Community Fun Day is a big success as families enjoy the sunshine

Hundreds of people flocked to APEC Taxis Stadium yesterday for our Community Family Fun Day.

The free six-hour event was blessed with early summer sunshine and high temperatures.

There was a good variety of activities plus corporate, charity and small business stands.

The food and drink on sale in the MDB Clubhouse, was supplemented by outside catering wagons and stalls.

An ice cream van was a big attraction on such a warm afternoon.

For children, there were various games and rides together with artistes applying face paints and glitter tattoos.

The appearance of the Cheshire Senior Cup won earlier in the week by Linnets men's first team, alongside the trophies presented to the double-winning Under 21s men's squad in the North West Development League, was popular - especially with Linnets supporters in attendance.

The prized county cup was taken on a whistle-stop tour of the ground by club officials and volunteers, including vice-chairman Jeff Jago, community manager Tracey Tinsley and mascot Ron Corn so that busy stallholders didn't miss out on the chance to have photographs taken with the historic trophy, first contested in 1886.

It was a replacemt trophy for the original gifted to Northwich Victoria, who won it in the first six seasons of the competition.

Vics will be tenants at the APEC Taxis Stadium from next season and they were represented at Saturday's festivities by a small group of officials, including chairman Ian Egerton.

There was a performance by the club's resident morris dancers Symphony and a darts competition while Cheshire radio station Mix 56 devoted two hours of their afternoon schedule to a 'live' broadcast from the event.

The presenters interviewed in turn club chairman Peter Cartledge, first team coach Rob Sadler and media manager Sam Phillips while also chatting on air to visitors, including Mersey Weaver District Scouts.

The group returned to the stadium to continue fundraising for their participation in a forthcoming international camp in Switzerland.

The Linnets interviewees stressed the importance of the club's community operations with the chairman praising and thanking the fun day's organisers, particularly volunteer club events manager Ange Murphy, for laying on such a successful event.

Peter Cartledge said: "It was great for us as a club to let our hair down to celebrate the season just ended and we were delighted to welcome fans and other members of the local community in such numbers.

"We were pleased to show newcomers what we have to offer. Everybody seemed to enjoy it and hopefully this has given a taste of what the club is about and they will feel encouraged to join us again in the future, be it on matchdays or when usimg our facilities for social or business gatherings."