Reds Alert - It's A Wrench But Lions Pay The Penalty ....

And so to another trip to Staffordshire, this time to Evans Park off Riverway in Stafford, for a NWCFL Division One South clash between Stafford Town and Stockport Town.

The home club was founded in 1976 by Gordon Evans as Stafford FC at Burton Manor Sports & Social Club and joined the Midland Combination Division Two for the 1977/78 season, winning the league at their second attempt.

The Reds changed their name to Stafford Town in 1981, became a nursery side for Stafford Rangers and left the Midland Combination the following year before entering local football in 1984. Town became a founder member of the Staffordshire Senior League, staying there until 1993 and playing two seasons under the banner of Stafford MSHD following a merger with Sunday League team MSHD.

Town joined the West Midlands Regional League for the 1993/94 season and immediately won Division One, earning promotion to the Premier Division. As champions of the Premier Division the Reds were promoted to the Midland Football Alliance but were relegated back to the West Midlands Regional Alliance Division One, getting back into the Premier Division in 2009/10 as runners up. After moving from Burton Manor to Stafford Cricket Club and finally Rowley Park, the club settled at Evans Park (named after Town's founder) on Riverway in March 2010 - 3G was added in 2016.

The club was transferred to the Midland Football Combination Premier Division at the beginning of the 2012/13 season but fell foul of a restructure of steps 5 and 6 in 2018 and was demoted to the Staffordshire Senior League Premier. The following campaign saw a top 5 finish, and a League Cup success beating Leek CSOB, which prompted a return to the Midland Football League Division One ahead of 2019/20.

After finishing rock bottom at abandonment of that season, and a disappointing curtailed COVID-19 2020/21, the club was moved sideways to the North West Counties Division One South, where they lie 9th with seven wins and seven defeats thus far.

Stockport Town, The Lions, and their brief seven year history featured in the last report from their convincing win at the Badgers of Brocton - since then they have played Alsager at home in the league (lost 1-3) and Cammell Laird away in the Cheshire Senior Cup, losing 2-1, and currently sit 14th of 20.

Before the M6 it's past Waterworx Custom Detailing, Gymfinity and Stamford Grange Luxury Retirement Apartments before the first registration plate H100VES - a Manor Elite Horsebox. Then Bowdon Pumpkins and the motorway, a combination of numberplates GE55 WOT, and yes, ridiculously, J5 8ACH, interspersed with a campervan emblazoned with Martha and the Vandwellers... Not forgetting those lorry skirt advertising hoardings - Borehole Solutions with its Geothermal Drilling, Nuie Heat & Plumb and Quadz... plus those advocating CBD !!

Off at Junction 14 to the A34 and Erwin Hymer Centre Travelworld and into Stafford beyond Anatolian Palace, Vivere and HMP Stafford, turning at Lammascote and bypassing Honeybuds Day Nursery. Then into Riversway Sports Complex with its interminable entrance road and vicious speed bumps, leaving the Schumacher karting track and Flip Out trampoline area behind me.

Finally to Frank Allen Way and the John Horvath Car Park, more than adequate for today's crowd of 64. Stafford Hockey & Cricket Club is to my left with the Brian Westhead Pavilion, and I pay £5 to sit in the Keith Mottershead Stand with its 204 seats.

Alongside is a cafe and the rest of the stadium consists of a walkway enclosed by immaculately trimmed hedges, the West Coast mainline thrumming in the background. The sun beats down as I notice there are no dugouts - the substitutes sit in the front few rows of the stand.

The Reds are in all red (hardly surprising !) with a flash of white, and can name only 4 subs, the Lions in all yellow.

Within the first minute Stafford's Kyle Ashman's deflected shot produces a decent penalty shout - the first of many contentious decisions. But thereafter it's all Lions, playing the tidier football and creating opportunities.

Wealth Dasilva-Olajide links up with Limpitshi Bongwanga ('Henry') whose effort is blocked, and the former also has a shot saved. Then Matt Grimshaw, all alone from a corner, sends a free header wide of an open goal and back towards the corner flag for an incredible miss.

Leandro Tanswell Vargas plays in Henry for another smart stop, and then Will Calligan has two efforts saved, one beaten out by Reds' keeper Samuel Amedu, the other a fine instinctive reaction save. In response Stafford can only muster two disappointing shots from Tom Duffy and Ashman as we reach the break goalless.

The match resumes its turmoil after the interval and ten minutes in there is a coming together between the Reds' Ryan Taylor and Lions' Jamie Wrench. Taylor stumbles in the box and the referee, as reliable as a political manifesto this afternoon, points to the penalty spot. Harry Bowers sends Josh Schofield the wrong way and Stafford lead 1-0.

Thereafter resilient home defending and more strange and wrong refereeing decisions frustrate Stockport - and exasperate everyone in the ground. The Lions are reduced to long shots, one of which from Calligan sails onto the cricket pitch 'He made such a hash of it that it should have come with a fried egg' !!

For the Reds Josh Oultram plays a one two and his effort just passes the post beyond a statuesque Schofield. Then the Lions get their chance; a dreadful pass from Amedu reaches Stockport sub Max Dickov in the penalty area and with the whole of the goal to aim at he smashes the ball against the underside of the bar.

On 79 minutes, and after yet more incredible officiating, Grimshaw is booked and sinbinned for dissent. Stafford fashion only one further opportunity, Nathan Scott's shot tipped over by Schofield, but the Reds hold on for a solitary goal victory.

Pride As Lions Roar - Badgers Up Sett !!!

And so to the southern outskirts of Stafford and the Silkmore Lane Sports Ground where Brocton host Stockport Town in a NWCFL Division One South clash. The home side is looking to get back on track after a 4-1 mauling by Stafford Town in El Staffico on Tuesday...

Brocton FC was formed in 1937 when Arthur Mayer, landlord of the Chetwynd Arms pub in Brocton village donated the original match ball and, more importantly, provided the field beside his pub as the club's pitch.

The Badgers (naturally !) competed in the Rugeley and District League (champions in 1947) and then the Cannock Chase League, winning six titles, the last in 1978.

Between 1979 and 1991, the club stepped up to the Staffordshire County League (South) before gaining a much prized place in the Staffordshire Senior League (at one point called the Midland League). This necessitated a move to Rowley Park Stadium in Stafford away from 'The Chet'.

In 2003 an application to the Midlands Football Combination was successful, the club having moved to Cannock Stadium the season before. After a year, however, Cannock Stadium was no longer available (it was shortly to be demolished and sold for housing) so a further move was made to the Coppice Colliery ground of Heath Hayes for a 4 year period by which time Brocton had secured a 30 year lease on a former sports field belonging to Staffordshire Police at Silkmore Lane in Stafford and had developed it to a standard suitable for the Midland Combination.

In 2013/14 Brocton, under manager John Berks, were the last winners of the Midland Combination League before this competition merged with the Midland Alliance to form the Midland League, with the Badgers promoted to membership of the Midland League Premier Division at step 5. But three years later relegation to Division 1 beckoned, and coronavirus scuppered the 2019/20 promotion bid with the season declared null and void.

In May 2021, following league restructuring, the Badgers were placed into the North West Counties Football League Division One South, where they currently sit 14th (of 19) with 13 points from 13 games...but one place above Stockport who are 3 points behind but with a game in hand.

Stockport Town FC, '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... 2019/20 saw Town 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.

And last season saw only seven league fixtures fulfilled; the highlight being an FA cup giant-killing at Skelmersdale.

Against a sky like tarmac, the M6 beckons with today's numberplates en route being V17NYL (a flooring company), MU51CKS (the world renowned Forsyths Music Shop) and the truly execrable DJ 53XEE... It's not long before I'm assaulted by lorry trailers next to the motorway - this time Three Wrens Gin, Orange County CBD, Halloween Spooktacular at Trentham and the Lady Boys of Bangkok... Sadly after a fatal lorry collision and bridge reconstruction THE PIES graffiti is no more but Jenga remains - obviously built better !!

Off at Junction 13, through Acton Gate and then onto the A449 to Rickerscote Road which leads into Silkmore Road - the ground entrance down an alley between two houses. £5 secures me entrance at the gate, from the car, and I drive in - with a crowd of 54 no problems of being hemmed in !

Inside, as the rain pelts down, the clubhouse is in the top left corner and next to me are two stands, one a covered terrace, the other a 100 seater. All four sides are tree lined with hedges in lovely surroundings set in a residential area with new builds mixed with older houses - a warm up area faces the stands, behind a hoarding advertising Liz Ashfield Andy Faulkner Stamp Dealers ... truly a first ☺

I sit next to the Badgers' laconic announcer, and directly behind the wife of Lions' manager, Matt Jansen. The Badgers, 'A Team Built On Community Spirit', are in green and white (rather than black and white !), Stockport in change all yellow, with mascot, manager's son, Freddie, and only able to name three academy teenagers and Jansen, who turns 44 this month, as substitutes.

Stockport create the early openings - Geffry Ehote, Max Greenhalgh and Kieran Kennedy pass up presentable chances and there is little from Brocton - Cam Osborne firing straight at Josh Schofield. Osborne is later substituted after breaking a finger in an innocuous challenge.

On 18 minutes Leandro Tanswell Vargas (Leo) threads the ball through a sea of legs, as the Lions appeal for a penalty, and Stockport lead. Four minutes later Limpitshi Bongwanga (Henry to his team mates !) doubles the advantage with a firm header. Aside from Jamie Walsh's deflected effort for the Lions, and ever worsening weather conditions, that's it to the break which sees Stockport two up.

The second half sees Brocton as disjointed as a plate of spaghetti, barely conjuring up a meaningless opportunity, let alone a meaningful one. After a bad miss from Henry, Leo cuts inside and his deflected shot goes over the Badgers' keeper Tony Allsopp on 69 for 3-0. Henry rifles home eight minutes later to make it four, whilst the Badgers' best effort, in the embers of the game, is a sharp shot blocked by one of their own men....

Just time for Lions' sub Thomas Beckett ('I thought he was dead') to waste two glorious chances - but credit to Allsopp who also produces a wonderful save from Walsh. It finishes 4-0 to Stockport, but it should have been double figures and hat tricks for Leo and Henry... The announcer proclaims the final score as 'Brocton 0 Stockport Town 2', is roundly ridiculed, corrects himself, and assures us he has actually been watching the game....