We have finally got the date for our eagerly awaited Kenyon Cup Semi-Final tie against Heywood St James of the Manchester League Premier Division.

The tie will be played on Tuesday 28th February at Ramsbottom United’s Harry Williams Riverside Stadium. The kick off is 7:30pm and there has to be a result on the night.

The prize for the winner is a trip to Bury FC’s Gigg Lane stadium to take on the winners of AFC Bury and Elton Vale who will play their last-four match on Wednesday 14th March at the same venue.

Admission charge is £2.00 for adults and £1.00 concessions.

So please put the date in your diary and come along to the game and support the lads in their quest for silverware.

Prestwich will hopefully return to action this Saturday as they entertain ninth placed Old Boltonians in the Lancashire Amateur League Premier Division at Heys Road, kick-off 2:30pm.

Two away games in early January were the team’s only competitive action since late November, and should the severe weather hold off, chances of getting this game on are good.

This will be only the second ever meeting of the two clubs and Old Bolt’s will be looking to avenge that 5-0 defeat Craig Howarth’s men dished out back in October up in Turton.

Goals from Tom Walsh, Sean Haslam, Darren Buckley and a brace from Lee Bushell sealed the points that day for 10-man Prestwich following Skipper Richard Steadman’s debatable sending-off after half-an-hour.

There’s not much between the sides in the form table – three losses and three wins in the last six for Prestwich while Old Boltonians have won two, drawn two and lost two.

The visitors are coming in to Saturday on a high though as they managed to get a match in last weekend, beating lowly Hesketh Casuals 5-2 in one of just two Premier Division games that day.

Prestwich, leading scorers in the division with 40 goals from 17 games and third best goal difference of +11, should be able to pick from an almost full-strength squad.

Winger Lee Bushell will be missing as he continues work on his Level 2 coaching badge. Defender Chris Hopkins is still on the road to recovery following his bad ankle injury back in September while Curtis Ward has left Heys Road and is training with Padiham of the North West Counties Premier Division.

Elsewhere, Prestwich Reserves travel north to take on fifth placed Old Blackburnians A in Division Four.

Liam Morrissey’s runaway league leaders – played 14, won 14 – will look to continue their 100% record but will have to do it without suspended leading scorer Jordan Clegg.

It’s sixth versus seventh in Division Five as Prestwich A Team host Howe Bridge Mills Reserves at Drinkwater Park. Andrew Howarth’s men have won their last three but, like the Reserves, haven’t played a competitive game since December 3.

And finally, Sunday morning will hopefully bring about the much-postponed Millennium Cup tie as Jamie Comiskey’s team travel to Hillock to take on Unsworth. Kick-off for this one is 10:30am.

If any of the games end up being postponed, we will post news on our Facebook and Twitter pages so stay tuned.

EDIT – Fri 03/02 5:30pm – Unsworth v Prestwich Sunday is OFF frozen pitch.
EDIT – Sat 04/02 10:30am – Old Blackburnians v Prestwich Reserves is OFF frozen pitch.
EDIT – Sat 04/02 11:10am – Prestwich Firsts v Old Boltonians is OFF frozen pitch.
EDIT – Sat 04/02 11:43am – Prestwich A v Howe Bridge Reserves is OFF frozen pitch. 

You can now raise money for Prestwich FC’s Junior Section every time you do your online shopping. All you have to do is buy via their brand new Club Cashback shop.

The shop features all the top online retailers including Amazon, ASDA, Argos, John Lewis, Expedia, Sainsbury’s, Boots, M&S, PC World and many more.

The cost is exactly the same as shopping direct, so you raise money for us at no extra cost to you!

Buying a Kindle from Amazon? If you go to Amazon via our Club Cashback shop, Amazon will be able to tell. And because the club shop ‘referred you’, they donate a percentage of whatever you spend back to the club.

Planning your next holiday? The shop links to Expedia, Lastminute.com, as well as many airlines and car rental firms. Just be sure to visit their site via the Club Cashback shop!

It really is that simple. We’re not asking you to use specific retailers, all we ask is when you shop online, please go via our shop and you can help us raise much needed funds this season.

There is no catch. You won’t have to sign up or be asked for any details whatsoever.

You really are helping the club by doing no more than you were going to do anyway!

Look at the table below to see an example of what could be raised for Prestwich FC each year:

Go to our shop now to get started. Just click on the following link to get started:
http://www.pfcjuniors.co.uk/cashback/

Thanks for your support.

Just a reminder that our winter cricket nets start at Old Trafford’s Indoor Cricket Centre on Monday 13th February from 9pm.

Just a reminder that this Saturday, 28th January, is the next PCTBC Quiz Night. Hosted by Stephen Ward, the night starts at 8pm and is open to any members who fancy entering a team with cash prizes on offer. Hope to see you there!

Team’s of 4 players, entry fee is £4 per team.

The club was saddened to hear last week of the death of Ian Smith at 55 years old. Ian was a member of Prestwich Tennis Club in the late sixties and seventies.

In my opinion, and of my generation, he was probably the most gifted tennis player ever produced at our club. He was brilliant and a regular member of the Lancashire County Team. His was famed for his doubles partnership with Peter Goodman and I for one spent many hours watching them play together.

Ian’s father is the Manchester City legend George Smith and of course Ian was an avid follower of his Dad’s club.

Peter Goodman’s brother Robert attended the funeral as a representative of PCTBC. Our condolences go to his family and friends at this very sad time.

God bless Ian.

Brian Lorenzini
Chairman PCTBC

Do you think your club is going in the right direction? Obviously I do and our financial performance and investments allow me the confidence to support my view.

The comparison of the last five years accounts shows growth at a level which completely reverses the market trend of comparable clubs and indeed a lot of Public Houses. Our bar takings have risen 50% and the commercial activity of the club is now at a level which provides us with much needed income streams to both meet our overheads and allow capital development of the club well into the future.

Members will be aware of the legacy we have started to receive from the estate of the Late Beryl Shaw. This wonderful gesture by a former member and regular supporter of our club will be used fully to support the agreed business plan of the club. Beryl was always talking to me about the club and the future and made a financial contribution to SPACSE as well. We will ensure we do not forget Beryl!

When we put together our business plan to Sport England we had to show major development in our membership figures in support of our application. We are due to update these figures next March and they will show an overall increase in membership of 30%. These figures are supported by the accounts of the club.

I have already shared with you elsewhere the crucial projects that lie ahead in terms of development and maintaining existing facilities, although I do intend to update you in this report on the most imminent capital project (upgrading the surface) our main access road.

We had intended to do this work last September/October and it was delayed and then subsequently stopped in November as we were advised of the Plans to develop the land by the garages in tandem with the Metrolink. We are now advised of a further change to the plans which allows us the confidence to proceed without wasting club funds! It is now our intention to complete this work by the end of March.

The major setback to the club in the last year was the loss of one of our volunteer workers Keith Mills. His support to me personally was massive and hopefully his memorial will be the ongoing improvement of the club he worked so tirelessly to support and develop! Many of us are trying to keep up with the volume of Keith’s work.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Anne Orrell, our outgoing President for her time in office as well as continuing her work on the Finance Team. She has set a great example to our next President who will of course continue his work as my engineering assistant. I would also highlight the work done by Steve Dixon on operating and managing the Bar. Thanks Steve, I know all you normally get are the complaints but not from me, brilliant.

Thank you also to the many members you give up their time to the club it will always be appreciated.

Brian Lorenzini
Chairman PCTBC
January 2012

A failed morning pitch inspection at Heys Road put paid to Prestwich’s Lancashire Amateur League Premier Division match against Howe Bridge Mills on Saturday.

The continued wet weather also meant more postponements for Prestwich Reserves trip to play Rossendale Amateurs B and Prestwich A Team’s home game against Radcliffe Boys Reserves at Drinkwater Park. Prestwich’s Sunday Team game against Crown was also called off the following day.

But some of the Saturday team lads still managed a run out as the First Team played the Reserves on the 3G surface at Our Lady’s in Blackley.

Michael Hoggard’s early opener gave the Reserves the lead before Martin Hill’s strike two minutes later brought the Firsts back level.

Two further goals from Danny Jones and Kieran Doherty gave the rampant Reserves a 3-1 advantage after just 15 minutes.

But Ashley Hoolighan pulled one back on the half hour before Lee Bushell fired the First Team level ten minutes after the restart.

Hoolighan completed the turnaround mid-way through the half to give Craig Howarth’s team a 4-3 win.

• Next Saturday Prestwich travel to Chew Moor Brook, Prestwich Reserves are at home against Oldham Hulmeians Reserves while Prestwich A are away at Rossendale Amateurs C. Prestwich Sunday team entertain Huntley Mount the following day at Heys Road.

Match Photo’s – Prestwich 4, Prestwich Reserves 3

Prestwich were denied a perfectly good late equaliser for offside in this 3-2 defeat away at Horwich Victoria on a awful, uncut and boggy pitch at Newhouse Farm in Bolton.

A Shaun Jackson penalty levelled Vic’s opener before Richard Steadman’s powerful header put the visitors in front. But Horwich pegged Prestwich back before half time and then went on to take the lead immediately from the restart capitalising on sloppy play from Craig Howarth’s team.

Originally scheduled to be played at Horwich’s pitch at Bolton Arena, continued problems with their landlord calling off game after game prompted a late change of venue to Newhouse Farm Playing Fields in Darcy Lever, Bolton.

Unfortunately the pitch wasn’t the best and the boggy and uncut surface didn’t provide much hope for flowing football from either side.

Resorting to a more direct style of play, Prestwich were first to try their luck but Jackson’s scuffed shot with just the ‘keeper to beat bobbled back in to play off the far post.

Anthony Roberts sent a header over the bar from Martin Hill’s centre before the home side took the lead with a good header from an 18th minute corner kick.

But Prestwich got back on terms just four minutes later when an innocuous looking tussle in the box was punished with a point to the penalty spot. Jackson slammed the resulting kick down the middle with the ball just about squirming under the diving ‘keeper.

A low curling cross from the left by Roberts evaded everybody before thumping the foot of the far post as Prestwich looked to take full advantage of their first half dominance.

And the turnaround was completed just after the half hour when skipper Richard Steadman ghosted in at the back stick to firmly head in Hill’s right-sided corner.

Unfortunately the lead wasn’t to last long as the home side went route one when a goal kick was headed on to a forward who lobbed the ball over the on-rushing Alex Blake and in to the net.

With honours even at the break, Prestwich were masters of their own demise immediately after the restart. Playing in to defence from the kick-off, a difficult back-pass to the ‘keeper wasn’t successfully dealt with leaving a Horwich forward a simple tap-in to restore their lead.

The home side enjoyed the lion’s share of the play in the second half as they looked to turn the screw but it wasn’t until the introduction of sub and leading scorer Ashley Hoolighan that Prestwich threatened an equaliser.

And that equaliser should have come in the 70th minute when Hoolighan’s strike was wrongly ruled out for offside. Collecting the ball out on the right, Roberts ventured in to the box before pulling the ball back to the on-rushing Hoolighan who slotted the ball past the Vic’s ‘keeper.

As the defenders desperately appealed for offside, the pulled back ball should have seen Prestwich safe but much to the dismay of the men in blue, the Assistant Referee thought otherwise and raised his flag in the air.

With the game entering the final moments, Prestwich continued to search for the goal that would give them a deserved point. Hoolighan’s header flew too high before his acrobatic volley, with what turned out to be the last kick of the game, was sent just inches wide.

PRESTWICH: Blake, Kosub, Bushell, Walsh, Steadman (1), Taylor, Hill, Buckley (O’Donnell), Haslam (Hoolighan), Jackson (1 pen), Roberts

• Prestwich will look to bounce straight back as they entertain Howe Bridge Mills at Heys Road next Saturday, kick-off 2pm.

• Prestwich RESERVES home game against Howrich Victoria Reserves was called off due to a waterlogged pitch. The A TEAM game away against Lymm Reserves was called off due to a frozen pitch and the home SUNDAY TEAM cup game away Unsworth was also called off.

Match Photo’s – Horwich Victoria 3, Prestwich 2

Notice is given of this year’s Prestwich Cricket, Tennis & Bowling Club’s Annual General Meeting which will be held at the club on Sunday 22nd January at 12pm. Please find agenda and proposals below.

Business

1. Apologies

2. Minutes of previous Annual General Meeting

3. Treasurer’s Report

4. Section Reports

5. Amendments to club Rules, proposed by the Management Committee.

•Subscription fees

To increase Life Membership to £1,200      (an increase of £400)

To introduce a Late Payment fee of £10 if subscriptions are not paid by 31st May.

Other membership subscriptions remain unchanged.

6. Nomination of Officers for the ensuing season.

Officers for re-election for this term are the Chairman, Secretary and House Manager.

Janet Austin
Secretary