And so to Bank Holiday Monday and a trip to another Villa Park, aka the Jim Fowler Memorial Ground, named after the founder of today's hosts, Euxton Villa FC, who play Chadderton FC in the North West Counties Division One North.
Formed in
1907 as Euxton FC, the club joined the West Lancashire League,
renaming to Euxton Villa FC in 1963. Successive promotions, both as
runners up, in 2003 and 2004 saw Villa ascend to the West Lancashire Premier
League. Third place last term meant the club's application to move up to Step 6
was approved.
Four straight
wins, including a 3-1 defeat of Runcorn Town at Villa Park in their first ever
NWCFL home match was tarnished by a 2-2 home draw with Darwen on Saturday
leaving the home side second.
Chadderton
FC, 'Chaddy', was formed in 1947 as Millbrow FC, then became North Chadderton
Amateurs and finally Chadderton FC in 1957. Initially competing in the Oldham
Amateur League, the club then progressed through the Manchester Amateur League
and on to the Manchester League in 1963.
A step up to the Lancashire Combination followed and, after finishing runners up in 1982, they became a founder member of the North West Counties, created by the merger of the Lancashire Combination and Cheshire County League.
Promotion in 1990 was
swiftly met with relegation the season after, but the club lasted longer at the
higher level after gaining promotion in 1993 - until being forcibly demoted in
1999 due to ground grading issues.
In 2007 Chaddy was taken over by Craig Halliwell and Tony Bhatti of HB Property Group, but within two years ties had been severed; the club becoming a members' club run by the people for the people. The play offs were reached in 2015, following which lower than mid table finishes have been the norm.
The team remains best
known for two of its ex-players - England international David Platt and Mark
Owen from Take That.
This time
four victories to start the league season was spoilt by a 2-0 home loss at the
Falcon Fire Stadium to current leaders Pilkington, with Chaddy currently placing
5th, and out of the Isuzu Vase last Saturday at the hands of Frickley Athletic.
Past Lots
of Walks, the faux Hairstylist Drive takes me through Sale, the old Sale Post
& Telegraph Office, and Soul Star Holistics, with Garveys advertising
events in March... Registration plates today are HAV1T and H4LF K as I drive
beyond Beyond (Chill Factore) to reach the M61 and its motorway graffiti
'Sabotage Dissent Do Not Consent'.
Past the
Macron and off at Junction 8 Botany Bay where I am held up by a tractor pulling
a trailer with a badly (fatally) mangled tyre. Through Euxton and into the back
of beyond, never ending country lanes and finally, opposite Runshaw Hall, the
Jim Fowler Memorial Ground.
Just
sufficient parking for a bumper crowd of 224, which includes Paul Scholes (his
son making a substitute appearance for Chaddy in the second half) and £5 in -
but £3 for 'Conncessions'....
Inside is
the clubhouse, to the left a warm up pitch and the Blind Tiger Inns Stand - 54
seats which host 3 noisy Chaddy fans and their flag. It's cordoned off beyond
this and the far end is also out of bounds so the popular side, including a
small covered area, is busy - the rural ground surrounded by foliage and
trees.
Euxton are
in orange and black, Chadderton in change fluorescent lime and black - their
home strip is all red... Twenty five minutes of nothingness ensues...
Then, out
of nothing, a 25 yard left foot screamer top bins in the right hand corner from
Villa's Josh Briggs and puts Euxton ahead. Matters are reversed in the last
five minutes of the half; first an expertly threaded through ball is converted,
with aplomb, by Cory Knight. Then two minutes before the break Adam Dale heads
home from a corner, and the visitors lead 2-1.
The second
period starts slowly too, until Ethan Darr heads home, again from a corner, for
Villa to restore parity on 59 minutes. It's a turning point that doesn't turn
however - 60 seconds later Euxton concede a penalty for a trip in the box and
Jordan Schofield tucks away the spot kick.
With a
quarter of an hour to play a dreadful Chaddy corner is matched by an equally
awful headed clearance and James Purfield smashes home for 4-2. Cue all out
Villa pressure, leaving themselves bare at the back, but despite striking the
frame of the goal and Matty Davies' cute chip which drifts and hits the post,
the game finishes 4-2 to Chaddy after six minutes of added time.
