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NWCFL AGM Round-Up
A brief round-up from this year’s NWCFL AGM
Last Saturday saw the NWCFL 2018 AGM take place at the Imperial Hotel in Blackpool.
As ever, the event marks the official end of the 2017-18 season and the start of the 2018-19 one.
A lot of new clubs attending meant a lot more chairs at the front-of-house this year
During the main part of the meeting Runcorn Linnets and Widnes - both promoted from the Premier Division - made their goodbye speeches with representatives from the new clubs then entering the room to say their hellos.
Once the official part of the meeting had concluded the draws for the two "domestic" cup competitions - the Macron League Cup and the First Division Trophy - were made.
MACRON LEAGUE CUP
In the First Round of the League Cup we will travel to First Division North side St Helens Town on Saturday 20th October.
The winners of that tie will then host either Bootle or Vauxhall Motors in the Second Round on Saturday 10th November.
FIRST DIVISION TROPHY
In the First Round of the First Division Trophy we will travel to Atherton LR on Saturday 8th September.
The winners of that tie will travel to Sandbach United or New Mills in the Second Round on Saturday 6th October.
As we have said before, the AGM is always a good opportunity to catch up with familiar faces and chew the fat over footballing matters.
None more so this year than Alan Harrison (pictured above with committee member Karl Florczak) from AFC Liverpool. After a torrid time with illness of late it was great to see that he was fit enough to travel to the AGM...and also fit enough to get up to the front of the AGM delegates and express his gratitude at the amount of good wishes he has been receiving.
After killing a few hours around Blackpool - thankfully the early morning rain had eased - it was time for the presentation dinner in the evening.
Sampling the best of what Blackpool has to offer....
After a splendid dinner in the excellent company of fellow representatives from Sandbach United and Barnoldswick Town, it was time for the presentations themselves.
The room where the initial meeting was held was suitably bedecked in time for the evening dinner
All those teams and players that had earned accolades throughout the season were formally presented with their awards; congratulations to all of those that were able to walk away from the AGM with something to take home. Hopefully it will be us one day.
The AGM is a long day - we had an 8.00am start from Manchester and didn't return home until 12.30am - but it is always an enjoyable one. Many thanks to the Imperial Hotel in Blackpool for their hospitality.
NWCFL AGM Round-Up
A round-up of the key points from this year's AGM in Blackpool
This year's NWCFL AGM took place on Saturday 17th July and once again in the surrounds of the Imperial Hotel in Blackpool.
You can view all of the main points from the NWCFL official website but from our own point of view the key information was as follows:
- we say au revoir to Widnes, Charnock Richard and City of Liverpool as far as league matches are concerned as they were promoted from the First Division
- we welcome back New Mills, Cammell Laird and Nelson to our league roster as they were relegated from the First Division
- a new place to visit will be Abbey Hulton United as they were admitted into the First Division from the Staffordshire County Senior League
- we say a sad farewell to Ashton Town who were relegated from the First Division; they will be playing in the Cheshire League next season
After the formalities of the AGM were dealt with the draws for the League Cup and First Division Trophy were made.
In the League Cup we received a bye to the Second Round where we will host the winners of Runcorn Town v Alsager Town.
For the First Division Trophy we will be travelling to Chadderton for the First Round; the winners of that tie will be hosting newcomers Abbey Hulton United in the Second Round.
The dates for these cup ties has yet to be decided, but the first two rounds of each competition will be held in midweek.
Our league campaign begins on Saturday 12th August. Fixtures usually start to be released on a gradual basis towards mid-July.
We will learn our fate in the FA Vase in early July and will learn whether we are in the FA Cup competition at the same time.
Keep a look out for the pre-season schedule which we will be publishing towards the end of this week.
NWCFL AGM Round-Up
Members of the club committee were in attendance for the 2016 NWCFL AGM at the Imperial Hotel in Blackpool
Once again the Imperial Hotel in Blackpool was the destination for this year's NWCFL Annual General Meeting.
The day serves as an excellent way of meeting and catching up with your peers as well as officially putting the season just gone to bed and opening the next.
Committee member Stuart Crawford: designated driver for the day
There was a handful of key points from the meeting but the main ones, that affect us directly, were as follows:
- we officially said goodbye to Hanley Town, Irlam and Barnton from the First Division as they were promoted to the Premier Division
- the relegation of AFC Blackpool, Alsager Town and Silsden from the Premier Division to the First Division was confirmed
- representatives from the six new clubs - City of Liverpool, Charnock Richard, Prestwich Heys, Oswestry Town, Sandbach United and Carlisle City - all got their moment to say hello to the NWCFL
- it was confirmed that Northwich Manchester Villa had resigned from the league
- Rochdale Town are appealing the decision to relegate them from the NWCFL. This meant that the draws for the League Cup and First Division Trophy could not take place. Once the outcome of the appeal is known, the league will commence with the draws and publish them.
A slightly more detailed breakdown of the news from the AGM can be seen by clicking here.
This means that we are definitely in a 22-team division next season and could quite possibly be in a 23-team one. Whatever happens it is going to be a busy season.
After the meeting was closed at 11.45am there is some time to kill before the dinner and presentation part in the evening.
There'll be a tram to Fleetwood any minute now. Any. Minute. Now.
Yours truly, Stuart Crawford and the chairman got "adventurous" and hopped on a tram to Fleetwood in search of lunch and to discuss a few operational matters relating to next season; the preparation for 2016-2017 starts now!
Back at the hotel there was time to take in Wales' excellent 2-1 win over Slovakia in the bar before the evening event: the dinner and the awards/presentations.
The early birds getting ready for dinner
We were sat on the same table as the committee members from First Division stablemates Litherland REMYCA and they were great dinner company; we look forward to seeing them again for the league fixtures this season!
The hotel had very kindly provided a big screen so that we could watch the England v Russia match and spirits were high when Eric Dier's free-kick flew in; such a shame that England couldn't hold on.
It seems that a dinner is not a dinner without some sort of "jus" on the menu thesedays....
Cabaret act Bernie Flint did his best to lift spirits once more before the denouement of the presentations and awards; congratulations to everybody that had the privilege of walking up to the stage when called by the league's Ian Williams. All richly deserved. A full list of who-won-what can be seen by clicking here.
Having set off from Cheadle at 9.00am we were finally back home at 1.00am, demonstrating what a long, but enjoyable, day the AGM can be....
If you want a selfie with the chairman (on the left in the picture), you have to catch him somewhat unawares....