Manchester United news and links

THE future of Northwich Victoria is uncertain after they were forced to play Saturday’s 2-1 defeat by Histon at Altrincham’s Moss Lane.

It is believed landlord and former chairman, Mike Connett, banned staff and players and oversaw the removal of safety equipment from the Marston’s Arena, meaning Vics, who are facing a winding-up hearing on January 28, couldn’t play there.

And things went from bad to worse on the pitch, with Histon netting twice in injury time after Matty Crowell had given Northwich, who are anchored to the bottom of the Blue Square Premier, a 14th-minute lead.

THE future of Northwich Victoria is uncertain after they were forced to play Saturday’s 2-1 defeat by Histon at Altrincham’s Moss Lane.

It is believed landlord and former chairman, Mike Connett, banned staff and players and oversaw the removal of safety equipment from the Marston’s Arena, meaning Vics, who are facing a winding-up hearing on January 28, couldn’t play there.

And things went from bad to worse on the pitch, with Histon netting twice in injury time after Matty Crowell had given Northwich, who are anchored to the bottom of the Blue Square Premier, a 14th-minute lead.

EX-CITY star Jeff Whitley is being given the chance to re-build his shattered career by UniBond League minnows Woodley Sports.

The 29-year-old former Northern Ireland international midfielder, who helped City win promotion to the Premier League in 2000, has joined the Stockport side until the end of the season after overcoming alcohol and drug-related problems that almost cost him his life.

EX-CITY star Jeff Whitley is being given the chance to re-build his shattered career by UniBond League minnows Woodley Sports.

The 29-year-old former Northern Ireland international midfielder, who helped City win promotion to the Premier League in 2000, has joined the Stockport side until the end of the season after overcoming alcohol and drug-related problems that almost cost him his life.

FC UNITED boss Karl Marginson saluted ace marksman Kyle Wilson after his 24th goal of the season had secured the rebel Reds another three precious points towards their planned promotion assault.

Wilson struck five minutes from time after seizing on a defensive blunder to give United a hugely satisfying 1-0 win at Boston on a day when senior non-League was again hit hard the freezing conditions, with all but a handful of fixtures being postponed.

FC UNITED boss Karl Marginson saluted ace marksman Kyle Wilson after his 24th goal of the season had secured the rebel Reds another three precious points towards their planned promotion assault.

NORTH West Sunday Champions Cup chiefs are praying their quarter-final line-up will finally be complete by the middle of next week, writes TONY GLENNON.

All second round ties should have been played by the end of 2008, but two - Langley Celtic v The Manchester and Old Alts v Heywood Reform - have repeatedly been postponed and have yet to go ahead.

NORTH West Sunday Champions Cup chiefs are praying their quarter-final line-up will finally be complete by the middle of next week.

BOSS Karl Marginson insisted it’s not beyond FC United to achieve a fourth successive promotion in 2009 after seeing them kick off the New Year in style.

Two Tommy Turner goals plus Simon Carden’s simple tap-in gave the rebel Reds a comfortable 3-0 win at Worksop on a day when most local non-League fixtures were again frozen off.

Although FC remain 11th in the UniBond premier division, victory in Nottinghamshire means they’re now just seven points short of a play-off place with at least one game in hand on many of the teams above them.

BOSS Karl Marginson insisted it’s not beyond FC United to achieve a fourth successive promotion in 2009 after seeing them kick off the New Year in style.

DROYLSDEN boss Dave Pace has insisted he’s ready to put the Bloods’ FA Cup expulsion behind him and instead re-focus on his main priority of achieving promotion in 2009.

DROYLSDEN boss Dave Pace has insisted he’s ready to put the Bloods’ FA Cup expulsion behind him and instead re-focus on his main priority of achieving promotion in 2009.

GIANTKILLERS Droylsden have been expelled from the FA Cup for fielding an ineligible player.

ALTRINCHAM gave their long-suffering fans more festive-season cheer as they followed up their Boxing Day triumph at Northwich with a dramatic 2-1 victory at York.

ALTRINCHAM gave their long-suffering fans more festive-season cheer as they followed up their Boxing Day triumph at Northwich with a dramatic 2-1 victory at York.

DROYLSDEN manager Dave Pace has vowed to fight the decision to throw the minnows out of the FA Cup after describing his club’s costly mistake as “the slightest of slight errors”.

Droylsden could be thrown out of the FA Cup after fielding an ineligible player in the 2-1 second-round replay victory over Chesterfield.

Droylsden could be thrown out of the FA Cup after fielding an ineligible player in the 2-1 second-round replay victory over Chesterfield.

ALL Dave Pace’s Christmases were rolled into one as non-league Droylsden finally got the better of Chesterfield after four memorable encounters to book an historic FA Cup third round trip to Ipswich a week on Saturday.

DROYLSDEN boss Dave Pace says he regards the Bloods’ repeated FA Cup second round replay with League Two Chesterfield at the Butcher’s Arms tonight (7.45pm) as a personal battle between himself and Spireites chief Lee Richardson.

DROYLSDEN boss Dave Pace says he regards the Bloods’ repeated FA Cup second round replay with League Two Chesterfield at the Butcher’s Arms tonight (7.45pm) as a personal battle between himself and Spireites chief Lee Richardson.

DROYLSDEN boss Dave Pace vowed to scrap his squad rotation policy after seeing his makeshift Bloods suffer a big promotion setback in crashing 2-0 to Blue Square North leaders Tamworth.

DROYLSDEN boss Dave Pace vowed to scrap his squad rotation policy after seeing his makeshift Bloods suffer a big promotion setback in crashing 2-0 to Blue Square North leaders Tamworth.

DROYLSDEN chief Dave Pace is backing his “shadow team” to give the Bloods a massive pre-Christmas Blue Square North title boost by winning at top-of-the-table Tamworth tomorrow.

DROYLSDEN chief Dave Pace is backing his “shadow team” to give the Bloods a massive pre-Christmas Blue Square North title boost by winning at top-of-the-table Tamworth tomorrow.

DROYLSDEN’S dreams of making FA Cup history are still alive after they were dramatically spared a likely second round exit by floodlight failure.

DROYLSDEN’S dreams of making FA Cup history are still alive after they were dramatically spared a likely second round exit by floodlight failure.

DROYLSDEN keeper Craig “Killer” Mawson is warning fans to “expect the unexpected” in tonight’s big FA Cup second round replay against Chesterfield at the Butcher’s Arms.

STALYBRIDGE Celtic will travel to either Bognor or holders Ebbsfleet in the last 32 of the FA Trophy on January 10 if they win tonight’s rearranged first round clash at Stourbridge.

DROYLSDEN keeper Craig “Killer” Mawson is warning fans to “expect the unexpected” in tonight’s big FA Cup second round replay against Chesterfield at the Butcher’s Arms.

STALYBRIDGE Celtic will travel to either Bognor or holders Ebbsfleet in the last 32 of the FA Trophy on January 10 if they win tonight’s rearranged first round clash at Stourbridge.

DROYLSDEN boss Dave Pace is praying there will be no more drama tomorrow when his non-League battlers try to make history at the third attempt.

AILING Altrincham failed to respond to manager Graham Heathcote’s call for them to take inspiration from Droylsden’s Cup heroics as they came a real cropper at the FA Trophy’s opening hurdle.

DROYLSDEN boss Dave Pace is praying there will be no more drama tomorrow when his non-League battlers try to make history at the third attempt.

AILING Altrincham failed to respond to manager Graham Heathcote’s call for them to take inspiration from Droylsden’s Cup heroics as they came a real cropper at the FA Trophy’s opening hurdle.

FC UNITED ace Danny Warrender is ready to play again – less than two weeks after suffering a “mini-heart attack”.

FC UNITED ace Danny Warrender is ready to play again – less than two weeks after suffering a “mini-heart attack”.

ALTRINCHAM came back from conceding an early goal to draw a thrilling encounter against Barrow on Tuesday night.

FC United’s derby clash with Ashton United has been called off because of a frozen pitch at Gigg Lane. 

ALTRINCHAM came back from conceding an early goal to draw a thrilling encounter against Barrow on Tuesday night.

FC United’s derby clash with Ashton United has been called off because of a frozen pitch at Gigg Lane. 

DAVE Pace insists Droylsden are ready to put right an injustice by knocking Chesterfield out of the FA Cup tonight.

DROYLSDEN boss Dave Pace paid tribute to Chesterfield’s sportsmanship after the League Two side had gifted his Blue Square North minnows a bizarre 82nd-minute equaliser to ensure their epic FA Cup adventure goes on.

PROUD Droylsden boss Dave Pace saluted his “makeshift” stars after they’d answered his call to keep the Bloods firmly in the Blue Square North promotion hunt by beating high-flying Harrogate.

CURZON Ashton chief Gary Lowe insists his FA Cup heroes are ready to put their second-round exit to Kidderminster behind them and refocus on promotion.

KYLE Wilson is under the scrutiny of Macclesfield Town after becoming the top scorer in the top seven divisions of English football.

GRAHAM Heathcote was in his element, microphone in one hand, audience in the palm of the other, when Geoff Goodwin stopped him in full flow by striding over and handing him a mobile phone.

FC UNITED boss Karl Marginson saluted his red-hot Rebels after they’d emphatically returned to form with a stunning 3-0 home victory over UniBond premier division leaders Hednesford.

CURZON Ashton’s FA Cup dream was crushed at Kidderminster where visiting goalkeeper David Carnell’s first-half red card proved decisive.

DROYLSDEN were cruelly denied the opportunity of another famous FA Cup victory when their second-round clash at Chesterfield was abandoned at half-time due to fog with the Bloods leading 1-0.