Buxton

26th August 2013

Northern Premier League
Buxton 1 Ilkeston 2
Atten: 414











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View Video of Buxton v Ilkeston

 

“The Bucks” have been playing at Silverlands since 1884 when in their first match they defeated near neighbours Bakewell 2-0. Situated over 1000 feet above sea level, the Silverlands is the highest ground within the pyramid of football . If the game is on and more importantly the Pass is open on a crisp winters day make sure you bring your thermals and a flask !.

Whatever the weather, it is a great place to come and watch some decent football. I had visited here a few times but never with a camera and have always watched an enjoyable game unfold and today was no exception. Today was a Derbyshire Derby with local rivals Ilkeston . A big crowd was expected on a glorious summer's afternoon.

Ground: 9/10

Silverlands is Golden in my eyes , what proper non league grounds should really be like. Non of this flat pack style stands. But today more than ever before it looked well "tarted up" a bit like an Essex Girl getting ready for a Saturday night in Basildon !.  A superb , imposing main stand with excellent views across the countryside and covered area on two other sides. A smashing bar and social area and a decent tea hut. The Pies,Peas and gravy were delicious as usual. All served with a friendly smile.

The Staff were super friendly and helpful, I can not speak more highly of the Club.

 

Match Enjoyment: 9/10

Best game of new season so far,very enjoyable from start to finish. The first half was excellent, finger tip saves, well taken goal, woodwork hit, and a most fantastic double save by Bucks keeper. On a par with Montgomery's for Sunderland in '73 Cup Final it was that good.

Then it really got feisty and spicy. Bucks had two players sent off, Ilson pressed forward, Bucks stood firm until the 94^th minute, then seconds later Ilkeston scored a winner. The bucks lost with nine players so the sendings off affected them , those players should "Buck" their ideas up !.Unbeliveable end to a cracking match. The Away fans could not believe they had won and to be honest neither could I ! 

 

The drive back through the sun drenched Hope Valley was spectacular and if you go via Bakewell make sure you stop off , for some of their famous tarts, you wont regret it. Until you get on the bathroom scales that is .

Crook Town

Northern League Div One

Crook Town 3 
Whitley Bay 0

Gate: £6

Atten: 178

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View Official Crook Town Website

Ground: 8/10

Some grounds just reek history , and Millfields, home of Crook Town is one one of them. In fact it hit me in the face as soon as I reached the top of the steps and the two iconic stands first came into view. You could just feel what it had been like when 17,000+ crowd crammed in to watch a cup tie.

Crook won the Amateur Cup in the 1953 - 54 season playing in the longest cup final ever v Bishop Auckland with 200,000 in attendance over the three games. The final scores for the three games were 2 - 2 A.E.T. at Wembley, 2 - 2 A.E.T. at St. James Park and 1 - 0 to Crook at Ayresome Park. In fact, the black and golds are fives times FA Amateur Cup Winners

But the biggest gate to watch them play came in 1976 when Crook became the first English club to tour India playing six games. A gate of 100,000 watched them play the Indian national side, but they were beaten 1 - 0 in 90 degree temperatures.
 

In 1913 Crook toured Barcelona to help establish football as the main sport in the region of Catalonia instead of bullfighting. Feeling was so high against this that King Alfonso of Spain who had hoped to attend the three games but couldn't do so because of the attempts on his life. Crook man Jack Greenwell organised the tour and went on to become the first English manager of Barcelona until the mid thirties when he took over the Spanish national side until the civil war. He managed Peru in 1938 which capped off a remarkable life for the son of a miner!

 

 The place is superb albeit a little frayed at the edges. There is talk of them moving very soon, let us hope it is just that ..... talk, as the place is a historic gem and a must visit for any football lover.


Match Enjoyment: 8/10
They do say "Feed The Chow and he will score", but today this goal machine was firing blanks his suprising miss early in the game became the turning point. Shortly after Crook took over and were never in doubt once the first goal had gone in.

Whitley Bay were not at their best today , maybe as a result of their 'sticky' start to the new season.
It was a decent game and the Black and Golds were the more impressive. They were what the motto in the dressing room said ... "Solid Gold".

Delicious food was served at sensible prices all freshly made and very tasty - highly recommended.
The welcome by the Clubs Staff was very friendly and genuine. They deserve all the success they get as a reward for all the hard work they have had to do, to get to where they are.

The weather forecast showed heavy showers all afternoon, but they do get things wrong from time to time.
I had waited to go to Crook for over four years, there was no way i was not going to go.
Despite what barriers were put before me, i was  going to go  come what may , by hook or by CROOK !

Bacup & Rossendale Borough

17th August 2013

FA Cup Extra Prelim Rd

Bacup 1  Formby 4

Gate: £6

Atten: c40

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For me to consider a re-visit to a ground it must be somewhere a bit special and a trip up Cowtoot Lane the home of Bacup & Rossendale FC is one of those places. My first visit was back in 2010 for an evening match and i vowed that one day i would return for a day match , well that day has come and i cant wait. They now play under the name Bacup & Rossendale FC changing it from Bacup Borough in June of this year. Bacup Borough officially adopted the title of Rossendale, this came about following the sad demise of Rossendale United FC thus leaving Bacup Borough as the Rossendale Valley’s most senior football club.


 They were now the sole flag bearers of the Rossendale Valley and as for the commercial side it did make sense to implement the name of Rossendale and with this comes Bacup & Rossendale Borough FC. This also brings with it a newly designed crest to form its very own identity, with a plan for progression in place are the words , ‘Prosperity Through Endeavour’. When the  club was founded in 1875 it was called  Bacup Baldies, a name that proved to be prophetic in late decades.


Match Enjoyment: 6/10
Both teams battled away in what was at times difficult conditions. But in truth Formby were in control for most of the game. Soon after Bacup got back in the game , Formby scored again. It was never going to be Bacup's day.

Formby celebrate 4th goal

Ground: 10/10
West View is one of my all time favourite grounds and yesterday's visit only enhanced that feeling.

Serving the Bacup Pie .. mmmmm !

Upon arrival i just felt back home immediately , and then i smelt the homemade Bacup Pie wafting from the kitchen and my resistance was minimal and i dived in for a portion of this delicious feast , i even went back for seconds !

The setting is one of the best. Set amongst the Southern Lancashire Pennine hills , the place was calm as anything can be with the only interruptions coming from the sheep meandering in the lush green fields, surrounded by dry stone walling as far as the human eye can see.

 The weather was usual for this high up , unpredictable at best. Its mid August still in British Summer Time but the conditions were more arctic than summer. The monsoon rainstorms , rapier like winds only added to the attraction of this ground as i stood shivering and wet under the leaking roof of a ramshackle stand it was ground hopping 'porn', basically as good as it gets.

Formby's most well known resident is George , The Ukelele Man
But despite the lovely surroundings Formby came to town to win an FA Cup tie  , and that they did , by dispatching of  Bacup very  readily. Despite the long journey, strong winds , monsoon rain storms etc  as George would say ... "it's turned our nice again"



Other Reading:
Well respected FA Cup Hopper Paul Kirkwood's blog Up For The Cup is a very enjoyable read. He was also at Bacup and his report is excellent. take a look here