Kept Park the league
AS a Manchester City fan since 1968, Frank Nolan has learned the hard way that winning is not everything.
But his stewardship of Chadderton Park Sports Club in Oldham is pure Champions League.
When he took over as chairman 10 years ago it had five boys football teams.
It now has 82, including six girls football teams plus netball and rounders squads.
The club also runs teams for children aged three to 16 living with cerebral palsy.
Frank, 59, who will step down this year as chairman, was reared on the legendary Blues team which boasted Lee, Bell and Summerbee.
But he stuck with them through the dross of the pre-Mancini, Pellegrini, and Pep years – when they were capable of losing at home to Oxford United.
Such a background means he has the perfect pedigree to encourage children of all abilities.
Trophy-chasing is not what drives him after 20 years at the club, with 10 of those being in charge.
“From day one it was a club for all, so anyone can play irrespective of their ability,” he said.
“We had parents coming to us, saying ‘my son went for a trial with a club and didn’t get in.’ This would be a six-yearold child.
“We got more coaches and that is how we grew – by having teams that are not always going to win the league.
“It is about enjoyment and being inclusive. As long as children are getting game-time, going to training, and meeting a new set of friends, that’s really what children’s football is all about.”
Such is the club’s progress that it was presented the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service. In the second year of Frank’s chairmanship, it opened its own ground after taking over an abandoned cricket pitch.
The surge in popularity of girls football has also been recognised by the club. Frank said: “We included girls football to progress as a club. We started with one team nine years ago and now have six. We were way behind other clubs in the area who had established girl sections with 12 to 15 teams.”
Despite ‘wrecked’ knees, which forced him to quit as an amateur player aged just 25, he has used his own canny game wisdom to recently train some of the girls teams.
He said: “I think girls football is improving massively in this country, especially with the influx of stars from overseas – which has improved our players. I’ve seen young girls playing in our league – North Manchester – and said to their coaches they are proper footballers, getting their heads up, looking for a pass. There are a couple of players in the under-12s division who are outstanding and could go on to make it.”
His philosophy does not prevent the club from being a nursery for nurturing immense talent.
“We once lost almost an entire under-9s boys team – they went to United, City and Blackburn Rovers.”
This year saw a clutch of Chadderton Park teams win league titles – but Frank’s desire just to let kids play remains its cornerstone. A SHOP worker who was hit with a hammer during an attempted robbery has been discharged from hospital.
The brave staff member grabbed a shop till back from two robbers as they attempted to steal it from the Premier Express convenience store, on Tootal Road in Weaste, Salford, on June 20.
He was struck on the head with a hammer and the robbers fled from the scene, abandoning a motorbike as well as the till on the street. The 30-year-old victim was left suffering from a minor head injury.
Police continue to hunt for the two men, who are thought to be aged between 25 and 28.
Anyone with information can contact GMP on 101, quoting log number 1679/20 June.