Key details

Saturday 27 July, 3 pm
Rob Turley Trophy
Brookburn Road, Chorlton, M21 8FE
Pre-Season Friendly
£5 adults / £3 concessions / £1 under-16s

Season Ticket holders get free entry to all home pre-season fixtures – find out more here, or buy yours now here.

Match Preview

West and Maine Road will put aside their South Manchester rivalry for one day as we honour inarguably the most important figure in our club’s history and compete for the Rob Turley Trophy.

Rob Turley played a pivotal role in turning West into what it is today, working tirelessly to craft the club to his meet his own vision. Over the course of his life, he took up almost every role within the club it is imaginable to take: starting out as a star player, with his final role being as Vice-Chairman having been involved with almost every other position you could imagine before sadly passing away in 2016. Aside from his loyalties to West, Rob also appreciated Maine Road, and we’re honoured that our nearest rivals will content this pre-season trophy in his name.

This will be the second time the clubs have competed for the trophy, having first done so in 2018 when West ran out 3-2 winners. Speaking at the time of the first fixture, committee member Glyn Meacher said:

Rob Turley, who passed away in 2016 was associated with West Didsbury and Chorlton AFC for over 40 years, joining the club in 1973 and making his name in the Lancashire and Cheshire League as a prolific centre forward scoring well over 400 goals. He was a tenacious, competitive and skilful player, with an inability to pick a pass to team mates, when there was any chance of him having an effort on goal!!.

From day one at the club, Rob was a committed member of the Clubs Committee and at one time or another acted as Club Chairman, Vice Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer. He was also offered the honour of being President of the Lancs and Cheshire League, our league home for 80 plus years, until we joined the Manchester League.

Off the field, Rob’s vision and skills in development, planning and fundraising are the primary, if not the sole, reason why the club today plays in the NWCFL and enjoys the facilities that it has.  His acquiring of the land at Hardy Farm and his commitment to ensure it’s use would be for social and community purposes has provided the basis for the clubs successful merger with Oswald Road and our now having a thriving junior section to the club.

Looking back at the time we spent in the Manchester League, and our planning to join the Counties, it would be fair to say, that no-one, not even Rob, could have envisaged the journey that we would go on, and the buy in that the local community has made to the club, over the last few years.

Many people have contributed to this success and growth; but none of it would have been possible without Rob’s dedication to our club, providing a legacy of fantastic facilities to be further developed and a club philosophy, based on doing the right things at all time.

It is because of this, that the club is delighted that Rob’s family have supported our wish to play an annual match in his honour, for the Rob Turley memorial trophy, against our friends from down the road, Maine Road.