And so to 2016, and with a dearth of non league games on the day, it's over the border for a spot of Dafabet Welsh Premier League football. Specifically it's to the Hollingsworth Group Stadium, formerly The Airfield, for the Flintshire derby between Airbus UK Broughton and gap Connah's Quay Nomads.
The Broughton club was established in 1946 as Vickers Armstrong as a works team
for the adjacent aerospace factory where Airbus wings are produced. The club's
name has changed with the ownership of the factory, working its way through de
Havillands, Hawker Siddeley, British Aerospace and BAE Systems to Airbus.
The Wingmakers (what else could the team's nickname be ?!) spent their early
years in the Chester & District and the Welsh National (Wrexham Area)
Leagues. They were promoted to the Cymru Alliance in 2000 at which point the
club's name changed to Airbus UK, and endured a first season blighted by foot
and mouth disease.
The club was then promoted to the Welsh Premier League in 2004 and became
Airbus UK Broughton for the start of the 2007/08 season. However because of
UEFA sponsorship rules the last 3 years' Europa League campaigns, after twice
being runners up and then a third place finish, has seen the club compete as
AUK Broughton.
Before the
Nomads, Connah's Quay FC was founded in 1890 and disbanded after a second Welsh
Cup final loss in 1911. Connah's Quay & Shotton was then formed in 1920 and
beat Cardiff, featuring several players in the team that beat Arsenal in the
1927 FA Cup Final, in the 1929 Welsh Cup Final. Six months later the club went
bust....
The existing club was formed in July 1946 as Connah's Quay Juniors, and a
senior team was formed and joined the Flintshire League in 1948. Prior to the
1952/53 season the club's suffix changed to Nomads; the Nomads joined the Welsh
League (North) and, despite returning to local leagues for 7 years, rejoined it
in 1966. In 1974 the club joined the newly formed Clwyd League and, following 3
successful seasons in the Welsh Alliance, became founder members of the Cymru
Alliance in 1990 then the League of Wales two seasons later.
The Nomads, an odd name for a club that had spent 51 seasons at the Halfway
Ground, moved after a season of groundsharing at Rhyl to its current home, the
Deeside Stadium in 1998. After bereavements and retirements the club was taken
over by gap personnel in June 2008 to become gap Connah's Quay Nomads.
2010 saw the club narrowly miss out on the cut off for the Super 12 League -
thus the club began the 2010/11 season in the Cymru Alliance which they won the
following season but were deprived of promotion after failing to gain a
domestic license. Notwithstanding this setback the Nomads were again crowned
Cymru Alliance champions in 2013 and this time ascension to the Welsh Premier
League was granted.
Onto deserted
roads, past the now closed Orange Tree pub, avoiding Dunham Forest New Year's
Day walkers and then noting the flower border in a tyre on the roof of a
(kaput) van (eclectic ?), it's down the now open slip road for the M56. It's an
almost becalmed Stanlow, barely belching fumes into a grey, grey sky before the
turn to the M53 which becomes the A55 and the border sign 'Croeso y Cymru'.
Then bypassing Broughton Shopping Park brings me to the Airbus factory and two
supporters' car parks.
£7 at the gate represents outstanding value to watch top flight Welsh football
:) Inside the Airfield, there's a walkway behind one goal and then on the far
side the Broughton Wings Sports Pavilion, club shop and refreshment bar - the
tea is apparently 'undrinkable'..... These two sides are hemmed in by the vast Airbus
factory.
On the near side is the main covered seated stand with protective netting in
front of one section, which is only removed at half time. At the Runway End
(yes the Runway End !!) is the Gardner Aerospace Academy Stand, and next to it
three unusual retracting floodlights adjacent to the operational runway which
is behind the stand. Sadly no runway action this afternoon - just a couple of
flocks of birds, the odd seagull and a passing Easyjet :(
The Wingmakers are in all blue, the Nomads in all white and both linesmen,
sorry assistant referees, are wearing black gloves. Within 50 seconds Airbus
have kicked off, won a free kick and scored - the ball falling kindly for
captain Ian Kearney to sweep home.
The first half evolves into one of sheeting rain, swirling wind, uneven 3G
bounce and numerous free kicks, many for quite blatant fouls - almost as if
there were scores to settle from the 1-1 draw on Boxing Day at Connah's Quay ?
It's a typical full blooded local derby fare and the crowd love it.
Nomads fashion the better chances: Rob Parry is set free after a defensive
error but beats one man too many and sees his shot blocked, Wes Baines' 30 yard
free kick swerves in the air and hits the crossbar above a statuesque keeper
and Jay Crowther sends a free header wide. Parry eventually equalises, steering
the ball into the corner 8 minutes before the break.
In the second half Nomads' Paul Linwood heads home a free kick within 4 minutes
of the restart but the away side fail to impose themselves, preferring to soak
up pressure rather than going for the kill. Chris Budrys has a header well
tipped over by John Danby and then a goal correctly ruled out for offside, but
otherwise the Wingmakers struggle to create chances.
With just under twenty minutes to go Nomads' Les Davies appears to be tripped
in the box. The referee rules it a dive but refuses to produce a second yellow
card for the already booked Davies. Controversy rages at the Airfield....and it
proves to be a pivotal moment.
Airbus still have plenty of possession and there is some delightful passing
play but they continue to fail to get a shot away and an equaliser seems
unlikely. That is until, with 8 minutes to play, substitute James Murphy loops
a header into the top corner.
To add insult to injury in the final minute there's some penalty area pinball
before Wingmakers' top scorer Tony Gray tucks home in the ensuing goalmouth
scramble. 3-2 to Airbus at the finish and, with the Wingmakers flying high in
third, they secure their place in the race for the top six - Nomads lie fifth
and their fate is in other teams' hands.......
