Laird Of The Manor - Dominoes Toppled After Being Given The Hump By Camels

And so to Wellbeing Park, formerly known as the Springbank Stadium and the Flip Out Arena (!!), in the village of Yarnfield, the home of Stone Dominoes FC for their North West Counties League Division One South clash with Cammell Laird 1907 AFC.

The home club was founded in 1987 at St Dominic’s Catholic Church, Scout, Cub, Beaver Group in Stone with a team of 8 year olds by then Chairman Bob Bowers for his youngest son, Daniel, and friends. The club name was chosen by the boys; therefore Stone St Dominic’s became Stone Dominoes FC.

After initially focusing on youth football the club entered a first team in open age Saturday football in 1995 in the Second Division of the Midland League. Three years later promotion was secured to the top division, and Doms were crowned Midland League champions in 2000 with a 14 point winning margin.

Thus began the club’s first foray into the North West Counties Football League. Starting out in Division Two the Dominoes moved up to the First Division in 2003, before being relegated four years later and it was at this time that the club signed TV star Ralf Little of The Royle Family as a player. 2009/10 saw the club win the Second Division but after three troubled years in the First Division Dominoes resigned from the league.

The club was reformed in 2015 and joined the Staffordshire County Senior League Division One, finishing runners up in their second season. After a single campaign in the Premier Division, and an 11^th place finish out of 16, Dominoes successfully applied to join the restructured North West Counties League and were assigned a place in Division One South.

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 the 2016/17 season produced only three league wins, all after relegation was confirmed, and a bottom placing with a goal difference of -100...... Last term saw the Camels beaten in the play off final by Whitchurch Alport.

So as the rain begins to spit on a cold, grey afternoon it's past the sagging roof at the abandoned Wheatsheaf and beyond the 1839 stocks in the Old Market Place to the new A556 and then the M6.

The Pies graffiti has been replaced by 'SICA DIE' on the overhead bridge as the rain begins to teem down. The sign 'Jn 17 5.2 miles travel time 22 mins' is testament to the efficacy of the smart motorway work currently not being done this afternoon...mind you the opposite carriageway resembles a car park. Today's car registration is A 8UG V, fittingly on a Volkswagen Beetle.

Eventually off at junction 15 and I join the A34, passing Trentham Active Monkey Forest and reaching Tittensor, where Blanc is a very odd name for an Indian restaurant !! Turning at the Darlaston Inn at Meaford takes me through Swynnerton, granted its royal charter in 1306 by Edward I, and the magnificent Swynnerton Hall. Then the village of Cold Meece before I reach Yarnfield with its Labour In Vain pub.

Wellbeing Park and the football complex are the other side of the village and, as promised, plenty of parking (just wait till I get to the crowd !). I walk through Vinny's Gates to find four giant dominoes which when the dots are added up spell out 1987. Next to these are a clubhouse and two football pitches, with a match in progress. Beyond are further full and mini pitches.

A sign points me to the sole turnstile and a fiver in brings me to a pitch that seems to have been hewn out of the earth. Both ends are screened by banking covered in green vegetation and the opposite side has a grassed banking side with the M6 behind. The main railway line runs past the far end - Cross Country and suburban trains only today. The near side is fully covered, terracing at either end and two rows of seats in the middle. Confusingly the roof is adorned with 'Welcome to the Mway Stadium'.

Stone are in red and black, and naturally their shirt sponsor is Domino's, the Camels in blue and white, and the referee in dreadlocks.

The rain has abated for now but the wet pitch makes for much slipping and sliding. A non descript opening gives way to a succession of Lairds' corners which Stone have no idea how to defend. On the quarter hour Ryan Burke's centre from the right gives Ste Rothwell a free header at the near post to put the Camels in front. The next corner from the left and Adam Rooney with another free header hits the bar, before three minutes later, another corner, yes you've guessed it another free header, and this time Rooney scores.

Doms are clueless and it's a surprise they only go in two down at half time. They improve marginally after the break but, despite the promptings of Brandon Rock, lack the quality or creativity to threaten the scoreline.

Indeed it's a second half more notable for the Camels' profligacy with Rothwell and Andy Scarisbrick shooting well wide instead of finding each other. Lairds have three penalty shouts turned down, the last of which proves controversial.

Scarisbrick is sent through one on one, a heavy touch and he just dinks it past the keeper before being caught. The linesman flags, the referee waves it away then they consult after the ball goes dead. Scarisbrick is booked for simulation to the bewilderment of the crowd - ah yes the 'crowd' which is 21, and the first time I've paid to go to a match where the players outnumbered the supporters..... It finishes 2-0 to the Camels.