DROYLSDEN v WOKING

DROYLSDEN v WOKING
7.45pm on Tuesday 22 April 2008

Those Cards ?groundhoppers? who want to tick off the Butcher?s Arms Ground ? isn?t that name redolent of a real grassroots football club! ? will have to find some way of getting to the outskirts of Manchester tomorrow (Tuesday) evening, following the Conference?s re-arrangement of end-of-season fixtures. The Bloods won?t be in the BSP next term either, since they are relegated after only one campaign in the top non-League tier. The Cards ought to be looking for three points from their last away fixture but relegated sides can sometimes surprise!

WOKING

It was disappointing to lose at home to Oxford United on Saturday but the Cards put in a decent performance which, on the balance of play, ought to have earned them a point. The game highlighted, though, the need for that extra bit of quality in the side to move us from a battling mid-table/lower half of table side to one which can achieve Chairman David Taylor?s aim of a top ten finish next season.

DROYLSDEN?S SEASON

The Bloods, under Chairman/manager Dave Pace, won the Conference North title outright last year but have found life in the BSP a step too far. They are currently disputing the bottom place with Stafford Rangers, having won only five games all season, four of them at home. Pace concentrated on importing experienced players last summer. Those still remaining include Robbie Talbot, who once commanded big non-League transfer fees as he moved from Burscough to Morecambe and then on to Burton Albion. Terry Fearns was touted for a move into League football after he scored over 40 goals in the Southport side which won the Nationwide North title. Ged Murphy joined from Stafford Rangers. Jody Banim played for Shrewsbury in the Conference before joining the Bloods in 2004. At the back the experienced hands include keeper Phil Senior, signed from Northwich, Steve Halford, formerly with Accrington Stanley and Chester, and Colin Cryan, who played over 50 games for Scarborough in the Conference before joining Lincoln City and Boston United. The January transfer window saw a number of arrivals, including defenders Greg Strong from the Vics and Karl Munroe from Altrincham.

GETTING THERE

Droylsden FC
Butcher's Arms Ground
Market Street
Droylsden
Manchester M43 7AW

Tel: 0161 370 8341
Website: www.droylsdenfc.co.uk

By coach ? the Supporters? Club coach leaves at 1.30pm. The cost is ?22 for members and ?28 for non-members. Ring the Club Shop to book your place.

By car ? exit M60 at J23 (signed A635 - Manchester from Oldham direction and A6140 - Ashton Under Lyne from Stockport direction). Join A635 towards Manchester. (1.25 miles from ground.) After retail park on left (a McDonalds sign is prominent), take centre lane. Turn right at traffic lights onto A662 (signed Droylsden); in 100 yards at traffic lights the main road bends left. In half a mile at the next traffic lights turn right onto Market Street. Go straight on at traffic lights. Entrance to ground is 225 yards on left, next to a hand car wash.

By train ? the nearest stations are: Ashton under Lyne, which is 2.5 miles from Droylsden, and Manchester Piccadilly and Manchester Victoria, which are both 4.5 miles distant. Both stations are a short walk from Piccadilly Bus Station. From there you can catch bus numbers 231-235, getting off at the corner of Manchester Road/Market Street, two minutes? walk from the ground. The bus journey should take some 20/25 minutes.

PREVIOUS ENCOUNTERS

In a poor game at Kingfield last November the Cards could manage only a 1-1 draw against a side who had gathered only one point on their travels. Gez Sole put the Cards in front with a shot from the edge of the box in the 15th minute but Kevin Lynch equalised shortly before half-time. Liam Marum had the chance to grab three points late on in the second half but his dinked shot over the keeper drifted wide.


Come on, you Cards!