Welcome To Carlisle City
Thu 26th May 2016 | General | By Ian Templeman
Carlisle City have joined Holker Old Boys as the Cumbrian representatives in the NWCFL next season, following their promotion from the Northern Football Alliance.
The club was formed in 1975 by two ex-Carlisle United footballers, George Walker and Ron ‘Ginger’ Thompson, and celebrated its 40th season of football in season 2015/16.
They have three senior sides, 14 boys teams and 4 girls teams and have nearly 300 players registered as members.
The club's senior team have been members of the Northern Alliance League since 1975, and they also field another side in the Tesco Cumberland County League. The team of over-35s competes in the Cumbria Veterans' league.
They are a Charter Standard Community Club and in 2008 won the Cumberland Football Association Charter Standard Club of the Year award. They also have a partnership link with a local school, Kingmoor School, and offer support to the football activities in the school. They also provide assistance in seeking funding to improve the school pitches, and they share their club minibus with the school.
The club play home games at Gillford Park, which is located on the south side of Carlisle, around 5-10 minutes from junction 43 of the M6. The ground was previously the home of Celtic Nation, who competed in the Northern League Division One until 2015.
Once Celtic Nation vacated the ground, Carlisle City secured a deal to move in there in June 2015, and as City Chairman Brian Hall explained, it turned out to be the right move at the right time.
“We were playing at Sheepmount, a council facility in the centre of Carlisle until the end of last season, but ironically that was flooded when the floods hit Carlisle a few months ago and is still out of action”, said Brian.
“We played there over 10 years, and did try to develop the ground a bit, but due to political reasons shall we say, we never got a lease for ourselves.
“We had been looking for a new ground for three or four years up to last summer, and we became aware that Gillford Park was available to us. It was initially planned to be a ground share with Celtic Nation, but when they folded last summer it left us as sole tenants.
“It's a great facility and to my mind could accommodate two teams quite easily, but it's just us for now at least and we are very pleased to have it”.
With Penrith some 18 miles south playing in the Northern League, and the Northern Alliance being predominantly comprised of clubs from the North East, some have been wondering why City applied to join the NWCFL rather than the Northern League, but Brian believes Carlisle is a logical home for North West Counties football.
“Geographically, we are right on the M6, and even though the mileage may be quite high to some of the grounds in the NWCFL, we believe it suits us better.
“In both the Northern Alliance, which we are leaving, and in the Northern League, there are not that many teams in the Newcastle area. Most of them are around Durham, Teeside and Cleveland, and they are a fair distance away and there's no direct route by motorway.
“But also from a football point of view, it will give our players and the people of Carlisle a chance to see teams that they have never seen before, and to visit them too.
“We have been really heartened by the messages of support we have had since it was announced we are joining the league.
“We had been a little bit worried about how we might be received, and if people would think it was a little bit too far to come, but we have been encouraged by the response we have had already.
“As people may have seen we have already linked up with Atherton Collieries and lined up a friendly with them, which is great for us”.
As far as expectations on the playing side are concerned, Brian is hopeful that with a new management team in place for the start of the season, City will make an impact in their first season.
“Very few of us have knowledge of the NWCFL, although we do have people who have been involved at clubs in the Northern League. We are very hopeful of holding our own, although our main aim is just to settle down and find our feet.
“We have appointed James Tose as manager, who has manged Penrith in the past and is involved with Carlisle United on the Youth and Community side.
“He will be assisted by Johnny Allen, who was a pro at Carlisle United for a couple of seasons, and has played for a host of clubs such as Celtic Nation and also Northwich Victoria. He might still pull his boots on now and again.
“Both of them have good links in non-league football and also at youth level.
“We are looking forward to the season, although I'm sure there will be a few nerves once we are approaching the start, but since moving to Gillford Park in June last year, we have set our sights on this target.
“We look forward to welcoming supporters new and old to our ground next season”.
Welcome To Carlisle City
Thu 26th May 2016 | General
By Ian Templeman
Carlisle City have joined Holker Old Boys as the Cumbrian representatives in the NWCFL next season, following their promotion from the Northern Football Alliance.
The club was formed in 1975 by two ex-Carlisle United footballers, George Walker and Ron ‘Ginger’ Thompson, and celebrated its 40th season of football in season 2015/16.
They have three senior sides, 14 boys teams and 4 girls teams and have nearly 300 players registered as members.
The club's senior team have been members of the Northern Alliance League since 1975, and they also field another side in the Tesco Cumberland County League. The team of over-35s competes in the Cumbria Veterans' league.
They are a Charter Standard Community Club and in 2008 won the Cumberland Football Association Charter Standard Club of the Year award. They also have a partnership link with a local school, Kingmoor School, and offer support to the football activities in the school. They also provide assistance in seeking funding to improve the school pitches, and they share their club minibus with the school.
The club play home games at Gillford Park, which is located on the south side of Carlisle, around 5-10 minutes from junction 43 of the M6. The ground was previously the home of Celtic Nation, who competed in the Northern League Division One until 2015.
Once Celtic Nation vacated the ground, Carlisle City secured a deal to move in there in June 2015, and as City Chairman Brian Hall explained, it turned out to be the right move at the right time.
“We were playing at Sheepmount, a council facility in the centre of Carlisle until the end of last season, but ironically that was flooded when the floods hit Carlisle a few months ago and is still out of action”, said Brian.
“We played there over 10 years, and did try to develop the ground a bit, but due to political reasons shall we say, we never got a lease for ourselves.
“We had been looking for a new ground for three or four years up to last summer, and we became aware that Gillford Park was available to us. It was initially planned to be a ground share with Celtic Nation, but when they folded last summer it left us as sole tenants.
“It's a great facility and to my mind could accommodate two teams quite easily, but it's just us for now at least and we are very pleased to have it”.
With Penrith some 18 miles south playing in the Northern League, and the Northern Alliance being predominantly comprised of clubs from the North East, some have been wondering why City applied to join the NWCFL rather than the Northern League, but Brian believes Carlisle is a logical home for North West Counties football.
“Geographically, we are right on the M6, and even though the mileage may be quite high to some of the grounds in the NWCFL, we believe it suits us better.
“In both the Northern Alliance, which we are leaving, and in the Northern League, there are not that many teams in the Newcastle area. Most of them are around Durham, Teeside and Cleveland, and they are a fair distance away and there's no direct route by motorway.
“But also from a football point of view, it will give our players and the people of Carlisle a chance to see teams that they have never seen before, and to visit them too.
“We have been really heartened by the messages of support we have had since it was announced we are joining the league.
“We had been a little bit worried about how we might be received, and if people would think it was a little bit too far to come, but we have been encouraged by the response we have had already.
“As people may have seen we have already linked up with Atherton Collieries and lined up a friendly with them, which is great for us”.
As far as expectations on the playing side are concerned, Brian is hopeful that with a new management team in place for the start of the season, City will make an impact in their first season.
“Very few of us have knowledge of the NWCFL, although we do have people who have been involved at clubs in the Northern League. We are very hopeful of holding our own, although our main aim is just to settle down and find our feet.
“We have appointed James Tose as manager, who has manged Penrith in the past and is involved with Carlisle United on the Youth and Community side.
“He will be assisted by Johnny Allen, who was a pro at Carlisle United for a couple of seasons, and has played for a host of clubs such as Celtic Nation and also Northwich Victoria. He might still pull his boots on now and again.
“Both of them have good links in non-league football and also at youth level.
“We are looking forward to the season, although I'm sure there will be a few nerves once we are approaching the start, but since moving to Gillford Park in June last year, we have set our sights on this target.
“We look forward to welcoming supporters new and old to our ground next season”.
