Little 15

A 1988 Depeche Mode single, which only scraped to number 60 in the chart. The original title for this was going to be 19, by Paul Hardcastle (and not anything from Adele’s debut album, although with the amount of wandering around, Chasing Pavements might have been appropriate), but I didn’t get to the planned nineteen grounds, only managing fifteen.

With time on my hands due to being an off work basket case, and with the possibility before me of another weekend back in some of my old Manchester stomping grounds; and seeing as I now appear to be completely football obsessed as if I am my ten year old self, I thought I might have a potter around some of the non-league football grounds of Greater Manchester using the tram network. Take some photos, see if any of the club shops are open (or even if they have club shops), get some more fridge magnets, that kind of thing. Get round some of the bigger ones, such as Bury, Rochdale, Altrincham, FC United of Manchester.

But as usual, my obsessive self has to blow such a leisurely pursuit of a few sides at different ends of the tram network in favour of some utter lunacy. I was scouring the Non-League paper at the weekend and looking for sides in the pyramid who played in Manchester and were in reasonable distance of tram stops and the next thing I know I have seventeen sides to visit. I also knew I’d be passing Manchester City’s ground at least once and therefore found another one from somewhere else to make up the number in my original title for today’s piece’s title. The question was had I bitten off more than any sane person could handle in a single day (in daylight preferably).

The answer to that before I started was probably. But here are some of the tables scoured in the NLP.

Then I thought back to when I lived in Manchester and had a look to see how much things -had changed since those days and so had a look in the Cherry Red non-league newsdesk annual from 2002 to see what had changed. Turns out the big winners over that period from the area are obviously Salford City, but in reverse it is Droylsden who have fallen the furthest as they don’t even get a mention in the tables in the NLP and are languishing at level seven.

Having plotted out a route it dawned on me I might have to be up at the crack of dawn to make it round any decent number of them. And not knowing just how many I would make it around, I prepped for all of them. What this meant was I looked for players who appeared for these clubs at any time who also appear on my vast collection of football cards and stickers. Then for any programmes, and finally for any mention about club badges for each. So if I got around to a club and got a photo of their ground, then I’d have a load of other gumpf to write about them as well.

It was interesting when looking for ‘famous’ players for these sides, just how many of these teams a lot of the players end up playing for, as if it is a little Manchester club circuit. I suppose if I looked at local clubs to us, there would be the same kind of thing.

When talking about the clubs and their achievements, I’m just going to write North West Counties this once — that’s NWC from now on, and Northern Premier League just once — NLP.

Although clubs from Greater Manchester have won trophies at every level possible, there is one trophy that no club from the area has even made it to the final of — the FA Vase (formerly the FA Amateur Trophy), but two of the clubs — West Didsbury & Chorlton and Droylsden are in quarter final action in the Vase this weekend.

I started early and the first ground was that of FC United of Manchester, now their permanent ground in Newton Heath (birthplace of Manchester United before they changed their name and moved to Trafford). Having left the hotel before 7am, there were two walks either side of a tram journey, it was 07:46 when I got to the ground. Which pointed out some of the shortcomings of my overall planning, and also how I never fucking learn not to trust a word giggle maps says. It is a decent enough ground, although at that time in the morning the only people there are in cars picking up school kids (I’m assuming they have their own kids, and this is friends they are picking up). No way of seeing inside it, so just the outside.

There was quite a bit in the Beautiful Badge book about their badge, first from the stripes on it coming from the coat of arms (as shown on the ceiling of Manchester Town Hall). And from a longer piece about the competition there was to design the badge for the new side in 2005.

For a reasonably new side they have some trophies behind them, wins in NWC Div 2, then Div 1, and a NWC Cup win, onto the NPL title, a NPL Presidents Cup win, two Manchester Premier Cup wins, two Fenix trophy wins and a Brian Lomax Trophy.

The only card related item I could find to them, is also a link to us, as it is Steve Coppell, who apparently became a part owner of the club back in 2016.

It was 08:36 when I got to Chadderton, a bus, a tram, and a bit of a walk to get there from the previous ground. The gates were open to have a look at the whole place but seeing how long it took for the first journey, and the schedule planned, I’m not wandering around taking photos from every angle. Chadderton have some low-level trophies, in the Manchester League they’ve won Div 2, and Div 1, and the Murray Shield, and Gilcryst Cup, and a Manchester Challenge Trophy.

There was a solitary player card I could find a link to Chadderton, as David Platt had played for them.

Twenty-two minutes later (08:58) a stroll had got me to Oldham Athletic, which was the next on the journey, but I’ll come back to them at the end as it’s the build up to our game against them tomorrow, and it was outside only.

09:43 when I got to Spotland. I was taking photos outside when one of the staff there let me in to take photos from inside the ground, which was very kind. Unfortunately, it was too early for the club shop to be open (and I wasn’t waiting around for ten minutes).

We have played Rochdale six times in the league, winning three, drawing one, and losing two, with one of each at Spotland. For a team who has spent a lot of time in the Football League they don’t have a lot to show for it, their only league wins came in the Lancashire Combination league which they won twice before the First World War, and they won the Lancashire Senior Cup three times (but never the Manchester one, as they were considered too far outside to enter for a long time). But they are currently top of the National League with a game in hand, so another trophy may finally be coming. They did manage to get to the final of the second ever League Cup, being the second team on the trot starting RO to lose to Aston Villa in the final (Rotherham had done so in the first one).

And their badge does appear in the beautiful badge book, on a page amongst others, and whilst all the other badges on the page are mentioned in the text, Rochdale’s isn’t, but the page was talking about Latin phrases on badges (and had our badge as an example on the facing page).

There are no former players in cards for them, but a whole host of cards of former managers.

I got on a bus and travelled through mainly countryside to get to Bury’s Gigg Lane and got there at 10:18. Opposed to the friendly welcome at Spotland, there was no one around, you could only get at one side of the ground from the outside, and despite the sandwich board being out and the sign on the shop door saying ‘open’, it wasn’t. Although I suppose they were preparing for their top of the table clash this evening.

Our first game against Bury came in that 2011–12 FA Cup run, when we beat them at Gigg Lane, and in the four league encounters we had against them, there were three more wins, and a single draw in our last game against them here. They have won quite a few things, an old Second Division title in the nineteenth century, a third division title, and a new second division title, and two FA Cups. They were also football world champions (it was a playoff between the Scottish and English FA Cup winners between 1876 and 1904 and Bury were the last winners). They were twice the Lancashire League champions, won the Lancashire Senior Cup eleven times, and the Manchester Senior Cup twelve times, and during the Second World War they won the North West League. They have been NWC Div 1 champions and were the NWC Premier league champions last season. They are currently top of the NPL Div 1 West table, and tonight are taking on the second placed team Lower Breck over in Liverpool. Yes, I was tempted to go, but that really would have been a ground too far.

There were cards of former players (which wasn’t a surprise with them having been in the league at a reasonable level for so long).

And also of former managers.

It’s not far on the bus to Radcliffe, and I arrived only fifteen minutes after getting to Bury (10:33). There is work being done on the ground, and I’m not sure if the gate should have been left open, but I could get in and see the whole of their ground, which I quite liked.

We have never played Radcliffe (or Radcliffe Borough as they used to be). They have some trophies as well, with a NPL title, a NWC Div 1 and Div 2 title to their credit and are going well again this season.

And there were quite a few former players on cards for them.

Getting to Prestwich Heys took longer than expected. It was another case of giggle maps not being that helpful. Plus I’d blithely assumed the large road running from the tram stop to the ground was one I could walk along. It wasn’t. It was the fucking M62. It took longer than expected to get there (arrival at 11:23), longer to get away, and apart from the gates, the rest of it wasn’t great. In retrospect, skipping this one could have meant completing three of the last four instead, which would all have been better.

I could repeat we haven’t played XXX a lot of times in this piece, so I’ll stop now, of the teams left we’ve only played Altrincham and Droylsden. Prestwich Heys have managed to get a trophy in winning the NWC Div 2 cup once.

I had to dig deep to find any card for them, but Bert Trautmann started off playing for them before breaking his neck in a cup final.

On a tram coming from Bury (granted four stops on now), and I don’t know if this was left behind intentionally or not, but a tramway magazine with a piece on the removal of trams from Bury in 1949 made interesting reading on the first of the tram routes put back in during the 1990s. Granted the new route isn’t the same, mainly being over lines discarded due to the fallout of Beeching and his short sighted idiocy, but those old tram routes were eco-friendly.

There was plenty of time to read the little magazine as it is a trek and a half from one end of the tram network to the other to get to Altrincham, and there is a ten-minute walk to the stadium, so it was 13:18 when I got there. They have an online shop, but nothing at the stadium, and they make it difficult to see into it, but some go-go-gadget arms and squeezing the camera through non-existent gaps got a few decent images.

Apart from our first season in the Conference we played against Altrincham every year during our stay there. In twelve games against them we only lost the once (at home), with five draws, and six wins, four of those draws being at Moss Lane. Before the automatic promotion days, Altrincham were one of the most successful non-league sides around. They won the FA Trophy twice, and were runners up another time, they won the Alliance League (as it was then) twice as well And were winners and runners up in the Alliance League Cup. They’ve also won the NPL twice, the NPL Peter Swales cup three times, and the NPL cup twice, and the Cheshire County League twice.

Plenty of Altrincham former players to choose from.

The next four grounds were close to each other within six stops on the same tram line. Unfortunately not the one Altrincham was on, so I cheated a bit, and got a taxi to ground hop these four, claiming some time back.

First up were Wythenshawe Town at 13:40, who are not to be confused with the next one on the journey. They are doing slightly better than their namesakes below, even if they are looking like relegation favourites this season (I’d blame the bog of a goalmouth personally).

They have been Manchester League Div 1 champions twice, Div 2 once, and Gilcryst cup winners. Also Cheshire League Div 1 and Div 2 winners, and they’ve won the Manchester Challenge trophy five times.

A single link to an old player.

Then it was on to Wythenshawe (formerly Wythenshawe Amateurs), not to be confused with the previous club visited, getting there at 13:51. This seems to be a proper community club, teenagers helping clear the grounds, a social club open and in use, and general hustle and bustle going on. And open facilities for me to use, much needed by this point in the day.

They have been NWC Div One South Champions (and playoff winners beating the north champions) and then the Premier Div champions the following season. Manchester League Premier league champions twice, Div 1 winners once, and Gilcryst Cup winners seven times. Before that they were Lancashire & Cheshire league Div 1 champions, and Div 2, and Div 3A, plus Rhodes Cup winners three times.

And as for their namesakes, a single link to one of their old players. But if we were to include players from their infamous Sunday League over 35’s team, then there would be lots to choose from. Nearly 1,900 caps amongst the players to have turned out for that outfit who play at the same ground.

With a bit of a pit stop it was a bit longer to the next ground, arriving at West Didsbury & Chorlton at 14:11. I was glad I was in a taxi for this one, it’s in a country park whose entrance is down a cul-de-sac in a very posh leafy estate with only two roads in and out. Pictures were taken from just inside the car park.

West Didsbury & Chorlton are one of the sides in the quarter finals of the FA Vase, they have been NWC Div 1 south champions and have won the NWC Div 1 cup as well. Manchester League Div 1 winners, Lancashire & Cheshire League Div 2 winners twice, and Rhodes Cup winners twice.

I’m sure I looked for players on cards and found some, but they’ve disappeared into the ether.

Then it was on to Maine Road FC, who again aren’t easy to find as giggle has the address as St Margaret’s sports facilities. It was another quick turnaround, getting there at 14:22. A little gap in the ugly wall from the bordering construction work took me into the pitch area and the few little attempts at stands dotted around. They do actually play the closest of any of these sides to the old Maine Road, and were set up by supporters of Manchester City, their badge is remarkably similar.

They have been NWC Div 2 winners and have won the NWC Cup. Manchester League Premier Div winners four times, Div 1 and 2 once each, and League Cup winners twice. There are also three Manchester Premier Cup wins and six Manchester Challenge Cup wins.

A real struggle to find any old players, but there was the one from this year’s Panini collection.

Considering the stops and some of the distance, the taxi was ridiculously cheap, but it was back to trams. One into the city centre and then another one out the other side and a flying stop at the Etihad (15:10) in the daylight this time, nothing else to say, the only way we’re going to get to play them is if we actually manage to win through a couple of rounds of cup matches and get drawn against them. (Anyone who thinks they’ll get any form of automatic relegation or expulsion is living in cloud cuckoo land.)

After ground number 12 was Maine Road FC’s, it is somewhat appropriate the next one was the new home of the former Maine Road residents. There’s a solitary card of the many available for them.

Straight back onto the next tram in the same direction on the same line, this going out to Droylsden. This line is one which shares the roads and therefore gets held up with traffic the same as everything else, so it wasn’t the quickest journey, but it was only two minutes from the tram stop to the ground (getting there at 15:44). Similar to Altrincham, a solid outside, but just enough gaps to squeeze a camera through for more detail.

In the 2007–08 season we played Droylsden three times, twice in the Conference, with wins home and away, and then an 8–0 win in the FA Trophy at home, which is where the programme is from. It was the only season we have played them, as they were relegated at the end of the season. Over the years Droylsden have won a few trophies, with three Manchester Senior cup wins, a NPL Cup win, a NPL Peter Swales cup win, and a NPL Presidents cup win, and a NWC Div 2 title. They are the other Manchester side in FA Vase quarter final action this weekend.

It’s not a former player, but a former manager for Droylsden in the cards.

Back on the tram again for three more stops and then a deceptively long walk to Curzon Ashton (arrival 16:37), as despite what giggle maps might tell you, you can’t just walk across the railway line and through the athletics stadium. They have a statue at the mini roundabout near the ground to players to have come from Ashton-under-Lyne.

There’s a football card link to the statue as I’d read about it before going.

I didn’t know about the blue plaque to Arthur Wharton though.

And the kind people let me inside the gates to have a look from inside the ground.

For some reason I keep thinking we had played Curzon Ashton and that I had a programme from them in the collection. We haven’t, and I don’t. I do have a concert programme from the sixties from a Curzon Theatre in Coventry, but that’s not quite the same thing, and I don’t remember Frankie Vaughan playing football. They have a NPL Division 1 North title and a NPL cup runners-up spot.

And there is a card/sticker collaboration for the one player I could find anything for.

Then it was off to the train station, only to arrive underneath it as the one train an hour to Stalybridge was departing. It was now after five and starting to become twilight. I hadn’t really eaten or drank anything all day and was flagging anyway, so I called it a day and retired on fifteen grounds. Short of the nineteen planned. I had missed out on Stalybridge Celtic, Hyde United, Abbey Hey, and Trafford FC, and was somewhat disappointed about the first two of them. But it did mean that the good experience at Curzon Ashton was a decent way to finish the day’s grounds.

Elsewhere I have seriously considered Mossley & Ramsbottom, the former being the next stop after Stalybridge, but with trains only one an hour I’d ruled that one out. Ramsbottom isn’t that far north of Bury, but not the easiest transport links, so I’d ruled that out as well. Meanwhile there were also four sides in and around Stockport which I’d ruled out beforehand (Stockport County and Stockport Town, Cheadle, and Cheadle Heath), Two Ashton sides (United and Athletic), but not Ashton-under-Lyne, but over on the Wigan side at Ashton in Makefield, there was Wigan Athletic themselves, Bolton Wanderers, Leigh RMI, Horwich RMI, Irlam. A lot of other sides still to get around. More Manchester trips needed (but they need to be spread out instead of fifteen in a day).

The tram got back into Piccadilly Gardens about ten to six, and I was interested to know if the old treasure trove store on the corner was still going twenty years on. It was. It’s called The Rat’s Tale (I’m sure it wasn’t called that back then, but with my alcohol addled brain it could have been called anything), and it is a place I could spend days in, mainly because there is absolutely no order to anything, just piles of stuff. Books, comics, records, tapes, videos, programmes, medals, and all sorts of other collectables in glass display cases. I picked up some pieces, some of which are related to the wanderings today (or would have been if I’d made an extended list complete). They nominally close at six, but there was no effort to hurry me along and out, it was half past by the time I’d chosen stuff and left. I especially liked the old Bury programme against Manchester City which lists the game as a practice match, not a pre-season friendly.

Anyway, after wandering, I said I would come back to Oldham Athletic, who we play tomorrow (maybe today if this takes me much longer to type up). When I posted a picture of the stadium earlier, some wag said I was twenty-four hours early. More like thirty.

This will be our sixteenth game against Oldham, the last three have all been score draws, including a final day 3–3 the season they were the first former Premier League club to be relegated to the National League. There have been two other draws, four wins and six losses against them over the years, with just a single win, two draws, and four losses at Boundary Park. Some programmes are below, including the first issue of the Red Devils’ Diary, which made it’s debut in the home game against Oldham before Christmas.

For completeness, the Oldham trophies include a Second Division title, a Third Division (North) and a Third Division title, a Lancashire Combination title, three Lancashire Senior Cup wins, and nine Manchester Senior Cup wins.

The injured Theo Vassell used to play for Oldham. Oldham don’t have any of our ex-players in their squad either. There are a number of players to have played for both, including Nicky Adams, Mat Sadler, Anthony Grant, Lee Barnard, Mike Jones, Filipe Morais, Cedric Evina, and Rhys Murphy.

There are a couple of Topps cards not used before.

And a whole host of images scrapbooked together as they had a decent run in being included in the Panini albums of the eighties and early nineties.

And I’d found the only Premier League Yearbook they produced (a knock off version of Rothman’s but only for the Premier League), which featured Oldham at the time.

The badge has an Owl on a football. I didn’t get around to finding out why, only knowing that at a glance I will often mistake it for Sheffield Wednesday.

And with that I will stop, there have been far too many words and pictures generated for this piece as it is already. On to the action tomorrow.

Come on you reds.

For other Crawley Town pieces from this season check out the list below.

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