Apollo Blasts Off - Ful Three Points Secured...

And so not to Volair on Baileys Lane in Halewood for a North West Counties Division One North match between Halewood Apollo FC and Fulwood Amateurs AFC - the match moved to the Auto Safety Centre Stadium, aka Valerie Park, home of Prescot Cables FC, The Pesky Bulls, also the Tigers, referencing  nearby Knowsley Safari Park 🤔 The stadium is imminently to be condemned...more anon... This because Volair, Apollo's 'ground', does not meet NWCFL criteria... and nowhere near - there's a single communal astroturf pitch as part of the leisure complex, necessitating the ground share.

Halewood Apollo was founded in 2014 by Joey Stocks, joining the Warrington & District League. Apollo moved to the Liverpool County Premier League in 2020.

Crowned as champions in 2024, the club placed 5th last time, allowing Halewood to scrape in to the NWCFL 1 North in the close season. Apollo currently stand 6th with 16 points from 9 matches.

Fulwood Amateurs AFC was established in 1924, originally playing on a field by the Black Bull pub, then relocating to Watling Street. Beginning with local football the club joined the Lancashire Amateur League in 1928, moving to a ground rented off Dick Kerrs and winning the double in 1937/38. The Ammies purchased land in Grimsargh in 1955 but this was earmarked for compulsory purchase in 1974, and eventually Fulwood settled at Lightfoot Lane in 1979 and won the LAL in 1987.

They moved to the West Lancashire League Division 2 in 1993 and immediately saw promotion as runners up. Amateurs were champions the following year and again in the rechristened Premier League in 1999.

Relegated in 2014 Fulwood bounced back, winning Division One the following season and were crowned as Premier League champions in 2019. Three consecutive 4th place finishes was enough to see the Ammies elevated to the North West Counties Division One North last season, finishing 12th of 18. This time Fulwood are again 12th, but now of 22, with 13 points from 9 games.

We set off in sunny spells but it becomes increasingly cloudier- fortunately the rain holds off until after the game. Numberplates today are K1NKC and UPL1T. 

We pass the three in one - formerly the George and Dragon, now Alty Hotel, the Whitechapel and soon to be the Grand Holdi. Then La Boheme and The Green Dragon in Lymm and on to Statham Lodge.

There's the pink eye in Warrington, Fiddler's Ferry and The Eight Towers before we briefly visit Volair. Then we hit the M57, off at Prescot and past the Clock Face pub to Valerie Park, hidden in a rabbit warren of cul de sacs.

It's £5 in and a thin crowd of 88. Inside is the Cables Bar and the main stand 'nearing the end of its lifetime' - and unsurprisingly closed....

The near end houses a covered terrace, with the top end comprising a walkway and barrier with 1884 signs, referencing Prescot Cables inception. Across from the stand is a narrow walkway, an out of bounds banking side and terraced houses.

Apollo are in dark blue, sponsored by Apollo Leisure, and Fulwood in change yellow, sponsored by Sante Group. Halewood completely dominate the first period, with captain Jordan Barrow dominant in defence and Steven Irwin pulling all the strings in midfield.

On 9 minutes Charlie Glennon is played through, with a hint of offside, and scores past Jacob Barry. The lead is doubled on 20 as Sean Miller takes advantage of a lucky ricochet to fire in at Barry's near post.

That becomes 3-0 on the stroke of half time: a beautiful curling strike from the edge of the box by William McCarthy. From the Ammies, well nothing....

The second half is more even with Fulwood's Spencer Lucas forcing a good double save from Apollo keeper Denny McGee ten minutes in. At the other end Barry makes a fine low save from Halewood substitute Stephen Doyle.

On 72 minutes Lucas receives the ball and charges through, comfortably outpacing the Apollo defenders. McGee gets fingertips to his shot but the ball squirms beyond him into the net: 3-1.

Any hopes of a full Ammies' fightback are banished on 82 as James Bell's effort clears the bar. And the last action of note is Miller's volleyed screamer which just fails to hit the target for Halewood, who emerge victorious 3-1 😊

Blues & Blacks Beaten Black and Blue in Villa Thriller !!

And so, on a sunny, breezy afternoon, to Knowsley and the Lord Derby Pavilion, named after Edward Smith-Stanley, the 14th Earl of Derby, three times Prime Minister in the 19th century and the longest ever serving Conservative leader, lasting 22 years. Today's game in the North West Counties Division One North is between AFC Knowsley and Ashville AFC.

The Blues & Blacks were formed in 1987 as Knowsley South FC playing in the Warrington & District League. South moved to the Cheshire League in 2019 and changed name to AFC Knowsley in 2021, joining the West Cheshire League in 2024. 4th last time, Knowsley achieved promotion to the NWCFL in the close season. They currently sit 17th, of 22, with seven points from eight games.

Ashville FC was founded in 1949 by D-Day veteran John Dennett and his wife Joyce at 25 Ashville Road, Wallasey, initially entering the Wallasey Youth League and then joining the Bebington League in 1951. After winning the Bebington League, Ashville moved to the Wirral Combination, winning the league in all three seasons they competed in it.

In 1955 'Ville was voted into the West Cheshire League, winning Division Two in their inaugural season and after promotion to Division One relocated from Wallacre Park to Villa Park on Cross Lane in 1962. The Villa was crowned as champions in 1968 and 2012, with a couple of relegations en route, quickly rectified; Ashville finished runners up in 2021/22 and was admitted to the North West Counties Division One South - they were laterally moved to Division One North in the summer where they lie 10th with three wins, three draws and three defeats.

Immediately we hit problems with 'temporary' 4 way traffic lights causing chaos. Numberplates today are W4X ME and F3CHA - plus a BJS van 'Squeaky Clean in Bath'.

Eventually to the M56 then the M6 and M62 alongside IKEA, Brakes distribution depot and the Dream sculpture at Sutton. Finally the M57 and off past Knowsley Hall brings us to the Lord Derby Playing Fields, where admission is £7 and the crowd is 169.

The ground is rudimentary and does not yet meet NWCFL requirements. There are no floodlights (just pylons), no seating (although an area appears to be earmarked for a 50 seat stand) and no cover.

The near end supports the pavilion, bar, clubhouse and changing rooms, banking down to the pitch. Both sides have playing fields beyond - the left just with a fence and no standing.  The top end is bounded by woodland and the M57.

Knowsley are unsurprisingly in blue and black, sponsored by Montirex. Ashville are in red with curious random black slashed lines, sponsored by West Wallasey.

On 7 minutes a bad mistake from Villa's captain Shaun Farrall allows Ben Taylor in and he scores with ease past Harley-Lee Morgan. It becomes 2-0 to the Blues & Blacks on 20 as more dithering 'Ville defending sees Oscar Roberts retrieve the ball and cross to Daniel Bulayima for a tap in.

Morgan just gets fingertips to a shot after 28, diverting the ball on to the post. And Knowsley are made to pay six minutes later as Adenya Dixon is robbed by the corner flag and the resulting cross is squared and easily converted by Ben Greenop past Liam Sargent for 2-1. Dixon is immediately substituted....

It should be 3-1 at the interval but Taylor dinks wide in a one on one - he really ought to have scored....

The second half has Knowsley spurning chance after chance. The best fall to James Anderson, magnificently blocked on the line, and Kieran Nagle-Kelly which produces a fabulous save from Morgan.

These bookend an Ashville equaliser after 63. A deep cross is nodded back and Peter Morgan rather apologetically prods in.

Seven minutes after marauding wing back Connor Rowland benefits from a superb cross field ball and his fine smashed shot puts the visitors 3-2 up.

The transformation is complete with two minutes left. Substitute Harrison Denton is played through and his composed finish, wrongfooting Sergant, gives Villa a 4-2 triumph in a hugely entertaining contest 😊

Gladiators Slay Spiremen - Burnt At The Stake....

And so to the Trade Tyre Community Stadium on Brownsfield Road, off Eastern Avenue, in Lichfield for an FA Trophy clash between Northern Premier League Division One West side Lichfield City FC and Division One East Matlock Town FC.

Originally formed in 1923 City played in the Birmingham Combination for 2 seasons. The new club was formed in 1970 as Lichfield FC, starting in the West Midlands League from 1976 and moving to Division One, changing name to Lichfield City FC in 1994.

In 1996 City resigned and moved to Sunday football before reverting to the Midland Combination Division 3 in 2008. Promotions from the new Midland League (established in 2014) saw Lichfield as Premier Division champions in 2025 - ascending to the NPL 1 Midlands, and after finishing 8th they moved laterally to West this term. City are bottom after four straight league defeats and were dumped out of the FA Cup 6-0 by Lye Town last weekend.

The away side, from the Proctor Cars Stadium on Causeway Lane, with stunning views of Riber Castle, was formed in 1878 as Matlock, and competed in the Central Alliance and then the Midland Counties League. After being four time champions in the 1960s, the Gladiators moved into a different arena, the Northern Premier League in 1969.

In 1975 the club won the FA Trophy beating Scarborough 4-0 at Wembley with all three Fenoughty brothers, Tom, Mick and Nick, scoring. 1978 saw the side win the NPL Cup, and this allowed them to play in the Anglo-Italian Cup in 1978/79 against Chieti, Pisa, Juniorcasale and Cremonese.

After relegation to the First Division in 1996, the club was promoted back to the Premier Division in 2003/04, and remained in the third tier of non-league, until relegation to Division One East in 2025. Runners up last time the Gladiators lost 2-1 to Bradford (Park Avenue) at home in the play offs. Three wins and two defeats after Tuesday's home victory against Pontefract Collieries leaves Matlock in 4th.

It's a very wet day as we plough down the M6 to Stoke. Numberplates today are W3NDY and 3 AHA. 

Oatcakes again amidst Dampsure, Beeyoutiful, Dwa Koty and Spratts Canary Mixture and Spratts Bonio & Mixed Ovals. Then the Poste of Stone before our lunch break.

Moving on we go via Sandon and Burston, The Dog & Doublet, Pasturefields, Bishton Hall and Rugeley Power Station. That brings us to the city of Lichfield with its famous three spired medieval cathedral and a blue plaque commemorating Edward Wightman, a heretic, and the last person burnt at the stake in 1612 - just beyond The Quill and Scholar.

£10 - and a crowd of 315, with good away support - on the gate leads to a tidy ground housing two seated stands, one next to the clubhouse and the other on the popular side, and three covered terraces - two on the pop and one up top, adjacent to Woppa's Bench. The other side is open with the team benches and an electronic scoreboard in the corner, although the operator has to be reminded when a goal has been scored... And in the background the thrum of the West Coast Main Line....

Lichfield are in blue with a hint of white, sponsored by Blue Breaks, Matlock in a very ungladiatorial change pink, sponsored by Birchover Reclamation.

Initial signs from the Spiremen are positive - Matthew Barnes-Homer hits the post and Dylan Thomas is denied twice by Marcus Dewhurst. But the Gladiators start to create meaningful chances, with Manasse Mampala guilty of a bad miss on 19 and then forcing a good save from Tom Carter eight minutes on.

Zak Goodson has an effort deflected wide in the 38th minute and it isn't a surprise when his shot in the first minute of stoppage time is blocked that the rebound is scuffed home by Brandon Bradbury. Matlock lead 1-0 at half time.

Little surprise too that City collapse after the break. Five minutes in Mampala thrashes in from close range and on 53 Jed Abbey beautifully scores with a curling sidefooter to make it 3-0.

Lichfield's sole response is a rasping drive from sub Joey Buckley just beyond the post. But normal service is soon resumed....

On 73 Mampala unselfishly squares to Goodson from a two on none for four, and then six minutes from time Abbey touches in at the far post. That leads to an unseemly melee and two yellow cards but ultimately the Gladiators go through 5-0.