News

For the upcoming 2021/22 league season, Stretford Paddock FC Firsts will now be competing in the Lancashire & Cheshire AFL Premier Division.

After the league campaign was cut short last season, Paddock finished 4th in Division 1 having only played 8 games. However, the league officials were impressed by the team’s efforts in our debut season and believed we deserved to be promoted to the top flight division.

Paddock’s first game in the Premier Division will see us face Moston Brook away from home on the 21st August, another team who has earned the right to move up from Division 1.

We played Moston back in October 2020, a tight affair which saw us lose 3-2. You can watch the highlights from that game here;

In addition to the First team moving up a league, Stretford Paddock Reserves will now compete in the Lancashire & Cheshire AFL Division 2.

Finally, our new Development squad will be competing in the Lancashire & Cheshire AFL Division A.

Everyone at Stretford Paddock FC is relishing in the opportunity so showcase our ability to compete in the Premier Division. Work ahead of the new is well underway and the players and staff can’t wait for the new campaign to kick-off.

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.