May 2009 Archives

GOALKEEPER Chris Sanna has today (May 30) signed a new contract which will keep him at Colwyn Bay until the end of next season.
The former Welsh youth international was outstanding for the Seagulls last year and his decision to sign on for the club again will be welcome news for fans.
Previously a Stoke City reserve player, he also played for Halesowen in the British Business League Premier Division and tuned down the offer of a professional contract at Chester City last year before signing for Colwyn Bay.

COLWYN BAY manager Neil Young believes that confirmation of the side's place in Division One North of the Unibond League next season will help him secure the players he is after to improve the side.
He revealed tonight (May 29) that the Seagulls have already made one offer for a central midfield player and are currently waiting for the player's current club to reply, and the manager is also chasing two forward players who would also require a transfer fee.
Money from the sale of Dean Canning will go towards the new signings.
"I've been travelling all over the North of England speaking to players, including three ex-Football League players, but at the moment they want to keep their options open," he revealed.
"But confirmation that we will be in Division One North again will be a big help. It is difficult persuading players from the Merseyside and Manchester areas to travel to Colwyn Bay for home games, but as the majority of away games now are going to be virtually on their own doorsteps then that will be a big help.
"It would have been much harder to sign players if they were facing long away journeys in the southern division as well travelling up to two hours in some cases for home games.
"A number of players have been holding back to see what division we are going to be in and hopefully now we can start to make some progress in putting together the type of squad we want."
The manager hopes there will be some news on that front early nex week, having already secured the signing of 19-year-old midfielder Ian Sheridan from AFC LIverpool who scored 14 goals last season and was voted the club's player of the year.
"I went in for him last season and I am delighted that we have finally got him," added the manager.
Although sorry to see Canning go, he felt it was a good footballing decision for the club in view of the player's five-match suspension at the start of next season which would hold back his match fitness, and that the money will help strengthen the squad overall.
It will also allow Eddie Jebb to play in his favourite position on the right and the manager said he expects Jebb to be a major player in that position next season.
"He helped us out last season by playing on the left which doesn't really suit him and his form also suffered after being struck down by sceptic tonsilitis.
"But we are devising a special pre-season training programme for him and I believe we will see him at his devastating best on the right next season."
Pre-season training starts on June 23.
The manager is also thrilled that assistant manager Gary Jones has signed a new three year contract with the Seagulls.
"Gary has played a big part in what we have done so far and he is also a very close friend and it makes such a difference when you can work with people you really get along with," said Neil.

IT looks as though Colwyn Bay will stay in Division One North of the Unibond League next season - with Cammell Laird surprisingly placed in the provisional southern section after losing their appeal this week against relegation from the Premier Division.
The Birkenhead club's demotion is over failure to upgrade their ground and as a result Whitby Town are reprieved and stay in the Premier Division.
The provisional make-up of the two divisions, released by the FA today (May 29) is subject to appeals.
It means 14 of the Bay's 21 away games next season will be less than 90 minutes away for most of the players as opposed to trips of three and four hours for many of the away games in the southern division.
The provisional Divisions One North and South are:
FIRST DIVISION NORTH: AFC Fylde, Bamber Bridge, Chorley, Clitheroe, Colwyn Bay, Curzon Ashton, FC Halifax Town, Garforth Town, Harrogate Railway, Lancaster City, Leigh Genesis, Mossley, Ossett Albion, Prescot Cables, Radcliffe Borough, Rossendale Utd, Salford City, Skelmersdale Utd, Trafford, Wakefield, Warrington Town, Woodley Sports.
FIRST DIVISION SOUTH: Belper Town, Brigg Town, Carlton Town, Cammell Laird, Chasetown, Glapwell, Goole, Grantham Town, Kidsgrove Ath, Leek Town, Lincoln United, Loughborough Dynamo, Market Drayton Town, Mickleover Sports, Quorn, Rushall Olympic, Sheffield FC, Shepshed Dynamo, Spalding Utd, Stamford, Willenhall Town, Witton Albion.

THE FA have announced that the proposed Step 1 to 4 league allocations for season 2009/10 will now be released on Friday morning (May 29) following the outcome of two Appeal Boards which take place on Thursday (May 28).
That will include the proposed make-up of the three Unibond Divisions.
However, the FA say there might still be a number of issues to resolve before the allocations are finally confirmed.
Newcastle Blue Star are due to meet the FA today (May 27) in a final bid to resolve their situation.

I WOULD like to add my best wishes for the future to Dean Canning who the Seagulls have today (May 25) agreed to sell to Curzon Ashton for a four figure fee.
After struggling to find the net in the opening three months of the season, Deano really blossomed under the management of Neil Young and Gary Jones and after breaking his goals duck in a 3-0 win over Clitheroe on November 15, he went on to score 15 goals and and help create many more. I found him very amiable and enthusiastic and he always gave 100 per cent on the field, which undoubtedly helped him him win the supporters' Player of the Season award.
His two needless red cards against Durham and Newcastle Blue Star in the last four games of ther season, however, blotted his copybook somewhat and meant he would miss the very important opening five games of next season through suspension when the Bay will be anxious to get off to a good start.
I can understand Neil Young's decision to cash in on the player who has brought in a good fee which the manager says will allow team rebuilding elsewhere and Eddie Jebb to move to his more favoured position on the right wing - where hopefully he can start to show his best form.
This will also be a good move for Dean and his young family as Curzon Ashton is obviously much closer to his Salford home - although there is always the danger that the move could come back to bite should he play a major part in Curzon Ashton (this year's beaten play-off finalists) winning promotion ahead of the Seagulls!
Best of luck anyway Deano.

COLWYN BAY manager Neil Young says he is aiming to bring in up to seven new faces for next season.
And he admits that to accommodate that number, some of the current squad will not be retained.
"I believe Division One North, if we are in that division again, is going to be more competitive than ever next season with some big hitters in there in terms of budgets and to compete with them as best we can on the field we need to improve the current squad quite considerably," said the manager today (May 22).
"We need more players with the experience and knowledge of playing at the top end of this level of the pyramid. I have been busy talking to a number of players who would fit the bill, but they are all keeping their options open at the moment with so much uncertainty around."
The manager is also in the process of speaking to all the current squad. So far Lee Davey and Lee Hammond have both agreed to sign up again for next season and new offers have been made to Steve Aspinall and Keeper Chris Sanna, with both asking for time to consider before making a decision.
I understand the club have also received an offer for one of the contracted players and there may be more news on this after the weekend.
The club have also advertised for a new physio following news that Colin Edwards is leaving the club after 10 years loyal service.
Neil Young commented: "Colin has been very supportive to me in my time at the club and I would like to thank him for all the work he has done both on and off the pitch. I wish him and his family all the very best of luck for the future."

COLWYN BAY'S mounting frustration following their play-off penalty shoot-out defeat to Newcastle Blue Star will be complete today (May 17) with the North East club secretary Jim Anderson reporting that winding up procedures will start on Monday morning (May 18).
The club have been asked to repay a £65,000 grant from the Football Stadia Improvement grant which was meant to update their former Druid Park home. Instead the club forged an agreement with Newcastle Falcons Rugby Club to share their Kingston Park stadium.
Mr Anderson is quoted as saying : "Blue Star will die after the weekend. There is now no way back."

COLWYN BAY manager Neil Young has made an early signing for next season by snapping up highly-rated 18-year-old striker Tom McGill from West Cheshire League side Capenhurst Villa.
The teenager, who is a strong attacking player with pace, has made a big impact in the league this season scoring 28 goals including two hat-tricks.
The manager is also in discussions with two other players at the moment who he hopes to bring on board, with more in the pipeline.
He praised the present squad for their efforts at the end of season's awards (May 16), describing them as a "fantastic group of players" who had shown great commitment to the club.
He said that after the first game when he took over he wondered what he had let himself in for, but the players already there had gained confidence from playing with the players he brought in and to win the Club of the Month award twice in February and March had been a tremendous achievement by the team.
He felt the win at Lancaster City in December had been the turning point, while the home wins over Halifax and Newcastle Blue Star were the highlights of their good run after that.
He thanked his backroom staff and the supporters, particularly those that have travelled to give the team tremendous away support, for the part they had played and the Cartwright family for the support they had given him.
Some of the squad are likely to be released as the manager looks to build for next season and he will be releasing more news on that in the next week or so once he has had a chance to talk to the players individually.
Top scorer Rob Hopley picked up a hat-trick of trophies at the awards day, winning the Director's Player of the Season, Manager's Player of the Season and Players' Player of Season awards, while Dean Canning won the Supporters vote and Farai Jackson got the newly introduced Community Award for his help with the club's community projects including the Colwyn Bay promenade day.
Patricia Cartwright also made a special presentation to Sheila Jones who has handed over £1,500 to the club this season from the club shop.
Injuries continue to haunt the squad, however, with Steve Aspinall, who missed the closing games with a leg injury thought to be deep bruising, has now had that injury diagnosed as a fractured fibia and has had the leg put in the plaster.
Graham Branch has also had to undergo a third operation on the eye socket he fractured at Rossendale in April.
Skipper Dave Challinor is out of plaster after further x-rays showed he had not broken his leg afterall, but had ruptured the membrane between the tibia and fibia.

THE Football Association's League Systems committee met on Thursday (May 14) but have deferred making many decisons on next year's non-league structure until May 26 due to the number of clubs in financial trouble, administration or facing points deductions.
Although Colwyn Bay are expected to stay in Unibond Divison One North, they will have to wait a little longer for confirmation of that.
One controversial decision that has been made, however, is placing Gloucester City in the Blue Square North after they won the British Gas Business Southern League Premier Divison play-offs, while Worcester City - geographically north of Gloucester, stay in Blue Square South. It means Gloucester face huge journeys to the likes of Blyth Spartans and Work
News is still awaited on Newcastle Blue Star's situation although there is speculation now that they never had any intention of moving up to the Unibond Premier Division due to their financial situation. If that is true, then the decision to go through with the sham of the play-offs and deny Colwyn Bay and Curzon Ashton a chance to go up will leave a bitter taste if Blue Star do, as predicted, drop back into the Northern League.

COLWYN BAY could be asked to switch to the Unibond Division One South next season after AFC Fylde thumped rivals New Mills 5-0 on Saturday (May 9) to snatch the North West Counties Premier Division title on goal difference.
New Mills (North Derbyshire), who only needed a draw to be champions, had been ear-marked for Unibond Division One South, but Fylde (Lancashire coast) will now be promoted instead to Division One North - which could mean another northern team having to join Witton Albion and Warrington Town in the southern division to even out the numbers.
Colwyn Bay, as the most southerly-based of the current northern division candidates and having already had one season in the south division, would look to be among the favourites to be nominated when the Football Association's Leagues committee meet this Thursday (May 14) to decide the constitution of the Step 1 to 4 leagues for next season.
If the Seagulls are switched to the southern division it would massively increase travel costs to away games next season.
All away games apart from Warrington and Witton would require lengthy coach journeys including to the likes of Grantham, Lincoln Utd and Spalding, while in the North Division 14 of the proposed 21 away games would be less than 90 minutes away for most of the players.
That could have a big influence on which players manager Neil Young is able to sign up for next season.
Tony Kempster, however, predicts on his website (May 11) that Goole will be the club asked to switch, with Colwyn Bay staying in the north division.
The Seagulls will be waiting the outcome of Thursday's meeting with interest, but managing director Darren Cartwright said: "Travelling costs would certainly be much greater in the south division, but on the other hand I think the competition for the top places might not be quite as strong as it is likely to be in the north, so it is swings and roundabouts really. "

Interesting news that Newcastle Blue Star, who won promotion to the Unibond Premier Division via the play-offs, after a penalty shoot-out victory over Colwyn Bay in the semi-finals, could be forced to fold as their main benefactor is pullng out. That would be tough for Curzon Ashton and Colwyn Bay to take after losing out to Blue Star in the play-offs.