Five Things We Learned 2023/24 - Gameweek 10
Wed 4th October 2023 | Five Things | By Jay Cooper
1. Local County Cup summary
Midweek saw 4 different NWCFL teams in local Senior County Cup action, and it was a close call for 2 sides, and a night to forget for 2 others. First Division South sides Brocton and Cammell Laird 1907, who squared off against one another at the weekend, came up against higher division opposition in Kidsgrove Athletic and Warrington Town. Laird were beaten 2-1, and Brocton 4-3 in heartbreaking last minute fashion.
Elsewhere, both Ilkley Town and Steeton were in the West Riding County Cup specifically, and both were also put up against a higher league opponent. For Ilkley, despite a Nathan Hunt goal reducing a 2-0 deficit before the 20-minute mark, Town bowed out in a 10-1 defeat. As for Steeton, they fell short in a 6-2 home defeat to Pontefract Collieries.
2. Hi-five!
More goals! They are the heart of the game, after all. This week's angel number that seemed to appear repeatedly on scoresheets is 5, but where's the fun in just stopping there when some teams went beyond even that? Beginning in the Premier Division, both Irlam and Prestwich Heys bagged 5 on the road against Padiham and Lower Breck, respectively.
The First Division South also saw Brocton achieve that same feat away at Cammell Laird, but it was in the North where we saw the majority of goal-laden games. Ashton Athletic and FC St Helens both recorded 5-0 wins over Nelson and Steeton, respectively; Euxton Villa also managed 5 but shipped 2 at home against Bacup Borough; Route One Rovers went one better in a 6-2 victory over managerless Garstang; and, finally, Holker Old Boys sent Runcorn Town packing in a 7-1 rout.
3. Crafty Colne have Kendal's number
In the opening weeks of the season, runaway pacesetters Kendal Town looked unbeatable in the Premier Division right up until they ran into Paul Weller's newly relegated Colne side. In a match at the latter’s' NORI Stadium, Colne set a very bad week for Town in motion, winning 2-0, and Kendal followed that up with a second consecutive loss, this time to Ramsbottom United.
In this first week in October, we've seen the two sides meet again at Kendal's J Robs Ground Maintenance Stadium (that's a mouthful), with the hosts having suffered a defeat at the weekend to Wythenshawe Town. Sure enough, history repeated itself, as Colne won 4-2 in Town's back yard to see to it that, for the first time since week 1, they no longer top the table.
4. Flourishing new boys
One consistency that runs throughout the entirety of the NWCFL is that every season brings new faces, some of which are entering unchartered waters for the first time as a club. And you do get a special few that take to those waters like a duck. In the Premier Division, that team in 2023/24 is Wythenshawe FC. The Ammies have established themselves in the play-off picture as we reach double digits for gameweeks, with the joint most goals scored in the league, and the best out and out goal difference.
In the First Divisions North and South, those honours go to Route One Rovers and Market Drayton Town. Like Wythenshawe, both sides are placed firmly in the top 5 in their respective tables, but, unlike Wythenshawe, this is both teams' first season in the NWCFL as a whole. Route One have also been a go-to site for goals this season, with more scored than any other side in all 3 leagues thus far.
5. 100,000 strong so far this season
God bless league statistician Kevin Lawton! As well as keeping an eye on clubs' and players' individual milestones with his week to week stat updates, he also made note this week about total attendances already in the NWCFL this season, and I think this absolutely deserves a second mention here.
This week, the total attendance at NWCFL games so far in 2023/24 broke right through the 100,000 barrier - remember, it's only gameweek 10. Facts like this are a stark reminder that football at this level wouldn't exist without the wonderful fans that come to games week in and week out.
Five Things We Learned 2023/24 - Gameweek 10
Wed 4th October 2023 | Five Things
By Jay Cooper
1. Local County Cup summary
Midweek saw 4 different NWCFL teams in local Senior County Cup action, and it was a close call for 2 sides, and a night to forget for 2 others. First Division South sides Brocton and Cammell Laird 1907, who squared off against one another at the weekend, came up against higher division opposition in Kidsgrove Athletic and Warrington Town. Laird were beaten 2-1, and Brocton 4-3 in heartbreaking last minute fashion.
Elsewhere, both Ilkley Town and Steeton were in the West Riding County Cup specifically, and both were also put up against a higher league opponent. For Ilkley, despite a Nathan Hunt goal reducing a 2-0 deficit before the 20-minute mark, Town bowed out in a 10-1 defeat. As for Steeton, they fell short in a 6-2 home defeat to Pontefract Collieries.
2. Hi-five!
More goals! They are the heart of the game, after all. This week's angel number that seemed to appear repeatedly on scoresheets is 5, but where's the fun in just stopping there when some teams went beyond even that? Beginning in the Premier Division, both Irlam and Prestwich Heys bagged 5 on the road against Padiham and Lower Breck, respectively.
The First Division South also saw Brocton achieve that same feat away at Cammell Laird, but it was in the North where we saw the majority of goal-laden games. Ashton Athletic and FC St Helens both recorded 5-0 wins over Nelson and Steeton, respectively; Euxton Villa also managed 5 but shipped 2 at home against Bacup Borough; Route One Rovers went one better in a 6-2 victory over managerless Garstang; and, finally, Holker Old Boys sent Runcorn Town packing in a 7-1 rout.
3. Crafty Colne have Kendal's number
In the opening weeks of the season, runaway pacesetters Kendal Town looked unbeatable in the Premier Division right up until they ran into Paul Weller's newly relegated Colne side. In a match at the latter’s' NORI Stadium, Colne set a very bad week for Town in motion, winning 2-0, and Kendal followed that up with a second consecutive loss, this time to Ramsbottom United.
In this first week in October, we've seen the two sides meet again at Kendal's J Robs Ground Maintenance Stadium (that's a mouthful), with the hosts having suffered a defeat at the weekend to Wythenshawe Town. Sure enough, history repeated itself, as Colne won 4-2 in Town's back yard to see to it that, for the first time since week 1, they no longer top the table.
4. Flourishing new boys
One consistency that runs throughout the entirety of the NWCFL is that every season brings new faces, some of which are entering unchartered waters for the first time as a club. And you do get a special few that take to those waters like a duck. In the Premier Division, that team in 2023/24 is Wythenshawe FC. The Ammies have established themselves in the play-off picture as we reach double digits for gameweeks, with the joint most goals scored in the league, and the best out and out goal difference.
In the First Divisions North and South, those honours go to Route One Rovers and Market Drayton Town. Like Wythenshawe, both sides are placed firmly in the top 5 in their respective tables, but, unlike Wythenshawe, this is both teams' first season in the NWCFL as a whole. Route One have also been a go-to site for goals this season, with more scored than any other side in all 3 leagues thus far.
5. 100,000 strong so far this season
God bless league statistician Kevin Lawton! As well as keeping an eye on clubs' and players' individual milestones with his week to week stat updates, he also made note this week about total attendances already in the NWCFL this season, and I think this absolutely deserves a second mention here.
This week, the total attendance at NWCFL games so far in 2023/24 broke right through the 100,000 barrier - remember, it's only gameweek 10. Facts like this are a stark reminder that football at this level wouldn't exist without the wonderful fans that come to games week in and week out.
