Vulcan Bombers At The Death After Hurricanes Force !!

And so what should have been the leafy Cheshire environs of Holmes Chapel doesn't happen - the original fixture postponed at the last minute and the rearranged game moved to Middlewich Town FC. Tonight's match is a Cheshire League Division One clash, 'The Bomber Derby', between Holmes Chapel Hurricanes and Vulcan.

Holmes Chapel Hurricanes FC was founded in 2000 by Chris Rogers as a vehicle to enable his son and friends to play football. Initially playing local league football, and based at Holmes Chapel Leisure Centre, The Hurricanes moved up to the Cheshire League in 2018, finishing next to bottom of League 2 in their first term. 

After the Covid aborted 2019/20 season, last year's curtailed campaign saw Chapel place 4th of 11 which was sufficient to secure promotion to Division One - where they sit 5th of 15 with 39 points from 22 games.

The modern day Vulcan FC was established in 1955 in Newton-le-Willows as a works team by its employer, Vulcan Foundry, a locomotive builder, and its workers - but historically its roots can be traced back to 1923/24. Vulcan Institute had two ignominious seasons in the Lancashire Combination, finishing next to bottom on both occasions in 1963 and 1964, before disappearing. 

Vulcan Newton joined the Lancashire Combination in 1979 and became a founder member of the North West Counties Football League in 1982 - but it only lasted 2 years. A merger saw the club change name to Vulcan Clock Face before settling on Vulcan FC - all incarnations spending the vast majority of their time plying their trade in the Warrington & District League.

The current Vulcan FC, who were deposed as league leaders of Division 1 on Saturday by Whalley Range, stepped up from the Warrington & District League to the Cheshire League Division Two in 2017. Promoted as runners up in their first campaign Vulcan have 53 points from 23 matches this time - second place but Winnington Avenue 94 and Blacon Youth have sufficient games in hand to overhaul them. As for the club badge.....

So with unexpected rain falling, it's beyond Dunham Forest Golf & Country Club and bypassing Dunham Massey, scene of Bruno Fernandes' car crash today. Onto the A556, The Windmill at Pickmere, Tabley House, Dove Barn Weddings, The Smoker at Plumley, the Weaver's Whistle and Birches Remembrance Park & Crematorium before I hit the roadworks at the Roberts Bakery roundabout in Rudheath. Car registrations tonight are 247 DR (pandemic related ?), T111 DUN and SIIILYS.

Left onto the A530 and past Croft Lodge Kennels brings me to the outskirts of Middlewich and Finney's Lane, home of Middlewich Town FC. The ground is now surrounded by a new housing estate, a massive crane in the background at the far end and trees and a church opposite the main side.

Inside is a mini astroturf pitch, clubhouse with beer garden and the covered stand with two rows of plastic seats - entry via stairs and then latched doors ! A railed walkway encircles the pitch and there is a small covered shelter agin the away dugout; there is also a separate entrance to the ground at the town end. The crowd tops out at a dozen, give or take the odd dogwalker....

Holmes Chapel are in red and black, Vulcan in change grey and orange as the match kicks off at 6.30pm. The Hurricanes have much the better of the opening stages, Charlie Rodick with a one on one and then a loose back pass creating another clear opportunity - on both occasions Vulcan's keeper stands tall and saves well.

However Chapel take the lead on 27 minutes when Ally Harrison's cross is headed home by Tom Fagan-Hall, with the away custodian nowhere. That lead is doubled on 42, with Harrison's shot from outside the area dived over by the keeper. Vulcan do start to create chances before the break but half time sees the Hurricanes lead 2-0.

The second period is characterised by Holmes Chapel's organisation and graft, which restricts Vulcan to one clear chance - expertly saved by Jason Currie - and long range efforts that come to naught.

A vivid sunset heralds an astonishing last five minutes plus stoppages. The Hurricanes are reduced to ten men on 85 minutes due to a sinbinning for dissent; the Vulcan corner after is headed onto the underside of the bar and scrapes in to make it 2-1.

Two minutes later and shambolic Vulcan defending results in their keeper's third mistake, pulling down a home attacker for a penalty. Statuesque from the spot kick and Sam Hatcher makes it 3-1.

Then a minute into injury time Vulcan win a contentious free kick which is bombed in and falls into the corridor of uncertainty and is touched in. Two minutes on a Hail Mary bomb finds a Vulcan head, over the stranded Currie, and it's 3-3 !

That's how it ends - an unbelievable last five minutes providing a sinbinning, a penalty and four goals ☺. Vulcan go back top by a point but have played two games more than Whalley Range....

Ammers Nail Off Track Railwaymen......

And so to Easter Monday and the Southerns Stadium at Bracken Edge on Roxholme Road in Potternewton, on the northern outskirts of Leeds. Today's Northern Premier League Division One East game features Yorkshire Amateur AFC, their last home fixture of the season, and Shildon AFC.

Yorkshire Amateur AFC was established by Kolin Robertson in November 1918, becoming a founder member of the Yorkshire League in 1920. They originally played at Elland Road, which had become available after Leeds City folded - however they sold the lease to Leeds United in 1920 for £250, and eventually relocated to Bracken Edge in Potternewton a century ago in 1922.

The Ammers left the Yorkshire League after four seasons but rejoined in 1930. There they remained, fluctuating between various divisions, before the league merged with the Midland League to form the Northern Counties East League in 1982.

The club was promoted to Division One East of the Northern Premier League in 2021 on a points per game Covid pandemic formula.

The visitors, Shildon AFC from Dean Street, are known as the Railwaymen after the wagon works which was a major employer in the town for many years - their other nickname is The Shells.

The club was established in 1890 as Shildon Town, joining the Auckland & District League in 1892. By 1900 the Railwaymen were in Northern League Division 2, but folded due to financial problems.

The Shells reformed as Shildon Athletic in 1903, taking the place of Stockton St Johns, who resigned, in the Northern League. The team moved to the North Eastern League in 1907 and changed its name to Shildon AFC in 1923.

The Railwaymen rejoined the Northern League in 1933, finishing as runners up before securing four consecutive championships. Thereafter three relegations (1985, 1992 and 1999) were countered by three promotions (1987, 1993 and 2002 - latterly as division winners).

Shildon were FA Vase semi finalists in 2012/13, losing 4-3 on aggregate to Tunbridge Wells. Two years later the club finished Northern League runners up, by a point, to Marske United, before winning the championship in 2016.

The Railwaymen were also promoted last summer on the same basis as the home side.

An early start sees a walk down to Navigation Road, past Girl Boss, and a train to Manchester Piccadilly - five football grounds en route plus Human Appeal, the hat museum chimney and the flowerboxes at a rechristened Heaton Chapel & Heaton Moor station.

Then a walk across town to Victoria, bypassing Clampdown Records and Gobstopper Candy. I reach Hanging Ditch, the National Football Museum and Chethams School of Music and Victoria station still advertising far flung destinations including Goole and Belgium.

Then the Leeds stopper, past Malta and Arrow Mills, into the Calder Valley under a bruised sky with intermittent sunshine. First is Todmorden, 'our incredible town' with Kindness signs in the hills, then Hebden Bridge with a plethora of dedication boards.

That leads me to Mytholmroyd and its Iron Man information signs, and onto Sowerby Bridge, gateway to the Ryburn Valley - Manchester 29 miles, Leeds 22 - and home to the Jubilee Refreshment Rooms. Halifax sees Shaw Lodge chimney, Hargreaves Foundry, Quality Street since 1936 and the Halifax Flour Society 1879 building.

Disappointingly the Mill Lane Social Club just outside Bradford is shuttered, the car on its roof seemingly repossessed. Fittingly, as we approach Leeds, there is Strachan - The Art of Fine Furniture.

Then to Leeds city centre, Friends of Ham, 'The Swine That Dines', Piranha Hair Design, the blue plaque denoting the home of Smithfield Ironworks, Bagel Nash, Delico Fine Foods, Virtuoso Legal and the Northern School of Contemporary Dance. That leads me to Chapeltown and the Mandela Community Centre, the Dutch Pot West Indian takeaway, Petals & Stitches and Barakah Bros before I hit Potternewton. Numberplates today are CA51BAD, NN18 PEN and 1055 DD.

A walk across Potternewton Park and its run down mansion takes me to Roxholme Avenue, then Roxholme Road, and, ultimately, Bracken Edge. £8 on the gate and a crowd of 102 today - with about 20 enthusiastically supporting the Railwaymen.

The near side hosts a Bar Area, changing rooms and the all seater stand in the corner. Elsewhere it's a walkway on the other three sides, a partial one step terrace opposite and a mini astroturf pitch behind - three sides surrounded by residential housing, the other by trees (and bracken ?). At the top end Ammers advise us that 'Every Person Is Born With A Seed Of Greatness'.

Ammers are in white and blue, currently sitting 12th and their season fading, starting with no number 8 (12 instead), Shildon in change navy and red, who have qualified for the play offs in fifth place. The away side have much the better of the opening exchanges with their centre forward, Dean Thexton, somehow seeing his shot blocked after an Ammers' defensive horror story. He has a goal disallowed and is narrowly wide with two further chances.

But it's not all one way - the home team's Adam Priestley fires off two thunderbolts, parried away, and then sub Amir Berchil shimmies down the touchline and cuts back for Roy Fogarty to sidefoot into the far corner on 27 minutes. The Shells' sub, Billy Greulich-Smith, shoots straight at home custodian Max Culverwell when he should have done better, and we reach the break at 1-0. There is no tannoy or any announcements throughout the entire proceedings.....

The second period begins quietly with Thexton's scissor kick the closest to an equaliser. Then on 62 minutes Priestley beats Railwaymen keeper Shaun Newbrook to a through ball, cuts back inside past the centre half and exquisitely chips home to make it 2-0.

Thereafter Ammers try to put Shildon back in the game - heading against their own bar and then over Culverwell, with the ball being hooked clear on the line. Culverwell makes a wonderful save from Thexton on 90 minutes but the striker finally heads home in injury time for a consolation as it finishes 2-1 to Yorkshire Amateur.

Eagles Soar - But Reduced to Gulls....Yellows Peril At The Death !

And so to Great Sankey and Thornton Lane for a Cheshire League Premier Division fixture between Eagle Sports and Egerton.

Founded in 1928, Eagle Sports began life as a works team for Electro Hydraulics. After a company merger Sports relocated from Warrington to Great Sankey before competing in the Warrington & District League (W&DL) and in 1941 moved to Thornton Road soon after.

After a successful and lengthy stint in the W&DL, The Gulls moved up to the Mid Cheshire League in 2004, renaming as Penketh & Sankey Eagle and crowned as Division 2 champions in their first season. Relegated the year after, the club reverted to the Eagle Sports FC name and were promoted back to the now Cheshire League Division 1 in 2009.

Sports have won the JB Parker Cup twice, the Warrington Guardian Cup, the Cheshire League Memorial Cup and the Liverpool Cup. Promoted as runners up in 2014 Sports remain there, finishing third in 2015 and 2019, and currently sitting 7th this season.

Egerton FC was formed in 2002 and was named after its founder, Maurice Egerton. After playing in local leagues, the Yellows moved up to the Cheshire League and in May 2016 chairman Tom O'Donnell announced plans to redevelop the site in Mereheath Lane, just outside Knutsford, in order to be eligible for promotion to the North West Counties Football League.

In the 2017/18 campaign, Egerton received national media attention after the signings of former professionals Nathan Ellington, Dean Gorre and the (tragically) late JLloyd Samuel. In the same season, Egerton finished fourth in the Cheshire League Division One, earning promotion to the Premier Division in the process. Egerton entered the FA Vase in 2019/20 but the club was later withdrawn after failing a ground grading inspection.

That same season the Yellows put forward their nomination to move up to the NWCFL, but the season's curtailment proved a blessing - 7 points from 18 games would surely have meant exiting the division in the opposite direction !! But this time third place may yet mean promotion... and indeed rumours on the terraces of Whalley Range suggest this is a done deal...

Due to emergency bridge repairs on Thelwall Viaduct an alternative route is needed at the last minute - so past Venom IT, Garveys (still advertising St Patrick's Day !) and Dogs and Divas, it's onto the M60 and beyond Chill Factore and off after Barton Bridge at junction 11, joining the A57. Then the Barley Farm pub, with hordes of Sale Sharks fans descending on the AJ Bell, City Airport and Makro brings me to Irlam and Cadishead.

The weather takes a turn for the worse with heavy, almost torrential rain. Eventually I reach Rixton where there is Anterior - open by appointment only apparently. Thereafter Juniper Farm and Woolston with signs for Paddington House Hotel and the strangely named florist - La Beau Fleurs. Numberplates en route DG11TAL, a second appearance from T22URDS (for those unfortunate blockages !) are matched by NU22 NOW at a car dealership, and CH04CAT and CH12CAT on Cheshire Cat buses in town.

Into the centre of Warrington, eschewing The Hop Pole brings me to Skittles, a vanity project reputedly costing £1m. That is quickly followed by The Golden Gates and the iconic Pink Eye.

Turning into Old Liverpool Road brings me to Sankey Bridges and the shuttered Coach & Horses and Sloop Inn before I reach Thornton Road. Eagle Sports Club is down a rutted road on the right, and the car park is no better...

Ahead of me is the main pitch and beyond a rugby pitch, and in the distance another football pitch - with Fiddlers Ferry power station in the background. It's a railed off ground with the main side tarmacked to half way and the dugouts. Behind those is the Eagle Sports Social Club selling its own Up The Gulls canned beer.

The changing rooms are at the near end, and the other three sides are framed by residential housing - see attachments at the foot of the report.

Eagles are in two tone blue - light blue with a diagonal dark blue stripe and the Yellows, unsurprisingly, in yellow and black. A young referee and two linesmen, one begloved, the other sporting a full tattoo sleeve get matters underway in front of a crowd of 25ish. That crowd dissipates as the weather turns vile - driving rain, hail and a biting wind; the promised sunny spells do not arrive until the second half but the wind ensures there is little warmth from the sun.

The Gulls start better, having a shot shovelled wide and two shouts for a penalty. Then on 23 minutes home captain Coleman heads in decisively from a corner. There is nothing from the visitors until 2 minutes before the break when the left back shoots from 25 yards, prompting a sprawling save round the post.

The second half starts in similar vein, both sides struggling with the wind - but the Gulls (understandably !) coping better. A sliced defensive clearance is well held by Egerton's keeper and he then dives at the feet of a home striker to prevent a second goal.

On 62 minutes he produces a superb tip over, then claws away a viciously inswinging corner, saving the rebound and the follow up is cleared off the line. A deflected shot wide and another effort palmed aside continues to stymie the      Gulls.

Egerton are frustrated with their end product creating only wild shooting. That is until the 93rd minute when, out of nothing, a worldy volley into the top left corner gives them an undeserved equaliser. Matters are all over seconds later.

The equaliser is blamed on a home supporter trapping the ball from a miscued Gulls' shot and delivering the ball back to the Yellows' keeper instead of allowing the ball to run into the long grass and running down the clock.....