Grand Finale - Lions Fail To Get Over The Bridge !!

And so to Nethermoor Park in Guiseley, Leeds, for what was to be a Big Cat Derby Northern Premier League Premier Division match between Guiseley AFC, The Lions, and Prescot Cables FC, The Tigers, also affectionately known as the Pesky Bulls 🤪 But due to FA Cup commitments, Guiseley beating Scunthorpe United to reach the 4th Qualifying Round, I'm there a week earlier for an FA Trophy clash with Guiseley facing Bamber Bridge FC.

 Guiseley AFC, The Lions, was established in 1909 at Nethermoor, where they have played since inception. The club started in the Wharfedale League and was crowned as champions in 1912/13. Post World War One Guiseley moved to the Leeds League then the West Riding County Amateur League, winning three consecutive titles between 1933 and 1935, and a further championship in 1939.

After switching back to the Leeds League (now the West Yorkshire League) in 1960 the Lions won the title in their first season and again in 1964/65. Thereafter Guiseley joined the Yorkshire League in 1968 and became a founder member of the Northern Counties East League for the 1982/83 campaign.

As champions of the NCEL in 1990/91 the Lions ascended to the Northern Premier League Division One and that season won the FA Vase 3-1 at Bramall Lane, Sheffield, against Gresley Rovers after a 4-4 draw at Wembley. The following year the Magpies of Wimborne Town defeated Guiseley 5-3 in the Vase Final at Wembley.

After rising to the Premier Division Guiseley AFC was elevated to the Conference North in 2010 and following play off heartbreak in 2012, 2013 and 2014 (the latter a 120th minute extra time winner by Altrincham's Sam Heathcote) the Lions finally went up, at the fourth time of asking, beating Chorley 3-2 in the play off final in 2015. But life in the top tier was relatively short lived with bottom place and relegation to the National North in 2018 and further demotion, again bottom, to the Premier Division of the Northern Premier League in 2022. Tenth last time out, Guiseley currently sit fifth this term.

A Bamber Bridge club played in the late 19th century but the modern club was established in 1952. Brig joined the Preston & District League, merging with Walton-le-Dale in 1974 and playing at King George's Field.

In 1983 the club purchased a plot of derelict land at Irongate in the town with the first game played there in August 1987. The ground was renamed The Sir Tom Finney Stadium after Finney's death in 2014, and is now the SFC Stadium. Their record attendance was 2,300 at a pre Euro 96 warm up with eventual runners up Czech Republic - who won the friendly 9-1.

Back to back championships in 1986 and 1987 prefaced a league and cup double in 1990 and promotion to the North West Counties Football League Division Two. Winning the league saw Division One achieved two years later and a second successive promotion, as runners up, followed to the Northern Premier League Division One in 1993.

In 1995 Brig finished as runners up and was elevated to the Premier Division, which they duly won the following season. However Irongate failed ground grading criteria and Bamber were not promoted to the Football Conference, remaining in the Northern Premier League.

Bridge saw relegation in 2002, but achieved promotion back in 2004. Demoted once more the following season, it took until 2018 for Brig to return to the NPL Premier. Yet another play off failure in 2023 and a disappointing last campaign left Bamber 16th of 21 - this time they lie mid table in 12th, but with 3 wins and a draw from their last four outings 🤔. More concerningly Brig, community owned, are in desperate financial straits, and have recently set up a fund raiser for £30,000 to see out the season.

It's an early start as I go past the Old Cheshire Cheese and Sam & Nam Express on a sunny, cool and breezy morning - it turns out to be a gorgeous afternoon 😊 Numberplates today are H15 DTH, POW311S, 45 LP (33 LP would be more appropriate....) and three BJS removal vans displaying 'Saying Cheese in Leicester', 'Grinning Like A Cheshire Cat' and ' Coals To Newcastle' as I pass Stubborn Mule Tap & Shop.

To the train at Navigation Road and beyond Human Appeal at Cheadle, into Stockport with its Hat Museum and the iconic vacant Co-op pyramid. Then the execrable Overdraught at Levenshulme and a chance meeting with Library John at Manchester Piccadilly 😀 

Across the city, bypassing the Victory Over Blindness statute, Scamp & Dude, Mint Velvet and Sixes Social Cricket, brings me to Victoria. The Leeds train takes me initially past Greengate Brewery then Malia and Arrow Mills at Rochdale.

Thence Platform One Gallery at Todmorden, the Lamp Room at Hebden Bridge and the Iron Man at Mytholmroyd - the station building celebrating its 150th anniversary this year. That brings me to Ryburn Valley at Sowerby Bridge and Eureka and Halifax Flour Society 1879.

The Bradford Alhambra, Build A Candle in New Pudsey and Strachan Furniture Makers at Bramley come before the end of rail journey two in Leeds. Versa Leeds Studios and strange street art announcing 'Seagulls Paint With Purpose' greet me there.

The third rail leg is the Ilkley train, past Kirkstall Forge and a congested Guiseley is first stop. Arriving at Guiseley station I come out onto a cobbled terrace street with familiar Yorkstone buildings around, before walking to the ground, just six or seven minutes walk from the station. I reach a real olde style ground on Otley Road after Shed Load of Vinyl, Pipe Dreams, Flippin' 'Eck, The Hoptimist tap and beer shop and The Potting Shed bar.

It is an impressive setup with a five a side pitch, cricket club, bowling club and children's playground all in the same complex, and Nethermoor Park includes cleaned up floodlight pylons, previously corroded and rusted to saturation point. £11 in, reduced from the normal £13, sees a crowd of 460 with a healthy knot of away supporters 😀 

Inside there is a restaurant and bar, behind which is the flight path to Leeds Bradford Airport as several jets land in nearby Yeadon. Opposite is the main stand, split into two covered seated areas, and bookended by the 1909 Suite, club shop, ticket office and Lions' Diner (clever !). The two ends support shallow terraces - the Wetherby Whaler Scoreboard End and the Railway End. Next to the hospitality area are two covered standing areas.

The Lions are in white and blue, sponsored by AGF, Brig in change yellow with black trim, sponsored by Jimibox. 

Bridge have the first chance which is blocked and then Lions' Barnsley loanee Feyi Afuape breaks away but sees his shot well saved by Brig's James Pradic. Will Longbottom hits the bar with a curling effort for Guiseley on 13 minutes; as near as it comes 🤔 

Joe Cracknell, the home keeper, is much the busier, tipping over from Jack Baxter and then clawing away two further Baxter efforts before the break. Afuape shoots wide with the Lions' best opportunity but it remains scoreless at half time.

The second period sees Bridge's central defenders, Alex Kenyon and Adam Dodd, stifle the home attack, as the Lions fail to roar. Dodd featured on BBC North West news in the past few days, having previously suffering cardiac arrest and being resuscitated by his now wife - he is now campaigning for greater CPR education.

For Brig veteran Simon Grand has a shot charged down before the defining moment arrives on 70 minutes. A rather hopeful long distance cross field ball by Liam Brockbank, derided by the two lads behind me, turns out to be the perfect delivery and 40 year old Grand ghosts in at the far post to head across Cracknell and into the net.

Cracknell defies Baxter again with another superb tip over before The Lions have one major chance to level matters on 82 minutes. A defensive error lets in Joe Ackroyd who touches the ball past Preston loanee Pradic, but he recovers to make a splendid last ditch save.

On 94 minutes Guiseley win a corner and Cracknell is sent up to the opposition box. A flashing header wide and that's it - 1-0 to Bamber Bridge and it leaves Guiseley Trophyless 🙄

Garnett Is Mickleover's Gem As Sports Spoil Celtic's Day

And so to Staly Vegas, the mill town of Stalybridge, the place that held 2 Guinness Book of Records entries - the longest and shortest pub names in the UK ! The Old Thirteenth Cheshire Astley Volunteer Rifleman Corps Inn and The Q Inn still flourish in the town centre, but I'm off to Bower Fold for Stalybridge Celtic against Mickleover Sports in the Evo Stik Northern Premier.

The home side was formed in 1909 by Herber Rhodes, a local businessman and philanthropist, although an amateur club 'Celtic' was established in 1906. Rhodes spent a chunk of his fortune on developing Bower Fold; he also played for the team and designed the strip, basing it on the colours used by his racehorses.

The Celts played for two seasons in the Lancashire & Cheshire Amateur League and turned professional before joining the Lancashire Combination, where they were 2nd Division champions. After a year in the Central League Celtic's ambition of Football League status forced them to join the Southern League (!), travelling by train to every away match.

There followed a pause commonly known as the First World War. In the aftermath 'Bridge rejoined the Central League, becoming founder members of The Football League Third Division (North) at the end of the 1920/21 campaign. The club resigned after 2 seasons, citing the 'fact' that they could not attract sufficient support to justify a League side - despite an average attendance of 5,480 !! Today's crowd is 258......

Celtic reverted to the Cheshire County League, remaining members for 60 years but only winning the title once in 1980. Founder members of the North West Counties Football League in 1982, the Celts were champions in 1984 and 1987 - which took them to the Northern Premier League.

After winning the league title in 1992 Stalybridge spent 6 seasons in the Conference and were promoted back in 2001, but lasted a solitary campaign. The restructure of Step 2 in non league saw Celtic join the Conference North in 2004 where they stayed, after two last day escapes in 2015 and 2016, until relegation last time out.

Mickleover Sports FC, from the Don Amott Arena (Don Amott is the current club chairman) was founded in 1948 as Mickleover Old Boys. They played in the Derby & District Senior League for 44 years, making them the longest serving club in the league.

Following development of new facilities, Sports successfully applied to join the Central Midlands Football League in 1993 and two years later they gained promotion to the Supreme Division. They were crowned as CMFL champions in 1998/99, in a season that saw their first venture into the FA Vase. Winning 3-0 at eventual finalists Bedlington Terriers with 14 minutes left, the home side's floodlights suspiciously failed. Sports lost 2-0 in a replay after an FA inquiry.

Mickleover were promoted to the Northern Counties East League, which was won in 2003, and then became Premier Division champions in 2008/09. The step up to the Northern Premier Division 1 South was significant but a run of 16 consecutive wins catapulted Sports to the top of the table and the title.

Their first season in the Premier was all about consolidation despite a tendency to gift points to opposing clubs. This included an incredible 6-6 home draw with Nantwich Town, with Sports 6-3 up with 6 minutes to go. The following term saw Sports relegated for the first time, and a year later they narrowly avoided consecutive demotions after using 53 players during the season. Play off defeat to the Nailers, Belper Town, in 2014 was used as a springboard to winning the division as champions a year on. Sports have survived in the Premier the past two seasons....but only just first time around !!

And so it's past Scissorhand, Skullfades and Tan 'n' Tonic to the now mercifully closed T & T Pound Plus. Presumably sold out of 'HOUSE HOLD. STATIONARY. TOILETORIES. ELCTRICAL' ..... Then onto the M60 where the signs show a speed limit of 20 mph due to 'Oncoming Vehicle' - odd.... Past the Co-op Pyramid and its Crystal Methodist and then off at Denton Rock.

The M67 to the end, then gridlock at a roundabout advertising Big Baps Butty Van, before I turn left into Mottram in Longdendale. Up then down the hill with Bower Fold on the left, next to the Hawthorn Gallery, fine art dealers. The ground is almost entirely surrounded by trees and nestles in the foothills.

Inside the ground has four covered stands. At the Town End is the Joe Jackson Stand - terracing with the Social Club at the rear. To the right is The Lord Tom Pendry Stand, all seated and opened in 2004. At the top end is the Lockwood & Greenwood Stand, again terracing and on the left the main all seater stand, which I will call the Alkie Stand after the advertising hoarding for Alkie Limited at the front…. The club mascot Bower Badger makes a brief appearance in a ground befitting a club higher up the non league pyramid.

Celtic are in blue and white, Sports in all red. Sports, kicking down the slope towards the Town End, start well in the bright sun. On 5 minutes a raking pass inside the full back lets in Andy Dales and he is wiped out by hesitant Celtic keeper Joe Slinn. Player manager John McGrath takes the penalty and sends Slinn the wrong way from the spot.

Rain and a biting wind take over, as do Celtic as they try to break down a resolute and well organised Sports back line. Liam Dickinson's deft sidefoot grazes the post and Matty Wolfenden's header drifts just wide.

Connor Hughes' long range strike is smothered weakly by Sports' keeper Lewis King, and Dickinson's close range rebound is deflected over. King then touches another Hughes shot on to the top of the bar. Sports are content to hold and counter attack, which they do to devastating effect just before the interval. A swift break down the right sees the ball played in to lone frontman Evan Garnett whose shot hits the inside of the post, but Dales mops up. Sports lead 2-0 at the break in a half where Celtic had all the chances.

The second period sees the Lockwood & Greenwood stand housing two spectators - and one steward. Celtic substitute Greg Wilkinson tries an audacious 40 yard lob which is tipped over by a backpedalling King, and Wolfenden's outrageous turn is not matched by a snatched shot wide.

Another Sports counter attack and another goal. Wonderful wing wizardry and pace takes Garnett down the flank and to the by line where he cuts the ball across, and Wilkinson slides in for an own goal. There is more Celtic pressure, more defensive blocks and King saves and an open goal miss from Dickinson.

Twenty minutes from the end Garnett gets in front of his man by the corner flag and dinks the ball to McGrath. He plays in Dales who slots home through Slinn's legs to make it 4-0 for the away side. King makes two more decent stops before a long ball causes confusion between Ross Killock and Slinn. Killock diverts the ball wide of Slinn, and Garnett walks the ball into an empty net for a richly deserved goal.

Oli Roberts hits the Sports' bar in injury time - and leaves the word 'surreal' on the home spectators' lips as they leave the ground. Celtic, having created more than a dozen good chances, beaten 5-0 by a side that had 4 attempts on goal.... ☺

A Little Bit of Daniels' Magic, Not A Lot, As Valiant Knight Denies The Gladiators !

And so to the Derbyshire Dales, and the Autoworld Arena on Causeway Lane, the home of the Gladiators of midtable Matlock Town. The visitors are the Daniels of Stamford AFC, currently sitting next to bottom, and after their first nine league games produced an astonishing 60 goals, with a new manager in charge.

The home side was formed in 1878 as Matlock, and competed in the Central Alliance and then the Midland Counties League. After being four time champions in the 1960s, the Gladiators moved into a different arena, the Northern Premier League in 1969.

In 1975 the club won the FA Trophy beating Scarborough 4-0 at Wembley with all three Fenoughty brothers, Tom, Mick and Nick, scoring. 1978 saw the side win the NPL Cup, and this allowed them to play in the Anglo-Italian Cup in 1978/9 against Chieti, Pisa, Juniorcasale and Cremonese.

After relegation to the First Division in 1996, the club were promoted back to the Premier Division in 2003/4, and have remained there at the third tier of non-league ever since.

Stamford AFC are nicknamed The Daniels after Daniel Lambert, reputedly the fattest man in English history then (but not in these morbidly obese times !), who died in Stamford and is buried in St Martins' churchyard, close to the old ground.

The club was established in 1896 and played for one season in the East Midlands League. Then after several years without league football they joined the Northamptonshire League in 1909, and were champions in 1912. They left the (now) United Counties League in 1939 after being plagued by financial troubles, but rejoined in 1946 and after playing in the Central Alliance and the Midland League, went back to the UCL for the final time in 1972.

The Daniels were champions five times in seven seasons, and reached the FA Vase final three times winning it in 1980 by beating Guisborough 2-0. In 1998 after consecutive championships, one in their centenary year, the club was promoted to the Midland (later renamed Eastern) Division of the Southern League. Promotion to the Premier followed in 2004, and then after two yo-yo years, the club was moved to the Premier Division of the Northern Premier League, and went down after one season to Division One South.

In August 2012 the Daniels became the first club in the world to wear the Twitter handle and display a QR code on the back of their playing shirts. Promotion to the Premier was achieved via the play offs, and in their second season back Stamford went top after winning their first five games.

The club moved from their old home at Hanson's Field to the brand new Zeeco Stadium in December 2014 and became embroiled in a relegation dogfight. On the final day of last season the Daniels were 2-0 down at the Zeeco to fellow relegation strugglers Witton Albion. Cue a tremendous fightback, late goal, a 3-2 win, survival and Witton through the trapdoor. It remains their only home league win at the new stadium to date.....

And so through the footballers' playground of Hale Barns, past the crystal Methodist's Co-op pyramid in Stockport and there's no gridlock in the (Hazel) Grove - a first time for everything ! Past Lyme Park, and then skirting Chapel-en-le-Frith, the Capital of the Peak, brings us to the hairpin bend at the Wanted Inn at Sparrowpit.

Through Peak Forest and then a turn to Ashford in the Water, avoiding Tideswell, the Cathedral of the Peak. On into the sprawling town of Bakewell, and its Tarts, and then past the Grouse & Claret at Rowsley and into Darley Dale, with its Carriage Museum.

First stop is the tourist trap of Matlock Bath, with its illuminations on the River Derwent and fireworks later ! Awesome views from the Heights of Abraham - and don't forget the Lead Mining Museum.....

Then a backtrack to the spa and market town of Matlock and park up by the railway station - sadly no Peak Rail services today due to problems with the steam locomotive :( Then lunch and a pint of Woodforde's Tap & Go in the packed Crown, where the horse drawn fire engine was based many years ago.

The town is compact and vibrant, watched over by Riber Castle, perched on the peak above. The football ground is in the town centre across from Hall Leys Park, with its sunken gardens, skate park and boating lake. Next to the ground is Matlock Ford dealership and on the approach Maazi restaurant, with an incongruous yellow tuk-tuk on its portico......

And so up Causeway Lane and in through the turnstile, with every spectator greeted by 'And how are you today ?' 'Not three bad'. The far end is fenced off, with the cricket club and pitch behind and Riber Castle in the distance. The near side supports the Cyril Harrison Stand, showing its 95 years, three seated/ benched rows and partly taped off. The Town End has a small covered terraced area backing on to Matlock Ford, with tarmac standing below. However the ground has been transformed by the shiny new Twigg main Stand - alongside it is the Sports and Social Club, where an episode of Sky series Starlings was filmed (no I've never heard of it either !). There is also the Autoworld Lounge on one side and a refreshment bar and some benches on the other; behind the town rises layer by layer.

A rather frightening looking middle aged man with gelled dyed blue and yellow hair, which doesn't match his goatee, walks round the ground before the game starts. The Gladiators are in all blue and the Daniels in all red.

The weather matches the first half - five minutes of sunshine then drab with a swirling wind. A chance in the first minute for Matlock captain Danny Holland and no real threat from the Daniels, until Nabil Sharif pokes wide under pressure. A home claim for a penalty for hand ball, and rather aimless pinball football until the half hour.

Then three very presentable chances for the home side. Holland nods down a free kick to the unmarked Sam Smith who volleys horribly over, Holland is just thwarted by the Daniels' keeper Richard Knight and Micky Harcourt's cross cum shot evades the onrushing forwards.

Within in a minute of the second half the Gladiators' Harry Coates hits the frame of bar and post from a corner but the home side are struggling to create chances, looking lopsided and lacking invention. Shortly after, the Daniels lead - a corner produces a tremendous save from home custodian George Willis, but Tom McGowan thrashes home the rebound. Two minutes later Smith is cut down in the area: Holland takes the penalty but Knight saves low to his left.

Knight produces further great saves to deny Ben Elgar and Joel Purkiss but leaves the best till last - a superb tip away from Adam Yates' header. By the end the Gladiators have run out of ideas, with Daniels' Daniel Clements nearly adding a second, Willis saving well. Injury time is brief - only one double substitution from the home side and no injuries - as the veil is drawn on an unlikely away win.

Yeltz in Setback as Dabbers Take Max Advantage !

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.