COOKES CELEBRATE LANDMARK ACHIEVEMENT

NANTWICH Town manager Dave Cooke has joined an exclusive club. The Dabbers boss took charge of the club for the 300th time in the recent fixture at Ashton United - only the third person in their history to reach the milestone. Colin Hutchinson and Clive Jackson are the two other men who have been in the dug-out long enough to reach that mark.

And Nantwich celebrated the occasion with a presentation ahead of last Saturday’s 2-1 FA Trophy victory over Barwell.

It was also a family affair, with Cooke’s son, Sean, playing his 300th game for the club against South Shields recently.

Cooke senior told the club’s website: “It’s a proud moment for me because Nantwich is my football club, to be manager for 300 games, I’m really proud. I wouldn’t want it to be with any other club.”

Cooke, who was also a player for the Dabbers, is in his third spell as manager.

He first took the reins in 1984, started a second spell in 2000 and started his third stint in 2017. Cooke junior, meanwhile, has scored 100 goals for Nantwich since making his debut in a 4-1 victory over Chester back in the 2011 season.

He holds the most appearances for the club since they joined the Northern Premier League - and is one of only eight players to have reached 300 games for the club. The pair - and the rest of their squad - will have a day off tomorrow as Nantwich are without a game.

STAFFORD RANGERS are in NPL Premier Division action tomorrow. Matt Hill’s men welcome Bamber Bridge to Marston Road for their latest league assignment. Stafford, who bowed out of the Walsall Senior Cup in midweek, find themselves in eighth place in the table.

However, they will have their work cut out against a Bamber Bridge side who are in fourth, but have impressed on their travels. Bridge have won six of their eight away matches in the league so far to keep them in the hunt for promotion.

Stafford, meanwhile, have won three, drawn three and lost three at home.