ChromaSport & Trophies
United Counties Football League
Company Secretary: Wendy Newey, United Counties League, 4 Wulfric Square, Bretton, Peterborough PE3 8RF
Telephone: 01733 330056 Fax: 01733 330067 E mail:
web site: http://fulltime.thefa.com/Index.do?league=1625657
Newsline telephone 09066 555 885
CHROMASPORT & TROPHIES UNITED COUNTIES LEAGUE
NEWSLETTER NO. 298 MAY 2015 PAGE 1
George Whiting
The end of the 2014-15 season has been overshadowed by the sudden death of league vice chairman George Whiting on Friday 8th May at the age of 69.
George had a lengthy involvement with UCL football at both club and league level. He was secretary of Higham Town from 1975 to 1981 before moving on to Irthlingborough Diamonds where he built a well deserved reputation as one of the league’s finest administrators in a twelve year spell as secretary prior to the club’s merger with Rushden Town to form Rushden & Diamonds in 1993.
George first joined the league management committee in 1978 serving for three years. He returned to the committee for a second spell in 1984, remaining involved until his untimely death.
His first spell as vice chairman lasted from 1991 to 1994 when he was right hand man to Terry Bates. He returned to the role for a second spell in 2003, working alongside John Weeks.
Among George’s responsibilities as vice chairman was that of performing post match speeches and introductions prior to end of season presentations and in the current campaign he had been involved in such ceremonies for many of the season’s winners and runners-up. George was also heavily involved in the organisation of the league’s cup finals. His last official UCL duties saw him busy at Yaxley on the May Bank Holiday, firstly manning the main gate and then making the post match speech and presentation of trophies and medals to the players and match officials.
George will be remembered as a valued friend and colleague by many people with an involvement in UCL football.
Our condolences go to George’s widow Pam and daughters Sharon and Tracey at this sad time
.
A memorial service for George will take place on Thursday 4th June at St Mary’s Church, Higham Ferrers. The service will commence at 2 p.m.
CHROMASPORT & TROPHIES UNITED COUNTIES LEAGUE
NEWSLETTER 298 MAY 2015 PAGE 2
Southern Central the Diamonds destination
AFC Rushden & Diamonds have been promoted to Division One Central of the Southern League for season 2015-16 following their Premier Division championship success.
Diamonds wrapped up the league title on 14th April with a 4-1 win at Sileby. Two goals apiece from Scott Joseph and Matt Gearing saw them to victory and in their closing games they extended their unbeaten run to 17 matches, fourteen of them victories. In their final league match Diamonds preserved their unbeaten home record with a 3-3 draw against Cogenhoe, Matt Gearing’s late strike keeping the Dog & Duck record intact.
The race for second place proved closely contested between two of the competition’s newest member clubs, with first season side Thurnby edging out a Wisbech side in their second season in the league. Points dropped at home to Peterborough Northern Star and at Cogenhoe proved costly for the Fenmen and Nirvana claimed the runners-up medals after rounding off their first UCL season with a 3-1 last match win at Eynesbury with two free kicks from the division’s leading scorer Liam Canavan and a late Pearson Mwanyongo clincher.
Long Buckby looked likely bottom markers for most of the season and finished nine points adrift despite collecting seven points from their last three games. Harborough’s late season improvement saw them beaten just once in their last eight matches, but they were unable to escape the second relegation place. However, in the absence of a relegated club from step 4 joining the league they were reprieved from the drop. Sileby’s late season recruit Michael Byrne’s goals inched the Fernie Fields club to safety.
Spencer head back to the top flight
Northampton Spencer are on the way back to the Premier Division after three years in the lower grade. The Millers clinched the Division One crown by beating local rivals ON Chenecks 2-0 at Kingsthorpe Mill on Easter Monday. Ryan Lovell netted in each half to see Spencer over the line.
The race for the runners-up medals proved compelling with one point separating the clubs placed second to fourth in the final table. Rothwell Corinthians sealed second in their penultimate match, beating Irchester 3-0 at Sergeant’s Lawn with Chris Clarke, Ryan Goodband and Dom Page sharing the goals. Potton had to settle for third place despite ending the season with an eleven match unbeaten run, with Lutterworth Athletic, who topped the table for most of the first half of the season, trailing the Royals on goal difference.
At the foot of the table Stewarts & Lloyds failed to break their duck with their 38 matches yielding just a single point. Following a series of points deductions for rule breaches St Neots Saints occupied the second re-election place.
CHROMASPORT & TROPHIES UNITED COUNTIES LEAGUE
NEWSLETTER NO. 298 MAY 2015 PAGE 3
Bugbrooke win Reserve Division
An enthralling Reserve Division season ended with Bugbrooke crowned champions with a game to spare.
The Badgers picked up 28 points from their last eleven games to take the title, which was secured on 18th April with a 4-0 home win over Potton. Danny Duggan, Charlie Hynam, Ty Clark and Dan Powell were the marksmen as Chris Brown’s men claimed the crown.
With a game to go ON Chenecks were a point clear of fast finishing Northampton Spencer in the race for runners-up, and Chenecks sealed second with a 3-0 win at Irchester while Spencer were being held by Harborough. James Lister, Josh Dawson and Andy Ranft were on target in the Chenecks win at Alfred Street.
Milton Keynes College the inaugural Under 21 champions
Milton Keynes College have become the first champions of the league’s new Under 21 Division. They clinched the title on 18th April, beating nearest challengers Kettering 3-0 with Alfie Leadbetter, Kevin Osei-Addo and Kyron Walsh sharing the goals.
The Poppies bounced back a week later, winning 5-2 at Histon to clinch the runners-up medals with two goals from Silvano Obeng and one apiece from Branko Djujic, Adam Moussi and Ryan Archer.
Status prevails as Diamonds complete double
AFC Rushden & Diamonds’ final match as a United Counties League club saw them become the first club since Rothwell Town in 1993 to complete the domestic double of Premier Division and League Knockout Cup.
Underdogs Potton, bidding to become the first Division One winners of the trophy since it went ‘open’ in 1981, competed well in the first half and were unfortunate to trail at the break as Matt Gearing’s 44th minute corner from the left went straight in.
On resumption Diamonds took a stranglehold on the tie, doubling their advantage just 17 seconds after the restart as Tom Lorraine steered home Gearing’s through ball via the foot of the post.
The outcome was settled two minutes before the hour mark, Scott Joseph netting from close range after Lorraine’s header came back off keeper Craig Lewis.
The Royals had Joe Aris dismissed with just a minute remaining.
CHROMASPORT & TROPHIES UNITED COUNTIES LEAGUE
NEWSLETTER NO. 298 MAY 2015 PAGE 4
Final anti-climax for Star
Peterborough Northern Star’s first Northamptonshire Hillier Senior Cup final ended in anti-climax as they were beaten 4-1 at Sixfields by a Brackley side largely made up of development team players.
A hat trick from the Saints’ most experienced campaigner Will Green proved decisive on an evening which saw Star create – and squander – chances aplenty.
Green’s 29th minute goal had Brackley ahead at the interval. Luke Avis, on as a substitute, scored a spectacular 49th minute leveller for Star, but within a minute Green had regained the lead for the Saints.
Green completed his hat trick with seven minutes remaining and Tom Kalugin had the last word three minutes later.
Cuckoos well beaten in final
Yaxley’s season came to a low key end as they were beaten 3-0 by Godmanchester in the Huntingdonshire Senior Cup final at Huntingdon. A hat trick by Tom Meecham after 5, 40 and 57 minutes gave Goddy revenge for their earlier Vase drubbing by the Cuckoos.
Bizarrely Yaxley had reached the final without kicking a ball after a quarter final bye and semi final walkover after St Neots Town’s withdrawal from the competition.
Chenecks retain Junior Cup
The Northampton Spencer first team were unable to emulate their reserves by winning county silverware as holders ON Chenecks ran out 1-0 Northants Junior Cup winners in front of a Sixfields crowd around the seven hundred mark.
A 65th minute header past his own goalkeeper from Spencer defender Alex Lowery proved decisive as Chenecks carried off the trophy for the second successive season.
Mixed cup final fortunes for Badgers
The Bugbrooke second string had mixed fortunes in their two late season cup finals.
After winning the Reserve Division title they completed a domestic double by beating ON Chenecks 3-1 in the Reserve Knockout Cup final at Cogenhoe. Ray Hackett’s 17th minute Badgers opener was cancelled out seven minutes before the break by a leveller from Ryan Charles-Comery. On resumption Bugbrooke regained the initiative through Pete Smith after 52 minutes and two minutes later Hackett’s second sealed the win.
Northampton Spencer Reserves spoiled Bugbrooke’s bid for a treble as they beat them 5-4 on penalties to win the Northamptonshire Lower Junior Cup final after a 1-1 Communications Park final draw. Jordan Richards gave the Millers a 14th minute lead with Danny Duggan equalising for Bugbrooke a minute before half time.
CHROMASPORT & TROPHIES UNITED COUNTIES LEAGUE
NEWSLETTER NO. 298 MAY 2015 PAGE 5
Star take Hinchingbrooke Cup
Peterborough Northern Star bounced back from their county cup final defeat as they carried off the Hinchingbrooke Cup, beating Premier Division rivals Deeping in the final at Huntingdon.
A goal in each half from Phil Stebbing gave Star their first silverware in five years, with a late Jordan Avis goal a mere consolation for Rangers.
Nurserymen well beaten in Buckingham Charity Cup
Olney’s bid for glory in the Buckingham Charity Cup came to grief in the final on the May Bank Holiday as hosts Buckingham Athletic ran out 6-2 winners on their own Stratford Fields ground.
After conceding twice in the opening quarter of an hour the Nurserymen fought back with goals from Danny Webb and Aaron Murrell levelling before half time.
A nightmare second half saw Olney concede four more goals and go down to ten men when Jamie Burrows was dismissed for a second caution.
End of season league awards
The league’s last management committee meeting of the season saw a number of the league’s annual awards decided.
Fair play awards for the clubs with the best disciplinary records went to the Bugbrooke St Michaels senior side and Harborough Town reserve side, with the Badgers awarded the £100 prize money for the best overall record.
Hospitality winners were Oadby Town who topped the referee marks and Sileby Rangers who received the best marks from clubs, with Potton United the recipients of the £100 cheque for the best overall markings.
Potton United also receive the Respect Award based upon referee markings.
Whitworth were adjudged to have the best matchday programme from entries submitted for the Programme of the Year competition.
The Baker Perkins Trophy awarded to the club with the Highest Aggregate of Goals went to Northampton Spencer whose tally of 123 league goals was matched by Thurnby Nirvana, the Millers achieving the total in two less matches.
After leading AFC Rushden & Diamonds to the double of Premier Division title and League Knockout Cup, Andy Peaks was chosen as Manager of the Year.
Knockout Cup final referee Martyn Gospel from Daventry was named as Referee of the Year.
John Davies, chairman and secretary of Stewarts & Lloyds, was named as Administrator of the Year.
CHROMASPORT & TROPHIES UNITED COUNTIES LEAGUE
NEWSLETTER NO. 298 MAY 2015 PAGE 6
Wright takes the Doughboys reins
Wellingborough have appointed Jamie Wright as manager to succeed the Steve Herring and Joe Smyth partnership.
Wright started out as a Doughboys under 18 player and has previous involvement on the managerial side as assistant to Craig Adams. He followed Adams to Bedford Town but returned to the Dog & Duck as a player in November before being sidelined for the season by an injury suffered at Sleaford just before Christmas.
Colin Cooper has arrived from Bugbrooke to assist Wright. He enjoyed great success as Cogenhoe reserve manager winning back to back championships before his move to Birds Close last summer.
The club will field a side in the league’s under 21 division next season. Home matches will be played at Bozeat with Steve Whitney and Steve Osler running the side.
Sambrook steps up at Cogenhoe
One of the most surprising of end of season managerial changes took place at Cogenhoe where Andy Marks stepped down for personal reasons, having enjoyed a near five year stint at the Compton Park helm since taking over from Darren Collins in July 2010.
The Cooks have promoted from within, with Anton Sambrook, who arrived last summer to replace Paul Lamb in the management team, stepping up to the top job. He has previously been assistant manager at Banbury and coach at Bedworth.
Sambrook wil be assisted by Nick Verity, who was a mid season addition to the Cooks’ management team. He has previously managed Bugbrooke and Sileby and was assistant manager at Wellingborough.
Poachers appoint Angel
Boston Town have appointed Mark Angel as manager after Lori Borbely opted to concentrate on playing after a three month spell as caretaker boss at the end of the season.
39 year old Angel started his career with Sunderland but failed to make an appearance in the first team. He subsequently played in the Football League for Oxford, West Bromwich and Boston United. He is a UEFA A Licence coach and runs Arsenal soccer schools in North Cambridgeshire and South Lincolnshire.
Angel will be assisted by Daryl Clare, who was a team mate in the Boston United side which won promotion to the Football League. Clare has previously managed Louth in the Northern Counties East League and has assisted both Nathan Collins and Borbely at the DWB Stadium.