Latest News

GLADIATORS NEW STAND A BIG LEAP CLOSER.

Matlock Town's New Stand Appeal has received a significant six figure boost from an unnamed local organisation which means that the new structure could become an impressive part of the Geoquip Stadium in the not too distant future.

The news was met with excitement at a specially arranged Fans Forum held in the Gladiators Social Club last Thursday night when supporters were showed plans of the proposed new development which is now due to go ahead on the Denefields side of the ground, rather than on the Causeway Lane side as had previously been earmarked.

The new structure will have approximately 600 seats as well as incorporating new changing rooms and a new Social Club which will replace the current ageing accommodation.

Club spokesman Jason Beaumont would not reveal the identity of the local organisation who are backing the scheme, but said that the financial support has helped speed along the project and it was now too good a chance to miss as the Gladiators aim to develop the Geoquip Stadium with modern facilities.

"These are exciting times for Matlock Town fans. We have come a long way since our last Fans Forum in October, but there are still hurdles which we have to overcome.The Football Club will be meeting with the Football Foundation shortly with regards to a grant and we will be submitting a planning application before the end of the month."

The Gladiators are confident that both the Football Foundation and the Derbyshire Dales District Council will look upon their application favourably. And the renewed enthusiasm among Gladiators officials and supporters for the project has seen fundraising stepped up.

"We've had a stroke of excellent luck with the cash injection and its vital that we kick on from here so we're stepping up our fundraising efforts as well" explained Mr Beaumont. "A number of events are being planned which we hope that not only fans of the club, but the local community and beyond will support as well. The first one we need to mention is a sponsored walk being done by a number of fans in a twenty four hour period leading up to the away game at Hednesford Town on Easter Monday. They will walk the 45 miles to the game, hopefully arriving in good time for the 3 pm kick off. It'll be a grueller, and fans are welcome to walk just part of the way if they can't manage the full journey, but we would encourage fans to take away and fill sponsor forms whether they will be walking or not, so we can raise a huge sum of money from the walk."

Further details on this and future fundraising events can be obtained by ringing Stand Committee member Stuart Briddon on 01629 55710.

Gladiators Vice Chairman and Commercial Manager Tom Wright was equally upbeat. "This is a great boost for everyone and can only aid the progress of the club. I would urge everyone in the local area to back this project, for there can be a lot of fun involved as well as lots of hard work. Hopefully we can have a stand, changing facilities and Social Club that will be the envy of a lot of other clubs in the area, and it is something that a club of Matlock's stature and history deserves."

Joint boss Phil Brown was also excited saying "This is fantastic. Anything which improves the facilities that the club has and can help in increasing revenue through the club should be encouraged. The playing and management staff are delighted with this development and congratulate all those who have worked so hard thus far."

PLAYING AND OTHER NEWS

Joint boss Phil Brown is hoping that goalkeeper Andy Richmond will come back stronger and refreshed following his omission from Matlock Town's 2-0 home defeat to league leaders Witton Albion on Tuesday night.

The former Chesterfield stopper has so far clocked up 151 competitive appearances for the Gladiators since making his debut in a 2-1 defeat at Gateshead in April 2004, and had made himself first choice with a string of impressive performances.

But his form recently has dipped with errors in the defeats at both Guiseley and North Ferriby leading to three goals being conceded and Brown and fellow joint boss Gareth Williams opted for a change bringing in understudy Martin Taylor.

"Gripper (Williams) and I have chatted at length since the weekend and we just felt it was time to give Andy a bit of a breather" Brown explained. "It's a case of taking the pressure off him. He's been a bit down on himself and hopefully the break will give him the chance to recharge his batteries. He's working hard, sometimes you can try too hard and things work against you, so he's needed to come out for a bit and start again. And when he comes back, we hope he's back to the form he was showing earlier this season and last year."

Taylor arrived at the Geoquip Stadium in the summer after his release by Worksop Town. He deputised for Richmond who was suspended for the 0-0 draw at Frickley in September following Richmond's red card in the 2-0 defeat at Witton and played well. But Richmond was always the number one choice then, so Taylor has had to wait patiently in the wings for his opportunity.

"Martin's been training well with both Ian Bowling and Andy Richmond and we've been monitoring him closely. He's been out at Hallam and has keptb three successive clean sheets for them. We just thought it was the right time to put him in and he did very well making one or two excellent saves against Witton."

Brown and Williams now have the tricky decision of when to restore Richmond to the starting eleven, but they are safe in the knowledge that Taylor has proved to be more than an able deputy when called upon.

Midfielder Neil Ashley also never made the squad to face Witton and striker Steve Taylor had to be content with a place on the bench as Matlock adopted a 4-5-1 formation. Simon Barraclough was the lone striker with Matty Caudwell and Ben Kistell wide and Gary Webster, Paul Riley and Steve Circuit in the centre. The tactic restricted Witton's attacking options as well as allowing the Gladiators to look more of a threat coming from deep, although there were odd occasions when they could have done with an extra man in the box to finish off some promising moves.

Brown was pleased with the performance against Witton.

"The workrate and appetite was most certainly there although that wasn't the main problem on Saturday. Then we were a bit naive and we paid a big price for our errors. We decided to set it up a bit different on Tuesday and we reckon we got it right. Collectively, it was a great team performance and there were some good individual performances.On the night we were the better side and we were just waiting for that goal to come in the second half for we were camped in their half. Okay we've conceded two goals but we've put in a decent defensive performance and we've restricted a free scoring top of the league side to a handful of opportunities. Martin's made some good saves but their second goal came when we were pushing for an equaliser at the end, and they broke quickly."

Brown agreed that North Ferriby should have been dead and buried in the first half. Simon Barraclough gave Matlock the lead inside the first minute before both he and Steve Taylor missed gilt edged chances to seal the game. And when Ben Kistell equalised after Ferriby turned the match around after half time, Matlock's celebrations were shortlived as within another thirty seconds, Gary Bradshaw hit the winner.

"We were decent in the first half creating three or four great opportunities. We should have been 3-0 up at half time but obviously at 1-0 its not over and bad individual errors led to their goals which is very disappointing."

So having collected only twelve points from the last forty two on offer, Matlock will be grateful for their good start to the campaign, a factor which sees them lie as high as eighth in the table. They are without a fixture on Saturday, which is probably a good thing as skipper James Lukic will have extra time tyo recover from the groin injury which forced him off in the 83rd minute against Witton.

Matlock will be hoping he will have recovered in time to face Guiseley at the Geoquip Stadium on Tuesday as the Gladiators have a quick chance to avenge their 3-1 defeat at Nethermoor Park on January 26.

"We're hoping Lukey's injury is just a niggle. He'd have been a doubt had we been playing on Saturday but the extra few days might give him every chance of playing. Paul riley won't train because of his knee but he'll hopefully be okay while Dene Cropper will train on Saturday and we'll see how it goes."

Encouraged by the Witton performance, Brown nevertheless warned that Matlock must build on that.

"We didn't mince our words after Saturday. We looked for a reaction against the best side in the league and we got a great one. But we need to be careful for we've had a few false dawns before when we think we've turned the corner. The Witton match was a good starting point for we put in a good performance and proved that we can compete with the best in the league, but we now need to do that consistently and begin picking up some league points. We played well up at Guiseley and we must show the sanme determination as we did then and on Tuesday in the next game and the ones to come" .

Meanwhile fans favourite Steve Taylor played his 300th game for the Gladiators at North Ferriby. He made his debut as a half time substitute in the 3-2 home UniBond First Division victory over Workington in March 2000. He has netted 114 goals and celebrated wildly when his 100th Matlock goal went in at Leek in the first match of 2006, as his 99th had come, ironically at home to Leek nine months earlier. He has been plagued by injuries in recent seasons which has limited his availability, but he can always be relied on to give 100% effort, this being recognised in 2000/2001 when he was voted as the Supporters Player Of The Year. During that season he was at his most prolific, netting hat tricks in the wins in the league at Guiseley and in the FA Trophy at Corby Town, as well as cracking in four in the 7-0 home demolition of Gretna.