AFC Fylde

Variation themed, no staid format with the Manero, with a trip to the coastal plain in West Lancashire and into focus AFC Fylde, previously known as Kirkham and Westham, founded in 1988 as a pub club and re-energised to AFC Fylde in 2008. The club gained four promotions in a decade, on promotion to the fifth tier of the pyramid and narrowly missed out on promotion to the Football League in the following season, relegation transpired in 2019 – 20 to their current status.

The Coasters early history was based in the West Lancashire leagues on the yo-yo effect between Leagues One and Two. The league was reconstructed in 1998 with the club dominating the league, becoming champions on eight occasions the Coasters had become too big for their britches. The club lifted their status to the North West Counties in 2007 and elevated themselves further by gaining promotion to the Division 1 north of the Northern Premier League, at the first attempt another pyramid ladder climb was achieved with promotion to the Premier division and onto the 2012-12 season with the mission impossible, a place in the National League North, an ambitious project to fast track, a remarkable rise, a remarkable story, not to escape the Manero radar. Two more trophies were added to the cabinet, winning the 2008 FA Vase and the FA Trophy in 2019, the only club to have won both trophies.

The club in recent times have tarnished their success story with the reputation of being the rats of the pyramid system to air the club’s rodent droppings in the public domain. The charge sheet reads, the club’s accountant was jailed for using £240,000 of club funds in a cocaine, cam girls and gambling den of iniquity. Impropriety was added to the club’s rotting rats displaying a discrimination attitude to women with club job advertisements regarded as being sexist. The club’s former manager James Rowe who had previous at Chesterfield was hung out on sexual assault charge, must be the sea sir. The club’s owner David Haythornthwaite is the pipe holder of the stenches, Sir David to oneself is on the fruit cake trip affiliated to UKP and a supporter of fracking, no oil to be found at the Mill Farm Stadium which hosted a Brexit party with violent overtones being directed at Jeremy Corbyn, all via the owner’s Tannoy system was loud and clear, that a right winger can do for you, in politics of course.

The latest debacle came with a National League North encounter at Chester FC with the Cheshire club’s assistant manager being accused of using threatening behaviour towards the Fylde kitman who also stated that some Chester supporters tried to enter the Fylde dressing room and was subsequently threatened in the car park with the Police interviewing, perhaps the law was the cardboard cut outs? The Cheshire constabulary have a non-policing policy at Chester FC, all poffle and hot air, nothing came of the Fylde complaint to the FA. A changing of the club’s attitude needs to change, maybe that’s what drives them on the shittyness. Currently Fylde could be installed as the 2022-23 National League Champions to continue the club’s success story, AFC Fylde.

Quiz Answers

Answers to the March Shrimper’s Quiz: 1. Bobby Moore and Sol Campbell 2. Peter Taylor 3. Ronnie Whelan 4. Morecombe FC

The Pyramid’s Snake and Ladders

Promotion and relegation issues to be decided with football’s month of May billboarding the rising clubs and the clubs that have been snaked. Promotion cam early for Burnley on their return to the Premiership, April being the Clarets key month at the time of Happy Easter glad tiding. During the season a sixty four percent possession stat is afforded to Vincent Kompany’s team, the highest in the division, with mid table Swansea close behind on sixty three percent which highlights that possession football is not always the king (link to article Young Guns on the Manager’s Block July 2022) Burnley to lift the Championship trophy, congrats to Vincent. Pushing hard in second place are the Blade Runners, Sheffield United, which would be a remarkable achievement of equal footing, with the Blades facing a financial meltdown. An FA Cup semi-final berth was also recured to cement a backs to the wall success story. Another cash strapped club, Luton Town, are heading the play off chase alongside Middlesborough, who are to secure their spots. Eight clubs are contesting the remaining one play off spot (at the time of writing). At the basement, Wigan Athletic and Blackpool seem set for the plunge with Reading entering the fodder zone, having been hit with a points deduction. The Football League’s rated number 1 manager on achievements, Neil Warnock, has galvanised Huddersfield Town to give the Terriers a shot at survival. Five other clubs are still picture framed for relegation. There have been nineteen managerial casualties in the Championship which outstrips the Premiership sackings by six at the last count.

Into League One with Plymouth Argyle, Ipswich Town and Sheffield Wednesday in the top three notches, Barnsley and the Papa John Trophy winners Bolton Wanderers (link to article BW June 2022) are play off positioned with Derby County pushing hard to enter the zone, Peterborough United, Wycombe Wanderers and Portsmouth are also radaring in. At the snaked end, Forest Green Rovers are destined for League Two, with eight clubs under threat from relegation.

Into League 2 with Leyton Orient on course for the title, Northampton Town, Stevenage Borough, Stockport County, Carlisle United, Bradford City and Mansfield Town are all contesting the automatic slot and play-off positions, Barrow having an outside chance of joining the zone for promotion. At the snaked end, Rochdale are in danger of losing their 102 year Football League status with seven other clubs trying to avid the same fate. The turning of the snake’s head looking to climb the ladder on a return to Football League pastures with AFC Wrexham striving to end their fifteen year non-league existence. The Dragons only challengers for automatic promotion and Champions elect are the claim to famers being the world’s oldest club Notts County. Both clubs are looking to bust gut the National League record of 105 points amassed by Crawley Town in the season 2010-11. The play-off chasing park trial the Robins and the Magpies by a staggering fourteen points and upwards. Southend United (link to article March 2023) are champing at the bit for a play-off spot, despite being handcuffed with financial restrictions. At the basement Maidstone and Scunthorpe United are doomed to the sixth tiers of English football, North and South.

At National League North level, Fylde, Kings Lynn and Chester FC are the top dogs. Chester FC are unbeaten in twenty away matches, Manchester United hold the record for the most prolonged unbeaten away run in English football standing at 26 matches (at the time of writing). Nine other clubs are challenging for the remaining play-off spots. AFC Telford are relegated early doors and will enter into step 3 of the pyramid system at Northern, Southern and Isthmian level perm two from nine clubs to join the Lilywhites. In National League South, Ebbsfleet United are the runaway champions to amass over one hundred points, twelve clubs are zoned into a play-off battle. Concord Rangers have nose dived with relegation ease. Hungerford Town seem ready for the drop with four clubs looking to avoid the last automatic drop zone onto step 3, the snakes and ladders of the pyramid system, enjoyed the ride, phew.