ABOUT BURY NORTH FC
We’ve Got Team Spirit
Champion athletes aren’t just born - they’re selected, trained, molded and tested. Since 2020, we’ve been a competitive force in the Greater Manchester area. We hone raw talent to maturity with quality coaching, primal workouts and a true love of the sport. Teamwork, perseverance, sportsmanship - those are the hallmarks of Bury North FC.
CLASS OF '24
GORDON LEVER
GK
Gordon is one of our goalkeepers at the club however he has somehow managed to
score a goal in a friendly game as an outfield player making him the most lethal
striker in Lancashire. Gordon has been rocking the same hairstyle since 2002 and
has been assisting in goalkeeper sessions during training to help improve himself
and the other keepers at the club which is a huge benefit to us.
BEN MCGUIGAN
GK
Ben is one of our goalkeepers and one of the nicest lads you can meet unless you
get on the wrong side of him and then he will go into Karen mode and be incredibly
sassy with you. In Ben’s spare time he usually goes to the Salon to top up his
highlights or listens to his favourite artist, James Blunt. Ben has not had it easy at the
club so far, when he was poised to make his debut he got injured in the warm up and
had to go straight to the hospital however he was delighted to find out we earned our
first point of the season in that game and put his injury aside and just focused on the
well-being of the club, this shows the character of the man in what would have been
a difficult time for him. When Ben eventually did make his debut for the club, he
would go on to earn the first clean sheet in Bury North’s history and get our first win
of the campaign where he pulled off some great saves and delivered a very
commanding performance.
WAYNE NICHOLLS
GK
Well, what can we say about Wayne? He is one of the goalkeepers at the club and
the guy is a legend, his commitment and love of the game is faultless. Wayne
spends his spare time practising Meditation, his other hobbies including not coming
off his line and asking people for lifts to training. You may get on our nerves
sometimes Wayne, but we all love you.
TAYLOR ‘THE BUTCHER’ COCKCROFT
DEF
Taylor is a no-nonsense ball playing CB at the club, he is also very capable of
playing CM and Fullback. Taylor probably regrets telling us his full-time job is a
Butcher because that’s all we call him 24/7 now but his performances on the pitch
warrant this name, he is mean, angry, aggressive and that’s just to his own
teammates never mind the opposition. Always up for a laugh and a genuine decent
lad who gets on with everyone and can be very critical of his own performances
despite him always playing well but that l just shows the standards that he sets for
himself.
OLIVER DANIELS
DEF
Oliver joined the club in 2023 and so far, he’s played CM, CAM, CDM, CB, LW, LB
and RB. He is either fantastically adaptable or still doesn’t know what his best
position is, we’ll let you decide on that however in the short amount of time he’s been
here he has managed to captain the club and is also the current vice-captain which
he has stated is a huge honour and something he is very proud of. It may be best to
mention that Ollie’s highlight of the campaign was scoring a back heel goal in our
first league win and then screaming with joy at the top of his voice to our manager
Karol and then proceeded to sprint over and kiss our assistant manager Darnell on
the neck, a HR meeting is still to be arranged and Darnell is undergoing intense
therapy sessions for this.
JAMES GARRITY-JENNINGS “JIMMY G”
DEF
It is fair to say that we have many, many players at club however we only have one
Icon, Jimmy G is that Icon. He started off as this shy young child who hadn’t learned
how to speak or kick a ball however fast forward a couple of months and he’s
shouting at people, kicking people, swearing at people, scoring goals, fouling
players, stealing players wife’s and girlfriends, the lot! It is fair to say that we have
never seen a player improve so drastically in such a short space of time, keep up the
good work Jimmy G!
ASH “ASHTRAY” ASHWORTH
DEF
Ash is a long serving member of Bury North and he gives his all in everything he
does on and off the pitch for the club, he has time for everyone and a genuinely nice
bloke who may wind up our gaffer a little too much at times, but he puts a smile on
all our faces. Ash takes the time to wash all our kits however we need to chip in and
buy him some Fabric softener and conditioner and potentially a new washing
machine and most importantly a drying rack. Ash started off as a striker however
when he realised his sprint speed was clocked at 3mph he decided that centre half
may be best for him and he has put in some monstrous performances there, there is
not a second where you can’t hear him on the pitch, and he is a natural leader, and
we are lucky to have him.
TOM FORREST
DEF
Tom is a very energetic full back who plays like he’s drank 14 energy drinks 5
minutes before kick off when in reality he’s had 2 bottles of Peroni, a cigarette and
last night’s left over kebab. Well known for his last-ditch tackles and rapid pace Tom
is very hard to get past one on one and has developed his game to become more of
an attacking threat as well, if he sorted his diet out the possibilities are endless for
him.
ASH FORREST
DEF
Ash is a pacey fullback who can defend and attack, one of the smaller lads in the
team yet he is fantastic in the air and he is very difficult to get past and if you do ever
get past him he will make sure it won’t be for long, Ash is famed for giving away
more penalty’s than throw ins during his spell with Bury North however he has made
up for that with some impressive performances in which he has given 100% and
helped us gain some important results.
ROSS WARD
DEF
Ross is a very likeable and passionate member of the team, Ross usually plays in a
full back role and every time he steps out on the pitch he gives his all and
considering he only joined the club in 2023 he has fitted in very nicely however he is
I’m afraid to say the first ever loser of the Bury North rivalry games but he took his
loss like a man and I am sure he will be triggering the rematch clause in the near
future. He is very well respected and liked at the club.
OLIVER MALONE
DEF
Ollie is one of our youngest players however he has not let that stop him from being
loud, confident, and aggressive in and out of possession. He has improved
dramatically, and we are very happy to have him onboard at the club however his
parents need to start picking him up earlier as he spends most of his leisure time
sitting in the car park waiting for them after training.
JAMES “JD” DAVIS
DEF
James is a very adaptable player, he started off as a striker and has currently been
putting in some excellent performances as a centre half, so he is scoring goals at
one end and keeping them out at the other. His communication, intelligence, ball
playing and morale boosting qualities make him a joy to play with although he’s
decided to grow a dodgy moustache that has somehow gone unpunished by the
club. He also manages a deaf football team in which he has significantly increased
the quality of the football they play in his tenure there, it’s only a shame for him that
he couldn’t masterclass a victory for them over the mighty Bury North FC when both
sides met, don’t worry Darnell and Karol your jobs are still safe for the time being.
MARTIN BISHOP
MID
Martin is one of our longest serving players, well known for being the nicest guy off
the pitch but the angriest guy on it. He is predominantly a CDM or CM, very
technically sound and he never gives anything less than 100% and always wears his
heart on his sleeve and has chipped in with some crucial goals and performances,
no matter what situation arises we will always have his back.
Martin holds a record for most yellow cards in club history and “none of them are his
fault”.
PETER HOWARTH
MID
Pete has been at the club for a while now and when he is on the pitch or in training,
he gives his all and is a big believer in ‘hard work pays off’ he can be adaptable
however mainly plays in the CDM role. He has grown in confidence since being at
the club and has gone from a shy boy who didn’t speak much on the pitch to a very
loud man who doesn’t shut up on it now! Pete was awarded the player of the match
award in one of our pre-season friendlies and has continued to improve since then
however we just need to prepare for when he scores his first goal for the club as we
believe social media platforms across the world will collapse from him posting too
much about it. Keep up the good work Pete!
JASON MAKIN
MID
Jason is an energetic technically impressive midfielder who is new to the club
however he has blended right in with the lads and despite him trying to turn into Mike
Tyson and square up to a young little lad in a pre-season friendly Jason has been a
true asset to the team and has always been respectful, we do need to chip in and get
him a car though because 12 minutes before every training session he always asks
for a lift.
RICHARD BEARD “BEARDY”
MID
Beardy is an old school footballer who plays in the middle of the park, a very
experienced player who has many attributes especially his fitness and leadership
qualities however it’s just a shame that he missed one of the sitters of the century in
a league game during the campaign, thankfully we still managed to win despite all
your efforts Rich!
COURTNEY RUSSELL
MID
Courtney is one of the most mysterious men on the planet, we know nothing about
him what so ever, he has no social media presence, no email, we don’t know if he
lives locally or miles away and until this website was published we didn’t even know
his surname however Courtney is a legend and has a great personality, he is a very
fast and direct winger who always manages to find positions on the pitch that no one
else can and gives his all in every training session and game.
“PRINCE” GANIYU SOWEMIMO
MID
The Prince of Bury North, a midfielder who has had some impressive performances
and is a very passionate individual and a tactical mastermind with his famous 9-8-11
and 4-10-4 formations which he tried pitching to our gaffers, there is never a dull
moment with Prince and his energy is contagious although the club need to buy him
some plain black socks as opposed to his illuminous lime green ones he plays in
currently. Prince scored arguably the finest goal of pre-season with a 30-yard curling
effort straight into the top corner which he was practicing in the lead up to the game,
just shows that practice does make perfect!
CONNOR WOSSER
MID
Connor is a very fast tricky winger who’s biggest contribution to the club was bringing
down his cousin to join who’s better at football than him. All jokes aside Connor has
been fantastic for us, his energy, work rate and attitude has been spot on ever since
he decided to stop turning up half drunk and hungover. Connor took great offence to
one of the lads saying he looked like he was in his mid-thirties when he was in his
early twenties although that did not stop him from becoming the first ever champion
of the Bury North rivalry games where he defeated another member of the team
however, we will not give the name of that individual (It was Ross).
MITCHEL HORRIDGE
MID
Mitch has a 100% boxing record, 1 fight 1 win so he’s the enforcer of the club. A very
tricky Winger who can also play full back or in midfield, Mitch has great dribbling and
technical abilities making him very hard to defend against however that might just be
because words got out about his boxing record and people want to avoid getting a
beating from him.
JACK WOSSER
MID
Jack has joined the club in 2023 and immediately blended in, a very tricky and
technically gifted midfielder who has energy to burn and has great confidence on the
pitch. The only weakness of Jack is that he has been giving very unkind nicknames
to the clubs’ social media manager.
PAUL ‘SCRAN’ SCRANAGE
MID
Paul ‘Scran’ Scranage is a very versatile player who can play in the middle or on the
flanks, a perfect player to have in your squad for when you need that little bit of
composure and class, Scran also claims to be a professional marathon runner and
competes competitively 5/6 times per week according to him, that must explain why
he never turns up to training ey?
CHRISTIAN “RAMPAGE” RICHARDS
MID
Introducing Bury Norths Captain Christian Rampage Ayatollah. There are three
certainties in life: Death, taxes and Rampage wearing an extra small West Ham Half
zip top at training. His strength, leadership, communication, technical abilities, and
hunger are demonstrated in every game and training session, and he always
remains positive when faced with adversity which further justifies his selection as
team captain.
THOMAS “TOMMY” TALBOT
MID
Tommy is an impressive wide player who turns up to training, plays sensationally and
then we don’t see him again for another few months and then every so often he
might turn up to a league game in his roadman coat looking like he wants to be part
of Bury Norths firm. He has blended in with the lads straight away and always is up
for a laugh and we hope to be seeing a lot more of you Tommy because your quality
is plain to see.
RICK “PRETTY BOY” CATERALL
ATT
We love Rick but not as much as Rick loves Rick, a natural striker who can do it all
Rick has been immense for us and seems to score in every game he plays whether
it’s a tap in, a finesse finish, a chip or a 35-yard screamer. He has provided all our
kits and training wear to the club from his company ‘Alpha Fitness’.
His highlight so far has been scoring one of the best Hatricks you will ever see but in
a greedy attempt to try and get a fourth he tried to score a free kick which was
caught on camera and he proceeded to hit the ball 400 miles wide and 200 miles
over and the only evidence of his performance in that game was that horrific free kick
caught on camera, just shows that he is human after all. On Ricks Debut for the club,
he got into a tackle which resulted in his nose being damaged and he nearly had a
panic attack because his face looked slightly unsymmetrical for a few minutes.
ADAM GRIFFITHS
ATT
Adam is a very hard-working striker/winger for the club, he gives his all and is a
handful for defenders, he can be skilful and very direct and his energy whilst
pressing the opposition players is fantastic. He will hate that this is being brought up
but it just sums him up as a person, at the start of his Bury North journey he missed
a decent opportunity to score a winning goal against a very good side in the last
minutes of a league game however instead of his head dropping and being down he
quickly ran the full length of the pitch to defend brilliantly and clear the ball away
which eared us a very important point and furthermore showing the character of the
lad.
BEN LOMAX
ATT
Ben is a striker/winger who puts in a lot of effort and loves a trick or two… or three...
or four... however, he has been working immensely hard throughout training and
games to adapt his playing style and he will always listen to advice which is paying
off as he is evolving and improving in every performance.
LIAM MOLONEY
ATT
Liam is a tricky winger/striker, goes on nights out 5/6 times a week and will only ever
eat a curry as his post-match meal in the pub. He has had some very effective
performances in games and is pacey, skilful, and direct however it’s just a shame
that we never get to see these qualities in training because he’s never bloody there!
The one and only time he did turn up to training he had some left-over food on his
jumper, nevertheless we all still appreciate you and you are very valued at the club.
BACKROOM STAFF
HARRY
Chairperson
Other than Courtney, Harry is the most mysterious man on this planet. His role at the
club is unknown, his relationship with the club is unknown and 99% of the players
have never seen him in person or ever communicated with him, I don’t think he even
likes football however he is still an integral part of the club, and we embrace his
quirky and unique personality.
RYAN
GK Coach
Ryan is the goalkeeper coach at the club, we were wondering what the effectiveness
of his role was at the start of the campaign after conceding over 650 goals in our first
3 games however he is a fantastic ambassador for the club and extremely
knowledgeable, we are very grateful and lucky to have you with us Ryan.
DARNELL
Ass Manager
Introducing our assistant Gaffer Darnell, we are very lucky to have this man manage
us, he has a wealth of experience within the field of coaching and has a keen eye for
detail. He will be the first to praise you when you are doing well however when his
standards are not being met, he will be letting you know. A very honest no nonsense
football coach who we have discovered is very handy on the pitch as well as off it.
DANIEL OLIVERS
Social Media Manager
They call him/her the Bury North Banksy because no one knows his/her identity. This
mystery man/woman is responsible for the Facebook Statues and these player
profiles for the website. Maybe one day we will be lucky to find out who’s behind the
keyboard but for now we are just enjoying the reading materials and the almost
unrecognisable photo edits.
KAROL
Team Manager
The man, the myth, the legend, the mac daddy, the chief, the Godfather, the Polish
Pep, introducing our Gaffer Karol. To sum Karol up in a single paragraph is nearly
impossible however despite his small stature and childlike physique he has
commanded a great deal of respect from everyone involved with Bury North. Karol
stepped in to the role of head coach/manager when the club were down to its bare
bones and essentially ready to fold and be dissolved, since then Karol has worked
relentlessly to save the club and what he has done is remarkable, he has provided
financial aid, organised training pitch bookings, participated in manager and league
meetings, involved in day to day admin work all whilst developing and planning
training and tactical sessions for the squad. Despite all of the above, the most
important value Karol has created at the club is the personal touch, we are not a
standard football club who just turn up and play and then go home and don’t speak
again until the next game, Karol has ensured that we as a club are not just here to
play football, we actually care about the well-being of players, staff and anyone
associated with the club. If any individual is feeling bouts of depression, anxiety,
mental health, family issues, personal issues, illness, financial trouble, low
confidence, victimised, racially abused or any other issue then we believe the club
now has the environment where that individual will feel comfortable discussing these
issues as we are not just a football team, but a family and we respect every player.