Garstang started the comeback early in the second half and goals from Niall Cummins and substitutes Geoff Wilson and Aaron Helliwell were enough to take us on to a quarter final visit from Golborne Sports on November 14th. Match report now on First Team Newspage. Garstang Reserves completed a successful weekend with a well deserved win over Turton at the Riverside; goals from Joe Miller, 'Dre Matichecchia, Ian Wormleighton and Rob Butler. The unexpected Turton goal came late on, by which time they were down to nine men! Match report now on Reserve Team Newspage.
What a Night: Going into the evening, I must admit that I was slightly concerned as, for the past few years, we have held very big events at Blackpool FC, with circa 370 people, and with the aura of that venue and the buzz of so many people, I was worried about what everyone’s expectations would be. Well; what a night! Les, my congratulations, and also to all those who helped you on the night. What a change for me to go not having to do anything prior, during, or after, bar a small speech which was made so easy by what had preceded me. To everyone who supported the event; a big thankyou. To the players; you’re a credit to your club. To Les, I cannot say how grateful I am to have you working for us all at Garstang FC, and to the committee for your continued support; thank you.
Steve Kindon? Brilliant; not just as a speaker but an entertainer and performer. I think you will all agree, he was brilliant! Mike Kelly was also very good and interacted with the audience excellently. And, last but not least, David Allison; thanks for keeping everything rolling along. Marc Armstrong; thanks for breaking the microphone, I felt the night worked better without it! Not sure Stimo was impressed with your handling and footwork though! Garstang FC should be proud of another successful event. Not only did we put on a great night, enjoyed by all, but we also raised some funds to help take the club forward. Thanks to everyone involved and, if you’re not involved yet, please come and support our teams. You will enjoy your time with us. Adrian Wilding
Sportsman's Evening:
In a full room, the audience were entertained by two of the best after dinner speakers on the circuit. Steve Kindon has now established himself as the top football speaker. Not only did he have the audience in stitches, but he made a great contribution when conducting the auction. It takes some doing to follow Steve when you are coming on as the comedian but, as so often seen before, Mike Kelly can do it with style. To me, he is the most under rated comedian in the country who can stand up with the best. On behalf of the club, I'd like to thank the MC for the Evening, David Allison, who did a great job, our Sponsors for the evening, Perfect 10, and all of you who attended and helped to make it such a great night. And yes, if you are asking, as often happens if everyone enjoys the evening, we did generate a substantial amount of money that will go towards the future development of the club. Les Taylor Weekend Match Previews:
Darwen currently occupy 11th place, only having played ten games but, having won four and lost four of the ten, they have yet to strike consistant form. A good 3-0 win at Coppull a couple of weeks ago was offset, last week, by a heavy 1-4 defeat at Fulwood Amateurs. In the Shield, the expected victory over Springfields was followed by a good 1-0 win on the road at Furness Cavaliers to set up this weekend's tie. Kick off is at 2:00pm.
Despite last Saturday's very good win at Vickerstown, the First Team are still 'curate's egg-ish', as you can read in Stimmo's View on the First Team Newspage. With a more settled looking defence taking shape, however, and fierce competition for places in the starting line up, Stimmo will be looking to reverse that earlier league result. Mill Hill St Peters or Golbourne Sports will be visiting the victors in the next round; the Quarter Final.
Directions: Follow the M65 to J4 and turn left at the lights on to the A666 for Darwen. In approximately 1/4 mile, turn left between Anchor Car Sales and Anchor Hotel. The ground is 200 yards ahead, on the left.
Turton's season to date has them mid table, largely following form by losing to those above them and beating those below. Last season, in a game that no-one will admit taking part in, Turton won at the Riverside 2-0, although Garstang did redress the balance, winning the away fixture 2-1. Manager Bailey, as you can read on the Reserve Team Newspage, will be looking for his team to 'pick it up where they left it' in the victory over Euxton.
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they take the field this time as the much more snappily named Slyne with Hest FC. Managed by Ian Roe, a midfielder who played for Morecambe and Lancaster City, they are coached by a well known and respected ex Morecambe player, Michael 'Knasher' Knowles who played many games under Jim Harvey in the Conference. Playing in Division One of the West Lancs, Slyne finished in fifth place last term.
Garstang Juniors Pre-Season:
I have been slightly frustrated in my efforts to sign certain players so far but, it is understandable, as these players still harbour ambitions of playing semi-pro. I am sure, however, that when the likes of Messrs. Hesketh, Ashcroft and Greenwood, have decided on their final squads, a number of potential signings will be at hand. I regularly speak to these three, and other contacts in the semi-pro game, and feel we will be in a good position to make quality signings. 
July 28th 14:00 hrs
Mike's Sportsworld:
The FA Charter Standard:
can any spectator, therefore please read the draft version of the document 
Our own leagues are not yet confirmed but, with Barnoldswick Reserves presumably departing and Burnley Belvedere dropping out of the league altogether, even BAC/Springfields may avoid relegation from Reserve Division One, with Haslingden St Mary's Reserves and Fleetwood Hesketh Reserves coming up to join the party.
Today provides the first tangible evidence of all the 'behind the scenes' activities that have been working to bring junior football back to Garstang and Garstang FC, with the launch of the Garstang Juniors pages as a sub-site within the main structure.
Cockerham Juniors at Pendle:
Garstang Juniors U16s:
Good for the fans: But it’s not just about the players; it is also a good way for supporters and local businesses to help the club, to become more involved, and to be seen to be more involved. 
The "Score" Lottery got underway in January and it has proved a great success, both from a financial point of view, and also from a Community view. Pictures of local winners in the press every month help to create an awareness of Garstang Football Club. However, much more work needs to be done to increase the membership. We have gone to the trouble to set it up and we must now maximise our income. 
April Team of the Month:
There are pastures new(ish) for the Garstang FC First Team on Saturday when they head for newly promoted Tempest United. Despite beating Lostock St Gerard's* to the First Division Championship last season, the fortunes of the two clubs have proved to be very different, so far, in the Premiership.
Garstang Reserves v Poulton Reserves:
Garstang Reserves v Freckleton Reserves: Monday night's visitors have had a good start to the season. Although losing their opener 1-2 at Norcross, they were up against most of the Norcross first team, and went on to prove their credentials with a 3-0 home victory over Thornton Cleveleys. The weekend saw them away at Haslingden, however, where the home side dented their confidence a little, finding the goals to go with the form shown at our place, winning by three goals to one.
Garstang v Vickerstown: As with our visit to Dalton last week, Vickerstown too have found a short straw as they make the even longer trek to The Riverside on Tuesday. Last season, an early defeat on the road for Garstang was followed by a mid-season exit from the Richardson Cup on penalties at The Riverside, before they finally got the better of Vickerstown, winning 3-1 at home near the season end in an entertaining game featuring eight yellows and a red!
Garstang FC v Haslingden St Mary's: It's the turn of 'St Mary's' first team to visit The Riverside this week, trying their luck against several of the Garstang First Team who masqueraded as the Reserves last week. Kick off is at 3:00 pm.
Following last Saturday's unusual outing, where the team was selected from the full available playing squad, it's back to business as normal on Monday as Garstang Reserves make the short trip to Norcross & Warbreck Reserves for a 6:45 pm kick off.
The Garstang FC First Team start the new season, in their own shirts, with a difficult away fixture at Dalton United. Manager Stimpson, who is still assessing his strengths at 'the start of his tenure', will have some players back from their weekend unavailability, but may have that tempered by the outcome of knocks picked up by Kilifin, Cummins and Brooks. You can read the rest of Stimmo's 'eve of season' thoughts on the First Team Newspage, 
Dalton, managed by Jon Balm, who played alongside Stimmo in a former life, snuck home 3-2 on Saturday against a Turton side who can play some good football with the sun on their backs. The words 'Dalton' and 'sun' don't often feature in the same sentence, as visitors to their Railway Meadow last season will attest, Garstang sinking to a 2-4 defeat there last autumn in the first game under Scott Somerside. Garstang edged out Dalton 1-0 in the return at The Riverside later in the season, and edged them into fourth place in the league at the end. So, a difficult start, but a good place to start building Stimmo's 'Rome'.
The overall event was won by Bradshaw Farm Shop with an excellent score of 89 points. The football club will be donating an amount of money to C.R.Y, the chosen charity of David Quinney’s family. Garstang FC would like to thank Garstang Golf Club and Ryan Done Golf Academy for their help in making the day a success. 
Garstang FC hop down to Eagley FC on Saturday for a game which, on paper, should not trouble a resilient First Team still smiling from the mugging that they gave Turton last Saturday. But, as every footballer and football hack since Vlad the Impaler knows, 'оно не сыграно на бумаге'.
Another final reminder: this time for the Sporstman's Evening, featuring Steve Kindon, to be held on Thursday October 22nd at the Pickerings Hotel. 
Riverside to Host Tesco Cup Game:
Back to league business for Garstang FC this weekend with the visit of Turton FC to The Riverside; kick off is at 3:00pm. Turton, who had a bye in the first round of the Lancashire Amateur Shield last week, also rested the week before that when their home game against Coppull United was rained off. Carrying the reputation of a strong side who can also play a bit of football, they are having a disappointing start to the current season by their standards, although, looking at the results, one suspects that the local 'Wakes' happen in August for them as well!
Manager Stimpson, whilst enjoying the attacking contribution made by his two on-loan players, Ward and Helliwell, will have been focusing his attention on his defence during the week as his normally solid back four did suffer more than a few 'momentary lapses in concentration' at Tempest. For the game, he is still without Adam Brooks and Geoff Wilson, Jim Brindle joining them on the naughty step this week, so his team selection is awaited with interest! Read 'Stimmo's View' on the First Team Newspage.
If you're not 'up for the cup', then Garstang Reserves have an equally tasty fixture on Saturday when Charnock Richard Reserves are the visitors. Charnock, who finished mid table last season, have certainly kicked off this one with a bang and, along with leaders Euxton Villa, they remain unbeaten. They currently occupy third place in the table, one point behind Garstang, by virtue of having played two fewer games. Euxton Villa have a tough outing away at Fulwood at the weekend. Last season, Charnock Reserves drew this fixture at The Riverside, the first game of the season, but rolled us 4-0 in the return.
Bamba Back:
The League have recommended earlier kick off times for next Saturday following the clock change - you did didn't you? The Charnock Richard v Garstang game will now kick off at 2:30pm.
Nights like this make it all worthwhile and give you the buzz, confidence and, most importantly, the encouragement to get the job done. Garstang is moving forward, and will continue to do so with this level of support and commitment. 
Reporting on the Sportsman's Evening held at the Pickerings Hotel on Thursday 22nd October; we are proud to announce a resounding success - to those of you who didn't attend!
Back to the Lancashire Shield this weekend for Garstang FC, and back to AFC Darwen where we lost 2-3 back in August. We were poor that day, giving away two penalties, and only the customary big push at the end rescued us from an embarrassing 0-3 defeat..jpg)