OFFICIAL MATCHDAY PROGRAMME
THE STAG
SATURDAY 16 DECEMBER 2023 NWCFL First Division North vs EUXTON VILLA FC KO 3:00PM
FREE
ISSUE #35
WHAT’S
INSIDE?
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KEVIN WATKIN PARTNER FOCUS EYES ON THE OPPONENT LEAGUE TABLE SQUADS
Produced and Edited by GR.VISUALS Official Club Photography by Ian Allington and Steve Miller
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To advertisie in this programme please email commercial@hobafc.co.uk All editorial content within this programme is the copyright of Holker Old Boys AFC and can only be used with the club’s permission. The views in this programme don’t necessarily reflect those of Holker Old Boys AFC.
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“WE NEED TO BE AT OUR BEST TO GET A RESULT” 4
THOUGHTS FROM
G
THE DUGOUT
ood afternoon and to Rakesmoor Lane for this afternoon’s North West Counties Football League fixture against Euxton Villa FC.
It has been very frustrating of late with the on/off nature of the games. It removes any momentum of the group, but all teams will be experiencing the same, so we have to manage it and ensure we can be ready when each game comes. We know today will be a tough test as Euxton Villa are very effective at what they do. They work hard, and they fight for every ball so we need to be at our best to get a result. There are a couple of injuries we have to deal with. Unfortunately, Amo pulled up in training on Tuesday. Frankie is unavailable, which means a couple of changes but gives players a chance to make a stake for the starting position, which results in healthy competition in the squad as we go into the second half of the season.
KEV WATKIN
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GOLD
PARTNERS
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SILVER
PARTNERS
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EYES O
OPPO FACTSHEET COLOURS Orange & Black NICKNAME Villa GROUND NAME
Jim Fowler Memorial Ground
CAPACITY 500 RECORD ATTENDANCE Not Recorded LEAGUE POSITION 4th
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ON THE
ONENT THEIR HISTORY Euxton Villa FC can trace their roots back to 1907. Playing simply under the name Euxton, the club led a nomadic existence, playing at various venues around the village. Before finally buying three farmer’s fields in 1985, thanks partly to a generous long-term loan from Jim Fowler, hence the ground name, though sadly, Jim did not live to see the investment blossom. Some thirty-five years ago, they merged with junior teams from the village. The club continued organic growth to the present day, which sees a Euxton Villa of some forty-five teams of boys, girls and open age on a much-developed site, able to offer a route from early junior football right through into adult for boys and girls alike. In 2002 we became the Community Club, proud to be one of the first in the country to attain this status. With the first team stepping up from the Preston and District League to the West Lancashire League, it was clear that further development was needed. A fundraising drive coupled a Football Foundation grant resulted in the opening of the current clubhouse in 2008 by Chorley MP and Speaker of the House Lindsay Hoyle.
In 2012 Villa were voted Community Club of the Year, and the year after were awarded LFA Charter Standard Development Club of the Year and, subsequently, FA North West Region Club of the Year. The club have since been awarded Tier 2 Status and have been selected as one of 150 Clubs nationwide for the FA Community Pilot Scheme. As is the case with most clubs, all of this has only been possible thanks to an army of selfless and enthusiastic volunteers. On the playing side, as previously mentioned, Euxton Villa joined the West Lancashire League from The Preston District League, a huge step at the time. Still, under the stewardship of manager Mark McDonnell, back-to-back promotions were achieved in the first two seasons. Villa remained a prominent member of the Prem for twenty years or so, winning the Richardson Cup, The Bolton Wanderers Goldline Trophy, and the prestigious Lancashire Amateur Shield along the way. Mark held the manager role for over 25 years before moving upstairs to oversee the next chapter in the club’s development. Matt Atherton, a product of Villa’s youth system and with extensive knowledge of the semi-pro game, returned as Player Coach, and the push for the next step began in earnest. Although the pandemic somewhat stymied plans, a vast and ongoing investment of time and capital sees Euxton Villa embark on a new adventure in another massive step up to the NWCFL.
Runshaw Hall Lane
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EYES ON THE
OPPONENT
v Holker Old Boys (2023)
v Holker Old Boys (2023)
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LEAGUE
TABLE
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COMMERCIAL
OPPORTUNITIES
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COMMERCIAL OPPORTUNITIES 2023/24 SEASON
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MANAGER KEVIN WATKIN & DAVID ROUND
MANAGER MATT ATHERTON
Joe AMISON Jay BARKER Callum BAYNES Brandon COLLINS Luke DAVEY Tom DAWSON Dylan ELLIS Frankie ELLIS Callum FAWCETT Farryl FOSTER Jamie HODGSON Samuel JOEL Jack LITHERLAND Finley MARTIN Hakan McCRACKEN Joseph McGLADDERY William McGLADDERY Luke MITCHELL Nathan REID Jackson ROUND Gareth SMITH Samuel STEPHENS Tom STEPHENSON Kevin WATKIN Tyler WOOD Joshua WOODEND
Matthew ATHERTON Jordan BENTHAM Patrik BIBBY Ian BILLINGTON Joshua BRIGGS Joshua BROOKS Alex COLQUHOUN Darren DAVIES George DAVIES Djay DELA CRUZ Matthew EDWARDS Jake GREENE Jacob GREENHALGH Aidan HUNT Samuel KEENAN Finnley KENT Leo MACKINTOSH Liam MCNALLY Joseph MULLEN Nathan PARISH Lewis PILGRIM Benjamin READER Daniel REGAN Ben RIMMER Dan SINGLETON Lewis SWARBRICK Aidan TAIT Rajwinder UPPAL Matthew WESTWELL Jack WYERS-ROEBUCK