The Moore The Merrier - Village People Cruisin' In Seventh Heaven....

And so to Chapel Lane and Partington Sports Village (Partington Leisure Centre in my day !!) for the Cheshire League Division One clash between Partington Village FC, playing their opening game of the season, and Moore United FC, who have already played three league matches, garnering a single point thus far.

Partington Village FC was established in 1939, playing in lower local leagues, and hitting the heights in recent years. Four consecutive league titles, culminating in being crowned as league champions of Cheshire League Division Two at the point of null and voiding, sees Village play their first ever game at this level - and there is a League Cup Final against Styal to play for next month.

Moore United from Latchford, Warrington, was established in 1946. Billy Green's Red and White Army finished next to bottom at the curtailment of the last campaign.

 

On a cold autumnal day, with a biting wind, the four mile, ten minute journey conjures up more than expected... The roadworks that have paralysed Manchester Road have thankfully finished, so it's past Trafford College, the proposed, currently rejected, 5G mast site, then Bramley Farm, the council tip and Roe Clare Cattery.

 

Numberplates SS10UXS and ST11NTZ appear plus a German Schuller lorry with the slogan 'Kuchen fur Leben' - so not much repeat business there !! It's a shockingly rutted road, hemmed in by rampant hedges before I turn left onto Chapel Lane. Partington Sports Village is on the outskirts of Partington and affords plenty of parking next to the astroturf pitch and netball/ basketball courts. The indoor leisure centre is to my right, and the open fields reveal a partially taped off pitch, scene of today's game, and, in the distance, a rugby pitch. Next door is Broadoak High School, and up top playing fields and woods adjacent to Warburton Lane.

 

The referee arrives in his car shortly after me, already fully kitted out, but there are no assistant referees, with the lines being run by a member of each team's coaching staff. No admission fee, naturally, and a crowd (counted by me !!) of 24, including babies - although this is fairly fluid, given the comings and goings, and indeed a 25th spectator rocks up just after the hour mark.

2pm kick off with Village in all maroon, sponsored by Atlantic Timber, and Moore in change blue with white flashing, sponsored by Deliveroo. The first few minutes see Partington dominating early exchanges, but their players are seemingly more interested in the fortunes of Manchester United in the early kick off at Brighton, rather than the game they are actually playing in.

 

Once that is all sorted Village take full control, and on 18 minutes score their first with the ball driven home from a blocked shot. Three minutes later an unconvincing lob from a through ball just reaches the net, and a further three minutes on Partington strike the bar, but that is with the aid of a Moore hand. The penalty is summarily despatched to make it 3-0.

 

On 32 minutes an inadvertent deflection off a United defender plays in an offside Village striker who scores easily. 4-0 and Partington hit the post with the last kick of the first period. Half time lasts barely five minutes - industrial language on one side of the pitch, laughter and merriment on the other....

 

Under a minute after the restart and a lovely team move, culminating in a sublime one two, results in a tap in, Josh McVety's hat trick and it's five ! Thereafter Village go off the boil for a while and fall asleep seven minutes later, allowing Moore to score what proves to be a meaningless consolation.

 

Normal service is shortly resumed and with twenty minutes left Tykio Williams races on to a  through ball to score, and Partington then hit the bar and force two great saves. In the final minute the ball is recycled twice in the penalty area resulting in a simple tap in for the outstanding Zak Ashford. 7-1 at the death..... Village is more, and Moore is less !!!

Skem Get The Blues As Lions Roar...

And so to the FA Vase First Round Qualifying at the JMO Sports Park and an all NWCFL clash between Skelmersdale United and Stockport Town.

The home club had its genesis in 1882 with a team of players brought together by the teaching staff of Skelmersdale Wesleyan Day School and was called Skelmersdale Young Rovers, before becoming Skelmersdale Wesleyans and then Skelmersdale United. Skem joined the Liverpool County Combination in 1909, winning ten championships before moving ground, from Sandy Lane to White Moss Park, and league to the Lancashire Combination in 1956.

In 1967 the Blueboys won their way to the FA Amateur Cup Final at Wembley in front of 75,000 spectators, drawing 0-0 with Enfield, before losing 3-0 in the replay at Maine Road. Two seasons later United transferred to the Cheshire County League, and, after two FA Amateur Cup semi final losses, finally won the trophy in 1971 with a 4-1 thrashing of Dagenham at Wembley - the club also moved up to the Northern Premier League.

By 1976 United had dropped into the Lancashire Combination and in 1982, when the Combination was amalgamated with the Cheshire County League to form the North West Counties League (NWCL), the Blueboys became a founder member. The club left their spiritual home of White Moss Park in 2002 for Stormy Corner and a second-place finish brought promotion back to the Northern Premier League in 2006.

Skem finished in a play-off position all but once in the next 5 seasons, with all ending in failure. Finally in the 2012-2013 season they finished top of the league, being promoted to the Northern Premier League Premier Division, after winning the league by a 16 point margin, scoring 110 goals in the league campaign.

Serious financial problems ensued in 2014/15 but the Blueboys battled through until March 2017 when a 6-0 home drubbing by Buxton meant relegation to Division One North. This was coupled with the announcement that the club had been unable to agree a new lease on its Uretek Stadium aka Stormy Corner ground and as a result was at risk of ceasing to exist.

Skem were evicted on 20 October 2017, played two games at the Marine Travel Arena, before commencing a season-long groundshare at Valerie Park, home of Prescot Cables (the 'Pesky Bulls'). 2018/19 saw United playing in the newly titled NPL Division One West, but a miserable season saw only 13 points garnered and relegation back to the NWCFL. Last season United were in 15th at the point of null and voided, but more importantly the Blueboys moved to their new home of the JMO Sports Park and played their first game at the venue on Boxing Day 2019 against local rivals Burscough, coming out on top with a 4-0 win in front of 266 supporters.

Stockport Town, 'The Lions', was formed in February 2014 but their initial request to join the North West Counties in the Premier Division was refused in the summer of 2014. After a year of preparation (or in the wilderness....) they were allowed to join Division One at the start of the 2015/16 season.

Previous tenants Stockport Sports, formerly Woodley Sports, who were playing in the Premier Division, were expelled from the league early in 2015 for postponing games, and, amidst unpaid debts, were liquidated. Conspiracy theories abounded... Last time around Town were in 9th place when the season was abandoned, notwithstanding Robbie Savage stepping out of retirement to make a 10 minute cameo appearance against now defunct FC Oswestry Town.

So against a background of an azure sky, golden sunshine, but a stiff breeze, I set off past Da Noi, the Altrincham stocks 'Police Lock Up 1938', Cordon Vert and the new Little Waitrose en route to the M56. A bizarre set of numberplates occur - A5 EVA teamed with E4EVA, then R1LEY and R1LED, and topped off by WH05 WHO - what are the chances of that occurring ??

Onto the M6, Thelwall behaving itself, beyond the mammoth Movianta warehousing then the M58 and off at Junction 4 to the massive Hope Island. Ignoring the incorrectly signed football club directions (still imploring us to go to Stormy Corner) it's left, bypassing a plethora of business parks, finally I reach Railway Road and the JMO Sports Park aka One Call Taxis Stadium on the left. 

There's a huge free car park next to the complex, which has two full sized pitches, a 9 a side pitch, three 7 a side pitches and five 5 a side pitches. £6 at the gate, completing the track and trace and into a match limited to an attendance of 300 - in the event 169 show up.

Inside there's a covered terrace area to my right and the main all seater stand to my left where apparently 'Face Mask Compulsary' (sic) - unsurprisingly this is universally ignored. Beyond leads to steps and a raised area with the clubhouse and bar looking out over the pitch. Opposite is a walkway leading to the other pitches, and to the right a path with Railway Road behind.

Before kick off I chat to a Skem diehard, who proudly shows off his 50th anniversary 2020-2021 FA Amateur Cup badge. Then we move on to Burscough FC, and their owner, who is universally reviled in Skelmersdale. Turns out that he also owns Stormy Corner and gave the Blueboys two hours notice of eviction - he shows me a picture of a 'Wanted Dead or Alive - For Money Making' poster that Skem fans produced...

The story continues - Burscough have sold their ground, built a new one adjacent incorporating an all weather pitch, which has immediately flooded, and installed the old main stand from Stormy Corner, which has already been condemned and now removed. NWCFL have refused permission for the new stadium to be used for matches, resulting in today's Vase game against Hallam being switched to Sheffield (Hallam ultimately won on penalties !!). All this gleefully imparted..... And was I aware of the 4-0 drubbing of Burscough on Boxing Day for the first match at the JMO ?? Mmm, think we might have covered that earlier...

The Blueboys naturally are in all blue with white trim, the Lions in white and black, with a youthful refereeing team and one of the linesmen wearing spectacles. Strangely the game kicks off at 1456.....

Stockport start the stronger and on 9 minutes a long ball finds Aaron Knight, looking suspiciously offside and definitely socially distanced, who controls the ball awkwardly and slots past Skem keeper, and well known local heroic police officer, Ben Barnes to give the visitors the lead.

Barnes then saves well from Lee Grimshaw and is subsequently booked for a ridiculous altercation which leaves Grimshaw poleaxed. As for Skem, very little until the final few minutes of the half when Morgan Piper produces two wonderful saves to deny Lloyd Ellams and sub Michael Grogan. Half time leads to a wholly unexpected catch up with steward Big John.

United start the second period sloppily, and 7 minutes through Knight plays in Grimshaw who places the ball beyond Barnes and it's 2-0 to Stockport. Shortly after the same combination brings a brave save from Barnes.

The Blueboys are disappointing, huffing and puffing in the strong breeze, creating little from their humping the long ball tactics. Finally a chance arises, fashioned by a strong header from Richard Brodie, but fellow sub Emini Agegbenro gets it all wrong and hooks horribly wide.

To the final four minutes (closer to ten with stoppages) and suddenly the match erupts. Ellams with a vicious, swerving and dipping free kick scores off the underside of the bar to halve the deficit, and two minutes later hits the bar with a longer range dead ball kick.

Brodie is shown a straight red for violent conduct, which again leaves Grimshaw poleaxed. With the changing rooms out of action, bizarrely he has to slink to the corner flag and 'hide'... 'He's bringing himself on in a minute' is the chirp next to me. Just time for Clayton Gorman to miss a sitter for the Lions with Barnes patrolling the half way line and hopelessly out of position for a Town counter attack - hurriedly and helplessly rushing back as the shot is both high and wide. Nonetheless lower league Stockport win the tie 2-1 and go to Bacup Borough in the next round.

Six of The Best - Academicals Taught A Lesson !

And so to the Aspray Arena and Noose Lane in Willenhall for a Midland League Premier Division curtain raiser between Sporting Khalsa and Haughmond.

Sporting Khalsa - khalsa a community that takes Sikhism as its faith - was established in 1991 playing senior football in the Walsall & District Sunday leagues, and playing Saturday football between 1995 and 1997.

After a committee reorganisation in 2004 the club rejoined the West Midlands (Regional) League, immediately gaining promotion. In the following year Sporting became the first Asian semi professional club in the country to own its own ground - Abbey Park Stadium, formerly the home of Bloxwich Town FC.

After five years at Abbey Park the Lions purchased the 5 acre freehold grounds of Willenhall Town FC from the Receivers and Aspray Arena was born. Division One was conquered that season and the Premier Division awaited....

As champions of the Premier League in 2014/15 Khalsa were promoted to the Midland League, finishing third in their first two terms. A £1m redevelopment at Noose Lane in 2017, necessitating a groundshare with AFC Wulfrunians, saw Sporting slip from first to fifth. The revamped stadium, with 5G pitch, was opened in July 2018 - the Lions in second last time, with games in hand, before the season was null and voided.

Haughmond FC, from the Sundorne Sports Village in Shrewsbury, was established in 1980 and moved to the Shropshire County Premier League. The Mond won the double of the league and Ron Jones Memorial Cup in 2011, and were promoted to the West Midlands (Regional) League Division Two, which they won in their first season.

The Academicals triumphed in Division One two seasons later, and then achieved promotion to the Midland League in 2016/17; relegated in their inaugural season, promoted as runners up the following year and 16th from 20 as the pandemic hit last term.

So with a bruised sky and patchy rain then changing to watery sun, and via MillionHairs (pet beautician !) it's on to the roadworks at Knutsford, promising 11 more months of misery. THE PIES graffiti is back on the motorway bridge just before Sandbach, and in the opposite direction it's SMOKE PIES...

Then I am assaulted by an array of advertising hoardings in farmers' fields - Cheeky Bathrooms, PartySwan (best present ever - apparently) and 'Are You Pregnant ?' (I sincerely hope not...) And a van with numberplate JU55 MUK and livery of 'Wot The Muck', then a car showboating a plate of G4SPS (yes really !!)

To the Smart Motorway, 18 miles and 18 months of motorway horror due to 'overnight technology'. Most of the red motorway bridge signs have disappeared, but there is a new one at Ash Flats Lane. I depart at junction 10 on to Neachells Lane and then turn right into Watery Lane just after Wags Pet Spa and before the Planetary Industrial Estate.

Beyond Edward Howell Galvanizers (part of the legendary B.E. Wedge Group !! - nostalgia trip.....) and then left into Noose Lane brings me to the vast complex that comprises the Aspray Arena, the 442 bar and Black Country Performance Hub, a community sports facility. Across the way is the Aspray Logistics warehouse.

Plenty of parking and it's £5 in plus track and trace details, with today's crowd limited to 300 - the attendance is 95, in stark contrast to Khalsa's record crowd of 2252 against FC United of Manchester in the FA Cup 4th Qualifying Round in 2015. This was a match littered with crowd violence as FCUM fans were allegedly attacked by flares and a dustbin....

Inside the £1m revamp has provided a tidy, but soulless, stadium which does not extend to dugouts (just an extra row of seats) or comprehensible tannoy. Surrounded by trees on three sides, the ground is reached via a small ginnel adjacent to the many 5 a side pitches. Inside there are two covered all blue and yellow seater stands, one covering half the pitch and, opposite, the main extending to two thirds. A raised walkway is to the left end, and ducks down to pitch level, incorporating the changing rooms, on the right with a food kiosk and the bar in the right hand corner.

Sporting are in yellow and blue, the Academicals in white and black. Inexplicably the match kicks off three and a half minutes late, but there is the ubiquitous tubby linesman - tubby is being kind, given the expanse of his obesity.

90 seconds in and Khalsa lead - Josh McKenzie afforded huge amounts of space in the penalty area to steer his header into the left hand top corner. Thereafter the Lions roar, dominating possession and creating chances, the closest of which sees a mazy run, beating 5 Acamedicals' players, end with the ball striking the post, and Matt Fletcher's absurd clearance goes horribly wrong. An inevitable own goal is prevented by an astonishing Sam Jones save.

Mond take heart from this and start to grow into the game; captain Jack Griffiths has their best opportunity, but inexplicably cushions his volley into the side netting when facing an open goal. Sporting respond and marauding right back Carlo Franco powerfully heads in another delicious cross on 36 minutes to make it 2-0 at the break.

The second half meanders along, Sporting's Sean Williams going close twice and horribly high, wide and distinctly unhandsome with his third shot. 74 minutes and for all the world a comfortable 2-0 home win is on the cards.... but then all hell breaks loose.

A short corner causes pandemonium in the Academicals' box and Michael Perks is credited with the final touch. A minute later and Williams' cross is diverted by the unfortunate Griffiths into the far corner, followed by the third goal in three minutes as a fabulous, slick team move sees Gurjit (Gaz) Singh sidefoot home - and suddenly it's 5-0.

All too much for one of the several Haughmond supporters who nipped away for a crafty fag: 'That was an interesting roll up - three goals and two substitutions'.... He and his party leave, but loiter by the exit gates, just in time to see another short corner in the final minute ending with another superb half volleyed finish from the Lions' Singh.

6-0 at the death, and well as Khalsa played you can't help thinking that Haughmond hung themselves at the Noose (Lane) ....