Welcome To Charnock Richard
Mon 23rd May 2016 | General | By Ian Templeman
Over the course of this week on the league website, we will be introducing each of the new clubs that are stepping up to join the League in season 2016-17.
We begin with a profile of Charnock Richard FC.
For Charnock Richard, the move into the NWCFL is the culmination of several years planning, during which time the club has developed a new ground while enjoying success on the field in the West Lancashire League.
In the previous six years up to this season, the lowest the club has finished is second in the table, and have won the league four times, as well as enjoying success against NWCFL clubs in the local Goldline Trophy in the past.
But as Charnock Richard Secretary Dave Rowland explained, the decision to apply for membership of the NWCFL was only made once the committee were happy that they could meet the required standards with the right people in place.
“At the time of our first league win (in 2009) we had no floodlights, and had just bought land across the road from our old ground, to develop what is now our current ground at Mossie Park”, said Dave.
“But as ground grading requirements were raised, we had difficulty keeping up with the standards required and we had to work hard to keep our facilities to the standards required for a Step 7 Premier Division club.
“In previous years we didn't apply for promotion because of finance - we didn't have the finance to get the ground up to standard and the team was progressing faster on the pitch than the club was off it.
“Fund raising wasn't easy as Charnock Richard is only a village, and while the villagers are supportive, there aren't big firms locally who cover the village who we could approach.
“Finance has always been our biggest worry - we have always considered whether we can sustain surviving financially in the NWCFL but we now believe we can, and we are keen to dip our feet in the water at a higher level and see what happens”.
For Dave himself, being part of a club in the NWCFL will involve a return to some familiar grounds, as he was involved for many years at Bamber Bridge FC in their days in the league, and still has links with the club today.
“I was at Bamber Bridge for 16 years, and was there when they got promoted out of the NWCFL, when Atherton LR failed a ground grading so that allowed us to go up. I joined them the year after they came into the NWCFL.
“I was programme editor there and still help then out now with the programme doing their stats pages, as well as helping out with the Charnock Richard programme.
“I've been a North West Counties man before, and I am really looking forward to being one again”.
On and off the field, Dave believes that the club will be a welcome and worthy addition to the League.
“The location that we are in, just 10 minutes from the M6, is ideal for the NWCFL. It's a lovely village and a lovely community.
“We have the required covered accommodation for the NWCFL in place and we are also looking at plans for installing covered accommodation behind the goals
“We've got a good infrastructure in place, good people in the right places, a good manager in Andy Westwell, and we have a lot of lads who have been at the club for a long time.
“A new programme editor Josh Vosper, who does the programme at Chorley, has joined us and I will help him with content.
“Most of or support is older, but we do have some younger lads who are organising buses to away games. We have been getting crowds around 100 at home games and we have sometimes been taking 40-50 to away games as well.
“We've played against NWCFL clubs in friendlies and in the Goldline Trophy a few years ago. We've always done well, so if that is a guide, we are expecting to hold our own in the league, and anything else is a bonus.
“We are especially looking forward to playing in the Lancashire FA Challenge Trophy for the first time, to test ourselves against some of the big boys, and we are really looking forward to playing in the FA Vase too. We have had our application accepted and everyone at the club is looking forward to that, our first game in that competition will be a special day”.
“We'll be going to established clubs, new clubs, and clubs in places we have never been to before, like Oswestry and Whitchurch.
“It opens up a whole new field of opportunity for us to test ourselves at a higher level. We are hoping to acquit ourselves well, and we are really looking forward to the challenge”.
Welcome To Charnock Richard
Mon 23rd May 2016 | General
By Ian Templeman
Over the course of this week on the league website, we will be introducing each of the new clubs that are stepping up to join the League in season 2016-17.
We begin with a profile of Charnock Richard FC.
For Charnock Richard, the move into the NWCFL is the culmination of several years planning, during which time the club has developed a new ground while enjoying success on the field in the West Lancashire League.
In the previous six years up to this season, the lowest the club has finished is second in the table, and have won the league four times, as well as enjoying success against NWCFL clubs in the local Goldline Trophy in the past.
But as Charnock Richard Secretary Dave Rowland explained, the decision to apply for membership of the NWCFL was only made once the committee were happy that they could meet the required standards with the right people in place.
“At the time of our first league win (in 2009) we had no floodlights, and had just bought land across the road from our old ground, to develop what is now our current ground at Mossie Park”, said Dave.
“But as ground grading requirements were raised, we had difficulty keeping up with the standards required and we had to work hard to keep our facilities to the standards required for a Step 7 Premier Division club.
“In previous years we didn't apply for promotion because of finance - we didn't have the finance to get the ground up to standard and the team was progressing faster on the pitch than the club was off it.
“Fund raising wasn't easy as Charnock Richard is only a village, and while the villagers are supportive, there aren't big firms locally who cover the village who we could approach.
“Finance has always been our biggest worry - we have always considered whether we can sustain surviving financially in the NWCFL but we now believe we can, and we are keen to dip our feet in the water at a higher level and see what happens”.
For Dave himself, being part of a club in the NWCFL will involve a return to some familiar grounds, as he was involved for many years at Bamber Bridge FC in their days in the league, and still has links with the club today.
“I was at Bamber Bridge for 16 years, and was there when they got promoted out of the NWCFL, when Atherton LR failed a ground grading so that allowed us to go up. I joined them the year after they came into the NWCFL.
“I was programme editor there and still help then out now with the programme doing their stats pages, as well as helping out with the Charnock Richard programme.
“I've been a North West Counties man before, and I am really looking forward to being one again”.
On and off the field, Dave believes that the club will be a welcome and worthy addition to the League.
“The location that we are in, just 10 minutes from the M6, is ideal for the NWCFL. It's a lovely village and a lovely community.
“We have the required covered accommodation for the NWCFL in place and we are also looking at plans for installing covered accommodation behind the goals
“We've got a good infrastructure in place, good people in the right places, a good manager in Andy Westwell, and we have a lot of lads who have been at the club for a long time.
“A new programme editor Josh Vosper, who does the programme at Chorley, has joined us and I will help him with content.
“Most of or support is older, but we do have some younger lads who are organising buses to away games. We have been getting crowds around 100 at home games and we have sometimes been taking 40-50 to away games as well.
“We've played against NWCFL clubs in friendlies and in the Goldline Trophy a few years ago. We've always done well, so if that is a guide, we are expecting to hold our own in the league, and anything else is a bonus.
“We are especially looking forward to playing in the Lancashire FA Challenge Trophy for the first time, to test ourselves against some of the big boys, and we are really looking forward to playing in the FA Vase too. We have had our application accepted and everyone at the club is looking forward to that, our first game in that competition will be a special day”.
“We'll be going to established clubs, new clubs, and clubs in places we have never been to before, like Oswestry and Whitchurch.
“It opens up a whole new field of opportunity for us to test ourselves at a higher level. We are hoping to acquit ourselves well, and we are really looking forward to the challenge”.
