Rule Britannia

Another poor month but the league table is certainly tight around you!

not a bad opening half the season, very nice cup runs

Sorry for the long break, hope you all had a good christmas and new year!

Hopefully George!

haha thanks Cheik. He is one step closer to making it into the Plymouth starting eleven! However after hearing they sacked Carl Flethcer my love for that club is slowly dieing.

As long as it stays that way then we might be able to rescue something from this Dan!

Cheers Zan.

With form continuing to allude us we head towards the end of the year, sat firmly in mid table, praying for some kind of good fortune to give us some purpose to our season....



A convincing loss at home to playoff chasing Vauxhall seemed to suggest our expectations werent going to be raised over the festive period but a week later a narrow victory courtesy of sole striker Corey Gregory over Solihull saw us start a breif but very welcome run of victorys.

A solid midfield display saw winger, Jordan Forsythe and captain Sammy Stewart lead the charge against Workington with Gregory once again adding to the score line in a convincing display and just five days later it was a repeat of the previous game as, we strolled past Gainsborough with Stewart and Greogry once again taking the plaudits.

A very welcome group of points, came to an abrupt end as we slumped to an unexpected loss against struggling Bradford Park Avenue to see 2012 end in disappointing fashion.

With nine points added to our total were slowly creeping up on the playoff spots but with inconsistency clearly still present, any hope of making it into the top five still hangs in the balance.

Good month there mate! Only just outside thoughs playoffs so battle for it!

Doing well so far mate

I will Dan! Its there for the taking!

Thanks Zan!

Halfway through the season and were poised and ready to make an unexpected push on the playoff spots. With form appearing to allude just about every other team in the league, we find ourselves within touching distance of making something of this season with the January transfer window presenting us with the ideal opportunity to strenghten to take full advantage of it, however before we can add to the squad, were going to need to clear some more room from the ranks.



Woodhouse and Egerton were both sulking in the reserves this season and with the wage budget proving to be extremley limiting it was am easy decision to send both players packing.
With neither possessing the ability or potential to ever trouble the first team it was hardly suprising to see them be released, with the only shock being why it took me so long to get rid of them.

With two shipped out it was time to get to work bringing in the players that would hopefuly seal our promotion push...





Taking full advantage of the short term loan market we set straight to work brining in three players, with Port Vales young centre back Joe David being the first arrival as we looked to strengthen our back line ahead of the all important run in to the end of the season. His strong all round defensive ability will make him a useful addition at this level.




With goalkeepers at Stalybridge proving to be few and far between we turned to Ben Wilson to keep guard between the sticks of the remainder of the season, The Sunderland youth player has spent the first half of the season as stopper for Blue Square Premier outfit Lincoln but will now look to keep the goals at bay at Bower Fold stadium.




Last of the three loanees, is right winger Wes York. With his chances limited at Nuneaton, the battling wide player arrives at Stalybridge in an attempt to try and add a threat down our flank. With Waddle and Forsythe already proving to be quite effective out wide his chances will be limited but as the season progresses he will certainly be thrown in at the deep end eventually.




The only permanent arrival of the window, sees Northern Irish teenager, Jamie Glackin take his first steps into the English league. The promising midfielder already has the ability to make an impact in the middle of the field and is more then willing to take a crack at goal from distance. With plenty of years ahead of him, I hope Glackin will develop nicely as we progress through the leagues.

With four new faces adding to the depth of our team, I hopes for making it into the playoff spot have never been stronger, but seeing as how I never expected to even be in this position thats hardly suprising...

So with our young squad bolstered with four new arrivals we set off into the new year looking to make the most of our chances and we certainly didnt disappoint...



A magnificent midfield display from central pairing Pepper and Potts, saw us start the new year in fantastic fashion with a three goal victory over Altrincham but we could only follow up our flying start to the year with an unexpected one goal loss against Corby as we succumbed to defeat at home for the ninth time already this season.

Back on the road we quickly returned to winning ways with a clinical victory over league high flyers and favourites for promotion Chester being followed up with a thrilling tie against Hinckley that saw the leagues top scorer Corey Gregory display his prowess with two second half goals that snatched a hard earned victory for Celtic.

The young striker has been in fine form of late and was quick to live up to his recent praise, as he bagged another second half brace to secure victory over Oxford City before adding a late finisher as we saw off fellow playoff chasing side Altrincham to end an encouraging month in fine fashion.

It was of no suprise then that the Twenty year old picked up the player of the month award, as our time in 2013 got off to an almost perfect starts



and the rewards werent to end there...



My first of the career and hopefully not to be the last.

With things going swimmingly following the January transfer window we find ourselves not onlt comfortably in the playoff spots but now well within reach of snatching automatic promotion from the league.

I think 2013 might just be our year!

Brilliant month buddy! Definitely flown up the table and in contention for that top spot now!

Thanks Dan, its certainly turned our season around in very short time.

With January giving us a flying start to the year hopes were raised that 2013 might prove to be the year that sends Stalybridge into the Blue Square Premier League, however a goalless draw with Bishops Stortford hardly gave February the most impressive of openings and the month quickly turned sour for the Celtic faithful.

A late Jack Waddle goal proved to be too little to stop fellow promotion chasers Worcester from snatching three points at Bower Fold but the promosing young wingers next goal rescued a hard earned point as we battled to a spirited draw against Brackley.

A narrow loss against free-falling Boston soon put the dampeners on any hopes of a quick return to winning ways but Waddles third goal of an impressive month for the baby faced wide man rescued three points from a fairly disappointing month as we squeezed past FC Halifax to keep us within touching distance of the playoff spots.

Hopes of automatic promotion seem all but dashed already but there is everything to play for in the run up to the end of the season, with Celtic in a good position to battle for a place in the lottery of the playoffs.

Having scrapped our way through a sloppy February my hopes of a remarkable debut season at the helm of Stalybridge Celtic, seemed to be on the rocks but if theres one thing we can take from this season thus far, its that the league is constantly open and were far from beaten.

Two back to back impressive victories over Solihull Moors and Corby, saw the team right back into contention for the playoff spot, as striker Corey Gregory returned to scoring ways with a well taken brace but it was soon clear that March was to be another difficult one for those at Bower Fold.

A narrow loss to Vauxhall was followed up by a disappointing, convincing loss against playoff outsiders Guiseley. It seems that for every step forward we take in this league we take another one back. Progress is slow in our promotion push but with another hard earned point following a lifeless draw at Droylsden were clinging on to the last playoff place in the league and are somehow four points clear of our nearest rivals Gainsborough.

With the league quickly drawing to a close, it seems that despite our own efforts were destined to be in with a shot at escaping from the basement of the English league.

A playoff spot isn't far away DJ! Fight it!

first time ive been on the site in ages and just in time to see you put me through another play off, why do I bother!? great stuff mate enjoyed reading the seasons exploits on my lunch!

Thanks Dan I will!

Hey Laudrup! Where have you been! Same old football manager for me, when can I expect to see you starting another career?!

So its come down to the final month. With five games remaining were clinging on to a final playoff spot, with a host of teams eager to leapfrog over us and claim the final prize of the season.





A sensational four goal victory against Colwyn Bay saw, backup striker, Dennis Sherrif fire a message as he bagged an impressive second half hat-trick in his first full start of the season to boost our hopes of holding onto the playoff spot.

A scrappy draw against Histon failed to increase our lead over the chasing pack but a fortunate penalty against Gloucester did just about enough to ensure we took all three points at Bower Fold as we put yet more distance between us and sixth place Gainsborough.

With time ticking down a tricky tie against fellow playoff competitors Harrogate saw us slump to an unwanted loss on the road but in fine fashion we ended the season with a thrilling victory against the ever improving FC Halifax to ensure our place in the playoff spots...



We claimed our place in the playoffs with a six point gap from the nearest chasers, however our impressive end to the season came at some cost as the physio room began to attract some unwanted visitors...



The influental midfield pairing of captain Adam Pepper and Sammy Stewart left us alarmingly weak in the middle of the field as we geared up for a trick playoff tie against league favourite Chester but its the loss of top scorer Corey Gregory that were really going to feel in the all important next few games.

It was always going to be tough getting past Chester but now its seemingly an impossible challenge.

These playoffs are never easy are they?

Que another DJ playoff nightmare! I think we've learnt its either heartbrake or pure joy for you!

Is that not the same for everyone in a playoff?

Looking good mate, sure you can pull off a win!

Pretty sure it is, however I didn't know how to word it! There is always something different about DJ's playoffs!

Its usually heartbreak, I have a feeling im still no closer to having the knack to get through it yet!

haha very true Kez! Thanks for the support!

I think the main thing different is I manage to lose just about everyone. Im a bit like Cardiff.

One Word.

Drama.

In a first half that saw no less then five goals it was a real end to end game as both teams threw caution into the wind in an attempt to kill off the match early.

A fifth minute goal got things off to the worst possible start but two goals within six minutes soon had Bower Fold rocking as we barged our way back into the lead courtesy of a rare goal from left back Lindsay and another well taken goal from back up striker Sherrif.

The match settled down for all of twenty minutes before Chester striker Jarman once again struck pegging us back but once again the Celtic were quick to restore their lead with right back Turton scoring his first of the season to send us into the break with a slender lead.

Soon after the restart the determined Chester once again found the back of the net but in a match that was destined to go blow for blow, winger Lynch gave them only eight minutes of rest bite before smashing home what proved to be the winning goal as we finally killed of there spirited display to win a seven goal thriller and take a confident stride into the final.







Sixty Seconds...

thats all the stood between Stalybridge Celtic and an unexpected playoff final.

Having opted to batten up the hatches and try and maintain our slender advantage, it seemed that the plan was going to work perfectly but with most of Chester already dispairing of another season in the Blue Square North, their free scoring striker Redman, finally found the space in our tired defence to break the deadlock with a heartbreaking eighty ninth minute goal.

Heads dropped, legs were tired and Chester were sensing blood.

With the scores tied we headed into extra time, with the lottery of penalties seeming to be our only hope of winning the match but just minutes into the second period, left midfielder Clancy cut in from the flank to expose our flagging defenders before rifling in a twenty yard piledriver to send the Deva stadium into raptures.

I hate the playoffs.

Automatic or bust!

Oh DJ! You do this to us every time! Gutting that mate! Especially after such a confident first leg yet narrow win!

Gutted.

Hahah sounds familiar.. So close yet so far