Town Catch up with Bob Crockford

Town catch up with Fan Bob Crockford to hear his thoughts on the season so far as we reach the halfway point in the NWCFL Premier Division.

At the halfway mark in the season, a good time to look back and see how it has gone. Having seemingly lost out on promotion by losing in the Play-off final to Abbey Hey on penalties last season, a number of players departed for pastures new, whereupon promotion was then secured due to league geographical changes and an extra space being available….so into the long striven for Premier Division!

Many new players joined at the start of the season and since, plus the return of last season’s top scorer Dan McLaughlin, as long-term injuries to several players took their toll on the squad. Sorely missed are Jamie Walsh, Toby Green, James Vincent and Josh Edwards and we trust they are recovering well. We hope to see Sam Hare back playing soon too.

At the 23 games played point, Town are sitting in a very creditable 9th, just 6 points outside the play-offs, which for their first season at this level is extremely satisfying. Form has ebbed and flowed with Town having had better form on the road, winning 7 and drawing 1 with notable wins at Irlam to start the season with a bang and then notable wins at Charnock Richard, Burscough and a smashing 6-2 away win at AFC Liverpool - the most goals Town have scored in a goal so far this season. Town got off to a great start and the first 8 games produced 5 wins and 2 draws. Since then things have fluctuated somewhat but a recent run of 4 wins in late October/early November is great to see. The recent 3-2 home win against Chadderton was a really great game of football, eclipsed only by the dazzling display of cards from the referee, possibly some kind of record, 11 yellows, 2 reds and 2 sin bins, one for the connoisseur. Two odd results, and defeats to boot have been home losses to teams who were, at that point, bottom of the table, i.e. Glossop and Colne. This probably goes to show how competitive this league is and on the day, anyone can beat anyone it seems. Fortunes in the cup tournaments have been mixed, going out at the first hurdle in the FA Cup to 1874 Northwich, who brought with them ex-Lion Scott McGowan, and in the Cheshire Senior Cup to Winsford. Town got further in the FA Vase, reaching the 1st round proper but went out 0-2 at West Didsbury and Chorlton. They are still in the Macron Cup where Droylsden will be their next opponents in a few weeks.

Attendances are a healthy average of 225 with the crowd still enjoying the fabulous pies and beer from Judith’s bar. The eagle-eyed will have also observed the new goal nets, fitted shortly after a goal-bound shot in the FC St Helens  game managed to go straight through the seam of the net!

So….onwards and upwards!!

COME ON YOU LIONS!!!