NORTH GREENFORD UNITED £1.50 A Warm Welcome where sold To Berkeley Fields EDGWARE TOWN Spartan South Midlands League Premier Division Tuesday 5th March 2019 Kick off 7.45pm Match Sponsor Andrew Swanzy Offi cial Matchday Programme 2 North Greenford United v Edgware Town WELCOME TO BERKELEY FIELDS We extend a warm welcome to the players, offi cials and supporters of Edgware Town for this Spartan South Midlands League Premier Division fi xture. We hope you enjoy a pleasant stay with us, along with the referee Harry Tarrant and his assistants Chay Hathway and Gary Thomas plus our It is interesting to observe that both match sponsor Andrew Swanzy and Cockfosters and Stotfold are again occupying wish you all a safe journey home after the bottom two places. Surely if they remain the game. there at the end of this season then they will drop into a Step Six division. Admittedly it may be too early to say how many teams will actually be relegated from It is probable but not certain that the third the Spartan South Midlands League this from bottom side will also go down and season. London Tigers are currently taking up this slot. Usuallly we work on the assumption that three will be relegated although last season Following our win against Leighton Town last the ‘bottom two’ Cockfosters and Stotfold Tuesday and the 0-0 draw against Cockfosters appeared to have survived this fate. It has on Saturday we now have a fi ve-point cushion been noted there were only 21 sides in this oiver the possible last-drop place. Obviously division last year. we need to continue to move up the table to avoid any nasty surprises at the end of the We are all aware there was some re- season. organisation taking place at Step Three and Four plus the reduction of teams to 20 in each Our remaining fi xture list is by no means division at the lower levels. impossible but we have two key games this evening against Edgware Town and London Due to local restructuring we were moved Colney, who have slipped down the table over to the SML from the Cherry Red Records recently, on Saturday. This is followed by Combined Counties League and clubs that tricky tests against Biggleswade United, were in our current competition such as Baldock Town and Biggleswade, all of whom Hoddesdon Town and St Margaretsbury have are in the higher reaches of the the division. switched elsewhere. Graham White 2018-19 North Greenford United v Edgware Town 3 NORTH GREENFORD UNITED FC BERKELEY FIELDS, BERKELEY AVENUE GREENFORD, MIDDLESEX, UB6 0NX TEL: 020 8422 8923 WEBSITE: www.northgreenfordunitedfc.co.uk Patron: Marc Todd First XI Managers: Paul Palmer, Matt Penfold President: John Bivens First XI Coach: Mark Nicholls Chairman: John Bivens U-18s Managers: Colin Jones, Paul Mills Vice Chairman: Richard Rooney U-18s Assistants: Mark Warwick, John Webb Treasurer: Barbara Bivens U-18s Secretary: Andy Martin General Secretary: Richard Rooney Club Physio: Barbara Bivens Membership Secretary: Barbara Bivens Welfare and Safety Offi cers: Football Secretary: Barbara Bivens Barbara Bivens, Richard Rooney Match and Fixtures Secretary: Pat Hillier Commercial and Development Offi cers: Programme Editor: Graham White Richard Rooney, Barbara Bivens Website: Steve Goldfi nch, Pat Hillier NORTH GREENFORD UNITED IS A MEMBERS CLUB RUN BY AN ELECTED COMMITTEE Affi liated to: The Middlesex Football Association Members of: The Spartan South Midlands Football League and The Allied Counties Youth League SPONSOR OPPORTUNITIES AT NORTH GREENFORD UNITED We are looking for sponsorship partners for North Greenford United play in The Spartan our club for the forthcoming season. South Midlands League Premier Division. Options can include: Pitch Perimeter Boards or Banners They regularly compete against local teams giving you increased advertising exposure in Web Site Advertising local communities. Match Day Sponsorship For more information contact Barbara Bivens Football Shirt Number Sponsorship on 07915 661580 or email barbarabivens@ talktalk.net WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT 4 North Greenford United v Edgware Town PREVIEW OF TODAY’S BIG GAME Welcome to this evening’s re-arranged SSMFL Premier Division match against Edgware Town after the original fi xture scheduled for 22nd December was postponed due to a waterlogged Berkeley Fields pitch as was the case on 5th February. We tried to play the game again on 12th February but the car-park was occupied by travellers. We again welcome the Wares manager Fergus Moore and his management team as well as the club’s committee members and supporters, and hope you all have a safe journey home after the game. Before that original fi xture I noted that the record at the time of tonight’s visitors Edgware Town showed the club as being the Premier Division’s draw specialists. In nearly PAUL PALMER half their 19 league games the Wares had teams languishing near the foot of the table, come away with a share of the spoils with the Leverstock Green. highest proportion of those draws goalless. This included their opening league game Fortunately, with changes made to our against us in which we both earned our first starting line-up, we produced a greatly point at the end of a hard-fought contest. At improved overall performance, particularly in that point in their campaign Edgware were defence. We took an early lead on 10 minutes occupying the mid-table position which,of through Nick Turner and then, just after the course, would have been considerably higher home side had levelled the score some fi ve had they managed to fi nd a winning goal in minutes before the break we grabbed what the majority of those drawn games. was to prove the winning second goal when debutant Sammy Adams was fi rst to the loose Since then though the club have come close ball after the Leverstock goalkeeper could to redressing the balance, winning four of only parry a fi erce Ben Long drive, and he their recent games against LondonTigers, made no mistake with an accurate fi nish into Leverstock Green, Cockfosters and the open home net. Biggleswade United with just one defeat to high-fl ying Hadley. These wins had moved the We picked up an excellent 1-0 victory over Wares up to eighth in the table with more an improving Leighton Town with the winning than a realistic chance of ending the season in goal coming from Petrit Krasniqi annd on the top five. However they suffered a 4-1 Saturday we were held to a 0-0 draw at home home defeat against Baldock Town recently. by second from bottom Cockfosters. In contrast, over the same period, despite the Edgware Town were also involved in a 0-0 promise of our battling 4-4 draw with one of draw at the weekend when they travelled to the title favourites Tring Athletic, we have Arlesey Town and this result has left them in suffered several defeats: away at Wembley, 12th position, partly due to recent defeats. Harpenden Town and Potton United, and Please encourage and get behind the team. home against London Tigers and London Your support is much appreciated by Paul, Colney. The 4-1 defeat by fellow-strugglers Matt and Mark, and all the players. Harpenden Town sucked us fi rmly into the Premier Division relegation zone and on the Come on you Blues! following Saturday we faced another of the Pat Hillier THIS PAGE IS SPONSORED BY STEVE GOLDFINCH North Greenford United v Edgware Town 5 MEET THE UNITED BLUES FRAZER SIDDALL (Goalkeeper): Experienced ERIC SOWONOLA (Defender/Midfi elder): and reliable goalkeeper who signed for NGU in Promising young player who signed for NGU October 2018 and whose previous club was Rozel in January 2019 and who has also played for Rovers. Harrow Borough’s Under-23s Development Team. KEVAL PATEL (Goalkeeper): Promising SAMMY ADAMS (Midfi elder): Played for the goalkeeper who signed for NGU in January 2019 NGU Under-18s and Reserve Team before being having played for Harrow Borough’s Under-23s promoted to the fi rst team squad last season. He Development team. has played for several clubs this season before re-signing for NGU in January 2019. DARREN ANKOMAH-BREW (Defender): A promising young defender who has played for BEN LONG (Midfi elder): Experienced midfi elder Cricklewood Wanderers and Rayners Lane before who signed for NGU in July 2018 having played signing for NGU in November 2018. for Southall last season. DUJON DESAGURANTE (Defender): Talented EMMANUEL NDUKWU (Midfi elder): A talented defender who signed for NGU in January 2019, young player who signed for NGU in January his last club being Harefi eld United. 2019 having previously played for Harefi eld United. HARVIE GARDINER (Defender): Promising young full-back who has been a member of the MARK NICHOLLS (Midfi elder): A highly Hayes & Yeading Under-23s Development Team. experienced ex-professional player who was a Signed for NGU in December 2018. member of Neil Shipperley’s management team and has recently returned to NGU to support the ANTHONY PAGE (Defender): Experienced fi rst team as a player-coach. defender who signed for NGU in July 2018 having played for Southall last season. SAMUEL OLANREWAJU (Midfi elder): Promising young wide midfi elder who signed for NICK TURNER (Defender): Very experienced NGU in January 2019 and who has also played central defender who was a key player in the for Harrow Borough’s Under-23s Development double winning season 2009-10, and played for Team. NGU for the next two seasons making over 100 First Team appearances. Recently he played for MANU OKE-WILLIAM (Defender/Forward): A Edgware Town and near neighbours Hanwell versatile player who signed for NGU in September before signing again for the club in July 2018.