Manchester Walking Football May 2024

All Reports By Kevin Williams

Week 1 – Over 70s Division 1 & Over 60s Divisions 1 & 2

Over 70s Report

It was a day of very few goals in the top division of the 70s on Wednesday, but not few enough for Blackpool Senior Seasiders stalwart Steve Hyde’s liking, as the Seasiders found when crashing to three 1-0 defeats, before sharing two goals with Tameside in their final game.

Manchester Corinthians took a huge step towards claiming the Championship by conceding no goals, and scoring two on their way to 8 points and a five point lead with just four games remaining.

Both Bury Relics and Rochdale AFC Strollers have suffered defeats just the once in this campaign, but it’s the draws that have limited their ambitions to the runners up spot at best, although Tameside Striders Blues may still have something to say in that debate, just a further 3 points behind. Three rounds down, one to go.

Over 60s Report

Leaders Wakefield Wanderers were pegged back at the top of Division 1 on a blustery day at Heywood, by virtue of four draws; however they still sit at the head of the pile and will head into the final day’s play quietly confident of picking up some silverware.

Both Bolton Wanderers Blues [with 8 points gained on the day] and Fleetwood Town Flyers [6 points] closed the gap on the day, to leave the final day looking a mouth watering proposition. A three point blanket would cover the 3 title contenders.

Kingsmaid’s predicament continues to emphasise the quality of this division, although taking a point from the leaders will have given Denis Johnson and company a little bit of satisfaction. They will be looking to secure their top division berth for the Autumn season, as Bury Relics Whites two points on the day doesn’t look enough to save them from the drop. Famous last words, and I’m sure those lovely lads from the Bury club will be looking to prove me wrong!

It’s a fractionally closer end to the season in Division 2, with three clubs separated by just 2 points, although top of the table Panthers also have a potentially crucially superior goal difference as a cushion.
The Panthers leapfrogged to the top courtesy of two wins, including a narrow win over Rochdale AFC Strollers, who slip to third but still have more than a passing interest in the title deciders next month. This game was decided by a single goal, a well worked free kick routine early on.

Blackpool Senior Seasiders clean sheets on the day contributed to their 6 point haul, and they complete the trio of title hopefuls.

Manchester Corinthians Reds season improves month on month, but it is a step to far for them to contest the title this time around. They will have to plan for another season in this division unless Preston North End Senior Whites can perform a Houdini act and gather 7 more points than the Reds in just four fixtures next month. Another fascinating finale awaits.

Week 2 – Over 70s Division 2 & Over 60s Divisions 3 & 4

Over 70s Report

Burnley Clarets 70’s are currently enjoying a quite amazing run of 28 unbeaten games in the process of topping the 2nd Division of that age group. Conceding just the two goals in that time is testimony not only to their excellent goalkeeper John Finn, but the entire squad.

They keep finding the target at the other end too, Dave Stobbs and Keith Harvey strikes clinching crucial wins in the latest round of games, to leave the Clarets four points clear with four to play.

Clinging onto their coat tails are Preston North End Senior Whites and Salcom, who both lie four points off the top and might just be running out of games to catch the leaders. Both sides suffered damaging defeats on Wednesday, which only goes to highlight the importance of Burnley’s ability to salvage points, even if only by a draw now and then.

Rochdale AFC Striders gave themselves a glimmer of hope when beating Salcom in the final game of the day, and trail Bolton Arena by two points in the wooden spoon contest; that fixture should be interesting come early June.

Over 60s Report

Rochdale AFC Striders fate was all but sealed yesterday on a day when everything that could go wrong, did go wrong. It doesn’t help when you have to play teams like Winstanley Walkers who sealed promotion to Division 2 with four games to spare.

The Wigan club will do well going up a step, and it would be a brave man who bet against them making more progress in December. Twice they put four goals past their hapless opponents, and netted twice in each of the other two games.
Twelve goals in four games is very rare, Division 2, you have been warned!

The Moston Brook FC lads will be pleased with their haul of 7 points yesterday, and whilst Bolton Wanderers Whites fell victim to the Winstanley juggernaut in their final game, they picked up enough points elsewhere to almost guarantee runners up spot.
Burnley Clarets should remain in this division, sitting four points off the bottom with four games remaining.

With five games remaining in Division 4, the 9 point gap between third placed Wakefield Wanderers Whites and top dogs Bury Relics Blues isn’t impossible to close, but I wouldn’t bet YOUR money on it happening.

Bury Relics Blues are unbeaten, and it would take a calamity for them to fall short now. However second placed Ribble Valley are just the one win off the Bury club and that fixture will be pivotal to the final positioning in this league. Key to Bury’s top of the tree placing were victories against both of these rivals yesterday.

Salcom and Bolton Arena can play out their remaining fixtures fairly certain that the miracle that Roach require to avoid bottom spot is unlikely to occur. The Dynamos inability to find the net is a problem unlikely to be fixed by mid June.

In the fixture between Wakefield Wanderers Whites and Roach Dynamos, the Dynamos were a player short through injury. Wakefield sportingly agreed to play only five themselves, well done lads [Ed]

Week 3 – Over 70s Division 3 & Over 65s Divisions 1 & 2

Over 70s Report

On a day when League stalwarts Paul Gardner, Bill Murney and Steve Colesby were unavoidably detained elsewhere, it was left to the ‘B’ Team to run the show on Wednesday in Division 3, and a decent show they made of it too.
A big pat on the back to Matt Howells, Sam and Sainty, and a thank you to Ron Blakeley and the Manchester Corinthians club for lending us some footballs!

The four of us had to put our thinking caps on, which emphasised just how much work the A Team [not forgetting Mr Pearce of course] do for us every week, both on and behind the scenes. A round of applause for those gentlemen!

The players in this Division showed their appreciation by producing some excellent football, with Winstanley Walkers keeping their heads above water by virtue of picking up six points on the day.

Hawarden Strollers couldn’t give themselves the boost they so badly needed in beating the leaders in the 12.40 match, so the Wigan club enter the final day of the season in June still four points clear.

Tameside Striders Greens, Panthers WFC and Moston Brook FC all picked up points on the day, but the latter named club will need to pick up a couple of wins to have a chance of climbing off the bottom of the table.

Over 65s Report

It was very much a case of ‘as you were’ in the top Division this week, as league placings remained unaltered. It was anything but another day at the office for bottom club Blackpool Senior Seasiders who stunned Bury Relics and Manchester Corinthians on their way to picking up their first wins of the campaign.

Better late than never, and it’s far from too late for the Seasiders to climb out of the relegation trapdoor, as they now trail Bolton Arena by 1 point, and Corinthians by 3 going into June’s finale.

Those three will contest their own private battle, with Wakefield Wanderers and Bury Relics focused on their high noon shootout on the last day. That fixture will be key to deciding the fate of the title. Exciting stuff!

In Division 2 Preston North End Senior Whites extended their lead to a more than impressive 12 points on Thursday. Second placed Rochdale AFC Strollers chances of catching them improved for just a moment in their opening clash of the day, but someone failed to convert the penalty opportunity. Mea culpa.

In fairness, a draw was the right result and the Lancashire club fluffed their own chance to win the game from the spot. The Dale will be distraught if they fail to clinch the runners up spot, as they still sit 5 points clear of both Panthers WFC and Moston Brook FC. Moston also punctured any faint hopes for Rochdale, beating them 1-0.

Manchester Citizens will be hoping to convert a couple of draws into wins next month, as they bid to stay out of Division 3, but they will need to find a goal or two from somewhere following a blank day on Thursday.

Week 4 – Over 65s Divisions 3 & 4

Over 65s Report

In Division 3 it was very much ‘as you were’ yesterday as Winstanley Walkers sealed promotion, and the title, remaining unbeaten for yet another day. The only blip on the scene was a 0-0 draw with Rochdale AFC Striders. The Wigan side have yet to taste defeat this season, and it would be a brave, or foolish, punter who backed against them going all the way unbowed.

It was a mixed bag for the others, who all contrived to beat each other, and lose to each other! Rochdale and Salcom will be looking to secure their berths in this division in June, but Burnley Clarets will need to find something a little more than they have managed so far, as they sit three points adrift.

Division 4 is a much tighter affair, with what is basically a three way dog-fight at the top of the table, with Tameside Striders Whites having only a passing interest in June’s finale.

Manchester Corinthians Whites, Wakefield Strollers and Ribble Valley WFC sit on 14, 13 and 12 points respectively and an exciting prospect awaits next month. The first named will probably have to collect more than the three points they earned yesterday, but with only nine up for grabs a repeat could suffice.

Each and every fixture will have an impact on the final standings, and it will make for a very interesting day at Heywood.

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