Paddock travel to Wood Lane Marple this weekend as they face off against their toughest opponents so far in the Rhodes Cup – Mellor Firsts. A win would see Paddock progress into the semi-finals and eliminate one of, if not their biggest competition for the trophy. After three wins and three clean sheets in a row, the team is on a real high and will fancy their chances of facing up to the task.
IB finding the net against Abacus Media
Howson knows this will be a great test for the players, but believes they can do the job: “I think this is one of the absolute biggest tests we could’ve come up against, I think I’d firmly put Paddock as the underdog in this fixture and that’s the first time I’ve said that in a while. We’re coming up against a team that had a flawless record in the league. Last weekend they won 8-0, they’ve had a very, very strong season to date and I think they have to be considered favourites not just for our game but favourites for the cup in total.
So, I’m excited to match us up against them, I want to see what the standard of this entire league system is. I want us to be a Premier League team as soon as humanely possible, so I want to see what the top of that tree looks like and what the standard is, and obviously measure up how far of it we are.”
The game kicks off at 2pm
Follow @SPaddockFC on Twitter for live-match updates and subscribe to our YouTube channel for highlights.
OUR BIGGEST GAME EVER!! | Abacus Media vs Stretford Paddock FC | Match Highlights
Here we go then… This is the biggest game in our club’s short history as we play Abacus Media for a place in the quarter-finals of the Rhodes Cup. Can Stephen Howson and his side get the all important win to keep their season alive?
Limited Edition Green & Gold Shirt | Pre-order Now
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.
Manager Stephen Howson said that Stretford Paddock will have “a formidable task” to qualify for the Rhodes Cup quarter-finals when his side visit Abacus Media on Saturday (2pm KO).
After back-to-back 4-0 victories, Paddock have propelled themselves into a position where a victory on the weekend will guarantee progression to the quarter-final stages.
With Group D’s top two sides playing each other on the weekend – Manchester Polonia and North Walkden – a victory for either team would mean Paddock would just need a draw to escape the group.
Isaac Buckley-Ricketts on form as Paddock run riot
But with no guarantees, Howson’s men will be setting their sights on nothing but victory, fully in the knowledge that Abacus also need three points to move into the next round.
“We’ve got a formidable task,” said Howson, “Abacus sound like they’re a good side, they’ve been doing well in the Premier Division before that got cut short.
“They’ve gone and took on a team today and put five past them where we got shut out, so you can’t take them lightly, you’ve got to go and take the game to them. You’ve got to go and try and beat them and that is exactly what we’ll be doing.
“I think it is probably also in their hands [Abacus] that if they beat us that they’re in the quarter-finals so it’s all on the cards for both teams here. Both teams are going to go for it, maybe that suits us because a draw is not enough for them, I think they have to come out and beat us, they have to come and score. Sound, let’s go toe-to-toe, let’s have a tear up, and let’s see who’s standing at the end.”
Follow @SPaddockFC on Twitter for live-match updates and subscribe to our YouTube channel for highlights.
WIN OR WE’RE OUT…| High Lane vs Stretford Paddock FC | Match Highlights
Another MUST WIN game for Stretford Paddock FC. After winning 4-0 in our last game, can Paddock get another vital win towards qualifying for the quarter-finals in the Rhodes Cup? Here are the match highlights from our recent game against High Lane.
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.
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 today announce a four-year partnership with Puma Teamwear
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.
Image for design to be finalised prior to launch on Friday.
It’s a MUST WIN game for Stephen Howson and Stretford Paddock FC as the lads play Signol Old Boys for our 3rd game in the Rhodes Cup group stage. If Paddock don’t come away with a win, it may be curtains for the season. Here are the match highlights…
4-0 THRASHING! | Stretford Paddock FC 4-0 Signol Old Boys
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.
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.