National Recognition For Barnoldswick Town
Tue 23rd November 2010 | Barnoldswick Town | By Ian Templeman
Barnoldswick Town have been nominated for the 'Voluntary Sports Ground Management Team of the Year' in the annual Institute of Groundsmanship awards for 2010.
The award is one of 16 that the IOG award each year and is aimed at 'Recognising the exceptional skills and commitment of a volunteer grounds management team, to achieve outstanding results through team work in a sports club at grass roots level'.
The club was nominated for the award by the West Yorkshire Branch Chairman of the IOG , David Robinson, who is well known in Groundsman's circles around Barnoldswick. Apart from being Regional Chairman of the IOG, he is also Groundsman at Skipton Castle and at the club's near neighbours Earby Cricket Club.
Town Chairman Alverley Ashworth explained:Â "David has known us for a while, and felt that what we have achieved here over the years would impress the judges of the awards.
"The work that has been carried out in bringing what was a waterlogged farmer's field up to the standard that it is now, a good playing surface suitable for North West Counties football, is remarkable.Â
"I was the groundsman at the Rolls Royce factory in Barnoldswick for many years, before I was involved with the club. I remember when I first heard that they were going to build a football pitch on this site, I just laughed as it was just waste ground then. Just getting a football pitch established was an achievement in itself.
"But the award nomination does not just take into account the playing  pitch, it also encompasses the facilities in the whole ground from changing rooms, clubhouse, terracing and the fence around the ground. The judges also recognise the people who do the everyday work in making sure the club functions whether that is the Secretary, Tea Ladies, Groundsman, in fact anyone who does some kind of task in keeping the club ticking over.
"About 5 weeks ago, Ian Mather-Brewster who is the IOG Regional advisor for the North of England came to the ground to see me. The purpose of the visit was to verify that the nomination from David Robinson was all that he said it was, and Ian told me he travelled up to our ground from Bolton Wanderers, having looked at their playing surface as they have been nominated for one of the higher awards.
"Ian looked at every aspect of the running of the club, and asked lots of questions. When I told him that apart from specialist work such as electrical work, all the facilities at the club have been built by volunteers, he was obviously impressed, especially when he learned that around 8 people built the clubhouse in around 14 months from scratch, without paying anyone for labour as it was all voluntary.
"Ian spent over two hours looking at everything, clubhouse, stands, changing rooms, seating arrangements, and no stone on the ground was left unturned.
"It's great for the club that we have been nominated for a national award such as this. I'm especially pleased for the people who have been here a long time, but equally, good work has been done by people who have only been here for a short while as well. It's just nice that the whole club and everyone who is involved with the club has been recognised for the work they have put in over the years.
"Even if we don't win it, at least we have helped to put the town on the map a little bit by our efforts."
Town's joint manager Ben Hall says that everyone on the playing staff is appreciative of the work that has been done in building up the club over the years.
"We are all in it together at Barnoldswick - committee, management, players - and groundsman Stephen Naylor and his team do a fantastic job. Last Thursday Bessie (John Beswick, one of the groundstaff) was down working on the ground from 8 in the morning until after four o'clock in the afternoon. The dedication these people have shown, and the work they have put in for the football club, is fantastic.Â
"We appreciate the work they have put in and we are delighted for them that they have been recognised in this way. I really hope they win it because they deserve it."
It won't be long before the club finds out if they have achieved national acclaim, as the results ceremony for the awards takes place at Glamorgan CC's Swalec Stadium in Cardiff this Thursday 25th November.Â
There are only two nominations for the award, the other finalist being Pentrych Sports Club  from Cardiff, and Town Groundsman Stephen Naylor, and his wife Maria who helps keep spectators supplied with pie n' peas and a brew during half time at home matches, will be travelling down to Cardiff to represent the club.
On the playing side, there is also positive news to report, as Town have continued where they left off last season by sitting among the pack of clubs chasing promotion from the Premier Division. Ben Hall says that he and fellow joint managers Stewart Airdrie and Kevin Richardson are more than happy with the way the team has adjusted to life in a higher division.
"Our brief from the committee, having won promotion last year, is to survive and it still is so we've exceeded everyone's expectations so far. I think we are punching above our weight at the moment, but it's a fantastic achievement for everyone at the club to be where we are in the league. Going into Saturday's game against Flixton we were third in the table, and if we continue to work hard we'll be OK."
"We brought Robbie Smith, Robert Grimes and Jack Overson in from Padiham in the close season, and then we added Aaron Hollindrake from Silsden and Michael Morrison from Ramsbottom once the season began, so we've always been looking to strengthen the squad.
"When we looked at the opening two fixtures we had - Congleton at home and Ramsbottom away - we knew that we had two really tough games to begin with, but in the end although we lost both we did very well in both of them. So from that point we took it on, once we had seen how we did in those two games, we realised we could compete with the top clubs in this league.Â
"We had a lot of injuries in the early games, up until about game nine or ten we always had someone missing, but since then we've had a full squad to choose from and we've been doing well since then."
However, despite their good start, Ben says the quality and strength in depth of the Premier Division means there is no room for complacency.
"Last season once we got going, we went out expecting to win every game. OK, you are never going to win every game, but there were some games that you went out expecting nothing else than a win. But the strength of the clubs in this division means there are no easy games. Â
"Based on their performance last Saturday, Flixton are the best team we've played this season. They had good pace, they stood toe to toe with us, never backed off and committed numbers forward when they could. Yet they are in the bottom half of the table and that just shows you how strong this league is.
"Ramsbottom are a good side, we've had two hard games against them, and I expect them to be there or thereabouts and Congleton were a good side too. We've not played New Mills yet, we've got them to come in a couple of weeks, and it looks like they will be the team to beat.
"But we've had hard games against Rossendale, we drew with them, and at Alsager where we drew as well, and they are in the bottom half of the table. It's just shows what a tough league this is."
Aside of the league exploits last season, Town also enjoyed success in the West Riding Cup, and the competition has thrown up a tasty tie for them again this season, as FC Halifax Town visit the Silentnight Stadium on 14th December. Ben says it's a tie everyone is eagerly awaiting.Â
"It's a really good game to look forward to. Last season we played Guiseley who were in exactly the same position at the top of the Evo-Stik League (Unibond League as it was then) and we beat them, so it would be good if history could repeat itself. It's great for the club, hopefully we will get a good crowd down on the night and we will give it our best shot."
Looking ahead to the rest of the season, Ben believes there is no reason why the squad can't continue to maintain the progress that has been achieved in the past couple of years.
"The defeat against Flixton last Saturday was only our eighth defeat in fifty odd games since we came into the league, and we reached the West Riding Cup final last season as the lowest ranked team ever to get there.
"When we got into third place a week or two back, you look at how big a gap there is between you and the top, and you see Winsford and New Mills up there and wonder if we can catch them.Â
"But the Flixton game gave us a bit of a kick in the teeth, so we have to knuckle down and maybe just take one game at a time, not look too far ahead, and focus on collecting as many points as we can while playing attacking and entertaining football, and see where that takes us.
"We are under no pressure to get out of this league right now, unlike some other clubs. Â But if we continue to build on what we've done over the past 18 months there's no reason what we can't do it in our own time."Â
National Recognition For Barnoldswick Town
Tue 23rd November 2010 | Barnoldswick Town
By Ian Templeman
Barnoldswick Town have been nominated for the 'Voluntary Sports Ground Management Team of the Year' in the annual Institute of Groundsmanship awards for 2010.
The award is one of 16 that the IOG award each year and is aimed at 'Recognising the exceptional skills and commitment of a volunteer grounds management team, to achieve outstanding results through team work in a sports club at grass roots level'.
The club was nominated for the award by the West Yorkshire Branch Chairman of the IOG , David Robinson, who is well known in Groundsman's circles around Barnoldswick. Apart from being Regional Chairman of the IOG, he is also Groundsman at Skipton Castle and at the club's near neighbours Earby Cricket Club.
Town Chairman Alverley Ashworth explained:Â "David has known us for a while, and felt that what we have achieved here over the years would impress the judges of the awards.
"The work that has been carried out in bringing what was a waterlogged farmer's field up to the standard that it is now, a good playing surface suitable for North West Counties football, is remarkable.Â
"I was the groundsman at the Rolls Royce factory in Barnoldswick for many years, before I was involved with the club. I remember when I first heard that they were going to build a football pitch on this site, I just laughed as it was just waste ground then. Just getting a football pitch established was an achievement in itself.
"But the award nomination does not just take into account the playing  pitch, it also encompasses the facilities in the whole ground from changing rooms, clubhouse, terracing and the fence around the ground. The judges also recognise the people who do the everyday work in making sure the club functions whether that is the Secretary, Tea Ladies, Groundsman, in fact anyone who does some kind of task in keeping the club ticking over.
"About 5 weeks ago, Ian Mather-Brewster who is the IOG Regional advisor for the North of England came to the ground to see me. The purpose of the visit was to verify that the nomination from David Robinson was all that he said it was, and Ian told me he travelled up to our ground from Bolton Wanderers, having looked at their playing surface as they have been nominated for one of the higher awards.
"Ian looked at every aspect of the running of the club, and asked lots of questions. When I told him that apart from specialist work such as electrical work, all the facilities at the club have been built by volunteers, he was obviously impressed, especially when he learned that around 8 people built the clubhouse in around 14 months from scratch, without paying anyone for labour as it was all voluntary.
"Ian spent over two hours looking at everything, clubhouse, stands, changing rooms, seating arrangements, and no stone on the ground was left unturned.
"It's great for the club that we have been nominated for a national award such as this. I'm especially pleased for the people who have been here a long time, but equally, good work has been done by people who have only been here for a short while as well. It's just nice that the whole club and everyone who is involved with the club has been recognised for the work they have put in over the years.
"Even if we don't win it, at least we have helped to put the town on the map a little bit by our efforts."
Town's joint manager Ben Hall says that everyone on the playing staff is appreciative of the work that has been done in building up the club over the years.
"We are all in it together at Barnoldswick - committee, management, players - and groundsman Stephen Naylor and his team do a fantastic job. Last Thursday Bessie (John Beswick, one of the groundstaff) was down working on the ground from 8 in the morning until after four o'clock in the afternoon. The dedication these people have shown, and the work they have put in for the football club, is fantastic.Â
"We appreciate the work they have put in and we are delighted for them that they have been recognised in this way. I really hope they win it because they deserve it."
It won't be long before the club finds out if they have achieved national acclaim, as the results ceremony for the awards takes place at Glamorgan CC's Swalec Stadium in Cardiff this Thursday 25th November.Â
There are only two nominations for the award, the other finalist being Pentrych Sports Club  from Cardiff, and Town Groundsman Stephen Naylor, and his wife Maria who helps keep spectators supplied with pie n' peas and a brew during half time at home matches, will be travelling down to Cardiff to represent the club.
On the playing side, there is also positive news to report, as Town have continued where they left off last season by sitting among the pack of clubs chasing promotion from the Premier Division. Ben Hall says that he and fellow joint managers Stewart Airdrie and Kevin Richardson are more than happy with the way the team has adjusted to life in a higher division.
"Our brief from the committee, having won promotion last year, is to survive and it still is so we've exceeded everyone's expectations so far. I think we are punching above our weight at the moment, but it's a fantastic achievement for everyone at the club to be where we are in the league. Going into Saturday's game against Flixton we were third in the table, and if we continue to work hard we'll be OK."
"We brought Robbie Smith, Robert Grimes and Jack Overson in from Padiham in the close season, and then we added Aaron Hollindrake from Silsden and Michael Morrison from Ramsbottom once the season began, so we've always been looking to strengthen the squad.
"When we looked at the opening two fixtures we had - Congleton at home and Ramsbottom away - we knew that we had two really tough games to begin with, but in the end although we lost both we did very well in both of them. So from that point we took it on, once we had seen how we did in those two games, we realised we could compete with the top clubs in this league.Â
"We had a lot of injuries in the early games, up until about game nine or ten we always had someone missing, but since then we've had a full squad to choose from and we've been doing well since then."
However, despite their good start, Ben says the quality and strength in depth of the Premier Division means there is no room for complacency.
"Last season once we got going, we went out expecting to win every game. OK, you are never going to win every game, but there were some games that you went out expecting nothing else than a win. But the strength of the clubs in this division means there are no easy games. Â
"Based on their performance last Saturday, Flixton are the best team we've played this season. They had good pace, they stood toe to toe with us, never backed off and committed numbers forward when they could. Yet they are in the bottom half of the table and that just shows you how strong this league is.
"Ramsbottom are a good side, we've had two hard games against them, and I expect them to be there or thereabouts and Congleton were a good side too. We've not played New Mills yet, we've got them to come in a couple of weeks, and it looks like they will be the team to beat.
"But we've had hard games against Rossendale, we drew with them, and at Alsager where we drew as well, and they are in the bottom half of the table. It's just shows what a tough league this is."
Aside of the league exploits last season, Town also enjoyed success in the West Riding Cup, and the competition has thrown up a tasty tie for them again this season, as FC Halifax Town visit the Silentnight Stadium on 14th December. Ben says it's a tie everyone is eagerly awaiting.Â
"It's a really good game to look forward to. Last season we played Guiseley who were in exactly the same position at the top of the Evo-Stik League (Unibond League as it was then) and we beat them, so it would be good if history could repeat itself. It's great for the club, hopefully we will get a good crowd down on the night and we will give it our best shot."
Looking ahead to the rest of the season, Ben believes there is no reason why the squad can't continue to maintain the progress that has been achieved in the past couple of years.
"The defeat against Flixton last Saturday was only our eighth defeat in fifty odd games since we came into the league, and we reached the West Riding Cup final last season as the lowest ranked team ever to get there.
"When we got into third place a week or two back, you look at how big a gap there is between you and the top, and you see Winsford and New Mills up there and wonder if we can catch them.Â
"But the Flixton game gave us a bit of a kick in the teeth, so we have to knuckle down and maybe just take one game at a time, not look too far ahead, and focus on collecting as many points as we can while playing attacking and entertaining football, and see where that takes us.
"We are under no pressure to get out of this league right now, unlike some other clubs. Â But if we continue to build on what we've done over the past 18 months there's no reason what we can't do it in our own time."Â
