And so, after Lockdown2 ('without football there is only weather'), to Cale Green, or more accurately Woodsmoor, on Cromley Road on the outskirts of Stockport for a debut Manchester League Premier Division clash between Stockport Georgians and Heyside.
Stockport Georgians FC was formed in 1908 as St George's Church Sunday League side on Buxton Road in Heaviley. After World War One the club became St George's (Stockport) Athletic Club in 1923, with members having to be an attendee of both the church and the Men's Bible Class - so nothing to do with George V's accession to the throne in 1910.....
Georgians played in the Stockport League through the 1920s, winning the title in 1926 and 1927, moving to Cromley Road in 1925, acquiring 'a plot of land containing eight acres and twenty seven perches situated at Woodsmoor, Stockport' and then being elected to the Lancashire and Cheshire League in 1931. Finally winning Division 2 in 1964 the top tier awaited but a deterioration of the pitch and an arson attack forced the club to play at Woodbank Park and Davenport School in the early 1970s.
The club absorbed Adswood Amateurs in 1987, taking their place in the Manchester Premier League, and were crowned as champions in 1988, 2002 and 2015.
An application and approval to the North West Counties Football League (NWCFL) last term is still extant, but 6th place last time when stumps were drawn has been transformed to league leaders this season with 6 wins and one loss.
Heyside FC,
'Youth is the Future', was founded in 1975 by the late Brian Bakes who
identified a need for a boys' team in the local area - thus Heyside Juniors was
born.
Playing at Crompton House School in Shaw, Heyside moved up from the Huddersfield and District League to the First Division of the Manchester League in 2016.
Immediately promoted as runners up the Blues have placed 6th, 4th and 9th last term in the null and voidance - but won the Challenge Cup for the 2019/20 season. One win and five defeats leaves them next to bottom this time around however....
Numberplates LE55 GAS (a roofing specialist ?) and DB11DOG, aka Dog Food Dave, appear en route, along with Extinction Rebellion graffiti, and the Pyramid - now 'Iconic HQ - To Let'. Then it's the A6 and Killer Gramms, the Hat Museum, Vape Arise, a suitably substantial (and appropriate) The Scotch Egg, Hally Moo's Milk Shake Bar, Little Lanka and the illustrious Brookfield House, dating from 1898.
Right by Stockport Grammar School and past Woodsmoor Station brings me to Flowery Field and then Cromley Road - and 'Welcome to Flowery Field & Stockport Georgians Athletic Club'. Experience (Eccleshall and Abbey Hulton ?) teaches me to park on the street rather than the club car park...
Inside a temperature check (34.3 can't be right !!) and track and trace details, as a crowd approaching 50 gathers for a game that only takes place due to an army of volunteers after last night's heavy rain.
At the top end is the three step covered John Mannion Stand, behind which lies the cricket ground and pavilion - 5 Ultras rainbow flags and, err, 3 ultras congregate on the steps. Elsewhere we are surrounded by housing - to the left are naked trees and very wet grass, nearside a concrete walkway and at the bottom changing rooms and an apparently open snack bar and gazebo, plus a cleared area which I assume will eventually house the 50 seater stand required for NWCFL
membership.
Georgians are
in red and black, sponsored by Tecco (apart from their left back who seems to
be wearing last season's strip covered with Allens regalia). Heyside are in two
tone blue, with their sponsors Simply Dog Behaviour. This time there are a pair
of ubiquitous tubby linesmen, of vastly different ages....
Within the first 4 minutes Heyside spurn their best chance; set free Matty chooses to go with power rather than placement and blasts wide when one on one with the Georgians' keeper. Thereafter it's all downhill on a pudding of a pitch, that becomes a mud bath - apart from one corner....
Heyside can't cope with Georgians' 4-5-1 formation, flooding the midfield and using lone striker Joe Bevan's speed and movement against a ponderous backline. Simple balls over the top, the surface deadening the ball's pace and Bevan scores five times on 8, 17, 21, 23 and 29 minutes - the latter two penalty kicks. With the game won Georgians become sloppy, lacking their earlier cohesion, and the rest of the half passes without incident.
Half time is seven minutes and an unexpected chance meeting with Joe Bevan's father, Brian, (and his maternal grandfather - out for the first time in six months), who worked alongside me over twenty years ago.... Utter pride at his boy scoring all five in the first period ☺☺
Into the second half and again Heyside fashion a chance, but their left winger lamentably executes a lob over Georgians' underworked keeper and the ball remains in play.... Shortly after George Blackwell makes it six from a fine team move.
Then a lull before a third penalty on 71 minutes - this time saved but Bevan scores with the rebound for his double hat trick. Two minutes later it's Bevan seventh heaven from a gorgeous dinked up and under.
With two minutes to go Blackwell poaches his second, and then, at the death, Bevan, just, scuffs in his eighth for a 10-0 annihilation. Truly, and with apologies to Belinda Carlisle, (Joe) Bevan Is An Ace On Earth !!
