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MEIRT H EP R I N C I P A L C L U B P A R T N E RO F F I C I A L K I T S U P P L I E RF O L E Y M E I R C H A R I T A B L E O R G A N I S A T I O N C H A R I T Y N U M B E R : 1 1 8 6 9 74V S E C C L E S H A L LO F F I C A L M AT C H D AY P R O G R A M M EK I C K O F F 3 P MS A T U R D A Y 2 2 A U G U S T 2 0 2 6N DI S S U E 4 - 2 0 2 6 / 2 7P L A Y E R S P O N S O RFused Sport
VWELCOMEFoley Meir Football ClubCommittee / DirectorsPresident: Steve James Chairman: Andy Mapperson Vice-Chairman: Liam James Committee: Darren Durkin Committee: James Wildman Committee: Mark Lloyd Committee: Mark SkerrattFirst Team Manager: Mark Lawton First Team Assisant Manager: Adrian Maddock First Team Coach: Mitch Pattison First Team Coach: Josh Brown First Team Coach: Mark Greenhoff Goalkeeper Coach: Chris Cantrell Head Physio: Amy Buckle MJPL Under 16 Manager: Jon Owen Sunday Under 16 Manager: Liam James Under 8 Manager: Anthony DayManagementClub Secretary: Lisa Skerratt Treasurer: Steve Wright Groundsman: Adrain Purcell Stadium Facillities Manager: Liam James Club Photographer: Jamie Roberts Social Media: Ashley Nicklin Programme Editor: Ashley NicklinClub ManagementInside This Issue:03040507The Gaffer’s NotesThe President’s WelcomeFOLLOW OUR SOCIALSPlayer SponsorshipClub News09Watch Out Jamies About13The Visitors17Last Time Out18Seven Questions With: Adam Clayton21From The Archives23Next Up
Firstly, I’d like to welcome everyone to the Trentham Foods Stadium for today’s game, along with the players, management, officials and supporters of Eccleshall. It’s been a positive few days for us. Last weekend we progressed in the FA Vase, which was a great result for the club, and we followed that up with a hard-earned point away at Stafford Town on Tuesday night. Stafford is never an easy place to go, so to come away with a clean sheet and something to show for our efforts was pleasing. There were opportunities for us to win the game, but overall I was happy with the work rate, discipline and togetherness the lads showed. We defended well as a team and kept going right until the final whistle. Those are qualities we’re going to need throughout a long and demanding season. Today brings another very difficult test. Eccleshall were one of the strongest sides in the division last season, finishing runners-up and going extremely close to promotion. They’ve started this campaign strongly as well, so we know exactly the level of performance that will be required from us this afternoon. For us, it’s about continuing to build. We’ve shown already that we can compete with good sides, but consistency is going to be important. We want to make this ground a difficult place for teams to come, and that means approaching every home game with the right attitude and intensity. Finally, thank you for the support you continue to give the lads. Hopefully we can put in another performance you can get behind this afternoon. Up the Foley!THE GAFFER’S NOTESFirst Team ManagerMark Lawton
Good afternoon and welcome to the Trentham Foods Stadium for today’s North West Counties League First Division South fixture against Eccleshall. I would like to extend a warm welcome to the players, management, officials and supporters of Eccleshall. We hope everyone connected with the club enjoys their afternoon with us and has a safe journey home afterwards. It has been another busy week for Foley both on and off the pitch. Tuesday night saw the lads earn a hard-fought point away at Stafford Town in a goalless draw, and we now return home looking to continue building momentum in what has already been a competitive start to the season. Last weekend was also a fantastic one around the club, with around 250 Swansea City supporters joining us before their game against Stoke City. The clubhouse and café were packed and the day proved to be a huge success. A massive thank you must go to everybody who helped make it happen. It is something we are keen to build on, and we hope to welcome travelling supporters from other clubs to Foley ahead of future fixtures. Today we welcome an Eccleshall side who enjoyed an excellent campaign last season, finishing runners-up in the division and coming extremely close to promotion. We know they will provide another difficult test and we look forward to what should be an entertaining Staffordshire encounter. As always, I would like to thank our sponsors, volunteers, committee members and everyone who gives their time to keep the club moving forward. None of what happens on a matchday would be possible without their continued hard work and support. Finally, thank you to everyone who has joined us this afternoon. Your support from the sidelines makes a real difference, so please get behind the lads and help us create another great atmosphere at the Trentham Foods Stadium. Up the Foley!THE PRESIDENT’S WELCOMEClub PresidentSteve James
CLUB NEWSSWANSEA TAKEOVERLast weekend saw the Foley clubhouse packed out as around 250 travelling Swansea City supporters joined us ahead of their game against Stoke City at the bet365 Stadium. With the clubhouse and café open from the morning, the visit proved to be a huge success and created a brilliant atmosphere around the ground before the Swans continued their journey to Stoke. A big thank you goes to everyone who came along, as well as the volunteers who helped make the day run smoothly. Following the success of the event, we’ll be looking to welcome more travelling supporters to Foley ahead of future fixtures and make the Trentham Foods Stadium a regular stop for away fans visiting Stoke- on-Trent.
Will TamsHarry LivingstoneNick WoodsConnor LawtonFused SportComplete PadelJake LloydConnor WithersJay LovattAdam ClaytonKerr DollochinSaul CullenZach RobinsonMatt PlantEden BullockLiam ConnollyFin FooteMarc GrocottSeb QuinnPlayer Sponsors 26/27Monty ParkesBRAITH & ELLWYNN ELLISDYLAN& WYN JAMESMICKEY DANIELS
Lucas BakerCharlie BradburyTyler MistryArchie EllamsLuke LewisDanny WardJake WalklettJay FinneyFreddy LloydJake LovattPlayer Sponsors 26/27Josh Miles Carl BakerBRAITH & ELLWYNN ELLISDYLAN& WYN JAMESMark Lawton
JAMIESJAMIESJamie Roberts Sports PhotographyWATCH OUTWATCH OUTABOUTABOUTClub Photographer Jamie Roberts has been given Unlimited Access To All Areas at The Trentham Foods Stadium.jr_sportsphotography
THEVISITORSECCLESHALL
Eccleshall Football Club were reformed in 1971, originally under the name Eccleshall Old Boys. The side was made up largely of local players and staff from Eccleshall Secondary School, which also provided the club with its early training and playing facilities. Nicknamed the Eagles, the club began its journey in local football before steadily progressing through the Staffordshire pyramid. Success arrived relatively quickly. In 1974, Eccleshall lifted the Mid-Staffs Third Division Cup and finished runners-up in the league to earn promotion. The club later joined the Staffordshire County League (North), where further success followed. The 1983/84 season proved particularly memorable as Eccleshall won the Premier Division championship, Premier Division Cup and May Bank Cup in the same campaign. The Eagles continued to establish themselves during the following years and were crowned Staffordshire Senior League champions in 1989/90. By the turn of the century, Eccleshall had developed into one of the strongest sides in the Midland League, winning back-to-back championships in 2001/02 and 2002/03. The latter campaign was one of the most successful in the club's history, with the first team also lifting the Staffordshire FA Vase before stepping up into the North West Counties Football League. Since joining the NWCFL, Eccleshall have become an established presence at Step 6 while continuing to develop their facilities and wider club structure. Their Pershall Park home is now known as the Stoke Signage Stadium, situated on Chester Road in Eccleshall. The 2025/26 campaign represented another significant chapter in the club's history, with the Eagles finishing as runners-up in the NWCFL First Division South. They also reached the final of the Staffordshire County FA Senior Challenge Cup, further underlining the progress being made both on and off the pitch. Today, Eccleshall continue to build on more than five decades of history, combining strong local roots with ambitions to progress further through the non-league pyramid.ECCLESHALLECCLESHALLECCLESHALL
PREVIOUS MEETINGSN W C F L F I R S T D I V I S I O N S O U T H2 - 13 0 J U L Y 2 0 2 5N W C F L F I R S T D I V I S I O N S O U T H2 - 35 A P R I L 2 0 2 6Sam Golden (Left) and Aiden Lloyd (Right)The 2025/26 campaign proved to be an excellent one for Eccleshall as the Eagles established themselves as one of the leading sides in the North West Counties League First Division South. Eccleshall finished the regular season in second place, collecting 74 points from 34 league matches. Their record of 23 wins, five draws and six defeats reflected an impressive level of consistency across the campaign, while 78 goals scored and just 33 conceded gave them one of the strongest records in the division. For much of the season, Eccleshall were the closest challengers to eventual champions Runcorn Town. A strong run through the autumn and winter kept them firmly in the promotion picture, including a nine- game unbeaten league sequence that helped establish the Eagles among the division’s leading contenders. Their runners-up finish secured home advantage in the play-offs, where Eccleshall produced an emphatic 5–1 victory over Stafford Town in the semi-final to book their place in the final. Promotion ultimately slipped away in dramatic fashion. Leading Stockport Georgians 1–0 deep into stoppage time, Eccleshall conceded a 93rd-minute equaliser before the contest eventually went to penalties. Georgians prevailed 5–4 in the shootout, bringing an otherwise outstanding league campaign to a heartbreaking conclusion. There was also an impressive cup run, with Eccleshall reaching the Staffordshire County FA Senior Challenge Cup Final after overcoming higher-ranked Stafford Rangers in the semi-final. Despite missing out on promotion, the 2025/26 season represented significant progress for the Eagles and provided a strong platform to build from heading into the new campaign.2025/26 SEASON REVIEW2026/27 SO FAREccleshall have made a strong start to the new campaign, recording victories over Widnes Town, Allscott Heath and Wolverhampton Casuals, while also progressing in the FA Vase with a convincing 4–0 win over Allscott. Their most recent outing ended in a narrow 3–2 defeat to Wednesfield Community, but the Eagles arrive at the Trentham Foods Stadium having shown plenty of early-season promise as they look to build on last year’s runners-up finish.CLUB CONNECTIONSSam Golden A familiar face to both clubs, Golden previously served as assistant manager and later manager at Foley Meir before becoming part of the coaching set-up at Eccleshall. He is now on the coaching staff at Hanley Town Aiden Lloyd Known by both clubs contributed a number of important goals during his time at the club, including during the 2024/25 campaign, he joining Eccleshall at the start of the 2025/26 season.
Foley Meir returned from Evans Park with a point following a hard-fought 0-0 draw against Stafford Town on Tuesday evening. Foley came close to opening the scoring during the first half when Kerr rose above the Stafford defence to meet a delivery, only to see his effort come back off the upright. The visitors continued to look for a breakthrough in the first half, with Man of the Match Connor Withers producing one of the standout moments of the game. Picking the ball up around the halfway line, Withers drove forward, beat two Stafford players and unleashed an effort that flew narrowly over the crossbar. Stafford also carried a threat and had a good opportunity to take the lead in the second half, but the resulting shot drifted just wide of the top corner. The hosts went even closer later in the half when a cross into the area struck the crossbar, with Foley surviving the danger. Both sides continued to push for a winner, but neither could find the decisive breakthrough before the final whistle, with the points shared after a competitive goalless draw. For Foley, it was another solid away performance and a valuable clean sheet, with plenty of positives to take from a disciplined display at Evans Park.LAST TIME OUT STAFFORD TOWN FOLEY MEIR00 EVANS PARK | TUESDAY 18 AUGUSTTH ATTENDANCE: 103
Who is the best player you’ve ever played with? Tom Conlon Which teammates would survive a zombie apocalyps? Bakes he can hide anywhere What's the first football match you remember watching? Stoke vs Walsall 2000-2001 If you had to pick 3 Stoke players to join Foley who would they be? Arnie, Shawcross, Fuller easy What’s your favorite band of all time? Courteenrs What's your favourite football shirt of all time? Stoke’s blue away shirt from 2001-2002 What has been your favourite football memory so far? Winning the treble with Wolstanton United.SEVEN QUESTIONS WITH: ZACH ROBINSONARNIE, SHAWCROSS, FULLER EASY ZACH ROBINSON
Foley’s memorable 2016/17 season The 2016/17 campaign stands as one of the most successful seasons in Foley’s recent history, with the club completing a memorable league and cup double. Foley were crowned Staffordshire County Senior League Division One champions, securing promotion after an excellent campaign built on consistency, togetherness and a strong team spirit. The success did not stop there, with Foley also lifting silverware in the Presidents Cup to complete the double and bring two trophies back to the club. The photograph captures the players and staff celebrating together with both trophies after a season that remains a proud part of Foley’s recent history. While much of our archive takes us back several decades, the 2016/17 side is a reminder that Foley’s history is still being written — and that memorable seasons are not confined to the distant past.
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ECCLESHALLFOLEY MEIRMonty Parkes (GK) Lucas Baker Jake Braxton-Lloyd Eden Bullock Adam Clayton Liam Connolly Saul Cullen Kerr Dollochin Archie Ellams Jay Finney Finlay Foote Marc Grocott Connor Lawton Luke Lewis Harry Livingstone Freddy Lloyd Jay Lovatt Joshua Miles Tyler Mistry Matthew Plant Sebastian Quinn Zach Robinson William Tams Jake Walklett Lewis Walley Daniel Ward Connor Withers Nicholas Wood Jake Lovatt Charlie BradburyJack Richards (GK) Barry Weston (GK) Adam Whitehouse (GK) Bobby Allen Matthew Argent-Barnes Solomon Ashworth Dylan Baily Dylan Bath Niall Butchart Maxwell Chimenes Michael Dempsey Joseph Drakeley Archie Elsdon Essa Faburay Daniel Glover Aarron Grewal Cianan Griffin Levi Hunter Matthew Jones Louis Lake Ben Marshall James May Philip McKerdy Dan Melsom Nicky Parker Morgan Russell Billy Silvester William Silvester Theo Stair Charlie Swingwood Jamie Turner Sam WhittallToday’s Officials Referee: Josh Warren | Assistant: Nick Webster | Assistant: Micheal PartonTHE SQUADS