MATCHDAY
PROGRAMME
AVRO v VAUXHALL MOTORS
SATURDAY, 15TH MARCH, KICK OFF 3PM
Pitching In NPL Division One West
HISTORY
CONTACT US/ GENERAL INFORMATION
CLUB PERSONNEL (under development)
MEDIA (under development)
INTRODUCTION
Hello and welcome back to the Vestacare Stadium for what could be a tricky tie as Avro FC face second place Vauxhall Motors FC in the Northern Premier league West.
The RO return to league action following a successful trip last Monday, in Norway. We are through to the semi-finals of the Fenix Trophy!
The snowy setting of Olso will quickly be in the back of the player’s mind’s as they look for a third successive home win at OL8.
Confidence is good the moment after securing a place in the semi-finals and showing some consistency in the league. There is still hope for play-offs so Birchy and Norton will be hoping that the squad can push on and secure some crucial points, especially in these tougher games.
A special mention to our very own RB, Chiekh Thiam who was drafted into Ian Wright and Chloe Kelly’s team in the upcoming Ballers League on Sky Sports! Superb.
The next home game isn’t until the end of March as the fixture congestion eases to every Saturday. The RO face Newcastle Town at home on Saturday, 29th March at 3:00pm. This comes after Witton Albion away next week. UP THE RO!
Stan Ashcroft (Club Programme Editor)
NOTE: Feel free to indulge in plenty of food and beverages available before, during and after the game. The Lancashire Suite will also be available to the public after the final whistle.
As always, please be respectful of the stadium rules and staff. They are there for your safety, this includes no smoking or vaping in the ground. Avro FC maintain a zero-tolerance approach to discriminatory or dangerous behaviour and remain fully committed to ensuring all supporters can enjoy matches at The Vestacare Stadium in a safe and respectful environment.
In the 70s the club consolidated its position but without much overall success. In the 80s the Sports & Social Club bought land adjoining its clubhouse and plans were soon afoot to transfer all outside sporting activities to the Rivacre Road site.
After a lot of hard work, the new ground, known as Rivacre Park, was officially opened in 1987 by then England manager Bobby Robson, who brought a team including a number of former internationals for an opening game. By then the club had recovered from its leanest days of the late 70s to clinch their first West Cheshire League championship in 1985-86.
The following season they reached their first Cheshire Amateur Cup final, lifted the Wirral Senior Cup and successfully applied to join the North West Counties League for the 1987-88 campaign, as Vauxhall G. M., whilst still keeping two Motors teams in the West Cheshire League. After a solid first season, the ‘Motormen’ cruised to a superb Division Two title in 1989, losing just once in the process. In their first season in Division One, G. M. finished a creditable fourth. The following season they lifted the North West Counties League Cup at Bury, by defeating Darwen 2-0 thanks to Lee Warriner who struck both goals that evening.
The following season saw the committee stretched to its limits and it was decided to withdraw G. M. from the North West Counties League and concentrate on West Cheshire League football. After finishing third in each of the next two seasons, 1994-95 saw the club win both divisions of the West Cheshire League, a feat only achieved twice before in the League’s 103-year history and they were accepted back into the North West Counties League again.
In the 1998-99 season the club reached new heights, under a new management team led by Alvin McDonald. He guided his young side to the Fifth Round of the F. A. Carlsberg Vase for the first time in the club’s history, finished in their best ever league position (3rd) and ended a memorable campaign by lifting the League Cup by defeating Prescot Cables in a replay at White Moss Park.
But this was just a sample of the success that was about to unfold. In his second season in charge, Alvin guided the club to even greater heights. Defeat in the semi-finals of the F. A. Carlsberg Vase, losing 1-0 to Chippenham in extra time, could not dent their drive towards the NWCL championship with four games to spare. For good measure, they also carried off the Floodlit Trophy, whilst their reserves in the West Cheshire captured the Centenary Pyke Cup for the first time in the club’s history, as well as reaching the Wirral Senior Cup final.
The Motormen enjoyed a wonderful start to their First Division campaign (2000-01) and despite the transfer of top scorer Gregg Blundell to Northwich in mid-season, they ended the season in good form, to clinch an unexpected runners-up spot and with it, promotion to the Unibond Premier at the first attempt.
After successive promotions, consolidation may have been considered the name of the game at Rivacre Park, but not for the management and players! They continued to defy the odds throughout this campaign and finished with a superb spell, to lift the runners-up trophy by a stunning eleven points from the third-placed club, behind runaway champions, Burton Albion.
The Motormen made national headlines in the late autumn of 2002-03, when dumping Ian Holloway’s QPR out of the F. A. Cup, in their first ever appearance in the First Round, before losing 2-0 away to Macclesfield by virtue of two late goals in front of the Sky TV cameras in Round Two. They ended the league season in third place, while the reserves lifted the West Cheshire League championship thanks to a stunning late charge under Steve Leyland.
In November 2003, the vastly experienced Owen Brown was installed as the club’s new manager, after Alvin McDonald left Rivacre Park for Conference club Northwich Victoria, and after a difficult couple of months, he completely transformed the club’s fortunes, as they rose from 21st place at the end of January to a very respectable ninth, losing just twice in their last nineteen league games, to clinch a place in the newly formed Conference North. In their first season they finished 15th.
In November 2004, the Motormen reached the 1st Round of the F A Cup and were drawn away to Bury. A Dave Nugent inspired Shakers ran out 5-2 winners but the goal of the day came from Vauxhall’s Wayne McDermott.
In 2005, results had taken a turn for the worst and the manager resigned after a seventh straight defeat, to be replaced by Carl Macauley, another former player. He managed to steer us away from relegation and a further improvement was made the following season.
In August 2007, Carl recruited former Wolves striker Andy Mutch as his assistant, who enjoyed a great double act with former England international Steve Bull for seven years at Molyneux. Carl had to step down in October, leaving Andy in charge. It was during his short reign that the club developed striker Paul Taylor, who went on to play for Peterborough United, Ipswich Town, Rotherham United, Bradford City and Doncaster Rovers.
Carl returned to his managerial role in March 2008 and in the following campaign, he guided the Motormen to their highest ever Conference North position of 11th. The club reached the 1st Round of the F A Cup in November 2010, gaining a creditable goalless draw away at Hartlepool before losing the home replay 1-0. In May 2011, Carl had to stand down once more, allowing his assistant Anthony Wright to step up, alongside former Notts. County striker Gary Martindale, only to return to his post once again in November.
When the club announced its intention to resign from the Conference North in March 2014, due to severe financial concerns, Carl was quickly snapped up by Chester as assistant to Steve Burr. The club returned to its West Cheshire League roots and Alan Schumacker, a former Motors defender, took charge of team affairs.
After two third place finishes, it was decided to change management. Former boss Anthony Wright and his cousin Joe were appointed but their rein did not last long and by November 2016, Karl Bell was appointed as team boss. In his first full season (2017/18) the club remained undefeated until just before Christmas, but then lost their way in the second half of the campaign and ended up as runners-up.
The club re-applied to join the NWCFL once more and were successful in that respect, being placed in the new Division One South. Karl Bell was replaced by former Motors striker Mick McGraa that summer from Cammell Lairds 1907 and he immediately brought in a new squad that managed to clinch a wonderful runners-up spot in his first season in charge. And were on course for the title the following season, until the Coronavirus struck and the season was declared “null and void” by the FA.
We had already secured promotion that season so this was a real body blow. Undeterred, we returned in 2020-21 with renewed hope and went unbeaten in a “curtailed” campaign and at the top of the table. Thankfully, some sense prevailed and the FA decided to implement the delayed restructuring of the pyramid and as a result, Motors were “uplifted” into the NWCL premier Division for for 2021-22 season.
In the 2022/23 season, their second back in the NWCFL Premier Division, Motors amassed a staggering total of 95 points, winning the league by 8 points. A very strong division, of which included Bury AFC, Avro, Wythenshawe Town and more, Mick McGraa’s side secured promotion to the Northern Premier League Division One West.
