CHIPPING NORTON TOWN FOOTBALL CLUB

CHIPPING NORTON TOWN FOOTBALL CLUB
Walterbush Road, Chipping Norton, Oxon OX7 5DP

Chairman Sean Robson Tel: 07879 635212

Chippy drop out of League

Chipping Norton Town have withdrawn from the Sport Italia Hellenic League. The decision was taken by chairman Sean Robson (left) after an 11th-hour meeting to save the club failed to come up with any other way forward. Robson said the decision had not been taken lightly, and expressed his enormous disappointment at being unable to complete the season. "As of yesterday, Chipping Norton Town have withdrawn," he said. "Even up until Wednesday night we were desperately trying to salvage our status," he said. "But it had become clear that the situation was untenable for us to continue. We don't have money problems, it is purely a resource issue. With manager Ian Ford resigning as well, it just added another job to fill." Robson added that although the club have withdrawn, they have not folded, and will look to continue playing football next season. He said: "It was a very difficult decision, because nobody cares more about the club than Nigel and myself. "It was a heart-wrenching decision to take, but we are not folding completely, despite what some reports have stated. Nigel and I will stay on and look to salvage something. It is our intention to ensure that the club is playing football at the highest level possible again next season."

Robson said that the decision to withdraw was taken, despite countless messages of support from fellow Hellenic League clubs. "The footballing community within the Hellenic League is very strong," he said. "The amount of support we had from outside the club was astronomical. We had so many messages of goodwill. We also had fantastic support from our sponsor, MKT Computers, but it wasn't money that was the problem, it was lack of personnel. Boxing Day's derby against Witney United was a good example. It's the biggest game of the season, and we had four people there from Chipping Norton helping. The league - and Brian King in particular - have been very supportive anddone all they can to help us, and I would like to place on record my personal thanks to him. It's just a sad fact that the support from the people in the town was non-existent, and that has led us to this gut-wrenching decision."

King commented: "It is always a sad day when a club has to submit a letter of resignation from the Hellenic League. I have had several conversations over the past few days with Sean and Nigel and was aware of the clubs predicament as I have been working closely with the club on various issues over past months. The Hellenic League is losing a good member club with the withdrawal of Chipping Norton Town, the club since re-joining the League has had a hard core of volunteers running the club and some of the funding has come from the personal involvement of those persons. It is a great pity that more involvement of people in the Town was not forthcoming.' He added: "The door remains open to Chipping Norton to re-join the Hellenic Family at a date in the future, which will hopefully be sooner rather than later. I understand that almost every Premier Division club has been in contact with Sean to commiserate with the clubs predicament. This shows the strong bond of friendship that exists with the Hellenic Family and hope that Chipping Norton Town becomes a member once more in the foreseeable future."

CHIPPY CHATTER

MATCH STATS

PLAYER PROFILES - 1
PLAYER PROFILES - 2

MATCH REPORTS 2006

CNT 2 Wallingford 3
Ardley 4 CNT 3
Almondsbury 0 CNT 0
CNT 1 v Shrivenham 2
CNT 4 v Harrow Hill 2
Hungerford 3 v CNT 0
CNT 2 v Shortwood United 1
CNT 2 Kidlington 3
CNT 2 v Abingdon 1
CN Town 1 v Fairford Town 1
Carterton 2 v CNT 2
CN Town 3 v Milton 2

CLUB HISTORY

Chipping Norton Town has a long, successful and proud history. The clubs was originally formed in 1893 and were founder members of The Hellenic League in 1953 after winning the Oxfordshire Senior League for two successive seasons prior to that. The club eventually won the Division One title in 1960/61 and the again 10-years later in 1970/71. The late 70�s and early 80�s were the real glory days in The Magpies history winning The Hellenic Premier Division in 1977/78. They also added The Oxfordshire Senior Cup in both 1977 and 1978 to that championship. They were promoted into The Midland Combination League and two years later in 1981/81 they were champions of that league. In 1981 floodlights were erected and over 1000 people turned up for a celebratory match against Wolverhampton Wanderers. However the club was being forced into debt in an attempt to sustain this meteoric rise and the decision was made to bring the club back to the Oxfordshire Senior League in 1984/85. The Magpies returned to the Hellenic League briefly during the late 80�s but it was a troublesome period and eventually the club ceased playing Senior Football in 1996. Early in 2001 Nigel Harrison and Pete &Terry Maycock formed a new committee and brought Senior football back to Chipping Norton. The first season of 2001/02 was a season of consolidation and then during season 2002/03 under the guidance of Phill Heath and Andy Leach the club was runners-up in Division One West and promoted to the Hellenic Premier Division. The Magpies have consolidated their position in the Premier and under new manager Mark Johnson and a small but hard working committee �Chippy� strive to push on into the top echelon of the league and progress as far as is possible under the very minimal budget that is available.

Sean Robson
Club Chairman
Stepped up into the Chairman�s hot seat this year due to a severe lack of other volunteers for the post! Has been involved with the club since it�s re-forming and works tirelessly to provide the funds to keep the club running. His goals are to improve the facilities and see the club blossom as soon as possible and progress up the non league ladder.

LATEST MATCH REPORT

North Leigh 3 v
Chipping Norton Town 2

Chippy�s fantastic efforts were eventually deemed all in vein as ex-Town striker Mark Dennis broke the hearts of the 9-man Magpies with a winner four minutes into injury-time. Town had two players sent-off in three second-half minutes, both highly controversial decisions and incredibly harsh on Chippy. In this game the referee dictated the result of this fast and furious encounter, not the players which is always a great shame. It usually happens once a season at this level to be honest, but it is all the more frustrating and difficult to take when it's against a top side, who are local rivals, containing several ex-Magpies and who Chippy have not beaten for a good few years! Dave Skipp had put Town ahead with a cracking turn and thumping 25-yarder which Richard Barrett in the Leigh goal did not even move for, as it whistled past him into the top corner. Chippy gave away a penalty on the half hour when a rash Craig Holman challenge stopped Kevin Lewis in his stride, but Mark Harris, the Chippy custodian, made his second penalty save in three weeks to keep out Simon Futcher's spot kick. The home side then had a very good shout for a further penalty moments later, when Gary Morrison's mistimed sliding challenge thwarted Futcher, but the referee declined the vehement protests. Tim Jenkins went close with a free kick for Chippy which flew just past the post and Andy Varnam's shot was well saved by Barrett. Leigh did equalise on the stroke of half-time when a Liam Hope header was excellently palmed out by Harris, but Hope was first to the rebound to head home and bring the scores level.

The home side came out charging after the break and took the lead five minutes in when Lewis seized on uncertainty in the Chippy back line and his shot from an acute angle went in via the post and a deflection hitting Gary Morrison on the back of the leg. Town hit back though when Skipp picked up a clearance from a corner, and sent in an audacious 30-yard chip into the far corner to square things up again, a great strike by the front man who now has nine goals in his last ten games.This was where the controversy began, firstly Andy Varnam was having his shirt pulled by Stuart Huxley as he attempted to latch onto a Jenkins through ball, he lashed out an arm to free himself, Huxley retaliated with a punch in the kidneys. The linesman intervened but only Varnam was shown the red card to the amazement of the crowd, an incredulous decision. Then minutes later Skipp jumped early for a header, Huxley came charging through with an aerial challenge to usurp Skipp to the ball, but was late, he caught the arm of Skipp who was up early and clearly using his arm for elevation and twisting his body as he flicked the ball on, the referee was the only person that deemed it an elbow and brandished the red card again, with furious protests from the Chippy bench and contingent.

The nine men of Chippy defended resolutely and superbly in the remaining quarter of an hour of normal time, and the twelve minutes of injury time. Time and again the defence of Morrison, Olczak, Lamont & Proverbs made great last ditch challenges to deny certain goalbound efforts, and Harris pulled off a couple of tremendous stops, until four minutes into injury time, following a richochet into he box, ex-Magpie Mark Dennis popped up and sent his shot past Harris via another deflection to break the Chippy hearts. A great, gutsy performance from Chippy whose nine men were superb in the dying stages, they didn't deserve to lose, but cruelly sometimes you don�t get what you deserve in football!

MANAGER: IAN FORD

Ian has a successful history at this level having steered both Cheltenham Saracens and Ross Town to promotion places into the Hellenic Premier from Div One West. Last season he progressed Ledbury Town to the last sixteen of the FA Vase taking some impressive scalps on the way. His knowledge of the local scene will be invaluable to The Magpies

ASST MANAGER - KEVIN BARRY

Kevin has worked with Ian during his last couple of managerial posts and they have proved a dynamic partnership. Kevin serves in the RAF and has recently been posted to Brize Norton which means that he�ll be on our doorstep now. A football man through and through, the players will certainly be 100% prepared for battle .

Social Club Chairman: Wes Harris
Social Club Vice Chairman:
Brian Kemp
Social Club Treasurer: Alan Witham
Social Club Secretary: Trevor Smart
Bar Steward: David Smart 01608 645311

FOOTBALL COMMITTEE
Chairman: Sean Robson 07879 635212
Life Presidents:
Alan Dore
Nigel Harrison
Phill Heath
Peter Hutchison
Terry Maycock
Pete Maycock

Groundsmen:
Trevor Smart/Andy Watson

Major Honours
Hellenic League Premier Division: Winners 1978
Hellenic League Division One: Winners 1961, 1972
Midland Combination League Division One: Winners 1982
Midland Combination Charity Shield: Winners 1983
Midland Combination Tony Allden Cup: Winners 1983
Oxfordshire Charity Cup: Winners 1949
Oxfordshire Senior League: Winners 1950, 1951
Oxfordshire Senior Cup: Winners 1977, 1978
Oxfordshire Senior League Clarendon Cup: Winners 1997
Oxfordshire Benevolent Cup: Winners 1950
Reading Senior Cup: Winners 1978
Hellenic Jubilee �Cold Shield� Trophy: Winners 1979

DOBBY'S DIARY

A superb effort in the week from all involved with the team, to beat an undefeated Slimbridge side in the manner that we did was great reward for the hard work that all involved have put in since the start of the season. It was even more pleasurable as we had performed a bit flat down at Totton and the lads really turned it around. The players have shown time and again this season, that when faced with adversity, and a mammoth challenge, they can respond and deliver the goods, Tuesday was just another instance of this. We took the game to a Slimbridge side that had just one change from their previous game, so this was no weakened Slimbridge side, this was the same side that had gone fourteen matches unbeaten this term. Yes, we rode our luck at times, but we earned that luck, and the number of last ditch tackles, and blocks that we made was unbelievable. A great job done, but saying that, although it will be a highlight when we look back at the end of the season, it will mean nothing to the context of our season if we don't pick up points today and next Saturday. Tuesday must be put to the back of our mind and we must adopt the same attitude when we step onto the pitch today.

It's strange because I was feeling very flat on Tuesday night prior to the match, with no help again on a matchday I was having to do five jobs instead of one, and to say that I was a bit deflated and agitated was an understatement, obviously the great result cheered me up, but a big thanks to Terry and Nigel who stepped in and helped me out in a big way again, even though they are not officially involved in the club, they still do lots of work for the club, and with me and Steve away today, they will again be running the show. Many thanks lads, your help is much appreciated. Running this football club is a very very demanding job, and the club still desperately needs additional help and committee members. I am not being overly dramatic when I say that unless some people come forward and assist with the running of the club, there may not be one next season, we desperately need assistance on matchdays (doing the gate, making teas, ballboys), and off the field behind the scenes (a treasurer, secretary and fund raiser). If you can offer anything, even an hour a week to assist with making this club successful and ensuring its future then please let us know. Kevin and Ian have proved that they can attract good quality players to Walterbush Road, and on a very tight budget they are doing a fantastic job, I'd love to be able to offer them additional resources to compete with 90% of other clubs in the league, but we cannot do that without a committee or help.

COME ON YOU MAGPIES!!