Church Prayers Answered As Bucks Fail To Fizz

So to the second weekend in August and the ‘magic’ of the FA Cup, with today’s chosen Extra Preliminary Round tie seeing a trip over the tops to The DSM Memorial Ground as Penistone Church FC play Bootle FC with Northern Counties East meeting North West Counties.

Penistone Church FC was formed in 1906 from the merger of Penistone Choirboys and Penistone Juniors, and competed initially in the Sheffield Amateur League. In 1909 Church were the first winners of the Sheffield Junior Cup, which they won again in 1937.

The club became a founder member of the Sheffield & Hallamshire County Senior League in 1983 after the merger of local leagues. Church reached the Premier League in 1995 but were something of a yo-yo club in the 1990s.

The club was promoted to the Northern Counties East League Division 1 in 2014 and qualified for the inaugural Division One play offs in 2016, losing out to AFC Emley. A year later Church beat Grimsby Borough in the play off final to win promotion to the Premier League, and also won the Northern Counties East Football League Cup. Last season saw a creditable 7^th position in the top tier.

The original Bootle FC was formed in 1879 and played its first fixture in 1880. The club were Everton FC's main rivals and competed with them for a prestigious place in the newly formed Football League. The Bucks narrowly lost out as only one club per area was permitted to join.

In 1889 the club became founder members of the Football Alliance, finishing runners up and FA Cup quarter finalists. The Football Alliance then became the Football League Second Division with Bootle finishing a respectable 8th but then resigning due to ongoing financial problems - ironically being replaced by Liverpool FC - and then folding.

The club was resurrected after World War II and joined the Lancashire Combination in 1948. The Bucks decided not to sign Bert Trautmann, apparently not wanting to cause upset because of local war feelings, and he joined St Helens and moved on to bigger and better things. The club won the league at the first attempt but struggled in the top flight, before resigning and folding again during the 1953/54 campaign.

In 1953 the current club was formed as Langton FC, playing in local Bootle leagues then the Liverpool County Combination. Twenty years on there was a successful request to change name to the latest incarnation of Bootle FC.

A year later the Bucks joined the Lancashire Combination and after two championship successes left to enter the Cheshire County League. In 1982 the Cheshire County League was one of the leagues merged to form the North West Counties Football League with Bootle FC a founder member.

After relegation to the Second Division, in 2002 the club dropped back into the Liverpool County Combination as Bucks Park on Copy Lane closed its doors for the last time. Four years later with a new ground, New Bucks Park at Vesty Road (now sponsored by TDP Solicitors), the Bucks were re-elected to the NWCFL and promoted as champions to the top division in 2009 – runners up in 2017 their best finish.

It's another sunkissed afternoon as, appropriately, I pass Cool Tan, Sunsation and Tan 'n' Tonic, before reaching the execrable ELCTRICAL TOILETORIES T & T Pound Plus - open 7 days a week (make that none !!)

Onto the M60, past the Co-op pyramid and its crystal Methodist, then The Light sociable cinema (whatever that means ?) at Stockport's Red Rock leisure development. Off at Denton Rock to the M67 at the end of which is a Big Baps butty van.

Through Hollingworth, to the pretty village of Tintwistle, Arnfield Fly Fishery and then Crowden where the scale of depletion in reservoir levels is striking. It's a glorious day for driving the Woodhead Pass and into the Peak District National Park, marred only by the brown and scorched countryside. Then into Barnsley Metropolitan District Council territory - twinned with Gorlovka and Schwabisch Gmund !!

I turn off at The White Heart into Penistone, along a tidy High Street, then down Victoria Street to the DSM Memorial Ground on Church View Road. Plenty of parking next to the stadium this week, a colourful flower bed outside the turnstile, and a fiver in.

Inside there is a busy clubhouse at the near end with the changing rooms adjoining. To my left is the covered stand, terracing giving way to black and white seats up to the half way line – and the ubiquitous Totty Signs advertising hoarding in these parts !! The rest of the ground is open with just a walkway on the opposite touch line and a mini pitch behind the goal at the top end. Naturally (the clue is in the football club name and address) there is a church in sight, standing imperiously above the houses, bells pealing away. Another deckchair in evidence – and some shooting sticks too !!

There is housing behind the main stand but beyond that are fabulous views of the Yorkshire countryside, topped by an even prettier landscape opposite.

Church are aiming to replicate their FA Cup run from last season, winning three rounds before losing to Harrogate Town in the Second Qualifying Round. They are in black and white stripes, the Bucks in all blue with yellow trim. Referee and one linesman are in regulation all black, but the paunchy assistant next to me has white flashes on his kit.......strange.

The Bucks have brought decent and raucous support, swelling the crowd to 165. Notwithstanding a bone dry pitch, burnt in places, Church begin dreadfully and Bootle should really take advantage. Andrew Gillespie ghosts in unchallenged and then swipes the ball well wide. Church's keeper, Chris Snaith, makes two excellent stops to deny Mike Ordish and Carl Peers, but surely it's just a question of time.....

Then on 25 minutes the Bucks' defence switches off and Church's Kieran Ryan pinches the ball, twists and turns before shooting low into the corner past a wrong footed Ryan Jones. It is Penistone's only chance in the first period.

There is no change in Bootle's style of play and they continue to dominate, hitting the woodwork before finally three minutes from half time Peers is played in, Snaith hesitates and the attacker rolls the ball home to restore parity.

The second half sees a rather better home performance, particularly at the back with the defence well organised by veteran Brett Lovell. Nonetheless the Bucks do create chances. Ben Jago forces a fine diving save from Snaith, and the custodian blocks Elliott Nevitt's effort with his legs.

Church have come more into the game without really threatening until a quarter of an hour to go. Ryan is given too much time and space in the corner, before crossing to the back post where Nathan Keightley heads the ball back across Jones - the ball seemingly crossing the line in slow motion.

Bootle throw men forward, creating pressure but no meaningful chances as the Bucks fizzle out (sorry !!). Indeed Church come the closer to scoring - Bootle's Lee McConchie mistimes his header, it catches in the swirling wind, and from fully 25 yards out loops over Jones and hits the frame of his own goal. 2-1 to Church at the finish and high hopes of another lucrative FA Cup run remain.

Bucks Fizz, Jamie Makes Hay and West End OKay

And so, on the final day of the North West Counties Football League season, it's a trip to the Delta Taxis Stadium for the Premier Division clash between Bootle FC and West Didsbury & Chorlton AFC.

The original Bootle FC was formed in 1879 and played its first fixture in 1880. The club were Everton FC's main rivals and competed with them for a prestigious place in the newly formed Football League. The Bucks narrowly lost out as only one club per area was permitted to join.

In 1889 the club became founder members of the Football Alliance, finishing runners up and FA Cup quarter finalists. The Football Alliance then became the Football League Second Division with Bootle finishing a respectable 8th but resigned due to ongoing financial problems - ironically being replaced by Liverpool FC - and then folded.

The club was resurrected after World War II and joined the Lancashire Combination in 1948. The Bucks decided not to sign Bert Trautmann, apparently not wanting to cause upset because of local war feelings, and he joined St Helens and moved on to bigger and better things. The club won the league at the first attempt but struggled in the top flight, before resigning and folding during the 1953/54 campaign.

In 1953 the current club was formed as Langton FC, playing in local Bootle leagues then the Liverpool County Combination. Twenty years on there was a successful request to change name to the latest incarnation of Bootle FC.

A year later the Bucks joined the Lancashire Combination and after two championship successes left to enter the Cheshire County League. In 1982 the Cheshire County League was one of the leagues merged to form the North West Counties Football League with Bootle FC a founder member.

After relegation to the Second Division, in 2002 the club dropped back into the Liverpool County Combination as Bucks Park on Copy Lane closed its doors for the last time. Four years later with a new ground, New Bucks Park at Vesty Road (now sponsored by Delta Taxis), the Bucks were re-elected to the NWCFL and promoted as champions to the top tier in 2009 - a third place finish being their best performance since.

West Didsbury & Chorlton AFC, the visitors from Brookburn Road, was formed in 1908 in West Didsbury as Christ Church AFC by a local Sunday School superintendent - a team formed out of the Boys Brigade Company and the Young Men's Bible Class. The side played in the Manchester Alliance League up to the outbreak of World War 1.

The team changed its name to West Didsbury AFC at the start of the 1920/21 season, entering the Lancashire & Cheshire League. The 'Bury won the Rhodes Cup, twice, and the Whitehead Cup, but never the league.

In 2003 the club renamed to West Didsbury & Chorlton AFC, and moved across to the Manchester League in 2006, with their 2012/13 application to join the North West Counties being accepted. In their first season 'West' finished third and were promoted to the Premier, as now defunct title winners Formby AFC failed ground grading criteria.

The club enjoys celebrity support, including local indie rock band Dutch Uncles who launched their album O Shudder at a game in 2014 (still never heard of them !!). They also form part of the club's Krombacher Ultras, named after the lager sold in the clubhouse.... 

And so on a cloudy, breezy afternoon it's on to Manchester Road, past the carved wooden eagle at Altrincham Dental Practice, the Wheatsheaf pub (surprisingly closed) and Champz Bar (unsurprisingly still closed !) to the new M6 / M56 link road.

It's motorways all the way from here - the M6 and a becalmed Thelwall viaduct, the M62 and a quiet IKEA and miles and miles of massive warehouses, and the M57 and its elephant signs for Knowsley Safari Park. The end of the motorway sees 'PIES MUSIC OUT SOON' graffiti, now rather out of date, and Switch Island. Avoiding the signs for nearby Aintree racecourse, past Copy Lane police station then a left on to Park Lane, right into Bridle Street and left into Vesty Business Park.

This brings me to the Delta Taxis Stadium, a football ground with its own wind turbine - much in keeping with the spinning wheels on the roofs of the other industrial units. Inside New Bucks Park to my left are two seated areas, one white and one blue, bisected by the entrance to a busy clubhouse. Further up is a cosy covered (bus) shelter.

To the right is a refreshment bar, Frankie Andys, next to the Dodge Kop, a two step covered concrete terrace with four benches and festooned in flags - 'We Are The Bucks', others honouring players (Cox, Liam Loughlin, Muff) and joined by two from West Didsbury & Chorlton. From the roof hangs a banner 'Nice 1 Jamie'.

On the opposite side are the dugouts and two mini all weather pitches while the far end holds a small grass warm up area. The pitch is bumpy and bare in places and after the incident involving a player's credit card on the field at Barnoldswick, this week a player's car keys are found on the grass......

The Bucks are in blue and yellow, West in white and black. Before kick off there is a guard of honour and round of applause - after a 17 year association with Bootle FC, over 450 matches and more than 100 goals local hero Jamie Hay hangs up his boots today. Fittingly he is given the captain's armband for his final appearance.

In the opening minutes it's all West, with Matty Kay and Ben Steer having efforts just wide and Ash Woods has a shot cleared off the line. The Bucks can only manage a Carl Peers effort straight down 'Bury keeper Aaron Ashley's throat.

Finally just beyond the half hour Steer puts West ahead, fortuitously getting a second chance, steering (!) the ball into the left hand corner of the net. Bootle respond and a ball whipped into the box appears to evade everybody - Liam Loughlin credited with the equaliser.

Shortly after Ashley palms away a long range strike, when he should have done better, and Hay thrashes the rebound home as the stadium erupts. West go straight down the other end and Kay drives home from the edge of the area, low and hard beyond Ryan Jones, for 2-2 at the interval. Four goals in eight minutes and 'I've seen less attempts on goal in a penalty shoot out - and it's only half time !!'

The second period sees the home side take control and after a lovely Peers flick on, Ryan Cox lays the ball off for Hay to superbly curl the ball in from 20 yards. Within minutes Hay's majestic header crashes against the crossbar, and Ashley tips aside Joel Powell's close range effort before producing a magnificent double save to deny Peers.

The Bucks are rampant but surprisingly West get back into the match with a dubious penalty awarded for handball. Kay sends Jones the wrong way to level it up at 3-3 just after the hour. Ten minutes on Woods slices home after some wonderful play from sub Carlos Mendes Gomes and Kay - the finish not quite matching the build up !!

Ashley sensationally denies Cox in a one on one, and then Kay slots home his hat trick after another fine team move – and the six West supporters go wild in the bus shelter !! He is denied a fourth from a free kick as Jones tips his effort over.

The final moments of the match and the ball is played across West's box just too far ahead of Hay, looking for his hat rick - that really would have brought the house/ wind turbine down !! 5-3 to 'Bury at the finish in a fabulous advert for Step 5 football, with Bootle finishing as runners up to Atherton Collieries, and West a best ever sixth.