Harrogate Strays over 60's NPL

Round 2 of the Over 60s NPL fixtures arrived with five games to play, each 15 minutes straight through. The Strays were ready.

Game 1 – Harrogate Strays 2–0 Bradford City

We opened the day against Bradford City, a side we’d already faced in a pre‑season friendly.

Graeme struck after five minutes to put us ahead, then added a second to secure a comfortable 2–0 win. A perfect start.

Game 2 – Harrogate Strays 2–3 Wakefield Whites

Next came Wakefield Whites, a team we knew well from the National Cup.

Wakefield hit us with two quick goals to take control. Neil reacted sharply to a loose ball to pull one back, but Wakefield restored their two‑goal cushion.

Graeme then punished a poor back‑pass to make it 3–2, giving us hope, but the final whistle came too soon. Our first defeat of the day.

Game 3 – Harrogate Strays 0–1 Rothwell Old Boars

We had been unbeaten against Rothwell in our previous two meetings, and the match swung end‑to‑end with neither side finding the net early on.

A lapse in concentration allowed Rothwell to take the lead.

We had a lucky escape when our keeper clearly kicked the ball whilst he was outside the area, but the referee claimed he didn’t see it.

Graeme forced a fine save late on, but the match finished 0–1.

Game 4 – Harrogate Strays 2–1 Leeds Morley

Games against Morley are always tight, and this one was no different.

Bernie curled in a superb left‑footer to give us the lead, and we nearly doubled it but for an excellent save from their keeper.

Morley equalised, setting up a tense finish.

Sully then struck cleanly to restore our lead.

Neil fired in what looked like a certain goal, but the referee didn’t see it cross the line, so it stayed 2–1.

Game 5 – Harrogate Strays 1–0 Easingwold

Our final match was against Easingwold — the team we faced in the opening round of the new NPL season. Revenge was on our minds.

Their keeper produced two outstanding saves to deny Graeme, but he eventually found a gap to put us ahead.

Further chances from Graeme and Sully were stopped by the keeper, and although it could easily have been four or five, the match ended 1–0.

Summary

We finished the day with three wins and two narrow losses. Both defeats could easily have been draws or even wins.   

A fantastic squad effort all round — and thanks to Derek and Mike for their support throughout the day.

The squad on the day was

G Bell, S  Dodsworth, P Holdsworth, P Jordan, B O’Brien, R Sullivan, S Simpson (GK), N Waite & C Davies

Write Up by Kevin Williams GMWFL

It was a lovely day on Wednesday, only fractionally too warm for veteran’s football, but Heywood aficionados would take it every time. It certainly suited new boys Harrogate Strays who are now hot favourites to secure a championship trophy in their maiden season. Certainly, nobody will begrudge them their success, with four wins from four yesterday.

"I had the pleasure of refereeing their top of the table clash with another excellent side, Curzon Ashton FC, and it was a very high standard of Walking Football, believe me. A 1-0 win settled the championship argument once and for all.

The North Yorkshire club have the knack of taking the lead, and then successfully shutting out the opposition with some clever possession play. When you have players sharing the goal scoring duties, Val Wawrosz [3], Tony Breslin [3] and John Rhodes with perhaps the most crucial strike in the above mentioned game, they are a real threat to anyone.

Curzon Ashton FC will join the Strays when they go up next month, and perhaps Fleetwood Town Flyers, Moston Brook FC Greens and Wakefield Wanderers might be permitted a sigh of relief."
 

 The Strays Over 60's travelled to Leeds for a tough National Cup second-round match against last year's runners-up, Wakefield Wanderers.

The Strays started strong when star striker Graeme Bell scored the opening goal. However, Wakefield quickly equalised. 

A chaotic penalty sequence followed. Keeper Mike Norris made a great initial save, but his second stop was ruled outside the box, leading to another penalty that put Wakefield ahead 2-1 at half-time.

Injury forced Norris off at the break, bringing backup keeper Derek Gibson into action. 

The Strays responded instantly, with Bell scoring just 10 seconds into the second half to tie the game at 2-2.

Wakefield quickly fired back with two goals, but the Strays kept fighting.

 A Dean Tunbridge cross deflected off a defender into the net to make it 3-4. 

Wakefield’s top scorer replied immediately, but Bell answered right back with his third goal to bring the Strays within one at 4-5.

Late in the game, Wakefield went on a three-goal run to seal the victory. Despite the final score, the Strays put in a brilliant, confident performance against elite opposition. Every single player stepped up, proving the squad is moving in the right direction.

The squad on the day was

Neil Waite, Mike Norris (GK), Dean Tunbridge, Rod Sullivan, Graeme Bell, Derek Gibson & Phill Holdsworth
 

Harrogate Strays Over 60's travelled to York for the Pizza League Supplementary Cup with a squad of eight.

There were six teams split into two groups, with each side playing their group opponents twice. Our group featured the Strays, York Vikings, and Rothwell Old Boys.

We opened against York Vikings. It was a tight, cagey match with few chances at either end, and it finished 0–0.

Next up were Rothwell Old Boys. Our last meeting had been, to say the least, heated; this time was far more even. The Strays broke the deadlock when Steve Dodsworth slotted home after a neat pass from Graeme Bell. Unfortunately, a lapse in concentration at the back allowed Rothwell to equalise. Two games played, two draws, and still unbeaten.

The rematch with York Vikings followed a similar pattern: organised, disciplined defending on both sides and limited openings. In the final five minutes, we thought we’d taken the lead through Dodsworth again, only for the referee to disallow it for being above head height. Another 0–0, and the unbeaten run continued.

With the temperature rising, we headed into our final group game knowing that avoiding defeat would see us into the semi-finals. Playing with more confidence, Neil Waite put us ahead, but Rothwell levelled after another brief defensive lapse. We dug in over the closing five minutes and saw it out. Four games, four draws—job done, and into the last four without a defeat. A superb effort from the whole squad.

Finishing second in the group set up a semi-final against Scarborough Barons. Despite the heat, we started brightly and the game was evenly poised until a momentary switch-off at the back let Scarborough in to score. They managed the game well thereafter, and we suffered our first defeat of the afternoon.

Footnote: York Vikings went on to win the tournament on penalties.

Thanks to everyone for playing in such testing conditions.👏🙏⚽️ 

The Squad for the day was:

 S Dodsworth , N Waite, P Holdsworth, R Sullivan, G Bell, M Norris, J Bower, T Tuplin

For info and general interest in the club overall re some of our over 70’s players taking part, in blistering heat, for the Sealander 70’s squad selection process at Barnsley versus England WF - 

Match Reports - Derek Rowe 

V England 70 - 2-1 Loss

A very organised Simon Atherfold’s England took advantage of our lacklustre start going 2 up early on, We pulled one back from Val and but for unbelievable goalkeeping from Vic Handley we nearly pulled off at least a draw, that said our heads remained high    

V Sealand 65’s 3-1 Loss

Conceding 2 in quick succession from a very lively 65’s and a third through slackness put our heads down… even so we don’t lie down, Val bagging a great goal to spur us on, despite our press they remained resolute, this was becoming a learning but that was the purpose of the day…

V England 65’s 1-1 Draw

What was to be our toughest test needed a reshape and tactical changes to contain the very strong England 65’s with the 70’s getting the edge through a penalty (Val) under totting up against them putting us in the driving seat. Such is the severity of EUFA  rules that a DOGSO and totting up landed a double jeopardy on Rowe with an off, ex Man Utd Peter Davenport duly converting the penalty. A tough gig but a much improved team performance and a big scare for England 

3 V 4 - Sealander 65’s - 3-2 Win

After that performance our tails were up and out to prove a point to our compatriots, a much more lively 70’s were at it from the off, Val bagging 2 and a penalty from Tony B with 2 in response from the 65’s 

On only our second outing as a squad we ended 3rd overall which is commendable and a big well done to all the players, this squad with missing players will get stronger as they play more games as a group

Squad - Paul Rogers, Dave Sparrow, Ken Jowsey, Terry Collins, Derek Rowe, Jim Baughan, Val Wawrosz, Tony Breslin, Alan Stockdale

A big thank you to Jo Bower and her husband in making the effort to come to watch the games 👏👏🙏⚽️ 

Overview  

This, above all others, is the “FA CUP” of walking football that every team in the country want to get their hands on. The squad being selected by Derek Rowe to suit the match duration, the change in rules and sanctions as a risk based approach and the “Form” of the players in the league competitions the group are currently leading.  We know our opposition well, they give us heartache at times so it is a challenge, we simply have to bring a winning mentality to get the Job done, we face players who know how to play, some of which represent the WFLA  and SEALAND and play against us in both the NCAL and GMWFL, the fixture needed complete focus and a ridged approach.  Derek Rowe electing to take an 8 man squad to aid rotation and fitness levels.    Unfortunately for both teams the WFA appointed referee was severely delayed whereby the able Mick Lowley from Wakefield had to step in, we were thankful for that in order to get the fixture played.  For the start Derek Rowe put out a shape of 1-1-3-1 with Paul Rogers between the sticks, Dave Sparrow as Central Defender, a midfield of England’s John (Ted) Sander, Mike Pyle (.C) with Val Worwrosz on the right, led by top striker Tony Breslin to deal with tight marking from Ken Jowesy of Waki, the 2 players off being John Rhodes and Derek Rowe.  In a cautious first 10minutes it was, in truth honours even, Waki spraying the ball around in their usual manner all being ably swept up by Dave Sparrow, that said the able Dave Margrave and George Crow were putting themselves about a fair bit and disturbing our holding pattern, Paul Rogers having to maintain full alertness as they tried to maraud forward.  The scare coming with George Crow going very close when left alone on the left through poor Strays concentration. That close call set off a spark, a great passage of play from Mike Pyle saw Val go through to open our scoring with a fierce drive into the right hand corner giving Mick Wilde no chance, we were on our way.  As if a light switch went on we took control of the game, that said John (Ted) Sanders, had to come off through the infringement count with John Rhodes going on, this ruling takes some managing and close attention, what followed was some great interplay from the midfield and holding by Tony Breslin the next opening came for Val to smack home his second, as was the pace of the game Val had to come off due to the count with Derek replacing to change the shape to a 1-1-2-2 to slow the game down to get us to half time.  At the resumption we tightened the interplay further, letting them come at us but maintaining possession, opening the game up for Derek to slot the ball to Tony for the third goal to come from one of his trademark back to gaol dummy pass to smack it home to get it to 3-0 allowing time for a further change with Derek and John coming off to make way for John (Ted) and Val to resume the attacking pressure and so it came with Val’s third, despite the heroics of Mick Wilde in Goal the game was now beyond Wakefield reach.  The Strays simply holding up play as the team saw fit to run down the clock to get the job done.  This result puts the Strays into the last 4 of the Northern Region and a game away from reaching the Regional Finals.  As this squad is forming and getting more and more used to each other it is beginning to play very well, with a result like that against a team of quality in Wakefield it sends out a message to all other sides of our determination to progress in this competition, that said the learnings were clearly infringements and squad rotation as a must and we will work on that, We now await our next competitors with eagerness.   

Manager Reaction  Derek Rowe believes that the squad are on the cusp of numerous significant achievements by playing tactical systems that are taken on board by each of them, easily implemented and understandable to bring about impressive results, he said “I am once again very proud to be leading this group of very, very special players, they give all that is expected, they communicate, encourage and play for each other, the culmination from this performance was more than encouraging, they want to win but they want to do it in a correct and humble manner”. I hope to be leading them onwards to achieve great things together, always doing our best. 

The squad comprised, Paul Rogers, Dave Sparrow, Mike Pyle (.C), John (Ted) Sanders, Val Wawrosz, Tony Breslin, John Rhodes, Derek Rowe 

Overview  
Today was the fifth session of the 2026 NCLA Over 70’s League attended by 6 teams from the regions, namely Wakefield Reds, Leggy Mambos, Wakefield Purples, Leeds Walking Football, Harrogate Strays and Doncaster, with Bradford off this was the Stras Opportunity to open up a gap between 1stand 2ndin the league and to maintain top spot.  
  At this point in the season at this session’s conclusion the Strays remain proudly top of the League with 65 points from 21 wins, 2 draws and 2 losses, 68 for with 13 against and a GD of 55, Derek Rowes’s team’s consistency is flowing through to the other league the Strays play in and in our WFA National Cup credentials, consistency being the key. The team has an off from this league in June, we are hoping the results swing our way to end our season in July on a high.      

Game 1 – Strays 0  – 0 Wakefield Reds

What do we have to do to overcome this side, Derek Rowe fielded a strong attacking team that had a win all over it but yet again whilst we expected a hard game from the Reds they gave us more than we bargained for, at half time it was equal, the reds keeper laying a complete blinder, at the restart we maintained complete pressure but our goal didn’t come, we were thwarted and out thought, in the end getting at least a point out of it felt like a result, we face Wakefield in the WFA Cup on 13thMay, time for Derek Rowe to get his thinking cap on. 

 
Game 2 – Strays 2 – 0 Leggy Mambos

Like a London bus appears in pairs next up was Leggy Mambos, the pain of it, but if we are to win this league we have to up our game, Derek Rowe re-organised the shape to a 1-1-2-2, putting the big strong players in Rhodes and Yates in the flanks, playmaker Pyle in the roving role, Sparrow as the Anchor and Breslin the attacking threat, the first half saw Tony grab his goal to put us in the driving seat for the second half, the team maintained calmness to get the ball to Tony Breslin to bag his second for us to play down the clock, job done, we were on the winning trail, a very pleasing performance all round.  
  

Game 3 – Strays 3 – 0 Wakefield Purple

On the back of the last game the team were thinking win, Derek Rowe bringing off Mike Pyle and David Yates to put the two playmakers in Keightley and Rowe wide to interplay each side to break up Wakefield possession as the Purples are a lovely passing side so we had to deal with that, bang, within a minute Tony Breslin unleashed a shot so fierce that our signal of intent was clear, Derek Rowe was denied an opener for not walking but soon after our opening goal came from a 6 pass interplay from Simpson to Sparrow to Rowe to Keightley to Breslin to Rowe to Keightley to open the scooring with a gaping goal, lovely football, Tony Breslin nabbing two more to up his tally  to 4 in 2 games Strays played out the game to secure the win    

Game 4 – Strays 5 – 0 Leeds

Last time we played Leeds in session 3 they gave us a fright, we had to battle beyond belief to get our win then, to-day we just completely “Clicked” in this game, Derek Rowe put out a 1-1-1-3 shape, this enabled the Strays to completely outplay Leeds in every area which was very unusual as they are a good organised string side, such was the Strays dominance that it enabled, with this attacking shape, Tony Breslin to bag 5 out 5 goals, that was some achievement at any level, well done Strays and well done Tony

Game 5 – Strays 4 – 1 Doncaster 

For the final game our energy levels remained high again brought about through planned and organised player rotation from manager Derek Rowe, the fresh spirit of Tony Breslin from bagging five in game 4 was evident from the off with him banging in another 3 goals in quick succession and so it was time to give him a rest to bring John Rhodes back on only for John to bag another, Doncaster were giving it a go and with the Strays completely on top a very rare defensive lapse in concentration allowed them to get one back but with only minutes to go it made no difference to our day as the Strays played out the game to conclusion

Manager Reaction

STRAY’s’ Manager Derek Rowe: “From a lethargic and uncharacteristic start the changes in formation brought about a shape that enabled settlement and confidence game by game, the energy and skill set that comes out of this squad is a joy to watch as our season is in progress, this set of results puts one hand on the tiller to achieving what we set out to do in January, I do hope that results in round 6 go our way  

The Strays squad today was – Steve Simpson (GK), Dave Sparrow, David Yates, Mike Pyle (C), John Rhodes, Paddy Keightley, Derek Rowe, Tony Breslin
 

 Overview

 What a difference a month makes, the squad came to session 1 of league 4 into the unknown, blizzard conditions and trepidation, we came away ahead of the league disappointed we had not made it a clean sweep, today Heywood weather was like the Med, that aside we had a job to do, we now knew our opponents and our plan was in place.  The downside was that we didn’t have the services, due to International duties, of Tony Breslin, psychologically he was a big miss to the squad Derek Rowe has built resilience into so it can cope, today we had to go and do it and prove our worth to be in this league 

Strays 2 – 1 Fleetwood Town  Derek Rowe put out a shape to pierce Fleetwood defence with John Rhodes replacing Tony Breslin our plan was to play a 1-1-3-1 with Keightley and Rowe wide attacking midfield Pyle in the holding role, Sparrow as the Anchor and Rogers in goal playing a sweeper position for fast outballs to feet with Charlie Florance as an able back up in midfield.  Strays took control from the outset with calm, assured possession football, a Fleetwood defender being caught in the box (deja vu) to provide Strays with a penalty, duly despatched by John Rhodes.    To Fleetwood credit they showed stiffer resilience this time out and fought us well, in the second half our second goal came with a lovely turn and shot from Rhodes to give us the cushion we needed only for Fleetwood to grab a goal rebounding off a Rogers head from his save into the goal.  That said, both sides competed well, but Strays remained composed and disciplined to play out the game for an opening win and a great start to the day to put points on the Board.

Strays 3 – 0 Moston Brook  Strays were determined not to repeat our first outing against Moston Brook’s, we learnt from the way they played last time out where Derek Rowe had developed a plan to create a faster press, and it showed.  We pushed relentlessly for the opener, with John Rhodes bagging the opener across the goal from far out, nicking a second just before half time enabled the team to relax  After the break Moston grew into the game and pegged us back into our own half, this allowed Mike Pyle to break down their press moving to the left to craft a goal into the top corner of quality.    With four minutes remaining, Rowe made a tactical switch to a 1 3 2 formation to stem any pressure coming from Moston and reassert our press. Despite late efforts from Moston we played the game out to a good win.

Strays 0 – 0 Curzon Ashton  This game was our mid-season pointer with, as the league stood, Curzon as our main threat and clearly wanting to avenge the defeat we inflicted upon them last time, at the very off we found the pace difficult to contend with, earning a very quick infringement from strict refereeing, it felt like Curzon had drafted in an area squad, they were very, very competent and lively where both Dave Sparrow had his hands full and Rogers having to deal with a number of attempts.    At half time and with Curzon clearly on top Derek Rowe had to find a response to curtail their shape and movement, so straight out of UEFA “B level” tactical manual a change to a 1 2 2 1 formation saw Rhodes installed as the attacking outlet, Sparrow anchoring play, and Rowe, Pyle and Keightley congesting the centre to deny Curzon progression.  This worked with Strays getting on top of every challenge where to Strays abject disappointment Rowe had fairly won the ball slotting it through midfield to put Rhodes completely free where inexplicably play was brought back, it was a tough one to take as that was the break we looked for. That said had Rogers not pulled off an unbelievable save they would have took all 3 points, to steady the ship Keightly came off and Florance on to play out the remaining time to take the point.  This was a tough, hard-earned point — and a clear lesson in the continuing standards we are required t maintain at this level. 

Strays 1 – 1 Wakefield Wanderers  With Strays sitting on two wins and a draw, and Wakefield fresh from being defeated by Moston, a game we watched, the admirable Wakefield were dead on their feet, this was our opportunity to pull off another win for the day, we failed, miserably.  The sides were evenly matched, but Strays edged the attacking exchanges to such an extent that it should have been a rout, Wakefield were spent and we failed to take advantage and worse, chance after chance was spurned through undisciplined attacking play and I swear a goalkeeper that had six arms. A bad injury to David Sparrow further disrupted our play, to be quickly followed by a fourth (no need) running offence against us to gift Wakefield a penalty, despite Paul Rogers getting to it they scored.  In the last five minutes we had chance after chance that with calmer play would have given us the breakthrough we needed and with what was the last kick of the game thankfully Mike Pyle struck a low hard shot into the corner to snatch a draw to maintain our league position.  We got away with this one where playing a game of that nature is not the Strays style where Derek Rowe has vowed that that kind of performance  will never be repeated.   Summary  With 8 games gone for Harrogate Strays Over 70s our standings are:  Played 8  Won 6  Drawn 2   Teamwork, fitness, discipline, and a relentless “never say die” attitude has to underpin every performance. The GMWFL is an unforgiving league, but our preparation continues to pay dividends. We remain sitting proudly top of Division 4 — although to maintain that position will be a challenge and we as a squad have to be more disciplined and ruthless in order to play more resiliently against such capable opposition.  We go again on 27thMay, taking it one game at a time as we remain focused in our attempt to climb out of league 4 to league 3 at the first time of asking 

Squad 

Paul Rogers (GK)
David Sparrow

 Mike Pyle (C)
Paddy Keightley
Derek Rowe
John Rhodes

 Charlie Florance 

 The NPL kicked off on 12th April 2026 at Leeds Goals, with the 60s team featuring several new faces in the squad. Unfortunately, there was a last-minute withdrawal due to injury, as Graeme Bell was unable to play. Thanks go to Tom Robinson for stepping in at short notice. The squad was:

M Norris
T Robinson
B O’Brien
S Williams
P Jordan
R Sullivan
P Holdsworth
N Waite
T Tuplin

 All matches were played as straight 15-minute games. Due to a number of team withdrawals, the two leagues were merged into a single division.

 Match 1 – Rothwell Old Boars
The opening game saw a balanced contest, with both sides exchanging attacks and defending well. The Strays were awarded a free kick which struck the post and rebounded out into the penalty area. Sully reacted quickest and slotted the ball home to make it 1–0.
The game continued end-to-end, but the Strays held firm to secure the win—a great start for the new squad. 

Match 2 – Leeds Morley
The team was rotated slightly to ensure everyone got some minutes. Morley took the lead following some poor defending. However, the Strays responded well, with Tom setting up Bernie for the equaliser (1–1).
With only minutes remaining, Paul delivered a great pass to Tom, who scored the winner, making it 2–1.
A perfect start—two wins from two. 

Match 3 – Easingwold
This was an evenly contested game. However, the Strays switched off momentarily, allowing an Easingwold striker to score unchallenged from the edge of the box (0–1).
The team struggled to recover, and Easingwold controlled the game well by keeping possession.
The match ended in defeat. The question now was—could the Strays bounce back?

Match 4 – Manchester Old Boys
Facing an unfamiliar opponent, it quickly became clear that Manchester Old Boys were a well-drilled side who had played together for some time. The Strays struggled to cope with their fluid play and soon found themselves 0–2 down.
After a brief lull, three goals in quick succession put the game beyond reach. The Strays were outclassed, with the final score 0–5.
It was evident that confidence had not recovered from the previous loss. 

Match 5 – Leeds Titans
The effects of the previous two defeats were still apparent. Titans scored three early goals and then controlled the game by keeping possession.
A free kick should have been awarded to the Strays for a back pass, but the referee missed the incident, later apologising. Unfortunately, this was one of the few notable moments for the Strays.
The game ended 0–3.

Summary
A bright start quickly faded for the Strays after two strong opening wins. The defeat to Easingwold proved to be the turning point, with confidence taking a hit that the team couldn’t recover from. Despite full effort from the squad, three tough losses followed against well-organised opposition. Plenty of positives to build on—but lessons learned the hard way. 

 Overview

Today was the fourth session of the 2026 NCLA Over 70s League attended by 6 teams

from the regions, namely Bradford City, Doncaster Dynamos, Harrogate Strays, Wakefield

Purples, Leggy Mambos and Wakefield Reds. The January signings made by Derek Rowe

now bedding in nicely from the January Transfer Window were determined to maintain the

pressure on other sides around us to maintain top spot.

Positively, its great to report again that at the sessions conclusion the Strays remain proudly

top of the League with 52 points from 17 wins, a draw and 2 losses, 54 for with 12 against

and a GD of 42, Derek Rowes team is upping the ante so long may this form continue, it was

good to see Steve Simpson (GK) recovered from injury and a big thanks to Paul Rogers for

stepping in, and even better to know our squad of players is now at the right size to

compensate for injuries and absence.

Game 1 - Strays O -1 Wakefield Reds

We expected a hard game from the Reds and we got it, coming down to earth with a

bump, our normal play was completely disrupted by a very good passing side that stay

resolute, we huffed and puffed and got denied at every opportunity, they nicked a late

goal and it was game over. A re-plan was needed to get the team back on track

Game 2 - Strays 2- 1 Leggy Mambos

Facing a very strong Leggy Mambos after a first game defeat was a test of the Strays

character, Derek Rowe re-organised the side into an attacking unit, from the off it was very

even with John Rhodes converting a penalty for strays just before the break, Mambos Val

Warwosz immediately spoiling the party with a great goal that Steve Simpson couldnt stop, it

was game on, a re-shape for Stray into a 1-1-3-1 with Dave Sparrow as a holding

defender and David Yates to Left Midfield brought fresh impetus, our target in Tony

Breslin was being thwarted at every attempt, but with a change in passage of play Derek

Rowe slotted the ball back from attack into the advancing Mike Pyle from midfield to bury it

home, Strays playing out for time and the first win of the day

Game 3 - Strays 3 - 1 Wakefield Purple

Fresh from giving our heads a shake and a win the Strays went out to alter the rhythm of

this game as it was an entirely different opposition, Derek Rowe put out a shape to a holding

midfield to get Tony more support up front and so it came, the players were off at pace with an

unstoppable uptick in play resulting in a very early goal from Tony Breslin followed a minute

after with another to settle us down, at the resumption Wakefield were at us and very hard to

control, getting awarded a penalty only emboldened them, Derek Rowe going up alongside Tony Breslin to get us our breather, with 4 minutes to go Tony found Derek on the right to bury it to give us respite

Game 4- Strays 2 - 1 Bradford

As in the opening session this fixture is always "difficult" and so it proved, they snatched an

early lead from a good passage of play where the normal resolute Mike Pyle and David

Sparrow thwart, so from that point we had to up our game. They are a very difficult side to

overcome with an attacking shape of Rhodes, Breslin and Rowe a goal or two was on the

cards, Tony Breslin smashing home the first and John Rhodes the second, to stabilise the

midfield Paddy Keightley came on for Rhodes with him and Rowe holding midfield providers

to Tony Breslin, the game finished calmly and with one to go we were back on track

Game 5 - Strays 4- O Doncaster

For the final game our energy levels remained high through articulate player rotation from

manager Derek Rowe, the fresh spirit of Tony Breslin was evident from the off banging in 2

goals from quick succession and Strays controlling the game Doncaster were a different

proposition this time out and they played very well, the second half saw the Strays up the

tempo with a 1-3-2 formation for Breslin to bag another brace to put the game out of reach.

Manager Reaction 

STRAY's Manager Derek Rowe: It's clear the new players have brought an energy and

skill set that have quickly complimented the existing group of players, we have in front

of us a lot to go for this season so the squad has to be sized accordingly with every player

playing their part in a very demanding season

The Strays squad today was - Steve Simpson (GK), Dave Sparrow, David Yates, Mike Pyle

(C), Paddy Keightley, Derek Rowe, Tony Breslin, Mark Speight

 Overview  

After 2 hard years of building a squad to reach the required standard to enter the Greater Manchester Walking Football League (GMWFL) in order to be able to compete against what are arguably the best walking football teams in the country we were selected to play in the lowest tier in Division 4.    The division comprises 5 new teams to the league, Harrogate Strays, Fleetwood Town, Moston Brook, Wakefield Wanderer’s and Curzon Ashton. Calling upon all of us to committing to travel greater distances in our determination to make the most of it from this hotbed of walking football talent, superb facilities, top class organisation and fantastic referees. At this first outing it just felt that we had at long last arrived at where we want to be.      

Strays 2 V 0 Fleetwood Town– What a baptism, in blizzard and freezing conditions we set about our task in controlling the play from the off, with calm, neat possession using the ever lively Tony Breslin as the outlet to set the tone early and so the pressure counted, the press making a Fleetwod player enter the box to get us an early penalty, calmly despatched by Paddy, 1-0, neat passages of play followed with a clinical pass from Breslin to Derek Rowe who left the keeper with no chance to increase our lead. Both teams played well in difficult circumstances with Strays starting the campaign with a 2-0 win, we were off the mark.  

Strays 0 v 0 Moston Brook– This was Mostons opener and our second straight off, it showed immediately, our players were feeling the conditions and they were a very dogged outfit with an outstanding keeper, we fought and fought to get the opening goal and they fought back, pegging us in our half and lively, so with 4 minutes to go Derek Rowe changed the tactical formation to a 1-1- 3 -1 to ebb the flow of attacks and to increase our press, despite  our attempts it ended honours even and a learning for the Strays that this was what to expect.  Strays 1 v Curzon Ashton– With Curzon already on 2 wins against our win and a draw Derek Rowe pulled out the EUFA B game plan, this team were a very, very well organised side, calling for a change in our formation to 1-2-2-1 putting Tony Breslin as the threat and Dave Sparrow as the anchor and crowding the passage of play through the middle with Rowe and Keightly preventing passages of play to get the ball forward, after a number of close calls we settled, slowed the pace and took the sting out of the pace. A lapse in concentration from a midfield incident allowed Strays to break with a fierce Breslin shot falling off the keeper to the feet of Paddy to slot home our opener. A further change in formation by Rowe bringing on Florance packed the middle with Sparrow acting as sweeper, that said Rogers was called upon making an unbelievable save to keep us in the lead, slowing game down even further Strays took command to frustrate and end the game with a deserved win  

Stray 1 V 0 Wakefield Wanderers - Sitting on 2 wins and a draw with Wakefield having just seen off Moston with a close win and knowing Wakefield capabilities as our opponents from the NCAL we knew this was going to be one ding dong of a game against a great set of footballers and so it proved. The sides battled it out and were, without doubt equals with Strays edging  the attacking play and overall movement which allowed us to find our breakthrough from a neat passage of play by Stringfellow to Breslin who made sure of finding the back of the net to put us in the driving seat, a tactical change by Derek Rowe pulling off Stringfellow to put Rowe as a double up with Florance in the middle to break up any further attacking play from Wakefield saw us grind out the result we needed.  

Overall, it was an excellent afternoon for Harrogate Strays Over 70s with 3 wins, a draw and no goals conceded, this was marked by teamwork, fitness, and sportsmanship. The results reflected a strong collective performance and highlighted that the group never say die attitude prevailed, the GMWFL is high level  and our preparation for it paid off, we go again on the 22ndApril in our belief that progress will come a game at a time, for now we sit proudly top of Division 4 but it will be a hard task to remain their as these teams we face are all very capable, but every player in our squad will be ready for that challenge 

The Strays squad today was – Paul Rogers (GK), David Sparrow (.C), Paddy Keightley, Derek Rowe, Tony Breslin, Colin Stringfellow and Charlie Florance 

Overview

The Strays were invited to take the journey from Harrogate to play at Goals in

Middlesbrough against a select over 70’s side from Newcastle, a fixture organised by

Dave Sparrow, this was a token of the squads appreciation towards our travelling

Players, Dave Sparrow, John Rhodes and Tony Breslin to demonstrate to them and

those who may doubt it, that we are a tight knit squad of players that support each

other.

As everyone knows Newcastle is a hot bed of footballing talent, good players, tough

opponents, with a will to win, the scene was set on our arrival at the ground where

we were warmly greeted and made very welcome, the Newcastle manager

representing the WFA Norther Region meant we were in for a great set of games. 

Game 1 set the tone early, with Harrogate edging a closely fought contest 2–1. The

Strays moved the ball patiently and were rewarded with two wellworked goals from

Tony Breslin in each half, while Newcastle remained competitive throughout and

pulled one back to ensure a tense finale. A re-arranged Strays team shape by Derek

Rowe kept the Strays calm, defending well with controlled possession to see the

Strays safely close out the opener.

Games 2 and 3 were very tight tactical affairs, both finishing 0–0. Chances were

limited as both sides focused on shape and discipline, with goalkeepers and

defenders on top form. Harrogate were particularly solid at the back, denying

Newcastle space and showing good communication, while still creating a few

halfchances that narrowly went begging.

Game 4 left the Strays save their most impressive performance, this is a theme of

the Strays, fitness and concentration remaining high to the end, Strays produced a

confident display to secure a 4–1 victory. Slick passing, intelligent movement, and

clinical finishing from Breslin (2), Paddy and Mike proved too much for Newcastle, as

the Strays took control early and never looked back. Despite Newcastle’s efforts and

a deserved goal, the Strays maintained their composure to see out an emphatic win.

Overall, it was an excellent afternoon for Harrogate Strays Over 70s, marked by

teamwork, fitness, and sportsmanship. The results reflected a strong collective

performance and highlighted the club’s continued progress at this high level in

preparation of the challenges ahead in the GMWFL, which is arguably the strongest

set players in England.

The Strays squad today was – Mike Norris (GK), David Sparrow, Mike Pyle (C),

Paddy Keightley, Derek Rowe, Tony Breslin, Mark Speight

Harrogate Strays played their final three games of the season at Wakefield Soccer Centre. Representing the team on the day were Mike Norris, Mark Speight, Mark Sneddon, Paul Joran, Derek Rowe and Mike Pyle.

Result: Won 2–1

Strays started brightly, taking the game to Bradford City and creating several good chances. Despite this early pressure, Bradford took the lead with a goal very much against the run of play.

In the second half, Strays continued to push forward and were rewarded when Mark Speight finished off a well-worked move to bring the game level. Soon after, Derek Rowe struck a powerful shot to put Strays ahead. The team managed the remainder of the game well and ran out comfortable and deserved winners.

Result: Lost 3–2

This was a closely contested match in which Strays took control early on. Goals from Paul Joran and Mark Speight gave Strays a 2–0 lead at half-time.

Wakefield came back strongly after the break and Strays were unable to hold on, despite determined defending and a couple of excellent saves from Mike Norris. Two of Wakefield’s goals came from unfortunate deflections, while the winner arrived with virtually the last kick of the game — a tough result to take.

Result: Lost 2–1

Leeds Titans dominated the first half and established a 2–0 lead. After the break, Strays changed formation and showed greater urgency, gradually building momentum and putting the Titans defence under pressure.

The improvement paid off when Mark Speight scored following a flowing passing move. Strays continued to press for an equaliser and created further opportunities, but Titans held on to secure the victory.

These results confirmed that Strays finished 8th out of 9 teams in the league. Competing with a 65+ squad in a 60+ league has proved challenging, but the team rarely felt outclassed. Many of the nine defeats in 16 matches were by narrow margins — typified by Sunday’s close losses to Wakefield (3–2) and Titans (2–1), who finished 2nd and 3rd in the league respectively.

The next opportunity for Strays comes on 26 April, when the same teams meet again to compete for the Cup and Shield, before the summer break begins. ⚽

With new managers Terry Tuplin and Neil Waite at the helm, Harrogate Strays Over-60s began their season with a friendly away at Skipton Walking Football.

Skipton organised two 20-minute matches played in a 6-a-side format.

Game 1

A misplaced pass early on allowed Skipton to take the lead, forcing the Strays to close down more and work harder defensively. Unfortunately, another lapse in concentration enabled Skipton to double their advantage.

Player-manager Neil Waite came closest to scoring for the Strays with a long-range effort that struck the outside of the post, with the Skipton goalkeeper well beaten.

Final Score: 0–2

Game 2

Player-manager Terry Tuplin returned to the side after officiating duties in the first game. However, another momentary lapse allowed Skipton to open the scoring once again.

The setback seemed to spur the Strays on, with improved effort, sharper communication, and better organisation. Despite the improvement, a short pass was intercepted and Skipton capitalised to score their second goal.

Final Score: 0–2

Considering this group has not yet played much competitive football together, every player contributed positively. The team is beginning to build an understanding and will undoubtedly improve with more time and matches together.

Thanks go to Skipton Walking Football for their excellent hospitality — particularly the much-appreciated pie and peas after the game.

Todays Squad were 

Chris Davis, Derek Gibson, Jo Bower, Mark Sneddon, Mike Norris, Neil Waite, Steve Williams, Tom Robinson & Terry Tuplin

Harrogate Strays Over-60s will be back in action on 20 March 2026, travelling to Bradford for a friendly against Bradford City Walking Football.

Overview

Today was the third session of the 2026 NCLA Over 70’s League attended by 6

teams from the regions, namely Bradford City, Harrogate Strays, Leeds, Leggy

Mambos, Wakefield Purples and Wakefield Reds. The intent of the Strays being not

to let slip our great start to the season to maintain top spot and so it proved.

Positively, it's great to report again that at the session’s conclusion the Strays remain

proudly top of the League with 40 Points from 13 wins, a draw and a loss, 43 for with

8 against and a GD of +35, this team continues to make its mark in a positive way

Game 1 – Strays 2 – 0 Wakefield Reds

We expected and received a hard game from the Reds, after a slow start the

opening goal came from a slick cross pass from Rhodes to Breslin who unleashed a

fierce shot to open our account, at the re-start the Reds pressed bringing Rogers into

action, all safely dealt with, in the second half Strays received a penalty in which

Paddy despatched. Calm possession ending the game.

Game 2 – Strays 2 – 1 Leggy Mambos

This result reflected our opening game in game 1, however the rhythm of this game

was entirely different where Derek Rowe put out a shape to all out attack, playing 1-

1-3, the players were off at pace the first goal coming from Breslin only for Mambos

to snatch an equaliser to lift them, Strays dealt with the setback with a very good

strike from Rhodes for the second, stiff defending with Rogers in goal remaining

resolute and Pyle dominating the midfield the team ended the game impressively.

Game 3 – Strays 3 – 0 Wakefield Purple

Considering the final 2 games Rowe came off with Keightley replacing and for Derek

Rowe to assess what was needed to secure a 5 game win this game gave the Strays

an opportunity to play a different style. Wakefield tried hard to resist the Strays

pressure but with 2 goals in quick succession from Breslin and a penalty converted

by Paddy the Strays did what they needed to do to get the result

Game 4 – Strays 2 – 1 Bradford

As ever this fixture was expected to be a right ding dong against our nemesis in

Bradford City but today was not their day, Strays were at them from the off, a quick

settling goal from Breslin set the scene to go in at 1 up at the break, with another

snatched effort from Breslin to make it 2 up Bradford pressed and got reward in

pulling one back, Derek Rowe changed the formation to a 1-2-2 with David Yates

holding the defensive line and Paul Rogers stopping anything that came at him

Bradford were stifled, Strays playing the ball around in possession to see the game

out, this was a great win

Game 5 – Strays 2 – 1 Leeds

For the final game and in order to remain league leaders, after 4 hard games we had

to maintain our form, from the off it was clear that this was a side that had new faces,

they were very, very well organised and giving it a go, going in at the break we were

equal, a re-shape by Derek Rowe to a 1-1-3 was needed to break the Leeds

midfield and so it came, a strike from Breslin with astonishing accuracy broke the

deadlock followed by very slick Strays interplay prising them open again with

interplay from Rowe to Breslin for him to deftly place his second. At that Leeds came

back at us, snatching a great goal past our normally tight defence and Paul Rogers

to give them some hope, a further tactical change from Derek Rowe to a 1-3-1

completely shut up shop ending the game with calmness and spirit, a great game by

both sides

Manager Reaction

STRAY’s’ Manager Derek Rowe: “It’s clear that this Strays Team is going from

strength to strength, the energy, tactical formations and skill set is very effective and

gives the squad the bounce it needs and as the team to beat, making ever game

very competitive

Conclusion

Continuing our progression with 5 hard earned wins from 5 games is a result of high

team morale. We go again with a friendly V Newcastle on 11 th March and an exciting

debut to look forward to in the GMWFL 25 th March

The Strays squad today was – Paul Rogers (GK), David Yates, Mike Pyle (C), Paddy

Keightley, Derek Rowe, John Rhodes, Tony Breslin

 Strays 65's played Scarborough Barons at York on 12 Feb - 4 x15  minute 7-aside games.
A brief report follows 

Game 1  

Mike and Graeme are subs.

A comfortable 2-0 win with goals from Paul Jordan and Mark Speight. Plenty of chances created and we should have scored more.

Game 2-

Mike and Derek Rowe are subs.

Amazing sequence of scoring. Boro' go 2 up in the first minute with 2 long range shots. Immediate response from Graeme  for 2-2. Boro regain the lead before Strays take control and finish 5-3 up with another goal for Graeme, one for Chris (making a very positive debut as our underage player),  and another one for Mark.

Game 3 -

Mark and Tom subs.

Strays took command as Boro' tired. Hat trick from Graeme, 2 from Derek Rowe and 2 from Mike, Chances a plenty! Solid at the back

Game 4 -

Having scored 2 Hat tricks warming up after his return from injury Graeme was subbed to stop him from overdoing it. Derek Gibson,having kept things tight as our main defender, was also rested.

Another comfortable win (4-0) with plenty of possession and good chances created. Goals from Mark,Derek Rowe,Mike and Tom.

So overall, 18 -3. All 3 Boro' goals came in one mad rush in game 2. Mike kept a clean sheet in the other 3 games .

The squad for the day was:

Mike Norris, Derek Gibson, Mark Speight, Paul Jordan, Chris Davis, Tom Robinson Derek Rowe, Graeme Bell and Mike Pyle

• Next over 65's Friendly, 25th February 2026 v Retro Rovers, Doncaster

Overview  
Tue 3rd Feb was the second session of the 2026 NCLA Over 70’s League attended by 6 teams from the regions, namely Bradford City, Doncaster Dynamos, Harrogate Strays, Leeds, Leggy Mambos and Wakefield Reds. The Strays, having been busy in the January Transfer Window fielding 3 new players were in no mood to surrender the excellent start to the season and were determined to maintain top spot and so it proved.  

Positively, it's great to report again that at the session’s conclusion the Strays remain  proudly top of the League with 25 Points from 8 wins, a draw and a loss, 32 for with 5 against and a GD of 27, this team, with it’ new additions, is making its mark, long may this form continue      

Game 1 – Strays 5  –  0 Wakefield Reds

We expected a hard game from the Reds, they are a very good passing side that stay resolute, that said from the off the Strays team clicked, the opening goal came from a slick cross pass from Breslin to Rhodes who unleashed a fierce shot to open our account to be quickly followed by a great opener from Breslin at the edge of the box followed by another from Rhodes before half time, at the re-start the Reds pressed bringing Rogers into action, such is the team mix that confidence was up, as the game wore on the Strays got stronger pressing hard across all areas of attack resulting in a further brace from Breslin to end the game with a resounding win.     

Game 1 – Strays 6 – 0 Leeds

This result reflected our opening game in session 01,  however the rhythm of this game was entirely different where Derek Rowe put out a shape to an all out attack playing 1-1 - 3, the players were off at pace with an unstoppable uptick in play resulting in a goal fest, on his debut Tony Breslin banged in 5 with Rhodes getting the 6th, with Rogers in goal remaining resolute and Pyle dominating the midfield the team were impressive and unfortunately Leeds were on the receiving end of the Strays on form. 

   
Game 3 – Strays 3 – 0 Doncaster

Considering the final 2 games Pyle came off to rest with Keightley replacing, in order for Derek Rowe to assess the 5 game performance of the new players the three of Yates in defence, Rhodes on the Left, Breslin up front with Rowe at attacking midfield this game gave the opportunity to play a different style. Doncaster proved to be a very capable side, it was clear they had also added new players, the opening goal coming from Breslin through dogged determination after half time Breslin increased his tally and a lovely worked passage of play allowed Rowe to get the third, the defence with Yates and Rogers in goal were allowing nothing to pass to maintain zero against at this stage of the day  

Game 4 – Strays  0 – 1 Bradford 

As in the opening session this fixture ended up a right ding dong against our nemesis in Bradford City, and yet again so it proved, they snatched an early lead from a direct free kick where Rogers was unsighted and unusually a gap appeared past Pyle and Yates, so we knew from that point we had to up our game. They are a very difficult side to overcome and despite our energy and dominance throughout all phases of the game, especially from Breslin who put enormous energy into breaking them down, including hitting the post twice, the bar once and a goalkeeper that I swear has 4 arms that no matter what we did we could not break them down, the end result being our first defeat in the league, well done to Bradford but we have learnt from that for next time out! 

   
Game 5 – Strays 1 – 0 Leggy Mambos

For the final game and to save our day to remain league leaders we had to recover in order to regain our momentum, but every game against Mambos is very, very tough, they are a very good Walking Football side with very capable players but so are the Strays. With David Yates, Tony Breslin and John Rhodes, having played all 5 games it was a tall ask but we are a team ably supported by Paul Rogers in Goal, Mike Pyle in midfield and Derek Rowe and Paddy Keightley as the substituting holding or attacking midfield to enable us to give it all we had. From the off Breslin tested the Mambos keeper numerously, the breakthrough coming just before half time with a wicked shot that put us in front, a stiffening up at half time saw Derek Rowe replace Paddy in midfield to revert to a 1-3-1 to hold their attacking threat where the team were then able to play down the clock through good possession resulting in a consecutive win against Mambos. 

   
Manager Reaction

STRAY’s’ Manager Derek Rowe: “It’s clear the January signing for the Strays brought about an energy and skill set that has improved the team measurably, that said we are a group of players that need the attributes of each other where every player of our squad will be needed for what is a very demanding season, winning games like we are has lifted team spirit and we are matching the two strongest sides in this league so this is the progress we have been seeking, but our consistency remains key 

Conclusion  
Continuing our progression with hard earned wins is a result of high team morale, whilst strengthening the side to cope with the season is in front of us. We go again in the NCLAL on 3rdMarch, a friendly V Newcastle on 11thMarch with an exciting debut to look forward to in the GMWFL 25thMarch 

   
The Strays squad today was – Paul Rogers (GK), David Yates, Mike Pyle (C), Paddy Keightley, Derek Rowe, John Rhodes, Tony Breslin 

Overview

The start of the 2026 NCLA Over 70’s got underway with 7 teams from the region entering the league, namely Bradford City, Doncaster Dynamos, Harrogate Strays, Leeds, Leggy Mambos, Wakefield Reds and Wakefield Purples. All very tough competition, with last season’s title winners deservedly being Leggy Mambos, the Strays intent for 2026 was to improve further, having lost out on runners up in 2025 by a single point. New playing rules, introduced for 2026, having a stringent game changing effect, the penalty count will certainly increase for all teams this season.

Game 1: Strays 6 – 0 Leeds
The season’s opening game showed both teams playing cautiously. The new ruling penalised Strays within minutes, chalking up 2 early infringements. The rhythm of the game was poor, with neither side playing to its strengths resulting in a 0-0 half time. At the re-start Derek Rowe re-organised the shape to an attacking 1-3-1, the players gave their heads a shake and we were off at pace with a marked uptick in play resulting in a goal fest. On his debut, Mark Speight bagged 3, Colin 2 (narrowly missing his hat trick with a saved penalty) and Paddy 1, to start our campaign off in the way intended. 

Game 2: Strays 3 – 1 Wakefield Purples
Deservedly so, the same team started the 2nd Game. Wakefield have always been stiff opposition and so it proved in a tight opening, with Paddy nicking the first goal for Strays, quickly followed by Colin to end the half at 2-0 up. At the resumption Wakefield pressed hard resulting in a great goal to get back in the game. With Strays on 3 infringements, the team was walking a tightrope, but Paddy relieved the pressure by picking the ball up in midfield to slot a wonderful strike into the bottom corner to settle the team. Good game management got the job done chalking up a second, hard fought win.

Game 3: Strays 1 – 1 Bradford
This fixture, against our nemesis, is always a ding-dong. Bradford City are a very difficult side to overcome, so a change in shape and thrust meant Colin coming off for Derek Rowe. At the off both teams were at it, with Strays predominant, edging the lead through Mark Speight for 1-0 at half time. At the resumption, our infringement count resulted in a Bradford penalty which Alan Stockdill duly despatched (with a wry grin) past Steve. That re-set our count which reverted the pressure on Bradford and with 2 minutes left Strays got a penalty. Despite Paddy’s best efforts, the Bradford keeper made an outstanding save resulting in honours even.

Game 4: Strays 5 – 1 Doncaster
We had to recover in order to gain momentum due to other results around us. Mark Speight came off with Colin replacing him as we went to a 1-1–3 to form a 3 man attack. That said Doncaster were giving it a right go and unsettling the Strays. The first goal for Strays came from Colin, followed by a strike from Derek Rowe to end the half at 2-0, and at the resumption Paddy dinked a third. Doncaster latched on to a rare defensive error to get a great goal resulting in the Strays piling on the pressure with a further goal from Colin and a good passage of play from Steve in goal for Mike to smack home the fifth. 

Game 5: Strays 2 – 1 Leggy Mambos
For the final game Leggy Mambos were on fire following 4 straight wins, the lively Alan Davies giving Dave Sparrow a game, the break came with a thunderous strike from Alan that Steve had no chance of stopping, that said, this is a forged Strays 70’s that sticks to its game plan. Within 2 minutes Derek Rowe struck an unstoppable goal then, through a melee of players, Derek slotted the ball to Mark Speight to take a 2-1 lead at half time. At the resumption the game got unnecessarily feisty resulting in blue cards to a player from each side. this then escalated, resulting in reds. This was unfamiliar territory for the Strays who have never had a 70s player dismissed for a red in a competitive game, at the resumption the Strays were awarded a penalty for further infringements that was unfortunately not converted by Derek. The team then played down the clock through keeping possession, resulting in a very rare win against Mambos.

Manager Reaction
Derek Rowe: “It’s clear the Strays continue to improve and the captaincy of Mike Pyle is maintaining good team spirit. Holding and defeating the two strongest sides in this league is real progress, and consistency is now key - but so is discipline on and off the field, we hope to never see a repeat of red cards from any WF player in our community going forward.”
 

Conclusion

It was great to resume our Walking Football amongst a great set of league players from the region, and continuing our progression with hard earned wins as a result of high team morale. Strengthening our side as we progress, we hope for a good season. We go again in a regional friendly against a superb East Riding Rangders on 21st January, closely followed by Round 2 of the NCLA on 4th February, with an exciting debut in the Greater Manchester Walking Football League in late March.

Positively, it's great to report that at today’s conclusion Strays sit proudly top of the League with 13 Points from 4 wins and a draw, scoring 17 and only conceding 4. A great start, long may this form continue!

The Strays squad today was – Steve Simpson (GK), Dave Sparrow, Mike Pyle (C), Paddy Keightley, Derek Rowe, Colin Stringfellow, Mark Speight