Returning Hero Opens The Gate And Makes Hey...

And so to Squires Gate FC and School Road and The Brian Addison Stadium - named after club stalwart Brian Addison, who has progressed from player to linesman to manager to Secretary to Chairman and eventually to groundsman.... Today's visitors in the North West Counties are Abbey Hey.

The home club was formed in 1948 as Squires Gate British Legion, having accepted an offer from Blackpool Council to take a lease on a new ground on the site of a former tip. The Gate competed in the Blackpool & District Amateur League, changing their name to Squires Gate FC in 1953, and winning the League's First Division in 1955/56 and 1956/57.

Having spent one season in the Fylde District League the Gate moved to the newly reformed West Lancashire League in 1961. This proved a sterner challenge, with the side eventually promoted as Division 2 champions in 1980.

After much soul searching the club applied for membership of the North West Counties Football League and joined Division 2 for the 1991/92 season. In 2003 the Gate missed the runners up spot on goal difference, but were promoted to the top tier following the demise of champions Stand Athletic FC.

There they have remained ever since, reaching the FA Vase quarter final in the 2005/06 campaign. Calls for a merger between the 3 non league clubs situated within a 300 yard radius - Gate, Blackpool Mechanics (now AFC Blackpool) and Blackpool Wren Rovers - came to naught.

Abbey Hey FC hail from the Abbey Stadium, and not the one in Cambridge ! Their Abbey Stadium is to be found on Goredale Avenue in Gorton, M18. The visitors date back to 1902 when they formed as Abbey Hey WMC, but the club has disbanded and reformed on a number of occasions. The Red Rebels came into their own in the 1960s after it took in the players of the Admiralty Gunnery Engineering Department (AGED).

 

After numerous honours the club was successful in its application to the Manchester League and were promoted from the Second Division in their first season. In 1998 they moved from the Manchester League to the North West Counties and were promoted in that first season to their current level.

 

The club previously played at St Werburghs Road under an arrangement with Lookers, who reneged on the deal two years in. The Red Rebels then moved to Godfrey's, named after local councillor Godfrey Ermen, and after two seasons on the old English Steel site, took up residence at the Abbey in 1984.

So with the sky a grey palette I set out and immediately hit traffic chaos. A roadsweeper, blocking one lane and creating more detritus than it is picking up, is followed by a broken down bus and then a lane closure. T & T Pound Plus and the dreadful 'ELCTRICAL. TOILETORIES' sign and Garvey's still advertising its New Year's Eve celebrations - all before the M60....

The Smart Motorway is now 'operative' although still sticking to a 50mph limit and with more workmen in evidence than during the entire overrunning project. Then the M61 and directly across from 'Incontinence Supplies At Internet Prices' a car with hazards on and its driver vomiting on the hard shoulder.

Past Botany Bay then onto the M6 before I join the M55 with signs screaming at me 'Free Entry at Ma Kelly's'. Off at Marton Fold then past Stan's Mowers and Hollyacres Luxury Cats Hotel, before I park once more at Spirit of Youth FC just beyond The Brian Addison Stadium.

Blackpool Wren Rovers and Squires Gate share the same car park - the Wrens at Coppull United today in the West Lancashire League. The Wrens' ground is to the left with a red door, Gate's to the right with a blue door.

Inside the near end supports a small covered bus shelter arrangement, next to which are the changing rooms named after another club stalwart, Wilf Carr. Outside a chalkboard announces the next home game is against Northwitch (sic) Vics. In the corner is the homely clubhouse and a covered area down the side, part standing, part bench seating.

The top end is open and the other side is the shared perimeter wall between the two grounds. Indeed there is even an interconnecting door to allow access to retrieve wayward ball kicked next door !! The tight covered standing area also has two of the narrowest ginnels where the dugouts and floodlight pylons conspire to minimise access - impossible for some of the more rotund fans to get through..... Beyond the Wrens' Bruce Park is The Shovels public house.

Gate are in two tone blue, the Red Rebels in red and black, and both sides have the club badge woven into their shirts - Gate on the back and Abbey down the front and side. The Red Rebels' keeper Ross Heywood wears a hideous orange and grey concoction. The match gets underway with decent away support, and an Abbey Hey Football Club flag behind the goal.

The first half is a scrappy, messy desultory affair. Gate have one shot worthy of the name - Dave Rossall straight at Heywood - and the major talking points are a lack of pumped up balls and a decapitated corner flag. Then things pick up; Ben Fletcher, in the home goal, at full stretch fingertips a volley onto the post, and shortly after on 35 minutes Red Rebels' captain Andy Smith heads in from a Robert Swallow corner.

1-0 to Abbey at the break, and rather more action from the gliders taking off from nearby Blackpool Airport than on the pitch.....

The Red Rebels continue where they left off, forcing Fletcher into three comfortable saves. Then, on the hour, Gate begin to play. Wing wizardry from Ryan Riley, back after six months out, produces a sublime cross for Gary Pett. His header brings a fantastic reaction save from Heywood but Scott Harries, who re-signed for Gate from Lancaster City in midweek, scores from the rebound, in the act of falling over.

Ten minutes later captain Mike Hall's free kick causes consternation in the Abbey defence. A goalmouth scramble leaves Harries to tap in from virtually on the goal line. Moments afterwards much merriment in the crowd as the linesman is painfully hit by a fiercely struck ball in a sensitive area - and adopts a 'wide' stance thereafter......

With five minutes to go Gate win a free kick in a promising position. Pett's 25 yard thunderbolt is still rising and still travelling as it hits the top corner for a stunning finish. 3-1 to the Gate and surely game over ? Maybe not as within 40 seconds Swallow flies down the wing, dances across the penalty box and curls into the bottom corner for a magnificent solo goal.

Sadly the Reds' Rebellion fizzles out and it finishes 3-2 to Squires Gate at the death.

Where's Wally ? James Suckers The Bloods As Seadogs Bite Back

And so on a cold, sunny January afternoon it's off to Butcher's Arms, the home of Droylsden FC, for this afternoon's visit of high flying Scarborough Athletic in the Evostik Northern Premier League Division One North.

Droylsden FC was originally formed in 1892 at the invitation of Joseph Cropper, the landlord of the Butcher's Arms, to play behind the pub. The club emerged out of World War One as the sole survivor of the village teams, as a member of the Manchester League and with colours of red and white - the inspiration for their nickname 'The Bloods'. The 1930s produced two Manchester League championships with record goalscorer Ernest Gillibrand plundering 275 goals in just 4 seasons (yes 4 seasons !!).

Spells in the Lancashire Combination and Cheshire League followed before the sale of the Butcher's Arms lease to Belle Vue FC, who renamed themselves Droylsden United. The Bloods were forced out to nearby Moorside Trotting Stadium aka 'Pork Park'. The town wasn't big enough to support two teams and eventually a merger was negotiated.

Two decades in the Lancashire Combination ended with a return to the Cheshire League, and Droylsden then became a founder member of the North West Counties in 1982. Gradually the club ascended to the Conference North, and spent one season in the Conference National in 2007/08.

Since then two second round FA Cup adventures have been the highlights. In 2008/09 the Bloods beat League 2 side Darlington 1-0 to set up a four game thriller with Chesterfield. Two matches were abandoned through fog and floodlight failure, there was a 2-2 draw and Droylsden then beat the Spireites 2-1 to earn a third round tie at Ipswich. Except it never happened as double goalscorer Sean Newton was found to be ineligible, and The Bloods were expelled from the competition.

Two years later Droylsden hosted a televised second round tie with Leyton Orient which was drawn. In the replay the Bloods were 2-0 up at Brisbane Road until two late goals drew Orient level, and the league side then went on the rampage in extra time to win 8-2.

Three relegations in six years see Droylsden at their current level. The last of these was the horrific 2013/14 campaign - one win all season, relegated in February and no playing budget whatsoever with the club battling to pay off a £280,000 VAT debt that threatened its very existence. To be fair to club owner, chairman and manager, the irascible Dave Pace, he refused to put the club into administration and vowed to pay it all back.

Scarborough Athletic FC was set up on 25 June 2007 by the Seadog Trust. This was five days after the liquidation of Scarborough FC - £2.5 million in debt and unable to sell the McCain Stadium to a housing developer due to a covenant restricting it to sporting activities.

The Seadogs joined the Northern Counties East League Division One, groundsharing at Bridlington Town's Queensgate stadium. Two seasons in they were crowned as champions and promoted to the Premier Division, with Brian France as manager. In their second season in the top flight France was struck in the face by a ball at Liversedge and suffered a brain haemorrhage - he never managed the club again.

In 2012/13 'Boro clinched the NCEL title and were promoted to the Northern Premier Division One South (bizarrely !!) under their magnificently named manager Rudy Funk. The Seadogs were moved laterally to Division One North after one season.

At the start of this campaign the club, after ten years at Bridlington, finally returned to the town at the new Flamingo Land Stadium at Weaponness. After play off defeat last time, the Seadogs currently lie third with attendances having nearly trebled.

It's Metrostink today, and a tram full of bleary eyed Manchester City fans on their way to the FA Cup tie with Burnley. A tram also held up by a disabled man's wheelchair becoming trapped halfway in the door.

Change at Cornbrook and Metrolink's decision to run single units produces cattle truck conditions. Through the city centre and past the modern apartments in New Islington before it's time to breathe again after most disembark at the Etihad. Then beyond the National Cycling Centre to Clayton Hall, home of Carp Fever, and the aptly named Cemetery Road - and yes there is a funeral directors just round the corner !!

This brings me into the town, past Droylsden Pigeon Corn Supplies and Dumplins Chicken Split Shop - the latter, like several other outlets, appearing to have closed. Butcher's Arms is a five minute stroll from the tram stop, just beyond The Beehive and The King's Head (formerly the Butcher's Arms).

Through two fine wrought iron gates is the grandstand, The William Pace Stand, and a Press Box that remains empty throughout the afternoon. Next to it is the impressive (and warm !) clubhouse whilst to the left is a tidy covered terrace, spoilt by copious amounts of pigeon droppings (I blame that Corn Supplies shop !!) and a strange Aardvark Concrete hoarding. Opposite is some wonky terracing, with the other end an open tarmacked area, bordered by houses.

The crowd of 334 is swelled by at least half supporting 'Boro, in good voice and with several flags ('Seadog Trucker On Tour'). The Bloods are in all red, the Seadogs in change all yellow.

The pitch is an absolute pudding and, along with an icy swirling wind, not conducive to good football. Nonetheless Droylsden's Luke Daly is able to waltz past 5 Scarborough players, all too easily, and smash the ball past Thomas Taylor to give the Bloods an early lead.

Droylsden's intricate passing plays the conditions better compared to the Seadogs' rather flat first half display. The Bloods' strike force of Sefton Gonzalez and Ciaran Kilheeney also poses a more potent threat than the visitors' much vaunted Mike Coulson and James Walshaw.

From a breakaway Kilheeney gets in a shot that Taylor parries but Gonzalez, with the ball behind him, can't keep his shot from clearing the crossbar. The Seadogs can only muster a Lewis Sugden shot wide and, after Bloods' keeper Richie Branagan spills a corner, Max Wright's chip is over.

Very early in the second half Gonzalez is withdrawn with an injury, and the Bloods set out to hold what they have, stifling the Seadogs and playing on the counter. Wright and Coulson shoot over, and Sam Hewitt hits the outside of the post as it becomes an afternoon of frustration for 'Boro.

Then Droylsden lose both full backs to injury and the dismembered defence is suddenly all at sea. But it's still not until the 76th minute when Walshaw is felled in the penalty area and Coulson drills the penalty home. Bloods’ owner Dave Pace becomes ever more animated…..

The home defence is sliced open immediately and Walshaw is through but Branagan smothers. Little matter as in the next break the defence is carved open again and this time Walshaw dinks the ball over Branagan – and the Seadogs lead with ten minutes to go. Four minutes later Coulson plays in Walshaw who finishes decisively for 3-1, the match and second place in the table.