Manchester Walking Football Autumn Season 2018

The Manchester Walking Football Autumn Season 2018 is fast approaching and after another successful Spring season, we have a few changes to announce. One is that next years Spring season starting month will now be March instead of February. Hopefully by then we will have seen the worst of the Winter weather.

Shirt numbering is now compulsory, this is simply to aid the referees when blue or red carding players after running or contact offences, which we hope will once again be kept to an absolute minimum.

We had hoped to adjust our rules to be more inline with the FA’s new rules for this Manchester Walking Football Autumn Season 2018 but these won’t be published until late August or early September. This won’t allow us sufficient time to consider and alter our present rules so they will remain as they are for the current Autumn season.

All 4 Pitches In Use At The Heywood Sports Village, April 2017. Foreground Vintage Celtic v Rochdale AFC Strollers, Background Left Bolton Wanderers v AFC Blackpool Senior Seasiders, Background Centre Fleetwood Town Flyers v Rochdale Striders, Background Right Maccabi Old Codgers v AFC Blackpool Very Senior Seasiders.

Over 60’s League

Inaugural members and Spring season 2017 winners Vintage Celtic have now withdrawn from the league, preferring to be involved in friendlies and ‘social’ tournaments. How my former club, with a once excellent trophy winning squad, has been destroyed from within gives me no pleasure whatsoever, very sad indeed. A parting of the ways was inevitable and this is not the only club where community projects have taken over the original ethos of a serious competitive walking football team.

Also withdrawing are Middleton Legends, who found it difficult to field a full squad in the Spring season. Third Space Seniors have decided to move into the over 65’s league owing to the average age of their players.

The good news is that in this Manchester Walking Football Autumn Season 2018 we have three new teams to replace Celtic, the Legends and Third Space. They are Man City 60’s, Northgate Strollers, who were three times champions of the Cheshire Walking Football League, and Manchester Corinthians. The Corinthians team consists of former players from the three team that have withdrawn plus a few others.

Preston North End Senior Whites, Spring winners of Division 3, have transferred their membership base to their new venue at Chorley and will now be known as Chorley FC CT.

Division 1 will consist of AFC Blackpool Senior Seasiders, Chadderton FC WF, Nash Amblers, Rochdale AFC Strollers and Wakefield Wanderers.

Teams in Division 2 are Bolton Wanderers Walkers, Bury Relics, Chorley FC CT, Fleetwood Town Flyers and Roach Dynamos.

Division 3 teams are Maccabi Old Codgers, Manchester Corinthians, Man City 60’s, Northgate Strollers and Rochdale Striders.

Over 65’s League

Withdrawing from the over 65’s league are Wakefield Wanderers, who are unable to field enough over 65’s players at present. Hopefully they will rejoin us in the future.

As previously mentioned, Third Space Seniors join us in the over 65’s league along with Man City 65’s and
Mancom WF (Manchester Community, formerly Alfa Lifeline) to now make the league two divisions. Division 1 will have five teams and Division 2 four teams.

Vintage Relics will now be known as Bury Relics in this league. Old friends, AFC Blackpool Senior Seasiders, Preston North end Senior Whites now renamed Chorley FC CT, Rochdale Striders, Rochdale AFC Strollers and Tameside Striders make up the rest of the contestants.

Division 1 will consist of AFC Blackpool Senior Seasiders, Bury Relics, Chorley FC CT, Rochdale AFC Strollers and Tameside Striders.

Teams in Division 2 are Mancom, Man City 65’s, Rochdale Striders and Third Space Seniors.

Also in the Manchester Walking Football Autumn Season 2018 we have the annual Martin Dawson Memorial Trophy. This will be played on Sunday 16th September at Heywood and there are a few teams in the league who haven’t yet entered. If you want to enter what promises to be another great days walking football email me on this Link and I will send a Team Registration Form. The deadline for entries is Friday 7th September.

Additionally we have the GMWF Over 70’s Cup Tournament on the 8th November 2018, an event that was well supported in May this year.

We are also on Facebook

Brian Coll the Correspondent on this comments section has challenged me to publish his further response and my replies, which are below in italics. I didn’t think it appropriate to continue a pointless discussion on here but here it is. Any readers remotely interested can make up their own minds.

Bill

i am not going to argue the toss with you.

Excellent news, because this is going nowhere, you are perfectly entitled to your own opinion as am I.

This is by no means the first negative comment you have made about Vintage Celtic on either of your walking football websites.

An honest opinion, not a negative comment. As I stated, it gives me no pleasure to see a once great competitive walking football club deteriorate the way it has done. As someone who has put more work into Vintage Celtic in the last 3 years than the rest of you combined, I think you’ve a bloody cheek to deny me an opinion of how I feel it has fallen apart.

It is funny how only you receives these complaints from members when none of the members of the working group have ever had anybody register an issue with them, perhaps if you would let me know who the individuals are some progress may be made.

As in all aspects of life people moan and complain to one another but are reluctant to air their views with the people that matter. I suggest that you finally hold that meeting you promised, where members can make their opinions known, if of course they wish to. I for one am not going to betray views that were expressed to me in confidence.

At the outset of this topic, you state a fact that Middleton Legends have withdrawn because they are unable to field a team. This is exactly the same as Vintage celtic, which you were informed of in a polite and cordial way, yet you chose to continue your crusade against our club by once again airing your personal grievances on a public noticeboard in an inappropriate and inaccurate way.

That particular email was sent just before the deadline for entry. The other statement from the Stalybridge Celtic Community Development Officer that “I am reluctant to support the GMWF League” was long before. To call a three sentence comment a crusade is an utterly ridiculous statement. It may be inappropriate and inaccurate in your eyes but certainly not in mine. I have no grievances against Vintage Celtic whatsoever and it is my opinion that the club has deteriorated from what it once was. If my opinion isn’t popular with you or others, then tough.

I for one will not sit back while you continue to make snide digs about our club and the thinly veiled attacks on its community programme and it`s Community Development Officer.

Snide digs and thinly veiled attacks? Once again you seem to be over reacting to a comment, get real man.

In your position, you would do well to just report facts, not personal opinion.

All media is full of opinion and if you are denying that Vintage Celtic have not fallen from their position of prominence from two years ago then you are on a different planet to the rest of us. Apparently you haven’t been seen for months, perhaps you need to re engage with your members.

Consider this correspondence now closed as 1. I am not interested in your attempts to censor my views and 2. I have far more important business to occupy my time. Although Vintage Celtic is now history to me, believe it or not I do wish them all the best and hopefully they will get back to being a force in walking football once again.

Comments

Manchester Walking Football Autumn Season 2018 — 7 Comments

Brian Coll on 7th September 2018 at 5:51 pm said:

I would like to put the record straight regarding Bill’s comments on Vintage Celtic.

As a result of a constant struggle to field a team in the Heywood league, all members were contacted and asked which competitions they would like to play in following the summer break.

From that poll, it was clear that there were insufficient numbers for Vintage Celtic to continue in the competition, and, as a result, the club reluctantly withdrew.

I would be very interested to hear an explanation of what exactly “being destroyed from within” means.

Reply ↓
- blogger on 8th September 2018 at 12:24 pm said:
  
  A recent email comment from the Stalybridge Celtic Community Development Officer Mike Smith – “I am reluctant to support the GMWF League” Perhaps because of my involvement?
  
  Stalybridge Celtic FC themselves have never shown much enthusiasm in supporting a walking football section, a view shared and expressed by quite a few of the playing members. This was bound to have a demoralising effect on those members. Other community events always seemed to take priority over the walking football section, another view shared by many.
  
  Despite certain actions to be taken following committee meetings to try and increase membership, no such action was ever taken. One example is contacting the list of 33 surgeries in Tameside and Glossop that I submitted. How many were ever contacted?
  
  A meeting to iron out members grievances was cancelled without informing the members. Many turned up to find the venue closed. This again caused many negative comments.
  
  On asking for a second strip, I was told it was unnecessary despite the team sometimes playing within a day or two of each other in competitions and the obvious need for clean kit.
  
  I have recently been told that lack of communication is another cause of concern.
  
  Whatever happened to the many social events to help bond team spirit that were supposed to be forthcoming?
  
  Reply ↓
  - Brian Coll on 9th September 2018 at 9:32 am said:
    
    I don`t see any issues with you from the mail below.
    
    Morning Bill,
    
    Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but after leaving it as late as I could to allow people to make a choice, we don’t have enough players who wish to play in the Greater Manchester Walking Football League over 60’s or 65’s next season, so therefore Vintage Celtic will not be entering a team at present.
    
    May I wish you all the best for the coming season and if anything changes for future leagues, we will let you know.
    
    Reply ↓
    - blogger on 10th September 2018 at 9:11 am said:
      
      Although having been removed from the Vintage Celtic mailing list, I did indeed receive that particular email. Thinking back, the statement I was referring to was on a text message that was shown to me by one of your members.
      
      Whether you believe me or not is irrelevant to me, I do not lie and did indeed see that statement.
      
      Reply ↓
      - Brian Coll on 11th September 2018 at 10:00 am said:
        
        Brian Coll the Correspondent on this comments section has challenged me to publish his further response and my replies, which are below in italics. I didn’t think it appropriate to continue a pointless discussion on here but here it is. Any readers remotely interested can make up their own minds.
        
        Bill
        
        i am not going to argue the toss with you.
        
        Excellent news, because this is going nowhere, you are perfectly entitled to your own opinion as am I.
        
        This is by no means the first negative comment you have made about Vintage Celtic on either of your walking football websites.
        
        An honest opinion, not a negative comment. As I stated, it gives me no pleasure to see a once great competitive walking football club deteriorate the way it has done. As someone who has put more work into Vintage Celtic in the last 3 years than the rest of you combined, I think you’ve a bloody cheek to deny me an opinion of how I feel it has fallen apart.
        
        It is funny how only you receives these complaints from members when none of the members of the working group have ever had anybody register an issue with them, perhaps if you would let me know who the individuals are some progress may be made.
        
        As in all aspects of life people moan and complain to one another but are reluctant to air their views with the people that matter. I suggest that you finally hold that meeting you promised, where members can make their opinions known, if of course they wish to. I for one am not going to betray views that were expressed to me in confidence.
        
        At the outset of this topic, you state a fact that Middleton Legends have withdrawn because they are unable to field a team. This is exactly the same as Vintage celtic, which you were informed of in a polite and cordial way, yet you chose to continue your crusade against our club by once again airing your personal grievances on a public noticeboard in an inappropriate and inaccurate way.
        
        That particular email was sent just before the deadline for entry. The other statement from the Stalybridge Celtic Community Development Officer that “I am reluctant to support the GMWF League” was long before. To call a three sentence comment a crusade is an utterly ridiculous statement. It may be inappropriate and inaccurate in your eyes but certainly not in mine. I have no grievances against Vintage Celtic whatsoever and it is my opinion that the club has deteriorated from what it once was. If my opinion isn’t popular with you or others, then tough.
        
        I for one will not sit back while you continue to make snide digs about our club and the thinly veiled attacks on its community programme and it`s Community Development Officer.
        
        Snide digs and thinly veiled attacks? Once again you seem to be over reacting to a comment, get real man.
        
        In your position, you would do well to just report facts, not personal opinion.
        
        All media is full of opinion and if you are denying that Vintage Celtic have not fallen from their position of prominence from two years ago then you are on a different planet to the rest of us. Apparently you haven’t been seen for months, perhaps you need to re engage with your members.
        
        Consider this correspondence now closed as 1. I am not interested in your attempts to censor my views and 2. I have far more important business to occupy my time. Although Vintage Celtic is now history to me, believe it or not I do wish them all the best and hopefully they will get back to being a force in walking football once again.
Steve Hyde on 15th August 2018 at 7:33 pm said:

Well done, Bill.

This must have taken some re-organising and you have performed a brilliant job bringing it altogether. Good luck to all teams, old and new, looking forward to seeing familiar faces again.

Reply ↓
Iain Ellis on 13th August 2018 at 7:32 pm said:

Really looking forward to our new venture, and hopefully we will all enjoy it, thanks Bill for the invite and telling the other teams we won the Cheshire League, although we are not the same team that won that league so don’t expect to much from us lol.

See you in September.
Iain, Northgate Strollers

Reply ↓