Assuaredly - Meadow Men Leave Foley With Meir Consolation...

And so to Crown Meadow on Innage Lane in Bridgnorth for a North West Counties Division One South curtain raiser between AFC Bridgnorth and Foley Meir FC.

Bridgnorth Town existed in the 19th century playing in the Shropshire & District League in 1899. A new club was formed in 1938 joining the Worcestershire Combination for one season only. 

The team was refounded again in 1968 and the Meadow Men won the Midland Combination in 1980 and again in 1983. Town was promoted to the Southern League Midland in 1983 but folded due to financial problems in 2013. 

A fourth iteration in the form of new club AFC Bridgnorth was established in the same year and the club badge depicts the iconic Town Hall. West Midlands Division One champions in their first season, moving to the Premier, then on to the Midland League in 2021 - finishing 10th last time and laterally moving to the NWCFL One South this season.

The visitors hail from the McIntosh Arena, or Trentham Foods Stadium, on Whitcombe Road in Meir, Stoke on Trent. 

Foley Football Club was founded in 1947 by a group of friends and ex-servicemen from the now forgotten Foley district of East Fenton, Stoke-on-Trent.

A replica of Arsenal's strip was purchased from the late Les Evans, later club president, who had a shop in King Street, Longton and the club, based next to the Foley Arms, playing at 'The Open Holes', joined Longton League Division 2. Foley moved to their current ground on Whitcombe Road in Meir in 1982.

In 1996 the club joined Midland League Division Two, winning the league at the first attempt. In 2005, following the Midland League's merger with the Staffordshire County League, the club became a founder member of the Staffordshire County Senior League. 

The Foley changed name to Foley Meir - the former Midland Combination Meir KA (Kings Arms) becoming defunct in 2010. The team won the championship in 2020/21, and placed 4th the season after, earning promotion to the North West Counties Football League Division One South. Immediate relegation followed but Meir rejoined the North West Counties in third position in 2024 and finished 11th last time.

Numberplates today are C1UFC - the official Carlisle United team bus - and AG61 USA, plus a van emblazoned with Franking Sense. We then pass J3NGR graffiti on the M6 before heading to Stoke on Trent... and oatcakes 😊

A detour follows via Monkey Jungle and Ashtag Barbers in Stone. Then over the River Sow and past Buttercups and Daisies in Eccleshall and through Chetwynd Aston and Woodcote.

Over the River Severn brings us to Bridgnorth. The town is home to the Severn Valley Railway (with the Railwayman's Arms), the Cliff Railway, Lavington's Hole and Bridgnorth Castle & Gardens.

£7 in and North are in blue with white trim, Foley Meir in change yellow and grey. Curiously some away shirts display a poppy, and others don't... The crowd today is 135 with limited away support.

Inside, past the bar and changing rooms, is the Sameday Freight Stand, a covered terrace complete with a pair of stocks. The main seated stand abuts Crown Meadow Park and Playing Fields - the other two sides are walkways with benches with residential housing behind.

    

On another hot, sunny day the match commences on a parched pitch. The first half is epitomised by a Pug escaping its owner and doing its business on the touchline - fortunately its owner cleans up 🙄

And there's a strange minute's silence - surely not for Franco Baresi 🤔 But there are a glut of chances for the Meadow Men just before the hydration break - Kobi Love and Sam Preece forcing good saves from away custodian Monty Parkes and Craig Tuckey shooting just wide.

The sole Foley effort is a swerving shot narrowly beyond the goal on 34 minutes by captain Harry Livingston. Five minutes on North's number 9 Suar Dedja heads wastefully over from a free kick.

But the deadlock is broken bang on half time. A messy corner sees the ball in the net, Preece claiming the credit but to the rest of us it looks like a Parkes' own goal; Bridgo lead 1-0 at the break.

The second period starts quietly but on 59 Meir substitute Archie Ellams turns and fires in an equaliser, the ball squirming through home keeper Craig Pain's hands. Dedja misses badly for the Meadow Men ten minutes later.

And so when we are all expecting an undeserved draw for Foley, matters change with six minutes left. North's left back De Quarnai Williams hits a beautiful curling shot that smacks the frame of the goal and Dedja is deadly with the rebound.

Sixty seconds on Love sees Parkes save and again Dedja poaches the rebound. And there we have it, despite 8 minutes of stoppage time, as Bridgnorth triumph 3-1.

Lairds Of The Manor - Camels Give Cassies The Hump.....

And so to the Brinsford Stadium on Brinsford Lane in Coven Heath, near Wolverhampton, for a North West Counties Division One South match between Wolverhampton Casuals FC and Cammell Laird 1907 F.C.

Wolverhampton Casuals FC was established in 1899 as Wolverhampton Old Church FC, becoming Wolverhampton Amateurs before World War One. The club changed name again to Staffordshire Casuals, as part of a merger with Old Wulfrunians after World War Two.

The retitled Wolverhampton Casuals joined Division Two of the West Midlands (Regional) League in 1982. The Cassies were promoted to Division One in 1984 and then to the Premier Division in 1988.

However the Casuals were demoted in 1991, but won the Division One title in 1994/95 to go back up to top tier status. The club had to relocate to the Aldersley Stadium due to a lack of floodlights at Brinsford Stadium, but this was rectified in 1998 and Wolves moved back.

Based on their performances in the Covid seasons the Cassies were placed in the Premier Division of the Midland League in 2022. But relegation last term, in bottom place, means they start this season in North West Counties Division One South, after a failed appeal to stay in the Capelli Sport Midland Football League. Four points from five games leaves the Casuals in 13th (of 19).

Cammell Laird's, 'The Camels', history dates back to 1899 when a team from the Upper Boilers shop at Laird Bros played in Birkenhead Park, before switching to rugby. Cammell Laird Institute AFC was established in 1907, playing in the West Cheshire League at Prenton Park in Tranmere.

After World War I the Cammell Laird company faced cutbacks due to reduced government spending on ships and the football team was taken back in house. In 1922 a team was entered into the Birkenhead & Wirral League under the name of Kirklands FC coinciding with the move to their current ground at St Peter's Road, now rebranded as The OWS Engineering Ltd Stadium in Rock Ferry, from two previous homes - Birkenhead Park and Bebington Oval.

The side was disbanded at the outbreak of World War II and reformed in 1946 as Cammell Laird AFC. The Lairds rejoined the Birkenhead & Wirral League before moving up to the West Cheshire League, where they were 19 time champions, including 15 titles in 20 seasons between 1975 and 1994.

The Shipyarders joined the North West Counties in 2004 and back to back promotions took them to the Northern Premier League Division One North. A sideways move to Division One South a season later brought promotion to the Premier Division as runners up, but the Camels were relegated at the end of their first campaign after failing ground grading criteria.

The club disbanded at the end of the 2013/14 season, and a new club, Cammell Laird 1907 F.C. went into the North West Counties Division One, earning automatic promotion at the first attempt. However the 2017 season produced only three league wins, all after relegation was confirmed, and a bottom placing with a goal difference of -100...... and the Lairds still remain in the bottom rung of the NWCFL - Division One South, consistently finishing below middle, epitomised by last season's 10th place finish (out of 18) after a good start 🤔. This time Laird have an identical record to the Cassies - four points from five matches - but sit 16th by virtue of goal difference. Both sides exited the FA Vase last weekend.

Overrunning roadworks, no surprise there, preface numberplates B16 AXE, 6OYA and N1NYT. I reach Roughley's Monumental Stonemasons before hitting the M6.

Then it's JENGR Bridge graffiti and a raft of advertising billboards - Cloudy2Clear Windows, Nitrous Competitions, BadRhino and Spooktacular Halloween. This amidst a proliferation of England and Union Jack flags plus an ancient vaudeville Crosville coach....

We leave the M6 at junction 12 and join Watling Street. There's Elefant Gratings and Laserkut at Calf Heath before the now sadly shuttered Four Ashes pub.

Then Jurassic Creek, 3 Hammers Golf Complex and a sign for Moseley Old Hall... That brings us to Brinsford Stadium, also home to Brewood Juniors FC (1975).

We pay £6 admission and drive the car into a capacious parking area - no problem today with a crowd of only 45. Beyond the car park lie an abandoned caravan and two forlorn lorry trailers...

The ground itself is tree-lined and thrums from the adjacent A449 and West Coast Main Line. Inside is a warm up pitch and on the near side a burger van, clubhouse, The Cass Bar and trophy cabinet plus a covered 4 row benched stand - much needed in the sheeting rain and stiff wind...

Opposite are the dugouts and in the corner is a small covered standing area. The rest of the 'Stadium' consists of a walkway and inaccessibility...

Cassies are in all green, sponsored by Vogue Ceramics. The Camels are in a horrific psychedelic away strip of grey, yellow and blue, sponsored by CB Accounting.

The match is delayed whilst dog mess is removed from the pitch. Cassies start well and on 9 minutes Owen Hesketh's free kick is tipped onto the bar by Ben Cadman; the resultant corner is headed wide.

Another chance arrives on 18 but Josh Simcox's shot is deflected wide. Then the Shipyarders berth - captain Joe Downey hits the bar on the half hour and Haydn Cooper sees his shot pushed aside by Chad Oseland.

No matter as a Camels' shot on 34 is palmed onto the bar by Oseland and Daniel Stephens mops up to put the Lairds 1-0 up. Half time arrives with the visitors still leading by the only goal.

On 53 minutes Cadman saves with his feet from a rare Wolves' attack, but normal service is resumed as Camels' Ben Wood sidefoots wide. Cassies' Kyri Kourouyianni has his header saved just after the hour.

Then on 69 minutes the game is wrapped up. Joel Whalley scores the second goal for the Shipyarders, curling into the corner, after a sublime dummy by Wood.

The Casuals hit the bar again with a quarter of an hour left, and the Camels respond with sub Thomas Davies clipping the post three minutes later. But ultimately it turns out to be a routine 2-0 away victory which pushes Cammell up to 11th and leaves Wolves 15th 😀

Daisies Cut Back To Size - Tega Earns His Stripes !!!

And so to the North Field on Jericho Lane in Otterspool, in the Liverpudlian district of Aigburth. Today's North West Counties Division One North match is between MSB Woolton FC, their first ever NWCFL home fixture, and Daisy Hill F.C.

MSB Woolton FC traces its roots back to 1930 as Woolton Boys' Club, with the modern formation in 1994. The club is based at Camp Hill and The Simpson Ground in Woolton, South Liverpool. 

The Woo joined the Liverpool County Premier League in 2014 and back to back promotions took them to the Premier Division in 2016. A change of name to MSB Woolton followed through sponsorship by MSB Solicitors at the same time; and that remains to this day 😀

The club was crowned as Premier Division champions in 2023 and 2025. However a groundshare with South Liverpool FC at the North Field on Jericho Lane in Otterspool was required to achieve promotion to the North West Counties, after previous failed attempts due to ground grading issues. The club have started with away defeats 2-1 at Darwen and a 5-0 drubbing at Maine Road which sees Woolton bottom.

 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 - now the Ginge Power Stadium. The club folded before World War 2, reforming 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, and again in 2018 because of a league restructuring, having finished bottom of the pile.

Two abandoned Covid campaigns then an 8th place finish in 2022 preceded three lower season finishes. However last term saw social influencer Aaron Hunt take over as chairman and a monster crowd of 857 (normal gates are about 50) against Atherton Laburnum Rovers for the first home game under his watch, also attended by Angry Ginge and TikToker Steve Bracknall. This time a 1-0 loss at home to Ashton Athletic, a 2-2 home draw with Garstang and a 2-1 away defeat at Ashton Town leaves the Daisies 15th of 18.

The afternoon begins in bizarre circumstances with a woman lighting a cigarette on a petrol station forecourt..... Past the Armenian Grill House and glorious floral colour at Denzell Gardens in 26C heat it's another motorway bonanza - the M56, M6 and the M62. Beyond Orange Spa Massage, the Pink Eye, Fiddler's Ferry, Griffin Wood and the Dream sculpture at St Helens, with curious motorway bridge graffiti of End Speciesism....

Then we come to Tarbock Island and Symmetry Park. The M62 finishes at junction 4, in a failed attempt to reach Liverpool city centre; after that it's left at The Rocket with Brazilian Jujitsu at Aspire Combat and the Tiffin Indian restaurant. Numberplates today are PH16BOG (Phil Higgins Plumbing) and CHE35Y - a black Porsche, plus a BJS removal van 'Coals To Newcastle'.

But, via Childwall Fiveways and Mossley Hill, I reach the outskirts of Aigburth, before hitting Jericho Lane and the Community Football & Fitness Hub. This is now home to South Liverpool FC, Liverpool Feds Women FC and, from today, MSB Woolton FC.

Opposite is the glorious vista of Otterspool Promenade, looking onto the River Mersey - at the hub there is plenty of parking, and £6 admission; the crowd is 122 with good away support and an Ultras banner 'No Pies Are Safe' 👏

The ground has two small seated stands, one behind the goal and the other on the popular side, with only three sides open. There is a walkway and a covered area opposite the dugouts, and the astroturf surface is surrounded by small sized pitches. After a fourth heatwave cloud and warm sunshine greets the game.

Woolton, 'Fire In The Belly, Ice In The Veins', are in all white, with pale blue pinstripes on their sleeves, sponsored by Vesey, and the Cutters in all blue, sponsored by Star401.

It's a scrappy start to the match - not helped by the artificial surface and the heat. However on 17 minutes MSB's goalkeeper captain Dan Jennings spills a Kaiden Barlow free kick and Lee Grimshaw follows up to sidefoot home and put the Daisies 1-0 up.

Needless handbags just before the half hour result in two yellow cards. But five minutes on the Cutters' Joao Soares impressively volleys home a cross and the visitors lead 2-0.

That remains for only four minutes as Woolton's number nine, Tega Okeregha, comfortably outpaces Hill captain Nathan Bartram-Conway and slots in across Morgan Newns on 37. Newns makes a super reaction save on half time to preserve the Daisies' 2-1 lead.

The second period is all Whites as Newns produces a fine save from a corner and Joe Harvey's long range curler just drifts over. All the Cutters can deliver is hitting the post on 65, from a Jennings fumble.

Newns again excels, denying Harvey and Shea Currey. But with 12 minutes to go there is a clear shove by Okeregha and both sides stop. However nothing is given by the referee and Tega feeds the ball down the wing, and the resulting cross is deftly headed in by Daniel Ventre for 2-2.

Woolton hit the bar in the closing stages and apply significant pressure, but ultimately cannot find a winner. The spoils are shared leaving the Woo 16th and Daisy Hill one place higher in 15th.