Outcasts Are Cast Out - East Is East, Blues Is Best........

And so to the Seashell Trust, formerly the Royal Schools For The Deaf, on Stanley Road in Cheadle Hulme for a Manchester League Division One derby between Manchester Central FC and East Manchester FC.

Manchester Central FC was formed in 1928 by Manchester City director John Ayrton and the owner of Belle Vue stadium, John Iles. Ayrton founded Manchester Central because he felt that East Manchester needed a League side - City having moved out of the area in 1923.

The Outcasts played at the Belle Vue Athletics and Speedway Stadium, joining the Lancashire Combination in its first year (1928). With Billy Meredith as coach, the Magpies finished seventh of 20, and applied to join the Football League for the 1929/30 season - which was knocked back.

Central finished runners up the following year, but another attempt to join the League failed. 1930/31 was less successful - 7th and another fruitless League application. However Wigan Borough resigned from the Football League in October 1931 and Central applied to take their place.

This was initially accepted but a formal complaint was lodged jointly by Manchester City and Manchester United, on the grounds that Manchester could not support a third League side. The Football League backed the existing sides, United receiving hugely critical media coverage, and Central were denied, subsequently resigning from the Combination, continuing in the Manchester Amateur League for a few years before becoming defunct.

The club was revived in 2016, joining the Manchester League Division One, and promoted to the Premier as runners up in 2018 - a season culminating in Murray Trophy and Terry Wood cup successes. Despite finishing second in the top tier the Outcasts chose to opt out at the end of the 2018/2019 campaign, before rejoining in Division Two in 2021 and earning promotion to Division One - five wins and a draw from 10 matches leaves the Magpies mid table (8th of 14) this term.

East Manchester FC, from the Wright Robinson College in Gorton was formed in 1960 as the works team of the Ferranti engineering factory and initially competed in the local Chorlton League, which they immediately won. A switch to the South East Lancashire League brought about several changes of name from Ferranti to ICT to ICL and finally to East Manchester in 1985.

Success in the South East Lancs prefaced The Blues joining the Manchester League in 1981, and a ground move from Mellands to the GMB club, both in Gorton. Winning the second tier title saw the club promoted to the Premier Division of the Manchester League, and a league and cup double arrived in 1992.

East moved venue again to Kirkmanshulme Lane, then settling at Dave Pace's Butchers Arms in Droylsden until 2006. A short return to the GMB ground and then the Blues took up residence at the Wright Robinson College in 2008. The club was relegated in 2015 but promoted back as champions the following season. However another demotion, in bottom place, in 2019 sees East playing, next to bottom this time with 9 points from 13 games, in the First Division.

Belatedly onto Park Road, delayed by roadworks, past a pony being led in a pink coat then De Luxe Chicken (still no sign of opening !) and Beauty by Peaches & Cream. Thereafter the Moss Trooper, Hare and Hounds, Al Khans, Cheshire Dog Spa and Bowdon Rugby Club on Clay Lane. All these intertwined with numberplates 123 ANY and JU51 BOX (a greengrocer) and a van emblazoned with 'The Rutland Fox'... and another with Willow Goat Crafts....

To Roaring Gate Lane, Hale Top Farm, Etrop Grange and the Manchester Airport Relief Road - thankfully not flooded today.... Off at the Handforth turn and Little Acorns Nursery - Fun Frogs in the opposite direction - and then right at the Waggon and Horses into Stanley Road.

The vast complex is on the left, tree lined, bounded by the Relief Road, construction works aplenty and a mix of residential housing (Sir Norman Stoller Way) and the Academy. Problems with the electric gates, both in and out, lead, eventually, via a pot holed access road to the car park, changing rooms and astroturf pitch. Confusion regarding kick off time but it's finally clarified as 3pm under the floodlights.

Central are in white and black with single back and red hoops, sponsored by iMap, East in all blue and a mix of Greystones and National Debt Support sponsored shirts. The referee is wearing gloves before a crowd of 12, with light rain turning to blustery winds and a leaf strewn (but not leaf logged !!) pitch.
 
The Magpies are sluggish in the first period, incohesive and lacking any real threat. No real surprise that the Blues take the lead just after the quarter hour - a clumsy challenge in the box, and the penalty comfortably converted. 90 seconds later it's 2-0 as a left wing cross is adeptly flicked into the far corner.
 
Finally the Outlaws get going and their best chance sees Gabriel Wiwoloku turn and fire, but it is deflected just wide. But it could be worse - East's right full back shoots from 25 yards, a minute before half time, and his sweet strike smacks the foot of the post before coming out.
 
A quadruple substitution for Central at half time sees no change as East hit the side netting - but then the substitutions start to make a difference... On 49 minutes sub Ruben Abreu receives the ball, beats his man, pulls back and scores to halve the deficit. Seven minutes later Abreu shows sublime skill to square to Kaine Martin who taps in, virtually on the goal line, and it's 2-2.
 
Just beyond the hour Abreu finds Junior Silva and his shot is blocked, desperately, on the line - East immediately counterattack for a two on one, which ends in a disappointing finish wide. Half an hour of end to end entertaining football follows, the crowd enthralled as to which (if any) side will poach the winner...

Then in the 90th minute the Blues break and, at the third attempt, their left back shoots into the roof of the net despite shotstopper Dan Whiting's vain attempts to save. East take the points from their 3-2 win, moving up to 11th, whilst the Outcasts reflect on 10 weeks without a home league win.....