Cup draw to be filmed for fans again

Taking place on Thursday at the Northern Premier League's Christmas lunch in Knutsford, the event is being filmed for fans, players and club officials to enjoy after thousands logged on to the social media platform in October to watch the draw for the second round of the showpiece cup competition.

EVO-STIK League officials - getting together with sponsors and partners to celebrate Christmas during the competition's historic 50th anniversary season - are hoping NPL president Noel White will be at the lunch to make the draw with Barry Greenlees from sponsors Integro Insurance.

With a number of second round ties still to be resolved, 22 clubs are going into the hat at the Knutsford Golf Club - Atherton Collieries, Basford United, Bamber Bridge, Cleethorpes Town, Coalville Town, Hednesdford Town, Kidgsrove Athletic, Lancaster City, Marine, Matlock Town, Mickleover Sports, Mossley, Ramsbottom United, Tadcaster Albion, Scarborough Athletic, South Shields, Stafford Rangers, Stamford, Tadcaster Albion, Warrington Town, Workington and Witton Albion.

Like last season's EVO-STIK League North winners Bamber Bridge and losing finalists Grantham Town, this term's eventual winners and runners-up will once again collect £2000 and £1000 in prize money respectively. Losing quarter-finalists will collect £250 while the losing semi-finalists will bank £500 each as sponsors Integro continue their long-running support for the EVO-STIK League's showpiece cup competition.

* The EVO-STIK League's clubs will be backing The Daniel Wilkinson Foundation again when the last 16 ties are played in the week commencing Monday 29 January.

After starting a season of support for the foundation until next May's final in September's preliminary round, the clubs hosting ties will promote the charity's work with adverts and flyers in their matchday programmes.

Founded by the family and friends of the late Shaw Lane defenderto raise funds in his name to stop others dying of undetected heart conditions following his tragic death last season at the age of 24 after collapsing on the pitch during an Integro League Cup clash at Brighouse Town, more than £40,000 towards a target of 50K has already been raised for The Daniel Wilkinson Foundation.

More than a £1,000 alone was added to the total at the inaugural Daniel Wilkinson Memorial Trophy match on the eve of the new season in August between last season's EVO-STIK League South champions and Brighouse Town at the latter's Dual Seal Stadium.

A former Hull City youth team star, who also turned out for North Ferriby United, Scarborough Athletic, Harrogate Town, Goole Town and Rushall Olympic, Dan passed away in September 2016 after collapsing on the pitch just under an hour into his side's cup clash and despite the best efforts of medics from both clubs and the emergency services to treat him using Town's own stadium defibrillator and administering CPR.

The defender was later found to have the same disease that caused former Bolton star Fabrice Muamba to retire from football in 2012 after collapsing during an FA Cup tie at Spurs. That incident prompted the Football Association to team up with the British Heart Foundation to subsidise the cost of defibrillators for more than 900 clubs at Steps 1 to 5 following lobbying from a number of competitions including the EVO-STIK League.

Find out more about The Daniel Wilkinson Foundation via the charity's social media channels and website: Twitter, @dannywilks5; Facebook, thedanielwilkinsonfoundation; Instagram, dwfoundation5; website, thedanielwilkinsonfoundation.org and via email at: contact@ thedanielwilkinsonfoundation.org. To donate, visit: http://mydonate.bt.com/charities/thedanielwilkinsonfoundation.

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