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First Team

AFC Fylde: 10 Things

Posted by Kelly Gilchrist
Posted on Thu 25 Aug 2016
Posted in First Team

The next round of Vanarama National League North fixtures will see the Shaymen travel to Western Lancashire, where theyโ€™ll face AFC Fylde on Saturday.

Billy Heathโ€™s side will be hoping to stretch their unbeaten start to the season by another game and hopefully secure consecutive victories for the first time. It wonโ€™t be all that straight forward for Halifax with AFC Fylde also in stellar form after impressive away displays at Altrincham (6-0) and Alfreton (5-3)

Ahead of Saturdayโ€™s game, here are 10 things about our opposition that you may not have known

The Shaymen will be playing at AFC Fyldeโ€™s brand new 6,000 seater stadium Mill Farm. The football league standard ground includes a 2,000 capacity all-seater main and was opened for their 3rd National League North game of the season, a 1-1 draw against Brackley Town.

AFC Fylde rebranded themselves at the start of 2008-2009 season, having originally been known as Kirkham and Wesham since 1988 when the club was founded.

In their concluding years as Kirkham and Wesham, they went on an incredible run of 21 months unbeaten. Between January 2003 and October 2004, the club did not lose a match in any competition until their run finally ended when they lost a league match, 1โ€“0 to Dalton United.

In their final season with their former club name, Kirkham and Wesham won the 2008 FA Vase Trophy in their first season in the competition, beating Lowestoft Town 2โ€“1 in the final at Wembley Stadium in front of a crowd of 19,537, 3,500 of which were Kirkham & Wesham supporters

And what a stunning final in turned out to be โ€“ Kirkham and Wesham were trailing 1-0 yet scored twice in the last six minutes, both goals coming from seventeen-year-old substitute Matt Walwyn, son of former Blackpool player Keith Walwyn, who only came on as a sub in the 79th minute.

The signing of midfielder Andy Bond in June has brought experience into the side, with the 30-year-old having played over 100 games for League 1 side Colchester United between 2010-2014 โ€“ scoring 11 goals as well as loan spells at Bristol Rovers and Crewe Alexandra

Another midfielder Sam Finley has had success on and off the pitch for AFC Fylde. He was awarded goal of the season last year for his spectacular effort against Harrogate Town in the play-offs. His strike also became a viral success with over half a million views.

Mill Farm Stadium and Blackpool Tower are separated by just 9 miles- Pleasure Beach after the game? (it closes at 10pm on Saturday)

A stand out former footballer who was born in Poulton-Le-Fylde was Georgie Mee (12 April 1900 โ€“ July 1978) who played over 200 games in midfield for Blackpool and is the older brother of the former Arsenal manager Bertie Mee,

Arsenal’s most successful manager in terms of victories with 241 wins, a record that was beaten in 2006 by Arsรจne Wenger.

Focusing on the town itself, Poulton town centre has been a Conservation Area since 1979. 15 buildings and structures in the town have been designated as listed buildings by English Heritage for their special architectural, historical or cultural significance.

Read more posts by Kelly Gilchrist

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