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Review
of the Year - 2006
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Many thanks to Adrian
Capstick, Sports Reporter of the Clitheroe
Advertiser & Times for providing this
interesting look back on the last 12 months at
Shawbridge....
You
couldn't make up the last year at Clitheroe
Football Club if you tried.
The most imaginative mind would have found it
incomprehensible to have five managers and over
75 players grace one UniBond First Division club
in 12 months - but that's exactly what transpired
at Shawbridge in 2006. However, that was partly
due to the outcome of an unsettling financial
problem that sparked a turbulent time in the club's
history, and almost brought an end to the 130-year-old
club. But all the same, its been a jam-packed,
emotion-charged year for everyone connected to
all things blue and white.
Thankfully a new chairmanship took over in
January in the form of Carl Garner and vice-chair
Bob Kay, steadied by the influence of the
temporary return of former chairman Steve Rush to
the committee. And what should be a sound
management team in Neil Reynolds and Peter Smith
now hold the reigns after several periods of
transition throughout the year.
Turning back time, it became known to the town
shortly after Christmas that a suspected
shortfall in the club's annual accounts had
materialsed during 2005. Unfortunately the
treasurer's books were in such a poor state of
affairs it was impossible to know what was
missing, and if all funds were in fact accounted
for in the first place. Out-going chairman John
Robinson admitted at the time to being "naive
to the job" and having "struggled with
the situation" of working with such a small
committee, allowing vice-chairman and former bank
manager Mark Gidlow complete control of the club's
finances and then blindly tried, and failed, to
ride out the problem.
At January's emergency general meeting it was
stated that the club believed its financial
predicament was due to the by then departed
Gidlow setting an unrealistic budget that the
UniBond side couldn't possibly fulfil. Working on
projections and forecasts, rather than hard facts
and figures, Clitheroe FC was pushed beyond its
means as the finance to put these plans into
action did not materialise. And so, having
overcommitted on the budget, cut backs were
necessary for the club to survive.
Manager at the time Tommy Lawson, who had been in
the job less than six months, said that he and
his team were happy to "pull in their belts",
but three weeks later he became the first of
three managers to leave the club in 2006. The now
Skelmersdale United boss was relieved of his
position in February as the club cited a lack of
league success since the previous October, and
the club being unable to sustain Lawson's "relatively
high salary" when the rest of the team had
taken a pay cut. Assistant boss Mark
Smitheringale took over in a caretaker capacity
until the end of the season and ensured the Blues
kept their heads above the water on the football
pitch.
Results did not come easy, though, although a
core unit of Blues players saw the team through.
Most notably the midfield engine of Paul
Stansfield, whose 15 goals from the centre of the
field buoyed many a result. Craig Sargeson, Gregg
Anderson, Peter Collinge, Simon Garner, Neil
Reynolds, Scott Priestley and the return of Ryan
Parr were also almost ever presents. The biggest
wins of that half to the 2005-06 season were 2-0
home wins over Bridlington Town and Rossendale
United and only six victories in all were
recorded in the last four months.
But it was the moral victory away at Shepshed
Dynamo on February 11th that epitomised the club's
never-say-die attititude. The game was lost 5-0
but due to Lawson's dismissal earlier in the week
leading to almost a team of his players giving
less than 20 hours notice that they wouldn't be
playing the next day, the club did well to meet
the fixture and not receive a crippling fine.
Players were quickly signed on from the likes of
Accrington Stanley and several Clitheroe Reserve
team players stepped into the frame. Once this
hurdle had been overcome, thee club stabilised
financially thanks to the combined efforts of
loyal fans and townsfolk like Mr David Brass,
proprietor of Banana News, who offered to
underwrite up to a maximum of £1,000 on ticket
sales.
Meanwhile on the pitch, the choice of a new full-time
manager was discussed a month later in March.
Former Accrington Stanley Reserve team boss Paul
Lodge was mooted to be in line for the job, up
against Smitheringale after the two decided they
couldn't work together, but the board decided to
stick with the man they new best, adding that
stability was the key factor.
Things looked up after that, as before the season
was out chairman Carl Garner had set up two
incredibly worthwhile fundraising friendlies
against FC United of Manchester and Accrington
Stanley. As thanks to more than a little help
from former Clitheroe manager and now chairman of
Accrington Stanley Eric Whalley, the Blues
entertained the Nationwide Conference Champions
over the Easter weekend, sandwiched between their
last two league fixtures. And two weeks earlier,
Shawbridge welcomed 857 FC United fans for a
friendly on the day the break-away supporter-owned
club was named North West Counties Second
Division Champions. Both games were lost but
Clitheroe took reward from both days having added
to an already heavy end-of-season schedule.
The Blues finished the season 16th from 22 in the
UniBond First Division and as a result for
guiding the club through a difficult time,
Smitheringale was given full charge of the side
in May. The club felt he deserved a crack at the
job with a clean slate and Neil Reynolds agreed
to assist him in a player-coach capacity. However,
nothing is ever that straight forward and more
comings and goings were seen in the summer months.
After taking centre stage at the club's end of
season presentation evening, which also featured
a reunion of the team that played in the FA Vase
Final at Wembley 10 years ago, captain Paul
Stansfield collected almost every gong going
before announcing his departure. Due to work
commitments, and a move to Harrogate, the club's
leading scorer and player-of-the-season decided
to take a break from the Blues. Reynolds then
made the surprise announcement that he too was
leaving in June having spent less than two months
at Ilkley-based Smitheringale's side. The
influential midfielder's role as player-coach had
become somewhat blurred and his share of the work
load increased due to the fact he lives locally,
so much so that he felt he had to break ties and
look to further his playing career at Bamber
Bridge.
So when Smitheringale was relieved of his
position in August, less than 24 hours before the
new 2006-07 season kicked off, it became clear
the manager's part in pre-season preparation hadn't
been satisfactory. He was the second boss of the
year to leave, having had command for less than
six months, and brought in former Burscough
assistant Chris Stammers as his number two after
Reynolds' departure. The Merseysider came with a
fresh outlook and several talented young players
that cast a wave of confidence over the club. It
was argued by the committee in August that
between Reynolds and Stammers the Blues' pre-season
programme had been constructed, with very little
coming from Smitheringale in between. So when the
manager went on holiday and the team's results
went from strength to strength without him, a
decision was taken on his return to reward the
man doing the work. The timing was less than
ideal, and understandably Smitheringale was left
reeling, but the club didn't look back.... well,
that is until November at least.
Also in the close season chairman Carl Garner
confirmed the added coup that Blackburn Rovers
Ladies would play all their Sunday home games
over the forthcoming season at Shawbridge, as
well as hosting the odd Accrington Stanley Under
19s game too.
The 2006-07 season got off to a flier, better
than anyone had expected as Stammers was given
temporary charge which quickly became full
command. Back to back wins were recorded over the
first three games, the team triumphing 3-1 away
at much-fancied title favourites Kidsgrove
Athletic on the opening day, less than 20 hours
after Smitheringale's exit. Three goal victories
at home to Chorley and Bridlington Town followed
as the side stormed to the top of the league only
for the honeymoon period to be slightly dented by
a 1-0 defeat at Buxton on August bank holiday.
The team fired on all four in the cup
competitions until September where upon they
exited the FA Cup with a 2-0 defeat at home to
Marine.
However, although the performances were well
received and unlike previous seasons goals came
with ease, the unbelievable regularity of
bookings and dismissals started to creep in. Six
games in and both Jason Jones and Simon Garner
were sent off against Cammell Laird. Admittedly
the referee played a large part in some dubious
early decisions but they quickly cast Clitheroe
adrift at the bottom of the fair play league and
left a stigma the club couldn't shake off. James
Dean got his marching orders two games later at
Goole and a fourth red card in as many games was
issued to goalkeeper Alan Fitzpatrick in the
Marine game - a key factor in the cup defeat.
The same week Stammers was awarded an 18 month
managerial contract by the club for his
endeavours, to become the Blues third manager of
the year. And the following week former manager
Tommy Lawson returned with his new team
Skelmersdale Utd and beat the Blues 1-0, which
typically signalled the start of three successive
league defeats.
Will Exton made it five red cards in early
October against Wakefield before the club endured
an unbelievable 7-3 mauling at Bradford Park
Avenue that brought another seven bookings their
way. Three games later and Dean was out for
another three game spell for a second red card
dismissal in a 3-1 defeat at Bamber Bridge and
the absentees hit their league consistency. It
wasn't his last as he saw red again before the
year was out, as did Owen Roberts and Jason Jones,
while Simon Garner and Jamie Nay sat out games
for racking up yellow cards.
At the beginning of November, though, things were
looking up. Clitheroe were still in all of the
non-league's cup competitions and had just been
given the massive moral boost of a 5-0 league cup
win over a struggling Chorley side off the back
of a 5-0 defeat to Stocksbridge Park Steels.
Money was made from the FA Trophy as the Blues
beat a side a league level above in a replay, and
a second cup game in a month against Chorley
brought a 4-0 win and passage to the next round
of the United Co-Operatives Lancashire Trophy.
However, before the month was out another bomb
shell had been dropped and a third manager had
walked out the door. A 10-1 drubbing at a
professional Conference North Kettering Town
signalled the end to Stammers' three month tenure
in charge. The passionate, proud, and at times
temperamental coach, took the defeat badly and
resigned his position straight after the game. He
later thought better of it, but an altercation on
the team coach made it impossible for him to be
welcomed back.
Which leads the Shawbridge side to the current
managerial team, the fourth and fifth managers of
Clitheroe to take the helm in 2006. The returning
Neil Reynolds and former Kendal player-manager
Peter Smith, took charge in December and it is
hoped the duo can steady the boat and emulate the
kind of success enjoyed by having a manager who
knows the area. Although, in years, it isn't that
long ago since Clitheroe last had a boss who
lived in the town, a lot has happened since
former manager and chairman David Burgess left
the club due to his work commitments at the
Lancashire FA. His successor Lee Sculpher was the
last to live in the vicinity, but since then the
local element had been lost until Reynolds
returned.
Now the Clitheroe-based boss wants that strong
local work ethic back in 2007. On his appointment
to the post, Reynolds said: "I had the
pleasure of playing under Dave (Burgess) who I
thought was a fantastic manager and someone whose
advice I respect. He brought together a team of
successful local players, took the side to the
semi-finals of the FA Vase and finished runners
up in the North West Counties First Division.
Scully (Lee Sculpher) should be managing at a
higher level than he is, and has done a great job
with local players at Ramsbottom. He won the
championship with 15 to 16 locally based players
and that's the core element we want back at
Clitheroe. We've got a good grounding, now we've
just got to find the rest!" |
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