Cumbrians Fell Pilgrims - Who Make No Progress.....

And so to Brunton Park in Carlisle for an FA Cup Fourth Qualifying Round clash between Carlisle United and Boston United.

Carlisle United FC traces its origins from Shaddongate United F.C. The club goes back to 1896, changing its name to Carlisle United in 1904. Thereafter the club moved into the Lancashire Combination the season later and then entered the North Eastern League in 1910, and were crowned as champions in 1921/22. The Blues have played at Brunton Park since 1909, previously residing at Willow Holme, Milhome Bank and Devonshire Park.

The Cumbrians were elected to the Football League in 1928 and spent the next 30 years in the Third Division North. At that point the Blues were assigned a place in the newly formed Fourth Division and achieved promotion in 1961/62, but were then immediately relegated.

Two consecutive promotions saw Carlisle as Third Division champions in 1964/65. And more was to come as United assumed top tier status after the 1973/74 season, famously topping the First Division table after the first three fixtures - with Chris Balderstone featuring as county and test cricketer in the summer and as a professional footballer for Carlisle United outwith the cricket season. Indeed his achievement of playing County Championship cricket on the day, and then League football that night, is unlikely to ever be surpassed...

United inevitably dropped out of the top tier at the end of their one and only season in the First Division and were further relegated to the Third Division at the end of the 1976/77 campaign; Bob Stokoe took the Cumbrians back up in 1981/82. However successive demotions saw Carlisle consigned to the fourth tier by 1987.

The club's Football League existence ended in 2004 but Paul Simpson engineered an immediate return the following season via the play offs, beating Stevenage 1-0. This after the 1999 last minute injury time miracle goal by emergency goalkeeper Jimmy Glass against Plymouth Argyle which kept the Cumbrians up, thereby relegating the SeaDogs of Scarborough.

United achieved promotion to League One in 2006, but were relegated at the end of 2013/2014. However promotion during 2022/23 then prefaced back to back relegations to the National League, notwithstanding Mark Hughes taking charge. This time United are 3rd, a point behind leaders Rochdale, but having played two games more.

The club badge is of the city's coat of arms and two wyverns, and the Cumbrians are now owned by Castle Sports Group - the Piatak Family from Florida. That's after a controversial decade long reign by the infamous Michael Knighton that ended in 2002....

Boston United FC was established in 1933 as a successor to the short lived Boston Town. The Pilgrims are named after the Pilgrim Fathers, who left England and sailed to North America and settled near, but did not found, Boston in Massachusetts. The club crest features the Mayflower, the Pilgrim Fathers' ship.

Boston initially competed in the Midland League, before moving to the Southern League for four seasons in 1958. The Pilgrims returned to the Midland League, and then joined the United Counties League and were crowned as champions in their first campaign in 1966.

The club switched to the West Midlands (Regional) League, winning the title in 1967 and 1968. United became a founding member of the Northern Premier League for the 1968/69 season, and won the league four times in 1973, 1974, 1977 and 1978.

That led to the Pilgrims being invited into the newly created Alliance Premier League, subsequently the Conference and now the National League Premier in 1979. Boston were relegated back to the Northern Premier in 1993 and moved laterally to the Southern Premier for the 1998/99 term.

United won the Southern League in 2000 and then the Conference two years on in 2002, ascending to the Football League, under the stewardship of controversial manager Steve Evans - who was later banned, along with chairman Pat Malkinson, for breaking player registration rules. A five year stay in the League ended with administration, a double demotion to the Conference North in 2007 and then relegation at the end of the 2008/09 campaign to the Northern Premier.

The Pilgrims achieved promotion via the play offs the next season to return to the Conference North. Five unsuccessful play off campaigns finally culminated in promotion, again via the play offs, in 2024 to the National League Premier - and a miraculous relegation survival under Graham Coughlan last season; they are 15th this time around.

The club settled into their new home ground, Pilgrim Way, aka Boston Community Stadium in 2020. This entailed a move from their Jakemans York Street home and a brief groundshare at the Northolme, home of The Holy Blues of Gainsborough Trinity - and a town infamous for Swein Forkbeard, son of Harald Bluetooth, who was King of England for five weeks in 1013/14, combining it with King of Denmark, which he assumed in 986; he also reigned as the King of Norway. It all ended in 1014 with death either killed by falling from a horse, apoplexy or murder.....

Numberplates on parade en route today are B16MAC, E2FUN and ME61CAL. The weather is dreary and the train suffocatingly hot..... Past the former Agecroft Colliery it's onto Orlando Bridge at Bolton. Then Luke Pek artwork at Horwich Parkway.

Wrekaminded Supplies is at Chorley as I follow the West Lancashire Line via Buckshaw Parkway and Leyland. Subsequently we come to Swietelsky railway clearance locomotives at Preston 🙄 That precedes The Giant Axe at Lancaster and the rolling stock and locomotives graveyard at Carnforth. Thence into Carlisle...

A mosey round Carlisle opens up the attractions of Carlisle Citadel, Carlisle Castle, Cumbria's Museum of Military Life, Bitts Park, Carlisle Street Art, West Wall Street Art, Tullie Museum, Carlisle Cathedral, Guildhall Museum, Market Cross Monument, Dixon's Chimney and Blank Wall Assassins - more Street Art. Pubs are The Border Rambler, The William Rufus, Woodrow Wilson (the last two both Wetherspoons on Botchergate) and The Cranemakers (closed). And eateries are The Last Zebra, Beirut Bites and El Pollo Loco (The Mad Chicken)...

And I have to take advantage of the Settle Carlisle Railway Line - '72 miles of Scenic Splendour'. I leave Carlisle and head for the Cumbrian Hills.

First stop is Armathwaite where the signal box celebrated its 125th anniversary in 2024. Then Lazonby & Kirkoswald, and Langwathby, home of Frank Bird Poultry.

Beyond Kirkby Thore and British Gypsum to reach Appleby (in Westmorland) - Appleby spelt with pebbles. Thankfully the Gypsy Horsefair has been and gone, but there remains a plethora of trailer parks.

Also Sammy Lees Motors and a blue plaque in honour of Eric Treacy, who was a Bishop and railway photographer, and who died on the station platform taking a photo. Kirkby Stephen also has a blue plaque - for a conservation award.

The mist and murk and drizzle hit us around Garsdale and then we reach Dent, the highest main line station in England at 1150 feet above sea level. After that it's Blea Moor and Ribblehead, with its iconic Viaduct.

The penultimate stop is Horton in Ribblesdale, only 850 feet above sea level 🙄 That brings us to Settle and the Water Tower on the station approach; Settle station opened in 1876.

In Settle there's the Market Place and Shambles, Victoria Hall Theatre and Moneypennys & Lavender Lounge. Not forgetting Castleberg and Tot Lord Trail, The Folly, Quaker Meeting House and Ye Olde Naked Man Cafe.....

And so to the football finally.... Reduced admission prices of £12 (normally £23) are in force today and only the Paddock Terrace and the Andrew Jenkins Main (West) Stand are open - I'm in the TrustFord section on halfway.

The Armstrong Watson Warwick Road End Terrace, Waterworks Petteril End Terrace and East Stand with various sponsors are all shuttered today 🙄 Outside the ground is the Hugh McIlmoyle statue.

The Cumbrians are in blue with red and white detail, the Pilgrims in amber and black.

Before the match my neighbour informs me 'We need to score three as Lewis is in goal and statistically he 

concedes two every game'. The crowd is 3,543 - 164 away - about half the average league gate.

And the signs are not promising as Harry Lewis makes an unconvincing shovelling save in the first minute. 

But the Cumbrians soon take charge and debutant Chris Conn-Clarke has his shot just helped on over the bar on 

4 minutes.

Carlisle take the lead two minutes later, David Ajiboye coming in from the right wing to fire one across 

Rhys Lovett. The Cumbrians then have an effort cleared off the line on 8, but go 2-0 up just before the quarter 

hour as Josh Grant flicks in Conn-Clarke's corner.

And it's three goals in ten minutes, as on 16 Luke Armstrong heads home an Ajiboye cross. 

Either side of the half hour Ajiboye hits a shot into the turf and over and Callum Whelan tries an audacious lob 

but we reach half time at 3-0 for Carlisle.

The Pilgrims are back in the game 45 seconds into the second period as half time sub Liam Donnelly heads in a 

cross. Then on 49 Lewis flaps at a corner and Lenell John-Lewis (he's a shop 😛 ) nods in to make it 3-2; 

my neighbour has been proved correct 😉

Amidst increasing Cumbrian nervousness and sustained Boston pressure Lewis makes three extraordinary saves

to keep Carlisle ahead. The anxiety is eased on the hour as a splendid move ends with Conn-Clarke passing the 

ball into the net and it's 4-2.

On 78 minutes Conn-Clarke's thumper is palmed by Lovett but the ball traverses slowly into the goal for 5-2. 

Cumbrians' sub Georgie Kelly hits the bar in the last five minutes but it finishes Carlisle 5 Boston 2.

Town Get The Lowe Down - Shakers Benefit From 'Home' Advantage !!!!

And so to the FA Cup Extra Preliminary Road and a tie between Uttoxeter Town FC against Bury FC. But not to the Oldfields Sports and Social Club in Uttoxeter - and its charming three dugouts with cushioned benches carrying the names of some family members of 'Deano'. Instead the FA have switched the match to Gigg Lane in Bury for 'safety reasons'.

Uttoxeter Town FC was formed in 1972 when they split from Uttoxeter Amateurs after a disagreement on the club's location. Town joined the North Premier Division of the Staffordshire County League, but in the late 1970s the club switched to Sunday league football.

About 30 years later the club reverted back to Saturday football and rejoined the Staffordshire County Senior League. The 2012–13 season saw Uttoxeter win Division One of the league. For the 2014–15 season Town became one of the founding members of the Midland Football League, but only for one term, dropping back to the Staffordshire League for financial reasons.

The club entered the FA Vase in 2015 for the first time, progressing to the third round before being eliminated by Coleshill Town - they were beaten by the same side in the second round the following year. The prize money they earned from their Vase exploits enabled them to overcome their financial issues and they rejoined Division One of the Midland League in 2016.

In 2021 Uttoxeter gained promotion to the Premier Division based on their results in the Covid abandoned 2019/20 and 2020/21 seasons. However last time finishing 19th of 20 seemed to prompt demotion and a lateral move to the North West Counties Division One South, but after a failed appeal the club was reprieved of relegation and a move to the NWCFL as Winsford United took voluntary relegation. Their Midland Football League Premier campaign commences next Saturday at home to Darlaston Town.

The 'away' side, Bury FC, was covered, comprehensively, in depth last week. Since the 5-1 walloping of Glossop North End on the opening day, the Shakers won 3-1 at Colne on Tuesday - Colne another club saved by their supporters after turbulent times and reckless previous ownership. Sound familiar ?

Amidst the remnants of Storm Antoni en route a Chapter 8 Traffic Managment van (yes really !!), another vehicle advertising 'For Dogs Sake', and numberplates R4CYS, ROM4N and JP11LOW. Then to Metrosh*t, crowded by fans going to the friendly between Manchester United and Lens (the Reds winning 3-1 but Onana chipped from the half way line) and two cricket Hundreds matches - both subsequently abandoned.

Past a barge titled 'It'll Do', Watch House Cruising Club and graffiti announcing 'No Problemo' brings me to the city centre. The Anthologist, The Alchemist, Nudo Sushi Box and then the Robert Owen statue - founder of the Co-operative movement.

An inquisitive fox at Abraham Moss, Mezzepotamia restaurant at Besses o' th' Barn, Cocklestorm and to Bury. Bury is the birthplace of Robert Peel, twice Prime Minister and founder of the Metropolitan Police Service - and commemorated by a statue and a freehouse.... Sadly the Shakers' mascot, Peeler, is off duty today....

The town centre provides Compendium Escape Rooms, Cup o' Rosie, The Big Fandango, Jacket Inn, Willy's Underwear and Bricks & Motor Insurance. I pay another visit to the East Lancs Railway - 2 steam engines in residence, one dressed up as Thomas the Tank Engine, and outside is the Bury Suicide Remembrance Stone.

Down past Bury Athletic Club to Gigg Lane; so not to Oldfields....

Instead to the Shakers......

£10 in again and this time I'm in the Les Hart (South) Stand, the Neville Neville (North) Stand is also partially open, but both The Len Johnrose (Manchester Road) and Arthur Ashworth (Cemetery End) stands are closed. Town are in yellow and blue, sponsored by Peter J Douglas, and Bury in all white with a crowd of 2,903 against a backdrop of grey sky and drizzle. There is a solitary Uttoxeter Town flag, proudly waved....

The much changed Shakers struggle to find their rhythm, and minnows Uttoxeter take the lead on 11 minutes with Mikey Conlon's deflected shot looping over Jack Atkinson. Ben Price has an opportunity to make it two but plants his header over the bar, whilst Bury's Connor Comber has a shot that rebounds off the chest of Town keeper Charlie Wood.

The 23rd minute changes the course of the game and is a tale of both number 9s. Uttoxeter's Paul Hughes has his effort saved and the counterattack sees a superb crossfield ball, expertly taken in his stride by Benito Lowe, and his first touch finish levels the match up.

Thereafter Abs Obasoto and Louis Gilboy, twice, go close and Comber shoots over the bar. But the Shakers lead 2-1 at the break, with right back Sean Higgins heading down a cross into the roof of the net.

The interval sees the heavens open and no change as Bury dominate. Wood makes a phenomenal save from Comber's header and Obasoto shoots wildly over the bar. At the other end Hughes has a header saved, before Wood comes up with another stunning stop from Comber's drive.

Eventually the pressure tells.... On 72 minutes Lowe outmuscles his marker on the by line and smashes the ball into opposite corner from an acute angle to make it 3-1. Uttoxeter then benefit from the openness of the tie - Eric Graves' shot sees a good block from Atkinson, and Conlon, from distance, fires narrowly over.

But the Shakers finish strongly with Gilboy's effort saved by Wood at the near post. Then in the 94th minute left back Gaz Peet is fouled in the box and Comber finally has his goal, scoring from the spot to finish matters at 4-1 to the 'away' side.