Borough Earn Their Stripes !!

And so to Windleshaw Sports Club in St Helens for a North West Counties Division One North fixture between FC St Helens and Bacup Borough.

FC St Helens, 'The Stripes', was established in 2014 in the heart of the town, originally as St Helens Town's reserve side. Their motto is 'Simul Nos Firmiories' - Together We Are Strong...

The club started in the West Cheshire League, before moving to the Cheshire League Division Two in 2015 and achieving promotions to Division One in 2016 and the Premier in 2018. As champions last season The Stripes were promoted to the NWCFL, replacing, ironically, former FA Vase winners St Helens Town, who finished bottom and were relegated. FC have started with a win and two draws from their opening three fixtures.

Bacup Borough, from the wonderfully named Cowtoot Lane, began life as Bacup Baldies (!) in 1879 before changing to Bacup then Bacup Borough in 1920. At the start of the 2013/14 campaign they became Bacup & Rossendale Borough, following the sad demise of Rossendale United FC. BARB only lasted two years and in 2015, after two wretched seasons, saw a reversion to Bacup Borough - not through supporter pressure but because 'evil spirits didn't approve' (I kid you not !!).

 

The Borough moved to their current ground, West View, now sponsored by local property developer Brian Boys, in 1889 and joined the Lancashire League in 1893. A move up to the Lancashire Combination in 1903 followed and the club was crowned champions in 1947.

 

Following the amalgamation of the Cheshire League and the Lancashire Combination, the club became founder members of the North West Counties in 1982. In September 1997 and after a 0-10 reverse against Tetley Walker, Brent Peters was appointed manager......and a quarter of a century on is still in charge for this afternoon's game - the world's longest serving football manager. He's also Chairman, Secretary and Director....

The club was promoted as Division Two champions in 2004 but, despite the club motto of 'Prosperity Through Endeavour', suffered relegation at the end of the 2014/15 season - those disapproving evil spirits presumably......... Borough just failed to bounce straight back, losing the play off final in extra time at Barnton in May 2016, and had two poor campaigns followed by mid table mediocrity and Covid..... This season has seen last weekend's 4-3 home win over Nelson after three straight defeats.

A horror journey which sees Dazzle The Clown, a bloke wearing a T shirt emblazoned with 'Beerilliant Dad', numberplates UR 53CUR (an alarm company) and EA55SSY and a building company advertising WhatTheMuk leads to wasps, accidents, stranded vehicles, roadworks and the M6 clogged from J20 to J26. Into Warrington and out on the A57 , the Pink Eye building, Crosfields ARLFC, Snoutwood Trotters (!), then Trigger Pond, Christmas Tree Farm and Bargyloo Farm.

 

That brings me to Bold Heath, Thatto Heath, Clock Face - its rugby league side Clock Face Miners ☺ - Sherdley Manor and via The Glass Horse to central St Helens. To Denton's Green and Tennis Street leading to Windleshaw Sports Club. Ample parking, a fiver in, and a crowd of 77 with at least 20 from Bacup.

Inside we are prevented from reaching the clubhouse by an officious steward - the ground is tree lined, a storage area next to the bar and outside seating and a very plush rest home with first floor balcony. At the top end is a playing field and a minuscule covered area, with the dugouts cordoned off and then, after a complaint, opened up prior to kick off.

St Helens are in red and white stripes, Borough in all white with dark blue herringbone sleeves. Four minutes in Bacup lead as Lewis-Simon Byrne's through ball reaches Jack Hayward, who cuts inside and flatfoots Saints' keeper Joe Mason, slotting into the far corner.

 

Thereafter FC hit the woodwork twice - one a palm onto the stanchion, the other a diving header from Zak Riley. They also miss a sitter, and half time sees Borough lead 1-0, but it's a messy half characterised by strong winds (despite the sunshine), a parched pitch and poor refereeing.

 

The weak refereeing continues into the second period, notwithstanding four Bacup yellow cards - the official failing to crack down on blatant gamesmanship. Borough go two up 6 minutes into the half with a Liam Houghton own goal, flicking in a Borough corner.

 

Houghton then follows this with a terrible miss at the other end, and Elliott Bradshaw heads over from a free kick. Finally, on 74 minutes, Jacob Stretch smashes the ball into the top corner from the edge of the box to halve the deficit.

 

But despite plenty of Stripes' huffing and puffing there is no equaliser as the game becomes increasingly bad tempered, and they are indebted to a super save from Mason at the death to leave Borough 2-1 winners.

When Skies Are Navy Blue....

And so, at the fourth time of asking (waterlogged and frozen pitches and then structural damage caused by Storm Angus), it's a trip to the wonderfully named Cowtoot Lane in Bacup. There stands the Brian Boys West View Stadium, the home of Bacup Borough and the venue for today's North West Counties fixture against Carlisle City.

Bacup Borough began life as Bacup Baldies (!) in 1879 before changing to Bacup then Bacup Borough in 1920. At the start of the 2013/14 campaign they became Bacup & Rossendale Borough, following the sad demise of Rossendale United FC. BARB only lasted two seasons though and the start of last season saw a reversion to Bacup Borough - not through supporter pressure but because 'evil spirits didn't approve' (I kid you not !!).

 

The Borough moved to their current ground, West View, now sponsored by local property developer Brian Boys, in 1889 and joined the Lancashire League in 1893. A move up to the Lancashire Combination in 1903 followed and the club was crowned champions in 1947.

 

Following the amalgamation of the Cheshire League and the Lancashire Combination, the club became founder members of the North West Counties in 1982. In September 1997 and after a 0-10 reverse against Tetley Walker, Brent Peters was appointed manager.... and is still in charge for this afternoon's game.

 

The club were promoted as Division Two champions in 2004 but, despite the BARB club motto of 'Prosperity Through Endeavour', was relegated at the end of the 2014/15 season - those disapproving evil spirits presumably......... Borough just failed to bounce straight back, losing the play off final in extra time at Barnton last May.

Carlisle City FC was formed in 1975 by two former Carlisle United players, George Walker and Ron Thompson, 'to give local lads somewhere to play'. The Sky Blues joined the Northern Alliance and were runners up three times before finishing bottom of the league in 1987, and dropping into  the Northern Combination. At the end of the following season, the Northern Combination merged with the Northern Alliance and City became founder members of the new Division One.

 

As champions in 1992, the club was promoted to the Premier Division where they were runners up on five occasions. Having finished third last season their application to join the North West Counties Football League was successful. This was not least because they had taken over the lease at Gillford Park in the city in 2015 from Celtic Nation FC. (Yes that Celtic Nation - millionaire throws money at the club to buy promotion, club finish second, millionaire withdraws support, club goes bust: all in two years)

Onto Washway Road, past Cinders Fireplaces, Red Hot Lips, Maidments - and their ludicrous Serious Crime Solicitors strapline - and Garveys still with their Christmas karaoke..... Then the M60 'smart' motorway, with just the 30 vehicles running out of fuel in December, and Sale Sharks traffic snarling up Barton Bridge and the Trafford Centre.

 

Off at the M66 with the hills shrouded in low grey cloud, blotting out the wind turbines before I reach Rawtenstall, the terminus of the East Lancashire Railway, and home to several mills and even more shoe factory shops.

 

Into Waterfoot, where appropriately it begins to drizzle, and naturally there is a Waterfoot Aquatics - but also The Raven's Nest, a tattoo parlour. Beyond Stacksteads and then to Bacup, up Cooper Street, its steep gradient surely making it a candidate for Heart Attack Hill, which brings me to Cowtoot Lane.

 

West View is, to put it mildly, a ramshackle stadium. Two sides are completely fenced off presumably due to safety reasons - the covered far end behind the goal and the stand opposite where a dry stone wall separates the ground from the farmland and hills. A picturesque view on a glorious sunny day but alas today is grey, bleak and unremittingly cold.....

 

On the popular side is the main stand, which apparently was doing a Mexican Wave during Storm Angus - possibly why only three people take their seats.....The near end supports the Martin Peters Sports Bar, 'The place to be seen', and five portakabins in varying states of decay. There is also a noticeable slope across the pitch, coming down from the hills.

 

Borough are in black and white, and the Sky Blues (sponsored by House of Vodka), inexplicably, in change navy blue... and with no number 4, but 14 instead. The first half hour, on a pudding of a pitch, produces much slipping and sliding with the mud the only winner, and 100mph football combining wayward passing and aimless hoofing. Sky Blues' winger Ryan Errington has two long range efforts and a goal ruled out for offside, whilst Borough's Anthony Hall shoots weakly and has a tame header saved.

 

Then on 32 minutes Borough's keeper Aaron Ashley flails at a cross and City's number 14, Michael Slack, drives the ball across him into the far corner. Three minutes later Jamie Heath's free kick eludes everyone to nestle in the opposite corner and the Sky Blues lead 2-0 at the break.

 

Half time brings us news, via the tubby linesman, that the referee's wife has locked herself out of the house, and will have to make a detour to the dressing room to pick up his key... And an answer as to why City have no number 4 - a fortnight ago Mark Graham broke his tibia and fibula at Widnes, and the shirt is yet to be retrieved from Whiston Hospital.

 

The half time rollicking from Brent Peters has no effect, as within seven minutes the Sky Blues conjure up a wonderful team goal, ending with Brad Hayton slotting past Ashley. A flurry of substitutions follow, with City content to hold on to what they have, and Bacup unable to create any real opportunities.

 

Twelve minutes from the end Borough get a lifeline. Hall's free kick from just outside the penalty box is fumbled by Carlisle keeper Adam Coward and centre forward Adrian Bellamy smashes home the rebound. But that's it for the home team as Steven Cassidy's delicate cross drifts just wide of the post and then Alexander Nwachukusa's free header is planted over as the Sky Blues emerge as 3-1 victors.