And so to the Wood Park Stadium, formerly The Town Ground, in the small Cheshire town of Alsager as the home side, Alsager Town, take on Winsford United - almost a local derby with just 16 miles between the clubs - in the North West Counties Football League Division One this afternoon.
Alsager Town are known as The Bullets, after the former Royal Ordnance Factory
(now BAE Systems) in the nearby hamlet of Radway Green producing small arms
ammunition for the British armed forces. The club was formed in 1965 as Alsager
FC from the merger of Alsager Institute and Alsager United, with the current
ground acquired in 1967.
The Bullets' 50 year journey has incorporated four name changes - 1973 Alsager
Town, 1986 Alsager United, back to Alsager FC in 1988 and then to Town again in
2001. Initially starting in the Crewe League, the club joined the Mid Cheshire
League for the start of the 1971/2 season and stayed there until being forced
out of business in 1988 due to a lack of funds and poor support.
The club reformed after a season's absence in 1989 and started again in the
Crewe League, then the Mid Cheshire, before spending one season in the
Springbank Vending Midland League and then achieving promotion to the North
West Counties Football League in 1999. Further success took the club to the Northern
Premier Division 1 in 2006 and then Division 1 South for a season, until the
Bullets were forcibly relegated due to FA ground grading requirements.
The last five seasons have all involved relegation dogfights, with the 2011/12
season preceded by a catastrophic fire at the ground which meant that the club
were forced to play all games away until November. This season has started in
similar vein - 5 points from 16 games, bottom of the table and a change of
manager. This in stark contrast to cup form - back to back victories in the FA
Cup for the first time ever, and through to the FA Vase 3rd Round after
beating, in a replay, AFC Mansfield, and their magnificently named Romanian
manager Rudy Funk, to face AFC Wulfrunians next weekend.
After last
week's trip to see the Bullets play the Red Rebels of Abbey Hey was aborted
because of waterlogging, the imaginatively nicknamed 'Blues' of Winsford United
are in town. Perhaps using 'Sal Terrae' (Salt of the Earth) which is emblazoned
on the club badge might be a more exciting alternative ?
The club was founded in 1883 as Over Wanderers and played in the Welsh
Combination Football League before changing its name and moving to their
current ground, then called the Bean Latham Playing Field, a few years later.
After excessive spending the club folded. It was reformed just before the
outbreak of World War 1, and regrouped after peace had broken out under a
committee led by Mr RG Barton. The Blues became a founder member of the
Cheshire League and the stadium, by now called the Great Western Playing Field
(and incorporating a greyhound track), was renamed the Barton Stadium in the
chairman's honour.
Membership of the Cheshire League was unbroken until it and other regional
leagues merged into the North West Counties Football League in 1982. A move up
to the Northern Premier League in 1987 and promotion to the Premier in 1992,
finishing runners up in 1992/3, was as good as it got; subsequently three
relegations in four seasons saw Winsford playing North West Counties Division
Two football in 2003, although the club were promoted back to Division One in
2007.
After a
wholly necessary detour to give a certain 15 year old, still slightly shell
shocked at having to work on his birthday, his presents, it's out into Storm
Desmond and wild winds, flapping tarpaulin and naked trees. Fortunately only a
two junction hop on the M6 as the car is buffeted by the strong winds - a danger
ignored by the motorway signs which prefer to scream 'No HGV Fuel'. The
exceedingly good PIES graffiti remains, however.
Assaulted by falling branches in Arclid, it's then follow the signs for Cliff's
Quality Turkeys and Mowerland. Past the derelict 'The Salamanca' pub and into
the outskirts of Alsager, where Wood Park Stadium is well hidden in a housing
estate - a narrow unlit ginnel between two houses in the midst of a courtyard
aka Woodland Court.
Through the turnstile, and down a steep staircase past toilets that have seen
better days, the changing rooms and clubhouse. The pitch nestles below and
appears to have formed part of the adjacent field at one point - there is even
an open gate behind one goal, and potential free admission, leading onto parkland.
On the near side are two covered stands, one with three rows comprising a
variety of different seating designs, the other incorporating some terracing.
Behind the goal is the open gate and a condemned floodlight, which had to be
put down. On the far side is a small covered area, inhabited initially by one
spectator - this represents the ideal spot to watch the game whilst being in
the teeth of the gale. Behind the other goal is a tea bar and medical room.
Winsford,
unsurprisingly enough, are in two tone dark blue with minuscule shirt numbers,
whilst the Bullets are in black and white stripes as the game begins. It's a
first half that owes less to craft and guile, and more to graft and bile - and
benevolent refereeing !
The Bullets have a chance in the first minute but the Blues take an early lead.
Portly winger Scott Taylor has already seen one cross cum shot blown onto the
post, but in the next move he beats his man far too easily and rifles home into
the top of the net at the keeper's near post.
There is a lull in proceedings as the referee retrieves then hands back a
bobble hat, blown off a spectator's head onto the pitch. Said spectator stuffs
the offending article in his pocket and sheepishly walks round to the opposite
side of the pitch......out of the wind !!
Just before the half hour Winsford's pacy left winger, Danny Hudson, who has
been the subject of several robust challenges, fires a twenty yarder into the
top corner to double the lead. Within two minutes this becomes 3-0 as Ryan
Mellor is played through from half way, outpaces his marker and slots under the
keeper. The Bullets are handed a lifeline five minutes later; a totally
unnecessary tackle in the box leads to a penalty, and Jonathan Jones fires
home.
Five minutes after the restart there's a sense of deja vu: another needless
United foul in the box and another penalty. Unbearable tension leads to one
(female) home supporter leaving the stand and hiding behind it - unable to
watch as Jones converts again.
The Bullets are firing now, piling on the pressure but let down by scattergun
shooting, a wayward final ball and some debatable offside decisions - the
assistant referee is told 'Liner, have a word with yourself' and 'Book yourself
in - 50% off this week at Specsavers' !
Despite all guns blazing from the Bullets, a rattled United side hang on. But
it's still a surprise when Hudson, given the ball on the half way line, waltzes
past four defenders and beats the keeper for 4-2. His hat trick goal is
disallowed for offside shortly after.
A wonder point blank save from Blues' keeper, Dale Latham, proves crucial as in
injury time Bullets' midfielder Josh Crofts pulls the trigger from 25 yards for
an absolute screamer......leaving the Bullets gunned down 4-3 at the death. :)
