Mass call-up at Magpies

Chorley are looking forward to a fresh crop of their Academy stars demanding first team places at Victory Park after a mass county call-up.

No less than eleven of the Magpies squad have been called up to Lancashire’s U18s set-up with two more still hoping to win places following a fantastic start to the season by the Evo-Stik NPL Premier Division club’s Darwen Aldridge Football Academy side.

Chorley's youngsters were selected following a trial match played against a Cumbrian FA side. They are: Adam Caunce, Scott Stringfellow, Daniel Rutherford, Luke Mckenna, Pedro Montiero, Connor Gaul, Luke Holden, Fenton Thorpe, Mason Ralph, Liam Grimshaw and Paddy McLoughlin.

The two more still hoping to win late call-ups are Daniel Sumner who must pass a late fitness test to attend a second trial and new addition Liam Davies who'll be hoping to impress after recently joining the Academy.

A Chorley spokesman said: "At the current rate of progress it might not be too long before Academy players are knocking on the Victory Park dressing room door!"

Chorley teamed up with the Darwen Aldridge Community Academy (DACA) to setup a Football Academy for 16 to 18 year-olds last season and the partnership got off to a flying start after summer trials.

In recent weeks the players have recorded a series of impressive results with Chorley manager Gary Flitcroft and Chairman Ken Wright watching from the sidelines. They've included two victories over Clitheroe Grammer School coming after they hammered Ormskirk 9-0.