Where Eagles Dare But Fail To Conquer Romans' Fortress....

 And so to the 2021/22 season and July 31st, with a Staffordshire derby at the Hillsfield Stadium in the North West Counties Football League Division One South between Rocester FC and Eccleshall FC.

It’s a very long history that the Romans possess, encompassing a protective fort on the site of a village where Queen Cartimandua was forced to flee. The football club dates back all the way to December 16 1876, when the Lyon brothers took over Rocester Mill, where they played multiple friendlies against neighbouring sides. They had various successes in local competitions until the outbreak of World War II led to the club being disbanded. 

After they were reformed in 1946 Rocester started to climb the Staffordshire Leagues, playing 27 consecutive seasons in the Staffordshire County League (North) up to 1984 before ascending to the Staffordshire Senior League, including a period in the 1970s where three Blood brothers played for the side - Alf, George and Steve. 

Rocester FC entered the FA Vase for the first time in the 1986-87 season and reached the last sixteen, knocking out holders Halesowen Town in the process in front of their record crowd of 1,026. They moved from their original and by now rather run-down ground to a new home at Hillsfield, in 1987 and this is where they adopted their nickname the ‘Romans’ as the ground was built on an old Roman fort; the ground was renamed from Riversfield to Hillsfield in memory of previous chairman, Don Hill.

The Romans switched to the West Midlands (Regional) League Division One, which they won at the first attempt. The new ground was further developed with the addition of floodlights and a stand to enable the club to take its place in the Premier Division.

In 1994, following several successful seasons, Rocester became founder members of the new Midland Football Alliance. After a second-place finish in their first season in the new league, they went one better in 1998–99, winning the league title and claiming promotion to the Southern League Midland Division.

Life became harder at this level, however, and after two consecutive last-place finishes the Romans were relegated back to the Alliance in 2002. Rocester soon recovered and were champions at the first attempt in 2003–04. However, due to the re-organisation of the non-league pyramid, The Romans were placed in the Northern Premier League Division One, enduring a disastrous season, picking up only 6 points from 42 games to finish rock-bottom.

The following season back in the Alliance saw the team continue their terrible run, their first win not coming until January, finally ending a run of 67 league matches without a win. After finishing bottom of the Midland Alliance the club only avoided a second successive relegation due to league restructuring.

However, within two years Rocester were back among the leading clubs in the Midland Alliance, finishing 12th in 2007 and 5th in 2008. The Romans recorded a 3–0 win over Kidsgrove in April 2008 to win the Staffordshire Senior Cup for the first time.

Moved to the new Midland League, following the amalgamation of the Midland Alliance and the Midland Combination, in 2014 the Amber and Blacks were relegated in 2018, and moved laterally from the Midland Football League Division One to the NWCFL Division One South in this close season.

Eccleshall Town FC was established in 1908 but the most successful local team of that era was Eccleshall Comrades, set up in 1918. The Comrades' most famous player was the FA Cup Final scorer and winner (for Wolves), and England amateur and full international, The Reverend KRG Hunt. The club also featured in a curious incident when Stone Christ Church were defeated 5-0. The game ended 10 minutes early when first one ball burst, then another and there were no more available.....

Both clubs became defunct and the current club was reformed in 1971 as Eccleshall Town Old Boys, the team made up of locals and staff from Eccleshall Secondary School, where they played their home games.

The Eagles joined the Staffordshire County League (North) in 1979, moved to Pershall Park in 1982 and ascended to the Staffordshire Senior League in 1984. As Eccleshall FC championships were won in 1990 and then consecutively in 2001/02 and 2002/03. With work complete on the stadium the club moved up to the North West Counties Football League in 2003, but several seasons of inconsistency followed before two dreadful campaigns.

2015/16's 16th place finish owed much to the ineptitude of the two clubs below them - Atherton Laburnum Rovers and Whitchurch Alport. The following season the Eagles finished 21st with 18 points from 42 matches and conceded 145 goals. Relegation was only avoided because of an injury time equaliser in the 3-3 draw away at bottom, and relegated, club Ashton Town, who finished one point below Eccy, and the fact that only one club met the league's promotion criteria.

A much improved season thereafter saw a below midtable finish and safety, and a bit more pride in their boast of 'We Play For The Badge & The Oat Cakes - We Are Eccy !!!' The 2019/20 campaign was dominated by the suicide of 21 year old player Jake Standbridge, an 11-3 home defeat in the league to Wythenshawe Town and an 11-2 away loss in the Cup to Carlisle City the week after a 5-1 away win at New Mills, but lower table stability has subsequently ensued - as much as stability can be expected in this pandemic....

A grey, breezy Saturday afternoon and an early dart due to prior knowledge of a motorway accident, exacerbated by a 'stranded vehicle' - the joys of a Smart Motorway !! Then beyond Avec Cookers to the M6 and  bridge graffiti - first Jenga (Knutsford) then a 'welcome' return of THE PIES one side, SMOKE PIES the other (Holmes Chapel). This is followed by an array of roadside advertising - Are You Pregnant (I sincerely hope not !!), Hot Car Leasing, Top Secret Furniture and then a shipping container devoted to Allah....

Numberplates today are E6YPT and KEM1X, as I leave the motorway for the A500 then the A50, Dresden (Stoke not East Germany !), The Pepper Mill and Catchem Corner. Bypassing Draycott in the Moors, Deadman's Green and Upper Nobut, the massive JCB complex on my near side as I turn left at JCB International House (also McDonalds Uttoxeter) to the village of Rocester - one street and that's it, a Spar and the Red Lion the only obvious attractions...

Mill Street leads to Hillsfield, next to an imposing mill built in the 1780s by Richard Arkwright, and operative until 1985, with the stone sign of 'The Tutbury Mill Co Ltd' still in place. Fitting that with Rocester being the headquarters of JCB, the mill has been converted into the JCB Academy, next to the ground.

A large car park - for the benefit of the Academy rather than the football club !! - and a small adjoining astroturf pitch, before I pay my £6 admission fee in the corner. This leads to beer trestle tables on the banking side, Roman's Bar and then the three section Gilbert Egerton Stand, the seats having come from Fellows Park at Walsall FC.

Railings at both ends, the top one with a warm up area, the other two sides surrounded by trees and a bus shelter stand opposite, seemingly supported by scaffolding - apparently the old disabled stand at Fellows Park... Not one of the 109 crowd dares to stand underneath, not even when the drizzle arrives late in the second half... Instead an Eccleshall 'Stanno' banner is attached and there are glorious views of the Staffordshire countryside from my vantage point.

Rocester's adventure into the North West Counties is delayed slightly whilst dog mess is removed from the near touchline (a first !!), but at 3.02 we are underway - the Romans in amber and black, and only able to name 4 substitutes, the Eagles in all blue.

Tempers boil over within five minutes, three early bookings and some questionable officiating 'Have a word with yourself, liner', before just after the quarter hour marauding Romans' wingback Derry Creighton seizes on a woefully short back header and is pulled down by Eagles' keeper Zak Noble. Alex Cimino comfortably sends Noble the wrong way from the penalty spot and Rocester lead 1-0.

For the large part of the rest of the half the Eagles soar, Louis Downs and Jack Dundas firing wide but the best chance falls on half time to Luke Lewis who flashes across goal. For the Romans Creighton sets up Cimino but his effort is blocked.

The second period sees Eccleshall once more in the ascendency, Lewis amazingly missing an open goal, scuffing woefully into Charlie Wood's hands. Then on 63 a wonderful Rocester passing move involving Creighton, Jordan Dodd and Elisio Francisco delivers the ball to a free Cimino who finishes composedly for 2-0.

Cue extended Eagles pressure which finally results in an improvised chip from Dundas with a quarter of an hour to go, the ball flicking the inside of the far post before going in. As a result Eccleshall exert ever greater dominance and Lewis comes up with a hat trick of misses, heading wide whilst unmarked.

But the Romans cling on, surviving sub Jack Stevens' red card in the dying seconds, for a 2-1 victory, finishing at two minute to five.

Louis Downs Two But Eagles Fail To Swoop And Conquer

And so to the ProSeal Stadium on Norbreck Avenue in Cheadle Heath for a North West Counties Division One encounter between newcomers, Cheadle Heath Nomads FC, and relative veterans Eccleshall FC.

Cheadle Heath Nomads FC was formed in 1919 and a group of individuals began a fundraising project to reach £1000 to buy the piece of land ‘on the other side of the bridge’ in Cheadle. Success saw the creation of a sports club for the area and in 1921 the club opened with Cheadle Heath Nomads at its core, although there were facilities for cricket, tennis and hockey.

Nomads joined the Lancashire & Cheshire Amateur Football League and, after a brief break in 1927, stayed there until 1994. The club struggled that badly in the 1930s that they changed club colours from green and yellow quarters to white, and every player had to bring their own white shirt !!

Fortunes improved over the years and Nomads contemplated moving to the Mid Cheshire League, but were constrained by a corner of the football pitch forming part of the cricket outfield. With the demise of the cricket section (tennis and hockey had already gone) the club stepped up to the Mid Cheshire League Division Two, and were crowned as champions in their first season.

Nomads consolidated in the First Division until they merged with Linotype FC in 2004. Linotype were in the same division of the now Cheshire League but were having problems retaining their facilities at The Silver Wings Club in Timperley. As a consequence the club changed its name to Linotype Cheadle Heath Nomads.

The merged club then prospered, winning the Cheshire League with a final day of the 2013/14 season 2-0 home win against Eagle Sports (yes I was here !!). Then, with the restructure of the North West Counties League for 2018/19, the club successfully applied for promotion to Division One South. It also provided an opportune time for the club to change its name back to Cheadle Heath Nomads FC in readiness for its centenary next year.

Eccleshall Town FC was established in 1908 but the most successful local team of that era was Eccleshall Comrades, set up in 1918. The Comrades' most famous player was the FA Cup Final scorer and winner (for Wolves), and England amateur and full international, The Reverend KRG Hunt. The club also featured in a curious incident when Stone Christ Church were defeated 5-0. The game ended 10 minutes early when first one ball burst, then another and there were no more available.......

Both clubs became defunct and the current club was reformed in 1971 as Eccleshall Town Old Boys, the team made up of locals and staff from Eccleshall Secondary School, where they played their home games.

The Eagles joined the Staffordshire County League (North) in 1979, moved to Pershall Park in 1982 and ascended to the Staffordshire Senior League in 1984. As Eccleshall FC championships were won in 1990 and then consecutively in 2001/02 and 2002/03. With work complete on the stadium the club moved up to the North West Counties Football League in 2003, but several seasons of inconsistency followed before two dreadful campaigns.

2015/16's 16th place finish owed much to the ineptitude of the two clubs below them - Atherton Laburnum Rovers and Whitchurch Alport. The following season the Eagles finished 21st with 18 points from 42 matches and conceded 145 goals. Relegation was only avoided because of an injury time equaliser in the 3-3 draw away at bottom club Ashton Town, who finished one point below Eccy, and the fact that only one club met the league's promotion criteria.

A much improved season last time saw a below midtable finish and safety, and a bit more pride in their boast of 'We Play For The Badge & The Oat Cakes - We Are Eccy !!!' This campaign has been dominated by the suicide of 21 year old player Jake Standbridge, an 11-3 home defeat in the league to Wythenshawe Town and an 11-2 away defeat in the Cup to Carlisle City the week after a 5-1 away win at New Mills.

So on a bitterly cold December afternoon it's out onto a busy Manchester Road and not long to wait for the first of this afternoon's registration plates GL11GGY - the other two today are LO53RSS and S50OLD.

Into Sale and past Indigo Sun, offering Ruby Collagen Boosters (?), the partially demolished Trafford Magistrates Court, TanZo-Go travel agents and then TOILETORIES. ELCTRICAL. at the long since closed T & T Pound Plus.

Joining the M60 it's five junctions till I pull off at Cheadle and turn down Carrs Road at Human Appeal. Then an absolute rabbit warren of a housing estate where I always get lost (today is no exception !!) before I reach Norbreck Avenue and Cheadle Heath Sports Club.

It is readily apparent that a huge amount of work has been done in the summer to allow Nomads to fulfil the promotion criteria. For a start there is now a substantial car park complete with some clueless parking !! Then there is a brand new turnstile - last season free, this season £5 admission. Inside fencing and railings have been installed, more of which anon.

The near side supports The Harrison-Welsh Pavilion, made up of the changing rooms, a serving hatch and two short rows of covered seats. To my left is another full size football pitch and there is a small Astroturf surface as well.

Opposite is a freshly constructed small all seater covered stand in between the two dugouts, and behind which lies residential houses. The top end is fenced off but in the corner is a shipping container, with a large flag draped over it - Stanno In Our Hearts, a tribute to Jake Standbridge.

Behind that is a wooded area and above it the railway line connecting Altrincham to Stockport. No passenger trains today as it's yet another Northern Fail strike day, instead a solitary freight train midway through the second half.

Nomads are in maroon and sky blue, Eccy in change red and white trim; the Eagles can only name three substitutes and come into the game on the back of a 9-4 cup mullering in midweek. So a goalless draw then ? It's a very youthful triumvirate of match officials too, with the linesman patrolling the touchline next to the main stand wearing gloves.

The opening quarter is dominated by Cheadle, forcing Eccy into a defensive switch. Leon Grandison goes closest for the home side, before a recycled corner sees Eagles' keeper Owen Wyatt make a superb point blank stop only to see Joe Hare tap home the rebound on 20 minutes.

However Nomads are operating a very high back line and have already survived a couple of tight offside calls. Third time lucky for Eccy as on the half hour Louis Downs races through unchallenged and dinks the ball over Aaron Tyrer to put the visitors level.

Shortly after we learn that this afternoon's half time raffle prize is a bottle of red wine, but that there will be big prizes for the home Boxing Day derby clash with Cheadle Town - maybe two bottles of red wine ?? In addition the railings next to the dugouts start to disintegrate under any sort of pressure, and the sole falls off one of the begloved linesman's boots.... Half time is reached at 1-1.

There is only one winner in the second half - Storm Deirdre. Horizontal freezing rain and a strong icy wind make conditions horrendous. The seven of us huddled in the stand are the only ones afforded any protection, with the Pavilion open to the elements.

The Eagles are playing against the wind and rain, but organise themselves well with one man up front, George Burslem, and nine behind the ball, hoping for scraps. Nomads struggle to break down the two defensive banks, creating only a chance for Keiran Herbert that is well saved by Wyatt and a 30 yard effort from Hare that hits the outside of the post. Then on 68 minutes Eccy break and a one two puts Downs in and he sweeps the ball past Tyrer to put the Eagles 2-1 up.

Nomads huff and puff but become more and more frustrated at their inability to carve out chances, and it seems inevitable Eccy will hold out and take home the three points. That is until the second minute of injury time when the Eagles concede a wholly unnecessary free kick by the corner flag. The ball is whipped in and sub Andy Simpson, on debut, heads in an unlikely, and probably unwarranted, equaliser.

Shortly after the referee blows for time, and the seven of us brave the weather. There are 20 paying spectators today, and 9 programmes, 2 lapel club badges and a lot of Bovril sold !! 

Eccy Thump Old Boys - Eagles' Stags Party !

And so to Hawcoat and Rakesmoor for Holker Old Boys versus Eccleshall in the North West Counties Football League Division One - a fixture that on paper looks like an end of season dead rubber.....

Holker Old Boys AFC was established in 1936 as Holker Central Old Boys, initially as an under 16 side from the Old Boys of the then Holker Central Secondary School in Holker Street, Barrow-in-Furness. The school has long since closed, replaced by a Kwik Save supermarket which has also shut its doors.

 

The Cobs (Central Old Boys), also known as The Stags, joined the adult North Western League in 1939 and then entered the West Lancashire League in 1967. The club moved in 1971 to a new ground at Rakesmoor, formerly an isolation hospital and then allotments.

 

Holker won the West Lancashire League in 1987 ahead of local rivals Vickers Sports Club (now Hawcoat Park FC), and then moved to the North West Counties in 1991. The Cobs finished 3rd in 1994 behind Haslingden (now defunct) and North Trafford (now Trafford FC) but Haslingden failed the ground criteria so Holker were promoted to the top tier.

 

The Stags were relegated in 1999, after losing all 20 away games and scoring only 5 goals on their travels. They have remained at step 6 ever since, with a single losing play off appearance at the end of the 2014/15 season, defeated by Hanley Town.

Eccleshall Town FC was established in 1908 but the most successful local team of that era was Eccleshall Comrades, set up in 1918. The Comrades' most famous player was the FA Cup Final scorer and winner (for Wolves), and England amateur and full international, The Reverend KRG Hunt. The club also featured in a curious incident when Stone Christ Church were defeated 5-0. The game ended 10 minutes early when first one ball burst, then another and there were no more available.......

 

Both clubs became defunct and the current club was reformed in 1971 as Eccleshall Town Old Boys, the team made up of locals and staff from Eccleshall Secondary School, where they played their home games.

 

The Eagles joined the Staffordshire County League (North) in 1979, moved to Pershall Park in 1982 and ascended to the Staffordshire Senior League - now the Springbank Vending Midland League - in 1984. As Eccleshall FC championships were won in 1990 and then consecutively in 2001/02 and 2002/03. With work complete on the stadium the club moved up to the North West Counties Football League in 2003, but several seasons of inconsistency followed before two dreadful campaigns.

 

2015/16's 16th place finish owed much to the ineptitude of the two clubs below them - Atherton Laburnum Rovers and Whitchurch Alport. Last term the Eagles finished 21st with 18 points from 42 matches and conceded 145 goals. Relegation was only avoided because of an injury time equaliser in the 3-3 draw away at bottom club Ashton Town, who finished one point below Eccy, and the fact that only one club met the league's promotion criteria. A much improved season this time should see a below midtable finish and safety, and a bit more pride in their boast of 'We Play For The Badge & The Oat Cakes - We Are Eccy !!!'

So on an afternoon when the sun is cracking the flags, Washway Road sees Anti Abortion protesters and the continued closure of T&T Pound Plus - surely no more TOILETORIES and ELCTRICAL will be sold.....

 

The M60 then the M61, 'Incontinence Supplies at Internet Prices' and Botany Bay, then traffic gets sticky joining the M6. Off at the A590 and the chance to enjoy some magnificent views of the Cumbrian countryside, as I turn towards the coast at Brettargh Holt and the ospreys at Foulshaw Moss.

 

Ignoring signs to Canny Hill and Bobbin Mill it's through Newby Bridge, a house bisecting the A road (Cumbria's answer to the farm in the middle of the M62 ?), Greenodd and Arrad Foot. Then the Lakeland Motor Museum and into Ulverston, with its purple and pink houses and the Laurel & Hardy Museum at The Roxy.

Then Swarthmoor and Lindal-in-Furness, with its signs for Wax Lyrical, and finally a turn to Hawcoat and down a farm track, the single file Rakesmoor Lane which brings me to Holker Old Boys AFC. Lunch is spent overlooking Walney Island, shimmering in the Barrovian sun.

 

I park in the small club car park, full despite today's attendance of 40, swelled by the late arrival of a minibus and taxis - three fixtures in the same league have lower crowds today. £4 at the gate and inside Rakesmoor to the left, in the corner, is a covered stand, with fading red and white seats. To the right are the changing rooms and clubhouse - the men's toilets bearing a plaque 'The Jim Redfern Suite'....

 

Next to the clubhouse is a skeletal Heath Robinson style structure, providing intermittent cover and more suited for chaining bicycles to !! The rest of the ground is open with a single railing, surrounded by the edge of a housing estate, farmland and Barrow Golf Club - and some terrific rural views, notwithstanding the haze.

Holker are in green and white, Eccy in change all red with white trim on another pitch with a prodigious slope. It soon becomes clear that both sides have adopted a mullet hairstyle formation - the business up front, all party at the back.....

 

On 11 minutes home captain Philip Coombe skips past three limp challenges to confidently place the ball beyond away keeper Matt Johnson. The lead is doubled a quarter of an hour later, as from a flick on Brandon Collins outmuscles his marker and curls the ball with his left foot into the top corner.

 

Straight from the kick off and without the Stags touching the ball, a lovely Eccy move ends with Tom Wakefield crossing from the right and the ball eventually reaches Louis Downs who tucks it away. The Eagles are level two minutes later as Downs is set free down the wing, the covering defender collapses with a pulled hamstring and Downs sidefoots into the far corner.

 

Holker then have a goal disallowed and Eccy lead 3-2 at the break as Shay Finney's shot is poked home by Dan Needham. After a breathless first period half time arrives, and a chat with a thirtysomething groundhopper from Worthing - who will get home in the small hours and then travel to deepest Devon tomorrow for Witheridge v Sticker in the South West Peninsula !

 

No let up in the second half either - Wakefield's majestic through ball leaves Needham one on one and he scores imperiously, despite heated protests of offside. That goal is bettered shortly after by Bradley Hubbold's gorgeous strike from just outside the penalty box to bring it back to 4-3.

 

The game then goes into a lull, tempers get frayed and Johnson makes two fine saves to preserve Eccy's lead. The crescendo arrives when Jordan Bennion's crossfield ball is volleyed home by The Eagles' George Burslem with two minutes to go, and the home side strike bar and post in injury time.

 

Holker 3 Eccleshall 5 at the death - so much for a dead rubber !!!

Villagers Soar As Eagles Have Their Wings Clipped - Eccy Thumped !!

And so to Mossie Park, and a village more renowned for its motorway service station than its football team - Charnock Richard. The visitors from the Adverc Stadium at Pershall Park, are 'The Eagles' of Eccleshall FC - 'We Play For The Badge & The Oat Cakes - We Are Eccy !!!' for today's North West Counties Division One fixture.

In 1933 the Chorley Sunday League became the Chorley Alliance League and a Charnock Richard village team was entered, competing until the outbreak of the Second World War. The club was reformed at the end of the War, winning the league title in 1947/48 but then ran into difficulties and closed down at the end of the following season.

 

The present club was reborn in 1955, playing in the Chorley Alliance League then the Preston & District League, with a brief flirtation with the Bolton Combination. In 1993 the Villagers joined the West Lancashire League and after winning the Premier Championship seven times, including four consecutive seasons from 2012 to 2015, moved up to the North West Counties this summer.

Eccleshall Town FC was established in 1908 but the most successful local team of that era was Eccleshall Comrades, set up in 1918. The Comrades' most famous player was the FA Cup Final scorer and winner (for Wolves), and England amateur and full international, The Reverend KRG Hunt. The club also featured in a curious incident when Stone Christ Church were defeated 5-0. The game ended 10 minutes early when first one ball burst, then another and there were no more available.......

 

Both clubs became defunct and the current club was founded in 1971 as Eccleshall Town Old Boys, the team made up of locals and staff from Eccleshall Secondary School, where they played their home games.

 

The Eagles joined the Staffordshire County League (North) in 1979, moved to Pershall Park in 1982 and ascended to the Staffordshire Senior League - now the Springbank Vending Midland League - in 1984. As Eccleshall FC championships were won in 1990 and then consecutively in 2001/02 and 2002/03. With work complete on the stadium the club moved up to the North West Counties Football League in 2003, but several seasons of inconsistency have followed, and last term's 16th place finish owed much to the ineptitude of the two clubs below them - Atherton Laburnum Rovers and Whitchurch Alport.

So on a bright October afternoon it's onto Washway Road, past a white van seemingly held together by gaffer tape and drawing up at the lights where Maidments are ludicrously championing themselves as 'Serious Crime Solicitors'; amusingly there is a To Let sign above the office.

 

Phil Novak and the Rat Pack are on at Garvey's, and then it's just another gridlock day at the Trafford Centre and Barton Bridge. Onto the M61 and that 'Incontinence Supplies At Internet Prices' sign and then off at Botany Bay. Through Euxton and into Charnock Richard, with Mossie Park down Charter Lane, just beyond Bevonair Hair Salon and Dignity Wigs, and just before you reach the village centre.

 

The ground is on the opposite side of Charter Lane to the old Mossie Close ground where the club were based from 1968, after playing elsewhere in the village. £4 in at the gate but you can watch the game for free from the car park....

 

Immediately inside is the entrance to the changing rooms, then the refreshment bar and, curiously, a converted garage. The small main covered seated stand is situated midway down the popular side, with a walkway and barriers that appear to be made from roller shutters surrounding the pitch. Two sides are tree lined and the far side is adjoined by the village cricket pitch.

The Villagers are in white and green (club colours have always contained green since the 1955 reformation) and the Eagles, who can only name two substitutes to the home side's five, are in change all red. One linesman has a paunch whilst the other is just plain obese, and they are joined by (we soon discover) a cantankerous referee.

 

The visitors' tactics of one up front, flood the midfield, contain and frustrate works well for the first three minutes. Then Spencer Bibby's cross finds an unmarked Carl Grimshaw and he sidefoots home. With second playing next to bottom the home crowd awaits a lorry load of goals, but surprisingly the Eagles swoop to equalise on ten minutes - some shambolic defending allowing Tom Wakefield the freedom of Mossie Park and he dinks over the keeper to level.

 

The rest of the half sees the Villagers in the ascendancy with the vast majority of possession, plenty of passing but unconvincing in the final third. Nonetheless they come close three times - Ollie Evans' horror air shot, Bibby's fierce strike well saved by the Eagles' stopper Stuart Robertson, and a deflected shot that just swirls wide.

 

The second period sees Charnock Richard, laboriously, dominate proceedings and the Eagles offer no attacking threat whatsoever, giving some respite to the heavily perspiring fat assistant referee. Grimshaw blazes over when he should have done much better, Robertson makes two fine saves, two shots are cleared off the line and two strong penalty shouts are waved away.

 

Finally, at the midpoint of the half, Robertson's goal is breached - a glorious scissor kick executed by Mark Adams from a cushioned header back, and a piece of skill quite out of keeping with the overall quality of the game.

 

With just under a quarter of an hour left the ball is played into Grimshaw, who appears to be crowded out by three defenders. To a plaintive cry from the crowd 'Don't shoot Carl, you'll never score from there', he rockets the ball home, via a stanchion, from a seemingly impossible angle.......

 

The 3-1 win takes the Villagers top, and leaves the Eagles flying low in 21st with 5 points from 13 games.

Eccy Thumped - Eagles Fail To Swoop & Conquer !

 And so to the Adverc Stadium in Pershall Park, the home of 'The Eagles' of Eccleshall FC - 'We Play For The Badge & The Oat Cakes - We Are Eccy !!!' Today's North West Counties Division One fixture sees the visit of Daisy Hill FC.

Eccleshall Town FC was established in 1908 but the most successful local team of that era was Eccleshall Comrades, set up in 1918. The Comrades' most famous player was the FA Cup Final scorer and winner (for Wolves) and England amateur and full international, The Reverend KRG Hunt. The club also featured in a curious incident when Stone Christ Church were defeated 5-0. The game ended 10 minutes early when first one ball burst, then another and there were no more available.......

Both clubs became defunct and the current club was founded in 1971 as Eccleshall Town Old Boys, the team made up of locals and staff from Eccleshall Secondary School, where they played their home games.

The Eagles joined the Staffordshire County League (North) in 1979, moved to Pershall Park in 1982 and ascended to the Staffordshire Senior League - now the Springbank Vending Midland League - in 1984. As Eccleshall FC championships were won in 1990 and then consecutively in 2001/02 and 2002/03. With work complete on the stadium the club moved up to the North West Counties Football League in 2003, and several seasons of inconsistency have followed.

The Daisies, or The Cutters, were established in 1894 playing in the Wigan & District League. By the time of World War 1 the club had moved to the Leigh & District Senior Sunday School League and then the Westhoughton League, playing at New Sirs. The club folded before World War 2, but reformed in 1951 playing again in the Westhoughton League but now based at (the adjacent) St James Street & Cricket Ground - they moved back to New Sirs in 1957.

The Daisies then joined the Bolton Combination, which they won four times, before moving to the Lancashire Combination for 4 seasons and then becoming founder members of the North West Counties Football League in 1982.

The club was renamed Westhoughton Town during the period 1989-94, thereafter reverting back to Daisy Hill FC - they have never been promoted or relegated from the North West Counties, but only escaped demotion in 2014 because Leek CSOB and Formby resigned from the league.

Past the immaculate carved wooden eagle (very appropriate !) and then the fluorescent Cornbrooke B & B signs on Manchester Road, congestion soon ensues thanks to a roadside florist and some rather shocking parking ! The situation gets worse due to one lane working on Chester Road at The Mere - and the queues tail back to the motorway in the opposite direction.

Onto the M6 and the Smart Motorway is coming but not quite yet thankfully. PIES graffiti (Voted PIES is an updated one) is still in evidence under an intermittent sun framed by thick grey clouds, and silhouetting a murmuration of starlings.

Four junctions down and off at Stoke, navigating past the Clay Shoot at Beech, Heronbrooke Fisheries ('The Home of Match Fishing') and the Steam Engines at Mill Meece, over the River Sow and into the quaint town of Eccleshall and its yesteryear street lighting.

Then taking the road to Loggerheads leads to Pershall Park and the Adverc Stadium. The main car park is full so it's a one track lane down to the overflow with its signs 'Warning - Classic Car Parade Approaching' - which it duly does a minute after parking up ! The overflow is a boggy, muddy field and bad enough to maroon a white Mercedes, with the driver abandoning the car after several attempts to extricate himself and succeeding only in digging himself deeper into the swamp......

£4 is the entrance fee and inside there is a walkway behind one goal and on the far side a bus shelter with low (ankle high !) benches. At the top end is The Shed, a covered end in the corner with six seats and three garden chairs. The near side supports the clubhouse, recently broken into with £5,000 damage, and covered seating - although the Executive VIP seats seem no different to the rest......

The Eagles are in two tone blue and the Daisies in change all red on a pitch resembling a cow field in front of a thin crowd of 32 - 14 more than Daisy Hill had for their home game last week...... The pitch, however, is no excuse for a first half littered with errant passing by both sides, and, for the Cutters, multiple offsides and indiscipline which leads to five yellow cards, mostly for dissent.

The Eagles do begin to soar and, having hit the frame of the goal from an acute angle then wastefully skying over, they take the lead. On 20 minutes Jordan Elcock beats his man and curls his shot beyond the keeper but the ball is hacked clear; the 'goal' is awarded, to widespread disbelief, by the androgynous linesman, who is immediately christened Shirley.....

The away side create little before the break but the second half is a different affair. Occasionally straying onside, the Cutters unlock Eccy's defence and within five minutes Daniel Gregory equalises with a composed finish. Ten minutes later and after a catalogue of home errors, Gregory's poor cross reaches Curtis Cummins and he is given time and space to thump the ball home.

A home fightback of sorts never really materialises, and when the Eagles' Nathan Dyer's sumptuous 30 yard strike is unconvincingly touched on to the bar there is no home forward following in. The Eagles' game is over when, with three minutes left, Alex McPolin is played through - keeper Spencer Martin gets there first but his clearance hits the back of McPolin and the ball trundles into an open net. 3-1 to the Daisies as the game ends in a nasty hail storm.