Panthers Pounce... But See Hope Of Three Points Go South....

And so to Jericho Lane in the Otterspool area of Aigburth in Liverpool for a North West Counties Division One North clash between South Liverpool and Atherton LR. It's one of a handful of NWCFL games going ahead on FA Vase day - South Liverpool receiving a walkover as AFC St Helens Town 'weren't accepted into the competition'....

South Liverpool date back from the 1890s - their first incarnation coming from a club changing its name from African Royal, moving to the Dingle, and eventually relocating to become New Brighton AFC. The Rakers were dissolved in 1983, having been Football League members from 1923 to 1951.

The second coming of The South came about in 1935 with the club playing at Holly Park in Garston, and enjoying trophy joy as Lancashire Combination champions in 1937, 1938 and 1939. The club made 10 applications to join the Football League, all unsuccessful, but won the Welsh Cup in 1939, beating Cardiff City 2-1....

The Cheshire County League followed in 1951 and subsequently the club played the first ever match under 'permanent' floodlights against a Nigeria XI (who were reputedly barefoot !) - a game covered by Kenneth Wolstenholme (until it was all over !) on the BBC, with a crowd of 13,007.

Then in 1967 Ferenc Puskas guested for the club in a fundraising friendly, attracting a crowd of 10,000 before South were invited to join the new Northern Premier League a year later. Jimmy Case and John Aldridge both cut their teeth at Holly Park before moving onto better things..

South struggled against wealthier, better supported clubs but in 1983/84 enjoyed their best post war season as they annexed the NPL League Cup, the Lancashire Challenge Trophy and the Liverpool Senior Cup. South’s success was not built upon and whilst two more Liverpool Senior Cup wins followed along with the NPL Presidents Cup, Holly Park was lost (burnt down) in 1989 and the limited company was liquidated in 1991. Holly Park was later converted to the impressive Liverpool South Parkway station.

South supporters had already formed a committee to take over the football club and in 1992 the phoenix club, a merger with Cheshire Lines FC, joined the Liverpool County Combination, groundsharing with Bootle rent free in exchange for Holly Park's floodlights - the clubs separating two years later. A nomadic existence was then South’s main issue but at the dawn of the Millennium they secured a home at the North Field, Jericho Lane, Otterspool. The County Combination joined forces with the I Zingari League in 2006 to form the Liverpool County Premier League.

South were consistent top half finishers in the Liverpool Combination / Liverpool County Premier League and won the George Mahon Cup at Goodison Park in May 2009. In 2011 South took the decision to switch to the West Cheshire League and immediately won two consecutive divisional titles to move up to the top division in 2014. The First Division was won in 2015, retained in 2016 when two cups were added, making it a triple winning season. Further title success was achieved in 2018.

2019 saw South’s home ground move 200 yards to the Jericho Hub complete with floodlights, cover and stand. After the cancellation of the 2019/20 season South stepped up and took the abbreviated league title in 2021, achieving promotion to the North West Counties League for 2021/22, thirty years after semi pro status had been lost. South currently sit 7th with 14 points from 9 games.

Atherton Laburnum Rovers FC was founded in 1956 as Laburnum Rovers, an Under 14s side to play in the Briarcroft Junior League. 'The Laburnums' were named after the Laburnum Playing Fields where they first played; it is not clear where their other nickname, 'The Panthers', emanates from.

The club expanded to senior level, starting in the Leigh & District League, and after moving to Hagfold Playing Fields, became members of the Bolton Combination in 1961. Ground facilities prevented promotion so a farmer's field was found at Greendale and, despite a footpath criss-crossing and duck ponds on either side, a football pitch was created. The move to the new ground occurred in June 1966, and after winning the Bolton Combination Division Two, the Laburnums were promoted and new changing rooms were erected - a major improvement on the old air raid shelters previously in use !

The Panthers joined the Cheshire County League in 1980, with the league stipulating the team changed its name to include that of the town - and Atherton Laburnum Rovers was born. The ground was renamed Crilly Park in honour of chairman Jack Crilly, who had died suddenly.

LR were also founder members of the North West Counties in 1982 and, as champions in 1993 and 1995, were promoted to the Unibond Northern Premier League, the latter a stay that lasted three seasons culminating in relegation after financial problems. Thereafter there was a flurry of managers - 6 in 2 years at one point - and the intervening years saw two relegations, one promotion and two Bolton Hospital Cup successes.

2015/16 represented the nadir for Rovers, finishing next to bottom in the lower division with only 4 wins and 18 points all season – fortunately there was no relegation. 20^th and 18^th both out of 22 in the last two full campaigns shows progress has been limited….. although 31 points from 29 games in 2019/20 was rather better. Only three fixtures were completed last time, and Rovers currently have 7 points from 8 games.

Past the Armenian Grill House ( est 2020 - but still to open: 'Coming Soon' ), Buff Nail & Beauty, with Ronaldo's second coming queues in the opposite direction, and glorious floral colour at Denzell Gardens sees pockets of drizzle. This in direct contrast to the previous two days when the weather has not been so much foul as utterly deranged, the sky gushing like a burst water pipe, with roads becoming swirling eddies and fields turning into lakes.

Another motorway bonanza - the M56, M6 (still struggling from the fatal crash at The PIES bridge) and the M62 - now fully reopened after 19 pigs escaped onto the carriageway this morning. Beyond the Dream sculpture and Sutton Manor Woods at St Helens, with curious bridge graffiti of 'End Speciesism' and 'Free Julian Assange'. En route are numberplates 4PPY, 111 OB (an ill old boy ?) and a very odd 380 EBO .....

The M62 finishes at junction 4, in a  failed attempt to reach Liverpool city centre; left at The Rocket and a circuitous (calamitous ??) route takes me via Sefton Park and Penny Lane... But I reach the outskirts of Aigburth, passing Hair We Are, Grilla - Meat On A Spit and Pose and Pout, before hitting Jericho Lane and the Community Football & Fitness Hub.

Opposite is the glorious vista of Otterspool Promenade, looking onto the River Mersey - at the hub plenty of parking, the requirement to obtain a QR code and £5 admission for a match that is tweeted with a crowd of 126, but curiously downgraded to 125 later. Who is that missing man ??

Inside a small seated stand behind the goal, only three sides open, a walkway and a covered area opposite the dugouts, and surrounded by small sized pitches. Another sullen sky spasmodically allowing sunshine greets the game, with South in white shirts, black shorts and red socks and the Laburnums in yellow and blue.

South Liverpool have 'not got out of bed' as Rovers conjure up 4 chances in the first five minutes - Justeace Holness going close twice. The home side rouse and Alex Woodcock forces a smart save from away custodian Josep Genestar aka 'Pepe'. Thereafter it's a half (and match) dominated by bewildering officiating, seemingly based on guesswork...

Keiron Dale, for the visitors, is injured and leaves the pitch to avoid playing South onside, then walks back on and collapses and is booked. Thereafter South's keeper, Oli Farebrother, strays outside his box, cleans out the onrushing forward and handles the ball - and also, mystifyingly, gets a yellow - the whole ground expecting a red.

'Ref, get a grip' and 'Book the linesman' are two of the more printable comments, as (particularly the away) supporters laugh at some of the decisions made. But with just over five minutes to go before the break Luke Nicholls scuffs home a volley that loops lazily into the far corner and Rovers lead. Woodcock immediately forces a fine save from Pepe, and Stephen Doyle's free kick is marginally wide - but Atherton lead 1-0 at the interval. 

The second period is all South, as Paul Bathgate slashes one over the bar (and into the drink !) and then a wayward back pass allows in Owen Hough but his shot is too close to Pepe, who pulls off a brilliant save from the follow up. No matter as on 54 minutes Louis Gorman is impeded at a free kick and a rather debatable penalty is given, which Stephen Doyle smashes into the roof of the net for parity.

The Laburnums, far from wilting, play themselves back into the game and the final half hour is end to end, as both sides look to nick the three points. South are defied by some quality defending and keeping, and a poor final ball too often, whilst Rovers, more on the break, come closer though Travis Boyles - Farebrother pulling off some fine saves. But ultimately it finishes as a 1-1 draw, but an entertaining one at that - complete with comedy officials ☺

Baht 'Atters in Tatters - Sunk By Admirals' Last Ditch Effort !!!

And so to the MPM Stadium, aka Ben Rhydding Sports Club, for a Bank Holiday Monday North West Counties Division One North 'derby' between Ilkley Town and Nelson.

Open age football in Ilkley has existed since the early 20th century with Saturday and Sunday league teams playing at West Holmes and East Holmes fields alongside the River Wharfe. 

The post war predecessors of the current Ilkley Town football club were Ilkley Rangers (1947) and Ilkley British Legion (1955) before Ilkley Town was formed in the 1960s competing in the Wharfedale League. 

In the late 1980s the club struggled to survive in a town where rugby, cricket, tennis, golf and hockey possessed greater social allegiance and better facilities, and disbanded in the early 1990s.

The club was re-formed in 1995 as Ilkley AFC and joined the Harrogate & District Football League gaining promotion to the Premier League in 1997. After a period of financial difficulty the Baht 'Atters moved up to the West Yorkshire League, with promotion to Division One at the first attempt followed by a change of name to Ilkley Town in 2006.

After decades of renting local authority and school pitches Ilkley Town Football Club was accepted into the Ben Rhydding Sports Club in 2009 (a 4G pitch was added in 2017). Promotion to the Premier League of the West Yorkshire AFL was won in 2016.

The club was promoted to the North West Counties League Division One North this year, and will enter the FA Vase for the very first time - playing Penrith at home a week on Saturday, but league form has been shocking; five straight defeats then followed by a 6-0 drubbing of the Salmoners of Darwen AFC and a 3-2 away win at South Liverpool two days ago - no reward without effort as the club badge shows....

Nelson FC was founded in 1881, joining the Lancashire League in 1889 and becoming champions in 1896. The club folded during the 1898/99 season and was expelled by the Lancashire FA. Having rejoined the League in 1900, the club again closed down in 1916 with bailiffs called in.

Having reformed in 1918 and entered the Central League, the Admirals became founder members of the Football League Division 3 North in 1921. Promotion to Division 2 followed in 1923, and the side embarked on a Spanish preseason tour which saw them beat Real Madrid 4-2 !

 

Sadly the club was relegated after only one season, and against a backdrop of struggling form, falling attendances and growing debt (even a fund raising carnival lost £20 !) the team finished bottom of the League in 1931. They failed to win re-election and were replaced by Chester City. Having dropped into the Lancashire Combination the Admirals folded once more in August 1936 due to crippling debts.

 

Hastily reformed as Nelson Town the new club entered the local Nelson & Colne League in which they played up to the start of World War II. After a further reformation in 1946 and rejoining the Lancashire Combination, the Admirals were crowned champions in 1950 and again in 1952, the latter under the stewardship of Joe Fagan, who went on to manage Liverpool.

 

In 1971 the football club moved from its Seedhill base, home since 1905 and which also hosted the Nelson Admirals speedway team, to Victoria Park. Seedhill became a stock car racing venue, but was all but demolished when the M65 was built.

 

Nelson FC became a founder member of the North West Counties Football League in 1982 but was evicted in 1988 due to ground grading requirement failures. A four year sojourn in the West Lancashire League ended with readmittance to the NWCFL as Victoria Park, or Little Wembley as the locals christened it, was upgraded. The Admirals resigned from the league in 2010 but after a 12 month 'sabbatical' returned and were promoted to the Premier Division in 2014; relegation in 2017 subsequently was followed by underwhelming performances and season abandonments, emphasising the club motto of 'Nothing Can Be Achieved Without Work'. This term the Admirals also have six points from seven games - one win, three draws and three defeats.

Amidst pockets of drizzle, which become a heavy shower in Ilkley, it's past The Vine Inn - Watson and Woodheads Gold Medal Ales and Stout since 1909, then Garveys still advertising St Patrick's Day....Motorway traffic on the M60, M61 and M65 takes us past Darwen Tower - the Jubilee Tower erected to commemorate Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee. Today's numberplates are NAS1:1A, G4RB J (rubbish !!) and XP05SED.

Through Colne with Hedgehogg Florists and the Morris Dancers pub, it's into Glusburn and Cross Hills (t'other way round from the opposite direction) before I reach Silsden, 'Cobbydale', headquarters of the Ecology Building Society. Then Ilkley and its artisan shops and pubs, and home to the arts, supporting an art gallery, playhouse and cinema - and even a Furniture Hospital !!

Passing the Fuggle and Golding, Flying Duck, Ilkley Cow, Bar T'At and Mrs Duttons Wondrous Workshops, we alight on the Lister's Arms, opposite the former headquarters of the West Yorkshire Road Car Company. Lunch is taken with a pint of Pommies Revenge.

Then a walk into Riverside Park, agin the River Wharfe and down the road to Ben Rhydding, overlooked by the Cow and Calf, signs for Niddtrail, and a diversion to the Ben Rhydding de Mohicanen Scout and Guide Group - the thought of girl guides with Mohican hairdos does not sit comfortably with Ilkley's affluent reputation....

The MPM Stadium forms part of the Ben Rhydding Spoprts Club which hosts flat green bowls, croquet, hockey, cricket, mini football and in the far corner the Baht 'Atters. £6 in, a bumper crowd of 160 (goodness knows how they accommodated 499 for the visit of Bury AFC on the season's opening day !!) - and a sizeable away contingent ☺

One tree lined side is fenced off, and there's a covered shelter, 'The Ilkley Carnival Stand' opposite, but no seats anywhere....a walkway extends round the three occupiable sides. At the top end a sign for 'Beers & Pies' leading to more football pitches, but definitely no beers or pies !! At the other end 'Beer, Coffee & Cake' provides a truer reflection on what refreshments can be bought.....

 

Strangely Ilkley, who play in all navy blue, are in alternative colours of all maroon. The Admirals, who also normally play in all blue, are in change colours of grey with electric lime sleeves. I take up position next to a stout linesman with tattoos on his hand and behind his ear, and alongside a groundhopper wearing a Peaceful Hooligan cagoule, who has selected this game for goals - both sides having scored and conceded plenty.

 

An entertaining first half produces several chances but by the half hour Peaceful Hooligan is forecasting a goalless draw.... Tom Smith goes close for the Baht 'Atters, and then left back McCauley Smith fizzes two long range efforts just wide. For the Admirals Nathan Webb has four strikes, one scored at the second attempt but ruled out for offside, and Jack Holt has a shot deflected marginally wide.

 

But on 35 minutes a Nelson corner is cleared and Ilkley's policy of leaving right back James Hudson as the sole man up front pays dividends. He outmuscles the centre half and, in a straight one on one, sees his initial shot saved by Jack Little before calmly tucking away the rebound, and Baht 'Atters are one up at the break.

 

Within a minute of the restart The Admirals are level - the ball breaking fortuitously for Webb to smash home emphatically beyond Callum Gladding. Thereafter Ilkley suffer injuries to three of their back four and cling on, creating the occasional breakaway chance, with Tom Smith's curling effort their best attempt.

Webb is guilty of a horrendous miss, and Nelson pass up several further opportunities as the clock ticks down into injury time. Ilkley sub James Hughes overruns the ball in acres of space and fouls Little in the 94th minute; the subsequent free kick is hoofed forward and drops for Admirals' substitute Brad Ditch to fire home for a 2-1 Nelson victory ... and a headline writer's dream ☺

Movers & Shakers - Bury Top, Campion Pointless...

And so to the Neuven Stadium (Stainton Park in a former life), home of Radcliffe FC (Radcliffe Borough in a previous guise) for a North West Counties Football League Division One North clash between Bury AFC and Campion AFC from Bradford - a match moved to Sunday because Radcliffe hosted Carlton Palmer's Grantham Town, The Gingerbreads, the day before.

Bury AFC was formed in 2019 following the expulsion of Bury FC from the English Football League. Created and managed entirely by volunteers with the slogan "By the fans, for the fans" the Club is owned by a Community Benefit Society, the Shakers Community Trust, whose Board is elected by its members. The Shakers joined the NWCFL last term, and led the table with 5 wins, one draw and one defeat before the season was written off.

 

Bury FC was established and headquartered at Gigg Lane from 1885. The Shakers were founder members of the Lancashire League in 1889, and were crowned champions in the 1890–91 and 1891–92 seasons, before being elected to The Football League in 1894.

Bury were champions of the Second Division in 1894–95 and won their test match (an ancient version of the play offs ?) to secure promotion to the First Division. They remained in the top flight for 17 seasons, winning the FA Cup in 1900 with a 4–0 victory over Southampton and again in 1903 with a 6–0 win over Derby County, still a record equalling victory. After relegation to the Second Division at the end of the 1911–12 season, Bury secured promotion in 1923–24, before losing their top-flight status in 1928–29, never to return.

After relegation to the third tier in 1957 the club was promoted in 1961 but then spiralled downwards to the Fourth Division. Stan Ternent took them back up to the second tier, with successive promotions in 1996 and 1997 for a brief two season foray.

Thereafter, fluctuating between Leagues One and Two, alleged gross overspending by previous owner Stewart Day and then 'incompetence' from new incumbent Steve Dale saw the Shakers placed into administration in 2019 and expulsion from the league. Bury FC still exists as a dormant shell and the phoenix club continues to split local opinion.

Campion AFC was established in 1963 by Michael Mahoney, taking players from the St Edmund Campion Youth Club. By 1975 the club had joined Division 4 of the Bradford Sunday League and in the following year entered a team into the Red Triangle League, a Saturday league.

By 1979 Campion had reached the league's Premier Division, before moving up to the West Riding County Amateur League in 1981. The club dropped out of the league for one season for the 1985/86 campaign due to financial difficulties but returned the year after.

As champions of Division 2 in 1990, Division One awaited which was won in 1992/93. The team was also Premier Division Cup winners four times between 2004 and 2008, and West Riding Challenge Cup winners in 2006/07.

Campion applied for promotion to Division One of the Northern Counties East League, and by finishing third, duly went up at the end of the 2015/16 season. In 2020 they sat 5th at the point of curtailment, and last season saw 8 wins and 3 defeats at the time stumps were drawn; a lateral move to the North West Counties ensued in this close season.

Three epic fails on the numberplate front - R1KCY, M1SOR and RE0 5POT (Red Spot Security...) before another MetroStink - engineering works allegedly completed last weekend, but running over to this Sunday, but not advised on station billboards and no staff on hand. A bruised sky, rain abating temporarily and a quiet trip to Deansgate Castlefield.

Then tributes to Peterloo, a performance from Fat Cat Brass, a new (for me!) pub  in The Lost Dene, and beyond Manahatta and Las Iguanas, then the Mahatma Gandhi statue at the Cathedral and Victoria - and a wholly unnecessary diversion to Turkey Lane and Monsall.

Finally the bus replacement turns up and we meander through the diversity of Cheetham Hill, encompassing The Niu, Irish World Heritage Centre and Lahore Appliances. Then Crumpsall and a tram display that shows 'DELAY, DELAY, 36 mins' (helpful !!). Eventually via Besses o' th' Barn and Pioneer Mills 1905 I arrive in Radcliffe.

Past signs for the Black Pudding Lobbing Contest in Ramsbottom next month, then Mary Kelly's Munchkins, and finally Radcliffe in Bloom, a curious display of part barge, boat and spent flowers. This brings me to the Platinum Care Racecourse (Radcliffe CC), Redbank Fields (Radcliffe Juniors FC) and the PJP Sports Complex, alongside the Neuven Stadium.

£7 admission and inside a bumper crowd of 1358 plus residents watching from over the wall (449 for Radcliffe's game yesterday) provides a tremendous atmosphere; the main stand is up top, bisected by the press box, with the sponsors' lounge in the left hand corner. A shallow covered terrace is on the near side and an uncovered one opposite, with a small stand behind the Fell End alongside an unusual drinking booth 'Raising The Bar'. The ground is festooned in Bury flags... apparently Beardyman Lives On...

Shakers are in white and blue, Campion in red and black stripes. A hard fought first half sees Bury start brightly, prompted by Aidan Chippendale and the exciting Abimbola Obasota. But Campion are in this game too and take the lead on 38 minutes - an innocuous challenge on Daniel Keane results in a dubious penalty. Captain Aidan Kirby sends the Shakers' sticksman Jack Atkinson the wrong way. No matter as two minutes later Greg Daniels finishes excellently and it's 1-1 at the break.

Six minutes into the second period a quite wonderful ball from Kris Holt sets Tom Greaves free and the GOAT rifles across Liam Lovell to put the Shakers 2-1 up. Greaves has other opportunities to put the game to bed but Campion's defiant rearguard action prevents any further goals. We then see 3 balls kicked out of the ground in 40 seconds.... 'None left'.

Indeed as the match reaches its closing stages the visitors fashion the better chances. Mark Ferguson slashes over and then, from another Ferguson break, Nicky Boshell shoots wide when he should have done better. Late away pressure yields naught, with the Shakers moving joint top on 10 points, Campion joint bottom after three straight defeats.

Where Eagles Dare But Fail To Conquer Romans' Fortress....

 And so to the 2021/22 season and July 31st, with a Staffordshire derby at the Hillsfield Stadium in the North West Counties Football League Division One South between Rocester FC and Eccleshall FC.

It’s a very long history that the Romans possess, encompassing a protective fort on the site of a village where Queen Cartimandua was forced to flee. The football club dates back all the way to December 16 1876, when the Lyon brothers took over Rocester Mill, where they played multiple friendlies against neighbouring sides. They had various successes in local competitions until the outbreak of World War II led to the club being disbanded. 

After they were reformed in 1946 Rocester started to climb the Staffordshire Leagues, playing 27 consecutive seasons in the Staffordshire County League (North) up to 1984 before ascending to the Staffordshire Senior League, including a period in the 1970s where three Blood brothers played for the side - Alf, George and Steve. 

Rocester FC entered the FA Vase for the first time in the 1986-87 season and reached the last sixteen, knocking out holders Halesowen Town in the process in front of their record crowd of 1,026. They moved from their original and by now rather run-down ground to a new home at Hillsfield, in 1987 and this is where they adopted their nickname the ‘Romans’ as the ground was built on an old Roman fort; the ground was renamed from Riversfield to Hillsfield in memory of previous chairman, Don Hill.

The Romans switched to the West Midlands (Regional) League Division One, which they won at the first attempt. The new ground was further developed with the addition of floodlights and a stand to enable the club to take its place in the Premier Division.

In 1994, following several successful seasons, Rocester became founder members of the new Midland Football Alliance. After a second-place finish in their first season in the new league, they went one better in 1998–99, winning the league title and claiming promotion to the Southern League Midland Division.

Life became harder at this level, however, and after two consecutive last-place finishes the Romans were relegated back to the Alliance in 2002. Rocester soon recovered and were champions at the first attempt in 2003–04. However, due to the re-organisation of the non-league pyramid, The Romans were placed in the Northern Premier League Division One, enduring a disastrous season, picking up only 6 points from 42 games to finish rock-bottom.

The following season back in the Alliance saw the team continue their terrible run, their first win not coming until January, finally ending a run of 67 league matches without a win. After finishing bottom of the Midland Alliance the club only avoided a second successive relegation due to league restructuring.

However, within two years Rocester were back among the leading clubs in the Midland Alliance, finishing 12th in 2007 and 5th in 2008. The Romans recorded a 3–0 win over Kidsgrove in April 2008 to win the Staffordshire Senior Cup for the first time.

Moved to the new Midland League, following the amalgamation of the Midland Alliance and the Midland Combination, in 2014 the Amber and Blacks were relegated in 2018, and moved laterally from the Midland Football League Division One to the NWCFL Division One South in this close season.

Eccleshall Town FC was established in 1908 but the most successful local team of that era was Eccleshall Comrades, set up in 1918. The Comrades' most famous player was the FA Cup Final scorer and winner (for Wolves), and England amateur and full international, The Reverend KRG Hunt. The club also featured in a curious incident when Stone Christ Church were defeated 5-0. The game ended 10 minutes early when first one ball burst, then another and there were no more available.....

Both clubs became defunct and the current club was reformed in 1971 as Eccleshall Town Old Boys, the team made up of locals and staff from Eccleshall Secondary School, where they played their home games.

The Eagles joined the Staffordshire County League (North) in 1979, moved to Pershall Park in 1982 and ascended to the Staffordshire Senior League in 1984. As Eccleshall FC championships were won in 1990 and then consecutively in 2001/02 and 2002/03. With work complete on the stadium the club moved up to the North West Counties Football League in 2003, but several seasons of inconsistency followed before two dreadful campaigns.

2015/16's 16th place finish owed much to the ineptitude of the two clubs below them - Atherton Laburnum Rovers and Whitchurch Alport. The following season the Eagles finished 21st with 18 points from 42 matches and conceded 145 goals. Relegation was only avoided because of an injury time equaliser in the 3-3 draw away at bottom, and relegated, club Ashton Town, who finished one point below Eccy, and the fact that only one club met the league's promotion criteria.

A much improved season thereafter saw a below midtable finish and safety, and a bit more pride in their boast of 'We Play For The Badge & The Oat Cakes - We Are Eccy !!!' The 2019/20 campaign was dominated by the suicide of 21 year old player Jake Standbridge, an 11-3 home defeat in the league to Wythenshawe Town and an 11-2 away loss in the Cup to Carlisle City the week after a 5-1 away win at New Mills, but lower table stability has subsequently ensued - as much as stability can be expected in this pandemic....

A grey, breezy Saturday afternoon and an early dart due to prior knowledge of a motorway accident, exacerbated by a 'stranded vehicle' - the joys of a Smart Motorway !! Then beyond Avec Cookers to the M6 and  bridge graffiti - first Jenga (Knutsford) then a 'welcome' return of THE PIES one side, SMOKE PIES the other (Holmes Chapel). This is followed by an array of roadside advertising - Are You Pregnant (I sincerely hope not !!), Hot Car Leasing, Top Secret Furniture and then a shipping container devoted to Allah....

Numberplates today are E6YPT and KEM1X, as I leave the motorway for the A500 then the A50, Dresden (Stoke not East Germany !), The Pepper Mill and Catchem Corner. Bypassing Draycott in the Moors, Deadman's Green and Upper Nobut, the massive JCB complex on my near side as I turn left at JCB International House (also McDonalds Uttoxeter) to the village of Rocester - one street and that's it, a Spar and the Red Lion the only obvious attractions...

Mill Street leads to Hillsfield, next to an imposing mill built in the 1780s by Richard Arkwright, and operative until 1985, with the stone sign of 'The Tutbury Mill Co Ltd' still in place. Fitting that with Rocester being the headquarters of JCB, the mill has been converted into the JCB Academy, next to the ground.

A large car park - for the benefit of the Academy rather than the football club !! - and a small adjoining astroturf pitch, before I pay my £6 admission fee in the corner. This leads to beer trestle tables on the banking side, Roman's Bar and then the three section Gilbert Egerton Stand, the seats having come from Fellows Park at Walsall FC.

Railings at both ends, the top one with a warm up area, the other two sides surrounded by trees and a bus shelter stand opposite, seemingly supported by scaffolding - apparently the old disabled stand at Fellows Park... Not one of the 109 crowd dares to stand underneath, not even when the drizzle arrives late in the second half... Instead an Eccleshall 'Stanno' banner is attached and there are glorious views of the Staffordshire countryside from my vantage point.

Rocester's adventure into the North West Counties is delayed slightly whilst dog mess is removed from the near touchline (a first !!), but at 3.02 we are underway - the Romans in amber and black, and only able to name 4 substitutes, the Eagles in all blue.

Tempers boil over within five minutes, three early bookings and some questionable officiating 'Have a word with yourself, liner', before just after the quarter hour marauding Romans' wingback Derry Creighton seizes on a woefully short back header and is pulled down by Eagles' keeper Zak Noble. Alex Cimino comfortably sends Noble the wrong way from the penalty spot and Rocester lead 1-0.

For the large part of the rest of the half the Eagles soar, Louis Downs and Jack Dundas firing wide but the best chance falls on half time to Luke Lewis who flashes across goal. For the Romans Creighton sets up Cimino but his effort is blocked.

The second period sees Eccleshall once more in the ascendency, Lewis amazingly missing an open goal, scuffing woefully into Charlie Wood's hands. Then on 63 a wonderful Rocester passing move involving Creighton, Jordan Dodd and Elisio Francisco delivers the ball to a free Cimino who finishes composedly for 2-0.

Cue extended Eagles pressure which finally results in an improvised chip from Dundas with a quarter of an hour to go, the ball flicking the inside of the far post before going in. As a result Eccleshall exert ever greater dominance and Lewis comes up with a hat trick of misses, heading wide whilst unmarked.

But the Romans cling on, surviving sub Jack Stevens' red card in the dying seconds, for a 2-1 victory, finishing at two minute to five.

Blacon Medallions - Whalley Minutely Out Of Range......

And so to the 19th of June and what almost certainly will prove to be the Cheshire League Division Two title decider - Cairns Crescent, Blacon on the outskirts of Chester and leaders Blacon Youth FC versus second place Whalley Range.

Blacon's background was covered last week in their comfortable 5-0 win at Hartford - the threatened three points deduction remains just that, with this their final fixture of the season, and a record of 16 wins and 3 defeats in their 19 league games. Range finish at bottom of the table Hartford next weekend, sitting seven (potentially four) points behind Youth...

And so to the visitors from the Kings Road, not in Chelsea, instead in the humbler surroundings of Whalley Range.

 

The Whalley Range Amateur Football Club has had a continuous existence from 1900, and may have started ten years before that. In 1903 it became one of the founder members of the Manchester section of the Lancashire Amateur League and from 1919 a member of the Amateur Football Association.

 

Promoted as champions of the Lancashire & Cheshire Premier League in the 2019/20 season the Range commenced this term in Cheshire League Division Two. A fine start to the season with 4 straight wins 5-0, 6-3, 8-2, 9-1 then a 1-1 draw, ruining their perfect start, at Sandbach, left them top. A 9-0 home drubbing of the orful, and now extinct, Orford was where I saw them last.

 

Subsequently a voided game at Golborne Sports, both sides awarded no points for 'failure to control players' has left the Range behind Blacon Youth in second - a 3-2 defeat to Blacon at home and that voided match potentially costing them the championship.

So it's another warm breezy summer's day with a bruised sky and periodic sunshine as I set out for the 1400 kick off, past the travellers who have moved on from the Pelican car park to St Ambrose, Blessed Thomas Holford and now Salisbury Fields. Beyond Altrincham Eyelash Extensions (!) and the 'Not So Secret Garden' in the Stamford Quarter, I reach the M56, with the A556 still blighted by weekend roadworks.

Avoiding the Inland Border Facility at Appleton Thorn, Stanlow still belching and then it's off onto the A540, bypassing Little and Great Saughall, beyond Mollington Banastre and the Secret Diva - so secret it's shut !! Into Melbourne Road where the Whalley Range coach is parked, then right into Cairns Crescent; I choose, from experience, to avoid the limited parking inside the Cairns Crescent Play Area, taking my chances on the council estate streets. Numberplates on offer today are D1GGY, R3HAB (?) and F7USH, the latter a van operated by Fuel Flush, specialising in helping motorists who have filled up with the wrong fuel....

Inside a huge crowd (for this level - Non League Step 9) of approximately 125 (25 away) gathers, with the ground dedicated to Len & Bob Evans, in honour of the club's founders. The dressing rooms are immediately to my left then the clubhouse with its strapline highlighting '19 This is Blacon 64'. At the top end is a mini pitch and another well worn full size lawn.

Unusually, for this level, we have two linesmen ('Liner if you want to keep your windows you know what to do'), and, less unusually, a rather portly referee, wearing yellow. Blacon are in black and white stripes, sponsored by Henry's Horticulture & Landscapes, Whalley Range in red with faded black stripes, and sponsored by SLA Property Maintenance.

Blacon start the better and are guilty of a stinker of a miss, shooting straight at Range keeper Nicolae Stinca. So on 19 minutes, against the run of play, it's a surprise when Jack Timmons, with a wonderful piece of skill, slots Whalley ahead with their first and only real chance of the half.

A flare up midway through brings two yellow cards, with several more to follow. Then Youth's Aaron Hinchliffe is fouled in the box six minutes before half time, and Sam Henry converts the penalty. 1-1 at the break, and a first ever sighting of a Blacon player smoking a joint - it's tense....

Six minutes into the second period a dreadful Blacon free kick produces a swift Range counter attack, the ball is played wide right and then squared for Danny Heffernan to side foot in. But Whalley are thereafter reduced to 9 men with 2 sinbinnings for dissent to the aforementioned linesman: Blacon seem bereft of invention and inspiration, however.

But having gone back up to 10 players, Micky Connor heads home, socially distanced, from a corner to make it 3-1 on 76 minutes. Four minutes on Hinchliffe is fouled, seemingly outside the area, but a penalty is given and Henry obliges again.

With five minutes to go a glorious ball is played over to the left wing, and a sumptuous cross is gleefully volleyed home by Hinchliffe for 3-3. Absolute bedlam, a pitch invasion and flares set off, but further twists are to come....

A minute into stoppage time a wild tackle gives Range a free kick well within, er, range of the goal. Timmons hits the inside of the post and Heffernan gobbles up the rebound to make it 4-3 to Whalley, and there is a second pitch invasion.

Then on 94 minutes Blacon fashion their last chance; Hinchliffe has his shot saved, but the ball is recycled and cut back, then thrashed home to make it 4-4 and prompt a third crowd invasion.

A fourth pitch invasion takes place barely a minute later, as the man in yellow blows for full time - Blacon champions and Invincibles, points deduction or no, and Whalley going from the Theatre of Dreams to, in the city of Chester, the Cathedral of Despair......

Quite quite incredible.. and a fitting finale to the season as Range, promoted nonetheless, subsequently receive an away walkover for the Hartford game, with the Harts unable to provide a pitch or a team....

Hartless - Youth Take Home The Blacon, But Not The Title.......

And so to the 12th of June, the Cheshire League Division Two and a trip to the Moss Farm Leisure Complex in Winnington for a clash between Hartford and Blacon Youth.

Hartford FC's history is not well documented, but Hartford Boys FC was certainly in existence in the mid 1980s, and the Harts had a brief four season excursion to the Mid Cheshire League between 1961 and 1965.

The 'Boys' tag was dropped in 2011, and the historical and spiritual home (hart?) of football in the village, 'The Green Field', located behind the village post office, in the shadow of St John's village church became evermore blighted by drainage and waterlogging issues. Consequently Hartford FC took the decision to leave 'The Green', moving to the new 3G facility at Hartford High School in 2015, where they train - but now play at Moss Farm.

The new Hartford FC returned to the Cheshire League Division Two in 2019, but, in a pandemic disrupted season, ended up with one win and seventeen defeats. This campaign has fared little better, one win, two draws and five points from a possible 54, but at least the club will complete the season, unlike Nantwich Town Reserves and the orful Orford FC...

Blacon Youth FC was founded in 1964, playing in local Chester leagues before joining the West Cheshire League in 1981, leaving in 2016 to drop down to the Chester & Wirral League. A season later Blacon joined the Cheshire League and successive promotions, finalised by a late May Bank Holiday weekend fiery draw with Broadheath Central (who also went up), took them to the Premier Division in 2019. The team, nonetheless, won the Cheshire Cup that year.

It didn't last as an exodus of players, tempted by higher league football and wages, forced Blacon to resign mid-season. The reserve side took on the mantle in Division 2, where they currently sit top with 15 victories and 3 draws from 18 matches, and 2 games left.

So through the outskirts of Timperley, Altrincham and Bowdon - a combination of hip and hip replacement ! - it's beyond Cheshire Retreat, 'Character Office Suites' at Denzell Gardens, and Dunham Oaks to the M56, with the more direct route blighted by ongoing lengthy A556 roadworks.

Off at junction 10, the Stretton Fox on one side, the Partridge on the other (how apposite !), with numberplates M15SDD and H31 8ABE on view, as I join the A49. Past Brookside and Greenwood Fisheries, then White Hart Serenity in Cuddington, through to Bartington Forge, then left into Sandiway, Blakemere Village, Vale Royal Falconry Centre and The Cods Pollocks chippy as I reach Winnington and the Moss Farm Leisure Complex, next door to Winnington Park County Primary School.

The complex is the home of the Cheshire FA, Northwich RUFC and Northwich CC, with the astroturf surface surrounded by 3 rugby and 2 football pitches, a social club and tall trees - with Winnington Park RUFC beyond, travellers now having been removed.....

The Harts are in red and black, Blacon in black and white stripes, and understrength, apparently missing 5 or 6 players, but fresh from beating Upton AA 3-0 midweek in the Chester & District Cup Final. Also missing is their star striker, who turns up ten minutes after a strange 1345 kick off in glorious sunshine, vapour trails covering an otherwise cloudless sky - he blames a car breakdown/ puncture... The 'official' attendance is 20, as counted by one of a group of four spectators from the Black Country, who witnessed 11 goals in half an hour at a game last weekend...and couldn't keep up !!

Unsurprisingly it's a disjointed Blacon first period performance and the goalfest never materialises. Instead they have to rely on their right back Rowan Brookes to head home a corner on 16 minutes, and then a lung bursting run a quarter of an hour later finished with a shot across the keeper. Youth lead 2-0 at the break.

Introduction of their centre forward sees Blacon move 4-0 up within six minutes of the restart, the fourth a splendid team effort. Brookes is then, reluctantly, entrusted with a penalty which is saved, before the visitors score a fifth. Brookes then steers another header on target from a corner, the away bench already cheering his hat trick...but denied by an extraordinary save - it's just not meant to be.... 

The game rather fizzles out thereafter, the Harts fashioning two good chances, both shots threatening to interfere with an adjoining match rather than the goal. Finally, in the dying moments, a long range effort from their right winger, one of two Hartford players wearing number 7 shirts (but with different sponsors !) takes aim and his shot is unconvincingly palmed onto the underside of the bar.

5-0 to Blacon at the finish, and now standing 7 points clear of Whalley Range, who have two games to play. But not champions, as a three point deduction for ineligible player reasons is almost certain - which means Blacon against Whalley Range next Saturday will decide the the title - Range's final game is away at Hartford ☺

Mighty Atoms Save The Daten !

And so onto the next part of the roadmap and Thursday night football to the Cheshire League for a reserves fixture at Culcheth Sports Club. I had been hoping to take in Daten versus Lostock Gralam (the Grey Lambs - yes really !!) earlier in the month but that fell foul of the public/ private lockdown debate, so it's Daten and Broadheath Central tonight.

Daten FC was formed in 1948 and was the football team of British Nuclear Fuels Sports and Social Club, now Culcheth Sports Club. The club's history goes back prior to this as the site was originally an inshore navy depot built in the 1930s known as HMS Ariel, with the football pitches located on what was the parade ground and where the auxiliary buildings were located. Sometimes in exceptionally dry weather the foundations' outlines can be seen.

Daten is derived from Department of Atomic Energy, with an emblem of an atom and their nickname of The Atoms. Home kit is orange, away yellow and green matching the safety colours of BNFL.

The club preliminarily played in local leagues and sourced players from the workforce based nearby or family members before opening up to the community in later years whilst participating in the local Warrington District League. 

The Atoms changed in 1999 with the closing down of British Nuclear Fuels and, with the help of a Sport England grant and a considerable sum raised by club members, the club moved from Daten to Culcheth Sports Club, but the football club decided to retain its name. Promoted at the end of the 2017/18 season, Daten have finished 11th in the past two seasons, and with five points from six games lay 14th (of 17) this time, with early elimination from the post Covid Cup.

Broadheath Central Junior FC was established in 1922, and played in local Saturday and Sunday Leagues for many years before joining the Mid Cheshire League in 1991 and immediately gaining promotion to Division One. Relegated in 1997, Central left the (now) Cheshire League in 2009 for the Altrincham and District Amateur League.

Heath rejoined the Cheshire League in 2016, and moved up from the First Division to the Premier in 2019 after a fiery 1-1 draw with the now defunct Blacon Youth (still extant in Division Two via their Reserve side) in very late May. Eighteen games last time, thirteen points and thirteenth place at curtailment was a disappointment.

This campaign two wins, four draws and a solitary loss in an entertaining clash with Altrincham Reserves left Broadheath in 5th, but Central, unlike the Atoms, progressed in the JB Parker Cup, after a thrilling 5-1 thrashing of GPSO (Greenalls Padgate St Oswalds) in their final group fixture, complete with livewire toddler pitch invasion.... Semi finals now await after a 6-1 drubbing of Winstanley Warriors. The reserves sit rock bottom, with Daten starting to climb the table following back to back victories.

Glorious sunshine and a scenic route through Dunham Massey, via the National Trust property, country pubs the Vine Inn and The Rope and Anchor, Dunham Fishery before I hit Warburton, the Saracen's Head and the toll bridge - 12p I won't see again !! Numberplates tonight are S1 TUP and RAV3N - the latter black naturally ☺

Then into Glazebury, home of The Hugging Table Company (?), before arriving at Culcheth, Little Lions Cattery, left at Culcheth High School and onto Charnock Road. As expected parking is shambolic at the Sports Club...

The club is set back from the road, and supports two football pitches, four tennis courts, a croquet lawn, Legacy bar and Northern Starr Dance & Fitness. The complex is entirely surrounded by residential housing and flats, bar a short area bordered by a petrol station, with Newchurch Parish Church providing musical chimes in the corner.....

The Atoms are in orange and black, Broadheath in red and black stripes and a 'crowd' of 9 endures an abject first half hour. Then an atomic fusion as a long ball is inadvertently flicked on by a Central defender on 32 minutes and the Daten forward beats the onrushing keeper from 35 yards. Thereafter both sides fashion chances, the best of which produces a superb reaction save from the home custodian.

The second period sees Broadheath largely anonymous, and the Atoms miss several chances. Finally they score a second with five minutes to go, a strong, unchallenged header from a corner by the centre half.

Then, in the first minute of injury time, another Atomic break, the hobbling Broadheath keeper saves but the ball loops up and is headed in from a couple of yards to make it 3-0. The away shotstopper goes down, injured again, and the referee blows up, despite the fact we have had ten minutes of stoppages this half....