Barely six months after a club supporters meeting aimed at getting the club started again after three years on the sidelines, the streets of Droylsden were buzzing with people queuing down Market Street to get into the Butcher’s Arms for the clubs first friendly ahead of the new season.
In scenes not seen since the club’s FA Cup run over fifteen years ago, the stands of the ground were packed, the club’s bars were overwhelmed and even the counter on the gate could not cope as the club was forced to put the kick off time back to let everybody in
The visitors were Stretford Paddock who won the Tony Downes trophy on penalties after the score finished 1-1 after ninety minutes.
The trophy celebrates the life of Guardsman Neil ‘Tony Downes’ a local lad who lost his life in Helmand province in Afghanistan in 2007
The result though wasn’t that important on the day.It is the culmination of six months of hard work by a group of volunteers who through fund raising have helped get the club back on its feet and able to enter the Football Grassroots structure returning in the North West Counties Division One South in which they kick off their campaign in just three weeks.
It has seen an enormous clean up operation around the ground, the installation of anti pigeon spikes across the rafters of the stands as well as repairs to electrical and water systems that had been idle for over three years
The team has been assembled from scratch.One hundred and thity eight players attending the club’s first trial on a hot afternoon in June, whittled down to 40 who have been training for just over two weeks and the twenty two who all played some part in the friendly on Saturday.
The club have a new kit, both home and away which was on sale at the ground for the first time at the weekend and season ticket sales have been good emphasing the support of the local community.
Club Chairman and owner Dave Pace says he cannot believe the support that the club has received from across the town nor can he thank the people at the North West Counties league for their support in offering the club a lifeline back into the League structure
The club play three more friendlies before the season proper starts
On July 11th they entertain Stockport Georgians Ko 7.45, on 15th July they entertain Heaton Stannington at 3.00pm and on the 22nd July they travel to AFC Crewe also a 3.00pm kick off
