Click here for 2008/09 News Archive
JULY 2012
Pre-Season Club Friendly August 29th
JUNE 2012
A.G.M. - July 2nd - All Welcome
MAY 2012
Final day defeat at the hands of our own
APRIL 2012
Big win for Croft ensures Old Boys semi-final slot
MARCH 2012
Back to earth with a bang as Chester hit six
FEBRUARY 2012
Honours even at Wirral for caretaker manager
JANUARY 2012
Waterlogged pitches put paid to St Mary's visit
DECEMBER 2011
Festive meal tops a fine Christmas sign-off
NOVEMBER 2011
Christmas meal selections needed / Rossett confirm game
OCTOBER 2011
Christmas Social - December 10th (+ Tour and Quiz updates)
SEPTEMBER 2011
Darren's the daddy as Old Boys get back to winning ways
AUGUST 2011
Final place secured with 'derby day' win
JULY 2011
2011/12 Season - fixtures out / new kit
JUNE 2011
Committee nominated to decide future issues
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PRE-SEASON CLUB FRIENDLY AUGUST 29TH
The traditional pre-season warm up 11-a-side match that the Old Boys play between themselves as Team "1" v. Team "A" will take place on Wednesday August 29th at Northop Hall Pavilion in place of the usual 6-a-side at Flint (which will be cancelled just for the one week). Kick-off time will be announced nearer the time and our Wednesday night only players will be invited to join the game as previously. More details shortly
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At the Club A.G.M. on July 2nd, Phil Southern was unanimously re-elected as Chairman for 2012/13, testament to his sterling work this last season which saw him collect the "Club Man of the Season" award at last month's Presentation Night. Dave Henrys will continue to combine secretarial duties with those of Treasurer, as well as organising the playing side (with assistance from the other senior players). Other decisions taken included the continued capping of season fees at £10 per player to cover the annual pitch fees at the Pavilion, confirmation of using the Cricket Club after home matches, arranging another tour in March 2013, sorting out the problematic goalkeeping position, finding some more referees for the pool for home games and organising a couple of social events - possible Race Night and Christmas meal after last year's success. Thanks to the other Club members who supported the meeting, Steve Bodey, Declan Hickey, Graham Wilks, Eifion Jones and John Edmunds. It was deja vu at the meeting as the exact same 7 people attended last year too. We would ask that many other players get involved in helping out during the coming season to help build on four highly successful years.
Phil Southern- re-elected Chairman
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2012/13 FIXTURES OUT - SEPTEMBER 1ST KICK OFF
Fixtures for the next season, the fifth for Northop Hall Old Boys in its current incarnation, have been more or less confirmed. The season will kick-off, as last year, with the Northop Hall Charity Shield sponsored by "In Vogue" to be competed for by the Old Boys, Northop Hall Nomads, Rhewl Veterans and last year's inaugural winners, Halkyn Veterans. This event raised £500 for "Save The Family" 12 months ago and the draw for this season will take place shortly. The remaining games include a few new or reinstated fixtures to keep things fresh, although they will extend away day travel slightly with Sandbach, St Martin's (Liverpool) and SMA Veterans (Liverpool) amongst them. Following the success of last year's visit to York, space has again been left on the weekend of March 23rd for a potential tour. The committee are already considering options for this. Games with Northop Hall Nomads and Rhewl will be shoehorned in once the Charity Shield fixtures are completed as there is also potential to play both these teams in that and the Sealand Cup in April 2013. All the dates for next season are available to download by clicking here (Adobe Acrobat pdf format). A couple of "pre-season" games will also be arranged towards the end of August to get the legs up to speed in readiness. More details to follow.
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The Annual General Meeting of Northop Hall Old Boys FC will be held on Monday July 2nd at the Hope & Anchor, Ewloe Place, Buckley (CH7 3NL) at 8:30 p.m. This meeting is required as part of our banking arrangements, but also helps shape the year ahead as ideas and suggestions are debated and roles handed out to those willing to help out behind the scenes, without whom the Club wouldn't run as well as it does. All players and supporters are welcome to attend - you can download the agenda by clicking here (Adobe Acrobat pdf format).
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BIG WINNERS ANNOUNCED ON PRESENTATION NIGHT
The winners of the 2011/12 awards have been announced at another hugely enjoyable and successful Presentation Night at Northop Hall Cricket Club. Former veterans manager Martin Richardson presented season awards to the players present before Club Sponsor Eifion Jones and Chairman Phil Southern gave out the awards, as listed below :-
Player of the Season - Darren Brierley
There were also commemorative plaques for Dave Henrys and Darren Molyneux to acknowledge their achievement in notching up 100 appearances for the Old Boys (Darren's still to be presented as he couldn't make it on the night).
Many thanks to everyone who supported the event. There are more pictures on the gallery. Click here to view them.
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ALL SET FOR AWARDS NIGHT TO CELEBRATE ANOTHER FINE SEASON
Friday 15 June will see the fourth annual Presentation Night at Northop Hall Cricket Club, starting at 7:45 pm. Entertainment is being provided as usual by Mike from the excellent KEY2 disco and Jane from the Hockey Club will be laying on one of her renowned buffets. There are still tickets left at £6 per head for players, supporters, families and friends - ALL WELCOME. The event will see the announcement of this season's awards as we celebrate another great 12 months. New ground has been made on and off the pitch with the hugely successful tour to York and reaching the final of the Charity Shield and the semi-finals of the Sealand Cup for the first time. The Player of the Year from man-of-the-match nominations through the season and the top goalscorer are already known (a record 106 goals were scored this campaign), but there will be the Players' Player of the Season, Wednesday Night Player of the Season, Manager's Player of the Season and Club Man of the Season to be announced on the night. Photos from the night will be posted on the website after the event.
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FINAL DAY DEFEAT AT THE HANDS OF OUR OWN
Wirral Veterans came from 2-0 down to snatch a late winner at the Pavilion with Old Boys own players having a big hand in their own teams defeat after Wirral arrived with just 9 players. Mike Maletta, Phil Elder and John Edmunds all had pivotal roles, John awarding a penalty when refereeing then popping up with a late winning goal, Phil executing two goal-line clearances before half-time to keep the opposition in the game. Again though, the Old Boys were left pondering what might have been after a succession of chances went begging up front. Click here to view the match report.
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DARREN'S THE DADDY AS CAELAN HARRY MAKES HIS DEBUT
MANY CONGRATULATIONS to this season's leading goalscorer Darren Brierley who has something else to celebrate after his partner Emma delivered their eagerly awaited baby boy Caelan Harry. Mother and baby, who weighed in at 8 lb 1 oz, are doing very well and we look forward to "wetting the baby's head" very soon!
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WIRRAL VETERANS STEP UP TO TAKE YORK FIXTURE
Wirral Veterans have answered the call for a replacement fixture on May 19th after Dunnington FC (York) dropped out. The game will be played at the Northop Hall Pavilion with a slightly later kick off time of 3:00 p.m. This will bring the curtain down on the 2011/12 season with the Presentation Night to follow on Friday June 15th when this season's prizes will be dished out at Northop Hall Cricket Club. Voting is now open for "Player's Player of the Season" and "Wednesday Night Player of the Season". Players can text their nomination in confidence to Dave Henrys.
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YORK CITY AT WEMBLEY MEANS POSTPONEMENT FOR DUNNINGTON FC VISIT
Wrexham may have failed in their bid to reach the Conference play-off final, but York City have made it and will play Luton Town on the 19th of May, the day that Dunnington FC from York were due to come over to play us in a return game after our tour in March. Unfortunately, their manager is a main club sponsor for York City and will be taking a party down to London that will include 5 or 6 Dunnington players, leaving them unable to field a side against us, so we have had to call off the fixture for the time being. We are trying to arrange last minute fixtures now for both the 12th and 19th to finish our season - watch this space!
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NOT THIS TIME AS HALKYN END SEALAND CUP HOPES
Halkyn Veterans made their way to the final of the Sealand Cup with a 3-1 win over the Old Boys in a hard-fought semi-final. They were made to fight every inch of the way but just shaded the play and benefitted from a couple of refereeing decisions to earn the right to take on hosts Liverpool Convocation (who beat Warrington Croft in the other tie) next week. For the Old Boys, the first time past the group stages was an experience and we will hope to go one better next time. Click here to view the match report.
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BIG WIN FOR CROFT ENSURES OLD BOYS SEMI FINAL SLOT
The much awaited final game in the Sealand Cup group turned out to be a one-sided affair with Warrington Croft booking a home semi-final date with Liverpool Convocation courtesy of a 7-1 victory over their visitors from Sandbach. The result leaves the Old Boys in runners-up slot with a superior goal difference to Sandbach who go out of the competition. Our reward is an away semi-final at near neighbours Halkyn on Saturday May 5th, with a final at University of Liverpool playing fields awaiting the winners the following Saturday. As it's FA Cup Final day, the Halkyn tie will kick-off an hour earlier at 1:30 p.m. Full details of how all the games have panned out can be viewed on the Liverpool Convocation FC website.
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SUNDAY SOCCER TO DECIDE SEALAND CUP GROUP
The final and all-important group game in the Sealand Cup between Warrington Croft and Sandbach will take place on Sunday 29th of April at 2:30 pm. Various combinations of results could take either of the two participants through, but only a Croft victory by a one goal margin will take them both into the semi-finals at the expense of the Old Boys. We await our fate with much interest!
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ST MARY'S BLOWN AWAY IN GAME OF TWO HALVES
The Old Boys made the long trip to St Mary's in north Liverpool for a game where the strong end-to-end wind proved to be the toughest opponent for both sides, Northop Hall taking the honours 3-1 as they mastered the conditions slightly better than their hosts. Click here to view the match report.
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DEFEAT TO SANDBACH THROWS CUP GROUP WIDE OPEN
Darren Brierley's late goal wasn't enough to rescue the point that the Old Boys needed at Sandbach to ensure semi-final qualification, 3-2 the final score. Click here to view the match report.
Warrington Croft defeated Northop Hall Nomads 4-0 to put themselves in the mix with just their game at home to Sandbach left to complete the group games. The mathematics of the scenario mean that any two of the Old Boys, Sandbach or Croft can progress to the knock-out stage depending on the result of that last game (which incidentally may not take place on Saturday 28th as originally scheduled - more news when we have it).
If Sandbach win or draw, they go through as group winners and Old Boys will be runners-up. If Croft win by one goal, they will top the group and Sandbach will finish runners-up by virtue of having scored more goals than Old Boys. If Croft were to win by two goals or more, they will go through as group winners and Old Boys will be second on goal difference. There are no scenarios where Northop Hall Old Boys can win the group now, so the best to hope for is an away semi-final against the winners of the other group. Full details of results and tables for both groups can be found on the Liverpool Convocation FC website.
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HARD FOUGHT DERBY WIN KEEPS SEALAND CUP RUN ON TRACK
The Old Boys were made to scrap every inch of the way to a 2-1 victory over Northop Hall rivals Nomads in the second Sealand Cup group game, putting hopes of a semi-final place firmly on the agenda with just one more game to go. Despite being pushed extremely hard in both opening games, it's two wins out of two now. Mathematically, it is by no means certain, and with Sandbach and Croft not due to face each other for another two weeks, next week's trip to Sandbach still has high importance. Click here to view the match report from sports journalism student Colin Henrys.
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FOOTBALL APPEAL - DONATIONS REQUIIRED
Please can you help to kit out a junior soccer team in one of the poorest areas of the Gambia in West Africa by donating your old kit items, particularly football socks and boots. Sue Smith from Halkyn is helping Blue Star FC get kitted out but she needs more help. More details (including other items needed) are on the flyer which you can download here in Adobe Acrobat pdf format.
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DIARY DATE:- PLAYER OF THE YEAR PRESENTATION NIGHT - 15th JUNE
This year's Presentation Night has been booked for Friday June 15th at Northop Hall Cricket Club, a little later than usual due to the later whitsun holidays at the beginning of June. Ticket details will be announced shortly for what is always a cracking way to bring the season to a close. As usual, watch this space!
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IT'S DARRENS DAY AS SEALAND CUP CAMPAIGN KICKS OFF WITH A WIN
Darren Molyneux celebrated his 100th appearance for the Old Boys with a goal, while Darren Brierley added two more to his impressive season's tally in a narrow 3-2 win over Warrington Croft in the opening group game of this season's Sealand Cup. With Darren Gatehouse putting in a solid performance at the back it was a good day all round for the Darrens! Click here to view the match report.
Details of all the results and standings from this year's competition will be updated each week on the Liverpool Convocation FC website. In the other group game, Northop Hall Nomads were narrowly beaten in a high scoring game at Sandbach, 6-5 the final score, the visitors missing a penalty that might have earned a point. The Old Boys' encounter with Nomads next weekend has been brought forward to Friday 13th, kick off 6:00 p.m. at the Pavilion, to avoid the FA Cup semi-finals and Grand National on Saturday.
Darren Molyneux became the second player to reach the magical 100 mark for the Old Boys, following player-manager Dave Henrys earlier in the year. His goal was his third this season and eighth in the four seasons it has taken to reach the ton.
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BACK TO EARTH WITH A BANG AS CHESTER HIT SIX
It was back to routine after the excitement of the previous weekend's tour to York and it seemed as if a number of minds were still there as a spartan Old Boys squad were put to the sword by an equally thin Chester Nomads line-up, going down 6-3. Click here to view the match report.
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TOUR A HUGE SUCCESS AS OLD BOYS ARE UNDEFEATED AND YORK IS DRUNK DRY!
The hugely anticipated tour to York fulfilled all expectations and more as a 20-strong party from Northop Hall invaded Yorkshire and came home with a draw and a 6-2 win under the belts despite some heavy partaking of the local hospitality! Click here to view the match/tour reports.
Pictures from the weekend are on the gallery - click here or on one of the images below to view.
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BIG AWAY DAY AT ST.MARY'S REPLANNED FOR APRIL 28th
As promised, fixtures are being arranged to fill in the gaps towards the end of the season. The long trip to St Mary's (Liverpool), postponed in January, has been reset for April 28th. This will be the last game of the season for our hosts who finish earlier than ourselves. There is also a provisional fixture against Dunnington FC, one of our host teams from York, planned for May 19th. Keep checking back for further additions to the fixture list before the 2011-12 season closes up.
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CLEAN SHEET JOY AS CRAIG INSPIRES VICTORY OVER RHEWL
A terrific solo goal and a man-of-the-match performance from Craig Jones was the inspiration behind a 2-0 win over Rhewl Veterans, with the defence and stand-in keeper Dave Pritchard standing firm to achieve a rare shut-out, only the second of the season and the first at home. Click here to view the match report.
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The draw for this season's Sealand Cup has been made and sees the Old Boys paired with familiar opposition and a return to Sandbach after a two year absence. Liverpool Ramblers and Sandbach 2nds have dropped out of the competition leaving eight teams to battle through three group games each to the semi-finals and ultimately the final on May 12th. Liverpool Convocation are organising things again and hosting the final at the University Fields. They are drawn in group A with Rhewl, Wirral Vets and Halkyn, leaving the Old Boys in group B with a home fixture against Warrington Croft (who have knocked us out in deciding games in this cup twice in the past 3 years), a short trip to Northop Hall Nomads and a longer trip to Sandbach to finish up. This now leaves some free dates which we will attempt to fill to keep momentum going. WATCH THIS SPACE! Click here to view the updated fixture list.
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OLD BOYS LEAVE IT LATE TO TIE UP AT EASTHAM
Having struck the post three times and squandered a number of chances in front of goal, Northop Hall found themselves two goals down late on at Eastham before a late rally produced goals for Mark 'Sparky' Ray and a last minute equaliser from Darren Gatehouse. Click here to view the match report.
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MEL BAGS WINNER IN CLOSE ENCOUNTER WITH WOOLTON
A late goal from Mel Barnes secured a 2-1 home win over Woolton in a game where both goalkeepers took the man-of-the-match honours. The Old Boys profligacy in front of goal looked like it might prove costly in the second half after Ian Powell had quickly equalised a freakish 40-yard Woolton opener in the first, until Mel's first goal since April 2010 sealed the win. Click here to view the match report.
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HONOURS EVEN AT WIRRAL FOR CARETAKER MANAGER
With Dave Henrys missing due to work commitments, Phil Southern took the managerial reins at Wirral and oversaw a 2-2 draw to keep his unbeaten record up, thanks to Darren Molyneux's thunderbolt equaliser. Click here to view the match report.
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SEE-SAW RETURN TO ACTION ENDS IN LAST GASP DEFEAT
Rossett Veterans recorded their first victory over the Old Boys with a last minute winner in a high scoring game in difficult conditions. Rustiness from recent call-offs, high winds, hailstones, a muddy surface and late bright sunshine all played their part in a 6-5 reverse where the lead was exchanged several times in the second half as the visitors came from being 3-1 behind at half time. Remarkably, the scoreline was the exact reverse of that which Northop Hall managed in the away fixture last December, also coming from behind to snatch it. Click here to view the match report.
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ROSSETT STEP IN TO FILL FIXTURE VOID
Faced with a potential fourth blank week on February 18th after Saltney pulled out of the planned fixture at Northop Hall, Rossett Veterans have stepped in at the last minute to provide opposition at the Pavilion (2:00 p.m. kick off) and with the weather set milder (fingers crossed!) we are hopeful of finally getting a game in.
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YORK TOUR ARRANGEMENTS COMING TOGETHER
The hugely anticipated Old Boys tour to York at the end of March is coming together nicely with accommodation booked and fixtures sorted for the Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning. We will be staying at the York Racecourse Centre - see their website by clicking here. We are in the process of trying to sort out moderately priced transport to take us over there on Friday afternoon of March 23rd and will update details shortly.
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ANOTHER FREE WEEK AS BEDFORD ARGYLE FAILS PITCH INSPECTION
For the third week in a row the weather has forced the cancellation of the planned Saturday fixture, despite the fact that our part of the world is in nothing like the grip of winter the rest of the country seems to be in. This time it was the visit to Bedford Argyle, the game planned to take place on the pitch right next to Tranmere Rovers' Prenton Park ground. The omens weren't good when Tranmere announced mid-morning that their home game with Preston was off due to a frozen pitch and sure enough our news came in right behind. Highly frustrating to say the least!!
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SALTNEY IN CUP ACTION ON 18th MEANS ANOTHER POSTPONEMENT
As if the weather wasn't playing enough havoc with the fixtures again this year, we now learn that Saltney Vets are unable to fulfill our planned meeting on February 18th as they have been drawn to play a tie in the Northern Cup that day. Needless to say we will be trying hard to fill the gap. Watch this space.
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GAME OFF AGAIN AS BIG FREEZE KICKS IN
The 'local derby' with Northop Hall Nomads has also fallen foul of the weather as a deep freeze set in during the week and stubbornly kept the pitches frozen until a cold Saturday morning, with no imminent respite from the rock solid condition they were in.
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WATERLOGGED PITCHES PUT PAID TO ST MARY'S VISIT
St Mary's became the second away fixture of the season to fall foul to the weather, as the previous day's heavy rain fell on the already sodden ground in Liverpool putting paid to this week's game. The hope is that our own pitches are playable next week for the 'local derby' with Northop Hall Nomads.
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RAY HAT-TRICK IS THE SPARK FOR FIRST VICTORY OF THE YEAR
The Old Boys finally achieved their first win of 2012 thanks to a hat-trick from Mark 'Sparky' Ray in a hard-fought 5-2 victory against an older than usual Upton side who belied their years, particularly at the back. Click here to view the match report.
Before the game, Dave Pritchard and Jeff Britton belatedly received their season awards from 2010-11 from chairman Phil Southern (see photo below). Dave's season ended at Christmas 2010 with a knee operation that he has thankfully recovered from. Jeff stepped up to play a number of games in goal when we were struggling to fill that shirt and has made a further 9 appearance this season to date.
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2012 WOES CONTINUE WITH MAULING AT SHOTTON
A high scoring encounter against a very good Shotton Steel side saw the Old Boys go down 8-5 at the Corus Sports Ground, despite a hat-trick from Darren Brierley. Click here to view the match report.
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TON UP FOR DAVE BUT NEW YEAR BEGINS IN DEFEAT
As manager of the Old Boys there's a certain element of commitment required to be there each week, so it was always likely in the fourth season since formation that Dave Henrys would become the first to reach 100 appearances for the club. However, Halkyn spoilt any celebration with a 3-0 victory at Northop Hall as the rustiness of the festive season got shaken off. Click here to view the match report.
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HAPPY NEW YEAR - BACK TO BLACK LION
Happy New Year everybody! 2012 kicked off with news that our local in Northop Hall, the Boars Head, has closed, so it was a quick rearranging job which has seen Duncan McLachlan, new landlord at the bottom monkey (Black Lion) step in to look after us on match days, and many thanks to him for that. This used to be our pub when Leanne had it so we're back full circle again.
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FESTIVE MEAL TOPS A FINE CHRISTMAS SIGN-OFF
Following quickly on the heels of the narrow victory over Rossett, players and their families, a group of 32 in total, enjoyed a cracking night at the Running Hare in Ewloe for pre-Christmas festivities. Many thanks to Graham Wilks for organising it all. There's one more 6-a-side at Flint on Wednesday before the break, but may we take this opportunity to wish you all an excellent Christmas and New Year. Have a good one!
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FOUR GOAL COMEBACK SEES OFF ROSSETT IN THRILLING SECOND HALF
The Old Boys turned round a 5-2 second half deficit to narrowly defeat Rossett Veterans in a match played on the excellent 3G surface at Colliers Park, Gresford, the training ground of Wrexham FC. Click here to view the match report.
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THREE GOALS NOT QUITE ENOUGH AS WARRINGTON CROFT GET REVENGE
Warrington Croft overcame a 2-0 half time deficit to gain a narrow 4-3 victory and avenge the Old Boys 6-3 win at their place in September. In truth, the margin of victory didn't reflect the wider gap between the sides on the day though. Click here to view the match report.
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RHEWL AWAY FIRST VICTIM OF THE WEATHER
The first game of December, an away fixture at Rhewl, fell foul of the weather as a period of heavy rain left their pitch apparently unplayable. Players will have enjoyed a week off from the action to go Christmas shopping with their families no doubt!
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CHRISTMAS MEAL SELECTIONS NEEDED / ROSSETT CONFIRM GAME
Would those attending the Christmas meal at the Running Hare in Ewloe on Saturday December 17th, please supply your selections from the menu to Graham Wilks as soon as possible. You can download it by clicking here (Adobe Acrobat pdf format). Note that there will be a match that afternoon after all as Rossett Veterans have confirmed a fixture on the 3G pitch at Colliers Park in Gresford (where Wrexham FC train). This will be a 3 p.m. kick off under floodlights. See the updated fixture list which now has details of both York games on next year's tour which are also now confirmed.
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STRIKERS FILL THEIR BOOTS IN GOAL FRENZY
After 2-1 and 2-0 victories in the previous two weeks, madness suddenly took over this week with the Old Boys running out 8-5 winners in a veritable goal fest against Dee Rangers Veterans. Darren Brierley led the way with four goals and there were two apiece for Mark 'Sparky' Ray and Anthony Woosey, but the opponents were unlucky not to have got something out of the game having led 5-4 in the second half and just ran out of steam towards the end. Click here to view the match report.
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RARE CLEAN SHEET FOLLOWS ALGY TRIBUTE
A poignant fixture at Halkyn was preceded by a minute's silence in memory of Alan 'Algy' Davies, being their first game since his untimely death. The Old Boys won the game 2-0, recording the first clean sheet of the season. Click here to view the match report.
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The 'Saga Louts' held off some tough opposition to win this year's "Quiz Night". The team of John Edmunds, Steve Buckley, Anthony Woosey and Dave Henrys beat four others including Declan Hickey, Graham Wilks, Steve Bodey and Darren Gatehouse on another enjoyable night at the Boar's Head. We had hoped for much better support to raise funds for the Club, but that didn't detract from a hugely entertaining event led by Phil Southern's usual inventive sets of questions - many thanks again Phil.
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MARK PROVIDES THE SPARK IN TALE OF TWO KEEPERS
A second half strike from Mark 'Sparky' Ray gave the Old Boys the narrowest of victories, 2-1 at home to Eastham, although they had late arrival Jeff Britton to thank for a string of fine saves. Equally, the Eastham keeper had been defying all efforts to beat him at the other end, denying Anthony Woosey on several occasions. Click here to view the match report.
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We were all deeply saddened by the news that Alan Davies, known to us all as Algy, had suffered a critical heart attack on Friday afternoon, November 11th, and passed away at the tragically young age of 57. Algy helped to run the Halkyn Veterans team, although his playing days with them had only recently come to an end. As one of our local rivals, we have been playing against Halkyn for many years and knew Algy well through our meetings, always having a laugh and a bit of banter with us but always first to pop his head round the changing room door to say well done after the game. We are due to play at Halkyn next week, the game still in some doubt, but we hope it will go ahead so as to give us a chance to pay our respects. Our thoughts are very much with his family and friends, particularly at Halkyn Vets, at this time.
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A TEAM OF TWO HALVES IN SALTNEY DEFEAT
Unprecedented squad availability meant two teams playing Saltney as 21 players turned out for the Old Boys. All three goals in the 2-1 defeat came in the first half but the Old Boys had chances in both halves to have come away with something. Click here to view the match report.
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CHRISTMAS SOCIAL - DECEMBER 10th (+TOUR & QUIZ UPDATES)
Another date for the diary, Christmas Meal at the "Running Hare" in Ewloe on the evening of Saturday December 10th after the home game against Warrington Croft. £12.99 per head, wives, girlfriends etc. all invited. £5 deposit for each diner is needed A.S.A.P. - Graham Wilks will be collecting the cash and sorting the booking but, as usual with Christmas arrangements they want numbers quickly, so don't delay.
Tour update - Still to be confirmed but it looks very much like the tour weekend March 24th & 25th will be in YORK with games on the Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning and plenty of socialising in between! Players will be given the option of booking Friday and Saturday or just Saturday night accommodation. More details will be posted as soon as we have them.
Quiz reminder - Thursday November 17th at the Boar's Head in Northop Hall from 8:00 p.m. onwards, £6 per team (of four) - wives, girlfriends, children (over 16's), friends and neighbours - all welcome. Come along and help raise funds for the club.
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CLOSE CALL BUT ST MARYS NARROWLY DEFEATED
Northop Hall Old Boys survived a few scares to record a narrow 4-3 home victory over St.Marys Veterans from Liverpool. Click here to view the match report.
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GAME OF TWO HALVES AS OLD BOYS BLOW AWAY WOOLTON FIRST HALF LEAD
With a bright sun in the eyes, a very stiff breeze in the faces and an uncut pitch that regularly trapped the ball underfoot, the Old Boys survived to half time just 2-0 down at Woolton before reversing the advantage in the second half, and eventually running out victors by six goals to four. Click here to view the match report.
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BEDFORD ARGYLE STEAL A WIN AS CHANCES GO BEGGING AGAIN
In their 100th game since formation in 2008, the Old Boys lost 2-1 to Bedford Argyle but missed a number of opportunities to get a deserved result from the game, including striking the woodwork twice. Click here to view the match report.
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DIARY DATE - QUIZ NIGHT ON NOVEMBER 17th
On Thursday November 17th, we will be holding a quiz night, partly as a social event but also to raise club funds. The event will take place at the Boar's Head in Northop Hall from 8:00 p.m. onwards, £6 per team (of four) - wives, girlfriends, children (over 16's), friends and neighbours - all welcome. Let's make it a good night!
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DEE RANGERS VETS FILL A FIXTURE GAP
A new fixture for this season will take place on Saturday 26 November when the visitors will be Dee Rangers Veterans, a new over-35's team in the area, being a spin off from a long established Sunday League team in Chester. It's always good to have new challenges at this level and we look forward to seeing what they have to offer.
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SPARKY STRIKE EARNS A 4-4 DRAW IN FEISTY ENCOUNTER AT CHESTER
A second-half equaliser from Mark 'Sparky' Ray gave the Old Boys a share of the spoils in a prickly match with Chester Nomads, having literally earlier had the shirt ripped from his back. Graham Wilks with another two goals had brought Northop Hall back from 2-0 down before Darren Brierley made it 3-2, but Chester scored twice more in the last half hour before Sparky's rescue act. Click here to view the match report.
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6-3 AGAIN AS STRIKEFORCE CONTINUES TO FIND THE TARGET
The Old Boys struck six for the second week running, again recording a 6-3 win this time at home to Wirral Veterans, although the opponents thin squad needed propping up from the Northop Hall roster on the day. Darren Brierley weighed in with another hat-trick supported by Graham Wilks (2) and Anthony Woosey. Click here to view the match report.
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DARREN'S THE DADDY AS OLD BOYS GET BACK TO WINNING WAYS
The misfiring strikeforce were back on it to put Warrington Croft to the sword 6-3 backed up by an excellent team performance. In the week he learned he was to be a father, Darren Brierley hit two goals, while Mark 'Sparky' Ray bagged a hat-trick. Click here to view the match report.
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SHOTTON EDGE IT AS OLD BOYS CONTINUE TO FIRE BLANKS
Shotton Steel Veterans inflicted a third straight defeat on the Old Boys with a 2-0 victory at the Pavilion. Although chances were at a premium, there were enough created to have got something from a game that was balanced on a knife-edge at 1-0 for a long period, but anxiety in front of goal cost dearly. Click here to view the match report.
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MISSED OPPORTUNITIES COSTLY AGAIN IN HIGH-SCORING DEFEAT TO UPTON
The Old Boys paid the penalty for defensive lapses at one end of the pitch and a raft of missed chances at the other as Upton Magnets inflicted a narrow 5-4 defeat. Twice saved by the frame of the goal and many more times by their keeper, Upton also watched Northop Hall strike wide of the target on a number of occasions while they converted their chances at the other end getting ahead of the Old Boys defence too many times. Click here to view the match report.
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HALKYN TAKE INAUGURAL 'IN VOGUE' CHARITY SHIELD AS £500 RAISED
The first 'In Vogue' Veterans Charity Shield final has been won by Halkyn Veterans, 4-2 winners over Northop Hall Old Boys in a game of two keepers, heroics at one end and unfortunately a couple of costly howlers at the other. Click here to view the match report. Northop Hall Nomads took third place with a 3-0 win over Rhewl Veterans, the whole tournament ultimately raising £500 for the 'Save the family' charity, a very worthwhile effort that we look forward to improving on next season. The photos below show the teams lining up before the game and Neil, the Halkyn cartain, collecting the Shield for a year and a trophy to keep from Northop Hall managers Steve Jones and Dave Henrys afterwards.
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FINAL PLACE SECURED WITH 'DERBY DAY' WIN
The 2011-12 season kicked off in style with a brand new look for the Old Boys, courtesy of generous sponsor Eifion Jones' Green Thumb franchises, a new kit getting its first outing at the Northop Hall Pavilion (see photo below). The occasion was the semi-final tie in the inaugural 'In Vogue' Veterans Charity Shield against village rivals Northop Hall Nomads with the Old Boys running out 4-1 winners to make next week's final. The opponents at the Pavilion for the decider will be Halkyn Veterans who beat Rhewl Vets 4-2 in the other tie (k.o. 2:30 p.m.), the two runners-up playing off for third place at the same place (k.o. 2:00 p.m.). Click here to view the match report from the Old Boys game.
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SPONSOR FOUND FOR 'IN VOGUE' VETERANS CHARITY SHIELD
The season-opening Charity Shield tournament now has a sponsor with Wayne Emberton of 'In Vogue' Furniture, Kitchens & Bathrooms in Mold very kindly putting up the money for the trophies. This means that all the money raised during the competition will go to the nominated charity. The main trophy will be a Shield to be held for a year before being played for again at the start of next season. The sponsors website can be found at www.invoguefurniture.co.uk.
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LATE FIGHTBACK DELIGHT IN MONEYSUPERMARKET OPENER
The Old Boys produced a terrific late comeback to draw the traditional pre-season warm-up against Moneysupermarket five-all, the first time in three attempts that we have avoided defeat against the much younger opponents. Two goals in the last few minutes gave us a much deserved share of the spoils on a night when the result is really overshadowed by the opportunity to get playing again in readiness for the new season. A debut goal for Gary Peters and an equally satisfactory start for Darren Gatehouse at the back were amongst many pleasing aspects ahead of what promises to be another exciting season. Mark Sparky Ray managed to grab the equaliser and also provide the action photo below. Click here to view a short match report.
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CHARITY SHIELD DRAW PITCHES LOCAL RIVALS TOGETHER
The draw for the semi-finals of the new fund-raising tournament, the Northop Hall Charity Shield, was made last night with Rhewl Veterans first out of the hat to face Halkyn Veterans whilst Northop hall Nomads will host village rivals Northop Hall Old Boys. These ties will be played to a conclusion on Saturday, August 27th (a penalty shoot-out will decide the result if scores are level after 90 minutes). The final between the winners and the play-off for third place will both take place on the following Saturday at Northop Hall Pavilion. Once again, 'Save the Family' have been chosen to receive money raised, in line with our successful partnership with them over the past two years and in recognition of the fabulous work they do locally with homeless families.
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OLD FACES AND NEW TO BOLSTER OLD BOYS SQUAD
With Ady Binnersley out of action for a while (see previous item), timely news of the return of Ian Powell (pictured below) to the squad for the start of the 2011/12 season. Ian played briefly at the end of the 2009/10 season for us, scoring 3 times in 6 games, before deciding on a final season in competitive football with Llay during the last campaign. Two other new faces are set to join us having established their credentials at 6-a-side on Wednesday evenings at Flint over the past couple of months. We'll be looking to see what Darren Gatehouse and Gary Peters can offer us on the bigger pitch in due course.
We also hope to see the returns from injury of Dave Pritchard and Steve Buckley during the new campaign. Dave's healing has been slower than hoped while Steve is a regular on the 6-a-side surface for a few months in his battle to return from his own knee problems.
One player who won't be returning is our injury-ridden keeper Steve Davies (below right) who has called time after the injury sustained in last season's opener at Eastham, which he is still having operations on. We wish him well and thank him for his past service.
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Our best wishes for a speedy recovery to the youngest member of the Old Boys squad, Ady Binnersley, who is now recovering from a heart attack and subsequent surgery to insert stents into his heart. The road to recovery leads back to the football field and we hope that will be sooner rather than later. Ady, from Wrexham, joined the squad in February last season, scoring on his debut at Bedford Argyle. He went on to make 14 appearances and add 3 more goals, including two decisive ones in the Charity Cup first leg. He and his family also supported the Club tremendously over the past few months and everyone at the Old Boys wishes him well.
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There will be two 'pre-season friendlies' to give the old legs a work out before the season proper starts on August 27th. The first will be on the evening of Friday August 19th against traditional pre-season opponents Moneysupermarket. We are yet to register a win against this young side, but they give us a good workout every year. The other fixture the following week will be between ourselves - Team 'A' v. Team '1' on Wednesday, August 24th, replacing the regular 6-a-side at Flint FOR ONE WEEK ONLY. Both games will be played at Northop Hall Pavilion with 6:45 pm kick offs.
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2011/12 SEASON - FIXTURES OUT / NEW KIT
Another season looms large and the fixture list is almost completely filled. You can download a copy from the website now. The season kicks off with the revamped Charity Cup on August 27th (more details soon). Prior to that we will have a couple of pre-season games to shake off the cobwebs and introduce a couple of new faces to the squad. One of these games will be between ourselves, as we did last season - watch this space.
The website has been updated, use the menu bar left to navigate around; 'Profiles' now include last season's statistics and 2010/11 details now come under 'last season'.
Many thanks to Eifion Jones who has agreed to sponsor us a new kit for the coming season. A green shirt has been chosen (see below) which will be paired with black shorts and socks as a contrast to the yellow/green of previous seasons, which will continue as a change strip as required.
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MONEY HANDOVER TO 'SAVE THE FAMILY' INCLUDES A FOOTBALL LESSON FROM THE KIDS
Several members of the Old Boys joined a few of the Northop Hall Nomads team at the Plas Bellin centre to handover the £350 raised in the Charity Cup to the 'Save the family' charity. Steve Bodey, Mark 'Sparky' Ray, Ady Binnersley and Dave Henrys joined the "cheque handover photo pose" before getting stuck in with a kickaround with the kids, a number of whom displayed more than a few deft touches and an eye for goal and definitely gave us a runaround. Fundraising Officer Angella Rawsthorne said "I didn’t realise how much our children were going to enjoy the football match, as I sat on the bench watching them play and have so much fun – I was really touched. Thank you so much again." Photos from the night will be posted soon and we will definitely be trying to organise another visit in the near future.
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COMMITTEE NOMINATED TO DECIDE FUTURE ISSUES
Senior members of the football club met to formalise a few issues on June 30th. Phil Southern (below) has been officially voted in as Club Chairman for 2011/12, a role he has been unofficially performing during the past year. Dave Henrys will continue to combine secretarial duties with those of Treasurer, as well as organising the playing side (with assistance from the other senior players). Other decisions taken included the capping of annual player subscriptions for 2011/12 at £10.00 each player to cover the pitch fees for the year, a tour to be undertaken on the weekend of March 24th and a new kit to be purchased for the 2011/12 season. Fixtures are sorted for the majority of Saturdays already, a couple of pre-season games will be added to get sharpness back. The website will be updated soon for the new season - WATCH THIS SPACE!!
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Click here for 2009/10 News Archive
Click here for 2010/11 News Archive
Click here for 2011/12 News Archive
Click here for 2012/13 News Archive
Click here for 2013/14 News Archive
Click here for 2014/15 News Archive
Mr.Chairman re-elected
Fixtures out for 2012/13 - September 1st kick-off
Big winners announced on Presentation Night
All set for Awards Nights to celebrate another fine season
Darren's the Daddy as Caelan Harry makes his debut
Wirral Veterans step up to take York fixture
York City at Wembley means postponement for Dunnington FC visit
Not this time as Halkyn end Old Boys Sealand Cup hopes
Sunday soccer to decide Sealand Cup group
St Mary's blown away in game of two halves
Defeat to Sandbach throws Cup group wide open
Hard fought derby win keeps Sealand Cup run on track
Football Appeal - Donations Required
Diary Date: Player of the Year Presentation Night - 15th June
It's Darrens day as Sealand Cup campaign kicks off with a win
Tour a huge success with Old Boys unbeaten and York drunk dry!
Big away day at St Mary's replanned for April 28th
Clean sheet joy as Craig inspires victory over Rhewl
Sealand Cup draws in old foes
Old Boys leave it late to tie up at Eastham
Mel bags winner in close encounter with Woolton
See-saw return to action ends in last gasp defeat
Rossett step in to fill fixture void
York tour arrangements coming together
Another free week as Bedford Argyle fails pitch inspection
Saltney in cup action on 18th means another postponement
Game off again as big freeze kicks in
Ray hat-trick is the spark for first victory of the year
2012 woes continue with mauling at Shotton
Ton up for Dave but new year begins in defeat
Happy New Year - Back to Black Lion
Four-goal comeback sees off Rossett in thrilling second half
Three goals not quite enough as Warrington Croft get revenge
Rhewl away is first victim of the weather
Strikers fill their boots in goal frenzy
Rare clean sheet follows Algy tribute
Saga Louts have the answers
Mark provides the Spark in game of two keepers
Loss of Algy deeply felt
A team of two halves in Saltney defeat
Close call but St Marys narrowly defeated
Game of two halves as Old Boys blow away Woolton first half lead
Bedford Argyle steal a win as chances go begging again
Diary date - Quiz Night on November 17th
Dee Rangers Vets fill a fixture gap
Sparky strike earns a 4-4 draw in feisty encounter at Chester
6-3 again as strikeforce continues to find the target
Shotton edge it as Old Boys continue to fire blanks
Missed opportunities costly again in high-scoring defeat at Upton
Halkyn take inaugural 'In Vogue' Charity Shield as £500 raised
Sponsor found for 'In Vogue' Veterans Charity Shield
Late fightback delight in Moneysupermarket opener
Charity Shield draw pitches local rivals together
Old faces and new to bolster Old Boys squad
Heartfelt best wishes to Ady
Friendlies update
Money handover to 'Save the Family' includes a football lesson from the kids!
Top Goalscorer - Darren Brierley
Wednesday Player of the Season - Dave Henrys
Manager's Player of the Season - Craig Jones
Club Man of the Season - Phil Southern
Players' Player of the Season - Darren Molyneux (absent)
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