Styal turn on style to win first title

May 28 2008 by Our Correspondent, Liverpool Daily Post

IN one of the latest finishes ever Styal won their final match 7-1 at Woodley Sports to clinch the Cheshire Building Society Cheshire League Division One championship for the first time since joining the league in 1982.

In so doing they broke a sequence of 12 years when the title had been won by the mid-Cheshire duo of Barnton and Middlewich Town, the latter this time having to be content with runners-up spot.

Styal also won the reserve division with a promising young team so the future looks bright for the Altrincham Road club, well managed by Lloyd Morrison.

There will be major changes to the league in 2008-09 following decisions taken by clubs at the Constit-tion meeting. The First Division is cut from 17 to 16 clubs following the dismissal of Witton Albion reserves for non-compliance with ground vetting standards.

With Crosfields and Rylands merging, only Poynton will be relegated, while the clubs placed second and third respectively in Division Two Club AZ (Macclesfield) and Billinge are promoted.

Division Two remains at 17 clubs even though champions FC United of Manchester reserves have resigned. Bottom team Congleton Town reserves have been re-elected while two new applicants Denton Town (Stockport) and Moore United (Warrington) have been admitted.

The reserve division has been extended from 14 to 16 clubs with the admission of Crosfields/Rylands and Denton Town.

The league’s next function is their Diamond Jubilee Dinner at the Cresta Court Hotel, Altrincham, on Friday, June 6 when tickets are available at £25.

FINAL placings in the First Division table (played 32 games) were: Styal 72 pts; Middlewich 69; Pilkington 64; Greenall Padgate St Oswald 62; Curzon Ashton Res 61; Garswood United 60; Crosfields 59; Stalybridge Celtic Res 56; Knutsford 43; Witton Albion Res 41; Barnton 36; Gamesley 36; Linotype/Cheadle Heath 33; Woodley Sports 30; Trafford Res 109; Poynton 18; Rylands 13.