WE WELCOME to WEST DIDSBURY & CHORLTON AFC The​ Recreation Ground, Brookburn Road, Chorltonville Manchester M21 8FE

Club Committee: Glyn Meacher; Rob Madden; Dave Cooper; Rob McKay; Monica Creer; Steve Eckersley; John Churchman; James Doxford; Davy Iredale; Dan Iredale; Tim Manley and Matthew Durrant

Ownership: In accordance with THE Football Association Rule 2.13 Publication of ownership in relation to Step 1 to Step 6 clubs in the Football Pyramid we hereby confirm that the legal status of WEST DIDSBURY AND CHORLTON ASSOCIATION FOOTBALL CLUB is as not for profit private members club. Any gain arising from the carrying on of the Club shall be applied for the benefit of the Club or for some charitable or benevolent purpose or purposes approved by resolution at a general meeting of the Club.

To contact the club please use the club website: www.wdcfc.co.uk ​ ​

Main Club Sponsor:

Ground Safety In the interest of spectator comfort and safety, the following conditions apply at the clubs Brookburn Road ground and must be observed at all times.

● In case of fire or other emergency that requires the clubhouse or ground to be evacuated instructions will be given over the public address system, and we ask that you comply with those instructions immediately. ● The chanting of racist or obscene chanting is strictly forbidden. ● Glasses, bottles, gas canisters, knives, darts, tools, flag poles or any other articles likely to cause injury are not permitted into the ground. ● Alcohol may be purchased and consumed in the bar area only. ● Children are not allowed in the Club House unless accompanied by an adult. ● Encroachment onto the playing area is forbidden at all times. ● Standing is not allowed in front of the seated areas. ● All forms of transport on the clubs car park is at the owners’ risk.

The club reserves the right to remove any person from the ground who is in breach of these rules or whose presence is a source of danger or annoyance to others. We hope you understand the reasons for the above are in order for the game to be enjoyed in safe and pleasant conditions.

Thank you, West Didsbury and Chorlton AFC Committee. ​

A welcome to Wythenshawe Town

West v Wythenshawe Town is a fixture that leaps off the page – not just as West’s first home game of the season, but also as a Manchester derby (just two and a half miles separate Brookburn Road and Ericstan Park as the crow flies) and a meeting between the two teams with serious designs on promotion from the First Division South.

It may be too early to label Brad Cooke’s competitive home bow as a six-pointer, but both teams will be looking to make a significant early statement. And added spice, if it were needed, is provided by a frequent exchange of players in recent seasons. The season so far

West made a perfect start to life in the First Division South with a 4-0 rout of Eccleshall, but Town endured a far more difficult opening day as they went down 2-1 at home to Sandbach United, conceding an 89th minute winner in front of the division’s highest crowd of the day (153). Connections

Ben Steer boomeranged back to Brookburn Road after spending the 2018-19 season in Baguley, while Ashley Leather made the opposite journey, making 17 appearances in a memorable West spell before finishing the season back at Town.

Meanwhile, defender Nia Bayunu played 26 times for West prior to his move to Ericstan Park, and played alongside Chris Middleton in 2018-19 before Middleton returned to M21 at the start of this campaign. Last time we met

This will be the first competitive meeting between the sides in the NWCFL era, although we did travel to Ericstan Park for a July 2018 friendly – Steer and an own goal securing a 2-1 win for the visitors.

Prior to that, you have to go all the way back to April 2011 for the last time we faced Town – a 3-1 win at Brookburn Road as the home side marched towards the Manchester League Division One title.

Other fixtures

Monday 5th August Maine Road v Abbey Hey Stockport Town v Cheadle Town

Tuesday 6th August Alsager Town v Sandbach United New Mills P-P Cheadle Heath Nomads St Martins v Ellesmere Rangers Vauxhall Motors v Barnton Wythenshawe Amateurs v Cammell Laird

Wednesday 7th August Eccleshall v Oswestry Town Stone Old Alleynians v Abbey Hulton United

Thank you for visiting Brookburn Road and have a safe journey home

Match Report

Saturday 3rd August

Eccleshall 0 (Johnson sent off 55) West 4 (Cottee 14, Forbes 25, Eckersley 41, Tinker 84)

Att: 80

West swept aside Eccleshall to give Brad Cooke a perfect start to his managerial reign.

This was as straightforward an opening assignment as new boss Cooke could possibly have wished for, with James Cottee, Jamie Forbes and Matt Eckersley all converting Matty Boland set-pieces to effectively seal the points by half time. Josh Tinker added a fourth late on to round off a comfortable win over an unravelling home side, who had Miles Johnson sent off for a crude challenge on Lee Grimshaw after 55 minutes.

There will be sterner tests to come in West’s bid for an instant return to the NWCFL top flight but this was a ruthless and professional job well done, with Andrew Jones virtually unemployed in goal as Cooke’s side also recorded a clean sheet at the first time of asking.

After a summer of change at Brookburn Road, Cooke named seven debutants for the trip to Staffordshire and his side swarmed over the hosts from the first whistle, with Boland, Forbes and Kris Holt all passing up opportunities inside the first 15 minutes.

But West didn’t have to wait long to open their account for 2019-20, and it was a simple goal that set the tone for the rest of the half – after Lee Grimshaw, irrepressible on his West bow, did superbly to win a corner, Boland’s delivery was tapped into the net by fellow debutant James Cottee via Eckersley’s knock-down.

Rampant West continued to press, with Lee Gavin firing over from 25 yards, and soon doubled their lead with a goal that infuriated Eccleshall – after Matthew Cook won a free kick, Boland’s delivery was nodded past keeper Louis McCarthy by Forbes. Celebrations were quickly cut short as the assistant flagged for offside, but the referee overruled the decision and awarded the goal, sparking frenzied protests from the home players and dugout.

Pershall Park was simmering but West remained cool, Kris Holt going close again, and were rewarded with a third goal just before the interval. Boland again provided the ammunition from a set-piece, and this time it was Cottee who nodded the ball across goal for the unmarked Eckersley to steer into the net.

It was no surprise when the home side were reduced to ten not long after the restart – Johnson departing the scene after flying in late on Grimshaw. The home side even played with nine for a period after Luke Lewis was invited to spend ten minutes in the NWCFL’s new sin bin facilities following a show of dissent.

With the game effectively won and Wythenshawe Town visiting Brookburn Road on Tuesday, West slowed the game down after this flurry of incident but could have added further goals – Grimshaw and Gavin had shots well saved by McCarthy and Eckersley headed wide from close range.

A wonderfully-crafted fourth did arrive in the closing stages. Substitute Dylan Moloney showed poise and precision to find Tinker, who had an age to pick his spot underneath McCarthy and complete a hugely satisfactory first day of term.

West: A. Jones, Cook, Cooper, Tinker, Eckersley, Forbes, Grimshaw (C. Jones 74), Gavin, Cottee (Moloney 64), Holt (A. Woods 53), Boland. Not used: Middleton, Dale.

West Media man of the match: James Cottee.

Match Action - Eccleshall 0 - 4 West

Images from our opening game of the season, where West came home from Stoke with a 4-0 win and three points. Images courtesy of Simon Cook.

Today’s match sponsors

The club would like to thank committee members James Doxford, John Churchman, and Steve Eckersley for sponsoring tonight’s game. In addition to all the incredible work they do for the club, their commitment to helping West Didsbury & Chorlton grow is truly unique: all three are the lifeblood of clubs at our level, and we would like to thank them for this.

If you would like to sponsor any home fixture, please visit our sponsorship page on wdcfc.co.uk - we have packages suitable for all budgets, and they are a great way to connect to the local South Manchester community.

Our next home fixture is Tuesday 13 August, when we welcome Stockport Town to Brookburn Road.

Coach to Squires Gate away, Saturday 10 August

The club will be providing travel to our FA Cup game on Saturday 10 August as we visit Squires Gate FC

There are 20 spaces available, and travel costs £10 return (payable on the day). As with our past coach trip, it is highly advisable that anyone looking to make the journey reserves their spot below in order to avoid disappointment. Once they’re gone, they’re gone.

The coach will be leaving at 11.15am from opposite Brookburn Road Primary School near the Bowling Green pub (M21 9ES, details on location etc here https://www.bowlinggreenchorlton.co.uk/). Travel will take roughly an hour to ​ Squires Gates’ ground – around a 10 minute taxi from Blackpool city centre for those who would like to visit the beach. Otherwise, there is a bar at the ground itself, as well as hospitality in The Shovels pub, which will likely be showing the early kick-off in the Premier League (West Ham vs Man City). Departure will be at around 6pm, returning back to the Bowling Green for shortly after 7pm.

Reserve your spot on wdcfc.co.uk now.

History of Wythenshawe Town

The club was founded headlines as they won every single league and in 1946 as the North Cup game, 39 games in total, earning the side Withington Amateur the title, ‘The Invincibles.’ Back to back Football Club and was promotions on their debut in the Cheshire the idea of some League, and with a working partnership in young men who place with professional football club Fleetwood attended St. Crispin’s Church on Hart Road in Town, the club set their sights firmly on Fallowfield. The first committee was held in the bringing semi-professional football to the club lounge of a house in Garswood Road, for the first time in history. Fallowfield and in attendance was Eric Renard, Brian Honeysett and others. Stan Hahn That ambition came to realisation at the became involved much later, but then totally end of the 2017/18 season after two seasons in immersed himself in the club. the Cheshire Premier League when the club The club first played in the South secured promotion to Step 6 and the Hallmark Manchester & Wythenshawe League (1946 - Security North West Counties League South 1958) and were subsequently transferred to the Division, heralding a new era at the club. Lancashire & Cheshire Amateur league (1958 - 1972). It was in 1972 the club applied and were There were further changes at the accepted into the Manchester league, when up beginning of 2019 when Chris Eaton took over until 1974 all games of football were played at as Chairman with a promise to put the club on Hough End Field, Princess Road, Withington. a sound business footing. Promotion was In June 1974, under the helm of narrowly missed at the end of the season but Chairman Billy Moore, the club’s headquarters with Manager James Kinsey and his coaching were moved from the Princess Hotel in team in charge the club looked forward to the Withington to the newly acquired ground at new season with optimism. Timpson Road, Baguley, M23 9LL where three As the club looked forward to the new pre-fabricated houses were purchased and campaign there was further news when plans turned into a clubhouse with a bar, kitchen and were unveiled for developments that, when changing facilities. After numerous discussions, they come to fruition, would make the Ericstan it was decided to name the ground after the Stadium one of the major football centres in the residing Chairman (Stan Hahn) and the Club Manchester area. Secretary (Eric Renard) out of respect, honouring them as founding members, hence the name Ericstan Park. And it was at this point, the club decided to design a new badge incorporating a cockerel and a fox; the cockerel related to founding member Stanley Hahn (the German for cockerel is Hähnchen) and the fox to founding member Eric Renard (the French for fox is Renard), to forever recognise the club’s founding members.

In 2014 and under new Chairman Kenny Hope, the club transferred to the Cheshire League Division 2 and went on to become history-makers, making national

Meet the players...

Matthew BOLAND - 0 appearances, 0 goals Creative midfielder and set-piece specialist who made the short move from Irlam in the summer of 2019. Previously played alongside Brad Cooke at Atherton Collieries.

Matthew COOK - 0 appearances, 0 goals A forward-thinking full-back who signed from Winsford United in the summer of 2019.

Zachary COOPER - 14 appearances, 1 goal Technical left-sided player who was one of the success stories of the 2018-19 season. Signed from Trafford in 2018 and also counts FC United and Abbey Hey among his former clubs.

James COTTEE - 0 appearances, 0 goals Forward player who has moved north after extensive experience of the Isthmian League, most recently in a goal-laden spell at Ashford Town (Middlesex).

Keiron DALE - 0 appearances, 0 goals Forward who arrived at West in 2019 after spells at Northwich Victoria and Abbey Hey.

Matthew ECKERSLEY - 127 appearances, 14 goals Long-serving centre-back whose West career has only been interrupted by time in Wales playing for Cefn Druids. Picked up both players’ and manager’s player of the season awards in both 2016 and 2019.

Jamie FORBES - 0 appearances, 0 goals Defender who arrived in M21 in July 2019 via Atherton Collieries, Radcliffe Borough and Atherton LR.

Lee GAVIN - 67 appearances, 4 goals Box-to-box midfielder who has made himself a shed end favourite since his West debut in 2015. Returned to regular action in 2018-19 after a period away from the side.

Lee GRIMSHAW - 0 appearances, 0 goals Wide player who signed for West in 2019 after two successful seasons at Prestwich Heys, where he scored 32 goals.

Jordan HENRY - 0 appearances, 0 goals Young winger who signed for West at the back end of the 2018-19 season after learning the ropes in 1874 Northwich’s youth team.

Kristian HOLT - 0 appearances, 0 goals Another player with experience of playing alongside Brad Cooke at Atherton Collieries, midfielder Holt won promotion with both Colls and Runcorn Linnets before swapping Halton for Chorlton in the summer of 2019.

Thomas HORNER - 9 appearances, 1 goal Defender who moved across the Pennines from East Yorkshire Carnegie halfway through the 2018-19 season and made an immediate impact with a fine debut goal against Silsden.

Michael ITELA - 0 appearances, 0 goals Attacker who started his career at Salford City, scoring twice on his full Ammies debut in 2016, and most recently spent part of 2018-19 at Prestwich Heys before signing for West.

Andrew JONES - 0 appearances, 0 goals Goalkeeper who signed for West after a lengthy period at Altrincham, interspersed with spells at Maine Road, Stafford Rangers and Mossley.

Callum JONES - 0 appearances, 0 goals Defensive-minded player who came through the ranks at Altrincham before heading up the A56, appearing for the Robins’ youth, reserve and first teams.

Daniel McLAUGHLIN - 18 appearances, 3 goals Forward who has appeared on the wing and through the middle since signing from Mossley, initially on dual-registration, in 2018.

Christopher MIDDLETON - 18 appearances, 2 goals Centre-back who returned to West in 2019 after a one-season stop at Wythenshawe Town. Previously made over 100 appearances for Congleton Town.

Dylan MALONEY - 0 appearances, 0 goals Attacking player who arrived at West in 2019 after a successful spell at Droylsden.

Ben STEER - 126 appearances, 26 goals Forward whose direct running and eye for a spectacular goal made him a crowd favourite before spending the 2018-19 season at Wythenshawe Town.

Josh TINKER - 87 appearances, 3 goals Versatile player who has been a popular presence, mostly at full-back, since crossing Wilbraham Road to sign from Maine Road in March 2017.

Ash WOODS - 100 appearances, 52 goals Tireless centre-forward with an outstanding goalscoring record. Has extensive experience of the Northern Premier League, with Trafford, Atherton Collieries and most recently Colwyn Bay. Winner of the inaugural West supporters’ player of the season award in 2016.

OUR SPONSORS We would like to express our sincere thanks to our current pitch side board sponsors for their support. Without you we wouldn’t be where we are today. ​ ​

West Wythenshawe Town

Andrew Jones Aaron Dwyer Ashley Woods Adam Farrand Benjamin Steer Brad Byrne Bradley Cooke Callum Jakovlevs Callum Jones Connor Brotherton Christopher Middleton Dean Warburton Daniel McLaughlin Dominic Smalley Dylan Moloney Grant Spencer James Cottee Jamall Branker Jamie Forbes Jan Palinkas Jordan Henry Jerome Wright Joshua Tinker Lee Gregory Keiron Dale Liam Brownhill Kristian Holt Liam Crellin-Myers Lee Gavin Mason Mostyn Lee Grimshaw Matthew Roberts Matthew Boland Max Lewens Matthew Cook Michael Clarke Matthew Eckersley Nia Bayuna Michael Itela Scott Spencer Thomas Horner Spencer Jenkinson Zachary Cooper Steven Yarwood

Staff Staff

Brad Cooke James Kinsey Robert Sadler Daniel Whiteside Warren Jones Isobel Coverley Tom Conroy

Match Officials Referee - Kavan Hurn Assistants - David Hanks, Adam Wolstenholme

Come on, West!