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West Didsbury & Chorlton |
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West |
| Address: |
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The Recreation Ground, Brookburn Road
Chorlton, Manchester M21 8FE |
| Telephone: |
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| Fax: |
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| Website: |
| www.westdidsburychorlton.co.uk |
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| Map of area |
Directions |
Five Day Weather |
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| Club Notes |
From Website:
West Didsbury and Chorlton AFC have come a long way in their 105 years since 1908 when the club was founded as Christ Church A.F.C. by Mr R F Hartley, a Sunday School Superintendent at the church on Princess Parkway, West Didsbury.
West played friendlies at first and then in the Manchester Alliance League until the First World War 1914. After the War the club joined the Lancashire and Cheshire League for the 1920/21 season and had to change its name to West Didsbury AFC, as that League did not permit a name suggesting association with any other body. The club was placed in Divisions 1 and A, staying in the top flight for 25 seasons. The first honours were double runners up in Div 1 and Rhodes Cup in 1922/23, and the club remained in the L+C League until 2006, winning many honours and providing 4 League Presidents along the way.
The home ground from before 1914 until the mid 1980’s was Christie Playing Fields, and then the owners, Manchester and Salford Playing Fields Society, gave the club notice to quit having decided to sell off the land for commercial development – now ironically called ‘Christie Fields’ office park.
After several years’ nomadic existence searching for a new home, the club acquired the redundant and overgrown Recreation Ground at Brookburn Road in 1996, and began to restore this to active use and develop a vision for a community club. This was down to the hard work of a core of players and Committee who refused to let the club fold. Work was completed in time to start the 1997-98 season using excellent new changing rooms and clubhouse facilities aided by a Lottery grant, new sponsors and members’ fundraising, but without a penny from the Playing Fields Society sale proceeds.
Further name change followed in 2003 to reflect the new location in Chorlton and the club was then elected to the Manchester League in 2006. In 2007/8 West won its first Manchester League silverware lifting the Murray Shield in the last game of our centenary year. That team was the nucleus of the previously successful junior team and the following season 2008/09 West just missed promotion to the Premier Division and again reached the Murray Shield Final. With a new management team led by Andy Nelson, 2009/10 was very successful and honours spread throughout the club. The 1st team won the Murray Shield (the third consecutive year in the final) and was league runners-up. The reserves won the Bridgewater League Cup and the U17 Youth team won their League.
In 2010/2011 the 1st team won the Manchester League First Division title in style with a fantastic 65 points out of 72 possible. This ranks as one of the highest points totals per game in Manchester League history dating back over a century. The clubs reserve team and youth teams also had terrific seasons, resulting in promotion and for the second year reaching the Bridgewater Cup Final.
The Youth team reached yet another final where they were just pipped to the trophy by New Mills. The Veterans were runners up in the Premier Division of the Cheshire Veterans League and then started a second veterans team such was the interest in the club. Plans were also made to formally integrate junior football as the club Vision is to be a FA Charter Standard Community Club, playing at the highest possible level it can whilst remaining financially viable.
Further improved saw floodlights erected in 2011 to meet FA requirements and West competed in the FA Vase for the first time in 2011-2012 as a Step 7 club. Election to the NWCFL followed in June 2012 and the club had an incredible first season winning the Div1 Trophy, finishing in 3rd position after an amazing run in during March and April to secure promotion and also winning a guaranteed FA Cup place. The over 45’s team again chipped in with Cheshire Veterans league silverware.
2013-14 promises to be another testing season as the club adjusts to life in the NWCFL Premier Division, improves its spectator facilities, adds new grass pitches and youth teams as part of its development plan, and aims for long term consolidation and stability at this level whilst remaining as a volunteer run, ‘not for profit’ club.
The first few months of the season have been ‘full on’ with two games a week most weeks since mid July and the same intensity and frequency of games in the NWCFL Premier Division since 3rd August. Another historic milestone was the 2-0 victory over Abbey Hey in the club’s first ever appearance in the FA Cup followed by a 2-1 first ever FA Vase victory at NCEL Rossington in mid September. |
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Venue
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Matches
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W
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D
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L
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Goals
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+ / -
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Home |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 - 0 |
+0 |
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Away |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 - 2 |
-1 |
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Neutral |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 - 0 |
+0 |
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Total
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1
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0
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0
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1
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1 - 2
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-1
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Date
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Comp.
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Venue
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Score
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Stadium
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Crowd
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25.07.2015
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Friendly |
Away
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1 - 2 |
Brookburn Road
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80
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