New challenge excites Charnock Richard boss

Richard’s application to be promoted from the West Lancashire League Premier Division to the NWCL First Division has been approved.

And now after narrowly missing out on their fifth successive title by a point, former Chorley captain Westwell – who has just celebrated his 15th year as Charnock boss – says he is excited by the prospect of testing his side in the division above.

The 52-year-old said: “It is exciting.

“I’m looking forward to it – it will be a new experience, a lot different to what we are used to and there will be more games.

“We will have a lot more midweek floodlit games and it is something we will have to get used to.

“But it is an exciting time for this football club.”

Charnock Richard will be the only club from the Chorley area in the North West Counties League and he hopes that making the step up will attract more supporters.

He said: “Hopefully there is an opportunity to attract more fans and more people will come down and support us.

“We would like to have our games different to (National League North side) Chorley’s.

“If they are away we will ask to be home and vice-versa.

“I used to play for Chorley so we will hope to get a few Chorley fans down when they are away. We have quite a lethal pairing in strikers Dave Burrows and Carl Grimshaw and we are hoping they can do the same at NWCL level.

“We will see what we can do. We have been very successful at West Lancashire League level and hopefully we can do well at the next stage, I am looking forward to the challenge.

“We will get the chance to play in the FA Vase and we will get a chance to play in the Lancashire Floodlit Trophy – it would be great to get Chorley.”