Famous old club are struggling to survive

The Wooldale Wanderers team of 1987 - back, from left: N Beaumont, N Howarth, G Morley, P Hampshaw, A Francis, A Dickinson, R Munt. Front row: T McGuire, R Brooke, C Lesley, D Sykes, M Hollingdale, R Holmes five seasons or so, having been relegated from Division 1 and then, straight away, from Division 2.

“We seemed to lose a lot of players and, with a lot of the older ones who’ve played at top level deciding to pack up this year, it has hit us hard.

“Others have left to go to university and now we are struggling to attract players.

“That’s why we’re folding the second team and, last week, we could raise only 10 for the firsts and had to call off the game.”

Goodwin says Wooldale – who were in the top division only four years ago – are determined to keep going if at all possible from their base behind the old Co-op building in the village.

Matches are played at Westfield, off Winney Bank Lane, where the club have enjoyed tremendous success over the years – sharing the record with Brackenhall United of seven wins in the Barlow Cup final.

The glory days were in the late 1960s and early 1970s, when they won the Cup three years in a row.

They also won in 2000 and 2001, with their last success coming in 2007, the first season Goodwin joined the club.

“It’s fair to say things haven’t gone our way of late,” said Goodwin, who has been running the teams along with long-serving player and official Simon Holmes.

“We’ve had a few locals say they will dust off their boots and come out of retirement to play, but we really could do with an influx of players to help us keep going and revitalise things.

“And it would be great to maybe get a manager and a coach who could attract more players.”

Anyone who would like to get involved or to play should contact Goodwin on 07715 606868.