01 - Stalybridge Celtic vs Warrington Town

THE OFFICIAL STALYBRIDGE CELTIC MATCH DAY PROGRAMME | SEASON 2022/2023 

NORTHERN PREMIER LEAGUE - PREMIER DIVISION 

#1 

BOWER BULLETIN 

>⃝● v. Warrington Town 

>⃝● Tuesday 16th August 2022 

>⃝● 7:45pm kick-off 

MAIN SPONSOR 

THE OFFICIAL STALYBRIDGE CELTIC MATCH DAY PROGRAMME 

KIT SUPPLIER 

1

HONOURS LIST 

STALYBRIDGE CELTIC FOOTBALL CLUB 


LIMITED COMPANY NUMBER 00292254 

MEMBERS OF: THE FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION, 

CHESHIRE COUNTY FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION, 

PITCHING IN NORTHERN PREMIER LEAGUE 

PRESIDENT: GERALD CROSSLEY 

PATRON: LORD PENDRY OF STALYBRIDGE 

LIFE VICE-PRESIDENTS: SUE BOWERS, KEVIN 

BOWERS, 

PETER DENNERLY, DOROTHY THORNLEY, ROY BARKER, 

JOHN HALL, TOMMY WILLIAMS, JOHN MANDRYK, 

DOROTHY NORTON, MARTYN TORR, NICK SHAW, 

GERALD CROSSLEY 

CHAIRMAN & MAJORITY SHAREHOLDER: 

ROBERT GORSKI 

DIRECTORS: GORDON GREENWOOD, KEITH SMART, 

BILL MCCALLUM, ARTHUR BOSWELL, STEVE TATE, 

KEITH TRUDGEON, ANDREW SEDDON, AFSHIN 

MIRTORABI, STEVE LOCKEY & PHIL HALL 

Northern Premier League - Premier Division 

Champions 1992, 2001 Runners-Up 1991 

Northern Premier League - Division One 

Runners-Up 1988 

North West Counties League - 

Division One Champions 1984, 1987 

North West Counties League - 

Reserve Division 

Runners-Up 1983 

Cheshire County League Champions 1980 

Runners-up 1978 

Cheshire County League - 

Reserve Division Runners-up 1982 

Southern League - Division Two Runners-Up 1915 

Lancashire Combination Runners-Up 1917 

Lancashire Combination - Division Two 

Champions 1912 Runners-Up 1913 

Lancashire Combination - 

Southern Division Champions 1916 

Lancashire Combination - 

Manchester Section Champions 1919 

Lancashire & Cheshire Amateur League 


South East Lancashire League 


Manchester League Runners-Up 1963 

Northern Premier League Challenge Cup Winners 1999 

Northern Premier League President’s Cup 

Winners 2001, 2003 

Northern Premier League Challenge Shield 

Winners 1992 Finalists 1999 

North West Counties League Challenge Cup 

Finalists 1984 

TEAM MANAGER: CHRIS WILLCOCK 

ASSISTANT MANAGER: LINCOLN ADAMS 

GOALKEEPER COACH: JOHN STEWART 

HEAD PHYSIOTHERAPIST: DAVID POVER M.F.H.T 

FIRST TEAM ANALYST: WARREN NOLAN 

ACADEMY CHAIRMAN: IAN MILLIGAN 

ACADEMY HEAD COACH: DEAN BRATHWAITE 

CLUB SECRETARY: PHIL HALL 

HEAD OF MEDIA AND COMMUNICATIONS: 

TARAN DHAMRAIT 

WEBMASTER: DEBORAH TAYLOR 

CLUB PHOTOGRAPHER & GRAPHIC DESIGNER: 

PHILL SMITH 

PROGRAMME EDITOR: RICHARD GREENWOOD 

GROUNDSMAN: PETE OWENS 

COMMISSIONAIRE: JAY LUCAS 

PA ANNOUNCER: CHRISTOPHER TIPPING 

MATCHDAY / FINANCIAL OPERATIONS: 

MICHAEL BRIERLEY & PAT BESWICK 

North West Counties League Challenge Shield 


Cheshire County League Challenge Cup 

Winners 1922 Finalists 1947, 1982 

Cheshire County League Challenge Shield 


South East Lancashire League Challenge Cup 

Winners 1938 Runners-Up 1939 

Manchester League Open Trophy Winners 1963 

Manchester League Gilcryst Cup Finalists 1949 

Cheshire Senior Medal Competition Finalists 1920 

Cheshire Senior Cup Winners 1953, 2001 

Finalists 1912, 1955, 1981, 2006, 2012, 2013 

Manchester Senior Cup Finalists 1923 

Ashton Challenge Cup 

Winners 1914, 1915, 1920, 1921, 1927, 1936, 1937, 1938, 

1939, 1947, 1950, 1953, 1955 

Finalists 1911, 1913, 1916, 1930, 1931, 1934, 1948, 1954, 

1956, 1957, 1960 

Manchester Challenge Shield Finalists 1955 

Manchester Intermediate Cup 

Winners 1958, 1969 Finalists 1957, 1968, 1970 

Manchester Junior Cup Winners 1963 

Altrincham Senior Cup Winners 1919 

North West Floodlit Cup Finalists 1966 

Lancashire Floodlit Cup Winners 1989 

Finalists 1990 

Reporter Floodlit Cup Finalists 1974, 1975 

The Football League Founder Members Division Three 

North 1920-1922 

Football Conference 1992-98, 2001-02 

GLS Cup Finalists 2005 

Blue Square Conference Play-off Finalists 2008 

2 

THE OFFICIAL STALYBRIDGE CELTIC MATCH DAY PROGRAMME

WELCOME TO BOWER FOLD 

FROM THE CHAIRMAN, ROB GORSKI 

A very warm welcome back to Bower Fold for 

our first home game of the 2022/23 season. 

I would like to welcome all associated with 

Warrington Town and we wish you a safe journey 

home at the end of the evening. 

Where do I start? I think that I have to start by 

welcoming Chris, his backroom staff and the 

entire playing staff to the club and we wish you 

all a happy and successful time at our club. 

Chris made an instant impact on the directors 

and everyone who has met him. He has stamped 

his own personality on the club, he is incredibly 

professional and he has been a breath of fresh 

air. Now, finances ultimately dictate, so however 

professional our dressing room is, the bookies 

will still have teams with much bigger budgets 

as favourites to gain promotion. However, I 

can say that in comparison with many other 

managers we have had at Celtic, Chris has 

stamped his authority on the club and his ethos 

will be there for all to see as his squad evolves. 

Chris has assembled a squad in a matter of 

weeks and they have already developed a really 

good chemistry. Alongside a great work ethic is 

some fun and laughter and that dressing room 

dynamic can carry us a long way. The gaffer 

has worked very hard during the close season 

and, in my opinion, is significantly “ahead of the 

curve” in where I thought that we would be as 

we start our new adventure. 

The summer period is actually a very busy 

period for the board too. The board has worked 

tirelessly during the close season and I cannot 

thank them enough. These guys give up untold 

hours and I hope that some of the fans will 

notice some of the differences. If you do, and 

you see a director wandering around the 

ground, please show your appreciation for the 

time and effort that they have put in. 

However, it was not 

just the directors that 

helped on the painting/ 

improvements aspect, a big 

thanks goes out to the fans who gave up their 

time too. Moreover, I would also like to thank 

Chris’s wife, Sam, who was supplying food as 

well as “rolling up her sleeves”. She has been a 

wonderful supporter of Chris and the club and I 

thank her too! 

The atmosphere around the club seems to have 

changed significantly. I spoke with a number of 

fans at Mossley and I told them, genuinely and 

sincerely, what a difference they have made 

to the place. New fans have been very vocal 

and they have made a MASSIVE difference to 

the atmosphere. I cannot thank them enough. 

The players feel like they have that proverbial 

twelfth man playing when they start singing and 

getting behind the lads. Some of the fans will 

not read this, however, please let your mates 

know that the players truly appreciate the 

backing, and encourage them to back the lads 

for the whole 90 minutes. 

Tragically, not everything has been positive over 

the summer. Richard Tipping, known to most 

as ‘The Voice’, was diagnosed with pancreatic 

cancer a few months ago; sadly, he died last 

week aged just 57. Richard was our stadium 

announcer for 20 years and he always had that 

positive smile on his face. Even near the end, 

he still remained optimistic. That epitomised the 

classy and understated man that he was. 

In his honour, I am delighted to announce that 

the press box will forever be named the Richard 

Tipping Press Box and our good friend will never 

be forgotten. In what is a poignant, yet fitting, 

move, I can reveal that the Tipping tradition 

continues in that Chris is going to be the new 

announcer, following in his father’s footsteps. 

Congratulations and many thanks Chris! 


3

If you are reading this, you will be well aware 

of our change of approach with regard to our 

matchday programme now being an online 

product. I fully acknowledge that there will be 

‘traditionalists’ who may not approve, however, 

we are moving with the times and this will help 

improve the bottom line of the club on many 

levels. I would like to give special thanks to 

people like Taran, Richard Greenwood, Phill 

Smith, Beechy and many others who have made 

all of this possible. Like many others, they have 

put in an awful lot of hard work over the summer 

and Taran has an array of really good initiatives. 

As for the season ahead, I think that the 

old adage of ‘give it ten games’ holds true. 

However, because Chris has pretty much 

started with a blank piece of paper, we may all 

need to be patient. I sincerely believe that his 

professionalism, personality and positivity will 

be clear from this evening; but, the productivity 

may take a little while longer as the team fully 

gel. 

RARING TO GO: 

Stuart Vallantine, Tuesday 16th August 2022 

Bowercana Tuesdays, great to be home tonight, 

A chance to give the Yellows a fright. 

With the toughest of openers over 

It’s time to release the Bower Power, 

We’ve an all-new side that aim to delight 

An all-new side with height and might 

The Yellows came close to reaching promotion 

Like Saturday’s side from County Durham. 

Correia and Kyle will terrorise defences 

Our defence will take no chances 

The Yellows have familiar faces in their side 

From us, there will be no easy ride. 

With the Kerala flowing 

And Correia pushing 

Mottram End’ll be wild tonight 

As Wilcocks and Co get it right 

The Bowercana is buzzing, 

The Town End is rocking 

On the pitch, let’s make this possible 

Together, we shall be unstoppable. 

Let’s get behind the new gaffer, squad and club 

as a whole and see if we can all have some 

really enjoyable memories in the season ahead. 

Rob Gorski 

4 


MANAGER’S NOTES 

WITH THE GAFFER CHRIS WILLCOCK 

Good evening and Welcome to Bower Fold for 

our first home game of the new season. 

It’s a special occasion for myself and my team 

as we begin a new era with club. 

I hope that together we can go on a good 

journey and bring better times back to my home 

town club. 

Your support will give us a greater chance of 

success this season and I hope that we will 

repay your support with some good times on the 

pitch. 

If you can back us with your voices and push us 

on, it’ll give us a big lift every week. You will see 

100% effort and commitment from myself, my 

staff and my players in every game. 

Whilst we didn’t quite get the result we wanted 

on Saturday, I 

was pleased 

with many 

aspects of our 

game. We will be 

looking tonight to take 

the positives and learn quickly and work even 

harder on our areas of improvements . We will 

look to bounce back with your support to help us 

get a positive result. 

Finally, I would like to thank those supporters 

that travelled up to South Shields to support us. 

Enjoy the game. 

Gaffer 


5

PHOTOGRAPHY WITHOUT THE FUSS 

Call us on 07915 717003 or drop us an email info@phillsmithphotography.co.uk 

BIRTHDAY PARTIES • CHRISTENINGS • BABY SHOWERS 

SPORTING EVENTS • CORPORATE FUNCTIONS • PORTRAITS 

FAMILY SHOOTS • WEDDINGS • PET SHOOTS

For people, clubs, 

and businesses 

like you 

The official insurance provider to the 

Pitching In Northern Premier League. 

From insurance to risk management and 

employee health and benefits*, it’s our 

passion to advise, protect and support you. 

01756 655505 

marshcommercial.co.uk 

This is a marketing communication 

*Employee health and benefits are provided by our sister company, Mercer. 

Mercer Marsh Benefits is a trading name used by Mercer Limited who are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. 

Mercer Limited is registered in England and Wales. No. 984275. Registered Office: 1 Tower Place West, Tower Place, London, EC3R 5BU. 

Marsh Commercial is a trading name of Marsh Ltd. Marsh Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority for General Insurance 

Distribution and Credit Broking (Firm Reference No. 307511). Copyright © 2022 Marsh Ltd. Registered in England and Wales Number: 1507274, 

Registered office: 1 Tower Place West, Tower Place, London EC3R 5BU. All rights reserved. MC220726019 

A business of Marsh McLennan

MATCH REPORT 

FROM SOUTH SHIELDS 

A deflected goal at the end of the first half and a goal late in the second 

undid a strong defensive performance from Celtic, as South Shields 

recorded a 2-0 victory on the opening day of the 2022-23 season. 

Gary Liddle and Joao Gomes were on target for the home side as they picked 

up the three points. 

Former Celt, Darius Osei was twice denied early on by great saves from Greg Hall, the second 

a contender for save of the season. The ball was delivered across the face of goal by Jordan 

Hunter for what looked to be a simple tap-in, but incredibly, Hall got across and made the 

save to deny Osei. 

As the Celtic back line settled, South Shields could only test Hall from range, with Blair 

Adams and Will McGowan both off target and though Martin Smith got his effort on target, 

he didn’t trouble Celtic’s keeper. 

A great strike from twenty yards by Adams had to be superbly tipped over the bar, and though 

Celtic defended the first corner, the second saw a routine that left McGovern in space to put 

the ball in for Liddle. His low shot took a wicked deflection and Shields went in at half time a 

goal up. 

Celtic started the second half strongly, worrying the home defense and saw opportunities 

through Raul Correia, Aarron Grewal and Osebi Abadaki but couldn’t find the target. 

Mid way through the half, a corner routine found Tom Miller free, he cut inside and fired a 

shot that flew narrowly wide of the near post. 

Six minutes from time, the home side made the game safe when Hall slipped on a clearance 

allowing substitute João Gomes to race towards goal. Though the defence made it difficult, 

he showed strength to fashion a drilled shot across the scrambling Hall and put a gloss on 

the score line. 

There was just enough time for Abadaki to take a strike just wide before time ran out. 

VIEW THE MATCH CENTRE STATS 

8 


POST MATCH INTERVIEW 


WATCH CHRIS WILLCOCK’S POST MATCH INTERVIEW FROM 

SATURDAY 


9

IMAGE GALLERY 


10 



11

STALYBRIDGE CELTIC’S 

2022/2023 SQUAD 

Greg HALL 

Connor LEACH 

Kyle HARRISON 

Ben WOODS 

Sponsored by 

VIC YEARDLEY 

Sponsored by 

AVAILABLE 

Sponsored by 

AVAILABLE 

Sponsored by 

AVAILABLE 

Dahrius WALDRON 

Louis DANQUAH 

Ciarán SUMMERS 

Harli DEWHURST 

Sponsored by 

AVAILABLE 

Sponsored by 

AVAILABLE 

Sponsored by 

AVAILABLE 

Sponsored by 

AVAILABLE 

David EDWARDS 

Ethan PADDEN 

Matty LIPTROTT 

Aarron GREWAL 

Sponsored by 

AVAILABLE 

Sponsored by 

AVAILABLE 

Sponsored by 

AVAILABLE 

Sponsored by 

AVAILABLE 

Please contact secretary@stalybridgeceltic.co.uk 

if you would like to sponsor one of the above players. 

12 


STALYBRIDGE CELTIC’S 

2022/2023 SQUAD 

Osebi ABADAKI 

Harry BENNS 

Tom MILLER 

Cameron DARKWAH 

Sponsored by 

AVAILABLE 

Sponsored by 

AVAILABLE 

Sponsored by 

AVAILABLE 

Sponsored by 

MG DOMESTIC 

Please contact 

secretary@ 

stalybridgeceltic.co.uk 

if you would like to 

sponsor one of our team. 


secretary@ 

stalybridgeceltic.co.uk 

if you would like to 

sponsor one of our team. 

Godwin ABADAKI 

Raul CORREIA 

Sponsored by 

STALYBRIDGE 

CODERDOJO 

Sponsored by 

STEVE & BERYL TATE 

Chris WILLCOCK 

Manager 

Lincoln ADAMS 

Assistant Manager 

Jon STEWART 

Goalkeeper Coach 

Dave POVER 

Physio 

Sponsored by 

AVAILABLE 

Sponsored by 

AVAILABLE 

Sponsored by 

AVAILABLE 

Sponsored by 

CELTIC JUNIORS 


13

Official Benchwear Partner to the 

Pitching In Northern Premier League 

Find the Macron Sports Hub 

closest to you 

These clubs have chosen Macron

LATEST LEAGUE TABLE 

# Team Pl HW HD HL AW AD AL W D L F A Diff Pts 

1 Gainsborough Trinity 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 3 0 3 3 

2 Marine 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 3 0 3 3 

3 Stafford Rangers 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 4 2 2 3 

4 Marske United 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 3 1 2 3 

5 South Shields 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 2 0 2 3 

6 Warrington Town 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 2 0 2 3 

7 Atherton Collieries 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 2 1 1 3 

8 Ashton United 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 3 

9 Matlock Town 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 3 

10 Hyde United 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 1 

11 Lancaster City 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 1 

12 Nantwich Town 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 1 

13 Radcliffe 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 1 

14 FC United of Manchester 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 2 -1 0 

15 Liversedge 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 -1 0 

16 Whitby Town 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 -1 0 

17 Bamber Bridge 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 2 4 -2 0 

18 Belper Town 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 1 3 -2 0 

19 Morpeth Town 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 2 -2 0 

20 Stalybridge Celtic 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 2 -2 0 

21 Guiseley 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 3 -3 0 

22 Warrington Rylands 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 3 -3 0 


15

RESULTS, FIXTURES & STATISTICS 2022/23 


Date Opposition Att. Score Res Pts 

Sat Aug 13, 2022 SOUTH SHIELDS 2,001 0-2 L 0 

Tue Aug 16, 2022 WARRINGTON TOWN 

Sat Aug 20, 2022 LANCASTER CITY 

Tue Aug 23, 2022 MATLOCK TOWN 

Sat Aug 27, 2022 GUISELEY 

Mon Aug 29, 2022 LIVERSEDGE 

Sat Sep 3, 2022 

EMIRATES FA CUP 1Q 

Tue Sept 6, 2022 RADCLIFFE 

Sat Sept 10, 2022 NANTWICH TOWN 

Tue Sept 13, 2022 BAMBER BRIDGE 

Sat Sept 17, 2022 EMIRATES FA CUP 2Q 

Sat Sept 24, 2022 GAINSBOROUGH TRINITY 

Tue Sept 27, 2022 BELPER TOWN 

Sat Oct 1, 2022 

MORPETH TOWN 

Sat Oct 8, 2022 

ISUZU FA TROPHY 3Q 

Tue Oct 11, 2022 MARSKE UNITED 

Sat Oct 15, 2022 ASHTON UNITED 

Tue Oct 18, 2022 MARINE 

Sat Oct 22, 2022 WHITBY TOWN 

Sat Oct 29, 2022 ISUZU FA TROPHY 1 

Sat Nov 5, 2022 

FC UNITED OF MANCHESTER 

Sat Nov 12, 2022 STAFFORD RANGERS 

Sat Nov 19, 2022 ATHERTON COLLIERIES 

Sat Nov 26, 2022 WARRINGTON RYLANDS 

Sat Dec 3, 2022 

WARRINGTON TOWN 

Sat Dec 10, 2022 SOUTH SHIELDS 

Sat Dec 17, 2022 MATLOCK TOWN 

Mon Dec 26, 2022 HYDE UNITED 

Mon Jan 2, 2023 LIVERSEDGE 

Sat Jan 7, 2022 

LANCASTER CITY 

Sat Jan 14, 2023 RADCLIFFE 

Sat Jan 21, 2022 NANTWICH TOWN 

Sat Jan 28, 2023 GAINSBOROUGH TRINITY 

Sat Feb 4, 2022 

BAMBER BRIDGE 

Tue Feb 7, 2022 

MARINE 

Sat Feb 11, 2023 WHITBY TOWN 

Sat Feb 18, 2022 FC UNITED OF MANCHESTER 

Sat Feb 25, 2023 STAFFORD RANGERS 

Wed Mar 1, 2022 EMIRATES FA CUP 5 

Sat Mar 4, 2023 BELPER TOWN 

Sat Mar 11, 2022 ISUZU FA TROPHY 6 

Sat Mar 18, 2022 MORPETH TOWN 

Sat Mar 25, 2023 ASHTON UNITED 

Sat Apr 1, 2022 

MARSKE UNITED 

Sat Apr 8, 2022 

GUISELEY 

Mon Apr 10, 2023 HYDE UNITED 

Sat Apr 15, 2022 WARRINGTON RYLANDS 

Sat Apr 22, 2023 ATHERTON COLLIERIES 

16 


MATCH PREVIEW 

WITH DEBORAH TAYLOR 

Celtic’s tough start to the campaign continues 

as we welcome Warrington Town to Bower Fold 

on Tuesday for a 7:45pm kick off. Tickets can be 

purchased online or on the gate. This game is 

dedicated to the memory of Richard Tipping and 

there will be a minutes silence before kick off. 

Warrington won their opening match, beating 

Morpeth 2-0 in Warrington, carrying on from 

where they left off last season. Last season saw 

them finish in the play-off spots after being there 

or there abouts for the entirety of the campaign. 

Their opening eleven games last season were 

a mixed bag, though they won the opening two, 

beating FC at home and Stafford away, they lost 

four, with Scarborough and South Shields beating 

them on the road, whilst Matlock and Basford 

beat them at home. They did win five in total from 

those eleven, and draw two. In their next twenty 

matches, they only lost three more times, with 

seven draws, keeping them in the top five and in 

contention for top spot. Four losses in their last 

ten put paid to that dream, dropping them from 

third to fifth and coming close to not making it all, 

with Bamber Bridge only two points off them. 

Last season’s top scorer, Jordan Buckley is still 

with the Yellows. Last season he scored 17 goals, 

5 more than his nearest rival, Josh Amis. He has 

already got his scoring boots on for this season, 

having scored in their opening match, along with 

the other Buckley, Isaac. On average, they scored 

1.5 goals per game away from home (1.6 in total), 

finding the net 31 times (67 in total) and failing 

to score only 3 times from 7 in total. Defensively, 

they conceded 47 goals in total, with 23 of those 

on the road, at a rate of 1.1 per game and keeping 

8 of their 15 clean sheets while traveling. They had 

the fifth best away defence in the season, and the 

fourth best away attack. 

Our last meeting with 

Warrington came towards the end of last season, 

with Warrington visiting Bower Fold and walking 

away 3-0 victors, to add to their 3-0 win at their 

place (their only win over us in Warrington). They 

did manage to visit us just before Lockdown in 

2020, again winning, this time 2-0. Our last win 

over them was in 2019, when we beat them 2-1 in 

Warrington, with goals from Neil Kengni and Jon 

Ustabasi, with a late, late goal ruining the clean 

sheet for Alex Fojticek. With Warrington having 

won on their last three visits to Bower Fold, the 

last time Celtic beat them here was 2018, when we 

won 2-0, with Liam Dickinson and Greg Wilkinson 

getting our goals and Jack Walton finishing his 

loan spell from Barnsley with a hard fought clean 

sheet. 

Warrington won their last match, beating 

Morpeth 2-0 in Warrington. Warrington are 

favourites to finish in the top five. In the last 

match, the Celtic defence played exceedingly well 

against full time opposition. At home, hopefully, 

they can take that positivity and turn it into Chris 

Willcock’s first win. 


17

A LOOK AT 


Warrington Town are a team that need no 

introduction having been battling it out with 

Stalybridge for the last few years. Often seen 

as play-off pushers, the side often arrives at 

the Fold with a few ex-Celts in their ranks, and 

this term is no different as we see the return of 

Bohan Dixon in the yellow and blue. 

The club, of course, dates back far further than 

the last few years where we’ve found ourselves 

locking horns in the Northern Premier League, 

beginning life back in 1949 as Stockton Heath. 

Competing in the Warrington and District 

league until 1953, when a move to the Mid 

Cheshire League coincided with the arrival 

of manager Freddie Worrall, the club enjoyed 

a sustained period of success under his 

stewardship becoming one of the most feared 

sides in the county. During that time the side 

won the Mid Cheshire League Championship, 

three League Cups and enjoyed more trips to 

the Cheshire Amateur Cup Final than any other 

club. 

It was a side that went on to great things with 

other clubs, not least the great Roger Hunt who 

we all know, going down in history by lifting 

England’s only World Cup to date. 

Four years prior to that historic day in 1966, the 

club decided to rename themselves Warrington 

Town, and by 1965 they had arrived at 

Cantilever Park on the banks of the Manchester 

Ship Canal. They have remained there to this 

day, with the rather majestic Cantilever Bridge 

looming down over the ground in one of nonleague’s 

more unique locations. 

Following a period that saw little success, 

Town joined the North West Counties League 

in 1982, and during the mid-80s the side even 

enjoyed a trip to Wembley in the FA Vase Final, 

finishing runners-up to local rivals St Helens 

Town. 

Promotion to the Northern 

Premier League was enjoyed 

by the turn of the 1990s and during the decade 

further cup finals were afoot, becoming the 

first ever Northern Premier League Division 

One side to reach the League Cup Final, while 

there was also an impressive run to the FA 

Trophy Quarter Final. 

Towards the latter end of the decade, the club 

endured a number of financial problems and 

relegation to the North West Counties Division 

One was followed by a demotion to Division 

Two due to ground grading problems. 

The rebuild saw Town work their way back 

through the leagues, eventually reestablishing 

themselves in the Northern Premier, finishing in 

mid-table for a number of years and in the last 

few years they’ve gone on to become one of the 

strongest sides in the division. 

A number of play-off pushes have yet to see 

Town make their way into the National League 

North, with a loss to Kings Lynn back in 2018/19, 

while last season saw the club shock South 

Shields in the play-off semi-finals before losing 

to Scarborough in a tense penalty shootout. 

The club will be keen to make it third time lucky 

this season and they will certainly be among the 

bookies favourites to be there or thereabouts 

again come the end of the season. 

18 


LAST SEASON VS 


Last time out - Celtic suffered a 3-0 loss on home soil as Town go on a play-off 

march. 


19

PLAYER PROFILES 


Josh Amis 

Position: Striker. Josh has 

spent much of his career with 

Stockport County in two spells 

with a season at Northwich 

Victoria sandwiched in 

between. He has also played 

for Altrincham and Preston 

North End. Josh joined Town in the close season prior to 

2018/19 and has gone on to appear in over 60 games 

Mitchell Duggan 

Position: Midfield. Another signing in November 2016 

with a first appearance in the home win over Rushall 

Olympic. Mitch started out as a youth team player with 

Tranmere Rovers before progressing to the first team. He 

was previously with Marine before coming to Warrington 

but left again for a spell to return in summer 2018 and is to 

date our longest serving player 

Jordan Buckley 

Position: Striker. Jordan joined Town from FC United 

of Manchester in 2020/21. He has been a regular goal 

scorer at both clubs and is a natural finisher. He was the 

club’s top scorer last season with 19 goals despite injury 

lay-offs 

Bohan Dixon 

Position: Midfield. Bohan joined Town in late August 2018 

and scored on his debut in the 5-0 win away to North 

Ferriby United. Joining from Ashton United he has had 

a wealth of experience, predominantly in non-league 

football. Starting out at Accrington Stanley he soon 

moved on to Lincoln City before spells at AFC Fylde, FC 

Halifax Town and Stockport County. He will pass a 100 

appearances for the Yellows this season 

Evan Gumbs 

Position: Defender. Evan, 23 when signing in August 2020 

from Tranmere Rovers, is no stranger to Cantilever Park 

having had three spells on loan at the club, making 34 

appearances in the 2017/18 season. 

He was released by the EFL League Two club, and the 

management team were quick to make their move. 

Luke Duffy 

Position: Midfield. Town signed attacking midfielder Luke 

Duffy ahead of the preseason friendly against Southport 

on 1st September 2020. 

Duffy, 21 when signing, was part of the Salford City 

development squad in 2019/20 and has previously 

had trials with Crystal Palace and 

Brentford. Picked up from Lower 

Breck the player has attracted 

attention from clubs higher up the pyramid 

Jack Mackreth 

Position: Striker. Jack re-joined Town after playing for 

Bala Town once our own season had been cancelled due 

to the pandemic. He re-joined us in the summer of 2021. 

Jack originally signed for Town from Wrexham and has 

also spent time at Macclesfield Town and Grimsby Town. 

His first start for Warrington Town was delayed while 

international clearance came through. Currently under 

rehabilitation for an ACL injury 

Jay Harris 

Position: Midfield. Jay has a wealth of experience in the 

Football League and National League having previously 

played for Wrexham FC. He started out as an Everton 

trainee before moving on to play for Accrington Stanley. 

He spent a couple of seasons with Chester before 

moving down the road to fierce rival Wrexham where he 

spent five seasons. He them moved a few miles north to 

Tranmere Rovers. He had a spell at Macclesfield Town 

and the returned to Wrexham. 

Sean Williams 

Position: Midfield. Sean originally signed in for Town 

in November 2016 making his debut at home to Rushall 

Olympic. Sean’s former clubs include Stockport County, 

FC Halifax Town, Altrincham, Hinckley Utd Hednesford 

Town. He initially joined Warrington Town from AFC 

Telford United. He later moved to Altrincham where he 

spent a number of seasons before returning to Town in 

2021, initially on loan and then signing up, has 100 apps in 

total for the Town 

Stefan Mols 

Position: Midfield. Spanish 

midfielder Stefan Mols joined 

up with Paul Carden’s squad in 

mid-October 2021. 

The 22-year-old was released 

by Blackburn Rovers in the 

summer having spent the 

previous four seasons working 

his way through the club’s academy. 

Isaac Buckley-Ricketts 

Position: Striker. Isaac joined the club initially on loan 

from Southport in February 2022. He was 23 years 

20 


PLAYER PROFILES 


old when he joined Town and started his career at 

Manchester City, and has been capped by England at 

under-18, under-19 and under-20 level. 

The forward also spent time in the Dutch Eredivisie, 

where he scored twice in 12 appearances for FC Twente. 

The initial loan deal was until April 3, and made his debut 

in a 3-1 victory over Morpeth Town, notching a second 

half assist for Josh Amis. That loan deal was extended to 

the end of the season, and he signed for the club for the 

start of the following season. 

Michael Howard 

Position: Striker. Michael signed from Skelmersdale 

United on the final day of transfer in 2022. He has scored 

twenty-seven goals for Skem. The former Preston 

North End junior has played at this level before making 

appearances for Morecambe, Hednesford Town, 

Stalybridge Celtic and Marine. 

Oliver Putnam 

Position: Midfield/Striker. Oliver joined town in the 

summer of 2022 having previously played for local rivals 

Witton Albion. He scored in pre-season for Town. The 

Biddulph born player started his senior football career 

at Newcastle Town in 2020. He then went on to play at 

Chorley, Leek Town and Glossop North End. 

Andrew White 

Position: Defender. Andrew was one of a number of 

summer 2022 signings from National League side 

Altrincham. He has had a distinguished career in football 

in both The Football League and The National League. 

Derby born he started out at Hucknall as a youth player 

before signing for Mansfield Town. He also had two 

spells at Crewe Alexandra either side of joining Boston 

United, Kidderminster Harriers and Burton Albion. He 

later played for Notts County, Kidderminster again and 

Southport. 

Chester and AFC Fylde 

Tony Thompson 

Position: Goalkeeper. Tony was 

another ex-Altrincham player to 

join Town in summer 2022. He 

made over eighty appearances 

for Alty. He started out at 

Rotherham United before 

making moves to Morecambe, 

Tom Hannigan 

Position:. Defender. Tom was also a 

summer signing from Altrincham. Her 

has also played for Vauxhall Motors and AFC Fylde. 

Lewis Sinnot 

Position: defender. Lewis signed for Town in the summer 

of 2022 having previously played for Burscough FC. The 

Liverpool born defender started his football career at 

Tranmere Rovers. 

Josh Seary 

Position: Defender. Josh has joined the club on loan deal 

from Preston North End and at only 17 they have high 

hopes for him 

MANAGEMENT 

Mark Beesley 

Manager. Former Yellows striker Beesley was manager 

at Burscough in season 2015/16 following a lengthy 

playing career, including spells at Chester, Forest 

Green Rovers and Cambridge United. Mark took over as 

manager following the departure of Paul Carden to AFC 

Telford United and took Town to the NPL paly-off final. 

David Raven 

Assistant Manager. Was initially snapped up for Town 

by then manager Paul Carden when he was released by 

Wrexham in May 2018. Dave’s previous clubs include 

Liverpool, Carlisle United, Shrewsbury Town, Tranmere 

Rovers, Inverness Caledonian Thistle, and Wrexham; he 

also played for England’s Under 18s 19s and 20s. Made 

his Liverpool debut with a man of the match performance 

against Tottenham Hotspurs in the 2004 ¼ final win at 

White Hart Lane, played a couple of more games for 

the Reds before moving to Tranmere Rovers (on loan), 

Carlisle United, Shrewsbury Town, back to Tranmere 

Rovers before trying his luck in the SPL with Inverness 

Caledonian Thistle, in 2014-15 season Inverness won 

the Scottish Cup at Hampden Park but unfortunately 

Dave missed out on the game through injury, in Jan 2018 

he signed for Wrexham and was released at the end of 

that season. He left Town as a player to join Marine and 

reached the FA Cup Third Round with then where they 

played Tottenham Hotspur. He re-joined Town in 2021/22 

as assistant manager to Mark Beesley. 

VIEW WARRINGTON TOWN’S SQUAD 


21

TODAY’S MATCHDAY PLAYLIST 

DEDICATED TO RICHARD TIPPING 

1. 99 Red Balloons - Nene 

2. Hounds Of Love - The Futureheads 

3. Roll With It - Oasis 

4. Is This The Way To Amarillo - Tony Christie 

5. Weather With You - Crowded House 

6. Magic Of The Blue - Blue Magic 

7. Brainbug - Nightmare (Sinister Strings Edit) 

8. Some Might Say - Oasis 

9. Boom Boom Boom - The Outhere Brothers 

10. Ready To Go - Republica 

11. Tubthumping - Chumbawamba 

12. Hungry Like The Wolf - Duran Duran 

13. Supersonic - Oasis 

14. Stand And Deliver - Adam & The Ants 

15. Blue - Eiffel 65 

16. Kiss Me - Sixpence None The Richer 

17. Nine Million Bicycles - Katie Melua 

18. Thunderstruck - AC/DC 

LISTEN TO TONIGHT’S PLAYLIST ON SPOTIFY 

22 


#ANDYSMANCLUB 

ALL OUR GROUPS 

MEET MONDAY 7PM 

SUICIDE IS THE BIGGEST 

KILLER OF MEN UNDER 45 

1 MAN EVERY 2 HOURS 

TO FIND YOUR NEAREST 

GROUP VISIT OUR WEBSITE 

WWW.ANDYSMANCLUB.CO.UK 

JOIN THE CONVERSATION 

info@andysmanclub.co.uk 

andysmanclub 

WWW.ANDYSMANCLUB.CO.UK 

andysmanclubuk 

@andysmanclubuk 

We are a peer to peer support group for men. 

Come have a brew and a chat! 

#ITSOKAYTOTALK

STALYBRIDGE CELTIC 2022/2023 

NEW HOME & AWAY SHIRTS 

Celtic is excited to reveal its 2022-23 home and away shirts. 

Made by Hope and Glory and sponsored by Dream Bi Folding Doors, Celtic’s new home shirt 

features a bold pattern in the clubs traditional blue and white colours and also features a newly 

designed club crest. 

Celtic’s away shirt is a brightly coloured teal which includes a shade of blue towards the top. 

Greg Hall will wear a green camouflaged style shirt alongside our home kit with a yellow and 

grey variant completing the clubs away kit. 

Both home and away shirts will be available to order later this week via Hope and Glory. 

24 


THE HALF TIME QUIZ: 

FINGERS ON THE BUZZER… 

Is it half time yet? Great. It’s time to pop down your pie and give these football teasers a go. Each 

week we’ll be providing you with a few quizzes and brain teasers to have a go at while on the 

terraces, with prizes on offer for those first past the post… 

SPOT THE BALL: 

Yes, we’re offering free entry for a home game of your choice if you’re the first to correctly guess 

our spot the ball competition. All you need to do to enter is head over to our Twitter or Facebook 

account at half time and drop your answer in the replies to the Spot the Ball thread… 

BRAIN TEASER: 

Can you name all 20 football club suffixes in the top five tiers of English football? 

We’ll get you started with City… 

NAME THE XI: 

Can you name the missing players from last season’s Stalybridge fixture against Hyde United on 

December 27… 

1 Will Huffer 

2 Josh Dawodu 

3 Ashley Smith-Brown 

4 Connor O’Grady 

5 ???? 

6 Justin Johnson 

7 Keenan Quansah 

8 Scott Bakkor 

9 ???? 

10 Callum Harris 

11 ???? 

Answers can be found on 

page 30. 


25

MY CELTIC XI 

WITH RICHARD GREENWOOD 

Name: 

Years Supporting Club: 

First Game: 

All-Time Favourite Player: 

Richard Greenwood 

26 years 

28 December 96, Rushden & 

Diamonds at home. Won 2-0. 

Sammy Ayorinde 

Favourite Memory: The treble winning bus parade. I was 11 

and it came shortly after the Manchester United treble. 

The town came alive and I didn’t want to be Beckham or 

Giggs. I wanted to be Tony Sullivan or Kevin Parr. 

PADDY GAMBLE 

DAVE GERMAN 

MARTIN FILSON 

KEENAN QUANSAH 

ANDY SCOTT 

BRENDAN BURKE 

KEVIN PARR 

GREG WILKINSON 

CONNOR JENNINGS 

DOMINIC CALVERT-LEWIN 

IAN ARNOLD 

SUBS: CRAIG DOOTSON, LEE ELLINGTON, SAMMY AYORINDE, 

STEVE PICKFORD, TONY SULLIVAN, GARY BAURESS 

26 


The Daniel Wilkinson Foundation is a charity set up in memory of Daniel 

Wilkinson who died in 2016 aged 24, while playing the game he loved, from 

an underlying heart condition called Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular 

Cardiomyopathy (ARVC). 

Dan played football from an early age and joined Hull City AFC when he 

was 10, earning a professional contract aged 18. Loughborough 

University followed where he completed a degree in Accounting and 

Financial Management while playing non-league football. He was an 

athlete who enjoyed the gym and took his health and nutrition very 

seriously. He lived life to the full and had so much ahead of him. 

Other than feeling light-headed on a few occasions in the month 

before he died, he had no symptoms! 

SUDDEN CARDIAC DEATH IN THE 

YOUNG (SCD) 

SCD is the leading cause of death in young 

athletes during sport and the majority of deaths 

occur with NO SYMPTOMS or family history. 

ARVC can be found in one in every 1,000 to 

5,000 young adults - IF IT IS LOOKED FOR. 

Warning signs may include light-headedness, 

fainting, palpitations, swollen legs, 

breathlessness. 

Every week in the UK, 12 apparently fit and 

healthy young people (aged 35 and under) die 

from previously undiagnosed heart conditions. 

In Italy, where screening is mandatory for all 

young people engaged in organised sport, they 

have reduced the incidence of young sudden 

cardiac death by 89%. 

The Daniel Wilkinson Foundation has been 

set up to raise awareness of SCD and to 

provide funding towards heart screening, 

defibrillators and CPR/defibrillator training 

primarily for grass-roots sporting teams. 

Tragedies can be prevented through cardiac 

screening. It is vital that young people are 

identified and treated. 

Find out more 

@dannywilks5 

OUR MISSION 

thedanielwilkinsonfoundation 

dwfoundation5 

contact@thedanielwilkinsonfoundation.org 

thedanielwilkinsonfoundation.org 

To donate: mydonate.bt.com/charities/thedanielwilkinsonfoundation

CATCHING UP 

WITH PHIL MARSH 

We’ve had many top quality strikers at 

Bower Fold down the years, but few could 

compete with Phil Marsh when it comes to 

natural born finishers. 

Spearheading the attack in one of the best 

‘Bridge squads since the turn of the millennium, 

Marshy formed a fantastic relationship with the 

likes of Connor Jennings and Greg Wilkinson 

to guide the club up the division during the fulltime 

experiment in the early 2010s. 

Joining the club after impressing at FC United, 

the former Manchester United youngster spent 

two seasons at the club before moving up the 

leagues to Forest Green Rovers. He returned 

just over a year later, picking up where he left off 

in front of goal, taking his overall tally with the 

club to 50. 

Now aged 36, Marshy is still lacing up his boots 

at Pilkington FC in his hometown of St Helens 

and is also coaching at the North West Counties 

Division One North club. We caught up with the 

potent goalscorer to see how he was getting on 

and discuss a few of his memories from his time 

at Bower Fold… 

Hi Phil, it’s good to speak to you. How are you 

doing? Looking forward to getting back into the 

season? 

I’m not too bad. Had a bit of a stop start preseason 

with holidays and few niggles but 

looking forward to the start of the season. 

It’s been 12 years since you made your debut for 

Stalybridge. How did the move come about? 

Yeah I think my move to Stalybridge came about 

after scoring the goal in the FA Cup for FC United 

at Gigg Lane. It was a great game and I had a 

good game. I think it was not long after I had 

some interest and it was obviously a step up so 

I was keen on 

giving it a look. 

During your 

time at the club 

you played with 

some of the best Celtic 

players of recent times, yourself included. Were 

there any particular players that stood out for 

you and you loved playing with? 

Thank you, I appreciate that. I think I was very 

lucky and played some of my best football in 

my career at Stalybridge. Being full-time and 

having a talented group was brilliant and all the 

players would be worthy of a mention, but a few 

stand outs were Connor Jennings, my strike 

partner, and Greg Wilkinson, both fantastic 

players. 

Of course, you started your career at 

Manchester United, who had a wealth of 

experience and world-class strikers. As a 

youngster, were there any first teamers who you 

really learned from and received advice from? 

I had a great upbringing and was very lucky to 

be around some of the world’s best strikers. We 

used to do some finishing drills and to watch 

and learn from the likes of Wayne Rooney, 

Ruud van Nistlerooy, Cristiano Ronaldo and Ole 

Gunnar Solskjaer was unbelievable. I learned 

a lot from them all and they were all really nice 

people too who would always try and help how 

and when they could. 

Naturally Sir Alex is well known for being a 

tough task master. But from afar, Jim Harvey 

felt very much the same. What was it like to 

work under him? Especially as a full-timer… 

Jim Harvey was a fantastic coach and his 

sessions were brilliant. I really enjoyed working 

with him and he definitely got the best out 

28 


of me. Certain occasions looking back we 

didn’t see eye-to-eye or we had fallouts over 

certain situations but that’s football. His man 

management was questionable at times but I 

don’t hold any grudges or anything. That’s part of 

the game. 

He certainly did seem to get the best out of you, 

bagging plenty during his reign. Do you have 

any stand out games or goals? 

He got me playing in a system that really suited 

me and it was a great style of football that 

we all enjoyed. I think the four goals away at 

Workington was the stand out. Everything 

went in for me that night. It was a great night 

personally after such a long drive on a Tuesday 

night. 

What are your fondest memories of your time at 

the club? It seemed like there were some great 

lads in the dressing room during your first spell. 

My whole time at the club was brilliant from the 

lads I played with, the great coaches and staff 

who helped me, and the fans were always really 

great with me and made me feel really welcome 

and valued after games in the bar. I used to love 

going in after a game win, lose or draw, having a 

chat and mingling with the supporters. 

What’s next for Phil Marsh? Continue playing 

until the goals stop going in? 

I’m 36 this year but had a really good season last 

year scoring 25 league goals so as long as I can 

still offer something and feel fit enough I’ll keep 

going. 

You’re currently a player-coach at the club. Is 

the coaching something you’re going to look 

to be progressing with over the coming years? 

Next step management? 

Yes, I have done my UEFA B Licence and am 

looking to do my A in the coming years before 

I retire. My aim is to try and stay in football in 

some capacity once I retire, whether it’s as 

a coach or eventually go into management. I 

currently do some one-on-one sessions and 

group sessions locally with lots of kids and 

teams around the St Helen’s area as I love 

sharing my knowledge and experience with the 

next generation. 

Good luck for the season Phil, we hope to see 

you back at Bower Fold someday soon. 

Thank you and I will hopefully come back and 

catch a game very soon as I love coming back to 

Bower Fold. It’s a great venue for football and I 

wish the club all the best. 

This interview was conducted prior to the start 

of the season. Unfortunately, Phil has picked up 

a serious injury and the club sends their best 

with his recovery. 

LIFE AT BRIDGE: 

PHIL MARSH 

Position: 

Striker 

Debut: 14 August, 2010 

v Redditch United 

Last Appearance: 1 January, 2014 

v Altrincham 

Appearances: 99 

Minutes Played: 7,515 

Goals: 51 

TO WATCH AND LEARN FROM THE 

LIKES OF WAYNE ROONEY, RUUD VAN 

NISTLEROOY, CRISTIANO RONALDO 

AND OLE GUNNAR SOLSKJAER WAS 

UNBELIEVABLE. 

I THINK I WAS VERY LUCKY AND 

PLAYED SOME OF MY BEST FOOTBALL IN 

MY CAREER AT STALYBRIDGE. 


29

QUIZ ANSWERS 

BRAIN TEASER: 

United, Town, City, Rovers, County, Athletic, Albion, Wanderers, Villa, Forest, Hotspur, North End, 

Orient, Wednesday, Moors, Stanley, Argyle, Rangers, Alexandra, Dons. 

NAME THE XI: 

4. Stephen Brogan, 

6. Shane Killock, 

10. Charley Doyle 

30 


The Premier League, 

The FA and Government 

are together for football. 

Unlocking the power of 

pitches, strengthening 

communities, transforming 

lives, tackling inequalities 

& improving accessibility 

through the Football 

Foundation. 

Find out more about the 

Football Foundation, its impact 

and plans for your local area: 

footballfoundation.org.uk 


31

RICHARD TIPPING 

RICHARD SPENT THE LAST 20 YEARS AS ‘THE VOICE’ AT BOWER FOLD AND WILL BE 

MISSED BY US ALL. REST IN PEACE, RICHARD. 

Picture Credit: Kev Wilson 


32 

AD-105x148-KIO-Take A Stand.indd 1 03/02/2021 08:48

A GUIDE TO MATLOCK: 

YOUR AWAY DAY PLANNER 

THE NEED TO KNOW: 

Gameday: 

Distance from Bower Fold: 

Ground Address: 

Entry Fee: 

Tuesday 23 August, 2022 - 7.45pm 

36.9 miles 

Causeway Ln, Matlock DE4 3AR 

£12 Adults, £5 16-18 Year Olds, £8 Concession, 

£3 Child 10-15 FREE under-10 

We head over to Matlock on next Tuesday evening to take on a familiar face in Paul Phillips, who has 

spent plenty of time between the sticks at Bower Fold, alongside in the dugout - and of course teasing 

fans on the terraces during his Droylsden days too. 

It’s all set to be a thrilling game at The Proctors Cars Stadium, and with a fan minibus running from 

Bower Fold to the game, there will be plenty of Celts there in good voice. For those thinking of making 

the journey over to the Derbyshire town, here are a few top tips for making the most of the 37 mile 

journey… 

Places To Eat: 

Matlock’s always been popular with tourists and when it comes to picking up a bit of grub, there are 

plenty of options available. For a small town, you can go around the world pretty easily with decent 

Indian at The Balti in nearby Matlock Bath, or The Spice a little closer to the ground, while Thailand 

Number 1 will provide you with, well, a taste of Thailand. 

For those wanting to go a bit classier before hopefully a classy display from Chris’ side, The Stones is 

one of the more revered restaurants in town, offering modern British. Let’s face it, you also can’t beat 

a bit of pub grub, with The Remarkable Hare a solid option. 

Places To Drink: 

If getting in on the pub action pre-game is what you’re looking for, then there’s a fair bit of choice. In 

terms of proximity to the ground, The Remarkable Hare is your best bet, just a five minute walk away, 

while Monk Bar sits just across the road from the pub offering cocktails and beer, although we’re not 

entirely sure a pornstar Martini is what you’re going to be looking for half an hour before kick off. 

Ostello Lounge and The Tipsy Toad, which shows live sport, are also just a short walk from the ground. 

A little further afield (although still only a 10 minute walk), you’ll find Farmacy, a small real ale bar 

which operates as Aldwark Ales’ brewery tap, with a host of cask and keg beers that are well worth 

sampling. Just be careful, it’s only a Tuesday night! 

The Sights & Sounds: 

BUY YOUR TICKETS 

Early arrivals into Matlock will have plenty to do. The town needs no introduction to many of us 

Stalybridge folk, and Matlock Bath further down the road certainly doesn’t. Perhaps one of the most 

picturesque away trips of the season, there are some great walks, a number of museums and even the 

chance to ride a cable car. 

Then we’ll see you all there at 7.45pm to hopefully enjoy the highlight of the day…three points on the 

road! 


33

34 

ADVERTISE 

IN THIS 

PROGRAMME

FROM THE ARCHIVES 

TUESDAY AUGUST 16TH, 2011 

Stalybridge Celtic vs Harrogate Town (3-2) 

League: National League North 

A last gasp winner gave Celtic the three points 

their performance deserved. 

Celtic completely bossed the first half, and had 

Harrogate on the ropes. Adam Kay’s free kick 

hit the woodwork, and Phil Marsh was denied 

a seemingly valid goal with a dubious offside 

flag before cutting a shot wide across the face 

after some scintillating build up play. It wasn’t 

all Celtic’s own way, with Harrogate making 

dangerous forays, and Jan Budtz pulled off a great 

low save to deny Ian Ross, but they were rare. 

Phil Marsh forced Mark Cook into a great stop 

at his near post and Kay’s corner kick clipped 

the crossbar with the Celtic man trying a cheeky 

curling corner. A superb rising drive from Greg 

Wilkinson was watched hopefully by Cook as it 

sped past the post, and more one touch passing 

set up Jack Rea for a rare Rae rasper that had 

Cook again at full stretch to deny him. Cook was 

the hero for Harrogate as he kept out Wilkinson’s 

lofted shot, and he got lucky when Craig Hobson 

met Kay’s fine cross but lifted the ball over the 

bar. Lloyd Ellams showed some spectacular skill 

to get into the box and retain the ball, but his shot 

took a deflection off Jake Picton’s back to make 

the save comfortable for Cook. Marsh popped up 

onto a Kay through ball, and curled his shot over 

Cook, only for it to thump the woodwork, whilst 

his twisting and turning in the box opened a small 

gap, but Cook was well placed. 

A goal was coming, Harrogate couldn’t suppress 

Celtic forever, and a goal came through the vision 

of Marsh and the strength of Hobson. Marsh’s 

inch perfect through ball was powered onto by 

Hobson who held off Picton long enough to draw 

Cook and fire past the Harrogate keeper right on 

the stroke of half time. 

Celtic started the second half as they had finished 

the first, with Kay winning a corner. This time 

Lloyd Ellams took the corner, firing to the near 

VIEW HIGHLIGHTS 

post. Cook came to claim but landed awkwardly 

and stepped back into his own net. He tried to 

throw the ball out, but the linesman had seen the 

ball cross the line and Celtic were two up. 

Harrogate reorganised and packed the midfield, 

stifling Celtic’s dazzling football, and pushing 

hard into the Celtic half. Callum Hassan headed 

tamely into Budtz’s arms, but took advantage of 

some disorganised defending to fire low and hard 

just beyond the finger tips of Jan Budtz, to pull one 

back for the visitors. 

So successful was this strategy that Harrogate 

tried again, popping the ball around the box 

putting pressure on the Celtic back line, forcing 

them further back. Paul Brayson had a warm 

up shot that Budtz stopped fairly easily, before 

placing the perfect low drive through a crowd 

that Budtz just couldn’t reach and Harrogate were 

level with twenty minutes left. 

Celtic got to grips with Harrogate’s new tactics, 

and started building their football again. Callum 

Warburton fired from the edge of the box an inch 

wide, and Marsh cut his effort across the fface 

after outpacing the Harrogate defence. Celtic 

started to look as strong as they had in the first 

half, and Harrogate were pushed back and back. 

Right at the death, Arthur Gnahoua turned Matt 

Bloomer inside out and fired low and hard back 

from the touchline for Connor Jennings running in 

from the edge of the box. Cook slid in to get the 

ball, but Jennings was quicker and fired into the 

back of the net before following the ball as he 

went over Cook. 

It was the final second of the match and 

Harrogate didn’t have time to breath never mind 

mount an attack, and Celtic did to Harrogate what 

Harrogate did to Altrincham last Saturday. 


35

A TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE 

WITH MICHAEL BRIERLEY 

Stalybridge Celtic FC, together with its home 

of Bower Fold, was founded in 1909 by Herbert 

Rhodes. 

The Celtic name does begin to appear in records 

from 1906 onwards but crucially appears to 

have never been affiliated into any league and 

seemingly played friendly matches only. 

From formation and that very first game, 

development was more than a fairly rapid affair 

and the success from football played, via the 

Lancashire & Cheshire League, Lancashire 

Combination, Central League and Southern 

League was immediate, testament to the level of 

ambition that existed. 

Following its decision to expand, the initial dream 

of election to the Football League was achieved 

and two seasons were spent in the Third Division 

North. This brought more than acceptable 

results and a highest ever finish in the footballing 

pyramid, together with a best ever performance 

in the FA Cup in front of a record gate of 9,753. 

Voluntary resignation, due to financial concerns 

and being the first to ever do so, saw the journey 

start all over again. The Cheshire County League 

was joined before further pyramid reorganisation 

saw progress made through the North West 

Counties League to the Northern Premier League. 

Stalybridge Celtic FC and Bower Fold first entered 

my life for a home game against Frickley Athletic, 

in the Northern Premier League, on 2nd March 

1991. 

It’s the same in all walks of life. Formula 1 is all 

about teamwork, the challenge of man and 

machine against rivals in a bid to be the fastest. A 

cruise ship comes under the overall control of the 

master of the vessel but it takes many crew from 

all over the world to run a smooth operation. 

In both cases, or in much the same way as 

however we all came to watch that very first 

match then it is, once witnessed, the magic of the 

blue that can captivate you for life. All will have a 

personal favourite race, trip, driver, player, match 

or season that 

they remember 

best and each 

one is, of course, 

special but in the 

context of history 

then all are just as equally 

important as each other. 

The intervening years, since that Frickley game, 

have given me many happy memories. Those 

first two years in the Northern Premier League, 

the runners up and title winning season, glorious 

years spent in the Football Conference, long and 

good FA Cup or Trophy runs together with other 

trophies lifted and of course, the unprecedented 

and unforgettable treble season of Northern 

Premier League, Cheshire Senior and Presidents 

Cup. 

It is those many memories of numerous 

outstanding results in terms of matches, players 

and grounds that are best and most fondly 

remembered. A TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE 

(PLAYERS & MANAGERS A-Z) 

LEE ELLINGTON 

The Duke was considered to be, perhaps, the 

most prolific striker for a generation or so. Played 

over four seasons in the Football Conference 

North at the end of the 2000s. 

NEIL ELLIS 

Left hand sided player, equally at home in both 

defence and midfield. Featured in two campaigns 

of the Football Conference era during the mid 

1990’s. 

NIGEL EVANS 

Largely used as a substitute and back up player 

during the unprecedented NPL treble season. 

Striker, who possessed such an infectious, laid 

back attitude and was very happy to just be a 

valuable part of that success. 


36

UPDATE FROM THE SECRETARY 

WITH PHIL HALL 

Good evening and welcome to our opening 

home fixture for the 2022/23 season. Today we 

welcome the players, officials, and fans of 

Warrington Town. Warrington just missed out on 

promotion through the playoffs last season, and 

I’m sure they’ll be desperate to go one better 

this term. 

Not only is this the start of a new season, 

but also the start of a new era at Bower Fold 

under new manager Chris Willcock. The new 

Gaffer has been like a breath of fresh air, not 

only rebuilding on the pitch, but also throwing 

himself into work parties off it, revamping the 

dressing room, and connecting with the fans. 

Chris lives locally and his passion for the club 

shines through. 

Saturday’s result wasn’t the one we wanted, 

but if we can build on the performance then 

the results will come. I’m sure the fans who 

made the long trip to the northeast appreciated 

the efforts, and I know the staff and players 

certainly appreciated the support. 

Saturday’s game also saw my competitive debut 

as Secretary, but also meant I had to reprise 

my previous role as kitman. The reason being, 

of course, that Andy Hobson has moved on to 

pastures new. Andy has been a great servant 

to this club holding various roles and spending 

a vast amount of his spare time at the ground 

along with his wife Sarah, and daughter Chloe, 

helping wherever he was needed. 

Another familiar face missing today for an 

altogether more tragic reason is Richard 

Tipping, who sadly passed away last week. 

Richard has been The Voice of Celtic for 20 years 

and last season was voted club person of the 

year. 

His smile and cheerful demeanour will be 

greatly 

missed. I’m 

sure he would 

be proud that his 

son, Chris, has decided 

to step into the role he filled so well. We will 

hold a minute’s silence before kick off to honour 

Richard’s memory. 

Volunteers like Richard and Andy are the 

lifeblood of clubs at our level and we are always 

in need of new ones, so please talk to any club 

official, or email secretary@stalybridgeceltic. 

co.uk if you would like to know more about 

volunteering. 

Finally, I hope you enjoy our new digital match 

day publication. It’s taken a lot of hard work by 

Taran, Phill Smith, Michael Beech and our new 

programme editor Richard Greenwood to get 

everything in place, and I’m sure you’ll agree 

they’ve done a great job. 

The games come thick and fast at this time 

of the season, and we are at home again on 

Saturday to Lancaster City. I hope to see you 

all then and if you enjoy this evening why not 

persuade a friend to come along. 

All the best . 

Phill 


37

WHAT’S HAPPENING 

AT BOWER FOLD 

Stalybridge Celtic is delighted to welcome three new directors to the clubs board 

Afshin Mirtorabi, Andrew Seddon and Steve Lockey have all joined the clubs board of directors and 

will work with the existing board and club volunteers to continue with the clubs progression. 

All three directors are local to Stalybridge and bring a wide range of skills and experience to the board. 

Celtic Chairman Rob Gorski was delighted to welcome Afshin, Andrew and Steve to the club, he said: 

“I am genuinely excited that the three of them have officially joined the club. Ash, Andy and Steve 

came as a package and are exactly what we have needed for many years. They are intelligent, wellconnected, 

dynamic businesspeople who can help change the culture of the club, bring in fresh ideas 

and help us to attract new sponsorship. 

“I welcome all four in to the boardroom.” 

On joining the Board of Directors, Ash said: “As a Stalybridge local and passionate football fan, I’m 

delighted to get the opportunity to help navigate the club through the next phase of its evolution. There 

are many exciting developments ahead which will transform the club, build a solid foundation for future 

growth and leave a lasting legacy. I feel privileged to be a very small part of it.” 

Steve added: “I’m really excited to join the board at Celtic. As a Stalybridge local, it’s a brilliant 

opportunity to help my local club continue to improve as we move into next season and for many 

seasons to come! The club has a great foundation and history and hopefully I can contribute to an even 

greater future.” 

Finally, Andrew commented: “Having lived in Stalybridge for 20 years and followed the fortunes of 

Stalybridge Celtic from afar, I am really delighted with the opportunity to join the board of the best nonleague 

club in Tameside and help drive the club forward. The future of the club looks very promising 

and I look forward to playing a small part in making it happen.” 

Welcome to Celtic, Ash, Steve and Andrew! 

38 


WHAT’S HAPPENING 

AT BOWER FOLD 

Stalybridge Celtic is extremely saddened to 

report that club volunteer and Matchday PA 

Announcer Richard Tipping passed away 

last week. 

Richard is well known as ‘The Voice’ at Bower 

Fold and has spent the last 20 years on the 

microphone at the club. 

Richard was recently named as Celtic’s Clubman 

of the Year for the 2021-22 season and will be 

sadly missed by everyone at the club. 

Chairman Rob Gorski paid tribute to Richard’s 

dedication and service to Celtic, he said: “I am 

sincerely saddened to hear of Richard’s untimely 

death. He was our match day announcer for 20 

years, even when working in London during the 

week, and was an outstanding Celtic stalwart. 

“Richard oozed class, style and humility and he 

will be terribly missed by all who knew him. 

“Our thoughts are with Chris and the whole 

Tipping family at this dreadfully sad time. 

“RIP Richard.” 

Celtic will be holding a minute’s silence before 

tonight’s fixture with Warrington Town. 

Rest in peace, Richard. 

We can also confirm that Celtic’s press box will 

be named The Richard Tipping Press Box in 

memory of Richard. 

We’d like to thank Andy for his time at the club 

and wish him all the best in his new challenge. 

We look forward to welcoming Andy, Sarah and 

Chloe back to Bower Fold in the near future. 

Player sponsorship for the 2022-23 season 

is available to purchase! 

For £120, you will have your name included in 

our match-day programme, on the club website 

with your sponsored player while also having 

the opportunity to meet your sponsored player 

during the season. 

The following players are currently available for 

sponsorship. 

• Kyle Harrison 

• Ben Woods 

• Louis Danquah 

• Tom Miller 

• Harry Benns 

• Ciaran Summers 

• Dahrius Waldron 

• Ethan Padden 

• Aarron Grewal 

• Osebi Abadaki 


secretary@stalybridgeceltic.co.uk if you would 

like to sponsor one of the above players. 

Celtic can confirm that Andy Hobson has 

decided to step down from his role as Kit 

Manager to move on to a new challenge 

elsewhere. 

Andy, his wife Sarah and daughter Chloe are 

popular figures around the club and they have 

all given so much time and put lots of hard work 

into Celtic. 

Andy’s dedication to Stalybridge Celtic has been 

tremendous over the years and he along with 

Sarah and Chloe will be sadly missed. 

ANDY HOBSON 


39

40 


IMAGE GALLERY 

THE BEST OF PRE-SEASON 


41

42 


Ever thought of volunteering to 

help your local football club? 

There are many different volunteer roles in non-league football and 

Northern Premier League football clubs need your help with them. 

The Trident Leagues and Pitching In have recently launched a new 

online Volunteer Hub where you can find opportunities and contact 

your local football club. 

Please visit 

Pitchinginvolunteers.co.uk 

to find out more

INFINITE ENERGY 

Ofcial Partner to the 

Pitching In NPL 

Introducing the Spectral Intent Elite 

Exclusive Northern Premier League Match Ball : 

Ÿ 

Ÿ 

Ÿ 

Ÿ 

Microcoated PU casing equalizes airow 

Engineered PU for increased response 

& enhanced control 

Optimal sphericity for straight ight 

Modied latex bladder for improved balance & 

accuracy 

SPECTRAL INTENT ELITE sz 5 

sales enquiries : 

e: sales@chryso.co.uk 

www.chryso.co.uk 

44


45

TODAY’S TEAMS 

AT BOWER FOLD 

STALYBRIDGE CELTIC 

Greg Hall 

Connor Leach 

Kyle Harrison 

Ben Woods 

Louis Danquah 

Ciaran Summers 

Dahrius Waldron 

Ethan Padden 

Matty Liptrott 

Harry Benns 

David Edwards 

Osebi Abadaki 

Aarron Grewal 

Cameron Darkwah 

Godwin Abadaki 

Raul Correia 


Tony Thompson 

Lewis Sinnot 

Andy White 

Tom Hannigan 

Evan Gumbs 

Jay Harris 

Mikey Howard 

Sean Williams 

Isaac Buckley-Ricketts 

Bohan Dixon 

Luke Duffy 

Josh Amis 

Stefan Mols 

Matthew McDonald 

Oliver Putnam 

Jordan Buckley 

Referee: Thomas Swift 

Assistants: Kenneth Dowling & Elliott Holman 

Supporters are warned that is an offence under the Ground Regulations and Club Code of Conduct to enter the field of play - AT ANY 

TIME HOME AND AWAY Supporters who enter the field of play will be ejected from the stadium and may be subject of a banning 

order. All people entering Bower Fold and its environs are reminded of their obligations with regard to foul and abusive language and 

comments and remarks that could be construed as offensive, discriminatory and or racist to any group or creed. The directors have 

asked that all fans, home and away, behave in a manner that does credit to this fine football club. By Order of Stalybridge Celtic FC. 

STALYBRIDGE CELTIC FOOTBALL CLUB LIMITED(THE) Company number 00292254

01 - Stalybridge Celtic vs Warrington Town

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?