And so to the Park Stadium on Manchester Road for a Cheshire League Premier Division fixture between Lostock Gralam FC and Winstanley Warriors FC.
Lostock
Gralam FC was founded in 1892, making the Grey Lambs (yes really !!) one of the
oldest clubs in Cheshire; Gralam have played at the Park Stadium for over a
century. The club also helped establish the Mid Cheshire League in 1948 as a
founder member.
The club won a trio of championships between 1951 and 1953, but had to wait a decade before triumphing again in 1963. A further consecutive treble between 1966 (a 100% record - 24 matches, 24 wins) and 1968 followed, but the Grey Lambs left the Mid Cheshire League in 1975.
Lostock rejoined the Mid Cheshire League after a near 20 year hiatus for the 1993/94 season in Division Two, with promotion following in 1997 as champions. Relegated two terms later, Gralam won the (now) Cheshire League Second Division in 2010.
A yo-yo period between 2013 and 2016 (down, up, down, up) prefaced being crowned Cheshire League champions in 2019. Thereafter two Covid abandoned seasons, and fourth last time out. The Grey Lambs are seventh this season with seven wins and a draw from 11 matches - games in hand could see them rise to second, behind Broadheath Central.
Winstanley
Warriors FC, from Little Lane in Goose Green in Wigan, was established in 2004.
After playing in the Wigan & District League, Warriors joined the Cheshire
League Division Two in 2016.
Moving up to Division One in 2018, Winstanley ascended to the top tier, the Premier, after securing 14 wins and 2 draws from 17 games in the pandemic curtailed 2019/20 season. Warriors are placed 11th (of 17) with 20 points from 12 matches - and only two points below the Grey Lambs.
Onto
the A556, past Tim Burgess Chainsaw Sculptor at Rostherne, The Windmill at
Tabley, Tabley House, Cuckooland, Dove Barn Weddings, The Smoker at Plumley,
Celandine Court and The Weavers Whistle (formerly the Watermead) brings me to
the Slow and Easy. Numberplates PR0 5E CU (a suspended sentence ?) and a
flatbed R46 8ONE (an assortment of 'riches' in the back !!), a Chartered
Geomatic Surveyors (no, new one on me too !!) and a dog walking business
Strictly Come Wagging..... On the way back the car alongside entreats me to
TE11 BEV... Into the pub car park through a tight entrance I take the 14th, and
last, parking space on the grass - and pay £3, which amidst much confusion, ends
up being £2....
Inside the Park Stadium the far end is an open, grassy area and there is a small covered standing area on the nearside touchline. The pub (Slow and Easy) end houses the newish changing rooms, refreshment bar and beer tables - a grass mound runs the length of the pitch on the far side. I end up sat on one of the backless benches in the sunshine, trees on three sides, opposite the chemical works peeping above the treetops.
The Grey Lambs are in,
er, all blue sponsored by Kitwood House, Warriors in all red, sponsored by
DPSI Group, before a crowd of 28 including toddlers plus a dog (the sign
ignored !) and Winstanley make the better start, without unduly troubling
Martin Blain in the home goal. But Lostock post fair warning with a shot saved
at point blank range before on 36 minutes a fabulous through ball from captain
Tom Hassall finds winger Jonny Jones who comfortably tucks away across the
keeper, and Gralam lead 1-0 at the break. It's an interval that sees one
spectator nip out for a Chinese at the nearby Ho King takeaway....
The second period is all about one man - Jonny Jones. Two minutes in a fabulous kick from hand by Blain finds Jones all alone on the right wing and he lobs the onrushing Warriors stopper. Changing wings Jones completes his hat trick on 59 - another exquisite through ball, dummied by the centre forward and a lofted finish makes it 3-0.
Eight minutes later it becomes four as Jones sidesteps Winstanley's custodian and hits home for Jones 4 Warriors 0. Two minutes on he is played in again, but unselfishly squares the ball for Hassall to tap into an empty net. His reward - substitution and loud applause.
The Grey Lambs have a sixth incorrectly ruled out, and Warriors see their hand ball 'goal' disallowed, before their substituted number six is shown a red card for something he said to the linesman. The last action produces a fabulous save from Blain, preserving his clean sheet and a 5-0 home victory - summing up one of those days for Winstanley, but then again the reverse fixture is scheduled for next Saturday....
