Training starts on Saturday 16th June 2pm - 4pm. Anyone who wishes to attend is welcome. Training is on Saturdays (2-4pm) and Wednesdays (7-9pm) every week at Didsbury Rugby Club, off Ford Lane, Didsbury. See the website if you don't know where it is www.burnagemetro.co.uk. I have contacted several players from LC who will be attending, so if you weren't contacted I may have tried but got no answer, so come along.

I have been approached by a club official of Burnage Metro Football Club, who have asked me to join them on their management team. They are creating a youth team (17-18yr olds) and they are also looking for some players. It goes without saying, that I recommended any player in our squad who makes themselves available. At the moment I am undecided what to do myself as I may be refereeing in future, but I will be joining their first training session in a couple of weeks, and I suggest that any player who is interested should do the same. We can all make our own decisions on what to do sometime after that.

I encourage players to take this opportunity as they are a well organised open age club, with pitches and a clubhouse, bar and changing facilities, playing at open age. Players will have the option if they choose to play in one of the open age teams, based on their ability. The club is situated above Didsbury Rugby Club, Ford Lane, Didsbury, Manchester. It is only a short distance from the Parrs Wood Cinema Complex, and the club also train at the Parrs Wood fields, which are next to the River Mersey on Manchester Road near Cheadle Village.

I expect the Parrs Wood lads, Chris, Nick, John and Lau to be having a look as they have already suggested that they will attend. Anyone else who is interested can contact me by phone or email and I will let you know details of the first training session when I get them. In the meantime you can look at their website at www.burnagemetro.co.uk

There is a possibility that the match against Signol on Sunday 8th April may be postponed. This is due to the manager of Signol suggesting that he may not have a team available. He does have the right to cancel it as it is not per normal scheduled fixtures. There is the possibility that the Signol match will replace the Hyde game, which is the midweek before the cup final. The Hyde game in that case will be played after the cup final.

For further clarification, a definite decision will be made on the Signol fixture on Sunday 1st April. Contact Dave or John between 6.30 and 7.30 on Sunday if you are thinking of taking the weekend away. We will make a decision by then.

The U16's got the dream draw in the semi-final of the Stockport Metro Cup in opponents West End. They will be no pushover and treated with the utmost respect as third division leaders, but as the other options were Hyde or Junior Blues they are the best team to play of the three.

The team has been given a major setback with Matt Torbitt being out for the rest of the season. He was involved in a car accident on the way home from training last Thursday (8th Feb), in which he was knocked off his bike. A fracture to his leg / ankle was the result, which under the circumstances was a lucky escape as he hit the car windscreen and apparently landed on his feet.

Matt has been playing magnificently this season, playing in several positions to cover for injury. We hope he will recover fully and be back in the squad as soon as possible.

The match against New Mills has been postponed due to unplayable pitch conditions. This is continued frustration for the team as there has been very few games played since November. Hopefully some league games will be played by other teams, otherwise there will be major fixture problems at the end of the season. We can only hope now that the weather dries up over the next week.

The fixture for Cup round 2 between Bramhall v Burnage was arranged for a 1.45 kick off this afternoon, however the fixture was postponed yet again after a pitch inspection at 1.00 by the referee. This is the third week on the run that the fixture has been put back, with previous weeks fixtures being cancelled at SMBC owned pitches. This will be causing chaos for the end of the season with the usually cold month of February still to come, and the likelihood is that most other fixtures will have been cancelled today as well. Hopefully we will have a good chance of playing next week at New Mills, as they have the final decision to play as they use their own pitch.

We are pleased to announce that we have a new addition to the squad with the signing of a new striker. Liam Pritchard has joined the squad after being released by Oldham Athletic. Liam has played at a very high level and is a goalscorer who can play in several positions, with previous experience at the top of the Stockport Metro League. All the team has had the opportunity to meet him at training tonight (Thursday) and we are sure that everyone is impressed. This is the first time that the team has had two quality strikers, which is a must for any team with ambition. For the past one and a half seasons, Nick Turnbull has been the only outlet for a good return of goals. Nick has an magnificent record since joining us of 48 goals in 41 games. At last he now has someone to share the pressure of winning matches with his goals. We are sure that Liam will still have a great opportunity of playing as a professional, putting himself in the shop window by playing for Ladybridge in the top league.

After establishing ourselves in the top division last season, and finishing in a respectable 6th position, the target should be the highest possible position, and progression in the cup.

With several changes to the playing staff, it always takes time to bed players into a squad. The fixtures published at the start of the season did no favours in this respect with the first three matches being progressively more difficult. First up were Glossop (5th last season), then Hyde (3rd last season), then Junior blues (1st last season). You could expect the result of three defeats to be acceptable, but the players found great disappointment as they could and should have had two wins out of those three matches (see reports). Since then, things have changed dramatically with an excellent run of eight straight wins. It is also worth noting that there have been several players missing for long periods in the first half of the season. Adam Prest (foot), Matty Booth (knee), Lau Grady (knee) and Mike Taylor (back) have all missed a lot of games.

With a squad of 16 (which includes two keepers) the squad has been thin on many occasions. So even at this stage it is worth giving a few special mentions. Jamie O'Brien has taken the goalkeeping role and has performed with great presence and competence. Matt Torbitt has filled in at left back, despite this not being his favourite position. He has performed magnificently in this role. Warren Jones has been playing as striker now for several weeks. He has scored goals, made a nuisance of himself, and performed superbly. Other mentions go to the defence in general. In addition to Mike Taylor / Matt Torbitt, Chris Baugh and John Freer have performed superbly and shown a great understanding and partnership. It goes without saying that Danny Turrell has played superbly, so much so that we can almost rule out the possibility of conceding a goal from the area he manages so well. In midfield Jake Ankers has performed well as the heart of the team and Mike Chilton has continued to work hard, always giving 100%. Andy Jenkins has been playing on the left and has been magnificent. His confidence has helped him to be a star player on many occasions, and he has started to fulfil the potential he has always had. Nick Turnbull continues to score goals, and on the rare occasion he has a bit of a drought he has picked himself up to score a crucial goal. He has also started to show a lot more determination in other areas of his game, which have helped his all round performances. Danny Burke and David Pattison have been on the sidelines for a lot of match time, but have accounted for themselves well when called upon.

A great first half of the season and there is optimism for further progress with the team currently 3rd in the league, and maybe even win the cup!

Today's fixture cancellation means that it will have been three months on the road next time we play at Bradshaw Hall. The last home game was a 3-1 victory against New Mills on 22nd October, which seems a long time ago. The next home game will be the fixture against Junior Blues on 21st January. The good news though is that the last 4 games in that period have all resulted in wins, and that means an impressive 8 wins on the trot.

This weekends game against Hyde has been postponed due to unavailability of players and management for the fixture, which was scheduled for an afternoon kick-off. The match will be rescheduled for later in the season. Thanks to Hyde for their understanding in this matter.

This weekends match against Signol has been postponed. This is due to several injuries and more players unavailable due to half term holidays. Training will be as usual this Thursday.

The midweek match against Poynton has been cancelled. Training as usual on Wednesday. Match info for Sunday to be posted a.s.a.p.

Signol Athletic are unable to play the match on Wednesday evening so the match is being moved to Thursday 14th Sept. This is assuming that we have all our players available on that night. An announcement will be made at Sundays game -v- Glossop with the details. Kick of time to be announced along with confirmation of the fixture.

There will be no match this Wednesday and there will be training as normal. The socks have arrived now and they will be handed to players at training along with the shorts. Weather and time permitting we will be taking the team photograph before the match against Glossop on Sunday.

The first friendly will be next week on Wednesday (30th Aug) at our home pitch against the U17's. If for some reason there are not at least 22 players, or the game is cancelled, we will go ahead with training as normal.

The second friendly fixture has been confirmed for the game against Mountfield on Sunday 3rd September. Kick off time will be confirmed at the next match, but is expected to be around midday.

A few friendly matches have been arranged (subject to confirmation). The dates are being given now so you can plan as necessary.

3. Yet to be decided. Sunday 27th August -or- midweek match between 28th - 31st August. Opponents to be decided.

Please also note that as Manchester City are playing Portsmouth at home on Wednesday 23rd August, training will be moved to Thursday 24th at 6pm. This is due to several of the squad being City supporters who attend games. This information will be also announced at training this Wednesday (16th).

The sponsorship deal for the squad has been confirmed today. Substantial funds have been secured with sponsorship from:-

148 Buxton Rd, High Lane, Stockport.

We are sure that you will greatly appreciate this new association with the club and recommend them to any possible interested parties. As with previous sponsorship, the club reminds players, parents and staff that we should continue to ensure that team discipline and fair play is paramount, as we also represent the good name of the sponsor. We look forward to this new association and will be issuing a promotional press release through Stockport Express and Manchester Metro News (Stockport Edition) when the kit is delivered. A team photograph will be taken for this purpose when the kit is delivered.

This weeks training session will be on Wednesday at 6pm and will be an opportunity to prepare for the weekend tournament at Spurley Hey. With two teams to be selected it will be a good opportunity for LC to win a pre-season trophy. The teams are:

The U16's have secured a new sponsorship deal for the coming season. The details will be announced shortly about this sponsorship which is with another local business. They are to provide substantial funds to enable another quality kit purchase. This is hot on the heels of last seasons deal with R F Fielding, which was planned to be a two season sponsorship due to the quality of the kit they provided. Unfortunately, Fieldings have since sold closed their business and are no longer operating. It is a great boost for the squad that another local business is prepared to put their name on our shirt and create an association with the club.

Only six days to go with training resuming on Thursday 29th June at 6pm. With a great season behind us we will be looking to improve and be pushing for medals this season. We are looking forward to new competition in the squad and it is important that people start to set a good impression from week 1. Training will be enjoyable with a high tempo, so fitness shouldn't be a problem again this season. If you have friends joining us it is important that they get involved as early as possible, and the same goes for existing players. So don't forget to attend training and show the same commitment as the last pre-season, and pass this on to any newcomers.

We have been informed by Ben Connolly that he is not going to be with us next season. Ben has been playing for us for just one season and has done very well during the the campaign, the best of his performances in the high scoring win against Chorlton. As a very similar player to Matty Nolan, things never seemed to work as well when they were both playing in the same game. Of exceptional ability, he always entertained in training and will be missed by the squad. We all wish him the best and hope he achieves his ambitions at his new club. With family connections at Junior Blues he will be playing for them next season. The loss will be a fantastic opportunity for one of the current squad or trialists to secure themselves a starting position in the coming season. With several joining training next week, the excitement is already starting to build for the management and players. Two places are now already up for grabs.

Another player from Parrs Wood School has decided to join training for the U16's this pre-season. Lau Grady has been playing for Stockport Vikings, so with the arrival of Nick Turnbull and John Freer last season he would be the third addition from them in the last year. No doubt if he shows the commitment and quality of the two mentioned, he should have no problem getting into the squad. Lau is an all-round sportsman, so fitness should certainly not be a problem.

We will be having a short break this summer and plan to return early in preparation for next season. We will be looking at some possible additions to the squad and you are welcome to bring people to training with you, even if they do not intend to join us for next season. To accommodate world cup matches being played, the first two training sessions will take place as follows:-

Then every Wednesday. Training will be at our home pitch from 6.00pm to about 7.15pm.

We have entered two teams into the Spurley Hey Tournament. The details are as follows:-

The tournament is at Warth Meadow, Welkin Road, Bredbury. It is important that you let us know as soon as possible if you are not going to be available.

As with last season, we will be selecting a squad at the end of August from the players we have available. As we are sure you appreciate, the last season could have been very different if we had not done this last year. We now need to try to give ourselves a good chance of winning something next season. We are looking to take new players on, but only if they improve the squad. We are hoping that this will again be 16 � 17 players, including a second goalkeeper. We can not guarantee any places, but it is advisable that players attend training on a regular basis if they are to give themselves a good chance of selection. The squad will be announced at the last training session in August.

Barbara and Jim Gannon are the founders of Ladybridge County and Jim is still involved in the club. Barbra, who was the main force behind the progress of the club, has unfortunately passed away. This award is given to one player each season who has made an unsung contribution to the club over the years. Players who take no glory, but are part of the club and show special commitment and determination. We are happy to announce that the nominated player who has been given this award is:-

Danny has played for us for as long as we can remember. He has shown determination, loyalty and has continued to play a part as new players have joined our squad. He attends training and matches and continues to show enthusiasm and determination even when not selected. He enjoys training and fits in well with all the lads. We were all delighted when he scored his first goal of the season a few weeks ago after coming on as substitute. Was that an overhead kick Danny?

The award of players player of the year holds great value and esteem as it is recognition from all team-mates of the contribution that a player has made throughout the season. It shows that your efforts have been recognised by your team-mates, and your reliability as a valued member of the squad have been rewarded.

This season the votes came up with two winners for this award with several other players hot on their tails. The two winners were as follows:-

Nick Turnbull

Nick joined the squad as a striker at the start of the season after leaving Stockport Vikings. With a previously proven record of goalscoring, he has contributed this season with an incredible return average of more than a goal game in all competitions. Such is his love for the game and his will to succeed, his attendance for training and matches has been 100%. Quite simply, without Nicks goals our league position could have been very different, and his team-mates have recognised this. Well done and a deserved award for Nick.

Danny, another player to have joined us last pre-season, has played exclusively at right back position. He has had a superb season and works with quiet efficiency throughout. For his team-mates to recognise his ability and commitment in this position shows how much he has contributed. Such is the case that opponents needn�t even bother trying to attack by this route as he completely blocks any threat. A superb achievement, and well done to Danny.

This year the above Players Player winners were automatically excluded from being considered for this award. There were several players shortlisted this year, such has been the performance of the whole squad. This was the most difficult decision to make in all the time the team has been running and the shortlist was discussed at length. Even after the decision had been made, conversations and performances could have quite easily changed the winners, such was the close competition. We hoped that the team could �bail us out� by winning the cup so that everyone received a deserved medal for their efforts. In the end the winners were as follows:-

Jake Ankers

At the end of last season it was questionable if Jake would be a reliable addition. He is a hard tackling midfielder who can play football and has the potential and ability to score goals. With a bit of a reputation, he needed to be more disciplined to make the best of his undoubted ability. There is no doubt that his performances this season have earned us a good few points, as when he has played at the top of his game we have almost always won. Well done to Jake for an excellent season.

Matty has played for the team for as long as we can remember and in this time has greatly contributed to the success of the team. His undoubted ability has helped him both create and score goals from midfield for several seasons. This season he finished second highest scorer and narrowly missed out on a players player of the year award. As with all this years award winners, his challenge will be to maintain or improve at the same rate as previous seasons to enable us to be challenging for honours next season.

Training has been secured for next winter. The squad will be training at Cheadle Hulme High School on Thursdays from 7pm - 8pm. This is a bigger facility than the current one and it is more suitable for the number of players, even sharing with the under 15's will be possible, which is what we intend to do. It also has the advantage of being more local for most of the players.