by Garry Clarke
WHILE the first team wait for confirmation of when their NWCFL fixtures will commence, Warrington Rylands 1906 reserves may be amongst the first non-league teams in the country to return to league action.
The Cheshire Football League, in the second division of which the Blues reserve plays, have confirmed that its member clubs – which include several other Warrington based clubs such as Eagle Sports, Greenalls Padgate St Oswalds and Orford- has voted to start the season on Saturday, September 5 – the earliest date Government guidelines would allow them to kick off.
Following last week’s announcement by the North West Counties League that they are not expecting to start their season until October at the earliest, all secretaries of step 5 and 6 leagues have been invited to an FA Meeting on Monday which has been called to “update all leagues on the current position on a variety of topics, especially with upcoming proposed start dates from early September”
Warrington Rylands 1906 continued their pre season programme with a mid week trip to the Wirral to play Vauxhall Motors and by receiving a visit from Northern Premier League City of Liverpool on Saturday.
Vauxhall were run away leaders of the NWCFL First Division South when last season came to an abrupt end, took the lead before a last minute equaliser by Declan Daniels levelled the score at 1-1 at the end of a hard fought competitive game.
Saturday’s encounter provided a good workout for the Blues, although they eventually came up short against a strong and well organised outfit who won 3-1. Freddie Potter scoring Rylands only goal from the penalty spot.
Having had their participation in the FA Cup and FA Vase confirmed, Warrington Rylands will learn the identity of their first opponents in each competition on Tuesday when the FA will be making the draws for the extra-preliminary round and preliminary round of the Cup and the first qualifying round of the Vase.
The FA Cup is scheduled to start on 1st September and the Vase on 19th September, with all games under the current Government guidelines, in September to be played behind closed doors.