And so to the Mike Riding Ground on Inglewhite Road in Longridge for the North West Counties Division One North fixture between Longridge Town and Prestwich Heys.
Longridge Town FC was formed in 1996 when the
two main clubs in the town, Longridge United and Longridge St Wilfred’s,
amalgamated. Both clubs had histories dating back to the 19th
century when Longridge St Wilfred’s and Longridge St Lawrence were established.
Both clubs were based on sectarian grounds
and played in their respective religious leagues. That situation existed to
1929 when Longridge St Lawrence became a non-sectarian club and changed name to
Longridge United.
The new club started in the Preston &
District League and subsequent promotions saw The Ridge elevated to the West
Lancashire League Division Two in 2008. A runners up spot in their first season
took them to Division One, where they were crowned champions in 2012.
The 2016/17 Premier Division title was
clinched with a last day 1-0 win at closest rivals Blackpool Wren Rovers. Last
season Town finished third and successfully applied to join the North West
Counties Football League Division One North.
The Heys’ origins can be traced to February
9th 1938 when a meeting was called at the Music Room of the Heys Road Boys
School with the idea of forming an Old Boys Association - the football arm
becoming Heys Old Boys AFC. The Heys gradually progressed through the Bury
Amateur League and South East Lancashire League, changing their name to
Prestwich Heys AFC in 1964. The team joined the Lancashire Combination for the
1968/69 season.
Thousands flocked to see the Heys play in the
FA Amateur Cup, with the victory over Sutton United in 1969 attracting
nationwide coverage, coming a week before their opponents were due to meet
Leeds United in the FA Cup. Truly the Heys' heyday !!
The club became a founder member of the North
West Counties League in 1982 but were demoted to the Manchester League in 1986
due to ground grading issues. Under manager Adie Moran the Heys were champions
for three successive seasons between 2005 and 2007. Tragically Moran was killed
in a swimming accident in Sri Lanka at the age of 43 in June 2007 which left
the club reeling.
After relegation battles, the club renamed
the ground to Adie Moran Park in honour of their late manager and in 2016 won
the Manchester League Premier Division - thereby returning to the North West
Counties Football League after a 30 year absence. An 8th place
finish on their return was followed by third last season and play off
elimination by Cammell Laird.
So on a grey
warm afternoon I am passed by a pale blue VW Beetle with a plastic cow on its
roof and a red cylinder marked 'Methane' on the boot (very odd), then it's
signs for a lost parrot, Cowtown Grill and The Flamin' Chicken before that
shuttered ELCTRICAL. TOILETORIES pound plus shop. Garvey's invite me to
celebrate St Patrick's Day with them (17 March) - that's some advance
warning...
The M60, Barton
Bridge and a flurry of ambulances, the M61 (Incontinence Supplies at Internet
Prices), a Highways Agency vehicle fitted with Acklea Scorpion and Botany Bay
leads me to the M6 and struggling caravans.
Off at
Junction 31a into massive industrial estates, a car dealership seemingly at
every corner and a collection of stone buddhas outside the HA Fox Jaguar
franchise. Then into Grimsargh and its Smile Clinic, past Alston Dairy and to
Longridge 'The Gateway to the Ribble Valley'. Bypassing the town centre and
choosing to eschew Quilters Quarters and Pristine Pooches I reach the Mike
Riding Ground, named after the current club president, on Inglewhite Road at
the northern tip of the town.
A very muddy
and bepuddled car park awaits me and I fear the Abbey Hulton parking
pandemonium is about to strike again - but I get the last encumbered spot to
ensure a speedy getaway.
£5 at the
turnstile includes a free programme and wonderful views of the Ribble Valley
countryside. Only two sides of the ground are open - the popular side with a
brand new 100 seater grandstand and its shiny red seats, next to the dressing
rooms, clubhouse and then the Frank Jamieson Stand, a small four step covered
terrace in the corner.
The other
side open is behind the goal to my right, a path with warm up pitch beyond. The
two closed sides are fenced off but more of that anon. The scale of new build
housing developments – prices from a fiver less than £386,000 ‘Help Available
To Buy’ and at those prices the help is sorely needed !! - at various stages of
completion is immediately evident but the Alston Arms next to the ground and
the unspoilt country views opposite both survive - for now.
The Ridge
have won one, drawn one and lost one of their three league games thus far, with
ten goals for and nine against. Strongly fancied Heys have won both league
games and upset Abbey Hey from the league above in the FA Cup last week.
Town are all
in red, Heys in light blue shirts and navy shorts. The first half is a wretched
experience as a record bumper crowd of 211, the highest at this level in the
whole country this weekend, have to endure a plague of blackfly, midges and
wasps. The football is little better; not so much craft and guile, more graft
and bile, a litany of free kicks and injuries, three yellow cards and much
moaning and groaning.
The deadlock
is scruffily broken midway through the half. Jay Hart, infamously sacked by
Clitheroe FC for some after match hanky panky in the home dugout at Mossley,
flicks on a Longridge corner, a deflected shot, appeals for a penalty, goal
line scramble and Paul Turner scuffs in from a yard. Four minutes into stoppage
time provides the only moment of quality in the first period. Tom Ince's
perfectly flighted ball drops over Heys' Jacob Holt and Turner gorgeously lobs
Mike Smith to make it 2-0 for the home team.
For the
second half I seek solace on the opposite, fenced off, out of bounds, side. If
nothing else I can watch the cricket match taking place in the valley below at
Longridge CC....
There are no
bugs, the sun breaks out briefly and the second 45 minutes proves rather
incident packed. Within a minute Ridge lose the ball, Rio Wilson-Heyes is
allowed to run and run before laying off to the burly Jamie Baguley whose left
footer from 20 yards finds the corner of the net.
Heys hit the
bar soon after and then come three incidents that enrage the away side. Theo
Kidd is pushed in the penalty area, and with the linesman furiously flagging
away, the referee waves play on. Then Town captain George Melling's dangerous
tackle on Kidd receives a yellow card when it could, and maybe should, have
been red.
Finally a
woefully underhit back pass, indicative of some very nervy home defending is
intercepted by Kidd. The ensuing melee sees the ball cleared off the line
twice, twice apparently with the illegal use of a hand. Nothing is given and
this prompts a torrent of abuse from the away bench. Both Heys' joint managers,
Jon Lyons and Ryan Hutchinson, are banished to the stands in the aftermath.
Inevitably
Ridge's next foray sees Alex Murphy upended in the box and the referee this
time awards a penalty, which Richie Allen converts. Two minutes later
Wilson-Heyes hits the crossbar for Prestwich, who must know by now it's not
going to be their (hey)day.
A splendid
piece of trickery sees Allen make space and curl a left footed effort which
hits the underside of bar and inside of post and trickle along the line where
fellow sub Joe Melling scrambles the ball home at the near post for 4-1.
And it's 5-1
with five minutes to go as an unmarked Dan Wilkinson heads in a free kick as
Heys implode. To rub salt into their wounds Heys receive their third red card
of the day at the death - Holt for a second yellow.
One final
footnote - the referee today, the villain of the piece in Prestwich eyes, is
called Mr Hay.......
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