Author: Will Hobson

Stretford Paddock FC will play a preseason double header tomorrow at Denton Town, with both reserve and First teams playing.

Before we kick-off with the first game, our end of season award ceremony will take place pitch-side at 11am. Awards up for grabs is as follows:

• Reserve Players’ Player of the Year
• Reserve Player of the Year
• Golden Boot
• Goal of the Season
• Fans’ Player of the Year
• Young Player of the Year
• Players’ Player of the Year
• Player of the Year

After the award ceremony, we kick-off at 12pm with Denton Town Reserves playing against Stretford Paddock Reserves.

Conclusion of this game follows with Denton Town Firsts playing against Stretford Paddock Firsts. Kick-off at 2pm.

This will be tough test for both teams, considering Denton Town are a side playing in The Cheshire Football League.

This will also be the first time that firsts and reserves have played at the same venue, back to back.

Stretford Paddock FC begin their preseason campaign with an opening fixture against RNE Albion in the Manchester Summer Cup.

Across preseason, Paddock will compete in the Manchester Summer Cup alongside many other teams across the area of Manchester.

This preseason cup competition will feature groups of 6 teams battling it out for a place in the knockout stages: Starting with a Round of 32, Round of 16, Quarter-Final, Semi-Final and Final.

Paddock face RNE Albion for the first fixture in our group.

Manager Stephen Howson states he can’t wait to get back underway again:

“We’ve had a hard couple of months selecting and identifying players, and we think we’re almost there with what our squad is going to look like for next season. We have added 15 players to our first team squad, and I think we have already added more quality and depth to what was a pretty strong side last season.

“There is still a hell of a lot of hard work to do, all of these new players have to gel and settle and learn our way of playing football. How far we have come in the last 12 months is crazy. I’ve been trying to remember what my thoughts on the team were 12 months ago ahead of our first few preseason friendlies.

“I know that I have personally learnt a lot, and grown as a coach in the last 12 months, I know a lot of our players have also grown and developed over the last 12 months, we have added a development squad as well as an under 21s squad and we have now somewhere around 100 players playing for Stretford Paddock FC. I think we can actually call ourselves a football club now instead of just one or two football teams sharing the same name.

” We don’t have any information on what the standard all level of the Manchester summer cup will be, but it is regular competitive football that’s going to allow me to utilise players from every single one of our squads and I look to prepare for different teams for the regular season starting in August or September.

“I will be picking a team at the weekend to go out and get a result probably be heavily weighed towards last seasons team, all last seasons players, before introducing some of the new lads in the second-half. I cannot wait to get going.”

This fixture will be played at Astley Sports Village on Sunday 4th July at 2.30pm.

The brand new Streford Paddock FC home shirt is available to order now!

Designed by our new kit supplier, Puma. Paddock’s First Team, Reserves and our new development squad will be wearing this vibrant new kit for the upcoming 2021/22 season.

Engineered Jacquard front and sleeve panels. Henley collar with a single button placket. Contrast fabric roll over shoulder and back panel with wrap around side. Ribbed collar and cuff detail with open hem. 100% polyester, 140gsm.

“Delighted to have released our new home kit for next season.” said manager Stephen Howson.

“I think people are going to love it, it’s a shirt that looks great on photos but even better in person. Puma have done an amazing job with it, I expect it will be even more popular than last season’s kit – and I can’t wait to see the lads run out in it!”

The new kit is now available to buy now in adult and children sizes (using this link) – Stretford Paddock Home Shirt

or visit the club shop on the menu above.

Stretford Paddock FC’s Rhodes Cup journey came to an unfortunate end on Saturday after Mellor Firsts defeated Paddock in their quarter-final clash. The scoreline finished 3-0 to the home side, meaning that Paddock’s cup dream was over as well as their first season in amateur football.

Going into this fixture, it was obvious that Paddock were the clear underdogs in this tie. Before the original league season was null & voided, Mellor sat top of the Premier Division with a flawless record of 6 games, 6 wins and a 20+ goal difference. They also qualified top of their Rhodes Cup group after winning their last group stage game 8-0.

Additionally, manager Stephen Howson was facing his touchline suspension for this game after he was sent off against Manchester Polonia a few weeks ago. As a result, assistant manager Pete Burns and First Team Coach Josh Reed took the reigns for Paddock’s quarter-final clash.

As the rain poured down in Marple, Mellor started the game on the front foot with some early shots from the edge of Paddock’s box which goalkeeper Kian Pearce had to parry away.

15 minutes on the clock, Mellor came inches away from opening the scoring. Mellor’s number 6 had a venomous strike from the edge of the area that crashed against the underside of the crossbar. Luckily, the ball bounced on the goal line before Denzel Kuzakwawo finally cleared the ball away.

Mellor’s early pressure soon paid off, as on the 23rd minute Mellor’s low cross to the back post saw their number 7 bundle the ball across the line after a deflection from Luke Zakian aided the ball into Paddock’s net.

To add to Paddock’s woes, top goalscorer Jay Phillips was forced off with a groin injury with Momen Yousif coming on as his replacement.

1-0 down, Paddock came close to equalising 10 minutes later when Ronaldo Brown’s low driven cross from the right-wing found Okera Simmonds but his tame effort didn’t trouble the Mellor keeper.

The referee blew for half time and Paddock had it all to do in the second half if they wanted any chance of getting to the semi-finals.

But it was Mellor that continued to show their class. Only 60 seconds after the restart, Paddock’s half clearance from a free-kick fell to Mellor’s number 15 on the edge of the area who’s half volley found the bottom corner to make it 2-0.

A few minutes later, Okera Simmonds tried to revive Paddock once more when his shot from the edge of Mellor’s box was easily saved from the goalkeeper.

An hour gone, Paddock continued to fight to get back into the game. But Mellor’s defence stood strong when their left back made a last-ditch challenge to stop Nosa Iyamu converting from Zakian’s cross.

Mellor put the final nail in Paddock’s coffin on the 77th minute when a mazy run from one of their midfielders saw them drive into Paddock’s box, his low cross beat everyone and found Mellor’s number 9 who was able to touch it home.

3-0 down and down to 10 men, Paddock looked like they still had the legs on Mellor. 10 minutes left on the clock, Hamza Aabuzour, Rivaldo Brown and Isaac Buckley-Ricketts came close to getting a consolation goal but it wasn’t meant to be.

The full time whistle went for this game and for Paddock’s season as this 3-0 loss meant that Mellor continued onto the semi-finals of the Rhodes Cup.

Manager Stephen Howson said “We’re extremely gutted at losing to the best team in the entire league system because we set exceptionally high expectations.”

“I am proud of what we have achieved so far. And I want to push on and finish next season with silverware, big scalps and many more adventures.”

“We’ve worked hard to achieve what we’ve done so far during the pandemic. Now we know the standard of what the Premier Division is like, we have a target.”

Stretford Paddock FC’s limited edition Green & Gold 3rd Jersey is available for pre-order now.

Designed by our new kit supplier – PUMA. We wanted to bring something that football fans would love.

It’s iconic. It means whatever you want it to mean. 50+1. We say it because we believe in it.

This is a strictly limited edition pre-order. Our Green and Gold kit was planned to be launched in time for the 22/23 season, but popular demand has seen this timeline rushed forward. As this is an entirely custom kit, and not off the shelf, there is still a manufacturing process that is required to take place. This is fixed at 16 weeks. We expect delivery in approx September and will distribute immediately. Pre-order will run for one month, 1st May until 31st May 2021. No new orders can be taken after that date.

To pre-order follow this link – Stretford Paddock Green & Gold Puma Shirt

or visit the club shop on the menu above.

Kit design in collaboration with @KonceptKits