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 Cheadle Town The First Division South matches and local derbies keep coming for West, who will chase more valuable points when Cheadle Town make the short journey to Brookburn Road. Saturday’s win against Abbey Hey in east Manchester lifted West into third, and Tuesday night presents an opportunity to keep the pressure on Oswestry Town and Vauxhall Motors, the two sides still with a 100% record in the division. Cheadle, whose Park Road ground is four miles away from Brookburn Road as the crow flies, have become part of the First Division furniture and are embarking on their 18th consecutive season at this level. A takeover by Little Sports Group in December 2017 brought with it renewed belief and a rebrand, but Town limped to 16th place last year. Despite pre-season optimism this time around, Cheadle will feel that their 2019-20 campaign has yet to begin – they are still without a win after four games, with a 2-2 draw at Stockport Town their only point so far. They became the latest side to suffer at the hands of free-scoring Oswestry on Saturday as they were hammered 5-1 at Park Road. Last time we met Saturday 15th December 2012, West 4-0 Cheadle Town There have been a series of pre-season matches between the sides in recent years, Cheadle winning the most recent in 2018, but you have to go some way back for our last competitive meeting. A West side on their way to promotion from the NWCFL First Division eased past the visitors, with Tommy Walsh, Scott Jones, Gareth Thomas and Lee Malkin all scoring before a Brookburn Road crowd of 46. Saturday’s results Alsager Town 0-0 Wythenshawe Amateurs Att: 72 Barnton 0-2 Cheadle Heath Nomads Att: 54 Cammell Laird 1907 4-1 Maine Road Att: 73 Cheadle Town 1-5 FC Oswestry Town Att: 46 Ellesmere Rangers 1-2 Vauxhall Motors Att: 75 New Mills 1-2 Stone Old Alleynians Att: 81 St Martins 2-3 Sandbach United Att: 35 Stockport Town 1-5 Abbey Hulton United Att: 142 Wythenshawe Town 3-0 Eccleshall Att: 157 Other fixtures Monday 19th August Stockport Town v New Mills Tuesday 20th August Abbey Hulton United v Sandbach United Alsager Town v Stone Old Alleynians Cheadle Heath Nomads v Abbey Hey Oswestry Town v Cammell Laird Vauxhall Motors v St Martins Wythenshawe Amateurs v Barnton Wythenshawe Town v Maine Road Wednesday 21st August Eccleshall v Ellesmere Rangers Thank you for visiting Brookburn Road and have a safe journey home Match Report Saturday 17th August Abbey Hey 1 (Regan 89) West 3 (A. Woods 4, 22, Moloney 90+2) Att: 152 Ash Woods inspired West to a gritty three points at Abbey Hey as our unbeaten start to the season continued in east Manchester. Brad Cooke’s side, who moved up to third after this win, shrugged off a raft of injuries and absences to race into a two-goal lead thanks to Woods’ exhibition of finishing. Abbey came back into the game, though, and West were indebted to Andrew Jones’ penalty save on the stroke of half time. The second half was much tougher going with West struggling for fluency, and Abbey threatened a comeback when Matt Regan pulled a goal back in the dying embers of normal time. But Dylan Moloney provided an exclamation mark in the second of three added minutes, settling matters with a sumptuous half-volley from the edge of the area. Though Tuesday night’s win at home to Stockport Town lifted West into the First Division South promotion places, it left its mark in other ways – Zac Cooper, Lee Gavin and Lee Grimshaw were all missing through injuries sustained against the Lions, while Matty Boland, Jake Kenny, James Cottee and Matthew Cook were also absent for the trip to Gorton. That meant for the first time this season, Cooke was forced into wide-ranging alterations – five in total from Tuesday’s starting 11, with Chris Middleton and Tom Horner asked to operate as full-backs. But West, seeking a third win in four league games, started well and Ash Woods snaffled an opening goal inside five minutes – excellent pressing from Moloney led to the Woods firing a fierce shot beyond Dane Smith in the Abbey goal. The excellent Moloney, starting for the first time this season, stung Smith’s palms not long afterwards with an effort from the edge of the area, but it was Woods who doubled the visitors’ lead halfway through the first period. Callum Jones’ through pass was met by the West hitman, who threaded the ball past Smith from an acute angle. Kris Holt had the ball in the Abbey net just after the half hour, but the goal – again crafted by a fine Moloney pass – was ruled out by the linesman. And the officials played another key role moments before the break as Abbey were handed a lifeline. West couldn’t clear a set piece and the home side won a penalty when a forward was bundled over in the area, but the excellent Andrew Jones flung himself to his left to block the effort and ensure West held a two-goal lead at the interval. West suffered a further blow when Tom Horner was unable to resume after the break, with Ben Steer replacing him and Ben Woods dropping back to left-back. It appeared that this was one withdrawal too many as West’s momentum stalled in an attritional second period. Abbey went close when a cross to the far post was headed narrowly wide, but the majority of the second half was soporific until West awoke in the final 15 minutes, with Woods twice going close to what would have been a deserved hat-trick. Abbey halved the arrears in the final minute of normal time when Regan punished West’s failure to clear a corner. But there was barely enough time for the away support to bite their nails before Moloney ensured West’s excellent record at the Abbey Stadium would continue – the former Droylsden man pouncing on a loose ball on the edge of the box and sweeping a half-volley into the corner of the net. West: A. Jones, Middleton, Horner (Steer ht), Tinker, Forbes, Eckersley, B. ​ Woods, C. Jones, A. Woods (McLaughlin 87), Holt, Moloney (Dale 90+4). West media man of the match: Ash Woods. ​ Match Action - Abbey Hey 3 - 1 West Images from our win against Abbey Hey, where West managed a draw against Wythenshawe Town. Images courtesy of Simon Cook. FA Cup | West to face Stalybridge Celtic (A), Saturday 24 August Following our victory over Squires Gate, West will play Stalybridge Celtic in the FA Cup Preliminary Round, with the tie scheduled to take place on Saturday 24 August at Bower Fold. Stalybridge play in the Northern League Premier Division (3 leagues above West) and would represent a major scalp for West – if we were to get there, and pulled off a shock result. Last season, they finished 17th, two points clear of the relegation zone. In last season’s FA Cup, they were eliminated in their first tie, losing 1-0 away to Radcliffe Borough. In their long and storied history, Stalybridge have twice reached the Second Round Proper (1993-94, and 1999-00) when Carlisle United and Chester City eliminated them. In recent times, they reached the 1st round before being knocked out by Doncaster Rovers in 2015-16.