Apollo Blasts Off - Ful Three Points Secured...

And so not to Volair on Baileys Lane in Halewood for a North West Counties Division One North match between Halewood Apollo FC and Fulwood Amateurs AFC - the match moved to the Auto Safety Centre Stadium, aka Valerie Park, home of Prescot Cables FC, The Pesky Bulls, also the Tigers, referencing  nearby Knowsley Safari Park 🤔 The stadium is imminently to be condemned...more anon... This because Volair, Apollo's 'ground', does not meet NWCFL criteria... and nowhere near - there's a single communal astroturf pitch as part of the leisure complex, necessitating the ground share.

Halewood Apollo was founded in 2014 by Joey Stocks, joining the Warrington & District League. Apollo moved to the Liverpool County Premier League in 2020.

Crowned as champions in 2024, the club placed 5th last time, allowing Halewood to scrape in to the NWCFL 1 North in the close season. Apollo currently stand 6th with 16 points from 9 matches.

Fulwood Amateurs AFC was established in 1924, originally playing on a field by the Black Bull pub, then relocating to Watling Street. Beginning with local football the club joined the Lancashire Amateur League in 1928, moving to a ground rented off Dick Kerrs and winning the double in 1937/38. The Ammies purchased land in Grimsargh in 1955 but this was earmarked for compulsory purchase in 1974, and eventually Fulwood settled at Lightfoot Lane in 1979 and won the LAL in 1987.

They moved to the West Lancashire League Division 2 in 1993 and immediately saw promotion as runners up. Amateurs were champions the following year and again in the rechristened Premier League in 1999.

Relegated in 2014 Fulwood bounced back, winning Division One the following season and were crowned as Premier League champions in 2019. Three consecutive 4th place finishes was enough to see the Ammies elevated to the North West Counties Division One North last season, finishing 12th of 18. This time Fulwood are again 12th, but now of 22, with 13 points from 9 games.

We set off in sunny spells but it becomes increasingly cloudier- fortunately the rain holds off until after the game. Numberplates today are K1NKC and UPL1T. 

We pass the three in one - formerly the George and Dragon, now Alty Hotel, the Whitechapel and soon to be the Grand Holdi. Then La Boheme and The Green Dragon in Lymm and on to Statham Lodge.

There's the pink eye in Warrington, Fiddler's Ferry and The Eight Towers before we briefly visit Volair. Then we hit the M57, off at Prescot and past the Clock Face pub to Valerie Park, hidden in a rabbit warren of cul de sacs.

It's £5 in and a thin crowd of 88. Inside is the Cables Bar and the main stand 'nearing the end of its lifetime' - and unsurprisingly closed....

The near end houses a covered terrace, with the top end comprising a walkway and barrier with 1884 signs, referencing Prescot Cables inception. Across from the stand is a narrow walkway, an out of bounds banking side and terraced houses.

Apollo are in dark blue, sponsored by Apollo Leisure, and Fulwood in change yellow, sponsored by Sante Group. Halewood completely dominate the first period, with captain Jordan Barrow dominant in defence and Steven Irwin pulling all the strings in midfield.

On 9 minutes Charlie Glennon is played through, with a hint of offside, and scores past Jacob Barry. The lead is doubled on 20 as Sean Miller takes advantage of a lucky ricochet to fire in at Barry's near post.

That becomes 3-0 on the stroke of half time: a beautiful curling strike from the edge of the box by William McCarthy. From the Ammies, well nothing....

The second half is more even with Fulwood's Spencer Lucas forcing a good double save from Apollo keeper Denny McGee ten minutes in. At the other end Barry makes a fine low save from Halewood substitute Stephen Doyle.

On 72 minutes Lucas receives the ball and charges through, comfortably outpacing the Apollo defenders. McGee gets fingertips to his shot but the ball squirms beyond him into the net: 3-1.

Any hopes of a full Ammies' fightback are banished on 82 as James Bell's effort clears the bar. And the last action of note is Miller's volleyed screamer which just fails to hit the target for Halewood, who emerge victorious 3-1 😊

Blues & Blacks Beaten Black and Blue in Villa Thriller !!

And so, on a sunny, breezy afternoon, to Knowsley and the Lord Derby Pavilion, named after Edward Smith-Stanley, the 14th Earl of Derby, three times Prime Minister in the 19th century and the longest ever serving Conservative leader, lasting 22 years. Today's game in the North West Counties Division One North is between AFC Knowsley and Ashville AFC.

The Blues & Blacks were formed in 1987 as Knowsley South FC playing in the Warrington & District League. South moved to the Cheshire League in 2019 and changed name to AFC Knowsley in 2021, joining the West Cheshire League in 2024. 4th last time, Knowsley achieved promotion to the NWCFL in the close season. They currently sit 17th, of 22, with seven points from eight games.

Ashville FC was founded in 1949 by D-Day veteran John Dennett and his wife Joyce at 25 Ashville Road, Wallasey, initially entering the Wallasey Youth League and then joining the Bebington League in 1951. After winning the Bebington League, Ashville moved to the Wirral Combination, winning the league in all three seasons they competed in it.

In 1955 'Ville was voted into the West Cheshire League, winning Division Two in their inaugural season and after promotion to Division One relocated from Wallacre Park to Villa Park on Cross Lane in 1962. The Villa was crowned as champions in 1968 and 2012, with a couple of relegations en route, quickly rectified; Ashville finished runners up in 2021/22 and was admitted to the North West Counties Division One South - they were laterally moved to Division One North in the summer where they lie 10th with three wins, three draws and three defeats.

Immediately we hit problems with 'temporary' 4 way traffic lights causing chaos. Numberplates today are W4X ME and F3CHA - plus a BJS van 'Squeaky Clean in Bath'.

Eventually to the M56 then the M6 and M62 alongside IKEA, Brakes distribution depot and the Dream sculpture at Sutton. Finally the M57 and off past Knowsley Hall brings us to the Lord Derby Playing Fields, where admission is £7 and the crowd is 169.

The ground is rudimentary and does not yet meet NWCFL requirements. There are no floodlights (just pylons), no seating (although an area appears to be earmarked for a 50 seat stand) and no cover.

The near end supports the pavilion, bar, clubhouse and changing rooms, banking down to the pitch. Both sides have playing fields beyond - the left just with a fence and no standing.  The top end is bounded by woodland and the M57.

Knowsley are unsurprisingly in blue and black, sponsored by Montirex. Ashville are in red with curious random black slashed lines, sponsored by West Wallasey.

On 7 minutes a bad mistake from Villa's captain Shaun Farrall allows Ben Taylor in and he scores with ease past Harley-Lee Morgan. It becomes 2-0 to the Blues & Blacks on 20 as more dithering 'Ville defending sees Oscar Roberts retrieve the ball and cross to Daniel Bulayima for a tap in.

Morgan just gets fingertips to a shot after 28, diverting the ball on to the post. And Knowsley are made to pay six minutes later as Adenya Dixon is robbed by the corner flag and the resulting cross is squared and easily converted by Ben Greenop past Liam Sargent for 2-1. Dixon is immediately substituted....

It should be 3-1 at the interval but Taylor dinks wide in a one on one - he really ought to have scored....

The second half has Knowsley spurning chance after chance. The best fall to James Anderson, magnificently blocked on the line, and Kieran Nagle-Kelly which produces a fabulous save from Morgan.

These bookend an Ashville equaliser after 63. A deep cross is nodded back and Peter Morgan rather apologetically prods in.

Seven minutes after marauding wing back Connor Rowland benefits from a superb cross field ball and his fine smashed shot puts the visitors 3-2 up.

The transformation is complete with two minutes left. Substitute Harrison Denton is played through and his composed finish, wrongfooting Sergant, gives Villa a 4-2 triumph in a hugely entertaining contest 😊

Villagers Steel Themselves To Earn A Point

And so to Queen Street in Bilston for a North West Counties Division One South clash between Bilston Town FC and Barnton FC. Queen Street was previously closed after 120 vandalism acts in 5 years in 2007 but was refurbished a year later. 

The home side was established as Bilston United in 1894 from a merger of Bilston Rovers and Bilston Wanderers, playing in the Walsall & District League where they were champions 6 times. Retitled as Bilston FC the Steelmen entered the Birmingham Combination which then became the Birmingham & District League. 

That was subsequently renamed the West Midlands (Regional) League and Bilston was crowned as champions in 1973. The club changed name again to Bilston Town in 1983, and moved to the Southern League Midland two years later.

The Steelmen reverted back to the West Midlands in 2002, after voluntary resignation, and later to the Midland League in 2021. After finishing 8th last time Town was laterally moved to the NWCFL 1 South in the close season and have started with two wins in three, sitting 10th.

The visitors, Barnton FC, from Townfield, was established in 1946 and became founder members of the Mid Cheshire League two years later. The Villagers won the league 11 times in total, including seven in a row from 1997 to 2003.

The league was renamed the Cheshire League in 2007 and Barnton were relegated to Division Two in 2009. Having been promoted as champions in 2013, the Villagers then finished 5th in the top tier in 2014 which was sufficient to gain election to the North West Counties Football League - their first ever season at Step 6; they had however previously represented England in the UEFA Regions League in 2004 playing Slovenian and Bosnian opposition.

In 2015/16 the club finished third and won the play off final 2-0 against Bacup Borough after extra time in front of a record crowd of 554 (yup I was there !). 17th in their first season at the higher level but four wins, 19 points and 171 goals conceded in the 2017/2018 23 team league made relegation inevitable; they have remained in Division One South ever since, and finished 10th last season. This campaign has begun with one win in three then a late 3-3 fightback at New Mills, from two goals down on Tuesday, to lie 14th.

Another sunny day sees us go past Howlin Hots and straight on to the M6. Numberplates today are A11URS and C4MPY. 

We go beyond Hilton Park and turn off at Junction 10 to the Black Country Route. Then through Anson, Keyway and The Lunt roundabouts and bypassing Ecobat brings us to Queen Street on the outskirts of Bilston.

It's £8 admission with a crowd of 175 and inside sees two very small covered terraces, one signed as Turners End, at either end, both oddly housing single benches. Queen Street, tree lined and residential, has the main stand, clubhouse and bar.

The far side is blocked off for car parking; behind is the Johnson Van Centre. Orange bars are utilised to protect footballs being lost but there is a steward on ball boy duty in any event.

There's perimeter advertising for Gingerapple Signs & Graphics and Joseph Ash Galvanizing, part of the Wedge Group. Bilston are in orange and black, sponsored by City of Wolverhampton College, and Barnton sport their change blue and yellow strip, sponsored by Weaverham Hardware & Electrical.

Bilston have the first chance on 7 minutes from Sam Cudjoe Yankson, well saved by Ryan Taylor. Then after 14, against the run of play, Barnton take the lead as Charley Jarrald steals in at the back post and prods home, past James Crump, from a deep cross.

Four minutes later the Steelmen are level. A long throw is inadvertently flicked on and Nathan Guest sumptuously volleys home into the top corner.

Jarrald has another effort saved by Crump, and Cudjoe Yankson unluckily diverts a cross cum shot over on the half hour. Then just before half time Thomas Stanton, Barnton's centre forward, misses horribly and we reach the break at 1-1.

Bilston edge the second period but ultimately the Steelmen lack that cutting edge.... and luck. Ten minutes into the half Ben Priest's hopeful shot bobbles on the hard surface (at least there is grass and not a dust bowl !!), Taylor fumbles, the ball bobbles again and goes agonisingly wide.

The Villagers' substitute Callum Sandle has two good chances, one scuffed wide and the other expertly beaten away by Crump in a one on one. Taylor produces an excellent save from a Darragh Bustin free kick at the other end.

But it finishes 1-1 despite desperate penalty area action and goal line clearances at both ends in injury time.