THIS could be a season to remember for Bolton Wyresdale, with a four-way challenge going for glory in their milestone year.

The Inverbeg Drive club celebrates its 125th anniversary this year and its three senior sides and veterans’ team are all on course for success to spark their celebrations at a huge gathering in April.

The reserves may be fourth in the Lancashire Amateur League Division Three but with five games in hand to make up a seven-point gap to the leaders they are confident they can catch them and take the title.

The A team have some ground to make up in Division Five but have not given up hope of securing promotion while the vets are going strong in Division Three of the BSF Over-35s League and could also land a trophy.

Meanwhile, Wyresdale’s first team has led Division One all season and, having played three fewer games than nearest challengers Radcliffe Town, are currently nine points clear. And, as Chaddertonians and Valley United are still hopeful of catching them, manager Aamar Ahmed is adamant nothing is in the bag yet.

“I think if we can get one win from our last six games we can get promotion, two wins and we’ll probably be champions,” he told The Bolton News. “We’ve not been up there for a few years now [Wyresdale were relegated from the top flight in 2010] so that’s our aim, and we want to do it by winning the title but we won’t be counting our chickens until it’s mathematically done.

“We still have Valley to play so winning that will be a big step. We are supposed to play Accrington this weekend but the problem is that rain is expected all week. We’re okay for fixtures this year, this time last season we had 16 games to fit in before the end of the season, so this is a luxury for us!”

The club’s past and present players are to gather at the Dobbies Sports and Social Club on April 5 for the 125th anniversary celebration – with former footballer-turned-boxer Curtis Woodhouse the guest speaker, and Ahmed is hoping to see some of the old faces who have helped establish the club’s place in Bolton’s football legacy.

“It’s our anniversary and 125 years is a long, long time for a little amateur club like us,” he added. “We hope past players will come and join us on the night.

“The good thing about our first team at the moment is that, a few years ago, we had a team in the North West Youth Alliance and doing well in that, we’ve probably got 10 players in our squad who have come through that and doing well for us now.

“I think it’s important these younger lads can understand how far the club has come and that any club is only as good as its history.

“Bolton is lucky to have so many clubs with a long history, it’s what makes the town’s heritage. Hopefully we can go into the event on the back of a successful season and make it a night to remember.”

Any past players looking to join the fun should contact the club via their Facebook or Twitter accounts, or by calling 07976 365317.

n The only local team to see any action on a wintry weekend was Premier Division side Thornleigh, who were defeated 5-2 at Failsworth Dynamos and remain in the bottom two.

The struggling Castle Hill-based side had been holding their own against third-placed Failsworth but, following a red card for Danny Fairclough, the 10 men conceded three times to return home empty-handed.

Fairclough, who had scored one of Thornleigh’s goals from the penalty spot, had only just returned from a four-game ban for a previous dismissal, and manager Aaron McCarthy says as his player is not learning his lesson he now looks like sitting out the rest of their bid to escape the relegation places.

“We haven’t had many games this season where we’ve not been competing or we’ve been outplayed,” he said. “And on Saturday we deserved better, 5-2 definitely flattered them, but the problem we have had all season is our discipline.

“Danny [Fairclough] is one of our best players but he can’t keep doing that – he’s just back from being banned and now he’ll get another one.

“We were 2-2 after Danny and Adam Walker’s goals, matching Failsworth and doing well when he went off and it’s so frustrating when he reacts to something and we’re left short and under pressure, we’ve had far too many red cards this season.

“We’ve told him if he does it again he won’t play again this season and he’s not listened.”

Thornleigh have brought in what McCarthy hopes will be a vital addition, after struggling for an out-and-out striker all through the campaign.

Kennedy Corvelli has joined from West Lancashire League side Eagley and, though it is early days, he is shaping up well, having found the net on his debut a couple of weeks ago.

“We’ve got nine games left so we’re staying upbeat and positive about our chances,” added McCarthy.

“We’re still plugging away, we reckon four wins should be enough, there are teams above us we can drag into it.

“We’ve got [second-placed] Burnley Belvedere on Saturday, they are a solid, well-organised and disciplined team but if we can play well we can get something, especially with what we hope will be the difference maker in Kennedy.

“He’s only played a couple of games for us so far but he is doing all right, he was the one that won the penalty for us on Saturday. We’ve been playing all season without an out-and-out striker so we’re making adjustments but he’s a good player and hopefully he’ll get the goals to keep us up.”