Standish Panthers
Standish Panthers has certainly come a long way since first being established
and if they continue in the same manner then they should be able to look
forwards to a bright and successful future for many years to come.
They state on their official website, www.
standishpanthers.co.uk, that their mission is, “to
provide junior and open age football, in an enjoyable
and supportive environment. We endeavour to develop
the confidence, courage and pride in every player and
maximize the opportunities for local talent. We have the
following specific objectives:
• To encourage participation and enjoyment of local
junior/open age football.
• To develop the skills of players.
• To provide a competitive and positive environment in
which to play and learn.
• To promote sportsmanship and fair play.
• To provide young players with technical and social
skills, allowing them to become successful at the game
we all love.
• To allow the management of the team to make
decisions at all times that are in the best interests of the
football club and the players.”
The club’s origins can be traced back to March 2003
when Jackie and Frank White, Sonia Chadwick and Paul
“We became involved when my son joined the team. We
always try to help as many community organisations
as we can. Standish Panthers was a perfect club for us
to support. We also have a fun quiz every Thursday
night and once a year we hold a charity quiz evening
and all the proceeds go to charity.”
Green chose to provide football training for their and
their friends children and so started providing training
at a sports hall in Standish High School.
The first session had eight children but they quickly
grew and were able to enter into a competitive league
for the first time in September 2003. The team had to
play a year above themselves in an U8s league, playing
their first league match at Robin Park and failed to win a
single game in their first season.
They stuck with it however and the club continued to
grow and it was not long until the U8s side won their first
ever trophy. They went on to achieve Charter Standard
status in October 2004 and have maintained it ever since.
The club has continued to progress since then and
thanks to lots of hard work from a number of volunteers
they have put together a history of which they have
every right to be proud and now play a vital role in their
local community.
Standish Panthers has certainly come a long way
since first being established and if they continue in the
same manner then they should be able to look forwards
to a bright and successful future for many years to come.
Football Focus Magazine wishes them the best of luck.
FREE HOUSE, FANTASTIC ATMOSPHERE,
FINE ALES, FAMILY EATING
Helen Birch, The White Crow
A Tale of the Unexpected
The White Crow is a stuffed bird that is on the wall
above a huge fireplace. The bird goes by the ominous
name of Beezlebub and has a real reputation for
mischief.
Helen says, “Customers told us that if ever the bird
was facing the wrong way the pub would be bestowed
with bad luck. I though it was just an old wives’ tale.
I sent someone up to clean the bird as it was looking
very tatty and didn’t realise afterwards that it had
been turned the wrong way.
Then we were hit by a series of catastrophes. Within a
few weeks the pub flooded, the petrol strike started to
hit trade and we had power cuts. When Beezlebub was
turned the wrong way we had disaster after disaster!”
There’s a warm and friendly family welcome at the White
Crow, which can be found on the A5106 road between Wigan
and Chorley at Worthington, right on the Lancashire / Greater
Manchester border.
The White Crow offers real ales, roaring fires, fine home-cooked
food stuffed full of local produce in portions to satisfy the biggest
appetites. We also have special dishes for younger customers, a
comfortable family atmosphere, warm decor and excellent service
from long-serving members of staff.
T: 01257 474344 W: WWW.THEWHITECROW.CO.UK
CHORLEY ROAD, WORTHINGTON, WIGAN, WN1 2XL
www.footballfocusmag.com
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