PLAYER INTERVIEW | Lucas Odunston on the 22/23 Season so far and his first year with Avenue
Premier League announces £12.6m support for National League clubs and communities
The Premier League has announced an increased investment package of £12.6m to support the National League over the next three years.
A sum of £9m is available to support the 72 National League Clubs with running costs and sustainability. A further £3.6m will be available via the Premier League and Professional Footballers’ Association’s partnership to support the National League Trust and the network of club community organisations like the Maidenhead United FC Community Trust.
Marking the news, the Premier League Trophy visited Maidenhead United as local schoolchildren participated in a special Premier League Primary Stars training session on the pitch at York Road Stadium.
Players from the club’s 52 junior teams, launched in 2019 with support from the National League Trust, also assembled at the ground for photographs with the Trophy.
The new Premier League investment is in addition to the Premier League’s Stadium Fund which has made £33m available over the next three years to help clubs across the football pyramid to transform matchday experiences and improve sustainability.
Funding for maintenance and new infrastructure is available to clubs playing in steps 1 to 6 of the National League, including those promoted into the English Football League, as well as for the Women’s football pyramid.
Maidenhead United have received more than £300,000 in funding for stadium improvements from the Premier League since 2003, with grants contributing to the construction of covered seating areas, a new accessibility entrance and updated turnstiles and floodlights.
The club’s historic York Road Stadium has been home to The Magpies since 1871, the oldest ground used continuously by the same club.
Premier League Chief Executive Richard Masters said: “The continued success of Premier League football over the past thirty years enables us to provide unprecedented investment in communities and wider football. As we look to the future, we are committed to investing more than ever, to help develop the game and provide opportunities to people of all ages.”
“We are pleased to increase the financial support offered to clubs playing in the National League and to support the fantastic work they deliver in their communities alongside the National League Trust.”
Mark Ives, General Manager of the National League, added: “We welcome the ongoing support of the Premier League and this new investment will provide a timely boost of vital funding to our clubs. This is brilliant news for our competition and its future.
“Fans and communities are at the heart of everything we do. The Premier League’s increased funding package for the National League Trust means even more resource for our club foundations to continue and expand their roles in local communities.”
Last season, the Premier League supported National League clubs with £5m to help them with their continued recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic.
Community Captain recognition for Nick Bradshaw
During the Premier League Trophy’s visit to York Road, lifelong fan of the club Nick Bradshaw was named as Maidenhead United FC’s Community Captain in recognition of his work as a volunteer combatting loneliness and providing support to vulnerable residents in the local community.
The club have commended Nick in particular recognition of his support of the late Levi Niemann, a remarkable resident of Maidenhead, who first became known to the club through the Magpies Community Care Helpline operated during the pandemic.
Nick formed a friendship with Levi, who was registered as blind in 2012, helping him to live more independently and even to achieve a lifetime ambition to skydive to raise funds for Guide Dogs UK.
Nick was presented with a Premier League pennant and special captain’s armband by Maidenhead United captain Alan Massey.
“A captain is someone who shows leadership and commitment and uses their ability to help others, which means Nick is a more than deserving recipient of this prestigious Premier League award,” said Massey.
“Nick is an incredible example of the relationship the club is proud to have within the community and it is testament to the hard work of everyone at the Community Trust.”
The Community Captain accolade is being given to more than 100 members of the public who have made an outstanding contribution to their club and local community, as part of the Premier League’s 30th anniversary celebrations.
Jon Adams, Chief Executive, Maidenhead United said: “We are thrilled that Maidenhead United FC has been included within the Premier League Trophy Tour. The club has been the beneficiary of funding from the Premier League through the National League over several years. This funding has been vital to the development of our extensive community programme, enabling us to support the development of grassroots football and extend the range of activities available in the local area to support those most in need within our community.”
Across England and Wales, Premier League investment supports the community organisations of all 92 Premier League and English Football League clubs, plus the 68 National League clubs.
Over the next three years, the League will continue its world-leading levels of support by contributing £1.6 billion to communities and the wider game. During the Trophy Tour, the League will be announcing new financial commitments to benefit fans and communities.
MATCH PREVIEW – Bradford (Park Avenue) v Curzon Ashton
Bradford (Park Avenue) welcome Curzon Ashton to the Horsfall Stadium this weekend as they still search for the illusive first win of the season
It’s not been the best of starts for Bradford (Park Avenue) by any stretch of the imagination and are in desperate need their first win of the season as the pressure continues to ramp up on the players and management team to perform.
The past five meetings between these two sides don’t offer for pleasant reading, losing three and drawing 2 in all competitions, but could (Park Avenue) upset the form table and finally open their account for the season.
Curzon Ashton have had an upsurge in form as of late, going on a four-game unbeaten run since their defeat to Chester FC, beating the likes of FC United of Manchester and Gloucester City and will no hoping to take advantage of Bradford’s poor start to the season and continue and extend their run to five when they make the trip to West Yorkshire.
Curzon have scored 11 goals in their last five games only conceding six in all competitions, but with their FA Cup replay in mid-week and Park Avenue not playing, Bradford could use this to their advantage having those extra days of rest.
Bradford’s attacking form has been a source of concern this season only converting four times in four games and conceding 12 remaining the only team in the league to not pick up a single win out of their opening 10 games.
As the games tick away the need and desperation of that first win grows, but playing in front of a home crowd could provide the spark that the players need.
The game kicks off at 3pm at the Horsfall Stadium and could this be the time that Bradford (Park Avenue) kick off their season with a win against Curzon Ashton.
You can also watch highlights from last seasons match v Curzon at the Horsfall below!
MATCH REPORT – Southport 4 – 1 Bradford (Park Avenue)
Avenue travelled to nineteenth-placed Southport with high hopes of a good result but, with half a dozen players in the home side recently back from injury, it was a much tougher task than was expected.
With a strong wind blowing down the pitch, Avenue had it in their faces in a first half which Southport dominated after going ahead in the fifth minute. A perfect strike into the top corner from 22 yards gave George Sykes-Kenworthy at full stretch no chance at all in goal.
Finding it hard to relieve the pressure and with numerous chances falling to the home side, the score was nevertheless kept at 1 – 0 until two further goals just before half-time appeared to end the game as a contest, the second of these being a penalty.
However, a well-directed header by Harrison Hopper then gave Brad Dockerty the opportunity to take the ball past the last defender and calmly slot home in time added on to make the score 3 – 1 and give Avenue a lifeline.
Southport continued to create chances in the second half, though Avenue came more into the picture without really being able to trouble the keeper. They kept up their efforts to the end but were found stretched when a close-range header in added time completed the scoring.
While unable to have any complaints at the final outcome, one was left to wonder how the game might have gone had Southport not won the toss and Avenue had been able to have the wind at their backs in the first half.
Manager Mark Bower had this to say after the game: ‘Today we never put enough passes together to relieve pressure on ourselves. We’ve lost the chance to get anything from the game in that five minutes before half-time. That was self-inflicted.’ And, regarding the game as a whole: ‘We just didn’t play with enough quality.’
His counterpart at Southport, Liam Watson, looked at the more positive side of Avenue’s performance: ‘To be honest, you’ve got to give Bradford credit because they actually dug in and stayed in the game. You can see that they’re playing for the manager and they’re working their socks off and they could have actually crumbled, but they didn’t, so fair play to them.
‘In the second half you’re thinking you don’t want these to get a second one and (then) you’re wobbling. They were game, they worked. I don’t think they’ll finish bottom of the League, I definitely don’t. They dug in, they had a go. It was a good game, probably a really good game for the neutral.’
Team: Sykes-Kenworthy; Odunston, Staunton; Spencer, Havern, Lund (Smith 71); Longbottom (Blyth 56), Richman (Fielding 70), Dockerty, Church, Hopper. Unused subs: Hall, Johnson.
Avenue yellow cards: Spencer (38), Odunston (42).
Att. 802
BPA Men’s Fit Club I National League Trust Project with THCT & BPA Academy
The Academy have teamed up with the National League Trust and The Horsfall Community Trust to deliver a project to 20 men to help with their health and general wellbeing. The project will provide fun structured coaching sessions along with some sound advice around healthy eating habits, how to easily improve / increase daily and weekly physical activity to help with weight-loss and general wellbeing. GPS technology will be provided to measure impact of training and fitness.
A celebration event will be held to highlight the achievements of each participant. Hospitality will be provided at a BPA men’s first team game.
The project is based at the Horsfall Community Stadium and using the fantastic facilities on site. Anyone interested in joining should email thomas.mcstravick@bpafc.com or contact on 07821579451.
PLAYER INTERVIEW | Mitch Lund gives his thoughts on tomorrows match v Southport!
#UTA
Match Preview – Southport vs Bradford (Park Avenue)
The Green Army head to the seaside for Matchday 11 of the Vanarama National League North.
Bradford (Park Avenue) will be heading west again for the second time in four days as they are set to take on Southport F.C. at Haig Avenue on Saturday.
Mark Bower’s men remain bottom of the National League North and are still in search their first win of the season, despite a much-improved display at the weekend in their 3-1 away loss to AFC Fylde. Avenue’s spirited performance on the Fylde Coast left the Green Army with cause for optimism, with Bower praising his side’s confidence and composure on the ball for large parts of the game.
This weekend’s hosts are heading into the game in 18th place on the back of a vital 1-0 win at home to Leamington, a result that brought to an end a six-game winless streak for the Sandgrounders. Southport were boosted by the return of their well-travelled star attacker Marcus Carver, on loan from Scunthorpe United, who received high praise for his role in the victory.
Despite hitting Boston United for five on the opening day of the season, Southport have only found the net on three occasions in the eight games that have followed. After a run of difficult fixtures against sides higher up the table, the Avenue will look to this game against a team who has struggled to find consistency as the perfect opportunity to record a first win of the season and get an important three points on the board.
Bradford (Park Avenue) will also be out for revenge following last season’s 5-0 home drubbing at the hands of the Sandgrounders. The Avenue additionally lost the away fixture at Southport in a narrow 1-0 defeat. Mark Bower will no doubt be hoping for stricter discipline from his side as both fixtures saw the Green Army reduced to 10 men.
Travelling fans can find the Haig Avenue stadium at Southport Football Club, Haig Avenue, Southport, PR8 6JZ. Click here for more info for travelling supporters.
Click here for directions to Haig Avenue. Or follow the map below.
All tickets can be purchased online by clicking here, or purchased on the gate, and are priced at Adult £13.50, Concession £10.00, Junior (12-17) £5.00, Under 12’s FREE when accompanied by a full paying adult.
Vanarama National League Secure Official Web3 Sponsor, Fanz.com
The Vanarama National League are delighted to announce a new sponsorship agreement with Fanz.com, who have agreed a deal to become The Official Web3 Sponsor of the league.
Fanz Technologies Limited are a British company who design and develop technology to create a deeper connection between football clubs, leagues and their fans.
The Fanz technology platform allows football clubs or leagues to issue a fan engagement tokens to verified fans, enabling fans to vote on club related matters throughout a season. The club or league collect actionable responses in real-time, visualizing the results before using the data to make more informed decisions that are fan-led.
Shahid Azeem Chair of the Commercial Committee at the National League said “The profile and audiences we get at the National League are phenomenal and we have spent the last few months exploring how to embrace emerging technology. Fanz.com are a forward-thinking British technology company who we are excited to work with to deliver value through exploring new technologies to serve fans and clubs in the league”
Sam Jones, founder of Fanz, said “Every fan has an opinion about their club and how it should be run. That is nothing new. These voices are all too often not heard, aggregated, or acted on. If these fan voices could be collected on demand, analysed in real-time and used to make decisions by the club – that would be a real advantage to a club, true fan engagement.
“Through Web3 technology, this is what we can deliver to clubs, new levels of fan insight and revenues. Any club in football can embrace such technology without any upfront cost or technology build. We look forward to sharing this with the clubs in the National League in the coming months.”
The sponsorship agreement which will see Fanz.com branding on the National League website and social media activation over the coming months.
AFC Fylde 3 – 1 Bradford (Park Avenue)
Avenue’s loss by a two-goal margin at fourth-placed Fylde on Saturday unfortunately does nothing to reflect the hard work and endeavour put into the game by players anxious to turn their fortunes around and claim an overdue first win of the season.
Keeping the home side at a safe distance for most of the first half, Avenue managed to have a few moments of their own. After a free-flowing move early on, Will Longbottom played in Jamie Spencer who hit a strong, rising shot from 16 yards only fractionally outside the angle of post and crossbar. There was also a penetrating run by Lucas Odunston taking him into a scoring position directly in front of goal before being brought down in a heap on the edge of the box.
Fylde then made their first clear opportunity count after 25 minutes with a forceful 15-yard shot looping into the top corner of the net, but Avenue continued to show their resolve. Simon Richman had a tricky angled shot turned away for a corner before an equaliser came just two minutes before the break to give a whole new complexion to the game. Will Longbottom put a precision corner kick into the goalmouth which Oli Johnson flicked on and captain Luca Havern was there to stab in at the far post.
Facing a tough task still against a full-time team on a six-match unbeaten run, Avenue were looking comfortable enough as the second half progressed. However, Fylde then re-took the lead from a debatable corner in the 63rd minute when a firm header from ten yards out was planted into the bottom corner of the net and Avenue were suddenly up against it.
Despite their efforts, opportunities to get back in the game did not really come their way and, with just two minutes left on the clock and Avenue desperately looking for an opening that might give them some reward, Fylde took advantage on the counter by scoring a third goal to seal their victory.
It’s perhaps worth noting that the fixture planners have unwittingly not helped Avenue in these opening nine matches of the season. Giving them seven fixtures against teams currently in the top eight, this has sadly been reflected in the League table despite a number of close games.
While understandably disappointed with the defeat, manager Mark Bower said the following the game: ‘After last week, we asked for a reaction from the players’, and on this performance he was justifiably able to add: ‘Today I thought we looked confident. We looked good on the ball’.
Team: Sykes-Kenworthy; Odunston, Staunton; Spencer (Fielding 63), Havern, Lund; Hopper, Richman, Dockerty (Church 77), Johnson (Blyth 70), Longbottom. Unused subs: Smith, Nowakowski.
Avenue yellow card: Hopper (88).
SOUTHPORT V BPAFC AWAY SUPPORTERS INFORMATION
Admission Prices – Away Supporters:
Blowick Terrace – This is an uncovered Terrace behind the goal
ADULTS – £13.50 | Concessions* | £10.00 | 12-17 £5.00 | u12s** FREE
Blowick End – Main Stand – All seated (We reserve the right to restrict access to groups)
ADULT £15.00 | Concessions* £11.00 | 12-17 £6.00 | u12s** FREE
* With ID and to include Aged 65+, full-time students, Blue Light Cardholders, Armed Force members and disabled with carer (Carer ticket is free when purchased with a Disabled ticket)
**MUST be accompanied by an adult or concession; MAX 3 per person.
Tickets are now available to purchase online and will remain online until 1-hour prior to the scheduled kick-off time.
• Advance purchase strongly recommended for away supporters
• Online Ticket Sales ‘offline’ 1-hour prior to kick-off
• When booking online, you may be required to show ID at the turnstile
• Turnstiles will be open from 2pm on match day
Tickets can also be purchased from the Club Shop on Match Days:
Please Note: The Club Shop will be open from 10.30am and will close at kick-off
Programmes: Available for purchase, priced at £3.00, available from vendors and the club shop
Refreshments: Refreshment kiosks will be available once the Turnstiles open, serving hot food and hot & cold beverages; a licenced bar will also be available inside the stadium
Car Parking: There is no car park at the stadium, supporters can park on Haig Avenue and neighbouring streets but we request that supporters are respectful of local residents and not to block driveways.
Travelling to the game? Click here for directions to Haig Avenue