Match Information: Cheadle Town vs. Bury

Cheadle Town host Bury in their penultimate game of the season on Saturday, albeit in different surroundings as we head to Broadhurst Park, the home of FC United of Manchester.

Please read the following article ahead of Saturday’s game which includes key information to ensure the day goes as planned.

Tickets & Admission

Tickets are still on sale via our TicketSource platform, and we encourage everyone to purchase their in advance of the game. This will allow our matchday turnstile operators to scan your tickets, and prevent unnecessary queues to allow everyone to enter the stadium ahead of kick-off.

All tickets issued will be unreserved, with access available to all areas of the ground upon entry. The ground will be open from 1:00pm, with early arrival suggested for those who wish to be seated in the 500 available seats. We would appreciate supporters showing courtesy to those with greater difficulty standing.

Tickets will be on sale until 1:00pm on the day of the game, so to guarantee entry make sure you purchase your ticket in advance.

Travel & Transport

FC United of Manchester have provided their stadium Travel Plan, which is accessed here. The car park at Broadhurst Park will be made available for officials, players, staff and for those with mobility issues. To contact about this, please email here.

Parking elsewhere is limited to the roadside along Lightbowne Road. Please do not park along St Mary’s Road or the streets accessed from there, which are to be saved for residents.

There are a number of public transport options including a local tram stop at Newton Heath & Moston (around a mile walk from the ground), train station at Moston (under a mile from the ground), as well as several bus services from Manchester which alight on St Mary’s Road close to the ground or along Moston Lane, which is a five minute walk away.

Please check out the details on timings of services before you travel here at Transport for Greater Manchester.

Stephen ‘Piggo’ Piggott

Cheadle Town Football Club were devastated to learn of the passing of former player and coach Stephen ‘Piggo’ Piggott on Wednesday evening.

Club Secretary Stuart Crawford reflects on his memories of Piggo and his time at Cheadle Town Football Club.

As I write this article, I still cannot believe the news of Piggo’s passing on Wednesday evening.

Piggo joined Cheadle Town around 2008 from Stone Dominoes, and little did I know that he would become part of the set up for many years to come. Whether Piggo was playing or coaching, he was always one of the first at the ground helping out to prepare for the game, which included hanging up the kit, filling the water bottles and he became our resident minibus driver taking players and volunteers up and down the North West to away games.

I always loved to discuss football stuff with Piggo before the game in the dressing room, as well as reminiscing about the past, which is something I’ve missed this season since he joined West Didsbury & Chorlton. Whichever Management Team setup came in, Piggo quickly became part of that team and was a massive influence in the dressing room. This has been evident these last couple of days with the outpouring of condolence messages from former managers and players on Facebook and X.

I could probably write a book on all the stories I have about Piggo, but two of them sum up the appreciation that I had for him.

My first Piggo memory was back in October 2014 when Cheadle Town faced a Russian U19’s side in a hastily arranged friendly at Mottram Hall. Unfortunately a 22-0 thumping by the Russian U19’s elevated the Football Club to viral status on social media as pretty much every news outlet got hold of this story and wanted to know more. Whilst Piggo was between the sticks that afternoon, the media really didn’t report on the fact that the Cheadle Town side was predominately made up of Reserve and U21 players as the First Team had played the day before. But typical Piggo, he volunteered to help the Football Club to play another game on the Sunday. Ever since that day, it’s always been a long standing joke of how Piggo conceded 22 goals in one game, and he always took it in his stride.

That game is still evident on the internet through a quick search, and I love the comments made by Piggo when he spoke to the Independent after the game…

‘I pulled off a few good saves, maybe some world class ones. I probably kept the score under the 30s.’

‘The Russians seemed to have the wind behind them. Every shot they had in the first half seemed to hit the target.’

‘Some of the lads' heads did begin to drop but I tried to keep their heads up and told them to keep going.’

‘There were a lot of tired legs and a few niggling injuries. We had some young players in and we weren't all used to playing together.’

That was typical Piggo, always looking for the positives and never dwelling on the negatives.

Finally, I know Piggo shared this joyous moment with me when Cheadle Town finally got promotion to the North West Counties Football League Premier Division in 2022/23. It was joys of tears in both of our eyes at the end of the game against Sandbach United as we’d finally achieved our dreams of success. We had both seen the bad times at Cheadle Town when we had no money, a stadium in disrepair and wondering whether we could survive each season. So to both witness and be part of the celebrations at the end of the game will live in my memory for the rest of my life, and I know Piggo was of the same opinion.

As I mentioned earlier, players come and go and I’m lucky to be friends with many still, but Piggo was certainly the special one in terms of Cheadle Town, and I’ll miss him so much. I just hope Marshy and Yarwood can do what they did at Cheadle Town a couple of seasons ago, and get promotion with West Didsbury & Chorlton in Piggo’s memory.

My thoughts obviously go out to Piggo’s wife Lisa, his father-in-law Alan Griffiths who also sadly lost his wife last year and Piggo’s parents. Piggo was one of the good guys and was certainly taken too soon.

Stuart Crawford
(Club Secretary)

Cheadle Town Stingers Alise Gindra Makes History playing for the Latvian National Football Team

Alise lines up with the Latvian National team ahead of today’s game against Romania.

Alise Gindra, has recently taken a significant step in her football career by playing for the Latvian National U19’s Football Team. This marks a proud moment not only for Gindra herself but also for her club, as her impressive skill set is now being showcased on the international stage.

A Rising Star at Cheadle Town Stingers

Gindra's journey to the Latvian National team began at the grassroots level, where she quickly made a name for herself, and joined Cheadle Town Stingers at the start of this season.

The Call-Up to the Latvian National Team

Alise Gindra's inclusion in the Latvian National Football Team is a remarkable achievement that reflects her growth as a player and her commitment to the sport.

Impact on the Latvian National Team

Alise played in today’s 2-2 draw at home to Romania, where she assisted the first goal for Uma Upite to score the opening goal. A win would have ensured Latvia qualified for the next stages of the Euro U19’s Women’s Championships, but a 90+5 minute goal by Romania’s Georgina sealed the draw. This means Latvia means Latvia finish third in the group behind Romania and Kazakhstan on goal difference.

Alise also make recent appearances against Kazakhstan where they gained a creditable 0-0 draw and they then followed this up with a 3-0 victory against Liechtenstein.

A Bright Future Ahead

Looking ahead, Alise Gindra’s journey with the Latvian National Team is just beginning, and the future looks promising for both her and the team. Her experience with Cheadle Town Stingers will undoubtedly continue to serve her well, as she brings a wealth of club-level experience to the international scene.

For Gindra, this international opportunity is the culmination of years of hard work, dedication, and passion for football. Representing Latvia on the global stage is a dream come true, and it is a moment that will inspire future generations of players, especially those from smaller footballing nations, to follow in her footsteps.

As she continues to evolve and refine her game, Gindra’s story serves as a testament to the power of perseverance and the rewards that come from a strong work ethic.

Alise will now turn her attentions to the Stingers Women’s FA Cup game on Sunday when we face West Bromwich Albion, which marks our furthest progress in the competition in our history.

Match Report: FC St Helens 0 - 4 Cheadle Town Stingers

Cheadle Town Stingers produced a dominant display to secure a commanding 4-0 victory over FC St Helens in the Women's FA Cup, advancing to the next round with confidence and style.

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Cheadle Town Stingers were in blistering form as they faced North West Regional Women’s League side FC St Helens in their Women's FA Cup clash. From the first whistle, it was clear that the Stingers were determined to make an impact and progress to the next stage of the competition.

The home side came out strong, pressing high and testing the Stingers defence. But it didn’t take long for Cheadle to break the deadlock. In the 18th minute, a perfectly executed free kick from midfielder Sophie John was met by the head of defender Yasmin Ahmed, who nodded the ball past the St Helens keeper to put the Stingers 1-0 up.

Yasmin Ahmed celebrates scoring Stingers first goal of the game.

FC St Helens struggled to cope with the relentless pressure from the Stingers, who were quick to win the ball back and dominate possession. The opposition found themselves pinned back in their own half, unable to create any meaningful chances.

The Stingers continued to press after the break, and their second goal came just three minutes into the second half. A fantastic 20-yard strike from Rachael Dunlop doubled the Stingers lead to make it 2-0.

FC St Helens never gave up, but their efforts were largely thwarted by a disciplined Cheadle defence. As the game progressed, Cheadle’s attacking intent showed no signs of slowing down. In the 57th minute, striker Rachael Dunlop grabbed a second goal with a fine run into the box, slotting the ball into the bottom corner to make it 3-0.

Cheadle wrapped up the match in the 84th minute with a well-deserved fourth goal. After a series of passes carved through the FC St Helens defense, Dunlop completed her hat-trick with a composed finish from inside the penalty area, sealing the 4-0 win and sending the Stingers into the next round with ease.

Rachael Dunlop secures herself a hat-trick and Stingers fourth goal.

Player of the Match: Sophie John

Full Time Score: Cheadle Town Stingers 4-0 FC St Helens

With this resounding victory, Cheadle Town Stingers progress to the next round of the Women's FA Cup, where they will face West Bromwich Albion and look to continue their impressive form. For FC St Helens, it was a difficult outing, but they will regroup and focus on their League campaign ahead and we wish them the best of luck for the rest of the season.

Photographs courtesy of Lewis Tate Photography

Stingers Sophie John confirmed as a finalist at this year’s Armstrong Projects North West Football Awards

Congratulations to Cheadle Town Stingers midfielder Sophie John who has been confirmed as a finalist at this year’s Armstrong Projects North West Football Awards.

The event will take place at Emirates Old Trafford on Monday, 25th November, hosted by Eilidh Barbour and Dion Dublin. Sophie has been nominated under the Women’s Player of the Season - FA Women’s National League category.

Jake's first pre season interview for the club

Jake Davies sat down with Rob from our club media team to preview the season ahead, talking club expectations, recruitment of the first team, and many other initiatives he’s supporting behind the scenes.

Park Road Stadium offers a safe resting place for former Cheadle Rovers player

Harold Drinkwater who sadly died in March 2021 finally had his ashes scattered across the hallowed turf of Park Road Stadium on a cold and damp Monday afternoon in February.

Whilst Harold had no direct links with Cheadle Town, he did play for Cheadle Rovers who occupied Park Road Stadium in the 1950’s and 1960’s before Manchester City acquired the ground as their training facility. It wasn’t until 1984 that the current Cheadle Town side moved into the vacated Park Road Stadium and began making their own history.

97-year-old Harold was passionate about football and played throughout the Second World War whilst on duty with the Army, but despite not being picked up by a professional football club when the War finished, he still played at a very high standard for Cheadle Rovers.

Unfortunately there is not much history available about Cheadle Rovers, but they do appear to have been a very successful Amateur side during the 1950’s and 1960’. Records indicate that Cheadle Rovers played in the Manchester Amateur League before joining the Manchester League in 1955. Cheadle Rovers were then crowned champions of the Manchester League in 1957-58, 1958-59, 1960-61 and 1961-62. Following finishing a respectable 8th position in 1965-66 it appears that Cheadle Rovers left the Manchester League and presumably folded ahead of Manchester City moving into their new training facility at Park Road Stadium.

It was Harold’s daughter Judy who contacted the Football Club a few weeks ago. Judy told us about her father’s love of football and how he played during the war when he was stationed in Algiers and Italy. On his return back to the UK after the war, Harold played semi-professional football for many years. He even had a trial with Manchester United after he was spotted playing by Harry Gregg. Harold often spoke fondly of his time playing for Cheadle Rovers at Park Road Stadium and Judy thought it was befitting to lay his ashes at the ground in his memory.

Cheadle Town Retained List 2022/2023

Cheadle Town can confirm the retained list following the conclusion of the 2022/2023 season.

• Jordan Latham

• Adam Jones

• Jack McConnell

• Liam Moran

• Kyle McGonigle

• Tom Murray

• Jordan Lazenbury

• Lee Gregory

• Ryan Usher

• Pat Davin

• Juwon Hamzat

• Martin Pilkington

• Will Unsworth

• Kaleb Parkinson

• Ryan Barrow

• Charlie Mulgrew

• Desi Flanagan

• Callum McGlynn

  *ALL PLAYERS SUBJECT TO REGISTRATION APPROVAL*

  We can also confirm that Danny Hewitt has retired from football. We wish Danny all the best in his retirement.