The Stacey West Patreon community has added another familiar name to our sponsorships, with former Lincoln City favourite Gary Taylor-Fletcher now receiving our backing at Widnes Town.
Site Patreons already sponsor Dom Jefferies, Josh Kennealey, Donald Inyama and Leo Fifield at City, supporting both the first team and the academy. We can now add someone from our past to that list, as Gary tries to lift Widnes away from the bottom end of the North West Counties League First Division South.
For those of us who watched Keith Alexander’s side, Gary needs little introduction. He arrived on a free transfer from Leyton Orient in August 2003 and scored 30 goals in 93 appearances across two seasons, helping us reach the play-offs in both campaigns. His first season brought 19 goals in all competitions and the Supporters’ Player of the Year award, before he equalled a 106-year-old club record by scoring in each of the opening six league matches of 2004/05.
His final City appearance came in the play-off final defeat against Southend United at the Millennium Stadium in 2005. He subsequently joined Huddersfield Town before moving to Blackpool, where he helped the Seasiders reach the Premier League in 2010. His career took him a long way beyond Sincil Bank, but those two seasons ensured he would remain fondly remembered here.
Gary took over at Widnes in August with the club bottom of the table, having collected just one point from their opening four league fixtures. They had conceded 15 goals, including seven in a defeat at Allscott Heath, and his task extended well beyond getting a response from the players already there.
Before his appointment was announced, he appealed for players looking for Step Six football, saying he needed a “full new squad“. He subsequently explained that he had been told the previous players had left with the departing manager, although anyone wishing to stay was welcome. As he put it, he was starting with “a blank canvas”.
There have been some painful results during that rebuild, including a 6-0 defeat at Sandbach United in his first league game in charge. A 2-2 draw against New Mills offered some encouragement, only for a 7-0 loss at Bilston Town to underline how much work remained.
However, October has brought signs that Gary is slowly turning things around. Widnes secured their first league win of the campaign on 3 October, coming from behind to beat Brereton Social 2-1. Luke Moran equalised before the break, with Helder Pires scoring the winner in the 80th minute.
The progression since I’ve took over in squad quality has dramatically improved & we now have a squad ready to challenge.
Games change with referees decisions & to come away with another point being down to 10 men, again showed the togetherness that is building.— Gary Taylor-Fletcher (@GTF_12) October 11, 2026
They followed that with a goalless draw at Market Drayton Town on Saturday, holding out despite being reduced to ten men. The club celebrated their first-ever clean sheet and described the performance as a “fantastic battling effort”, while Gary’s reaction on social media reflected his growing confidence in the group.
Widnes remain second-bottom, with six points from nine league games and 31 goals conceded, so there is still plenty to do. However, four points from their last two matches, along with games in hand on the teams immediately around them, give Gary something to build on.
Thank you to our Patreons for making this latest sponsorship possible, alongside our support for Dom, Josh, Donald and Leo at Lincoln. It’s a pleasure to back someone who gave us plenty to enjoy in an Imps shirt, and we’ll be keeping an eye on Gary’s progress as he works to get Widnes moving in the right direction.
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