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...

Spoil Sports - Church's Prayers Only Half Answered.....

So to the first weekend in February and a Northern Counties East Premier Division clash between Albion Sports AFC and Penistone Church FC at the new Myra Shay complex on Barkerend Road in Bradford.

Albion Sports AFC was established in 1974 by Harjit Singh Panesar and Baljit Singh. Initially playing in the Bradford Amateur Sunday League Division Four, the Lions moved through the leagues to win the Premier Division in 1996, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2005 and 2006, and were twice runners up in the FA Sunday Cup, losing to Prestige Brighams (Hull) and Gossoms End (London)...

In 2007 the club switched to Saturday football in the Bradford League, and then moved to the West Riding County Amateur League the following year. Second in 2009 earnt promotion from Division One to the Premier Division.

Sports was promoted to the Northern Counties East League Division One in 2011. Albion then won the championship to ascend to the Premier League in 2013, where they remain - 5th and 6th in the last two seasons, but this time just outside the relegation zone, sitting 16th of 20. 

The club previously groundshared with Bradford (Park Avenue), at the Horsfall Stadium, and Throstle Nest in Farsley. Sports have now moved to the brand new Myra Shay for the 2025/2026 campaign.

Penistone Church FC, from the Memorial Ground, was formed in 1906 from the merger of Penistone Choirboys and Penistone Juniors, and competed initially in the Sheffield Amateur League. In 1909 Church were the first winners of the Sheffield Junior Cup, which they won again in 1937.

The club became a founder member of the Sheffield & Hallamshire Senior League in 1983 after the merger of local leagues. Church reached the Premier League in 1995 but were something of a yo-yo club in the 1990s.

The club was promoted to the Northern Counties East League Division 1 in 2014 and qualified for the inaugural Division One play offs in 2016, losing out to AFC Emley. A year later Penistone beat Grimsby Borough in the play off final to win promotion to the Premier League, and also won the Northern Counties East Football League Cup. Runners up in 2019, Church have finished finished between fifth and eighth in the last four seasons - they currently lie 11th this time. 

Numberplates today are CR15TFR, VILHA and 4PHD, and there's a BJS removal van 'Pressing On To Preston'.

Via the Briton's Protection and Bridgewater Hall I'm faced with train cancellations due to a problem at Smithy Bridge level crossing. Eventually I arrive 37 minutes late taking in Newton Heath Traction Maintenance Depot, Greengate Brewery and the Rochdale Canal at Todmorden.

Thereafter Ticket to Pride at Hebden Bridge, The Iron Man at Mytholmroyd,  the Detention Barracks and Geese in Sowerby Bridge and Halifax Flour Society 1879. That brings me to Bradford, vile weather, with rain tipping down, and home of the Alhambra Theatre, the National Science and Media Museum, Bradford Industrial Museum, Bradford Cathedral and Odsal with its famous curve - not forgetting it was the 2025 City of Culture.

Myra Shay, which also hosts Route One Rovers and Halifax FC Women, houses a 100 seat stand and standing, also for 100, both covered. The ground adjoins a small forest, a wildflower meadow, green space and the Barkerend Family Hub and Byron Primary School.

The Lions are in yellow and royal blue, sponsored by AQS, with Church in black and white stripes, sponsored by Nick Firth Tiles. £6 in and I'm the first of 85 as we get underway at 1502 - the referee sporting a dreadful tattoo, and he proceeds to provide an underwhelming performance.

The first 25 minutes are abject, both sides having a goal ruled out for offside and the only thing of note is Lions' keeper Lewis Hill's superb save from Church's Nathan Keightley. Then things change for the better... but not the weather 😕 

On 27 Emmerson Cox surges down the wing and his cutback is scuffed home, past Harry Ambler, by Nathan Cartman. Five minutes before the break a cross eludes the Penistone defence and Cartman has the simple job of making it 2-0 to Sports.

There's fireworks in the distance at half time... and more fireworks on the pitch in the second half. Albion contrive to miss chances before on 48 Reece High's back heel sets free Leon Hurles-Brook and he shoots through Hill's legs to make it 2-1.

Albion continue to waste chance after chance, but are helped by the sinbinning of Penistone full back Rob Ludlam with 17 minutes on the clock. Bizarrely Church score twice whilst a man down...

First on 77 Hurles-Brook is found in acres of space, waltzes past Hill and lays it on a plate for Keightley to bring the sides level. Then 6 minutes later Hurles-Brook's pinpoint cross is expertly headed home by Keightley and Penistone lead 3-2. 

Both sides hit the woodwork but there is a sting in the tale as bang on 90 minutes sub Fernando Moke Tumba rams home to make it 3-3 at the third attempt. Five minutes of stoppage time and it's all over...apart from the rain which starts again 🙄