Mickleover Sports are over the moon to announce the signing of very talented Centre Back, James Butler.

With previous clubs including Stoke City, Kidsgrove Athletic and Hartlepool United, there is no doubt he is bringing some excellence to the squad. Butler was snapped up by Hartlepool after impressing against them in the FA Cup when he was on duty for Kidsgrove. He has a very promising future ahead of him and we are delighted he has chosen to sign for us.

I’m really excited to be joining the club and can’t wait to get started. I’m buzzing to have made the step up in leagues and I hope I can help the team push towards the top of the table next season.

James Butler

I am delighted to get James to Mickleover. He is an exceptional talent and at only 20 years of age we have managed to sign a player that I believe has the ability to go on and become a full time professional. Welcome to Mickleover James.

John McGrath, Manager

Sports’ manager, John McGrath has added some energy to our defence next season with signing of full back Alex Morris from Kidsgrove Athletic. 

Other former clubs include Port Vale and Leek Town.

I am really looking forward to starting at Mickleover and show the club what I can offer. After speaking to the gaffer, the clubs ambitions definitely match mine and hopefully we can have a successful season.

Alex Morris

Alex is a young, energetic and athletic full back who fits in perfectly with our attacking style of play. Although and excellent footballer it’s his desire and work rate that makes him stand out from the rest. Welcome to Mickleover Alex.

John McGrath

I’m delighted to sign for next season and can’t wait to get started with what will hopefully be a positive season both individually and for the club. We’ve got a good group of players at the club right now so hopefully we can kick on from last season and challenge up the top end of the table.

This is a very important signing for me and signals our intent as a club for the upcoming 2020/21 season. Mason was in excellent form having scored 8 league goals from midfield before an illness at Christmas time sidelined him for 4 weeks. He plays a pivotal role in how we play and dictates all our play from his midfield position. Still only 23 years old I believe Mason has the ability go on and play higher.

The committee of Mickleover Sports Football Club are disappointed to have to postpone the building of a 3G stadium football pitch at the Don Amott Arena sports ground at Station Road, Mickleover. This was due to have been completed in July of this year. 

Due to the current outbreak of Coronavirus it was felt that the health and safety of those involved in the construction of the pitch should be paramount. Consequently the uncertainty over its effect on the timing of the construction and the still unconfirmed start of the next football season, rendered the planning of the project difficult from both a financial and logistical point of view. With regret therefore a postponement was agreed. 

The club remains convinced that this project is necessary for its future development and viability, and as a provision of important sporting facilities in the local community. It is anticipated that the pitch will instead be built before the start of the 2021/22 season.

Thank you.

At Mickleover Sports Club will be showing our thanks and appreciation to the NHS in our own special way.

Chairman Don Amott is a Patron of the Derby & Burton Hospitals Charity and has decided that we will offer FREE sponsorship to them which will include having their logo on the back of our 2020/21 season’s training and away shirts.

From everybody at the club we just wanted to say a huge thank you to all NHS staff and also the key workers that are working tirelessly to get us through this difficult time.

#StayAtHome

IT ALL STARTED SO WELL…

by Peter Scherer

Back in August and full of optimism the 2019/20 Northern Premier League season kicked off with a home win against Stalybridge Celtic thanks to a Jack Storer penalty.

Although there were 1-0 defeats at both Witton Albion and Warrington Town, the home form was good with Mason Warren’s penalty securing a second win at the expense of Stafford Rangers, before a thrilling 4-2 win at home to Buxton had two more penalty successes for Warren and two goals for Declan Bacon on loan from Alfreton Town.

Sports took their first away point with a 1-1 draw at Grantham but then came the first home defeat at the hands of Ashton United.

But three consecutive away games netted a magnificent eight points, 3-1 at Atherton, 2-2 at Gainsborough and 3-2 at Hyde. Veteran striker Lee Hughes hit three goals and new signing Stuart Beavon two, with Warren, Nathan Modest and Doncaster Rovers loanee Max Watters also on the score sheet.

Sports completed a five game unbeaten run with a win and a draw at home with Scarborough Athletic and Morpeth Town, with Hughes and Warren again the scorers.

But four successive defeats at Matlock, then at home to Lancaster, Witton and Radcliffe put them on the back foot.

Beavon scored his third league goal in a 1-0 win at Buxton at the end of November, but as December arrived so did the beginning of the wet and soggy times to follow.

There were disappointing away defeats at Bamber Bridge, Scarborough and Stalybridge to see off 2019, with the notable absence of any home games.

The New Year had gone well though initially, Paddy Webb scoring on his debut for a 1-0 win at Buxton, and three days later a rare home game brought a 2-1 win over Nantwich Town with Beavon netting both.

It was off to visit table toppers South Shields next and for much of the game Sports held their own with goals from Andy Wright and Webb again.

The biggest win of the year then followed with a 4-1 home win against Grantham. Karel Tvaroh and Ryan Nesbitt joined Wright and Beavon on the score sheet.

Although it wasn’t a win at FC United, it was one of Sports best performances of the season. They went ahead on three occasions but United kept coming back to finally settle on 3-3 with Webb hitting two and Beavon the other scorer.

After a string of postponement’s it was back home for the visit of Whitby Town. The gale force winds played havoc with Sports game plan and they came away as 3-1 losers and didn’t get to play again for over three weeks.

It was then a return match at Whitby and 1-1 with Aman Verma’s strike, before United FC came to the Don Amott Arena for what turned out to be the last home game of the season.

United were a class apart and Sports were inflicted with a 4-1 defeat, but worse was to come for their final match before the Corona Virus brought everything to a halt.

Sports were well on top at Ashton with a first half goal from Webb, but just before half time the referee was injured and replaced by one of his assistants.

Two penalties followed for Ashton and both Remy Agustien and Warren were red carded, in one of the most appalling displays of officialdom ever seen on a football pitch.

For a while Sports had hovered just outside the play-offs, but as the waterlogged pitches intervened, the games in hand caused an ever increasing backlog, before the whole season came to an abrupt and disappointing conclusion.

In the FA Cup it was a first qualifying round exit away to Stafford, after seeing offer Coventry Sphinx 3-0 at home in the Preliminaries.

It was 3-0 defeat at Basford that ended their FA Trophy hopes, while the Derbyshire Senior Cup Challenge ended when Long Eaton United visited and went home 4-2 winners.

There was a home win in the first round of the Integro Cup 3-2 against Loughborough Dynamo, but after the first attempt was postponed, Buxton were the visitors and Sports went down 3-2.

The league is due to start again in August for the 2020/21 season, by which time Sports were due to be playing on a brand new 3G pitch. Decisions on both are now eagerly awaited.

Confirmation of the end of the 2019/20 season

Mickleover Sports Club’s Chairman, Don Amott, has made the following statement.