Daisies Feel The Blues - Cut Down To Size And Conceding Penalties...

And so to Premier Kia Seel Park in Mossley for an Edward Case Preliminary North Round Cup clash between North West Counties new boys Uppermill FC and Daisy Hill FC.

Previously playing at the Churchill Playing Fields in Greenfield, a ground share with Mossley at Seel Park from 2024 onwards has allowed the Mill to gain promotion to the North West Counties Division One North this time.

The Uppermill Blues were established in 1923 with their first honour being the Ashton District League Birkby Cup in 1952. Mill won the League in 1956 and switched to the Huddersfield & District League; the Division 4 title arrived in 1963, and Division 3 the following year.

After a yo-yo existence between Divisions 3 and 2, the Blues won Division 2 in 2005 and were runners up in Division 1 in 2008. Uppermill finally won the Division 1 title in 2013, a precursor to moving up to the Manchester League.

Promoted to the Premier Division in 2015, Mill only lasted one season up top - one win and 8 points from 30 games.... However the Blues regained first tier status in 2022, winning the League title in 2024 - runners up last term saw a successful application to join the NWCFL Division One North, with Uppermill taking one point from six from two away League fixtures thus far.

Daisy Hill FC, The Daisies, or The Cutters, was established in 1894 playing in the Wigan & District League. By the time of World War 1 the club had moved to the Leigh & District Senior Sunday School League and then the Westhoughton League, playing at New Sirs. The club folded before World War II, but reformed in 1951 playing again in the Westhoughton League but now based at (the adjacent) St James Street & Cricket Ground - they moved back to New Sirs in 1957.

The Daisies then joined the Bolton Combination, which they won four times, before moving to the Lancashire Combination for 4 seasons and then becoming a founder member of the North West Counties Football League in 1982.

The club was renamed Westhoughton Town during the period 1989-94, thereafter reverting back to Daisy Hill FC - they have never been promoted or relegated from the North West Counties, but only escaped demotion in 2014 because Leek CSOB and Formby resigned from the league, and further reprieves happened in the 2018 season because of the league being restructured, having finished bottom of the pile, and in 2019 finishing next to bottom. 

The Daisies fared better last season in 11th place, but social media influencer Aaron Hunt resigned as chairman in March - crowds had increased enormously with fellow influencer AngryGinge in attendance at games. The Cutters have started this campaign with two home league victories.

Numberplates today are 80KG and W4LTA - and a broken down BJS van 'One Thing Leeds To Another'. Past old favourites Barberian and Marvel Guitars to the new Sew Crafty, then it's Stockport Pyramid, synonymous for its Crystal Methodist, and now the huge Royal Nawaab Indian restaurant.

Beyond strange graffiti 'Abolish the Parasite Class' and Tudno Mill and Ashton Old Baths brings us to Mossley and the old Highland Laddie pub, now apartments, next to the football ground. £6 admission and the crowd is 106 including a fair few Daisy Hill Ultras.

Seel Park 'Cream of the Pennines' is in the Bottoms area of the town, and inside hosts a blue plaque commemorating Mossley AFC. To the left is the small James Anderson main stand with the Bob Murphy Suite and bar with balcony.

The Park End is a covered terrace and there is another part covered terrace on the far side, framed by panoramic hill views. The top end is a raised terrace with a tractorway to the pitch in the corner.

The image is of a ground chiseled into the hillside, an undulating pitch and some quite glorious views. 

Uppermill are in all blue and Daisy Hill, managed by Nicky Hunt, are in change all red. Another warm, dry day but at least the pitch is in a good state, compared to last week's dust bowl.

However the first half is execrable. Indeed it takes 37 minutes before any notable action - the Daisies' Gerald-Junior McCallion is played through and forces a good save from Blues' keeper Thomas Moule. The rebound from Jenalil Blake is cleared off the line.

Uppermill respond five minutes later and Michael Sholabi's rasping drive is diverted wide by Cutters' goalie Jonathan Hughes. From the ensuing corner home skipper Tommy Lent grabs the final touch in a penalty box mess and the Blues lead 1-0 at the break.

The second period is marginally better as Daisy Hill start stronger. Hubert Nowacki curls just wide on 52 and William Shallcross hits the outside of the post three minutes later.

Mill respond and Samuel Parr heads wide from a free kick at the midway point. But some atrocious defending on 71 minutes allows Nowacki to reclaim the ball and shoot across goal with the ball ending up 2 yards out in front of an open goal - James Salkeld cannot miss and we're level at 1-1.

Nothing much else transpires and that leaves penalties - easily the most exciting part of today's game. Uppermill triumph 4-3, Moule saving two spot kicks, Hughes only the one.

Assuaredly - Meadow Men Leave Foley With Meir Consolation...

And so to Crown Meadow on Innage Lane in Bridgnorth for a North West Counties Division One South curtain raiser between AFC Bridgnorth and Foley Meir FC.

Bridgnorth Town existed in the 19th century playing in the Shropshire & District League in 1899. A new club was formed in 1938 joining the Worcestershire Combination for one season only. 

The team was refounded again in 1968 and the Meadow Men won the Midland Combination in 1980 and again in 1983. Town was promoted to the Southern League Midland in 1983 but folded due to financial problems in 2013. 

A fourth iteration in the form of new club AFC Bridgnorth was established in the same year and the club badge depicts the iconic Town Hall. West Midlands Division One champions in their first season, moving to the Premier, then on to the Midland League in 2021 - finishing 10th last time and laterally moving to the NWCFL One South this season.

The visitors hail from the McIntosh Arena, or Trentham Foods Stadium, on Whitcombe Road in Meir, Stoke on Trent. 

Foley Football Club was founded in 1947 by a group of friends and ex-servicemen from the now forgotten Foley district of East Fenton, Stoke-on-Trent.

A replica of Arsenal's strip was purchased from the late Les Evans, later club president, who had a shop in King Street, Longton and the club, based next to the Foley Arms, playing at 'The Open Holes', joined Longton League Division 2. Foley moved to their current ground on Whitcombe Road in Meir in 1982.

In 1996 the club joined Midland League Division Two, winning the league at the first attempt. In 2005, following the Midland League's merger with the Staffordshire County League, the club became a founder member of the Staffordshire County Senior League. 

The Foley changed name to Foley Meir - the former Midland Combination Meir KA (Kings Arms) becoming defunct in 2010. The team won the championship in 2020/21, and placed 4th the season after, earning promotion to the North West Counties Football League Division One South. Immediate relegation followed but Meir rejoined the North West Counties in third position in 2024 and finished 11th last time.

Numberplates today are C1UFC - the official Carlisle United team bus - and AG61 USA, plus a van emblazoned with Franking Sense. We then pass J3NGR graffiti on the M6 before heading to Stoke on Trent... and oatcakes 😊

A detour follows via Monkey Jungle and Ashtag Barbers in Stone. Then over the River Sow and past Buttercups and Daisies in Eccleshall and through Chetwynd Aston and Woodcote.

Over the River Severn brings us to Bridgnorth. The town is home to the Severn Valley Railway (with the Railwayman's Arms), the Cliff Railway, Lavington's Hole and Bridgnorth Castle & Gardens.

£7 in and North are in blue with white trim, Foley Meir in change yellow and grey. Curiously some away shirts display a poppy, and others don't... The crowd today is 135 with limited away support.

Inside, past the bar and changing rooms, is the Sameday Freight Stand, a covered terrace complete with a pair of stocks. The main seated stand abuts Crown Meadow Park and Playing Fields - the other two sides are walkways with benches with residential housing behind.

    

On another hot, sunny day the match commences on a parched pitch. The first half is epitomised by a Pug escaping its owner and doing its business on the touchline - fortunately its owner cleans up 🙄

And there's a strange minute's silence - surely not for Franco Baresi 🤔 But there are a glut of chances for the Meadow Men just before the hydration break - Kobi Love and Sam Preece forcing good saves from away custodian Monty Parkes and Craig Tuckey shooting just wide.

The sole Foley effort is a swerving shot narrowly beyond the goal on 34 minutes by captain Harry Livingston. Five minutes on North's number 9 Suar Dedja heads wastefully over from a free kick.

But the deadlock is broken bang on half time. A messy corner sees the ball in the net, Preece claiming the credit but to the rest of us it looks like a Parkes' own goal; Bridgo lead 1-0 at the break.

The second period starts quietly but on 59 Meir substitute Archie Ellams turns and fires in an equaliser, the ball squirming through home keeper Craig Pain's hands. Dedja misses badly for the Meadow Men ten minutes later.

And so when we are all expecting an undeserved draw for Foley, matters change with six minutes left. North's left back De Quarnai Williams hits a beautiful curling shot that smacks the frame of the goal and Dedja is deadly with the rebound.

Sixty seconds on Love sees Parkes save and again Dedja poaches the rebound. And there we have it, despite 8 minutes of stoppage time, as Bridgnorth triumph 3-1.

Bulls Hit Safety Despite Near Turbines Failure.....

And so to the M&M Edgar Street Stadium in Hereford for a final day National League North clash between Hereford FC and Peterborough Sports FC, kicking off at 1230.

Hereford United FC was founded in 1924 as a merger of two local clubs - St Martins and RAOC (Rotherwas). The Bulls joined the Birmingham Combination before switching to the Birmingham & District League four years later.

The Whites (or Lilywhites) entered the Southern League after World War II, winning the North West Division in 1958/59 and Division One in 1964/65. The club will forever be known for the iconic Ronnie Radford FA Cup giantkilling shock winning goal against Newcastle United in 1972 that prefaced entry to the Football League Division Four later that year.

Immediately promoted as champions, further success followed in 1976 as United ascended to Division Two. Sadly successive relegations followed in 1977 and 1978, and it was back down to Division Four....

Hereford spent 19 seasons in the fourth tier before losing their league place in 1997. After two play off defeats the Bulls resumed Football League status in 2006, and then achieved promotion to League One in 2008.

However United saw relegations in 2009 and 2012, moving back to non league football. Then the Whites resigned from the league due to insolvency in December 2014, under the weight of £1.3m debts.

The phoenix club, Hereford FC, was immediately set up and joined the Midland Football League Premier for 2015/16. Three successive promotions as champions took the Bulls to the Southern League South & West and Southern Premier, before landing in the National League North. When a fourth promotion looked unlikely popular manager Peter Beadle was sacked....

The Whites remain in the National League North, moving out of the relegation zone to 20th after Tuesday's 92nd minute penalty winner against Marine, and have faced increasing problems this season. Eight successive home postponements due to incessant rain and waterlogging forced Hereford to reschedule home fixtures at Sixways (Worcester) and the Valley (Redditch) - famous son Jarrod Bowen, who started his playing career at Hereford United in 2014 and is now at West Ham, has offered to pay for a new drainage system.

The Bulls returned, finally, to Edgar Street on 10 March against Leamington, league bottom dwellers and now relegated, after ground remediation, with new drainage and sanding installed to combat the waterlogging. A thumping 5-2 win moved Hereford upwards briefly but fixture congestion has meant that the Bulls have faced 15 matches in the league's final six weeks; a win today will see The Whites stay up but defeat will mean relegation - as for a draw who knows 🤔

Peterborough Sports FC, from Lincoln Road in Peterborough, was established in 1908 as Brotherhoods Engineering Works, a factory side for the company founded by Peter Brotherhood in 1867, and famed for designing and manufacturing the first steam turbine engine in the world. They joined the Northants League (which later became the United Counties League) for the 1919–20 season, winning the league in their first season, but left at the end of the 1922–23 campaign. 

Sports then transferred to Division Three of the Peterborough & District League, winning the title in the 1925–26 season - the club was dormant in 1929–30 and 1932–33, and dropped into Division Three North. Despite only finishing eleventh in 1936–37, the Turbines were elevated to Division Two for the 1937–38 season. And after World War II the club was placed in Division One, but was relegated after finishing bottom of the table in 1948–49 and further relegations followed in 1953 and 1964, to Division Three South, albeit they bounced back with promotion in the following season.

Another relegation at the end of the 1973–74 season saw Brotherhoods Engineering Works demoted to Division Three South for a second time, but returned to Division Two after winning the title in 1975–76. Relegated again in 1979–80, the club was elevated to Division Two at the first attempt as Division Three South champions, and gained promotion to Division One at the end of the 1982–83 season after finishing third. The 1987–88 season saw the club finish as Division One runners-up and step up to the Premier Division.

In 1999 the club changed its name to Bearings Direct FC, and then again in 2001 to Peterborough Sports FC. In 2006–07 they won the Premier Division, and in 2012–13 was promoted to Division One of the United Counties League after finishing third.

In 2016 Peterborough Sports were Division One champions, earning promotion to the Premier Division. The following season saw them win the league with 112 points, and moved on up to Division One South of the Northern Premier League.

In 2018 the club was transferred laterally to Division One Central of the Southern League and that season the Turbines finished as champions, engineering a move up to the Premier Division Central. They finished runners-up in 2022, qualifying for the promotion play-offs, and after beating Alvechurch in the semi-finals, the club defeated Coalville Town 2–0 in the final to rise to the National League North, finishing 14th in their inaugural campaign. 

Safety was achieved with 15th and 12th positions in the two subsequent seasons. Sports go into the final game in 23rd place, after 2 points in 21 saw veteran manager Phil Brown 'moved upstairs' as Director of Football, with Michael Gash assuming the reins - this has now become 7 points in 16 games; relegation was confirmed at Easter and culminated last weekend in an 8-0 humbling at Worksop with two players sent off for dissent and two delayed by rail problems... but reserve goalkeeper Sam Edwards has been selected to represent Great Britain Under 23s at the Deaf World Cup in Serbia next month.

Numberplates today are COO1S, S11LYS and CD H1T. By train via Stockport and its Hat Museum, Wilmslow and Jodrell Bank and Crewe where a set swap sees us hauled by 67010 as we pass Gresty Road and the Rail Depot.

Then via Whitchurch renowned for JB Joyce & Co - a clockmaker established in 1790, and Shrewsbury with its Castle, Prison and Butter Market. Past The Croud Meadow and into Ludlow, renowned for its Butter Cross and Ludlow Museum.

Thereafter Leominster, famous for The Crimean Cannon and then onto Hereford. The Wetherspoons offering is The Kings Fee, recalling the early years of the history of Hereford - the central area around the cathedral was the Bishop's Fee (or property) and the rest, within the city walls, was the King's Fee.

Hereford is home to the Old House and Hereford Bull Statue and Castle Green before the Cathedral with Mappa Mundi and the Chained Library. Then Hereford Museum and Art Gallery, the Museum of Cider and the Waterworks Museum at Broomy Hill.

The ground comprises the Edgar Street (Len Weston) Stand - upper seating, lower terrace -, the Merton Meadow End, a covered curved terrace, the Merton Family Stand (all seater), with Addison's Bar and Radford's Bar, and the Blackfriars End, which was temporarily an all seater stand with the terrace closed due to safety reasons but is now shut completely. £17.50 in digitally (£20 in cash on the day) for the home terraces - and I'm stood on the Len Weston Terrace, below the Edgar Street Stand.

It's a glorious spring afternoon in the sun but with a capricious wind. Hereford are in white and black, Peterborough Sports in change pink and black, instead of their usual all orange. The crowd is a raucous 4,459 - 48 away.

The Bulls start much the stronger, hitting the woodwork in the opening moments. No surprise then when Harry Tustin is brought down in the area; Aaron Skinner rifles home the penalty past Mackenzie Chapman on 9 minutes.

For all the Whites' dominance they fail to create meaningful chances and Sports grow in confidence. Then on 39 they equalise from a tight angle from a corner - Dan Jarvis claiming the credit although it could easily be classed as an own goal.

Worse is to follow as 4 minutes later Max Booth scores with a sumptuous volley past Theo Richardson from a deep cross. Peterborough lead 2-1 at the break to widespread consternation. 'This lot got beaten 8-0 last week and we're losing to them - that's how sh*t we are', 'Scuse me, mate, there's children present...'

The second half is a tense, nervy affair, on and off the pitch, with Hereford setting the pace but again struggling for goal opportunities. The home side become increasingly desperate and the crowd is eerily quiet as sub Mikey Lane has the golden chance with 20 to play but unbelievably shoots wide.

Then with 8 minutes left the Bulls' Cormac Daly looks as if he has been clipped. The referee plays a good advantage and Skinner floats over a cross where Lane, unmarked, heads home at the back post for 2-2 and widespread delirium 😊

Word reaches us that a draw will be sufficient to keep the Whites up on goal difference and, despite 7 minutes of injury time, that's how it ends. Cue a pitch invasion and, eventually, a lap of honour...