Glossop North End Win The Premier Division Title
Sat 18th April 2015 | Glossop North End | By Ian Templeman
Congratulations to Glossop North End, who clinched the Premier Division title with a 3-0 win over Nelson at Surrey Street.
Two goals from Lee Blackshaw and one from Mark Reed secured the win for the Hillmen, who will now be playing Evo-Stik League football in the fourth tier of English football, exactly 100 years after losing their Football League status.
Their departure from our League also brings to an end their distinction of being continuous founder members of the NWCFL since its inception in 1982.
Now, with the title in the bag, the squad can now focus their efforts on claiming a unique treble of League Championship, Men United Cup and FA Vase in the space of the next couple of weeks.
A sunny afternoon in front of the biggest crowd of the season for a league game in the NWCFL provided an ideal backdrop for a team looking to clinch the title, although Nelson offered spirited resistance during a goalless opening 45 minutes before the Hillmen broke the deadlock five minutes into the second half.
Tom Bailey sent high curling cross from the right wing towards the far post, and Lee Blackshaw beat the keeper with a downward header to record his 50th goal for the club in the 50th minute of the game.
Another high cross into the box, this time from the left flank, produced Glossop's second goal, Jason Carey the creator for Mark Reed to head home from close range with his first touch of the ball after joining the action as a substitute moments earlier.
The game was wrapped up two minutes from time when Blackshaw netted his second of the afternoon, firing home a low cross from Sam Hind into the bottom corner of the net, and within a couple of minutes the final blast of the referee's whistle sparked celebrations on and off the field.
Within minutes, the players reappeared in specially commissioned championship winning t-shirts, Glossop captain Dave Young was presented with the championship trophy on the pitch by NWCFL Chairman Dave Tomlinson, and the Surrey Street party began.
Amidst the celebrations, after match reaction was gathered.
Glossop Chairman Dave Atkinson:
"I remember going to a presentation and collecting an award for the club having played 1000 games in the North West Counties League. While you take all the silverware that's going, in a sense it's an award you don't want, as you want to get out of the league and progress.
"But now this is our year. I think we have deserved it, the players and coaching staff have worked immensely hard, even when the pitches have been rock hard they have been out there grafting, and that is what it is all about. If you don't put the work in, you'll only be runners-up.
"We got great support today, nearly a thousand people here and I can't thank the fans and the volunteers at the club enough. All the volunteers are fans, the directors are all fans, there's a great spirit at the club.
"What we have done this year, winning the league and getting to two cup finals, is probably what we'd expect to achieve in six years.
Glossop Secretary Peter Hammond (who has been Secretary of the club for over 30 years, since the days they competed in the Cheshire League before joining the NWCFL as founder members):
"To be honest, I never thought this day would ever happen. We had a modicum of success in the early 80s when Brian Grundy was manager, when we finished up as runners-up to Accrington Stanley, just before the North West Counties League was formed.
"This is an absolutely magnificent achievement, and I think a lot of it has been done on the back of the club reaching the FA Vase final in 2009.
"Financially we have been able to re-launch the club, we have directors now who are very professional and know what they are doing, and we live within our means, so the club is self-financing.
"There is a real buzz in the town, and there is interest even from people who are not all that interested in football, it's magic for the town. One of the local councillors told me today that they are going to have a reception for us, whether we win or lose at Wembley.
"Obviously it would be nice to go there with three trophies and not just one, but the league title is the main one that we wanted".
Glossop manager Chris Willcock:
"It's an unbelievable feeling, I'm ecstatic, overwhelmed and an extremely proud man at this moment in time.
"It was a great occasion again for the club, and we have had quite a number of great occasions this season already. We had another big crowd on, the lads responded, and showed their worth.
"We got better as the season developed, it wasn't brilliant early doors but we went on a run of form and we've not looked back from that really.
"Defensively we have now had 23 clean sheets in the league, we have had six clean sheets in a row now to win the title and that has been our strength all season. We've only conceded 18 league goals all season with three games to go.
"We look to maintain high standards and have managed to that consistently throughout the season, and credit goes to all the players. Everybody has played their part, especially in this tough run of fixtures we have had with the congestion at the end of the season. The squad as a whole has really stood up and been counted.
"We've shown that all the hard work we put in pre-season has paid dividends".
Glossop captain Dave Young:
"Last year when we had to clap Norton United on to the field as champions, straight away we all said 'that's not happening again'.
"Then when we saw the way the fixtures were drawn up, and we had Runcorn Linnets on the last day of the season, we wondered if it could happen again.
"But this (winning the league) has been the priority all year, we knuckled down and we've ended up getting there. This was our priority and everything else is a bonus.
"The determination in the group is the best I've ever been involved with, and the standards we set ourselves and what we demand out of each other is why we have got to where we are.
"I think we have only dropped twelve points all year, it's been a great season, and now we have won one trophy and still have two to go at. We'll go to Curzon and Wembley and enjoy it".
The pictures above show: Glossop captain Dave Young lifting the Championship trophy, which was presented by League Chairman Dave Tomlinson and League Management Committee representative Stewart Taylor; the team celebrating with the Glossop supporters: a specially commissioned bottle of champagne for the occasion.
Glossop North End Win The Premier Division Title
Sat 18th April 2015 | Glossop North End
By Ian Templeman
Congratulations to Glossop North End, who clinched the Premier Division title with a 3-0 win over Nelson at Surrey Street.
Two goals from Lee Blackshaw and one from Mark Reed secured the win for the Hillmen, who will now be playing Evo-Stik League football in the fourth tier of English football, exactly 100 years after losing their Football League status.
Their departure from our League also brings to an end their distinction of being continuous founder members of the NWCFL since its inception in 1982.
Now, with the title in the bag, the squad can now focus their efforts on claiming a unique treble of League Championship, Men United Cup and FA Vase in the space of the next couple of weeks.
A sunny afternoon in front of the biggest crowd of the season for a league game in the NWCFL provided an ideal backdrop for a team looking to clinch the title, although Nelson offered spirited resistance during a goalless opening 45 minutes before the Hillmen broke the deadlock five minutes into the second half.
Tom Bailey sent high curling cross from the right wing towards the far post, and Lee Blackshaw beat the keeper with a downward header to record his 50th goal for the club in the 50th minute of the game.
Another high cross into the box, this time from the left flank, produced Glossop's second goal, Jason Carey the creator for Mark Reed to head home from close range with his first touch of the ball after joining the action as a substitute moments earlier.
The game was wrapped up two minutes from time when Blackshaw netted his second of the afternoon, firing home a low cross from Sam Hind into the bottom corner of the net, and within a couple of minutes the final blast of the referee's whistle sparked celebrations on and off the field.
Within minutes, the players reappeared in specially commissioned championship winning t-shirts, Glossop captain Dave Young was presented with the championship trophy on the pitch by NWCFL Chairman Dave Tomlinson, and the Surrey Street party began.
Amidst the celebrations, after match reaction was gathered.
Glossop Chairman Dave Atkinson:
"I remember going to a presentation and collecting an award for the club having played 1000 games in the North West Counties League. While you take all the silverware that's going, in a sense it's an award you don't want, as you want to get out of the league and progress.
"But now this is our year. I think we have deserved it, the players and coaching staff have worked immensely hard, even when the pitches have been rock hard they have been out there grafting, and that is what it is all about. If you don't put the work in, you'll only be runners-up.
"We got great support today, nearly a thousand people here and I can't thank the fans and the volunteers at the club enough. All the volunteers are fans, the directors are all fans, there's a great spirit at the club.
"What we have done this year, winning the league and getting to two cup finals, is probably what we'd expect to achieve in six years.
Glossop Secretary Peter Hammond (who has been Secretary of the club for over 30 years, since the days they competed in the Cheshire League before joining the NWCFL as founder members):
"To be honest, I never thought this day would ever happen. We had a modicum of success in the early 80s when Brian Grundy was manager, when we finished up as runners-up to Accrington Stanley, just before the North West Counties League was formed.
"This is an absolutely magnificent achievement, and I think a lot of it has been done on the back of the club reaching the FA Vase final in 2009.
"Financially we have been able to re-launch the club, we have directors now who are very professional and know what they are doing, and we live within our means, so the club is self-financing.
"There is a real buzz in the town, and there is interest even from people who are not all that interested in football, it's magic for the town. One of the local councillors told me today that they are going to have a reception for us, whether we win or lose at Wembley.
"Obviously it would be nice to go there with three trophies and not just one, but the league title is the main one that we wanted".
Glossop manager Chris Willcock:
"It's an unbelievable feeling, I'm ecstatic, overwhelmed and an extremely proud man at this moment in time.
"It was a great occasion again for the club, and we have had quite a number of great occasions this season already. We had another big crowd on, the lads responded, and showed their worth.
"We got better as the season developed, it wasn't brilliant early doors but we went on a run of form and we've not looked back from that really.
"Defensively we have now had 23 clean sheets in the league, we have had six clean sheets in a row now to win the title and that has been our strength all season. We've only conceded 18 league goals all season with three games to go.
"We look to maintain high standards and have managed to that consistently throughout the season, and credit goes to all the players. Everybody has played their part, especially in this tough run of fixtures we have had with the congestion at the end of the season. The squad as a whole has really stood up and been counted.
"We've shown that all the hard work we put in pre-season has paid dividends".
Glossop captain Dave Young:
"Last year when we had to clap Norton United on to the field as champions, straight away we all said 'that's not happening again'.
"Then when we saw the way the fixtures were drawn up, and we had Runcorn Linnets on the last day of the season, we wondered if it could happen again.
"But this (winning the league) has been the priority all year, we knuckled down and we've ended up getting there. This was our priority and everything else is a bonus.
"The determination in the group is the best I've ever been involved with, and the standards we set ourselves and what we demand out of each other is why we have got to where we are.
"I think we have only dropped twelve points all year, it's been a great season, and now we have won one trophy and still have two to go at. We'll go to Curzon and Wembley and enjoy it".
The pictures above show: Glossop captain Dave Young lifting the Championship trophy, which was presented by League Chairman Dave Tomlinson and League Management Committee representative Stewart Taylor; the team celebrating with the Glossop supporters: a specially commissioned bottle of champagne for the occasion.
