And so to Kirklands aka the North West Construction Stadium, and a first ever meeting between Cammell Laird 1907 FC and Abbey Hulton United FC today in the North West Counties Division One.
The Camels' history dates back to 1899 when a team from the Upper Boilers shop at Laird Bros played in Birkenhead Park, before switching to rugby. Cammell Laird Institute AFC was established in 1907, playing in the West Cheshire League at Prenton Park, Tranmere.
After World War I the Cammell Laird company faced cutbacks due to reduced government spending on ships and the football team was taken back in house. In 1922 a team was entered into the Birkenhead & Wirral League under the name of Kirklands FC coinciding with the move to the current ground from their two previous homes - Birkenhead Park and Bebington Oval.
The side was disbanded at the outbreak of World War II and reformed in 1946 as Cammell Laird AFC. The Lairds rejoined the Birkenhead & Wirral League before moving up to the West Cheshire League, where they were 19 time champions, including 15 titles in 20 seasons between 1975 and 1994.
The Shipyarders joined the North West Counties in 2004 and back to back promotions took them to the Northern Premier League Division One North. A sideways move to Division One South a season later brought promotion to the Premier Division as runners up, but the Camels were relegated at the end of their first campaign after failing ground grading criteria.
The club disbanded at the end of the 2013/14 season, and a new club, Cammell Laird 1907 FC, went into the North West Counties Division One, earning automatic promotion at the first attempt. However last term produced only three league wins, all after relegation was confirmed, and a bottom placing with a goal difference of -100......
Abbey Hulton United FC was formed in 1947, and
named after the Scheduled Monument of Hulton Abbey, founded by Henry de
Audley in the early 13th century. It was dissolved by Henry VIII in 1538
and little remains of it today. Hulton was recorded as 'Heltone' in the
Domesday Book, meaning 'hill town'.
Abbey played on council land before moving to Bucknall Park in 1962. There they stayed until 1985, before acquiring a piece of land at Birches Head Road. Originally United played in local leagues - the Longton, Fenton & District, Burslem & Tunstall and Newcastle & District Leagues.
Having moved to the new facility at Birches Head, the club opted to join the Staffs County League (North) and were crowned champions at the end of the 1997/98 season. Abbey then moved up to the Staffordshire County Senior League, becoming Premier League champions last season.
An application to join the North West Counties League was successful and the club was elected, having met ground grading criteria. After a bright start to the season, the floodlight failure at St Helens excepted, United's form has been inconsistent and they currently lie a point and a place below the Lairds.
So past the new Laurus Homes Stonebrook housing
development and then a vintage double decker Belle Vue bus parked
outside St Margaret's Church, on a day for a wet, wet wedding, it's down
to the M56. An Arla truck - 'My other lorry is a tractor' - fumes
belching out at Stanlow and not surprisingly the wind turbines going
like the clappers.
The weather has deteriorated appreciably as I join the M53, ignoring Cheshire Oaks and Vauxhall - the car plant on one side, Vauxhall Motors FC on the other - it's off into Higher Bebington. Beyond the curiously named 'Woman More Than Nails' and into Rock Ferry, and then Kirklands.
A fiver in, or £2 for Liverpool, Everton or Tranmere Rovers season ticket holders, as Storm Brian wreaks havoc with sheeting rain and high winds. To my right is the Kirklands Kitchen Stand, a covered all seated stand next to which is the food and drink serving hatch and the Macron club shop. Behind this are the Lairds Social Club and St Peters Church.
At the top is the Volleyball Net End (yes really !!) with modern housing beyond, and across the way is the Stagecoach Merseyside Family Stand, with covered standing and seated areas and the bus depot right behind. On the left is an open end with old council maisonette housing.
The Camels are in all blue, United in change
grey with fluorescent green trim. Huddled in the two covered stands
because of the dreadful conditions the crowd of 65, which seems
suspiciously low particularly with at least 25 from Abbey Hulton
(including their drummer boy !), are treated to an entertaining first
half.
Finally
five minutes before the break Josh Maldon breaks the deadlock - the
Camels' free kick going through the eye of a needle beyond Birkinshaw
although Kevyn Davies may have got a touch for an unwanted own goal.
The second half is a different type of affair with the elements, a constant torrent and biting wind, against the Lairds, who resort to time wasting, back pedalling and a suspicious amount of balls into the churchyard. Abbey dominate as the portly Joshua Graham heads over and then captain Joshua Tune is played in, sidesteps Lynch and shoots into an empty goal - only for the ball to hit a puddle and be hacked clear.
The referee signals 7 minutes of added on time, the first of which produces a rasping shot from substitute Jonathan Birks to level for United - and provide a truer reflection of the overall game. The Camels, who have created nothing in the second half, respond and in the sixth additional minute win a free kick. From it Adam Rooney plants a header beyond Birkinshaw and the Lairds lead again - cue a manic dance, twice, down the flooded touchline by one home fan, rumoured to be Rooney's father...... And that goal at the death gives the Lairds the three points.
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