The Joy of Six - Daisies Cut Down To Size

And so to Gillford Park to the south east of Carlisle for a North West Counties Division One North clash between Carlisle City and Daisy Hill.

Carlisle City FC was formed in 1975 by two former Carlisle United players, George Walker and Ron Thompson, 'to give local lads somewhere to play'. The Sky Blues joined the Northern Alliance and were runners up three times before finishing bottom of the league in 1987, and dropping into the Northern Combination. At the end of the following season, the Northern Combination merged with the Northern Alliance and City became founder members of the new Division One.

As champions in 1992, the club was promoted to the Premier Division where they were runners up on five occasions. Having finished third in the 2015/16 season their application to join the North West Counties Football League was granted.

This was not least because they had taken over the lease at Gillford Park in the city in 2015 from Celtic Nation FC. (Yes that Celtic Nation - millionaire throws money at the Northern League club to buy promotion, club finish second, millionaire withdraws support, club goes bust: all in two years). City's first season was one of consolidation, finishing 14th in the expanded 22 club league and then 11^th last term. This time around they sit second behind Longridge Town.

The Daisies, or The Cutters, were established in 1894 playing in the Wigan & District League. By the time of World War 1 the club had moved to the Leigh & District Senior Sunday School League and then the Westhoughton League, playing at New Sirs. The club folded before World War II, but reformed in 1951 playing again in the Westhoughton League but now based at (the adjacent) St James Street & Cricket Ground - they moved back to New Sirs in 1957.

The Daisies then joined the Bolton Combination, which they won four times, before moving to the Lancashire Combination for 4 seasons and then becoming founder members of the North West Counties Football League in 1982.

The club was renamed Westhoughton Town during the period 1989-94, thereafter reverting back to Daisy Hill FC - they have never been promoted or relegated from the North West Counties, but only escaped demotion in 2014 because Leek CSOB and Formby resigned from the league, and last season because of the league restructuring, having finished bottom of the pile. This season the Daisies have fared little better and only two recent victories has seen them move out of the relegation zone.

So on a grey afternoon, the forecast rain not yet having materialised, it's past the six foot aluminium silhouette of a First World War Tommy outside Altrincham Town Hall and right at Riddles Liquor & Sundries. Then the M6 and Thelwall, Haydock Park, Wigan Pier and Martin Mere.

What seems like a herd of Buffaloads More lorries on the opposite carriageway, and that 'CANED' graffiti at Preston. Two car registration plates this week - DR13NKY and H3EHO and no I'm not having a laugh !!

Then Katy Cropper Sheepdogs at Shap, signs for Ullswater Steamers before coming off at Junction 42. Onto the A6 through Carleton and a wry smile at The Nosey Cow Inn and The Tipsy Tomato as I turn into Petterill Bank Road and down a dirt track to the D Marks Carpets Stadium, aka Gillford Park.

I park up and pay £4 on the turnstile; it takes an eternity to get my £1 change as the gateman works out that I am spectator 37. The final attendance today is 69....and a dog (from Daisy Hill !)

Inside the stadium is a king to most other grounds in this league, reflecting the money spent in its Celtic Nation days. To my right is a covered stand with green seats in the middle and on the right hand side, but they didn't get around to putting them in on the left !! Next to it is the Railway Social Club.

At the open top end is a small concrete standing area, screened by trees and the River Petterill beyond. Opposite the green, not quite finished, stand is a covered terrace running along virtually the whole of the touch line.

Then behind the near goal is another (completed !) all seated stand, this time in white. Above is the bar and clubhouse, and behind is the car park and railway line. Virgin Trains today, a severely truncated Northern Fail service (forcing me to drive rather than get the train from Settle), a monster freight train becalmed for a good 15 minutes and Black 5 45212 on a steam excursion.

The Sky Blues are, not surprisingly, in sky blue and the Daisies in change red and black. There is a minute's silence in recognition of Armistice Day and then we're underway. It doesn't take long to see why the two sides are in their respective league positions with City bossing it but unable to capitalise.

Against the run of play the Daisies take the lead on the quarter hour, Jack Iley heading in a Jamie Ramwell corner. Ramwell is then denied by Stephen Townsley's legs as the locals grow restless and the rain starts to tumble down – not much blue sky for the Sky Blues !!

Inevitably the Sky Blues equalise on 22 minutes, Jake Simpson's glorious cross headed across Joe Leather in the Cutters' goal by Michael Slack. City turn the screw and move in front with Marc Shiel's effortless/ speculative (depending on your viewpoint) half volley that beats Leather all ends up.

The Daisies wilt in the face of continued home pressure, with David Renyard scoring with a crisp finish to the corner four minutes from the break. Tyran Taylor heads home unchallenged from a corner bang on half time and the Sky Blues go in 4-1 up at the interval.

Daisy Hill start the second half brightly with Iley heading over and Ashley Stott defied by Townsley's shins. However normal service is resumed on the hour, Renyard getting on the end of a cross and his shot having just enough power to go under Leather and creep over the line - a goal emanating from a quickly taken long throw from Simpson.

Five minutes later City inexplicably switch off at a free kick, leaving Stott unmarked and he sidefoots home to make it 5-2. Then on 70 minutes Macaulay Farrington's magnificent 30 yard volley into the top corner, Townsley motionless, makes the game interesting as the deficit is cut to two. Straight from the kick off however the Sky Blues attack and, after a bit of penalty area pinball, Robert McCartney blasts home for 6-3.

That we don't see any further goals is a surprise to everyone. Sub Kieron Blair hits the post for City, Leather (who saves the Daisies from a real leathering) makes tremendous stops from Blair, McCartney and Simpson, and the Sky Blues have one cleared off the line.

Still, £4, 9 goals and a fabulous afternoon's entertainment !!

Saints Go For A Burton - Ammies Hang On

And so to Hollyhedge Park in Wythenshawe for today’s North West Counties Division One South clash between Wythenshawe Amateurs and St Martins.

The home team was founded in 1946 as Wythenshawe Lads’ Club by a local window cleaner and was based in Daine Avenue, Rack House. In 1949 as the lads grew to maturity Henry Dalton developed them into ‘The Ammies’ to provide football for all ages. (Dalton was a Sheffield Wednesday fan hence the Ammies’ royal blue and white striped kit)

They became members of the South Manchester and Wythenshawe League, racing through the divisions, and securing the 1^st division championship in 1953. After a year in the Altrincham & District League they climbed the pyramid to join the Lancashire and Cheshire League, winning the First Division in 1962.

The Ammies established themselves in the Manchester League in the 1972/3 season, going on to win the Premier Division three times and finishing runners up 10 times, including the last two seasons. They were also three time winners of the Lancashire Amateur Cup and record winners (7) of the Gilgryst Cup.

The club led a somewhat nomadic existence playing at Cleveland playing fields, Wythenshawe Park, The Christie playing fields, Federation of Lads’ Club Ground at Chorlton, and then in 1983 they became tenants of Wythenshawe Cricket Club at Longley Lane. However after 32 years the relationship became strained and the Ammies were evicted by the cricket club in May 2015, necessitating short term stays at Flixton FC and St Paul’s High School.

However the club struck gold in 2013 when they won a £50,000 grant from the Budweiser Club Futures Programme in the North West, followed by a further £100,000 in a public Facebook the following year in the national awards. In July 2016 the club secured further funding from the Premier League, the FA and the National Lottery.

This allowed the Ammies to commence work on a new ground at Hollyhedge Park, with the first match being played there in September 2017. The facilities also led to promotion to the North West Counties League Division One South in the summer, with new floodlights being unveiled last Tuesday before a record attendance of 308.

The visitors from the village of St Martins in the North West of Shropshire with the Welsh border just a few hundred yards away, St Martins FC, need no introduction having featured last week.

The club was established in 1897, competing in the Oswestry & District League, before changing name to St Martins United in the early 1930s and then Greyhound Rangers in 1935, with matches played in the field next to the Greyhound Inn. A successful venture across the border into the Cefn & District League, winning the League Cup in 1936/37 was met with indifference and no further organised football was played until the side was reformed in 1945 after World War II.

The revived club joined the North Shropshire League and were champions three times, following the last of which in 1955 the team joined the Whitchurch League. That league folded in 1972 so Saints transferred to Division 3 of the West Shropshire League, rising up the divisions and winning various cups – the Syd Roberts, Reg Lawrence and Graham Edwards Memorial Trophies and the Tyre Cup (!!)

The Saints then moved up to the Shropshire County League and won the Premier Division in 2009/10 to be promoted to the West Midlands (Regional) League Division 2. In their first season the side won the Second Division, earning promotion to Division 1 where they stayed until this summer – 4^th place last time earning St Martins promotion to the North West Counties League Division One South.

Oh and that club badge – the miner’s helmet is a nod to nearby Ifton Colliery where many of the players and committee members worked, with the pit closing exactly 50 years ago in November 1968.

And so the 4.9 mile journey begins with a carved brown wooden bear at The Rowans, Sugar Couture and an advertising hoarding concerning gentlemen's barber Kevin Junior who is 'proffesional' - maybe not !! Then past Marvel Guitars, Cheshire Clocks and the Frank Sidebottom statue. This week's car registration plate is W33NDY matching the grey, mild and very breezy weather conditions.

Beyond Wythenshawe Town FC, then Wythenshawe Park, The Open University to Altrincham Road, The Pines Hospital and to Sharston 'One of Manchester's greenest places'. The football ground is opposite the Hellermann Tyton factory on the Sharston Green Business Park, and it's immediately obvious that what little parking the club have has already been taken. We park on a side street and pay £3 at the gate, the lowest price in the league - the gate is an encouraging 134.

Immediately before us is an impressive clubhouse and busy bar, with photographs of the club's historic moments. To the right is a mini kids soccer pitch next to the small covered standing area. At the top end is the main Hollyhedge Park, a council park that both teams use for their warm up. The area behind the goal banks steeply upward, and all four sides are tree lined. The other side has a walkway with housing behind the trees. In the background is a constant thrum from the nearby airport added to by the odd firework.

A minute's silence is impeccably observed, with Ammies in their blue and white stripes and Saints in those yellow and black chequerboards. Their vertically challenged goalkeeper, George Austin, is in all orange.

The match takes a while to find its feet and it is 17 minutes before Ammies' left back Alan Dolan has a fierce drive in the box beaten away by Austin. Four minutes later Jordan Burton cuts in from the left and rifles his shot into the bottom left corner and Wythenshawe lead.

Jimmy Green sees his shot just whistle wide but, as last week, Saints improve. Brendon Price has a dangerous free kick flash across the penalty area and then Tawanda Melusi's persistence beats three challenges before being denied by a brave block from Martin Blain. Again Melusi is wearing gloves and as last week he dispenses with them at the interval. There is a pitch invasion at half time - by a dog…..

The second period is again All Saints (sorry, sorry !) as they dominate the park. Some last ditch defending from the Ammies, well marshalled by Richard Gresty, limits Saints to half chances but Wythenshawe drop deeper and deeper, and cannot retain possession.

There is a brief respite as David Wright has his shot fingertipped to safety by Austin, but it's soon back down the other end. Sub Jordan Davies sees his effort heroically cleared off the line by Chris Howard in their best opportunity.

In the last ten minutes Saints continue to press but it's not until the final minute of injury time that they threaten. A real kerfuffle in the home area sees Karl Bailey and Dave Easthope have shots kicked off the line, just, and Ammies cling on to win 1-0 and go second.

Images courtesy of Dylan Photography