And so to the
Community Stadium (New Victoria Park) in Burscough for an Easter Monday North
West Counties Premier League fixture. Burscough FC, 'The Linnets', take on
Squires Gate this afternoon.
The first Burscough AFC was formed in 1880 but folded in 1900. It was
re-established as Burscough Rangers in 1905 and moved to Mart Lane in 1908,
before also folding in 1935. The present Burscough club was founded in 1946 and
worked its way up the Liverpool Leagues, Lancashire Combination and Cheshire
County League before becoming founder members and first champions of the North
West Counties Football League in 1982.
In 1998 they were promoted to the Northern Premier League, and in 2003 became
the smallest ever club to win the FA Trophy against Tamworth under the
management of Sean Teale - his reward was to be sacked 6 weeks later......
In 2007 the Linnets won the Northern Premier and spent two seasons in the
Conference North, their highest ever position. Thereafter three relegations in
2009, 2012 and 2017 and an abortive half season ground share with Skelmersdale
United brought them both home and to their current status, North West Counties
Premier - which they are in real danger of being relegated from - seven points
adrift with only four games left....
The story
continues - Burscough sold the old Victoria Ground which was demolished in
2020, and built the Community Stadium adjacent incorporating an all weather
pitch, which immediately flooded, and installed the old main stand from Stormy
Corner (Skelmersdale's old ground), which was swiftly condemned and then
removed. NWCFL refused permission for the new stadium to be used for matches,
resulting in games being switched, until matters were finally resolved.
The club's
owner at the time was universally reviled in Skelmersdale. Turns out that he
also owned Stormy Corner and gave the Blueboys two hours notice of eviction - I
was shown a picture of a 'Wanted Dead or Alive - For Money Making' poster that
Skem fans produced at the time.
Squires
Gate FC from School Road and The Brian Addison Stadium are the visitors - named
after club stalwart Brian Addison, who has progressed from player to linesman
to manager to Secretary to Chairman and eventually to groundsman....
The away
side was formed in 1948 as Squires Gate British Legion, having accepted an
offer from Blackpool Council to take a lease on a new ground on the site of a
former tip. The Gate competed in the Blackpool & District Amateur League,
changing their name to Squires Gate FC in 1953, and winning the League's First
Division in 1955/56 and 1956/57.
Having
spent one season in the Fylde District League the Gate moved to the newly
reformed West Lancashire League in 1961. This proved a sterner challenge, with
the Blues eventually promoted as Division 2 champions in 1980.
After much
soul searching the club applied for membership of the North West Counties
Football League and joined Division 2 for the 1991/92 season. In 2003 the Gate
missed the runners up spot on goal difference, but were promoted to the top
tier following the demise of champions Stand Athletic FC.
There they
have remained ever since, reaching the FA Vase quarter final in the 2005/06
campaign. Calls for a merger between the 3 non league clubs situated within a
300 yard radius - Gate, Blackpool Mechanics (now AFC Blackpool) and Blackpool
Wren Rovers - have come to naught. The Blues are currently 19th, of 22,
and seemingly safe.
It's a wet,
murky Bank Holiday lunchtime as I set out past the Co-op Starship robots, the
Vegetarian Society (relocating apparently), and into filthy driving conditions
on the M6 across Thelwall Viaduct - teeming rain, spray and mist and, yes,
imbeciles with no lights on..... Numberplates today are SU51 SAY, SKH4N and
R1LEY and a firm advertising a dog grooming business - Short, Bark &
Sides....
Past Enigma Industrial Solutions and Movianto I ignore the attractions of
Haydock Park, Martin Mere Wetland Centre and Wigan Pier, and exit at Junction
27 and a sign 'We've Got It All In West Lancashire' - well definitely rain and
surface water !! Taking in the striking Christ Church in Parbold with The
Stocks pub nearby, and the villages of Newburgh (twinned with Newburgh, Indiana
!) and historic Lathom, hosting Tawd Vale Adventure Centre, brings me to the
outskirts of Burscough. There's no longer The Blue Mallard at Burscough Wharf
but The Hop Vine survives in the town centre, before I turn into Tesco for free
parking - there is limited parking at the ground.
New Victoria Park is behind Tesco and the Fitness and Racquets Centre, up Bobby
Langton Way, past the vandalised, derelict 'The Barons' club, and with new
housing on the old Victoria Park, with the original developer having gone bust.
Inside there's a snack bar and on the near side the covered all seater stand -
the changing rooms are in a separate building set back alongside.
Other than that it's just a walkway round the other three sides with banking
and signs, ignored, stating 'Do Not Stand On The Mound'. The surprisingly busy
(for a Bank Holiday) train line is at the top end but the other two sides lead
onto mud and fields. Sadly the advertising hoarding offering exotic mushrooms
is no more, and disappointingly the 'Burscough FC We Are L40' banner is also
absent.
£6 in to a cold, exposed, windswept Community Stadium but thankfully the rain
has abated, although the temperature is only 8C, feeling like 5C because of the
icy wind. The Linnets are in all green, the Blues, strangely, in change red and
white, and a solitary cry of 'You're just a bus stop in Ormskirk' greets a
crowd of 75.
As
expected Gate start the better and take the lead on 10 minutes. Winger
Alex Ralph cuts in from the right and hits a left yard screamer into the top
corner.
But on 17
minutes a wind assisted cross sails into the far corner from Harry Middlehurst
and the Linnets are level. Then eight minutes later a sloppy pass across the
box is seized on and Laurence Cant is played in and he comfortably strokes home
- Burscough lead 2-1 at the break.
Five minutes
after half time good work by the corner flag sees the ball laid back to left
back Morgan Kinsella and he finishes top bins for 3-1 ☺ On 54 minutes the ball is caught
on the wind, drifting over the centre back and Christopher Sang takes advantage
with an accomplished strike low into the corner - 4-1.
Ten minutes
on Xenon Bahula is barged over in the box and Kinsella obliges with the spot
kick to leave the Linnets 5-1 up - to some disbelief....
Burscough
continue to create chances but Gate, belatedly, close the gate and there is no
more scoring. However still incident as on 79 minutes Blues' sub Theo Ball is
shown a straight red for a late, unnecessary lunge on home keeper Charles
Monks.
Then on 87
James Boyd is released by Ralph, and he is cleaned out just outside box by
Monks, who surprisingly only receives a yellow card. To add insult to injury
Monks then makes a fine save from Ralph's free kick - Gate's only effort worthy
of mention in the second period, and it finishes 5-1 to the Linnets.
However
results have gone against Burscough and they are still 7 points adrift, but now
with only three games left....
