A talented footballer is set for another successful season with the backing of his employer, Russell WBHO.
The Manchester-based contractor is sponsoring Kieran O’Connell who plays for Sandbach United Football Club in Cheshire.
Established in 2004 with modest aspirations, the club has a relatively short history compared to some of the English football giants. However, since that time, its success has had a significant local impact with the club becoming a symbol of community spirit, dedication, and a love for football.
From its early days in the Staffordshire and Cheshire League, the club’s first team, known as the Ramblers, have rapidly risen through the regional football leagues. Its promotion to the North West Counties Football League (NWCFL) division one south in 2016/17 was a huge achievement and testament to the dedication of the players and coaching staff as well as the community’s unwavering support.
The club has since won the 2018-19 and 2019-20 NWCFL First Division Challenge Cup while also receiving the National Grassroots Football Club of the Year in 2020. In the same year, the Ramblers signed O’Connell. He played for the team until 2022 and after a short departure, returned for the 2022-23 season where the club achieved their highest finish in the NWCFL division one south.
John Millward, Russell WBHO construction director said: “We’re delighted to sponsor Kieran in his fourth season with Sandbach United. Everyone at Russell WBHO wishes him, and the club, all the best for the year as they continue to ascend the football pyramid and make their mark in the North West.”
Off the football field, O’Connell is an assistant package manager for Russell WBHO. He joined the business in 2020 on the company’s Building Student Training Programme.
Spanning five years, the programme sees candidates attend university one day per week and work on live projects or head office the remaining four. After two years experiencing different aspects of construction, they choose a specialism and following graduation, are supported with their career development at Russell WBHO and mentored through the professional chartership process.
The Sandbach United Ramblers team play at 3pm every Saturday with fixtures available here – https://nwcfl.com.
