Download - 41 Ramsbottom United v Whitby Town
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Hello and welcome to the Harry Williams Riverside Stadium for
tonight’s game, especially to all those who have travelled from
the East Coast and the beautiful town of Whitby.
We played Whitby only a few weeks ago in what turned out to
be one of our most frustrating nights so far this season. We didn't
have a centre forward available which meant Mr Howson had to
exit his defensive duties and spearhead our attack - to be fair we
were beaten by a very good side on the night and if not for the
skipper (Shents) we'd have taken a real hammering. e lads are
still disappointed with that performance and can't wait for the
chance to put a few wrongs right.
We are now a third of the way through the season (15 games)
and we sit in a decent fourth position. e top three teams have
got a little bit of a cushion in front of us but we're hopeful that
with a string of wins we can close that gap quite quickly. Behind
us in the table is getting very congested as teams are all beating
each other, but Skem have shown if you can put a run together
you can pull away from the chasing pack which has now got to
be our aim.
On the player front we are more or less at full strength. We had
a behind-closed-doors friendly last Tuesday at Chorley and were
able to field two different starting elevens which shows how
strong the squad currently is. Lee Gaskell is back in full training
and Lee Pugh is over his hamstring issue. e only other players
still out are George Grayson who needs to have a scan on his knee
that he picked up at Frickley and obviously Andy Dawson is still
waiting from his specialist as to when he can start training again.
Finally, I have to mention the crowds this season. e numbers
have been staggering at home and Saturday’s was the icing on
the cake. I'm pretty certain that 470 has got to be one of our top
three crowds so well done to you supporters for getting behind
the boys, they love it I can assure you.
COYR
- Johnno
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Welcome to the Harry Williams
Riverside Stadium. A special welcome to
our match officials this evening, and, of
course, our visitors from Whitby Town.
We enjoyed the company of Buxton on
Saturday – one of my favourite places –
and now a team from another town that
I always enjoy visiting.
Whitby have already beaten us at their
place this season, and as we meet them
again in less than a fortnight in the FA
Trophy, I think it’s fair to say that we’ll be
sick of the sight of one another come 2nd
November!
It will be another tough encounter
tonight as this run of three home games
in eleven days comes to an end, but we’ve
already chalked up two wins, so,
hopefully, we will be going all out for the
hat-trick today.
Another fine performance on Saturday
against one of the top teams in the
league. I had a wry smile on my face early
in the second half, though. eir No. 2
had been lucky to stay on the pitch after
a first half fracas, and thinking they
would save him from possible further
punishment, the Bucks management
team decided to substitute him at half-
time. Didn’t quite have the
desired effect though, did
it? Within two minutes
of coming on, the
substitute was shown a straight red for
giving away the penalty!
Overall, we thoroughly deserved the
three points, and, whisper it quietly, it
looks as though we are finally getting to
grips with this new level of football. It’s
continuing to prove attractive and the
locals certainly appear to be embracing
what the team is doing. A superb crowd
of 470 on Saturday was way above what
we could have envisaged only a few short
years back. Credit to the locals – and, no
doubt, one or two from further afield –
for supporting the lads. It is much
appreciated.
I even heard that on Saturday, a couple
of people came up from Portsmouth,
which is quite amazing seeing as how the
Pompey were playing just six miles away
at the JD Stadium. Mind you, seeing that
Bury beat them 3-0, it was probably a
wise choice!
ONLY IN NON-LEAGUE
Heard a lovely tale last week
concerning Blyth Spartans visit to Belper
Town. Apparently a group of Spartans
supporters were stood behind the Belper
keeper, and they were making the
weekend one of celebration as they were
enjoying a bachelor party. As is usually
the case, much good humoured banter
occurred between them and the
tony cunninghamand the wonderful world of
non-league football
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custodian during the game, and the keeper
obviously enjoyed it, as the Blyth lads moved
on to Nottingham for a night out….and the
keeper joined them!! Talk about the
camaraderie of non-league football.
PLEASE FEEL FREE
Perhaps it’s because I’m cocooned in my
box these days, but I can happily report that
not too many critical comments have reached
my ears this season concerning my choices of
music at matches. Yes, I know they are mainly
older records, but there again, so am I!
However, should anyone wish to put
together a compilation on a CD of tunes that
they feel would be appreciated by the
supporters, then please do so. I will gladly
receive all such discs, and play them all for
your delight and delectation!
JOIN US ON SATURDAY
I have to say that despite the distances
being travelled this season (Whitby Town…
.you have my sympathies!), the away support
that we have been welcoming down here at
the HWRS has exceeded my expectations.
So too has the away support following the
Rams, which appears to be much larger than
during our NWCFL days. Obviously a result of
the increased attendances here, and it’s great
going to away games and seeing so many
familiar faces, and I know the players
appreciate the effort that is put in by the fans.
With that in mind, I shall be making my first
visit to Marine for quite a few years on
Saturday, and with the team playing so well, I
hope that as many of you as possible will be
making the relatively short trip to Crosby.
Enjoy your non-league football!
Buxton’s answer to LuisSuarez ends up in theNaughty Corner after hisreaction to Jordan’senthusiastic tackle
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Another clean sheet, and a relatively
quiet game against one of the top teams
- you must be happy with that
performance.
I said a few weeks ago to you that I want
a game in which I'm a spectator. So I'm
very happy with a clean sheet. e lads in
front of me were awesome, every one of
them - the three in the middle of the
park just played out of their skins. Our
back four was solid, and there wasn’t a
single shot on goal all game, so everyone
played their part inthe clean sheet. It's a
great feeling.
e reverse situation to last week, with
a penalty and their player sent off. Is it
the Rammy fighting spirit that saw us win
last week's game 4-2 while Buxton
seemed to all but crumple.
I think there's a few factors in both
games. Last week we lost a man but with
the type of game we play we were still
comfortable. But against Buxton they
lost a man and we used that to our
advantage. We used the ball really well
and made it very hard for them.
Buxton are a good side and I
believe this was the first time
they haven't scored in the
league. But I think even with
eleven men on the pitch we
would have come out with
the win untroubled.
After Saturday's game the fans feel on
top of the world, as though Rammy can
go all the way to the play-offs. Do the
players share that feeling, or are they a bit
more pessimistic?
All the lads in the changing room know
we are good enough to go above and
beyond because of the ability on the
pitch and the knowledge of the
management team. We are a very young
squad with few older guys so every game
adds to that experience, and we will only
get better, so why not? Little rammy
knocking on the promotion door again!
Whitby again tonight - a team who did
for us at their place earlier in the season,
albeit with us missing a whole load of
players. Do you think they'll be seeing a
very different Rammy performance this
time around?
Again another good side. At their place
I would say that is the only game where
we didn't play at 50% of our capabilities,
but I think that's down to them playing
well. And yes we had few lads out but the
lads we bring in have the quality to be in
the team. Saying that, this will be a
different rammy and another
entertaining game for the fans with
hopefully another rammy win if we do
our jobs well.
grant shentonshouting from between the sticks
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Only two minutes on the pitchand the Buxton sub shuvs Wizfor a penalty, showing thatperhaps number 2 wasn’t allthat bad after all!
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Like the Napoleonic armies prior to reaching the gates
of Moscow, Buxton had been unbeaten on their travels so
far this season but found themselves similarly repelled at
the Riverside Ground returning home disheveled,
disheartened and thoroughly defeated. e score line did
not reflect the Rams superiority over the full 90 minutes
or a performance that was almost complete and perfect
in its execution.
For a few weeks there has been signs of the brewing storm
which swept Buxton away; the odd thunderous attack and
lightening strike in the area. On Saturday all the elements
came together as the Rams gave a sustained display of solid
defence, control in midfield and accurate passing at pace
in attack. e win was based on 3 partnerships; Steve
Howson, firm and resolute, and Cedric Krou all languid
elegance in interception and distribution, denying Buxton
sight of never mind an effort on goal; Scott Burton and
Gary Stopforth whose return to full match fitness is no
coincidence with the teams uplift in form providing a firm
base to allow Grant Spencer to roam and torment at will
and not least Joel Pilkington and Phil Dean down the left .
2 - 0Harry Williams Riverside Stadium
18th October 2014
Att: 470
Rammy Goals: Abadaki (49), Dean (69)
Buxton Goals:
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2 - 0Harry Williams Riverside Stadium
18th October 2014
Att: 470
Rammy Goals: Abadaki (49), Dean (69)
Buxton Goals:
For 45 minutes there was an intriguing tussle between
Dean and Steve Istead Buxton's right full back. It was
matador against bull, Dean attacking at pace with feint
and dummy Istead lunging in, turned in and out,
sticking to his task bravely but with building
desperation and by half time having been booked only
one mistimed tackle away from a red card.
Buxton sensing that dilemma substituted him at half
time- but what false economy. e first touch of his
replacement Stuart Ludlum was a push into Phil Dean's
back, clear in the area just two minutes into the second
half. Red card not having touched the ball! Osebi
Abadaki ripped the penalty high into the roof of the
net. Jordan Hulme had a chance to double the lead
moments later only to skew wide but it was just a
matter of time before the Rams scored again with a
goal of beauty in its construction and finish. On 69
minutes a double exchange at pace and with precision
between Hulme and Spencer carved out yards of space
for Dean on the corner of the box. Dean with the cold
eyed calmness of the matador delivering the final
thrust steadied himself, touched the ball forward and
sent a shot screaming past a bewildered goalkeeper
into the far corner. Quite superb.
A flurry of substitutions took some heat out of the
Rams attack but there was still time for Tom Williams
to show the virtue of the early well delivered ball from
wide into the box and Nelson Mota contriving to walk
around the keeper twice in the same movement but
not find the net from inside the 6 yard box. ere are
tough matches ahead but momentum and belief is
growing that this just might be another extraordinary
season.
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Here we go again! Yet another thing for
us all to get outraged about. Can’t the
media let us just have a nice sit down
with our cup of tea without needing to
whip us up into yet another frenzy of
outrage. Whether it’s immigration or
nude celebrity photos, Ebola or
Wembley attendances, there’s always
some outrage for the Daily Mail or the
BBC to wave in our faces to try and get
us wound up. is time it’s the BBC
releasing its annual ‘Cost of Football’
report, and once again we have to put
up with Jeremy Vine spouting his
inciting rhetoric at poor builders,
plumbers and chefs who just want to do
their job in peace while listening to a bit
of music.
e media has cherry-picked all the
worst statistics, taken them out of
context, and has started trying to thrust
outrage on us - and we buy into it, we
get outraged about it! We hear about
the obscene player wages, about the
ridiculous price of pies, and the fact
that a season ticket at Southend
costs you more than one at
City and we start ranting.
e biggest headline
seems to be that
non-league
Kidderminster charges a mammoth
£4.50 for a pie, while those loveable
crafty cockneys at Arsenal only charge
you £3.50. But if you dig through the
bare statistics, you very quickly discover
that things are perhaps not quite as
simple as the BBC tries to make out - are
they ever?
To pick the example of the pies - go
and have a look at the famous
Kidderminster Pie. It’s a Shepherd’s Pie in
a chinese takeaway tin ‘the size of your
face’ as one supporter so eloquently put
it on his blog. e people of
Kidderminster could feed a family of
four for a week on one of these things.
What do you think a standard Arsenal
pie is like? Do you reckon it’s home-
made by a lovely old fella in a pinnie?
And then if you look at admission
prices you have to ask yourself if they
can be taken at face value, or whether
there’s more to it than just the pound
signs.
Let’s compare, for example, Salford
City and Rammy. Backed by a multi-
millionaire, with a handful of “class of 92”
players on-board, what percentage of
club income do you think needs to
come from gate receipts at Salford?
Indeed, would the gate receipts even
the price of footballoutrage at the rising
costs of watching the beautiful game
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come close to covering the playing
budget for a week? With that kind of
financial backing the setting of the
admission prices is almost arbitrary, or at
least of relatively minor significance. At
Rammy however, the admission price is
absolutely crucial as it’s virtually the only
income that the club has, and the only
means of paying the bills. If Salford spend
more each week than they’re getting in
gate receipts then they will just need to
stump up a bit themselves. e same
situation at Rammy would see the club
going to the wall overnight like so many
others up and down the pyramid.
So when we’re comparing the
admission prices at somewhere like
Chelsea to those at Bury, we need to
scratch through the superficial surface
of those statistics and look instead at the
reasons that prices are as they are.
If you pick up a copy of the Premier
League table, you can reel off ‘e Big
Five’ teams straight away. Chelsea,
Manchester City, Manchester United,
Arsenal and Liverpool. ese are the
clubs for whom gate receipts are almost
an incidental income. With fans buying
shirts all over the world, huge company
backers and investors, and massive telly
and sponsorship deals these clubs can
almost view their supporters as being
the studio audience. If you’re signing
Angel di Maria for almost £60 million
while selling hundreds of thousands of
shirts in Japan and the Middle East then
what’s a couple of quid here and there
on ticket prices?
But to teams such as Stoke or Burnley,
who you could never call big players on
the world stage when it comes to shirt
sales, the admission price is absolutely
critical.
Arsenal’s admission prices are
completely insane, as are those of their
minted London neighbours’ Chelsea.
Arsenal v Manchester
City at a packed
Emirates last season
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I even remember hearing the Arsenal
Chief Executive proudly state, on
opening their new stadium, that
although Old Trafford is bigger, the
Emirates takes more in gate receipts! He
was proud of this - proud of screwing his
own fans. And it IS all about screwing his
own fans because, just like Salford City,
Arsenal aren’t dependent on the
admission money. ey don’t need every
last penny of it to survive, and they don’t
need to rip real fans off to be able to
afford players costing tens of millions.
While Stoke charge what they need to
charge, clubs like Arsenal charge
whatever the hell they think they can get
away with. e saddest thing is that the
ground continues to be full every week,
and this says more about their
‘customers’ than their management...
When it comes to outrage in football,
few subjects cause more foaming at the
mouth than the amount of money that
players are paid in wages, and that clubs
are willing to stump up in transfer fees.
It horrifies me when clubs like
Everton or West Brom start
coppering up their loose
change to try and bring
in players that they
patently just cannot
afford. However - and this opinion is
likely to get my lynched - e Top Five
clubs CAN afford to pay, and indeed
they NEED to pay, because they aren’t
football clubs that work like the rest of
us. ey are enormous branded
franchises that need to be seen to be the
biggest and best. ey need to stay one
of e Big Five and in order to do that
they need to compete at the very top
level. ere is only one Ronaldo, Rooney,
Robin van Persie, and the club who has
that player will sell shirts, boots, scarves
and overpriced little red flags all over the
world. e Top Five clubs can afford to
pay out the insane money, and there will
always be a full house of gullible fools
willing to stump up the ridiculously
inflated admission prices to have the
experience of watching these players
take the field. e Top Five clubs are
currently this country’s biggest exports,
and they run their businesses extremely
well - who are we to criticise? While their
stadia are full and their shirts are selling
all over the world, who are we to
complain? How they spend that money,
whether it be on transfer fees or private
jets, is up to them, and they’re doing a
damn fine job of it.
We just have to remember that they
“e Big Five are enormous brandedfranchises that need to be seen to be
the biggest and best”
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are an elite league and this is not football
as we know and love it.
So e Top Five are a law unto
themselves, and are able to compete on
that world stage. e real game of
football starts when you rule that lot out
of the equation. e real game of football
involves Bolton, West Brom, Sunderland,
Stoke and so on down. ese are the
teams that don’t have the multi-
billionaire backers and the worldwide
marketing deals, and the biggest mistake
these clubs can make is to try and
compete with e Big Five- they will
never manage it, and if they try then they
will flounder in the process. And this is
where my heart sinks for English football.
As a teenager I used to watch Preston
in Division Four, and as we got battered
by Whitley Bay on a drizzling January
evening I would dream of one day seeing
the Mighty Northend taking the field at
Anfield or at (then) Highbury. We got
promoted, and then again. Under David
Moyes we found ourselves in the playoffs
for the Premiership, and it was then that
I realised, having seen the fate of Bolton
Wanderers, Coventry and Blackburn
Rovers, that the dream was an empty
one. Little Preston would never compete
with those giants. e end of every
season would see us clinging on to a 1-1
draw by the fingernails, praying we’d
avoid relegation yet again. What kind of
joy is there in that? e dream of
promotion is all very well, but what fun
is it being the little kid who gets beaten
up at school every day?
Just like Harry Williams, Baxi ran
Northend sensibly. ey never over-spent
on the budget, chasing something that
was unsustainable, and that’s why the
club continued to exist. What happened
since is woeful, as is the case of many a
club dreaming of the unattainable Big
Time, but we won’t go into that.
Portsmouth fan Graham Scholes
brought his family to Rammy even
though Portsmouth were just four
miles up the road at Bury
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England’s current plight is a fine
example of a club that’s trying to ‘walk
the talk’ as would be said by those
corporate shiny arses who miss ten
minutes of each second half cos they’re
still in the bar. e FA is trying to
emulate e Big Five when they
promote the club, create their brand and
attempt to charge far too much for
tickets. ey need to open their eyes to
the reality that England doesn’t have the
big backers, doesn’t have the investment,
corporate wherewithall, sponsorship or
fanatical religious support that e Big
Five has. Truth be told, we’re all born
England fans, and we’re stuck with it. We
can’t just choose to support Brazil in the
same way most of e Big Five fans
chose their team.
Another inevitable reality for England
is that they always lose - that’s not a
condemnation of the quality of the
team, but it’s the nature of the
competitions that they enter. Only one
team ever wins the World Cup or the
European Championships and
that team has to be the best in
Europe or the World. If
you’re not that team
then every time you
will crash and burn in
hopeless despair - as has always
happened every year since 1966. Fans
can’t take that kind of misery every
couple of years- they want success, they
want goals and wins and to be top of the
league. e Big Five are e Big Five
because they win stuff, and they don’t
scrape out dull wins against San Marino
or Andorra. By the very nature of
internationals, unless England becomes
the best in the world, they will never win
anything! at’s why you can’t charge
top Premier League admission for
England matches, you just don’t have the
fanatical support outside of a couple of
thousand tub-thumpers who go all over
the world with England - the same fans
who’ve just had their points system
changed, screwing their years of loyalty!
Big mistake, but that’s a different issue.
e question for all football clubs
outside e Big Five needs to be, “What
are you trying to achieve?”
As I’ve grown older, wiser (and
chubbier) I’ve learnt that what matters
is the ride. Whether they will admit it or
not, clubs like FC United will inevitably
become everything that they despise as
they rise up through the leagues, or they
will be easily swept aside by the
opposition. AFC Fylde, Salford City and
“my advice to those people gettingoutraged about the BBC report is
to vote with their feet”
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Warrington Town seem to be striving for
some elusive and nebulous pipe dream that
I can’t ever see them achieving, certainly
not when the money wanders off.
So what should we all be trying to
achieve? We have to strive towards
something, and yes, the aim for Rammy has
to be onwards and upwards. Seeing Rammy
enter the Football League would be a
fantastic day, but the day itself would be
the realisation of that dream. To compete
in the league (or even in the Conference)
will require the club to lose just about
everything that it currently is, and end up
just like all the other Accringtons, Burtons
and Shrewsburys. For me it is about the
ride, and about the friendships made along
the way. Yes, the club will need to work on
drumming up more sponsorship, put work
into producing merchandise and possibly
hunting down some decent financial
backing, but at the end of the day we’re
here for the passion of the football and of
the supporters, a grass roots passion that
will inevitably disappear the higher we rise
up the leagues.
As to the price of supporting Rammy, it’s
gone up 28% this season, which is a
mammoth rise when you look down the
BBC’s report, but this rise is to pay for the
increase in expectations that we now have.
Knowing the way Harry is, this rise WILL
pay the bills, not just the interest on bills,
and not just the loan repayments to some
evil circling shark of a property
developer/speculator who wants to build
executive appartments without a care
about the flooding issues. Knowing Harry,
the decision to increase prices has not been
made lightly or from a position of greed,
but from a position of grounded reality.
And so my advice to those people
wanting to get outraged about the BBC’s
report is to calm down and vote with their
feet - get their whinging arses down to a
decent non-league club and discover what
real football is like, played by real players in
front of real supporters.
Harry Williams - doing it right!
p
Sat 16th Aug H KING’S LYNN TOWN 2-3 322 Shenton Smalley Pugh Spencer Howson PriestleyTues 19th Aug A Workington 0-1 415 Shenton Smalley Pugh Spencer * Howson PriestleySat 23rd Aug A Rushall Olympic 4-2 161 Shenton Smalley Pugh Spencer * Howson PriestleyMon 25th Aug H NANTWICH TOWN 1-4 365 Shenton Smalley Abadaki * Spencer + Howson PriestleySat 30th Aug A FC United of Manchester 1-3 1917 Shenton Smalley Pilkington Spencer Howson WarrenderTues 2nd Sept H MARINE 3-2 250 Shenton Smalley + Pilkington Spencer Howson 1 KrouSat 6th Sept H STAMFORD 3-1 357 Shenton Smalley Pilkington Spencer + Howson 1 WarrenderWed 10th Sept A Whitby Town 0-2 265 Shenton Smalley Pilkington Spencer Howson WarrenderSat 13th Sept A Buxton FAC 1Q 2-3 261 Shenton Smalley Pilkington # Spencer Howson Warrender +Tues 16th Sept H WITTON ALBION 3-2 231 Shenton Smalley Pilkington Spencer * Howson Krou 1Sat 20th Sept A Ilkeston 4-2 422 Shenton Smalley Pugh Spencer * Howson Krou 1Tues 23rd Sept H CURZON ASHTON 1-1 309 Shenton Grayson * Pugh Spencer 1 Howson KrouSat 27th Sept A Frickley Athletic 2-4 215 Shenton Pilkington Grayson + Stopforth Howson KrouSat 4th Oct A Trafford 1-0 294 Shenton Smalley Pugh Stopforth Howson KrouSat 11th Oct H BELPER TOWN 4-2 371 Shenton Smalley Pilkington Stopforth Howson KrouSat 18th Oct H BUXTON 2-0 470 Shenton Smalley Pilkington Stopforth Howson KrouTues 21st Oct H WHITBY TOWNSat 25th Oct A MarineSat 1st Nov A Whitby Town FAT 1QTues 4th Nov H WORKINGTONSat 8th Nov A Halesowen TownTues 11th Nov H WEST DIDS Lancs CupTues 18th Nov A Witton AlbionSat 22nd Nov H GRANTHAM TOWNTues 25th Nov H BURSCOUGH Lg CupSat 29th Nov H BARWELLSat 6th Dec A Matlock TownSat 13th Dec H RUSHALL OLYMPICSat 20th Dec A King’s Lynn TownFri 26th Dec H ASHTON UNITEDThu 1st Jan A Nantwich TownSat 3rd Jan A Curzon AshtonSat 10th Jan H TRAFFORDSat 17th Jan A Belper TownSat 24th Jan H FRICKLEY ATHLETICSat 31st Jan A BuxtonSat 7th Feb H BLYTH SPARTANSSat 14th Feb A StamfordSat 21st Feb A StourbridgeSat 28th Feb H ILKESTONSat 7th March A Skelmersdale UnitedSat 14th March H STOURBRIDGESat 28th March A Grantham TownSat 4th April H FC UNITED OF MCRMon 6th April A Ashton UnitedSat 11th April H HALESOWEN TOWNSat 18th April A BarwellSat 25th April H MATLOCK TOWN
fixtures & results 2014/15
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Hulme 1 Burton Gaskell Robinson 1* Dean + Pilkington Slaven Abadaki + Ahmadi * CookHulme Burton Gaskell Robinson + Dean # Pilkington * Slaven + Abadaki Ahmadi # CookHulme 1+ Burton Robinson 1# Pilkington Dean 2 Abadaki * Slaven + Ahmadi # Cook WilliamsHulme Burton Robinson 1 Pilkington Dean Williams Slaven Cook * Krou + Morley
Warrender Abadaki + Slaven Robinson * Hulme 1# Dean Williams + Krou * Cook # Morley JohnsonAbadaki Burton * Slaven 1 Hulme 1 Dean # Williams # Robinson * Cook + Morley Johnson
Warrender Abadaki Burton Slaven * Hulme 1# Dean 1 Williams + Robinson # Cook Morley Krou *Warrender Abadaki Burton Slaven + Krou Dean Mota + Cook Williams Johnson MorleyWarrender + Abadaki Burton Krou Hulme Dean * Mota * Williams + Pugh # Johnson Morley
Abadaki Burton Mota # Hulme 2 Dean + Pugh Williams # Irwin Slaven * Cook +Abadaki + Burton 1 Pilkington Hulme 1 Williams 1# Dean + Mota # Irwin Slaven * CookAbadaki # Stopforth Pilkington Hulme Williams + Burton + Dean * Mota Robinson # CookMota 1* Burton Spencer Hulme Robinson 1# Williams * Cook + Dean # Morley AbadakiAbadaki * Burton Mota + Hulme Spencer # Robinson 1# Williams + Slaven Pilkington Dean *Abadaki 1 * Burton Hulme # Spencer + Dean 2 Williams * Mota Slaven Robinson 1+ Gaskell #Abadaki 1 * Burton Hulme Spencer # Dean 1 + Williams + Mota * Slaven Robinson # Pugh
MATCHBAL
Today’s other league fixtures:
Barwell v Stamford
Belper v Stourbridge
Blyth v Skelmersdale
Frickley v Buxton
Grantham v Nantwich
Halesowen v Rushall
Kings Lynn v Ilkeston
Matlock v FC United
Trafford v Ashton United
County Cup:
Bootle v Marine
fixtures & results 2014/15
Ramsbottom United Sponsorship
A range of sponsorship packages to suit all budgets are now
available, including pitchside advertising from £150, matchball
sponsorship at £40 and corporate hospitality packages from
just £25 per person.
For more details call 07576 390762 or email
p
1. What colours do Coalville Town play in?
2. Whose ground, that used to be called Hope Street, is now known as Valerie
Park?
3. Which club is bottom of the NWCFL Premier Division?
4. Who is the manager of AFC Telford?
5. Stamford is in which county?
6. Which Evo-Stik club plays at the wonderfully named “Home of Football
Stadium”?
7. Joe Connor scored the only goal of the game last Saturday to win the game for
which Conference club?
8. Who scored Bradford PA’s only goal on the same day?
9. Which Welsh club plays at Belle Vue?
10. Grant Spencer’s brother, Scott, moved from Hyde to which other Conference
club this summer?
ANSWERS: 1. Black and White 2. Prescot Cables 3. Bacup and Rossendale Borough 4. Liam Watson 5. Lincolnshire
6. Sheffield 7. Southport 8. Billy Priestley! 9. Rhyl 10. Stockport County
tony’s teasers
p
Well, now we’ve done it! Some bright
spark had the (dangerous) idea of
letting the fans have our say in the
matchday programme. And so here is
that page!
What we’re after is anything at all
related to Rammy - your opinions on
away trips, or on the performance of the
lads; anything you have to say about
footie at a local or national level; even
something as strange as a photo of a
pretty creepy looking spongebob
squarepants holding a Rammy scarf. If
you’re a youngster then why not get
scribbling with your felt-tips and come
up with a life-like portrait of Jon
Robinson (complete with occasional red
mist!) which we’ll happily print right
here in the programme.
If you want to email your contribution
then you can send it to [email protected] - If
you need to post it then just email us at
that address and we’ll either come and
pick it up, or give you somewhere to
send it. We always like photos so if you
can accompany your letter/article/ rant
with a photo of something then that’d
be even better.
We’ve now got a 68 page programme
to work with, which allows us to put
some proper stuff in here - and what’s
more interesting to Rammy fans than
what other fans have to say! So please,
get scribbling.
We’d also be delighted to hear from
fans of other clubs, so if you’ve got
something to share with us then feel free
to get in touch: [email protected]
the fan
page
Richard sent us loads of these weird
photos after his trip to the USA -
just wait til you see the one of KISS
p
If your face is circled then congratulations, you’ve just won yourself a cup of tea
and a Mars Bar courtesy of Rammy United Supporters Club. Visit the tea bar
now to claim your magnificent prize!
p
ramm
y un
itedRamsbottom United Football ClubPresident: John SmithChairman: Harry WilliamsVice Chairman: Chris WoolfallSecretary: Tony Cunningham Matchday Secretary: Andy Edmunson Treasurers: H Williams, C WoolfallCommittee: Harry Williams, Chris Woolfall, Andy Edmundson, Kevin HitchenCatering Manager: Sophie FletcherProgramme Editor: Rob MossContributors: Callum Rigg, Darren Comer, Richard Isaacs, Tony CunninghamMatch Reports: Paul Cropper
The Harry Williams Riverside, Acre Bottom, Ramsbottom, Lancashire,Tel: 01706 822799
Recent Senior Honours: Bolton Comination Div 1 Champions: 1972/73Bolton Comb. Premier Champions 1976/77: Bolton Comb. Div2 cup runners up: 1979/80,1982/83Bolton Comb. Div2 runners up: 1982/83Bolton Comb. Cup winners: 1976/77, 1979/80, 1983/84Bolton Comb. Div1 runners up: 1984/85Bolton Comb. Cup runners up: 1985/86, 1987/88Manchester League Cup Winners: 1990/91Manchester League Champions: 1990/91Yorkshire Cup runners up: 1993/94Northwest Counties Div2 Champions: 1996/97Northwest Counties Div2 Trophy: 1995/96Bolton Hospital Cup winners: 1974/75, 05/06. 06/07, 07/08Northwest Counties Premier runners Up 2010/11Northwest Counties Premier Champions: 2011/12Northern Premier League Div1 playoff winners: 2013/14
p
rammy in exilesky sports statto richard isaacs
Good evening everyone - as ever, I hope
you are all keeping well.
It is Sunday morning and I am just about
coming down off Cloud 9 following my
footballing experiences of yesterday.
Naturally, top of the list, was our
outstanding 2-0 victory over table
climbing Buxton - avenging the FA Cup
loss at their place just a month ago. And
we are fourth! Good heavens above .....
Just down the road from our 2-0 win
was another extremely pleasing home
victory, this time coming from our good
friends at Bury, who are having a terrific
season and sit second in League 2
following their 3-0 success over some
hopeless bunch from down the road from
me here. It was interesting to hear that
there was a spectator at the Buxton game
with three children, all wearing
Portsmouth shirts. It was a good job I
wasn't there! Did he not fancy watching
his normal rabble in favour to watch
quality football instead?
And then there was my Scottish
team winning 3-0 at home. I have
followed Queen of the South since I
was about 8 years old. I think it was
wholly due to them having 'South' in
their name that attracted me to them
and I have ventured to Dumfries a
couple of times to watch them, a dull
0-0 draw with Meadowbank istle
and a cup game against Hibernian. I
also watch them in the 2008 Scottish Cup
Final at Hampden Park, losing to Rangers
3-2 in a brilliant game that Queens - still
in the second division playing the then
mighty Scottish big-guns - were 2-0 down
and then levelled to 2-2 before conceding
late on.
And was there another result yesterday
that springs to mind? Umm, let me have
a think!
Ohhhh yes, I knew it would come to me
eventually. How about Southampton's
incredible, mindboggling 8-0 success over
Sunderland in the Premier League? I went
out into town last night and it was
buzzing with everyone who was anyone
talking about it. No-one could quite
believe it and continues Saints' sensational
run which has seen us sit third at the top
table of English football. Not bad for a
club and a team that were written off pre-
season having sold £100m worth of talent
to the so-called bigger clubs. Only
Chelsea and Manchester City sit above us
in the table - none of those players sold
went there!
We were a club in crisis. A club in
meltdown. Ok ok, no-one in this city is
getting carried away purely because we
haven't played Chelsea, City, United or
Arsenal yet so know that maybe its a little
bit false (West Ham are fourth for
instance). But to even be third in this
table is something of dream land stuff.
p
I was watching a rugby match between
Havant and Wimbledon on Saturday
afternoon with my Dad (which finished
in a very enjoyable 29-29 draw) but was
watching my phone intently for the
updates. I couldn't quite believe what I
was seeing from all four fixtures above
but took a lot of pleasure out of all of
them.
Which brings me back to my main
focus. Rammy! Who honestly expected
us to be fourth at this stage of the season
- especially after we started the season
with one win in the first five? at is the
beauty of football, you just never know
what is going to happen. at is probably
why I have never won the pools! Because
you have no idea at all what is going to
happen.
is evening, we welcome Whitby
Town, a side we have already played this
season and will play again in just 10 days
time in the FA Trophy. We endured, lets
say, a difficult evening on the East Coast
when we ventured over there and they
are having a decent season in eighth
place along with a fairly good away
record of three wins on their travels. So,
who is going to put some money on the
match in total confidence that they will
win?
I tell you something else that really
cheered me up as well. Seeing the total of
people watching the game on Saturday
too. 470! How terrific is that?!?
New or old spectators (or even Pompey
followers!!), welcome to Ramsbottom.
Really looking forward to coming up
and watching again very soon. Until then
.... COME ON YOU RAMS!!!!!!!!!!
Before the hair weave -
Richard meets yet another
famous footballer
p
Arm yourselves with a cross and a few
bulbs of garlic for the first Saturday in
November, as the Rams embark another
long, journey to take on Whitby Town, for
the second time this season. e journey
should take around 2 hours 30 minutes
each way, but I would suggest leaving
enough time to beat the roadworks on
the M62 and M1 if you are going to take
that route.
Our earlier visit this season saw a mix ‘n’
match Rammy team go down by 2-0, in
what was probably one of our poorest
performances this season. Hopefully, we
can make amends for that result and
progress in the 1st Qualifying round of the
F.A Trophy
Whitby Town were formed in 1892 and
play at the Turnbull Ground (YO21 3HZ)
which is a traditional ground with a
modern main stand and an open terrace
behind one goal. e club have played at
this level of non-league football for many
years and perhaps had their best seasons
in the mid 1990’s, winning the Northern
League Division One in 1996-97, which
they followed up by claiming the
Northern Premier League First Division
the following season. e 1996-97 season
also saw the Seasiders take a visit to the
old Wembley Stadium (before it became
just another corporate football stadium
blasting music over the P.A. system) where
they beat North Ferriby United 3-0 to lift
the F.A. Vase. ey also reached the final
of the (then prestigious) Amateur Cup in
1964-65 where they lost to Hendon by 3
– 1 at Wembley.
Whitby itself is famous for being the
town that inspired Bram Stoker to write
his 1897 novel , Dracula, after visiting the
town a few years previously. is has led
in recent years to the town becoming the
Goth capital of the world. e Whitby
Goth Weekender takes place annually and
this see’s thousands of Goths and other
outsiders descend on the town for a
music festival and other activities related
with the darkside (pun intended) is
year e Goth Weekender will take place,
yes you guessed it, on the very weekend
the Rams are in town.
the boogie buson the road with rammy
p
Whitby is going to be pretty packed
with people attending the festival and the
safest bet will probably be to grab a pre-
match pint at the ground or one of the
hotels close by. e town centre is about
a 10 – 15 minute walk from the ground,
and I doubt any of the goths will be
bothered with the football when they can
be watching the likes of ex-Stranglers
frontman, Hugh Cornwell who is
headlining the festival. Whilst he is
singing ‘No More Heroes’, the Rams
players will be proving him wrong and
showing there are indeed still some
heroes.
On a final note there are links between
the Goth Weekender and this particular
part of Lancashire where we live. Money
raised by people attending the Goth
Weekender in 2007 was used to erect a
memorial bench on Whitby seafront
dedicated to Sophie Lancaster, who I am
sure you all know was attacked by a
group of youths in Stubbylee Park in
Bacup and later died from her injuries. It
might be a nice touch to leave some
Ramsbottom United related item in
tribute to her if you are passing.
“”
p
Born in January 1991, this 6ft 2” goalkeeper
joined Rammy from FC United at the end of
August 2010. He was number two at FC
United, but a superb season in 2010/11 saw
him win Player of the Year for the Rams. He
Signed full-time with the club at the start of
2011/12.
Signed for the club after impressing the
managers when he played against the Rams
for Atherton LR. Adds a whole new
dimension to the Riversiders’ squad, and
equally at home on the right side as either a
defender or attacking winger.. Brother of
Plymouth Argyle’s Deane Smalley.
Battling midfield who signed for the club in
2011 following the demise of Rossendale
United, for whom he scored a hat-trick in the
ridiculous 7-5 Rammy win the previous
season. Won the NWCFL title with the club
and was offered terms with Conference
Premier side Hyde but returned to the club
on loan, eventually signing full terms.
Dominic SMALLEY
Grant SHENTON Grant SPENCER
ram
my
unite
dm
eet t
he la
ds
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Signed from local rivals Radcliffe Borough
after a spell playing in Australia, the big man
is equally at home in the heart of the
defence, or up front poaching goals.
Wing man Tom came on as a sub in the play-
off game for our opponents Bamber Bridge.
e Rams management team acted swiftly
in the summer to bring him down to
Ramsbottom
Former Burnley professional player who is a
model of consistency, wherever he is picked.
A previous Player of the Year award-winner,
Joel is a firm favourite with the fans at the
Harry Williams Riverside Stadium, and has
played over 200 games for the club.
It has taken some two years for the
management to finally get Scott to join the
Rams. Bernard and Jonno have followed
Scott’s career with Runcorn Town and he
finally joined the club in late January 2014.
A hard-working midfielder, similar in style to
Gary Stopforth, and an integral part of the
promotion winning team.
Steve HOWSON Joel PILKINGTON
Scott BURTONTom WILLIAMS
p
Experienced striker Jon was signed from New
Mills and despite plentiful interest from
other clubs has remained loyal to the Rams
for a number of seasons now, and always
finishes near the top of the goal-scoring
charts. Regarded as a “Rammy legend” in
east Lancashire..
A constant threat in attack, a solid
performer in defence. Awarded Clubman of
the Year award in 2011. Continues to cause
plentiful problems to defences around the
leagues.
Signed at the end of August 2011 from
Manchester League side Walshaw Sports and
has taken his opportunity with some relish.
Last season the 29 year old won the Golden
Boot accolade for being the highest scorer in
the Division One North.
Joined the club in December 2011 from
Clitheroe via Padiham. Son of a former
1990s Rammy favourite Martin, midfielder
Jordan is highly rated and scored 8 goals for
the Storks before going to Clitheroe. A
versatile player – he can play anywhere from
defence to striker.
Jon ROBINSON Lee GASKELL
Phil DEAN Jordan HULME
p
Having spent time at University, the
youngster spent last season with Shepshed
Dynamo before moving back to the north-
west, where joint-managers Bernard Morley
and Anthony Johnson snapped him up for
the Rams.
e speedy wingman joined the Rams at the
beginning of the 2014/15 season, having
spent the previous campaign at fellow Evo-
Stik Premier club Nantwich Town.
Joined the Rams in the summer of 2014, this
midfield player spent last season as a
member of the struggling Droylsden side
which changed places with e Rams at the
end of the campaign.
Cedric joined the club in January 2014
having impressed the management team
during his time with rivals Trafford FC.
Essentially a defender, Cedric has the ability
to fit in other positions for the team.
Sam COOK Malachi SLAVEN
Osebi ABADAKI Cedric KROU
p
Previously club captain of the Rams, who
famously lifted the play-off trophy at
Bamber Bridge in May 2014, Danny moved
to Salford City in the summer, but soon
returned. His consistent displays at the back
and in midfield have seen him become a
firm favourite with the fans.
A 24-year old forward player who signed for
the Rams in the middle of September.
Previously with FC United of Manchester
and Salford City. Prior to that he had spells
at Niort, Lilas, DH Saint-Maur and Paris DC
in France, as well as Tercera in Spain.
A skilful battling midfielder who signed full
time with the Rams during the summer of
2012 after coming on loan from AFC Fylde
the previous season and dominating the
midfield. In his third season with the club he
was a vital member of the promotion set-up
last term.
A left-back who signed for the Rams in the
middle of September. Previously with
C.E.Principado De Andorra, a second
division Andorran team with whom he
experienced Champions League football.
Gary STOPFORTH
Nelson MOTA Alex PIACENTILE
Dan WARRENDER
p
Son of Manchester United player Dennis
Irwin, Liam signed for the Rams in the
middle of September. Previously with
Stockport Sports, Altrincham and Bolton
Wanderers. He played at international level
for Republic of Ireland youth.
Appointed joint manager at the start of the
2009/2010 season and took the club to the
NWCFL title in 2011/12 season, despite
missing much of the season through injury.
He has helped guide the club through
another promotion via the play-offs into the
Evo-Stik Premier League in May 2014.
Re-joined the club in January 2009 and
became joint manager at the start of
2009/2010. A Rammy man to his core, a
combative and hard-working midfelder who
has occasionally taken over with some
prowess in goal. Successful in guiding the
Rams to two promotions in three seasons.
Liam IRWIN
Anthony JOHNSON Bernard MORLEY
e talented left full-back rejoined the club
from Chester during the 2013/14 season
having had a short spell here a couple of
years earlier. His long throw-in is always a
dangerous piece of his armory.
Lee PUGH
p
A highly respected coach who has
experience at all levels of the game, from
local football with Walshaw to League One
time at Bury. Highly respected coach and a
coup for the club to have secured him. Also
a holder of a UEFA B Coaches badge.
A 20 year old player who joined from
Conference side Tamworth early in the
2014/15 season. George is a highly rated full-
back capable of playing on either flank,
giving the Rams additional defensive
flexibility.
Darren GREEN
John is the goalkeeping coach at
Ramsbottom, and was formerly manager at
NWCFL side Maine Road, where he
constantly had them pushing for promotion.
George GRAYSONJohn MORREY
Former manager of Atherton LR, leading
them to 10th place in the NWCL in 2010/11.
Resigned from his post with the Crilly Park
club and joins Ramsbottom United as a
highly rated coach.
Glenn MOSES
p
whitby town driving miles and miles since 1893
After World War One, the town of Whitby
had two clubs, both playing in the
Scarborough and District League, Whitby
Whitehall Swifts and Whitby Town, the
latter having first played Northern League
football as early as 1893. Ever conscious of
Whitby’s more illustrious past, the two
clubs in 1926, decided to amalgamate as
Whitby United. e new club was admitted
into the Northern League and the club's
name was changed to Whitby Town in
1949.
!n 1983-84, Whitby came to national
prominence when they came back from
two goals down to beat Halifax Town 3-2 in
the FA Cup first round proper. ey were
beaten by a late penalty at Wigan in the
following round. e same season, Whitby
reached the quarterfinals of the FA Trophy
for the first time losing to Dagenham in a
replay.
1996-97 saw a 0-0 draw against
Hull City in the first round proper
of the FA Cup, which was played at
Scarborough oh police advice. In a
remarkable replay at Boothferry
Park, Whitby came from behind to
take a 4-3 lead which was held until
the dying seconds of the game.
With only 49 seconds remaining,
Hull levelled the score and went on
to win 8-4 in extra time. Superior
fitness told in the end. is was to
be one of only five defeats in the
entire season.
e Club came from behind in the
Northern League race, winning the
Championship in style from
neighbours, Billingham Synthonia,
before completing an amazing
"double" by winning the FA
Carlsberg Vase at Wembley, beating
North Ferriby United by 3-0.
e following season, 1997-98 saw
p
continued success at the Turnbull Ground
when the Club won the UniBond League
First Division Championship by a margin of
7 points at their first attempt as well as
beating York City 3-0 in the final of the
North Riding Senior Cup to become holders
for a fifth time. Whitby again reached the
final of the NRSC in 1999 only for York to
gain revenge by winning 4-2. In the 1999-
2000 season the Seasiders finished 12th in
the UniBond Premier League and were
beaten finalists in the President's Cup, losing
over two legs to Trafford after a penalty
Shootout.
e 2001-2002 season saw Whitby finish in
a disappointing 15th in the league, but they
got to the FA Cup 1st Round for the 7th
time, only to lose out to Plymouth Argyle
after a replay, 3-2. e first game was at the
Turnbull Ground in front of the BBC Match
of the Day Cameras.
Season 2003/04 saw another excellent cup
run halted at the hands of Hartlepool
United. e blues put up a spirited show at
Victoria Park but fell 4-0 to an excellent
Pools side. Whitby also managed to finish in
the play off zone for the new Conference
North but went out on penalties to Radcliffe
Borough, a team they had beaten 5-0, 6-2
and 1-0 in the regular season.
e Club appointed current manager and
ex-Sunderland player Darren Williams in
October 2011. 2012/13 saw the club finish a
creditable 12th in the league after a poor
start, while last season saw them placed
ninth, their best finish for eight seasons.
Currently they sit mid-table with draws at
home against Trafford and Workington
preceded by defeat at the hands of FC
United. Saturday saw them make the
horrendously long journey (170 miles) to
Rushall Olympic, reminding all of us just
how lucky we are to be Ramsbottom
supporters!
Photos by kind permission Bri Murfield
p
STEVEN SNAITH
Position: Forward D.O.B 23.05.94.
Steven signed in July 2012 on his release from
Hartlepool United and quickly established
himself as a tireless forward, who holds the
ball up well. He's tough and tidy in
possession and was prolific for Pools at Youth
Level with 24 goals from 41 appearances- he
netted four in five starts for Hartlepool
Reserves.
MATTHEW WATERS
Position: Midfield/Forward D.O.B 14.12.93.
Talented young striker who has looked more
accomplished playing deep in midfield for
the Blues since signing in July 2014. Came
through the ranks at the famous
Middlesbrough academy and looks like a
bright addition.
LEE BULLOCK
Position: Defender/Midfield D.O.B 22.05.81.
Bully's an experienced and versatile former
Football League star. Played with Darren
Williams at Cardiff City, Bradford and York
City and can play central defence or midfield.
Very strong in the air and composed on the
ball, which he passes well. Signed from York
in July 2013.
DAVE McTIERNAN
Position: Midfield D.O.B 13.07.84.
A popular midfielder who re-joined Whitby
in the summer of 2010 and has developed
from a pacey winger into a tough, classy,
grafter in the centre of the park. Macca broke
a record when scoring Newcastle Blue Star's
SECOND goal on 47 seconds in a 2008
Northern Premier League First Division
outing. He later joined Blue Square North
Harrogate Town, before returning to the
Blues. fou
r to
wat
ch
Photos by kind permission Bri Murfield
p
Our recent run of away games finally
came to an end a fortnight ago when the
mighty, mighty Rammy made the short trip
down the M62 for a derby game with
Trafford. After some recent long trips it was
nice to eventually have a Saturday where I
had time to have a full, English breakfast
before setting off, so trust Mrs Darkside to
pick this day to go off and do some of her
voluntary work with the National Trust
(thank goodness then for Entwistles Deli on
Bridge Street for making sure I had a
kitchen free morning). With Mrs Darkside
saving the planet and Geoff watching Bury,
it was all change in the Hulme-mobile with
Paul and Cheryl Whizz joining us. is was
a nice change, and quite a relief for my ears
as I am usually sat in the back with Geoff
and Mrs Darkside who never shut up
talking ( I should record some of their
conversations, they are comedy gold) .
We set off at 2.00, as Martin had been
coaching the
Rammy Juniors
Under 14’s in the
morning (that’s the
next generation of
Rammy players
only using their left
foot then). As we
got on the M62 we
hit the traffic jams,
which we pretty
soon realised were not going to Trafford
F.C., but the Trafford Centre. is led to a
conversation in the car about why anyone
would spend a Saturday afternoon
shopping, and quite a few expletives were
used to describe the shoppers as the clock
edged closer to 3.00.
Luckily, we made it just in time for the kick
off and I bought myself a programme,
which wasn’t too bad, and better than quite
a few this season. ere was the usual large
turnout of Ultras, although many others
had turned up late so we were pretty
spread out around the ground. Most of us
had also missed our pre match pint and a
bit of a chat. I always enjoy the pre match
with my fellow supporters and it makes
Saturday afternoon about much more than
just the 90 minutes of the game. is made
for a pretty quiet 1st half, although we still
heard a few scattered chants of ‘Yooouuuu
Raammms’
You were allowed to have a pint (in a
plastic glass) while watching the game, so I
headed off to the bar to get myself and
Martin a pint, while Paul had opted for a
pie and a brew to start with. e 1st half
was a pretty tight affair and both teams
seemed pretty well matched which made
for a pretty tense atmosphere on the
terraces. It was 0-0 at half time and at that
point I would have been happy for it to stay
that way.
from the darksidedarren comer reports on the latest
rammy ultras adventures
p
from the darkside
e 2nd half saw the Rams start to
dominate the game and we were
frequently attacking the Trafford defence.
By this point the travelling Ultras had made
their way to the side of the ground Rammy
were attacking and the atmosphere
suddenly seemed more positive. Looking
around it seemed to me that there was
almost as many Rammy fans as there was
Trafford, and it was another amazing
turnout from Ramsbottom to watch the
‘tiny’ team.
We were finally rewarded with just over
10 minutes left to play when substitute
Robbo banged in a great goal from the
edge of the area. e celebrations after the
goal, when Robbo ran over to celebrate
with the Rammy fans, were the highlight of
the day for me, and I’m sure a few of you
will agree. Trafford, who were not a bad
team at all, tried to pressure us in the last
minutes, but Shents was looking
unbeatable and at 90 minutes we were
celebrating another three points. As usual,
the players applauded the travelling
supporters, and of course, we gave the
players a rousing applause.
We stayed back for a couple pints after
the game, and sat outside in the sunshine
talking about another wonderful
performance. We were soon joined by
Jonno and Bernard along with the players,
and as always they were more than happy
to have a chat with the supporters.
ankfully, the trip home did not entail
any traffic jams and we were back in the
cricket club in no time, where we were
joined by Mrs Darkside. We were also
joined by the Gaz and Mary Chain, who
had missed the game, and Mary had
brought along her cousins Bernard and
Mandy, who were down from Glasgow. A
few pints of Moorehouses and we were off
to the Eastern Eye for a good old nosh up
and to continue yet another day of
celebrating our little ol’ football club.
40 minutes in, and
already mentally
preparing for a
0-0 draw
p
Four hundred and seventy! It’s hard to
believe that four hundred and seventy
people watched Rammy on Saturday -
the kind of attendance earlyish on in the
season that promises so much should the
team still be performing that well come
May - and I can see no reason why they
won’t. e question I asked myself is why
so many new faces? Two of my
neighbours came to the game along with
their kids, even though last week it would
have cost them a whole lot less (Quid a
Kid). So there was me wondering why
they weren’t at the match the week
before, and how come they were so keen
to attend this Saturday? So I asked them...
Apparently, all the kids at school had
been talking about Rammy’s great win
last week. All those kids who’d come
along for a quid went straight to school
and advertised Rammy to all of their
friends - by the time it got to Saturday
morning they were whinging and begging
their parents to take them to the match.
Rob, who lives two doors down, came for
just his second visit in three
years, and brought his
seven-year-old daughter
Millie, all because she’d
heard how great
Rammy were from kids
who came last week.
ese young
supporters are the future
of Rammy, and the Quid a Kid,
timed as it was to coincide with a great
performance and great win, meant that
this week the crowd became the second
biggest we’ve ever seen at Rammy (if we
discount the two games where the away
fans came on a fleet of coaches).
We need these kids coming to games
more regularly, and we need to do
everything in our power to persuade
them to attend matches. Even the
atmosphere was something special
because there were families all around the
ground. To this day I remember every
detail of my dad and my uncle Bill taking
me to my first ever football match at
Anfield, and the blokey bond that’s always
been there between us as a result. A lot of
these kids are getting their first ever taste
of footy down at the Riverside, and even
if they ultimately sell their souls and
become City fans, there will always be a
little part of them that is Rammy.
Sadly, the league fixtures computer has
now served us up a pretty crumby run of
games that will do its best to undo the
good work. It’s exactly a month until our
next Saturday home game and the away
matches are bleedin’ miles away. So we’re
going to have to remind these newcomers
to get back down here on 22nd
November, and remind them what a
fantastic day out local non-league footy
can be. How we do that is a question we
definitely need to work on answering.
supporters clubon the terraces of rammy
p
I’m just going to have to say a word or
two about a match that Bri Murfield
(Whitby Town’s photographer) told me he
attended on Saturday. For me it epitomises
the fantastic thing that is lower-league
football.
Bri freely admits that the insane distances
Whitby have to travel (Saturday they had
a 340 mile round trip to Rushall Olympic!)
means that he can’t realistically get to
many away games. He’s also a taxi driver, so
missing the Saturday night trade in Whitby
is not great for business.
Anyway, he went to a match between
Sleights Reserves and Falsgrave Reserves on
a local park pitch, and sent me a link to the
photos he took. e game looks to have
had just about everything you could ever
wish for in park football - an incredibly
rotund referee whose belly defied all laws
of gravity, a load of clatteringly agricultural
tackles with the players trying to lug the
ball through three inch thick grass, and my
favourite photos of all shows the 4ft tall
dwarf fella stubbing out his fag to get on
the pitch and score the winning goal!
Football at these lower levels is a truly
wonderful game, and I love it that the
result of a Sleights Reserves v Falsgrave
Reserves match is as important to those
lads as the result is to players at any level.
So I’d like to thank Bri. He probably won’t
be at tonight’s game, but I’d very much
appreciate one of you die-hard Whitby
fans passing on my appreciation of his
fabulous photos. - Rob
“the 4ft tall dwarf fella stubbed out hisfag to get on and score the winning goal“
The future of Rammy: a huge proportion ofSaturday’s gate wasyoungsters - the way itshould be.
p
Grant SHENTON
Dominic SMALLEY
Joel PILKINGTON
Gary STOPFORTH
Steve HOWSON
Cedric KROU
Osebi ABADAKI
Scott BURTON
Jordan HULME
Grant SPENCER
Phil DEAN
Jon ROBINSON
Malachi SLAVEN
Dan WARRENDER
Tom WILLIAMS
Lee GASKELL
Lee PUGH
Sam COOK
George GRAYSON
Shane BLAND
Ibrahim HASSAN
Mark ROBINSON
Lee BULLOCK
Richard PELL
David McTIERNAN
Matthew BROWN
Dale HOPSON
Matthew WATERS
Steven SNAITH
Liam SHEPARD
Darren WILLIAMS
Lee MASON
Ross GARDNER
Craig FARRELL
Kevin BURGESS
Managers: Anthony Johnson,
Bernard Morley
Managers: Darren Williams
Referee: Alan Bennett (Wigan)
Referee’s Assistants: James Morgan (Wigan), Liam Ockleshaw (Skelmersdale)
Next home game: Tuesday 14th November 7:45pm, Rammy v Workington
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