News

By Ethan James

After the 4-0 demolishing of Signol Old Boys, Manager Stephen Howson will be reorganising his Stretford Paddock troops for battle against High Lane this Saturday (3 pm KO).

In what has been described as a ‘must win’ clash for Paddock, both teams find themselves locked on four points in the 20/21 Rhodes Cup group stages.

Howson’s men find themselves a place higher and with a better goal difference than this weekend’s hosts, as both clubs fight to make up ground on North Walkden and Manchester Polonia in an attempt to escape Group D.

High Lane entered the group stages from AFL Lancashire and Cheshire Premier League – a division above Paddock – but found themselves having only played three matches and winless.

“I don’t know anything about them – I know that they’ve struggled in the Premier League this season but that means nothing,” said Howson, “I know everybody has got the opportunity to be difficult on any game.”

Paddock come into the fixture having claimed their first win of the group stages last weekend – a 4-0 thrashing of Signol Old Boys – with Howson’s side recording their first-ever clean sheet and now hoping to gain some momentum.

“I think the clean sheet is bigger than anything – we’ve scored four goals before, we’ve scored more than four goals before.

“The thing about playing us is that no one gives up. I think the gift of the curse of having the camera there is nobody gives up, nobody wants to be on YouTube having seven, eight, nine slots past them. So we have everyone on their best day – no one’s had a bad game against us.

“I don’t think we’ve been outplayed once – and we’ve lost games – but we’ve had chances to win those games in every instance.

“We need two games to guarantee [progression into the knockout rounds]. How do we get through? The simple thing is we win both games and there’s a weird set of circumstances for us not to progress. So, we’re almost guaranteed to go through if we win both games.

“I like the pressure of that, I think our lads might perform better when the pressure is on us a little bit.”

Due to our participation in this weekend’s social media blackout – a show of solidarity against racism and online abuse– we will not be posting our usual live-match updates on Twitter.

Full highlights of the match will be posted on our YouTube channel after the blackout.

Follow @SPaddockFC on Twitter and @stretfordpaddck on Instagram and subscribe to our YouTube channel for highlights.

Catch Up With Our Last Game:

Manager Stephen Howson compared James Oatt’s sacrifices to Manchester United legend Nemanja Vidic as the defender picked up April Player of the Month.

Oattsy’s outstanding month started with winning a penalty in the last-minute against Manchester Polonia, which Okera Simmonds then dispatched to steal a point.

A bitterly disappointing 3-0 defeat to North Walkden soon followed, but an injured and selfless Oattsy volunteered to go in the sticks for the second half in replacement of his injured goalkeeper.

Last weekend, Paddock’s number 27 was instrumental in a 4-0 victory over Signol Old Boys with the club claiming their first-ever competitive cleansheet.

“What Oattsy epitomised this month was sacrifice for the team,” said a proud Howson. “In the first game we had a new defensive shape at set pieces and corners and it was Oattsy’s job to get his head on stuff, in a Vidic style of doing it, just clearing anything that comes into his zone – which he did very well.

“He did so well he got a cut on his eyebrow which is the most Vidic thing I could think of anyone doing.

“Looking at the range of tasks that he had to do, his enthusiasm when being asked to do any job, his teamwork and sacrifice, he is everything a team player should be. A well-deserved Player of the Month award.” 

Oattsy and Stretford Paddock FC take on High Lane in a must-win clash this Saturday (3pm KO) as both teams look to progress from the Lancashire & Cheshire AFL Rhodes Club Group D.

Follow @SPaddockFC on Twitter for live-match updates and subscribe to our YouTube channel for highlights.

Stretford Paddock FC are delighted to announce a four year deal with Puma to become the exclusive technical sponsor of the club and Puma Teamwear to be recognised as the club’s authorised supplier of kit and training wear. The deal comes into effect at end of the Rhodes Cup campaign, and will see Puma supply kits for the firsts and reserves sides as well as our new development squad.

Chairman and Manager Stephen Howson had the following to say on the announcement of the deal:

“This is an exciting deal for the club, I was looking for a partnership that matched a few essential criteria when it came to our new kit supplier. Puma can deliver a professional and high quality product, but do that with a hands on customer service, too. I was very keen to work with Puma once they discussed the kind of activations and access available to us. A four year commitment also demonstrates their faith in what we are doing as a club. I’m looking forward to working with the team.”

Martin Ivison from Puma UK said:

“Everyone at Puma is really excited and looking forward to starting our new partnership with Stretford Paddock FC, and it will be great to see the team run out onto the pitch in Puma next season. Stretford Paddock is a club which is clearly ambitious, and we are delighted to be their Kit Supplier for the next 4 seasons. We look forward to a long and successful partnership.”

Home & Away Kit will be available to the public on June 1st. Members & Patreons will be sent a link out on Monday 3rd of May, to pre-order.

The Green & Gold 3rd kit, which was originally planned for release for the 22/23 season, has been brought forward due to popular demand, and will be available to public pre-order on Friday 30th April. Further details to follow.

Visit the Puma Teamwear website here: https://www.pumateamwear.com/

By Alfie Haigh

Stretford Paddock claim a much-needed victory in the Lancashire and Cheshire Leagues Rhodes Cup after thrashing Signol Old Boys 4-0. Despite the opponents’ efforts, Stretford Paddock were able to effectively display their plethora of style and skill, as they cruised through the match with multiple phases of fluent play.

 

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The score line opened with an Okera Simmonds penalty in the 21st minute, after a blatant handball from the Signol Old Boys defender, with Simmonds sending the keeper the wrong way, with a drilled ball down the middle of the goal.

In the 33rd min Ronaldo brown doubled Stretford Paddocks goal tally after displaying good strength down the left wing, being able to beat his man, then beat the keeper with a near post finish.

A couple of attempts from Signol Old Boys closed out the first half, however neither effort was truly threatening. The first being a good turn but a poor shot from just outside the box, and the second a more distant, and wide longshot.

At half time, Manager Stephen Howson listed a clean sheet as the number one priority.

A 54th-minute freekick goal from Buckley-Ricketts all but put this game to bed, with a good effort being produced from the freekick, however, the attempt may have been aided by some questionable goalkeeping from the opposition.

From this point on, Stretford Paddock turned up the dial and created constant chances and pressure on the Signol Old Boys defence, a close chance at the 65th min from substitute Hamza Abuzour, which was just wide of the post. This was followed by an Okera Simmonds effort after tackling the goalkeeper, but unfortunately, a Signol Old Boys defender comes in at the last second and blocks a shot in the 66th minute.

Signol Old Boys “score” in the 68th minute, fortuitously for Stretford Paddock though, it is ruled as a foul on the Paddock goalkeeper and was disallowed.

Finally, in the 78th min Okera Simmonds displays some wonderous footwork to get around his man approximately on the halfway line, and blitzes down the left-wing, finishing the chance as he gets in the box, a beautiful solo effort.

A much-needed, and well-deserved 3 points for Stretford Paddock in The Rhodes Cup.

Highlights are ready to watch:

After a disappointing loss to North Walkden last weekend, Stretford Paddock look for a first victory in the 2020/21 Rhodes Cup group stages as they host Signol Old Boys First Team this Saturday (2pm KO).

Signol Old Boys were part of Lancashire and Cheshire’s AFL Division One this year alongside Stretford Paddock before COVID-19 restrictions drew the competition to a close.

In the league, Stretford Paddock came out victorious against Signol Old Boys 3-1 in the only fixture they faced each other.

Stephen Howson’s side are raring to get back at it with a win keeping their Rhodes cup hopes alive.

 

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Manager Stephen Howson has this to say;

“It’s do or die time for us now. After a brilliant first season where I’ve been happy with the progress we’ve made, finishing joint top was a good indicator of how we felt we’d done, no means perfect, but doing well. The contrast in the cup has been frustrating. Collectively we know we can improve. We know we MUST improve and we know we need to win all 3 of our remaining group matches to have any hope of progression.”

“Right now, we can’t look beyond the next 90 minutes. We need to show up. I firmly believe if we do, we’re unmatched. But too often we’ve been under par and too often it’s cost us. There can be no complacency.”

Follow @SPaddockFC on Twitter and @stretfordpaddck for live-match updates and subscribe to our YouTube channel for highlights.

Catch Up With Our Last Game:

Stretford Paddock Football Club, whilst being an entirely new entity, has ambitions to join the official football pyramid in England because we understand the importance of each and every single level of football. How it binds communities, encourages play, and keeps football accessible for all.
As the largest, most popular sport in the country, it is a tragedy that the game is being sold off to the highest bidder and turning its back on its roots. Everyone with ambitions to play at a higher level, with aspirations to one day meet those storied teams, holds those ambitions and those teams in high esteem because those are the teams that have achieved, that are at the top because they’ve earned their success.

The European Super League proposal removes competition from sport. This is the point at which it becomes purely entertainment only. Stretford Paddock are proud to be a grassroots club, we are proud to represent the league, and the level that we exist in, and despite ambitions of rising through the leagues and one day competing in the FA Cup, we’d be perfectly content to simply exist at this level amongst the brotherhood of clubs on the same journey, with the same dreams. We are one of the thousands.

As a club, we have a deep-rooted idea to give back to the fans, to represent our fans, to try and make decisions that are made WITH our fans. We have spoken to a handful of our supporters in recent weeks about the possibility of a Stretford Paddock FC Membership – where supporters, like in Germany will have a large say in the day-to-day running of the football club. Today we have decided, amidst our disillusionment at the ESL announcement, that we as a club WILL be making this scheme a reality. As a club, we are determined to make this a priority, to finalise the workings and legal requirements for the club to become member-ran, and also accelerate our development of a delivery system that allows members to vote on club matters.

Football was founded for the many, not the few. Stretford Paddock FC will be run by our supporters for the supporters.

We will make a further announcement with launch dates in due course.

After Okera Simmonds snatched a late point against Manchester Polonia last weekend, Stretford Paddock look for a first victory in the 2020/21 Rhodes Cup group stages as they host North Walkden this Saturday (2pm KO).

North Walkden were part of Lancashire and Cheshire’s AFL Division One this year alongside Stretford Paddock before COVID-19 restrictions drew the competition to a close.

North Walkden sat sixth in the division having only played five matches with the best points per game – three matches and six points less than Paddock – and opened their account with a 2-2 draw against Signol Old Boys on Saturday.

Stephen Howson’s side recorded the same score-line as ex-England youth player Okera Simmonds scored a brace in a feisty affair which saw two red cards, one of which was issued to the Paddock manager.

“I was not happy with our own performance,” said a disgruntled Howson, “I thought there are gears and levels to go through for us.

“I think that North Walkden is going to be a tough game. Certainly starting this group with a bit of a baptism of fire.

“We’ve just got to be equal to it, or better than it. I think the positives to take from this are that Manchester Polonia said on the way out said that we’re one of the best teams we’ve played.

“I could take a little bit of solace from that but ultimately I’m not happy taking a draw and I wouldn’t be happy with anything less than a win next week neither.”

Follow @SPaddockFC on Twitter for live-match updates and subscribe to our YouTube channel for highlights.