Atherton LR 2-1 Chadderton

Saturday 22nd February

NWCFL Division One

Attendance: 38

Admission: £5/£3

Atherton Laburnum Rovers were formed in 1956 and they play their home games at Crilly Park. The ground has 2 stands, the main seated stand at the side of the pitch behind the dugouts which is a large raised blue stand. Opposite to that is a small covered standing area.

So we were heading to Atherton. The Barnoldswick Town v Stockport Sports game was called off but the options were plentiful for another game; a 3 train trek from Hyde and Atherton Laburnum Rovers was the destination. £4.20 on the train, particularly cheap fare, but when getting into Atherton came the adventure as honestly, we didn’t know where we were going. Eventually we did find Crilly Park, 25 minutes after leaving station, (we realised on the way back to the station it was just around the corner). We got into the ground paid the admission usually £5 for adults, £2 for me with my NWCFL director’s pass, grabbed a Crilly Park Review and went for a little tour of the ground.  The admission is pretty standard at this level, £5 for adults, £3 for concessions and under 16’s. £3 seems a bit much for under 16’s though.  The programme is pretty good, a 24 page programme which decent content for £1. Early before kick-off, we picked up a Steak pie for £1.50 which was quite nice for the money it cost.

The entertainment available was of a good standard, the game started to be quite scrappy but the actual drama came late on into the game as Chadderton equalised in the 92^nd minute but Atherton managed a win with a 94^th minute win. At half time we picked up a cone of chip for £1 which were all right so the admission/programme/chips combo is £7 at Atherton. There was some parking just outside the ground and of course some good transport links with a bus going right past the ground and the train station just around the corner. The staff all around the ground were really friendly and the playing staff seemed really friendly people. There was a nice, large social club in the ground which was showing the sky football.

Overall the visit to Atherton LR was a long one, but one which was worth it, a really nice ground and backdrop to watch the match and I should be coming back soon. 

Price: 6.5pts

Programme: 7pts

Food: 7pts

Entertainment: 9pts

Parking: 2.5pts

Staff: 3pts

Facilities: 2pts

Overall: 37pts

Match Pictures

Kidderminster Harriers 0-0 Peterborough United

Saturday 4th January

FA Cup 3rd Round

Attendance: 3,800

Admission: £14/£5 - Adults/Children (Terrace)

As a non-league supporter I have supported non-league clubs in the FA Cup such as Altrincham in their campaign last season but today was a different experience, being amongst the Peterborough fans when they visited Skrill Premier side Kidderminster Harriers.

Kidderminster Harriers, formed 1886 play in the Skrill Premier and their home is at Aggborough which is a 6,250 capacity with two seated stands along the lengths of the pitch and two terraces behind both goals. The Peterborough fans were placed in the South Stand terrace with some seated in the East Stand, with around 800 making the journey across to Kidderminster.

The admission in the terrace was £14 for Adults and £5 for children, which was no increase from their league prices so it’s pretty good value for when a league side but maybe less so in the league games. Around there ground there is large amounts of parking though it was quite expensive but it was good to see it facilitate for the large crowd at the game.  When we got in the ground we picked up ‘The Harriers’, the match programme on offer at Aggborough, the professional programme with good content but some mistakes when it came to the Peterborough line up. There were many adverts but the 52 paged programme is good value at £3 and on par with all the football league programmes.

The game itself was very entertaining despite the misleading 0-0 result may suggest, there was a near full crowd and a good atmosphere from both supporters.

At half-time we sampled the food at Aggborough. We went for the ‘Famous Aggborough’ which is loved by all except I didn’t like it. It was so hot so whilst waiting for it too cool down it had skin growing on top. We went back got a pie and they were out of the Cottage pie so we went to a Cheese, Onion and Potato. It was nice  and massive but because of the size it becomes boring after a while. For the size £4 is good but I would much rather a pie half the size at £2. So the Admission/Programme/Pie combo in the terrace is £21 which was very good for the entertaining game and the calibre of the away side in comparison to their normal league games.

Overall a nice ground but there didn’t seem to be anything special to this day out and famous food was quite disappointing.

Price: 7pts
Programme: 6.5pts
Food: 6.5pts
Entertainment: 8.5pts
Parking: 3pts
Staff: 1.5pts
Facilities: 1pt

Total Score: 34pts

Stadium Pictures

Trafford 3-3 Witton Albion

Saturday 28^th December

Northern Premier League

Attendance: 234

Admission: £8 Adults / £5 Concessions

 

Trafford FC welcomed Witton Albion to Shawe View in the Northern Premier League. Both sides are flirting with relegation danger in the league, it was going to be an entertaining affair. Trafford FC, formed in 1990, play their home games at Shawe Lane. The ground is made of 3 covered stands. Two of them are seated stands along the length of the pitch, the main stand housing the refreshments and bar and opposing that is the other seated stand with small section of standing behind the seats. Behind the goals there is a covered terrace and an open end. Trafford gained promotion last season through the play-offs after beating Cammell Laird in the final.

The admission at Trafford is £8 for Adults, £5 for Concessions, £2 for Under 18’s and free for Under 12’s which is very reasonable for the league and the quality of the teams. There were many kids at the match a true reflection of the value for Under 18’s. There is a large car park directly outside the turnstiles to the ground.  After getting into the ground I parted with more cash buying a ‘Trafford Review’ and a golden goal ticket. The programme offered a lot of information across the Northern Premier League, premier and northern division and also the NWCFL. It also gives good detail on the playing squad of both teams and also has the match reports from previous games. It maybe lacked colour in the programme as it is primarily black and white. There was a large group of vocal Witton Albion fans who had made the trip.

 

The game was very much end to end, Witton opened the scoring 5 minutes in, messing up my golden goal of 49 minutes, the rest of the first half was even throughout. The action came in the second half as Trafford levelled the match up a few minutes in. Witton took control of the match after that and inevitable came when they went 2-1 up and that looked to be the winner until the 87^th minute when Trafford equlised and just minutes later Trafford took the lead for the first time in the match. It didn’t end there. Witton with the last attack of the game equalised to end the game 3-3.

At half-time we sampled the food on offer at Trafford. We went for the burger, parting £2.50 for Cheeseburger with onions, a nice burger; the value for other things such as cans was good, at 60p. We decided against having a pie. So the Admission/Programme/Burger combo costs £12.50 at Trafford which is pretty good value especially for the entertaining match on offer.

Overall it was a great game to watch, with good value food and admission. The programme was good and overall it was a good overall experience.

Price: 8pts

Programme: 7pts

Food: 7pts

Entertainment: 9pts

Parking: 4.5pts

Staff: 2.5pts

Facilities: 1.5pts

Total Score: 39.5pts

Match Pictures

Ashton United 2-1 FC United Of Manchester

Thursday 26th December

Northern Premier League

Attendance: 1,008

Admission: £9 (Adults)/£6 (Concessions)

Boxing Day was upon us, the football derby day, and Ashton United welcomed FC United Of Manchester to Hurst Cross, in what was definitely an entertaining game. Ashton United, nicknamed The Robins were formed in 1878 and they ply their trade in the Northern Premier League, premier division. They play their home games at Hurst Cross in Ashton-Under-Lyne and managed a 10^th place finish in the league last season. Hurst Cross is made of 4 main sections, one seated stand to the side of the pitch and opposite that was the large covered terrace which housed much of the visiting fans for the match. Behind one goal was a large open terrace stand and opposing that was a curved terrace where the refreshments were.

This match was a very attractive affair for us to do an ‘Away Chips’, short trip, new ground and a largely supported visiting team. The admission was £9 for adults which seemed very reasonable but it was £6 for concessions, so U16’s pay £6 which seems very expensive, especially in non-league where they should be trying to attract more younger fans to come along. There was a small amount of parking directly outside of the ground and not far from the ground there was many cars parked along a long road, just minutes away. With an average crowd there would be an adequate amount of parking but there was an extremely large attendance for the match. We picked up a programme from those selling them outside the ground and the ‘We are United’ programme is pretty good, giving a good insight about the visiting team and has a lot of content looking back at previous matches with pictures and also general football columns and for £2 it’s not bad value. The ground has a nice charm and it’s a very traditional looking ground which is great for taking pictures, and after a walk around the ground we headed into the club shop, which had loads of old programmes on sale and Ashton merchandise and the person running the shop was very friendly. There was a very good atmosphere building in the ground with many of the FC United fans watching the Manchester United game in the clubhouse prior to the match and the match winner was greeted with a very loud celebration heard from the other side of the stadium. Ashton United have had an average attendance of around 150 this season but this match attracted just over 1000 people and the FC United faithful in the terrace where vocal throughout the game.

 

The game was a very even affair with chances for both sides and it was FC United’s keeper Ed Wilczynski’s saves that denied Ashton opening the scoring. As the game was approaching half-time we decided to grab something to eat. The opener came from the visitors through Michael Norton. The queue was considerable in length and it took 40 minutes before parting with £3.10 for pie and chips. The steak pie we had was nice enough and the chips were great for £1.50, they were better than most that we’ve had this season but nonetheless 40 minutes is way too long to wait for pie and chips. Supposedly they usually have more food and drink outlets open but being a bank holiday they weren’t and considering the crowd size, it had a huge effect. The second half saw Ashton take more control of the game and they equalised through a Gary Gee penalty after Tom Davies was sent off for handling on the line. Ashton’s pressure paid off after they found a winner on 82 minutes as Dale Johnson poked home after the visitors failed to clear. It ended 2-1 and it was a very entertaining game. The Admission/Programme/Chips combo at Ashton United for adults cost £12.50 which for the overall match is very good.

Overall Ashton United was a good visit with an entertaining match. It’s been a while since we’ve had chips so that’s a plus. Hurst Cross is a great ground for a match and the atmosphere was brilliant adding to the game.

 

Price: 5pts

Programme: 8pts

Food: 6.5pts

Entertainment: 9pts

Parking: 3pts

Staff: 2.5pts

Facilities: 2pts

Total Score: 36pts

Match Pictures

AFC Liverpool 1-1 Stockport Sports

Saturday 7th December

NWCFL Premier Division

Attendance: 96

Admission: £5/£3/£2

AFC Liverpool play in the NWCFL Premier Division, and were only formed in 2008. Their home games are played at Prescot Cables’ ground, Valerie Park. There are to main stands, the main stand at the side of the pitch offers a high seated view of the pitch. Whilst behind the goal there is a covered stand. The atmosphere for the game came from these 3 people sat in the main stand who were using rattles.

The admission at AFC Liverpool is £5 for Adults, £3 Concessions, and £2 for Under 18’s, the average for this league which offered good value with the facilities and match on offer. The clubhouse at the ground is fairly large which large amounts of seating and a good view of the pitch. Also there was tables set up with the AFC merchandise, selling scarves and shirts. The food was the next thing to survey at AFC and it was the option of pies, hot dogs or confectionary goods. Steak pie was the choice and a nice pie costing £1.50. The programme is a nice programme with some good content and a good read at £2. So the Admission/Programme/Pie costs just £8.50 at AFC Liverpool. The game was very entertaining with many chances for both sides to score more but it ended all square.

There is a small amount of parking directly outside the ground, and the staff were very friendly all around the ground, very welcoming.

Overall a nice charming ground, with a decent pie, definitely worth a visit if you’re team is playing AFC Liverpool or Prescot Cables.

Price: 7.5pts

Programme: 7.5pts

Food: 7.5pts

Entertainment: 9.5pts

Parking: 3pts

Staff: 3pts

Facilities: 2pts

Total Score: 40pts

Match Pictures

Hyde 1-2 Chester

Saturday 9th November

Skrill Premier

Attendance: 1232

Admission: £14 

Hyde play in the Skrill Premier after winning the Conference North in 2011. Their home is Ewen Fields which also plays host to Manchester City’s Elite Development Squad (EDS), it can hold around 4073 people. The club formed in 1885 and nearly went out of business in 2010 but they were saved by Manchester City. Ewen Fields has 4 terraced sections to the ground, on one side you have the seated stand and the famous Shed End home to the vocal Hyde fans.

The Admission at Hyde is £14 for Adults which at this level is cheaper than a considerable amount of teams with Under 16’s getting in for £4. The first port of call is to check out the food, pouring rain wasn’t helping the overall atmosphere and doubts were cast whether the game was even going to go ahead. The Chip cone at Hyde costs £1.50, quite expensive considering its size and taste. The chips were average and with the cost it wasn’t brilliant. The programme’s at Hyde are £2.50 for a decent 40 paged programme with decent features and good use of images, so that makes the Admission/Programme/Chips work out at £18 for Adults. A large noisy contingent had made their way from Chester to watch their team and the overall game was entertaining, two sides battling at the wrong end of the table. Hyde never got going in the second half and so Chester won the game 1-2.

The parking outside the ground is of a reasonable amount but there is also a large amount of parking just around the corner of the ground. In addition to that the staff there were friendly and easy to talk to and showed some excitement to the match.  There is also a large social club inside the ground open before and after the game, a nice place with some photos of their Conference North winning season.

Overall a great visit, one of my favourite grounds to go to watch a game, a shame to see where they are in the league and a shame that the chips weren’t of the quality we have witnessed earlier in the season.

Price: 7.5pts

Programme: 7.5pts

Food: 5pts

Entertainment: 8pts

Parking: 3pts
Staff: 2.5pts

Facilities: 2pts

Total Score: 35.5pts

Match Pictures

Glossop North End 0-3 Stockport Sports

Tuesday 29^th October
NWCFL Premier Division
Attendance: 109
Admission: £6


Glossop North End, a former football league side, now plays in the NWCFL Premier Division and they reside at Surrey Street. The club formed in 1886 and their record attendance was 10,736 against Preston North End in the FA Cup 1914. Last season the club managed 13^th place in the league and will be hoping to improve on that this season.
 It was a short trip from Woodley to get to Glossop; Surrey Street is a small ground with three covered stands, two terraced with one to the side of the pitch and one behind one of the goals. The seated stand placed to the side of the pitch. The first thoughts of the ground are that it’s a nice non-league ground and will host hopefully an entertaining game.  Admission was £6 for adults for the match which is £1 above the average fiver in this league. Chips are the holy grail on our travels but there weren’t any.                              

Plan B: Pies. The Steak pie was one of the many pies on offer and it was probably the best pie I’ve had at any football matches. At £1.50 it was well worth the outlay; there was no wait to get the food which makes it all better. So Admission/Programme/Pie cost just £8.50 well worth it with the game.
 It’s nice to see at a football ground especially at Non-league level, fans wearing the shirt, the support is great at Glossop but there were seemingly disappointed with the result as they put in a decent performance and were unlucky not to get anything from the game. Stockport Sports were impressive and so far this season it’s not been often that you can say that. Standing next to irate opposition fans can make the game a lot more interesting. Only a small contingent following Stockport to Glossop but they obviously went home happy. Kick-Off was delayed 5 minutes due to the Stockport kit arriving late from Blackpool with some of the players, so most of the players had to loiter around the ground while the other team were training.
 It’s also nice to see a PA system working clearly to give the team line-ups and the team sheet was also put up in the clubhouse.
 The Programme is great at £1 it’s great value, you anticipate it being more and you put some of your money away, the contents good, it looks great and it delivers what a programme needs. The parking outside seemed lacking but the ground still hosted over 100 people. The staff were friendly, although I didn’t speak too much to them, you could see them interacting with others and they showed their love for the club.
 Overall well worth the visit, made better with a win but the food there is amazing (note: get a steak pie) and it was all round a great match, definitely one of my favourite ‘Away Chips’ of the season.

Price: 7pts
Programme: 8pts
Food: 8pts
Entertainment: 9.5pts
Parking: 2.5pts
Staff: 3pts
Facilities: 2pts

Total Score: 40pts

 

Match Pictures

Winsford United 3-1 Stockport Sports

Saturday 26^th October

NWCFL Challenge Trophy

Attendance: 83

Admission: £5

Winsford United FC play in the NWCFL Premier Division and play their home games at The Barton Stadium, a ground which is also home to 1874 Northwich. There is two stands, one terraced along the side of the pitch and across the other is the seated stand which accommodates the Refreshments, bar, press area and a decent amount of seats. There is a large amount of parking right outside the ground, the entrance is presented nice at the turnstiles but there is a tight fit to get through them.

The admission cost £5 for Adults which is the standard across most of the NWCFL and was decent value of money with a strong Winsford side taking on Stockport Sports who were fielding a completely new team putting in a spirited performance and making the match an entertaining affair. The programme on offer had a decent content but the layout seemed a bit of a mess but you pay for what you get, a packed programme with a lacking lay-out. The offering of food at Winsford was good value and the hot food on offer was varied. Burgers and Pies cost £2 with the all-important Chips (a fairly large portion) costing £1.20. The large portion was nice for the cost but the wait for the food was disappointing, 10 minutes is a bit too long to wait for a portion of chips no matter how nice.

Overall the ground holds a lot of charm which is a great venue for a non-league game and the important Admission, Programme and Chips costing £7.70. Well worth a visit for any non-league groundhopper.

Price: 8pts

Programme: 6.5pts

Food: 7pts

Entertainment: 9pts

Parking: 5pts

Staff: 2pts
Facilities: 1.5pts

Total Score 39pts

Match Pictures