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DIARY 2015-16
June
Leicestershire FA approve a name change from Thurnby Nirvana to Leicester Nirvana following the club’s
relocation….Former UCL referee Josh Smith becomes the youngest match official on the Football
League….Former England striker Chris Sutton opens the Holbeach youth facilities at Penny Hill Road.
July
The release of the draws for the FA competitions see 28 clubs accepted for the FA Cup and 40 for the FA
Vase….Peterborough Sports return to the FA Cup after a record 93 year absence….ON Chenecks and Oakham
line up in the Vase for the first time….A benefit match for former Sleaford manager Kris Jones raises
£4,700….Sileby’s annual friendly with Northampton Town sees the Cobblers run out 1-0 Fernie Fields
winners….Wisbech collect two pre season trophies, the BKD Cup and Denis Harris Memorial Cup while
Holbeach lift the Gerald Starling Memorial Cup….Rushden & Higham lose to AFC Rushden & Diamonds in the
Chris Ruff Memorial Cup match…Former Liverpool and England legend Phil Neal opens the new Irchester
dressing rooms before the Romans lose to Irchester Sports in the Irchester Charity Cup….Oakham’s ground is
renamed Sterling Meadows as part of a sponsorship agreement….Eynesbury co-manager Matt Plumb steps
down from dugout duties to become Rovers chairman…St Neots Saints appoint Lydia Bedford as the first
female manager in the national league system….Newly appointed Woodford manager Darran Foster returns to
Daventry with Arron Parkinson taking the Reds helm….Potton resign from the Reserve Division….The league’s
first ever July match kicks off the ground hop with Yaxley winning 3-1 at Harborough in front of a record crowd
for a competitive match at Bowdens Park.
August
The ground hop is completed with a total attendance of 1,238 across the four games, including 341 present for
Oakham’s UCL bow against Buckingham….Kirby Muxloe open their new stand with a 3-0 friendly defeat against
Crewe….Leicester Nirvana’s first match on the main pitch at Gleneagles Avenue sees them beaten 5-0 by a
Notts County side….Buckingham beat an AFC Rushden & Diamonds side to win the James Victory Cup….On the
first full day of the season there are top flight draws for newcomers Kirby Muxloe and Division One champions
Northampton Spencer and a win for fellow promotees Rothwell Corinthians….Stewarts & Lloyds beat
Bugbrooke to record a first win in 68 matches….Peterborough Northern Star rename their ground the Branch
Brothers Stadium….FA Cup action sees a best ever 17 clubs progress through the Extra Preliminary Round with
seven also successful in the Preliminary Round…..Deeping, Long Buckby and Peterborough Sports all claim
higher grade scalps while other teams winning through two rounds are Cogenhoe, Holbeach, Oadby and
Yaxley….Winning one tie are AFC Kempston, Harborough, Kirby Muxloe, Leicester Nirvana, Newport Pagnell,
Northampton Spencer, Raunds, Sileby, Thrapston and Wisbech….Yaxley use their new 3G facility for the first
time….Potton groundsman Ian Williscroft is highly commended in the FA Groundsman of the Year
awards….James Daldy resigns as Whitworth manager with assistant Tommy Jaszczun taking the
reins….Manager of the Month awards go to Ian Benjamin of Yaxley and Jimmy Dean of Peterborough
Sports….Jake Newman of Wellingborough is the Goalscorer of the Month, his tally including a club record six
goal haul against Huntingdon.
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