By Ryan Sipple

Muscle Warriors PFC proved to be the standout side in week three of the Muscular Dystrophy UK Championship; five incredible wins from their five fixtures see them jump four places in the league from eighth to fourth. Early on Saturday, Muscle Warriors got their weekend off to the perfect start, registering a faultless 2-0 win over Norwich City. Further wins against North West Bees and Electric Eels signified their largest points haul in a single day this season. With the momentum very much behind them, Sunday yielded an equally impressive return, a 3-0 win over Nottingham and 2-1 win over WBA Dudley marked, arguably, the finest ever weekend in the National League. Five games played, 11 goals scored, only one conceded. It’s hard to pick individuals out for recognition as the whole team worked for one another. The team’s younger players, Dan McLellan and Shay Murray were both fantastic registering a number of the side’s overall goals; massive credit also owed to Mitchell Gosling, Gianluca Luisi, Ryan O’Leary and Rhys Mallet who were all fantastic. With confidence sky-high, Muscle Warriors will feel confident approaching week four of the MDUK Championship. On Saturday they face Teesside PFC, who sit one league position above them before they will be wanting a repeat of week three’s triumph over Electric Eels. On Sunday, three points against North West Bees will be the underlying objective before they face league leaders, Newcastle United PFC.

Leeds Chariots looked to have their eyes very much set on the Premiership as they impressed in week two of the Championship. In a tie they lost earlier in the season, unexpected pressure was placed upon the Yorkshire-based outfits fixture against Electric Eels on Saturday morning. Taking control of the tie early on, a brilliant hattrick from star-man, Dan Rigby and a single strike from Jack Britton ensured their first win and respective three points of the weekend. Next up, league leaders, Newcastle United PFC. Leeds came out of the blocks quickly, dominating the first half in which two superbly worked goals from Jack Britton aided a comfortable 2-0 lead approaching the halftime whistle. Newcastle did well to pick their game up in the second half and managed to level the tie with five minutes remaining; 2-2 it finished.  On Sunday, an absent Shifnal Town resulted in Leeds securing a home walkover, ensuring full focus fell on their final fixture against North West Bees. Looking ever destined to grace the countries elite, Leeds registered an emphatic 8-0 win, with goals coming from Helen Chappell (x2), Jack Britton (x3), Seb Copeland and Dan Rigby. The whole side performed brilliantly across the weekend, but a particular mention to Jack Britton who was superb. Leeds will be aiming for maximum points in week four to secure the placement at the summit of the Championship. On Saturday Leeds face Norwich City and Nottingham Forest, with Sunday’s games falling against Teesside and Middlesbrough.

Considering the high standards that Teesside PFC have set in this season’s MDUK Championship, the North East side will be disappointed with their points haul in week three of the Championship. A frustrating opening defeat to WBA Dudley was against the run of play, having penned bad Dudley for large percentages of the game a late breakaway goal from John Dickson sealed their defeat. The side got back to winning ways in their second where goals from Owen Swift, Thomas Mett, Tyler Reeve (x2) and Kieran Burns sealed an emphatic 5-0 win over Nottingham Forest. A memorable moment for Kieran Burns, who became the first-ever Scottish player to represent and score for an English National League side. With his fantastic start to life in the English National League and Logan Mitchelson’s respective achievements with Northern Thunder, their performances speak volumes to how far Powerchair Football in Scotland has developed in recent years. On Sunday Teesside PFC squared up with bitter Regional and National League rivals Newcastle United; In an entertaining encounter Teesside’s stubborn defence cancelled out Newcastle’s potent attack, 0-0 it finished. In their last game of the weekend against Norwich City, an early goal from Tyler Reeve was unfortunately cancelled out by a Mike Coleman, 1-1 that finished. Teesside will be hoping to prevail from a tough week four to put themselves in contention for one of the automatic promotion places. On Saturday they face an inform Muscle Warriors side before playing Middlesbrough. Currently joint on points with Leeds Chariots, their 11:45 meet on Sunday has an added attraction with both teams fighting for automatic promotion. Anything other than three points in their last game against Nottingham Forest will be seen as a disappointment.  

Cheltenham SW All-Stars were fantastic in week three of the Championship, managing to put invaluable distance between themselves and the league’s danger positions. First-half goals from Summer Rice (x2), Amy Lee-Julian and Dillon Pamar in their opening tie against Shifnal Town PFC marked their finest half of football so far this season; despite conceding in the second half, a single strike from Leo Le Gal ensured the three points and a 5-1 victory. With momentum very much on their side, Cheltenham were patient in their second game against Nottingham Forest, scoring three goals in the second half to cap a brilliant day’s work. Early on Sunday morning, the South West side failed to find a reply to Jake Edwards early goal for Norwich City, losing the tie 1-0. In their last game of week three, Cheltenham were held to a close 1-1 draw with North West Bees. A tough weekend of fixtures awaits! Cheltenham face league leaders, Newcastle United PFC early on Saturday morning, before further games with promotion chasers Middlesbrough and WBA Dudley. On Sunday the side will feel hopeful of attaining points in fixtures against Electric Eels and Shifnal Town.

Despite a disappointing start to week three of the Muscular Dystrophy UK Championship, Norwich City bounced back superbly to maintain their placement in the table’s top half. The side were slow to start in an opening 2-0 defeat to Muscle Warriors on Saturday morning.  From this, a second-half goal from Mike Coleman rescued them a point against Middlesbrough PFC. On Saturday afternoon the Canaries produced a brilliant team performance against North West Bees, where goals from Mike Coleman, Jake Edwards and Johann George aided a 3-0 win. In Sunday mornings first game, a sole Jake Edwards strike gave them bragging rights over Cheltenham SW All-Stars before earning a fantastic point against Teesside PFC. Week four of the Championship presents a very credible chance for Norwich to climb their way up the Championship table; A tough first game against Leeds Chariots is followed by games against Shifnal Town, Nottingham Forest and Middlesbrough PFC.

By Ryan Sipple

Can anyone stop Newcastle!? Following on from their faultless start to life in the National League, all eyes were firmly fixed on Newcastle United PFC in November’s Championship fixtures. Looking ever destined to grace the top-flight, the Magpies were incredible, recording four wins from their four fixtures to cement their position at the table’s summit.  On Saturday Newcastle registered superb wins over Norwich City (3-0) and North West Bees (5-0). Sunday, was much of the same, recording emphatic wins over Nottingham Forest PFC (5-1) and WBA Dudley (6-1). Five additional goals to his already impressive goal tally sees Lee Armstrong continue to top the Championship goal charts. Notable performances in week two from Alby Morris, Olly Cranshaw & Aran Guthrie who all chipped in with goals signifying the depth of this formidable side. Week three will serve in giving the Magpies their greatest test so far in the National League; on Saturday the side play back-to-back games against promotion contenders Leeds Chariots and Middlesbrough PFC. On Sunday they face fierce local rivals, Teesside PFC in a 1st vs 2nd clash, before a final matchup with Electric Eels.

With a lot of expectation placed on their young shoulders, Leeds Chariots PFC exhibited their talent in week two, demonstrating exactly why many have touted them as promotion favourites. A Dan Rigby hattrick and double from Seb Copeland ensured an excellent win over WBA Dudley early on Saturday. Unable to break down a stubborn Norwich City defence, Leeds failed to grasp the three points in their second fixture, which ended 0-0. Needing to keep up with their North East contingent in Newcastle and Teesside, Leeds needed a big Sunday. In their first game, a sole Dan Rigby goal was just enough to see them over the line against Muscle Warriors. In their fourth and final game of week two against Cheltenham SW All-Stars, Leeds produced a superb one-sided performance, goals from Jack Britton (x2), Seb Copeland and Kizzy Wade sealing a 4-0 win. A big week three awaits the Yorkshire-based side; Up first, Leeds will be looking to avenge their earlier defeat to their most local rivals, Electric Eels, before taking their shot at being the first team to inflict defeat upon Newcastle United. On Sunday they would be disappointed with anything other than six points against Shifnal Town and North West Bees.

Teesside PFC brilliantly leapfrogged fellow promotion chasers, Leeds Chariots in the MDUK Championship standings in week two. Four superb goals from summer signing Tyler Reeve aided an opening 5-0 win over Electric Eels. In their second fixture, little could separate them from Muscle Warriors as the half-time whistle blew. Needing a big second, Teeside took charge early on with patient play leading to well-worked goals from Owen Swift and Tyler Reeve, 3-1 it finished. The third and final fixture of Saturday fell against a struggling Shifnal Town side; bringing momentum from their earlier success, four Thomas Mett goals and a single strike from Dylan Pearson sealed a dominant 5-0 victory. Taking confidence into Sunday’s fixtures, the North East side produced exciting performances against Cheltenham SW All-Stars (3-0) and North West Bees (8-0). Thomas Mett and Tyler Reeve had arguably their finest weekend in the National League. An exceptionally tough set of games awaits them in week three of the Muscular Dystrophy UK Championship; Teesside face Norwich City and Newcastle United on Saturday and Nottingham Forest and WBA Dudley on Sunday.

Middlesbrough PFC had a very strong week two in the MDUK Championship, going unbeaten throughout their four fixtures. On Saturday, Boro played out two very close 1-1 draws with both Cheltenham SW All-Stars and North West Bees. On Sunday the North East side was fantastic. In their first fixture, two Ryan Dack goals helped secure a comfortable 2-0 win over a struggling Nottingham Forest PFC side. Head Coach, Carolyn Bean will be proud with the team performance produced against Shifnal Town, where goals from Umar Hanif, Cath McNicol, Ellie Renton and Sandra Rey (x2) aided a 5-0 win. Despite a tough Championship weekend ahead, Boro will be fully focused. Games against Norwich City and Newcastle United on Saturday will be challenging, with games against Electric Eels and WBA Dudley to contend with on Sunday.

Considering week two’s opposition, Electric Eels will be happy with the seven points earned across their five fixtures. A difficult opening game against Teesside PFC ended in a 5-0 defeat. Not letting that effect following fixtures, a Joel Rothery double helped them to secure three points against a defensive Shifnal Town PFC side before earning a point in a goalless draw with Nottingham Forest PFC. Goals from Emma Hodson and Kole Simpson in a 2-0 win over North West Bees did well to overshadow a disappointing 1-0 defeat to Norwich City. Eels have arguably the toughest week three of all the Championship sides to contend with; on Saturday the side play Leeds Chariots, WBA Dudley and Muscle Warriors, on Sunday, Middlesbrough PFC and league leaders Newcastle United PFC. With only two points separating the Eels from fourth-placed WBA Dudley, every point counts!

It was a mixed second week two for Cheltenham SW All-Stars in the MDUK Championship. Faced with some of the league’s fiercest opposition, the South West side did brilliantly to secure four points in their pursuit of league safety. Despite going a goal down in their opening game against Muscle Warriors, Amy Lee-Julian’s superb quickfire double ensured an opening three points. Another Amy Lee-Julian strike secured a fantastic point in a 1-1 draw with Middlesbrough. On Sunday, the side failed to register a goal in defeats to Teesside PFC (3-0) and Leeds Chariots (4-0). A massive weekend looms for Cheltenham SW All-Stars in the National League. On Saturday they face Shifnal Town and Nottingham Forest, the only two teams below them in the league standings; With only two points separating the three sides, all will be gunning for them crucial three points. On Sunday the All-Stars will want revenge in their tough opening fixture against Norwich City PFC, who beat them 6-1 back in September. They finish the weekend off with another huge fixture against North West Bees, who sit both one point and position above them in the league standings.

WBA Dudley’s continue to excite and impress in the MDUK National League. Despite a few setbacks in their pursuit of promotion, Dudley are exceeding all expectations set on them. A difficult 5-0 defeat to a Premiership proven Leeds side will only serve in giving the young Dudley players the invaluable experience of competing with the best. In their second matchup, last season’s Young Championship Player of the Year, Jack McNaughton, added two goals to Oliver Rock’s earlier strike to seal a solid 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest. On Sunday, their matchup with Norwich City produced one of the most exciting, action-packed games of the season so far; two early Oliver Rock goals gave them a comfortable lead over the Norfolk-based outfit, before the opposition found a second wind, managing to level the tie just before the half time whistle blew. With Head Coach, Chris Gordon drilling his messages home in the half time interval, Dudley emerged for the second as they had the first, with Oliver Rock sealing both his hattrick and the three points. The side were unfortunate to catch Newcastle in such fine form in their last game of the weekend, losing 6-1. Looking forward, a tough weekend awaits; On Saturday Dudley play Electric Eels and Teesside, with games against Middlesbrough and Muscle Warriors on Sunday.

Week two was a frustrating one for the Watford-based outfit, Muscle Warriors PFC. Opening their weekend with a disappointing defeat to Cheltenham SW All-Stars, Muscle Warriors didn’t seem to get going, with their second game of the day against Teesside PFC also ending in defeat. In their first game on Sunday (against Shifnal Town), a superb goal from Shay Murray ensured their first win and three points of the weekend. Despite a narrow 1-0 defeat to promotion chasers Leeds Chariots in their last game of the weekend, Muscle Warriors will take positives from their performance. Currently eighth in the league standings, Muscle Warriors PFC will be looking to distance themselves from the leagues bottom half in week three’s fixtures. A tough opening fixture against Norwich City is followed by several credible opportunities to register three points; they play North West Bees, Electric Eels and Nottingham Forest. In their last game, the side will have to be at their best to secure anything from a fixture against WBA Dudley. 

On the face of it, Norwich City’s five points from a possible fifteen in week two doesn’t seem too impressive but considering their opposition, the Norfolk-based side should be happy with their performances and respective points haul. As everyone else has, Norwich failed in gaining anything from their fixture against league toppers Newcastle United in a 3-0 defeat. Mike Coleman’s early strike was cancelled out by North West Bees in their second game, 1-1 that finished. In their third and final fixture on Saturday, Norwich City will be delighted with the point gained in a tight game with Leeds Chariots. On Sunday morning, goals from Edward Boca and Johann George were unfortunately not enough to cancel out WBA Dudley’s three. Keen to finish the weekend on a positive note, Johann George registered his tenth goal of the campaign in a 1-0 win over Electric Eels. In Norwich’s consecutive five-fixture weekend they face Muscle Warriors, Middlesbrough and North West Bees on Saturday, with games against Cheltenham SW All-Stars and Teesside PFC on Sunday. 

Perhaps a weekend to forget for Shifnal Town PFC, who failed to register a single point in their pursuit of league safety. Jim Wright’s goal for Shifnal Town against Electric Eels would prove little more than a consolation in a close 2-1 defeat. From this Shifnal failed to register any goals in defeats to Teesside PFC (5-0), Muscle Warriors (1-0) and Middlesbrough (5-0). Likewise to that of Cheltenham, Shifnal has arguably their most important weekend of the season. In week three’s fixtures, bottom place Shifnal Town face Nottingham Forest, Cheltenham SW All-Stars & North West Bees, the three teams directly above them in the standings. A tough matchup with Leeds Chariots PFC, who beat them 5-1 last time out, completes their tough fixture list.  

Nottingham Forest PFC only managed to gain one point in week two’s Championship fixtures. Considering their stellar opposition, the side fell to unfortunate defeats against WBA Dudley (3-0), Middlesbrough (2-0) and Newcastle United (5-1). A well-earned point against Electric Eels side was without question the highlight of their weekend. In week three Nottingham Forest have a tough opening game against second-place side Teesside, before three massive 50/50 fixtures. The side play Cheltenham SW All-Stars on Saturday afternoon, with exciting clashes against Muscle Warriors and Shifnal Town on Sunday. Having scored three of his sides five goals this season, Nottingham Forest will be hoping that Aston Walls increases his goal tally further in the weekend’s fixtures.

North West Bee’s had a mixed week two in the MDUK Championship. Opening their account against a strong Norwich City side, North West Bees did superbly, a single Stephen Whittaker goal helping them to secure a point in a 1-1 draw. In their second, Newcastle United proved too much, beating the Bees 5-0. In their third and final matchup of Saturday, an Ethan Fisher goal helped the side secure another crucial point against Middlesbrough PFC, 1-1 it finished. Sunday was tough for the North West Bees as they fell to defeat to both Electric Eels (2-0) and Teesside PFC (8-0). Another five-fixture weekend will be a big ask for the Bees; they play Shifnal Town, Muscle Warriors and Norwich City on Saturday, with games against Cheltenham SW All-Stars and Leeds Chariots on Sunday.

By Ryan Sipple

What better way to mark their debut in the National League than securing five wins from their first five fixtures? Newcastle United PFC equally shocked and impressed as they recorded maximum points from week one’s action. The Magpies did brilliantly reversing an early one-goal deficit to secure bragging rights over North East rivals, Teesside PFC in an early 2-1 win. Their tough second matchup with Middlesbrough PFC was poised delicately at 0-0 until a late strike from former Boro star man, Lee Armstrong ensured a 1-0 win. From this, the side registered three consecutive victories, scoring an impressive 19 goals in fixtures against Cheltenham SW All-Stars, Shifnal Town and Electric Eels. Following his recent transfer from Middlesbrough PFC, Lee Armstrong had one of his finest weekends in the National League, registering goals in each of the sides five fixtures, 10 in total. In week two, Newcastle will be keen to replicate week one’s success against Norwich City, North West Bees, Nottingham Forest and WBA Dudley.

Leeds Chariots PFC will be pleased with their points earned in week one of the MDUK Championship. An early 4-1 win over the North West Bees got the Yorkshire-based side off to the perfect start in their pursuit of an instant return to the countries top tier of Powerchair Football. A slight deviation from the script in their second game against a very game Electric Eels side. Three second-half goals helped Eels secure one of their finest National League wins to date. Leeds rallied in their third fixture, coming from a goal behind against Teesside to secure a very credible point. Ten goals and two brilliant wins against Shifnal Town PFC (5-1) and Nottingham Forest (5-0) capped the weekend’s action off in impressive fashion. Last seasons Premiership Young Player of the Year, Dan Rigby, displayed his impressive ability across the weekend’s action, with Kizzy Wade and Jack Britton also exhibiting flashes of brilliance. Four tough but winnable fixtures in week two for the Chariots, they play WBA Dudley, Norwich City, Muscle Warriors and Cheltenham SW All-Stars.

Like Newcastle, fellow league debutants Teesside PFC kickstarted their debut in the Championship in impressive fashion. Despite Owen Swift giving the Tees an opening 1-0 lead in their game against the Newcastle United, two second-half goals from the challengers meant Teesside would have to wait a little longer to secure their first taste of victory. In their second game against WBA Dudley, goals from Thomas Mett, Owen Swift and Dylan Pearson finally put three points to their name. Following on from an impressive win, Teesside picked up momentum, going on to secure impressive victories over Middlesbrough (1-0) and Norwich City (3-0). A tight 1-1 draw with title contenders, Leeds Chariots in their final game, gave Teesside 10 points from their first five National League fixtures. A particular mention to Thomas Mett, who performed superbly across week one, netting four goals. This weekend Teesside PFC will have the quiet ambition of securing maximum points from their five fixtures. The side play Electric Eels, Muscle Warriors, Shifnal Town PFC, Cheltenham SW All-Stars and North West Bees.

Norwich City PFC kick-started their second season in the Championship in fine fashion. The side did incredibly well to register consecutive 6-1 wins in their first two fixtures; firstly over Cheltenham SW All-Stars, where goals from Edward Boca, Michael Coleman, Jake Edwards and Johann George (3) helped them secure a monumental first win. In their second fixture, hattricks from Jake Edwards and Johann George against last year’s closely matched rivals, Muscle Warriors, aided one of the finest wins in their National League history. A 3-0 defeat to fellow promotion chasers, Teesside PFC, didn’t halter momentum, with the Canaries finishing the weekend off with a fantastic 5-0 win over Nottingham Forest. A real can-do attitude from the Norfolk-based side was epitomised by Johann George, who registered eight goals in the sides four fixtures. Massive positives to take into week two’s five-fixture weekend. A difficult opening matchup in week two against Championship leaders, Newcastle United, before facing the North West Bees and Leeds Chariots. On Sunday, games against WBA Dudley and Electric Eels should help paint a clearer picture of the side’s ambitions for this season.

Considering the calibre of week one’s opposition, Electric Eels will be delighted with both their performances and respective accumulation of points. The side bounced back fantastically from an opening 1-0 defeat to Middlesbrough to secure a monumental 3-1 win against league favourites, Leeds Chariots on the Saturday of competition. A Luke Brennan strike saw the Eels take the lead, with a quickfire double from Kole Simpson either side of Leeds’ single goal enough to see the Eels shock many with a brilliant 3-1 win. Despite defeat to Newcastle United, the Eels topped off the weekend in brilliant fashion, securing a 3-0 win over Cheltenham SW All-Stars. Looking forward, they are sure to have every intention of matching or topping week one’s six-point haul in respective games this weekend. A tough start to the weekend against Teesside PFC is followed by several winnable games against Shifnal Town, Nottingham Forest, North West Bees and Norwich City. 

A huge amount of credit to Muscle Warriors PFC, who displayed an incredible resilience to go out and give 100% in week one’s fixtures. Consecutive defeats on day one to WBA Dudley (3-1) and Norwich City (6-1) were unfortunate. On Sunday, the Warriors bounced back, exhibiting their incredible spirit to secure two brilliant wins. A sole Mitchell Gosling strike secured three points against Nottingham Forest, with a single goal former Evergreen star-man, Shay Murray, helping to secure a very credible win over former Premiership side, Middlesbrough PFC. Looking forward, week two presents some interesting challenges for the Watford-based outfit. On Saturday they will want to start positively against Cheltenham SW All-Stars before a tougher fixture against Teesside PFC. Similarly, on Sunday the Warriors will want to begin by registering points over Shifnal Town before a more challenging matchup with Leeds Chariots PFC. Two to three wins this weekend could see Muscle Warriors leapfrog a number of their closely matched rivals in the league standings.

With the bar set high following an incredibly successful 2018/19 Championship season, a greater expectation has been placed on WBA Dudley for the year ahead. Dudley got their Championship campaign off to a great start when an Oliver Rock hattrick helped the side secure an impressive 3-1 win over Muscle Warriors. Despite a credible effort on Dudley’s behalf, following fixtures against league challengers, Teesside PFC and Middlesbrough PFC, both ended in defeat. The side rallied together and produced a strong finish to week one’s action with an emphatic 5-2 victory over North West Bees and a 2-0 win over Shifnal Town. John Dickson made a positive start to his Dudley career, with Oliver Rock also proving to be shining light in the West Midlands side. An exceptionally tough week two in the MDUK Championship will be sure to challenge WBA Dudley. They will want to ensure three points in fixtures against Nottingham Forest PFC with games against Leeds Chariots, Newcastle United PFC, Norwich City following.

Despite being rooted to the foot of the MDUK Championship table, Cheltenham SW All-Stars’ young side will take many positives from week one’s action. Adam Sevenoaks on loan from AFC Bournemouth and new signing, Summer Rice displayed flashes of their quality. The side was unfortunate to catch teams in fine form with Newcastle, Norwich City and Electric Eels all securing wins over Cheltenham. Goals from Amy Lee-Julian and Adam Sevenoaks helped the All-Stars secure their only point of the weekend in a 2-2 draw with North West Bees. An incredibly tough week two is presented to the South West outfit, with fixtures on Saturday against Muscle Warriors and Middlesbrough, and games on Sunday against Teesside PFC and Leeds Chariots. Coaching duo Brad Bates and David Lewis may adopt a defensive/counter-attacking style of play to give themselves the best possible chance of securing points from the second weekend in the Muscular Dystrophy UK Championship.

A single Cath McNicol strike helped Middlesbrough PFC kickstart life back in the MDUK Championship to winning ways, beating Electric Eels 1-0 in Saturday’s early kick-off. This result made all the more impressive when considering Electric Eels’ fine form in their following fixtures. Despite a valiant defensive effort from Boro in containing the impressive attacks of the North East duo, Teesside and Newcastle, both ended in 1-0 defeats. The side bounced back brilliantly against WBA Dudley, with Umar Hanif and Cath McNicol goals helping to secure a 2-1 win. Despite another 1-0 defeat to Muscle Warriors in their final week one game, Middlesbrough will take many positives from the weekend’s action. The new-look Boro side has a far more favourable fixture list for week two, playing, Cheltenham SW All-Stars, North West Bees, Nottingham Forest and Shifnal Town. A great chance to climb the table towards the two automatic promotion positions.

It was a challenging opening weekend for Nottingham Forest PFC, who were faced with a number of the division’s top sides. Superb goals from Aston Walls and Sahil Zaffer (2) secured Forest three points in a brilliant opening win over Cheltenham SW All-Stars. From this, Forest failed to recreate the same winning form in tough games against Shifnal Town (2-1), Muscle Warriors (1-0), Norwich City (5-0) and Leeds Chariots (5-0). Looking forward, it’ll be another challenging weekend for the local side. Forest start week two in the MDUK Championship with an afternoon kick-off against WBA Dudley, before facing an inform Electric Eels side. On Sunday they play current league leaders Newcastle United before facing Middlesbrough PFC. 

A difficult start to the 2019/20 Championship season for North West Bees. Despite providing a competitive performance against Leeds Chariots, the attack of the opposition proved too great for the Bees to handle, with Leeds going on to win 4-1. A sole Matthew Gilmore strike gave the North West Bees their first win of the new season against Shifnal Town. With confidence growing, two superb set-piece goals in their game against Cheltenham SW All-Stars helped the North West Bees take a share of the spoils in a 2-2 draw. Unfortunately, two Ethan Fisher goals in their last game against WBA Dudley were not enough to cancel out Dudley’s five. Massive positives to take from week one’s action with notable performances from duo Matthew Gilmore and Ethan Fisher. A busy week two for the side hailing from the North West; three tough games on Saturday include Norwich City, Newcastle United and Middlesbrough. Sunday also challenging, with Electric Eels and Teesside to contend with.

First up for Shifnal Town PFC in the 19/20 Championship was last year’s closely matched rivals, Nottingham Forest. With only a point separating the sides at the conclusions of last season Championship, most predicted it would be a tight opening affair. And as expected, a closely matched fixture played out between the two, with Shifnal Town eventually coming out on top, recording a brilliant 2-1 win. In their second fixture, the side will feel they could have achieved more in a frustrating 1-0 defeat to the North West Bees. Shifnal Town’s first fixture on Sunday will be one to forget, five goals in each half from one of the newest acquisitions to the Muscular Dystrophy UK Championship, Newcastle United, saw them succumb to a 10-0 defeat. Following defeats to Leeds Chariots (5-1) and WBA Dudley (2-1) see Shifnal Town PFC take three points from their first five fixtures. With no easy games in this competitive division, week two will also be challenging for Shifnal Town, games include Electric Eels, Teesside PFC, Muscle Warriors and Middlesbrough.

By Ryan Sipple

A lot of transfer activity at Middlesbrough PFC makes it an interesting, slightly unpredictable upcoming campaign. The playing positions available from the departures of Tyler Reeve and Matthew Harrison will be filled by various talents from the Middlesbrough reserve side that recently dropped out of the Championship. Umar Hanif could be one of the youngsters called upon to represent Middlesbrough this season, having exhibited glimpses of his quality throughout last season. Ryan Dack and Catch McNicol have a crucial role to play in the upcoming campaign, injecting the quality and experience into their young side. Despite the reshuffle in personnel, Head Coach, Carolyn Bean will have every intention of getting the side straight back to the Premiership, starting with some positive results this coming weekend. The side kickstarts the 2019/20 Championship campaign with three North East derbies, playing Electric Eels, Newcastle United and Teesside in consecutive games on Saturday, before facing WBA Dudley and Muscle Warriors Sunday.

An exciting season ahead for National League debutants Newcastle United PFC; Excelling at the most recent Championship play-offs, the Magpies won each of their three fixtures to grasp hold of their precious National League status. Massive credit to Reggie Dornan and Head Coaches Jamie Harrison and Rob Thompson for their fantastic work getting the side to this competitive level in such a short time. Boasting a talented line up of both experienced and young individuals, the ambitious North East side will have a clear and determined objective of promotion to the top tier of Powerchair Football. An opening matchup with fellow debutants Teesside PFC will be interesting, having recently beaten the side 1-0 in Junes play-offs. Other tough fixtures in week one should serve in testing their resolve, with following fixtures against recently relegated Middlesbrough, Cheltenham SW All-Stars, Shifnal Town PFC and Electric Eels.

A superb 2018/19 Championship campaign from WBA Dudley will be certain to increase the sides promotion ambitions for the season commencing next Saturday. Chris Gordons shrewd, experienced coaching has guided the West-Midlands side up the Powerchair ranks in recent years and he will have no intentions of stopping there. Having finished just three points adrift of the National League playoffs last season, Dudley will have a minimal ambition of promotion for this coming campaign. In the departure of the exciting prospect, Lewis Harris, Dudley have convinced Cheltenhams John Dickson to make the switch over to the Championship title hopefuls. A massive season ahead for Jack McNaughton following his Championships Young Player of the Year Award scooped at the WFAs End of Season Awards back in June. A tough opening weekend with fixtures against Muscle Warriors, Teesside, Middlesbrough, North West Bees, and Shifnal Town.

One of the Championship’smany sides hailing from North East England, Teesside PFC represent the newest acquisition to the MDUK National League. Boasting a talented roster of previous Premiership talent, the Tees should be well suited to the countries competitive second tier of Powerchair Football. Despite the notable absence of Owen Swift and Dylan Pearson at their most recent National League play-offs, Teesside impressed snatching Evergreen’s National League status for the upcoming campaign. Having arguably the toughest fixture list of all the Championship sides, Teesside kick-off their Championship campaign against fellow debutants Newcastle United before games against WBA Dudley, Middlesbrough, Norwich City, and Leeds Chariots.

Electric Eels will want to match their fantastic off-field promotional work with on-field performances this coming season. The side will feel they have the capability to improve on last seasons eighth-place finish with several new, untested teams entering the competitive fray. Without question, this season looks to be one of the most competitive years in the Championship division history, making it hard to predict teams placement at either end of the table. The side really came on, increasing their performances, and more importantly, their points haul in the latter weekends of the 2018/19 season, so will be looking to start with a little more intent come Saturday morning. Consecutive games on Saturday against both relegated sides Middlesbrough and Leeds are far from ideal, nevertheless, the side will go in with a positive mentality against both. On Sunday the Eels face debutants Newcastle United before a close encounter with Cheltenham SW All-Stars.

Sole representatives of South West England, Cheltenham SW All-Stars, will be gunning for a strong start this weekend to serve in bettering last seasons 7th place finish. The side was quick in replacing the WBA Dudley bound John Dickson with some shrewd transfer business in the summer months. Incoming transfers of Adam Sevenoaks (AFC Bournemouth Warriors), Dillion Parmar (Evergreen PFC) and Summer Rice (Worcester Whizzards), bulk an already talented squad. Boasting an impressive coaching duo of David Lewis, and England international, Brad Bates, the side is sure to come out of the traps with some intent on Saturday. Fixtures include Nottingham Forest, Norwich City, Newcastle United, North West Bees, and Electric Eels.

Despite relegation from the MDUK Premiership, Leeds Chariots PFC’s experience from the previous campaign, paired with their underlying can-do attitude make them, in many peoples books, title contenders. Seeking a quick return to the top division, their young side will have no doubt gained invaluable experience competing in the Premiership. Last seasons Premiership Young Player of the Year, Dan Rigby will be raring to go to aid the Yorkshire-based sides title chase this weekend, and an incoming transfer of Hannah Hindley from Telford improves an already talented roster. Solely using last seasons Championship standings as a point of reference, Leeds have a favourable weekend of fixtures, with games against the North West Bees, Electric Eels, Teesside, Shifnal Town, and Nottingham Forest. A positive week one in the MDUK Championship will kickstart their inevitable title chase.

Having lost the last four consecutive fixtures of last season, long-serving Championship side, Nottingham Forest PFC will have done everything in the off-season to prepare diligently for this weekends challenging fixtures. With Evergreen and Middlesbrough Reserves departure making way for both Teesside and Newcastle United, a restructured Boro side coming down from the Premiership, and recent changes to both Bolton Bullets and Telford PFC, there are many uncertainties for the upcoming campaign. Forest will want to capitalise on this and replicate success from Championship campaigns gone by, starting with their early 09:15 kick-off with Cheltenham SW All-Stars. Four following fixtures include matchups against Shifnal Town, Muscle Warriors, Norwich City, and Leeds.

Following on from excellent season in the MDUK Championship, a slight restructure at Bolton Bullets will see the side enter the new season under the name; North West Bees. With the departure of Teesside-bound trio Dylan Pearson, Owen Swift and Charlie Connelly, and a few incoming players from Greenbank PFC, it’ll be interesting to see how the side will acclimatise in the 2019/20 campaign. Following a positive haul of goals in last season’s Championship, Benjamin Robinson will be looking to replicate his goalscoring form, starting in a tough opening fixture against Leeds on Saturday. Following games include Shifnal Town, Cheltenham, and WBA Dudley.

Buoyed by the frustration of missing out on the Premiership playoff last season by just two points, Muscle Warriors will be eager to right their wrong and secure either one of the two automatic promotion positions or that evading playoff place this season. It will be interesting to see the impact that Aspire-bound Tom Kelly’s departure has on the side, with Evergreens talented youngsters, Shay Murray  & Dan McLellan coming in to fill the void. A tough weekend of fixtures will determine the Watford-based side’s ambitions this season with fixtures including WBA Dudley, Norwich City, Nottingham Forest, and Middlesbrough.

After a recent merger with a local FA Charter Standard football club, Telford PFC will now enter the 2019/20 MDUK Championship season under the name of Shifnal Town PFC. The side will be eager to pair their positive club developments off the pitch with their respective league performances this season. A big season ahead for key pair Luke Millington and James Wright in the absence of the Leeds-bound Hannah Hindley. Some close encounters on Saturday see them pit their wits against Nottingham Forest and the North West Bees, before a difficult Sunday against Leeds Chariots and Newcastle United. Some positive results in week one of the MDUK Championship should help lay the foundations for Shifnal Town to better last seasons ninth-place finish.

Norwich City PFC will be lifted by their fantastic debut National League season, falling just short in their Premiership play-off fixture against Sale Utd PFC. The fantastic game that played out at the familiar Lee Westwood Centre back in June demonstrated the level of quality the Norfolk-based side possess. Despite a frustrating 3-2 defeat, some fantastic team play and link-up play, particularly from Mike Coleman and Johann George challenged Sale to the final whistle. With a year’s experience firmly under their belts, they should be considered in many peoples books promotion contenders. Their upcoming four fixture weekend includes some tough matchups, playing Cheltenham, Muscle Warriors, Teesside, and Nottingham Forest.