And so to Kingsley Fields and the Weaver Stadium, and two Evostik Northern Premier teams with obscure nicknames of unknown derivation - The Dabbers of Nantwich Town, and The Yeltz of Halesowen Town.
The Dabbers started life back in 1884 as Nantwich FC, playing in the
Shropshire, North Staffordshire, Crewe, Manchester and Lancashire leagues
before finally moving to the Cheshire League. This led to them becoming founder
members of the North West Counties League in 1982, with promotion to the
Northern Premier League Division 1 South 25 years later.
That promotion was on the back of winning the FA Vase in 2006, and ahead of a
move from their old Jackson Avenue headquarters to the new purpose built Weaver
Stadium for the 2007/08 season. A highly successful first campaign at the new
ground saw the Dabbers elevated to the Northern Premier League Premier
Division, where they still ply their trade.
The Dabbers can also lay claim to the fastest ever FA Cup hat trick - 2 minutes
and 20 seconds. And that nickname ? The best guess is it relates to the wattle
and daub buildings in Nantwich, with daubers being corrupted to dabbers.
Halesowen
Town have played at their Grove ground ever since their formation in 1873.
After playing in the Birmingham Combination and Birmingham & District
League, there came an FA Vase final defeat in 1983 and then they twice won the
trophy in 1985 and 1986. Promotion to the Southern League followed their
successful retention of the Vase, before being moved to the Northern Premier
League South in 2012 - a league they won last season.
And the Yeltz ? Rumour has it that the nickname could have come from local button
maker James Grove and their Yelts Brand. More romantically, Halesowen were
pioneers of their time with Hungarian centre forward and international Pungus
Catfich playing for the club after the end of the Second World War. His oft
heard plaintive cry on the field of 'Yeltz, Albert, Yeltz' roughly translates
from the Magyar to 'Over here, son, on my head'..........
The morning
snow has given way to sunshine interspersed with hail and a bitterly cold wind.
Another fun journey ensues with road surfacing on Chester Road and shambolic
traffic signals which ensure only traffic leaving Altrincham actually moves -
gridlock in the opposite direction.
Then the M6; only one junction but time enough for a MegaBus to take a mega
long time to overtake, thereby clogging up two lanes. Signs warning that the M6
is closed between Junctions 13 and 12 start to appear - (un)happy days ! It's
off at Junction 18 and past the impressive Wimboldsley Hall, Old Hough Coarse
Fishery and into the village of Walley's Green before entering the pretty
floral market town of Nantwich.
The town is a wonderful mix of black and white Elizabethan mansion houses and
listed buildings, supporting local artisan companies and brand names. There's
also the Jubilee Almshouses and their camel windvane, and then it's over the
Sir Thomas Fairfax Bridge to the Weaver.
The Weaver Stadium now forms part of a burgeoning Kingsley Village with housing
estates springing up on the opposite side of the road. The stadium itself is
still surrounded by hedging, fields, sports pitches and the River Weaver.
Ten pounds to get in seems a little steep for this level of football, but
inside the stadium remains in pristine condition despite 7 years' use, and the
pitch is in tip top nick. The two ends are flat and undeveloped, whilst the
main entrance houses the Baker Wynne & Wilson Stand. This is the main
seated stand to the south of the pitch, and also includes a bar and snack bar -
Dabbers' Diner. On the far side is the Whitby Morrison Ice Cream Vans Stand (I
kid you not !!) - a low terrace to the north of the pitch. Yeltz fans take one
end, the Dabbers' faithful, including little drummer boy, the other. Curiously
the dug out area is sponsored by Piste Wine Bar (of Tarporley).....
Nantwich, having flirted for most of the season with the relegation zone, are
in green and white for new manager Phil Parkinson's first home game. Halesowen,
surprise play off contenders, are in all blue.
Yeltz start the stronger with veteran forward Iyseden Christie pulling the
strings, and Jake Jones' cross catches on the wind and strikes the top of the
bar. Thereafter, though, it's all Dabbers - Max Harrop's rasping left foot
drive on 13 minutes opens the scoring, although it rather went through Yeltz
keeper Sargeant.
Wonderful slick one touch football from the Dabbers for the rest of the half,
albeit it has to be said they are given the time and the space to play. Harrop
is brought down when through on goal for a certain red card offence, but the
ball breaks to Dabbers' centre forward Harry Clayton whose shot is saved.
Several chances are spurned, and it's just that final ball that prevents
Nantwich from opening a greater half time lead. Nonetheless 'Best half I've
seen in a season and a half' is the general opinion.
Half time sees a double substitution for the Yeltz, and it almost pays immediate
dividends with Christie playing in sub Ben Haseley but Dabbers' keeper Terry
Smith saves with his legs. Halesowen are noticeably quicker to the ball,
pressing and trying to prevent Nantwich playing their free flowing football,
but it doesn't stop the home side from creating further chances.
Sargeant makes an absolute mess of an up and under, eventually kneeing the ball
up into the air; Harrop's deft lob falls inches wide. The keeper then seeks to
blame the sun for his error, and borrows a cap from a home supporter for the
rest of the match !! Dabbers' right winger, Matty Kosylo, comes more and more
into the game and, after one sumptuous back heel and drag back, has his
venomous strike well parried.
Nantwich are content to have what they hold, and carve out opportunities on the
counter attack but there's still time for a frantic finale. Terry Smith makes
two fine saves in injury time and a goalmouth melee comes to nought, as Dabbers
hang on for a richly deserved and entertaining 1-0 win.
