Seadogs Tipped Over The Sedge.... !!

And so to the Clayborn Ground on Quaker Lane in Cleckheaton, on the border with Hightown in Liversedge - this afternoon an FA Trophy Third Round Qualifying clash between Liversedge FC and Scarborough Athletic.

Liversedge Football Club was founded in 1910 following the demise of the old Liversedge Rugby Club, starting in the Bradford League for three seasons and winning it in 1920/21. The Sedge was a founder member of the West Riding County Amateur League in 1922/23 and went on to be the most successful club in the league’s infancy, taking the league title three times in its first five seasons (1924, 1926 and 1927) and, later, again in 1965 and 1966.

The club was accepted into the Yorkshire League for 1972/73, and promotion to Yorkshire League Division One was achieved prior to the amalgamation of the Midland and Yorkshire Leagues to form the Northern Counties East League in 1982. 

 

Second in 2005/06 and League Cup winners, but promotion to the Northern Premier League was denied due to insufficient facilities - apparently no separate changing rooms for female referees !! Never relegated, Quaker Lane was flooded in October 2015 resulting in no home games for 4 months.

 

Following the last two seasons being curtailed dramatically by the coronavirus pandemic, Liversedge FC was promoted to the Northern Premier League Division One East due to finishing both the 2019/2020 and 2020/21 seasons in the top three of the table (based on a table using a Points Per Games calculation). They currently sit top with 11 wins and a draw from 12 league fixtures.

Scarborough Athletic FC was set up on 25 June 2007 by the Seadog Trust. This was five days after the liquidation of Scarborough FC - £2.5 million in debt and unable to sell the McCain Stadium to a housing developer due to a covenant restricting it to sporting activities (it is now a Lidl supermarket....)

The Seadogs joined the Northern Counties East League Division One, groundsharing at Bridlington Town's Queensgate stadium. Two seasons in they were crowned as champions and promoted to the Premier Division, with Brian France as manager. In their second season in the top flight France was struck in the face by a ball at, strangely, Liversedge and suffered a brain haemorrhage - he never managed the club again.

 

In 2012/13 'Boro clinched the NCEL title and were promoted to the Northern Premier Division One South (bizarrely !!) under their magnificently named Romanian manager Rudy Funk. The Seadogs were moved laterally to Division One North after one season.

 

In July 2017 the club, after ten years at Bridlington, finally returned to the town at the new Flamingo Land Stadium at Weaponness. After play off defeat in 2017 the Seadogs were promoted to the Premier Division as runners up the following year but, despite attendances having nearly trebled, have flattered to deceive ever since - this season six wins, three draws and six defeats.

 

As an extension of their youth team a nursery club Scarborough Town was established in 2008, initially competing in the Teesside League. The team moved up to the Wearside League and were champions in 2010 before folding in June 2013.

 

The original Scarborough FC was founded in 1879, moving to the Athletic Ground on Seamer Road in 1898 and staying there until dissolution. From the Midland League Scarborough became a founder member of the Northern Premier League in 1968, crowned as FA Trophy winners three times in 1973, 1976 and 1977 (beating Wigan Athletic, Stafford Rangers and Dagenham respectively) and runners up in 1975.

 

The Seadogs joined the Alliance Premier League on inception and were champions in 1987, becoming the first ever automatically promoted club to the Football League. 8 May 1999 saw the club relegated back to the Conference after goalkeeper Jimmy Glass scored for Carlisle deep into injury time to preserve their league status, and rendering the Seadogs' 1-1 home draw with Peterborough, already celebrated as survival, irrelevant. Thereafter in 2006 Scarborough were demoted due to 'financial instability'. The end was nigh....

After brinner, it's past Seven Heaven Kitchen, with numberplates today featuring B16 HOT, A B10WER and BR04DEN. Washway Road takes me to the M60 beyond the Bodhi Tree Buddhas at Utopia, Thai Massage at Po Thong and a Chinese takeaway at Panda Mama. Not forgetting the haunted Eyebrow Cottage....

 

Beyond Beyond (aka Chill Factore) on the M60 then the M62 and Saddleworth Moor, Scammonden and the M62 Summit - the highest motorway point in England. More lorry trailer advertising hoardings, predominantly Radiator Outlet but, yes, another CBD one. The weather changes from sunny spells to heavy rain, the thermometer ticks down from 14C to 9C and the motorway is closed on the opposite carriageway at Junction 23 due to a severe multivehicle accident.

 

Past Outlane Cricket Club next to the hard shoulder and off at J25 Hartshead Moor where the motorway closure has caused local gridlock so a hastily revised route is improvised.  Coal Pit Lane, then left at the Gray Ox to Windy Bank Lane onto the A649 and left at Casa Luli into Hightown Road. The ground is well hidden at the foot of Quaker Lane on the right, an inadequate unadopted alley with one car's width.

 

The return journey takes me back via Cleckheaton, past the local Wetherspoons - The Obediah Brooke, a 19th century local farmer - to rejoin at J26. Needless to say the car park is insufficient for a bumper crowd of 571 so I park on the adjoining housing estate, and it's £6 on the gate.

 

Clayborn features a clubhouse to the top West corner of the ground with a drinks terrace, covered seating at the North (The Stuart Silverwood Stand) and another bar - The Huntsman - and a small covered terracing stand to the West behind the goal - The Cowshed. The historic slope has now long since gone, but the North and West sides are elevated above the pitch, with the ground framed by new detached houses, trees and, to the South, a picturesque view of fields looking onto the outskirts of Mirfield.

Sedge are in white and blue stripes, Seadogs in red with white trim and it's a quiet start. That is until the 11th minute when the rhythm is fractured as a home free kick is only half cleared and Jack Stockdill shoots from the edge of the box; his shot hits the post and rolls in, and Liversedge lead 1-0.

For a brief period Sedge are dominant, incisive and threatening with Athletic spoiling the home attack with a series of fouls. However the Seadogs start to take advantage of Sedge's open defending, and on 20 minutes Nathan Cartman breaks through resulting in Michael Coulson's shot being cleared off the line.

Brilliant sunshine gives way to a brief flurry of drizzle and a rainbow as Scarborough start to dominate. Luca Colville's fizzer is going in but Kieran Weledji adds a final touch into the net and is deemed offside, and then home stopper Jon Stewart comes up with two super saves from Coulson and Ryan Watson, one with his hands and the other with his feet.

At the other end Nicky Walker cuts in from the right and strikes the near post, before teeing up Stockdill whose effort is blocked. A breathless first half ends with Sedge a goal to the good.

Five minutes after the break a challenge in the Liversedge box sees Coulson, not for the first time, tumble to the turf (with an alacrity suggesting 'a weed and feed addiction') and he is booked for simulation. Three minutes on and a Sedge cross sees capless, hapless Seadogs' keeper Michael Ingham blinded by the sun and in the ensuing shenanigans an attempted defensive clearance is struck straight at Paul Walker and into the net.

Paul Walker should have made it 3-0 shortly after but his air shot produces a defensive deflection that casually loops just wide. At the other end Stewart performs more heroics in keeping out efforts from Colville and Bradley Plant.

End to end now with Liversedge sitting off and soaking up Seadogs' pressure - the home side fashion a chance for Ben Atkinson, who creates space and shoots across Ingham but just beyond the far post. However their next opportunity on 74 minutes sees Joe Walton bully his opponent off the ball and in a two on one he squares for Atkinson, who composes himself and then fires into the corner for 3-0.

Then the piece de resistance: with 9 minutes to play the ball finds Nicky Walker's feet, he bamboozles the full back and shoots left footed from outside the box and the ball hits the inside of the opposite post before going in. Not so much a peach as a full tropical fruit salad....

Aside from a wholly unnecessary melee at the death that's it - a 4-0 'giantkilling' with the man of the match being the underdogs' goalkeeper. The 100+ disgruntled Scarborough fans, 'you're all just walking' are met with home cries of 'See you next season'... and on this showing that's highly likely !

 

Where's Wally ? James Suckers The Bloods As Seadogs Bite Back

And so on a cold, sunny January afternoon it's off to Butcher's Arms, the home of Droylsden FC, for this afternoon's visit of high flying Scarborough Athletic in the Evostik Northern Premier League Division One North.

Droylsden FC was originally formed in 1892 at the invitation of Joseph Cropper, the landlord of the Butcher's Arms, to play behind the pub. The club emerged out of World War One as the sole survivor of the village teams, as a member of the Manchester League and with colours of red and white - the inspiration for their nickname 'The Bloods'. The 1930s produced two Manchester League championships with record goalscorer Ernest Gillibrand plundering 275 goals in just 4 seasons (yes 4 seasons !!).

Spells in the Lancashire Combination and Cheshire League followed before the sale of the Butcher's Arms lease to Belle Vue FC, who renamed themselves Droylsden United. The Bloods were forced out to nearby Moorside Trotting Stadium aka 'Pork Park'. The town wasn't big enough to support two teams and eventually a merger was negotiated.

Two decades in the Lancashire Combination ended with a return to the Cheshire League, and Droylsden then became a founder member of the North West Counties in 1982. Gradually the club ascended to the Conference North, and spent one season in the Conference National in 2007/08.

Since then two second round FA Cup adventures have been the highlights. In 2008/09 the Bloods beat League 2 side Darlington 1-0 to set up a four game thriller with Chesterfield. Two matches were abandoned through fog and floodlight failure, there was a 2-2 draw and Droylsden then beat the Spireites 2-1 to earn a third round tie at Ipswich. Except it never happened as double goalscorer Sean Newton was found to be ineligible, and The Bloods were expelled from the competition.

Two years later Droylsden hosted a televised second round tie with Leyton Orient which was drawn. In the replay the Bloods were 2-0 up at Brisbane Road until two late goals drew Orient level, and the league side then went on the rampage in extra time to win 8-2.

Three relegations in six years see Droylsden at their current level. The last of these was the horrific 2013/14 campaign - one win all season, relegated in February and no playing budget whatsoever with the club battling to pay off a £280,000 VAT debt that threatened its very existence. To be fair to club owner, chairman and manager, the irascible Dave Pace, he refused to put the club into administration and vowed to pay it all back.

Scarborough Athletic FC was set up on 25 June 2007 by the Seadog Trust. This was five days after the liquidation of Scarborough FC - £2.5 million in debt and unable to sell the McCain Stadium to a housing developer due to a covenant restricting it to sporting activities.

The Seadogs joined the Northern Counties East League Division One, groundsharing at Bridlington Town's Queensgate stadium. Two seasons in they were crowned as champions and promoted to the Premier Division, with Brian France as manager. In their second season in the top flight France was struck in the face by a ball at Liversedge and suffered a brain haemorrhage - he never managed the club again.

In 2012/13 'Boro clinched the NCEL title and were promoted to the Northern Premier Division One South (bizarrely !!) under their magnificently named manager Rudy Funk. The Seadogs were moved laterally to Division One North after one season.

At the start of this campaign the club, after ten years at Bridlington, finally returned to the town at the new Flamingo Land Stadium at Weaponness. After play off defeat last time, the Seadogs currently lie third with attendances having nearly trebled.

It's Metrostink today, and a tram full of bleary eyed Manchester City fans on their way to the FA Cup tie with Burnley. A tram also held up by a disabled man's wheelchair becoming trapped halfway in the door.

Change at Cornbrook and Metrolink's decision to run single units produces cattle truck conditions. Through the city centre and past the modern apartments in New Islington before it's time to breathe again after most disembark at the Etihad. Then beyond the National Cycling Centre to Clayton Hall, home of Carp Fever, and the aptly named Cemetery Road - and yes there is a funeral directors just round the corner !!

This brings me into the town, past Droylsden Pigeon Corn Supplies and Dumplins Chicken Split Shop - the latter, like several other outlets, appearing to have closed. Butcher's Arms is a five minute stroll from the tram stop, just beyond The Beehive and The King's Head (formerly the Butcher's Arms).

Through two fine wrought iron gates is the grandstand, The William Pace Stand, and a Press Box that remains empty throughout the afternoon. Next to it is the impressive (and warm !) clubhouse whilst to the left is a tidy covered terrace, spoilt by copious amounts of pigeon droppings (I blame that Corn Supplies shop !!) and a strange Aardvark Concrete hoarding. Opposite is some wonky terracing, with the other end an open tarmacked area, bordered by houses.

The crowd of 334 is swelled by at least half supporting 'Boro, in good voice and with several flags ('Seadog Trucker On Tour'). The Bloods are in all red, the Seadogs in change all yellow.

The pitch is an absolute pudding and, along with an icy swirling wind, not conducive to good football. Nonetheless Droylsden's Luke Daly is able to waltz past 5 Scarborough players, all too easily, and smash the ball past Thomas Taylor to give the Bloods an early lead.

Droylsden's intricate passing plays the conditions better compared to the Seadogs' rather flat first half display. The Bloods' strike force of Sefton Gonzalez and Ciaran Kilheeney also poses a more potent threat than the visitors' much vaunted Mike Coulson and James Walshaw.

From a breakaway Kilheeney gets in a shot that Taylor parries but Gonzalez, with the ball behind him, can't keep his shot from clearing the crossbar. The Seadogs can only muster a Lewis Sugden shot wide and, after Bloods' keeper Richie Branagan spills a corner, Max Wright's chip is over.

Very early in the second half Gonzalez is withdrawn with an injury, and the Bloods set out to hold what they have, stifling the Seadogs and playing on the counter. Wright and Coulson shoot over, and Sam Hewitt hits the outside of the post as it becomes an afternoon of frustration for 'Boro.

Then Droylsden lose both full backs to injury and the dismembered defence is suddenly all at sea. But it's still not until the 76th minute when Walshaw is felled in the penalty area and Coulson drills the penalty home. Bloods’ owner Dave Pace becomes ever more animated…..

The home defence is sliced open immediately and Walshaw is through but Branagan smothers. Little matter as in the next break the defence is carved open again and this time Walshaw dinks the ball over Branagan – and the Seadogs lead with ten minutes to go. Four minutes later Coulson plays in Walshaw who finishes decisively for 3-1, the match and second place in the table.