Mighty Atoms Save The Daten !

And so onto the next part of the roadmap and Thursday night football to the Cheshire League for a reserves fixture at Culcheth Sports Club. I had been hoping to take in Daten versus Lostock Gralam (the Grey Lambs - yes really !!) earlier in the month but that fell foul of the public/ private lockdown debate, so it's Daten and Broadheath Central tonight.

Daten FC was formed in 1948 and was the football team of British Nuclear Fuels Sports and Social Club, now Culcheth Sports Club. The club's history goes back prior to this as the site was originally an inshore navy depot built in the 1930s known as HMS Ariel, with the football pitches located on what was the parade ground and where the auxiliary buildings were located. Sometimes in exceptionally dry weather the foundations' outlines can be seen.

Daten is derived from Department of Atomic Energy, with an emblem of an atom and their nickname of The Atoms. Home kit is orange, away yellow and green matching the safety colours of BNFL.

The club preliminarily played in local leagues and sourced players from the workforce based nearby or family members before opening up to the community in later years whilst participating in the local Warrington District League. 

The Atoms changed in 1999 with the closing down of British Nuclear Fuels and, with the help of a Sport England grant and a considerable sum raised by club members, the club moved from Daten to Culcheth Sports Club, but the football club decided to retain its name. Promoted at the end of the 2017/18 season, Daten have finished 11th in the past two seasons, and with five points from six games lay 14th (of 17) this time, with early elimination from the post Covid Cup.

Broadheath Central Junior FC was established in 1922, and played in local Saturday and Sunday Leagues for many years before joining the Mid Cheshire League in 1991 and immediately gaining promotion to Division One. Relegated in 1997, Central left the (now) Cheshire League in 2009 for the Altrincham and District Amateur League.

Heath rejoined the Cheshire League in 2016, and moved up from the First Division to the Premier in 2019 after a fiery 1-1 draw with the now defunct Blacon Youth (still extant in Division Two via their Reserve side) in very late May. Eighteen games last time, thirteen points and thirteenth place at curtailment was a disappointment.

This campaign two wins, four draws and a solitary loss in an entertaining clash with Altrincham Reserves left Broadheath in 5th, but Central, unlike the Atoms, progressed in the JB Parker Cup, after a thrilling 5-1 thrashing of GPSO (Greenalls Padgate St Oswalds) in their final group fixture, complete with livewire toddler pitch invasion.... Semi finals now await after a 6-1 drubbing of Winstanley Warriors. The reserves sit rock bottom, with Daten starting to climb the table following back to back victories.

Glorious sunshine and a scenic route through Dunham Massey, via the National Trust property, country pubs the Vine Inn and The Rope and Anchor, Dunham Fishery before I hit Warburton, the Saracen's Head and the toll bridge - 12p I won't see again !! Numberplates tonight are S1 TUP and RAV3N - the latter black naturally ☺

Then into Glazebury, home of The Hugging Table Company (?), before arriving at Culcheth, Little Lions Cattery, left at Culcheth High School and onto Charnock Road. As expected parking is shambolic at the Sports Club...

The club is set back from the road, and supports two football pitches, four tennis courts, a croquet lawn, Legacy bar and Northern Starr Dance & Fitness. The complex is entirely surrounded by residential housing and flats, bar a short area bordered by a petrol station, with Newchurch Parish Church providing musical chimes in the corner.....

The Atoms are in orange and black, Broadheath in red and black stripes and a 'crowd' of 9 endures an abject first half hour. Then an atomic fusion as a long ball is inadvertently flicked on by a Central defender on 32 minutes and the Daten forward beats the onrushing keeper from 35 yards. Thereafter both sides fashion chances, the best of which produces a superb reaction save from the home custodian.

The second period sees Broadheath largely anonymous, and the Atoms miss several chances. Finally they score a second with five minutes to go, a strong, unchallenged header from a corner by the centre half.

Then, in the first minute of injury time, another Atomic break, the hobbling Broadheath keeper saves but the ball loops up and is headed in from a couple of yards to make it 3-0. The away shotstopper goes down, injured again, and the referee blows up, despite the fact we have had ten minutes of stoppages this half....

Two Home Sides, Two Away Sides, Two Apiece !!

And so, under unusual circumstances, to Salisbury Fields in Broadheath, home of Broadheath Central FC, for today's Cheshire League Premier Division clash. The designated home team is Egerton FC, from Mereheath Lane just outside of Knutsford, whilst the 'away' side are the very same Broadheath Central. Quite whether this is down to PanicDemic19 or last week's wanton vandalism at Egerton Youth Club is not quite clear.....

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 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 !! Two wins and two losses this time around leaves Egerton exactly midtable, 9th of 17.

Broadheath Central Junior FC was established in 1922, and played in local Saturday and Sunday Leagues for many years before joining the Mid Cheshire League in 1991 and immediately gaining promotion to Division One. Relegated in 1997, Central left the (now) Cheshire League in 2009 for the Altrincham and District Amateur League.

Heath rejoined the Cheshire League in 2016, and moved up from the First Division to the Premier in 2019 after a fiery 1-1 draw with the now defunct Blacon Youth (still extant in Division Two via their Reserve side) in very late May. Eighteen games last time, thirteen points and thirteenth place at curtailment was a disappointment. This campaign two wins, two draws and a solitary loss in an entertaining clash with Altrincham Reserves leaves last weekend sees Broadheath one place above the Yellows.

Almost certainly my shortest trek to a match sees me spend ten minutes walking via Claremont Tennis Club, a large dead rat on the pavement outside Aura Apartments and then left into Salisbury Road opposite the Old Cheshire Cheese pub (now Heatcraft) and Cryoniq.

Terraced houses living cheek by jowl bring me to the railed off Salisbury Fields, surrounded by trees in various states of autumnal undress, and with the Bridgewater Canal, towpath and modern apartment block just visible in the distance.

Numberplates GR11LAS (Gorilla Barbers - struggling to see their USP) and H3XED feature en route. Central occupy Unit 18 of The Arches & Quay House Business Park Estate constructed out of the old viaduct, providing changing rooms and a coffee shop.

Storm Aiden brings strong winds, variable sunshine and a brief shower as a youngsters' game alongside finishes shortly before the 2pm kick off. A fluctuating crowd approaches 50, with a healthy and vocal Egerton contingent in the corner.

Egerton are in yellow and black, sponsored by MyProtein, Broadheath in red and black stripes, endorsed by SoeShe, and we're underway at two minutes before two.

Central are denied by the Yellows' keeper's legs before on 17 minutes an imbecilical decision leads to the opening, home goal. Egerton are awarded a free kick in their penalty box, and for mystifying reasons choose to blast the ball at a Central player barely two yards away. The ball ricochets out to the right wing and a gorgeous, arcing cross is met by a hopeful lunge, with just enough purchase to stab the ball into the net.

Arguments rage and Egerton receive three yellow cards in the next ten minutes before regaining their composure. On the half hour Dougie Pringle's shot is blocked and ripples the side netting. My neighbour celebrates the 'goal' - a few seconds too early as the resultant corner is touched in.

Decent chances at both ends but 1-1 at the break, which lasts barely six minutes and sees the referee and linesman use their cars as improvised dressing rooms......

Within a minute a misplaced Broadheath pass falls for Niall Rhodes, who cuts in and finishes with aplomb, smashing into the bottom left hand corner. Parity is restored 9 minutes later as the ball is not cleared and Central's left winger emulates Rhodes with a wonderful strike into the top right hand net.

A flurry of substitutions disrupts the flow of the game, but you feel the next goal will prove to be the winner. Sadly it never arrives, despite two desperate saves at the death, one at each end, with Rhodes denied by an unorthodox legs first block. 2-2 at the finish is a fair outcome, whether you're home or away.....