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.
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