And so to the new Shawbury United Community Sports & Recreational Centre for an inaugural home North West Counties Division One South fixture between Shawbury United and Cammell Laird 1907.
Shawbury United FC was established in 1992, playing in the Shrewsbury & Shropshire Alliance Division Two. Swiftly rising through the divisions, United joined the West Midlands (Regional) League in 1999. Division One North champions in their first season, Shawbury moved up to the Premier League. Their motto is Sawes Beries - relating to a Domesday Book entry from 1085.
Promoted as winners in 2016 to the Midland League, United suffered relegation two years later, and rejoined the Midland League in 2021, finishing 10th last time in Midland One. The club was moved laterally to NWCFL Division One South in the close season.
Previously groundsharing at the Butler Sports Centre at Wem Town FC, United 'temporarily' moved to Ludlow Town FC, 40 miles away in 2017. Shawbury then came closer to home at the 4G pitch at the New Meadow, owned by Shrewsbury Town FC, in Shrewsbury in 2023.
Planning permission was granted in 2014 for a new ground off the A53 in Shawbury, using land donated by Gerald Verdino in 2020 - but it has taken a decade to make progress from just a ploughed farmer's field to the new Sports Centre. Four away fixtures thus far have garnered only one point - and an 8-0 shellacking at New Mills last Saturday... plus a 3-1 derby loss at Foley Meir on Wednesday 😒
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, now the KRCT 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 FC, 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.
But maybe things might be changing this time - 3 wins and a draw from their first four fixtures....currently sitting second, with 10 points compared to United's one, after a 5-1 dismantling of Runcorn Town on Tuesday 🙄
Amidst drizzle then rain which eventually turns into sunny spells and a strong breeze, I espy numberplates SON1C, M4NCS, PH11ZLE, and a shop offering Golden Stitches Proffesional Tailoring (maybe not)....
Beyond Two Four Nine and Avec Cookers then onto the M6 with signs for Yuletide at Tatton and Jerico. I pass a BJS home delivery van emblazoned with 'Taking our time in Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantisiliogogogoch' - yes really !!
Off at Junction 15 and past the Mainwaring Arms in Whitmore, then at Baldwin's Gate the Block House at the Sheet Anchor. And there's a sign for Dolphin Discounts - Guns ! 🤔
Through Hungersheath and then the legendary Loggerheads before I approach Market Drayton, dominated by the Muller factory. Over the Shropshire Union Canal, then Hodnet and signs for the West Midlands Shooting Ground - another gun shop !!
That brings me to Shawbury and the Elephant and Castle pub - the other boozer in the village is the Fox and Hounds. Shawbury also hosts CraftNutter Supplies, Green Daisy and The Gourmet Brownie Co with the ground on Carradine Road.
Strangely the app sends me home a different way via Prees, Willeymoor Lock Tavern and skirting Whitchurch. Thereafter Cholmondeley Castle, Peckforton, Tarporley and joining the A556 at Sandiway.
The sports centre is in a lovely rural setting with a large car park, comfortably accommodating today's bumper crowd of 191. This includes 20+ Cammell Laird fans and a lone banner 'I Wanna Follow You Everywhere'; admission is £6, cash only.
Inside there are two 40 seater covered stands - the changing rooms in between them - floodlights, a warm up pitch and a clubhouse and bar. A tarmac walkway surrounds a parched pitch with an industrial estate up top and the car park and the village at the other end.
Opposite is RAF Shawbury, now a training facility only. However I count four gliders coming in to land during the course of the match.
Shawbury are in black and white stripes, sponsored by Black Country Aggregates, whilst the Shipyarders are in royal blue, sponsored by Alpha Taxis. Both sides carve out early opportunities, but to no avail.
Then, on the quarter hour, a moment to forget for United's Brendon Price - his father directly in front of me at the turnstile on entry. Price is presented with an open goal but horribly shanks the sitter badly wide; he is substituted before half time....
For the Lairds James Eaton hits the bar direct from a corner on 37 and then fluffs a better chance moments later. Five minutes before the break home captain Joe Care needlessly swipes at a cross on the 18 yard line and the ball loops over home keeper Ash Rawlins for a bizarre own goal. Truly a lack of care... and the Camels lead 1-0 at the interval.
The second half begins cagily, the cross wind and surface causing problems. That said Rawlins makes an astonishing save from Conor Doyle on 57 minutes to keep it at one.
No matter as the Lairds double their lead on 73 - Matty Beamon heading in from a corner. Shawbury finally test the away custodian with ten minutes left - William Ebbrell beating away sub Josh Brown's close range effort.
The Camels' substitute, Jack Darlington, then takes centre stage. His introduction sees an injection of pace on the left wing and he is denied in a one on one by Rawlins with six left to play.
However in the third of nine and a half minutes of injury time he breaks through again and comfortably slots home. Lairds finish 3-0 victors and stay second; this could be a long, hard season for United, who seem almost devoid of any attacking menace.....
