And so to the final Saturday of the season and the North West Counties Football League Division One Play Off Final at Litherland Sports Park. A local derby as well, with just over a mile separating the two clubs, Litherland REMYCA and City of Liverpool FC.
Litherland REMYCA, 'The REMY', began life in 1959 as St Thomas FC, based in the Seaforth area of Liverpool and playing in the Church of England League. The club changed its name to Bootle CLB (Church Lads Brigade) in 1967, before becoming REMYCA United a year later - a combination of the two organisations closely connected with the club, REM Social Club and Bootle YMCA.
Progression to the I Zingari League followed in the 1970s, although the move up to the Liverpool County Football Combination was short lived. The merger of the two competitions in 2006 led to the formation of the Liverpool County Premier League and REMYCA won the Second Division in its inaugural season.
Further promotion to the Premier Division was achieved in 2010, and the club adopted its current name in 2013. A fifth place finish in 2014 brought about a successful application to join the North West Counties Football League Division One for the 2014/15 season. Two ninth placed finishes in the NWCFL have been topped by third this time around, and a 1-0 win over Sandbach United last weekend.
The first meeting that led to the formation of City of
Liverpool FC was in October 2014, and the club was officially established in
May 2015. The club chose to play in the colour purple, as it is the civic
colour of the city....and a mix of Liverpool red and Everton blue - leading to
their nickname 'The Purps'.
The Purps applied to join the NWCFL in early 2016 but their application was rejected by the FA and COL were instead placed in the Liverpool County Premier League. However they took up the option to appeal the decision, especially as vacancies arose due to Northwich Manchester Villa's resignation and Rochdale Town's expulsion from the league. At Wembley Stadium on 8 June 2016 the appeal was successful.
Groundsharing at Bootle's Delta Taxis Stadium, it has been an extraordinarily successful inaugural season. Leading the way for much of the campaign, the Purps eventually finished fourth and beat Whitchurch Alport 1-0 to reach the play off final.
Added to this, COL beat Sandbach United to lift the First Division Challenge Cup, their first ever piece of silverware. On Tuesday they face Barnoldswick Town in the League Challenge Cup Final at Highbury (Fleetwood rather than Arsenal), and this week were awarded the title 'Non League Team of the Year' by sports bookmaker Coral.
Through the outskirts of Altrincham, past The Barmy
Sarnie, Cloudchasers and a plethora of Indian restaurants (Delhi Alley anyone
?) to the M56, a verdant landscape, then the M6 and a shower at Thelwall. Then
joining the M62 - IKEA on one side, a massive wind turbine on the other - to
the M57 where a Home Start Maintenance van shows maintenance doesn't apply to
the vehicle, with thick black exhaust fumes belching out.
The end of the motorway, PIES graffiti, Switch Island, Copy Lane police station and right at the Netherton pub brings me to Boundary Road, home of Litherland Sports Park, on the left just beyond Wendy House Day Nursery.
Litherland Sports Park houses a cycle track, AstroTurf pitches and fitness studio and suite - plus 150 car park spaces which are all taken by 2pm, at which point 'park where you want/ can' becomes the (un)acceptable policy adopted by patrons arriving late. Entering the facility I have to buy a ticket at the booth (£5) then show it to the gateman, in the absence if a turnstile.
Inside is a six lane running track surrounding the pitch and four almost bare sides enclosed by a single railing, with the cycle track visible behind the near goal. The far side has a minuscule all seated stand - quite useless given the fans stood in front of it - and a small covered bus shelter. It is here that the raucous Purps support takes residence with their banners 'Hated. Adored. Never Ignored.' 'Purple Partizan Internationals'.
On the near side the two dugouts, which are between the running track and pitch, ensure that at least one goal is obscured for much of the length of the touchline.....
Kick off is delayed until 3.15 because of crowd
congestion with the attendance given as 1303 - unheard of at Step 6. There is a
minute's applause for the recently departed Alan Dixon, a Hillsborough survivor
and campaigner, who lost his brother at the tragedy.
REMY are in red and black, and their keeper in lime with the Purps in, erm, purple and white. A tight first half ensues with REMY having the early half chances, as Colin Quirk's free kick evades every one and drifts beyond the post and a misplaced defensive header almost produces an own goal for the home side.
COL's first real opportunity is created by REMY stopper, Dave Potter, whose sliced clearance reaches Purps' John Connolly but his shot is mishit and wide. Then REMY have their own purple patch with a superb through ball playing in Lennon Whewell who shapes to shoot - either a magnificent last ditch tackle by COL's Allen Weston or a nailed on penalty, depending on your allegiance.... Ste Ferrigan is just over and Chris Lowe's strike is straight at Stephen Longrigg.
Goalless at half time with REMY slightly shading it, but the final is won in the first eleven minutes of the second half. Barely 75 seconds in, Connolly's square ball across the six yard box is tapped in by Jamie McDonald. Cue orange flare and general pandemonium.... Four minutes later REMY captain Colin McDonald's header the wrong way sees the lineswoman flag erroneously for offside, the referee correctly plays on, and namesake Jamie takes advantage to round Potter and score from a tight angle for his second to make it 2-0 to the Purps.
On 56 minutes COL break but winger Matty Williams appears to lose control of the ball, before brilliantly chipping Potter from 35 yards and the game is over at 3-0. Colin McDonald loses his head and is lucky to stay on the pitch, having been booked and warned.
Despite a flurry of substitutions REMY can't break though a Purps side that play on the counter, and who should have increased their advantage as Joe Camozzi hits the underside of the bar and sub David Forbes spurns two great late opportunities. The Colour Purple reigns J
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