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NORTHERN
NIGHTS 4
Or : Rain, rain and more rain.
by Paul Davidson
My
monthly northern trip in March was met with gale force winds and
continuous torrential rain causing the postponement of all football
in the Northwest that night. Whilst laying on my hotel bed supping
a half decent bottle of claret, instead of lounging in some run
down club bar drinking mild and bitter, I started to reminisce about
some of my more memorable northern excursions.
There
was the old ground at Horwich RMI, now sadly gone to make way for
the new Bolton Wanderers ground, with the team moving to Leigh.
Now there are many slopes at non-league grounds, but the one at
Horwich was so outstanding that with the slightest puff of wind,
people would almost literally fall over whilst watching a game.
Fortunately
(?) for me, the only time I went there it was so freezing cold that
I was practically frozen to the railings around the pitch. I remember
that they served a mean Lancashire hot pot in little plastic trays
at half time that although it was pretty revolting, was probably
the only thing that stopped my internal organs from freezing solid.
Likewise Clitheroe is another ground that, similar to Honeycroft
at Uxbridge, always seems to be icy cold.
I
have been there for pre season friendlies in July when although
half a mile down the road the weather is warm and enjoyable, the
minute you enter the ground the temperature drops about 25 degrees
and you spend the evening wondering why you left your coat back
at the hotel. There are some delightful grounds in this part of
the world, such as Lancaster City, Penrith, Ramsbottom United and
Netherfield, in the picturesque town of Kendal in Cumbria.
Consequently
there are some grounds that would make a bomb site down south look
like a better place to watch football. Darwen, Bacup Borough and
Bootle spring to mind here. Knowsley United play in quite a nice
little ground, but the fact that it is in Huyton, the roughest and
ugliest part of Liverpool (and that takes some doing) rather lets
it down. Parking in its car park, you are not so worried that you
will still have your hubcaps when you come out, but that the car
will still be there at all, rather than a smouldering charred wreck.
They
have grounds right out in the middle of nowhere up here, like long
lamented Colne Dynamoes, closed down by a chairman with such an
outrageous ego that he made Victor Green at Stevenage look like
a normal rational human being. Their old ground, now used for junior
football, stands on top of a particularly high hill (in the south
it would be a mountain) seemingly miles from anywhere. Compare this
to Marine, who's Rossett Park stadium must be the most cramped ground
in the country, tightly hemmed in on three side by row upon row
of terraced housing and by a main road on the other.
The
town of Northwich in Cheshire contains some footballing oddities.
Firstly there is the ground of Northwich Victoria, the Drill Field,
reputed to be the oldest continually used football ground in the
world, built in 1874. Across town is one of the newest. All shining
steel and concrete with blue plastic bucket seats, the Wincham Park
ground is home to local rivals Witton Albion. Of course, because
football works that way, gates at the slightly decrepit Drill Field
regularly outnumber those in the splendour of Wincham Park.
Whilst
these two grounds are pretty close together (and Winsford United
which doubles as the areas dog track is only about three miles away),
this is nothing compared to the closeness of grounds further up
the M6 in Blackpool. The grounds of Blackpool Wren Rovers and Blackpool
Mechanics of the North West Counties League are no further than
300 yards from each other. Now that's what I call a local rivalry.
Even
more unlikely is the fact that another club, Squires Gate, have
a separate ground literally backing on to the Bruce Park ground
of Rovers. Three grounds in 400 yards, now that must be a record.
Other grounds are well known for different reasons. The superbly
named Droylesden Football Club in Greater Manchester are nicknamed
"The Bloods" presumably because their stadium is called the Butchers
Arms Ground after the pub it backs on to. Emley's Welfare Sports
Ground is stuck right on top of the Penine Mountains, a superbly
situated ground with wonderful views across the countryside in summer,
but unbelievably cold and windy on a wet February evening.
Guiseley,
just outside Leeds, has a ground that is more well known for it's
near neighbour, Harry Ramsdens original fish and chip emporium than
it is for anything else. The small town of Burscough has a ground
that is pretty unique too. It has no clubhouse or bar of it's own
and tends to use the facilities of the privately owned Barons Club
next door. Only problem is that this club does not open until 7.30
in the evening, so a pint before the game midweek is out of the
question.
Finally
there is the very well maintained little ground of Raydale Park,
home of Gretna FC. Most students of football know that Berwick Rangers
are the only English team that play in a Scottish league, but how
many know that Gretna are the only Scottish club to play in an English
League? I suppose I am lucky to have been to all these delightful
places, I just hope it stops raining some time so I can visit some
more!
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