And so to Ewen Fields for the game of the day in the Evostik Northern Premier League Division One North - Hyde United, six wins and three draws in their last ten games, against Farsley Celtic, eight wins and a draw in their last ten.
Hyde FC was
founded in July 1885 at the town's White Lion pub and, after competing in the
Lancashire Combination and losing 26-0 to Preston North End in an FA Cup first
round tie in 1887, folded in 1917 due to 'war reaction'.
Hyde United
was formed in 1919 after demands for a football club to be re-established by
two groups, the Forty Gang and the Discharged Soldiers and Sailors. After one
season in the Lancashire and Cheshire Federation, the Tigers joined the
Manchester League which they won 5 times before moving to the Cheshire League.
Twice
champions in the 1950s, United became founder members of the Northern Premier
League in 1968 but reverted back to the Cheshire League in 1970 because of
excessive traveling costs. The club returned to the Northern Premier in 1982
after sweeping the Cheshire League board.
The Tigers
won the 2005 Northern Premier League title controversially - the title
originally awarded to today's visitors, Farsley Celtic, after the expunging of
the insolvent Spennymoor United's results. On appeal the decision was
overturned and Hyde United were crowned champions, moving to the Conference
North. Their first season in the Conference North saw the club finish 20th, and
the Tigers were only reprieved from relegation as Kings Lynn were demoted for
failing ground grading standards.
On 24
September 2009 Hyde United was wound up by HM Revenue & Customs but, after
a major fundraising effort over the next few days, an appeal was lodged and on
30 September the original winding up order was reversed.
Before the
2010/11 season the club changed its name to Hyde FC, Ewen Fields underwent a
complete makeover, with the ground going from red to blue, and the team's
colours switched to white shirts and blue shorts - all as part of a 5 year
sponsorship deal with Manchester City.
In 2012 Hyde
were promoted as Conference North champions but after a two season stay,
culminating in one league win all season and a miserable 10 points, relegation
inevitably beckoned. This was the first of three successive demotions, leaving
the club in the Northern Premier Division One North.
The team's
name reverted back to Hyde United in 2015 after the sponsorship deal with
Manchester City ended, and the club was taken over by Hyde United Supporters
Club.
Farsley
Celtic AFC was founded in 1908 with The Villagers or Celts playing in local
leagues up to 1949, when they moved into the Yorkshire League, having acquired
their ground at Throstle Nest. The club then became founder members of the
Northern Counties East League in 1982.
Two
promotions in three seasons saw the Celts reach the Northern Premier League in
1987, with promotion to the Conference North arriving in 2006. In their
inaugural season the Villagers reached the play offs and, after beating the now
defunct Hinckley United 4-3 in a rollercoaster final, rise to the Conference
National.
Sadly the
dream lasted only one season with an immediate return to the Conference North.
Worse was to follow as the club was issued with a winding up order, went into
administration on 30 June 2009 and was expelled from the league three days
later. The decision was reversed a week later, and the Celts started the season
on -10 points. The club then folded in March 2010 and their league record was
deleted.
Farsley FC
was formed in June 2010 from the embers of Farsley Celtic AFC and the reformed
club was placed in the Northern Counties East League whereupon the club
immediately won league and cup double to reach the Northern Premier League
Division One North. The Villagers were allowed to add the Celtic suffix to
become Farsley Celtic FC (FCFC) in 2015.
And so after
a morning undertaking disaster recovery work (insert your own joke) across the
way from the Crystal Methodists' pyramid in Stockport and then back in Manchester,
a real disaster - and Metrostink can always be relied upon in that department,
with this time unconfirmed 'signalling problems' causing major delays.
A change of
plan, onto Washway Road, past C-lean Eating, Light on the Horizon - offering
crystals and candles to solve all those holistic problems - and to the M60.
Beyond the pyramid and off at the Denton Rock to join the M67, leaving at
junction 3 and into Hyde, past Bake-n Butty and a sign stating 'Don't Blubber
Use Firestone Rubber'..... Left at Mottram Road and into a warren of side
streets brings me to Ewen Fields.
Outside is
the Hyde United Social Club, but inside the transformation of the stadium from
the Manchester City sponsorship is plain for all to see. Five covered stands -
the Main Stand, with the Peter O'Brien Executive Lounge (in honour of the
Tigers' all time leading marksman), the Leigh Street Stand, the Tinker's
Passage End, the Walker Lane End (the 'baths end') and the Scrattin' Shed (the
famous shed end - which is actually a corner!). Plus a brand new Astroturf
surface which confuses more than a few seagulls.... On the Leigh Street side
there is also the Hyde United Memorial Wall, with plaques commemorating
deceased Tigers' devotees.
The Tigers
are in traditional red and navy, the Celts in change all yellow with the
morning's sunshine having given way to grey cloud - although the neighbouring
hills are still visible at both ends. Within two minutes an exquisite back heel
from Farsley's Lewis Nightingale sets up Jordan Deacey and he nets comfortably
past Tigers' keeper Russ Saunders.
The
electronic scoreboard refuses to acknowledge the away team's goal for some
time, and this is later repeated - but home goals are immediately recorded.
Three minutes later a ball over the top plays in James Walshaw, who sidesteps
Saunders but is denied a second Celts goal by a tremendous goal line clearance
from Harry Coates.
The Celts are
brimming with confidence and utterly dominant, with some glorious interpassing.
Walshaw has another shot saved and you feel it's only a matter of time before
they get a second. It doesn't arrive before half time and, indeed, a marauding
run from Tigers' left back, James Burke, brings a smart save from Celts'
custodian Graeme McKibbin just before the break.
Seven minutes
into the second period and Farsley's defence, which had looked untroubled,
stands and watches as an innocuous free kick is headed across the penalty area
for Matthew Beadle to equalise. Three minutes later Tigers' right back, Kyle
Harrison, lets fly with a 25 yard half volley that swerves and dips and
deceives McKibbin to hit the top corner, and Hyde lead 2-1.
On the hour
Celtic are awarded a free kick and, in the kerfuffle after, Tigers' Paddy
Miller kicks out at Deacey and is shown a straight red card. The ball is
delivered into the box and amidst the melee Walshaw's high kick is into
Saunders' chest, and Farsley's leading scorer is also given a straight red.
Celts' left
back Chris Howarth evens matters up on 68 minutes, cutting in from the penalty
area and curling the ball gorgeously into the far corner. But the Tigers,
backed by magnificent vocal support from the Scrattin' Shed, retake the lead
four minutes afterwards - good work from Chris Sutherland on the wing and he
lays it on a plate for Janni Lipka to pass the ball into the net.
3-2 to the
Tigers and it stays this way until 6 minutes to go. Then Celts' irascible
midfielder Ross Daly shoots from distance and the ball is deemed to have hit
Blake's hand. The result is a second yellow for United's left back and a
penalty which Richard Marshall converts beyond a shellshocked Saunders.
Three minutes
later fabulous trickery from Nightingale as he squares the ball for Aiden
Savory to tuck home; 4-3 to the Celts and the Farsley bench erupts ! In the
final minute Sutherland is pulled down on the edge of the box and Tigers'
Lawrance Hunter scores with a quite magnificent free kick into the top corner.
4-4 as the Hyde bench erupts – plus one very overworked scoreboard operator !!
Five minutes
of added time, the first of which sees the Celts win a corner. Nightingale's
delivery causes confusion and, with Hyde lacking bodies in the box, the ball
reaches Adam Clayton for a tap in at the far post - 5-4 to Farsley and another
eruption from their dugout. One last desperate throw of the dice sees
Sutherland fire wide for the Tigers right at the death. Quite, quite breathtaking
!!!
