Litherland (30-04-2016)

Litherland REMYCA 2 - 0 Holker Old Boys (NWCFL), Saturday 30 April 2016

Train £12-40
Tea at Piccadilly £1
Entry £4
Tea at ground £1
Programme £1-50
Bovril £1
Total £20-90

As I write this blog on Tuesday 3rd May, Leicester have just won the league. Words can't do justice to this achievement but no doubt journalists will do their best over the coming days and weeks. Unbelievable, ridiculous, incredible.

For me this past weekend has also been significant. On Saturday my visit to Litherland REMYCA marked the final North West ground I needed to see (down to step 6 of the pyramid). The air was chilly but the sky was bright as I set off from South Yorkshire.

Appropriately I changed trains at Liverpool South Parkway - not only near my old stomping ground as a student but also formerly home to South Liverpool FC. From there it was a half hour ride through the city to Seaforth and Litherland. This was a bit of a trip down memory lane, as I had cycled through here on visits to Burscough, Formby and Crosby all those years ago. And I discovered that Litherland's ground is very close to Bootle's Delta Taxis stadium.

Litherland joined the NWCFL only last season, and are based at a sports centre in the area. It all seemed quite quiet for a Saturday afternoon, as I located the entrance and parted with £4 for entry. The set up reminded me of Wigan Robin Park, who I'd seen in the sunshine of July 2014. The chap on the entrance to the ground gave a friendly scouse welcome, and pointed out the seating area in the distance. 'You might need your binoculars.. ' he chuckled. The pitch was surrounded by an athletics track and a grassy embankment on the far side, and the seats were indeed a bit of a walk. Although the sun was shining an icy wind was cutting through the exposed ground.

For all my nostalgia, there was something hinging on today. Litherland lay a point behind the visitors Holker, and needed a win to nudge them into the play off zone. Several teams had games in hand but 3 points today would give them a chance.

Remy took the lead early on when 9 headed in with the keeper only able to claw desperately at the ball as it went in. Very soon after KO, I noticed a plan go overhead carrying a sign reading 'Time to go Roberto', presumably heading to Goodison. On the pitch, 11 went clean through, having his effort saved by the keeper's legs. He then drew the same response from a corner. Holker showed some tenacity to create something, h7 foiled by a great tackle and 3 deflected wide. But then the home side (who I was secretly supporting today!) doubled their lead when 10 slotted in from 9s pass. 10 then forced the Holker keeper into another save with his legs - maybe he was a specialist at this.

In the second half the teams cancelled each other out for long periods. A rare chance for Holker fell to 9 who could only fire over when clean through. There was then a bizarre incident when the away physio asked for ice from the home side and received a bag of frozen onions! Litherland were less active in the forward areas, with 4s free kick flying over. Then after a clash in midfield and a short pause in play, Holkers 17 was handed a straight red. He must have done something off the ball as I couldn't see a reason for it (and the away bench were incredulous to say the least).  They also berated the linesman - one player pointed at him and said 'shouldn't you be in the West Lancs or summat?' The period after the red card was actually Holker's best of the game. Their 4 had two pile drivers fly inches over, and they had plenty of possession in the final third. But Litherland stayed strong and hung on for a crucial win. Whether they make the playoffs remains to be seen but they have done well to finish so high after only 2 seasons at this level.

The train connections back worked out perfectly, with my train from Seaforth synchronising with the South Parkway service to Sheffield. All was calm until we reached Stockport where the Red Army of Doncaster boarded - they had been relegated from League One along with Crewe today.  A beery eyed Rovers fan started to chat with me on the way back, and it caused some confusion when I explained what I'd done today. It wasn't quite the time or place to explain the significance of the ground today. That as they say is for another day.

Wrexham (23-04-2016)

Wrexham 2 – 3 Braintree (National League), Saturday 23 April 2016

Train £17-30
Tea £1-70
Entry £15
Provisions £3-29
Total £37-29

Wrexham is one of those places in the Hinterland in between regions. It's not really in the North West, nor is it in the Midlands, and although it is in Wales it is closer to many English towns and cities. So it was an intriguing one to get to today. The game would also represent my third game in Wales - after Merthyr in 2008 and Caernarfon in 2013.

The journey from Sheffield took me through other 'in between' places like Stockport, Crewe and Chester. Apart from Chester these are the kinds of towns you pass through but rarely visit (and as I discovered recently you'd actively avoid visiting Crewe!) It took 4 trains across although each one was relatively quick.

I arrived in Wrexham General just before 2pm and had a time for a wander around the ground before heading into the town. Visitors to this town shouldn't be put off by the line of cheap shops which greet them from the station - once I got towards the other side of town I found a couple of impressive churches and some more historic buildings.

I headed back to the Racecourse at about 2:30 in time to take up my place in the Glyndwr University  stand for £15. This was directly behind the goal and had a few steep rows of seats. There were a few rows towards the front closed off to spectators today. To the left and right were two seated stands, and at the far end was the magnificent Kop end terrace. This is closed off completely which is a pity as the steep sweeping terraces and crush barriers dotted around gave it a classic feel.

There was a small cluster of away fans from Braintree (79 in total), looking to see their team secure an unlikely play off place. The home side were 6 points off Braintree with 2 to play so needed to win to stand a chance of the play offs.

The first half was an open and entertaining affair. Braintree opened the scoring on 3 minutes when Cheek (great name!) scored from close range. Wrexham meanwhile looked reasonable, Fyfield firing a raking shot wide, before their own 23 (Heslop) equalised with a header. Wrexham continued to create chances with Miles only managing to hit the side netting with a first time effort from a long ball. In the middle, Braintree's Cheek and Woodyard looked pacey and tricky to contain. Their Brundle shot just wide, and then Wrexham took what should be a crucial 2-1 lead with a free kick from Fowler which eluded everyone. But Braintree responded well and by half time they were at parity thanks to another goal by Cheek.

Before the second half began the announcer said something rousing in Welsh, and the crowd responded. But the game closed up a lot, largely thanks to some tenacious Braintree defending and ineffective attacks from the Welsh side. I barely recorded an effort until Wrexham’s Briscoe drove a half volley over around the 80 minute mark. Then Braintree finished the job when a clever counterattack left Brundle to stab in from close range. Wrexham's season was over, and with this being their last home game a few fans stayed behind to applaud them off.  They could well be in the play-off hunt next year.

Hartlepool (16-04-2016)

Hartlepool 2 - 1 York City (League Two), Saturday 16 April 2016

Train (Sheffield-York) £20-20
Train (York-Hartlepool) £13-60
Tea at Thornaby £1-50
Entry £18
Tea at ground £2
Pasty £4-95
Total £60-25

Some days are weirder and crazier than dreams and today was one of them. I set off to York with two intentions - to meet a friend for lunch and then head off to Pickering for a match. But as soon as I set off on the 10:47, I checked Twitter and the games at Northallerton, Thornaby and Pickering were all off.

This could be it - at this stage I'd need to head to Leeds in the vague hope that I could find a match on. Then a thought crossed my mind - Hartlepool. I checked the BBC website and discovered they were playing York at home today. And upon my arrival at York it became clear that my friend would not be around for lunch. So off I headed on a train to Thornaby, packed with Thirsk race goers. When they left the train, one group of well dressed men left a Panini sticker book on Euro 2016 (free from a national newspaper) so I bagged that.

Thornaby is a bizarre station but in these parts is a key interchange. There are a couple of platforms separated by a road. In the ensuing 40-minute wait I went for a brief walk in squally rain and huddled inside the waiting room with a cup of tea. I'd been here 5 years before when Kings Lynn had beaten Norton and Stockton Ancients in the FA Vase.

But I've never been to Hartlepool before. I found the town quite interesting as it had a fairly sizeable marina and lots of impressive stone and red brick buildings. It is apparently famous because the inhabitants hung a monkey in the 19th Century!

At the end of this long and winding journey there was a football match. Victoria Park was a brilliant Football League ground, with terraces behind one goal and seats flanking the long sides of the pitch (with terracing at the base of the stand to the left). There was a fair crowd for this, probably because this was one of the few local derbies these sides have in League Two. This league seems dominated by clubs from further South.

York were almost relegated so needed anything to survive. As the sun finally began to break through the football got underway. Hartlepool had the early sniffs of goal, with James miscuing to fire over and Thomas attacking with a real verve. The main action from the Minstermen was when Winfield clattered into James. The Monkey Hangers - if I can say that - took the lead through the excellent Thomas. Things just got worse for hapless York, who had Winfield sent off for a second yellow. Hartlepool's Duckworth nearly doubled the lead when his drive was saved by the keeper’s legs. But like the dreamlike day this was, York equalised not long before the break through Cameron, to just about stay in the game.

The second half brought an increasingly open game. York’s Summerfield volleyed an early effort which was caught by the home keeper, and the Pool had shots from Woods (a first time drive) and James (a low header wide). They took the lead when Woods slotted in cleverly from inside the box after the defence failed to clear. York to their credit didn't give in and Hendrie had a decent run and shot. Their number 3 (Ilesanmi) was particularly energetic in his surging runs forward. The teams were trading blows at either end though Hartlepool never looked like surrendering their lead. Their drove a cracker over the bar, and McEvoy - at the centre of much activity - forced a tip from the keeper. York’s Alessandra - who had been superb in his running - then saw a half decent shot whistle just wide of the upright.

So York were now virtually down, despite a reasonable performance. Hartlepool's nearest League Two rivals next season could now be Blackpool or possibly Grimsby. After the game I headed for a walk out onto the Headland with some magnificent views of the sea and town in the bright evening sunshine. This place is really worth a visit.

Then I had to sprint back to the station for the 17:54 train to York, and had a chat with a couple of away fans en route. They had been enjoying whisky and beer since the morning. They were phlegmatic about their team’s performance and seemed resigned to relegation. One was a pig farmer and the other was a driving instructor (I had to guess this via some interesting miming).

It caused great confusion when I explained I was from East Anglia, lived in Sheffield, didn't support either York or Hartlepool, and was heading to somewhere like Boston next week! This has undoubtedly been the craziest hopping day of the 2015-16 season, with another of the 92 ticked off.

Liverpool (10-04-2016)

Liverpool 4 - 1 Stoke City (Premier League), Sunday 10th April

Parking at Sheffield £7-50
Food estimate £5
Drink estimate £2
Train £23-30
Bus £4
Programme £3-50
Match ticket £43
Total £88-30

‘Begin at the beginning and go on till you come to the end: then stop’. As I write this blog entry almost 18 months after the match, I thought it apt to put a reminder of where to start with this one. The truth be told I am ambivalent about trips to Liverpool and cannot remember much about this home game against Stoke. Thankfully there were no travel hold-ups and the end result meant that we went home happy for once.

Moreno’s early long-range strike put Liverpool ahead, before Bojan equalised for the Potters. Sturridge – who at this time was in a decent run of form – made it 2-1, before a brace from Origi saw Liverpool comfortably take 3 points. Stoke have been a thorn in Liverpool’s side at times, so this was a welcome win.

The table after this game showed where Liverpool were in this packed season; the 3 points only just edged them a point ahead of Stoke, but still left them 9 points adrift of the Champions League places. Their next game would be the epic second leg against Borrussia Dortmund, so it was good to see minds and bodies focused today. Looking back at this from the start of 2017/18 shows just how far Liverpool have come since Klopp arrived on Merseyside.

Harrogate Railway (09-04-2016)

Harrogate Railway 4 – 1 New Mills (Evostik Division 1 North), Saturday 9 April 2016

Sheffield-Starbeck train £22-70
Buses in Sheffield £3
Entry £7
Programme £2
Tea £1
Tea at Leeds £1-99
Total £37-69

Today I was off to see one of the worst teams in England. New Mills, visitors to Harrogate's Station View, had picked up 2 points all year, and conceded over 100 goals in the process. So I'd either see a historic win or a cricket score for the home side!

Railways Station View is well named, being located a short walk from Starbeck station. When I arrived I had bags of time so wandered across to Harrogate Towns Wetherby Road for some photos (I had been to a match there back in October 2012). The towns grounds are surprisingly close. Harrogate is a nice place for a wander - even the outskirts were full of impressive stone houses and some intricate church buildings.

Upon heading back to the ground, I parted with £7 entry and £2 for a programme (enticingly placed on a display stand near the turnstile). The ground was a cross between Redditch United's Valley and Whitchurch Alport. Two sides of uncovered hard standing contrasted with a couple of rows of terracing and a block of red seats behind one goal. In line with the centre circle was a small but modern stand, directly behind dugouts which had plastic beige shelters. As I walked round I noticed cracks in the walkway in places, and that the pitch actually slanted from side to side.

After a couple of early attacks for both sides, the first goal of the game fell to New Mills! Their number 6 (Jones) somehow poked the ball in from a cross. Could I be seeing one of their few wins of the season? That hope was soon snuffed out when Railway made it 1-1 when Ovington fired in a low effort in the box after a ricochet away. The away sides defending was chaotic to say the least. The Derbyshire side continued to create chances, and Hibbert's effort bobbled frustratingly wide before Williams fired over after going clean through.

After wandering around for some more comprehensive photos - and noticing that some of the red paint on the metal pitch perimeter had come off in my hands - the second half commenced. Harrogate took the lead when Harry Coates headed in, drawing a wry comment from one fan 'Sorry I missed that - can you do it again?'. This probably referred to the home side’s relatively poor season to date.

From here onwards the Yorkshire side put daylight between them and New Mills. Ovington made it 3-1 after finishing an excellent run by Bromley on the left, and then the latter latched onto a loose ball to make it 4. New Mills had made a decent effort today but they are clearly out of their depth in this league. I hope that they come back stronger next season whichever league they end up in. I was tempted by the announcer’s invitation to 'join Terry and the team for a glass of your favourite tipple' but instead headed straight back to Starbeck station, with the train back to Leeds timed well for once.

Liverpool (02-04-2016)

Liverpool 1 – 1 Tottenham (Premier League), Saturday 2 April 2016

Train to Liverpool £23-30
Tea £2
Bus to Anfield £4
Programme £3-50
Parking at Sheffield station £7-50
Match ticket £55
Total £97-50

Unbelievably, I bought tickets for this game way back in November, the day after the France game. Even more strange was the fact that this was only the second Saturday game we've seen at Anfield this season. So many games have been shunted to Sundays due to the demands of TV, and the Europa League.

For today's late kick off we headed across just after lunch, with Liverpool looking to have some say in the extraordinary title race between Spurs and Leicester. Outside the ground on the way into the right hand side of the Main Stand, I was handed a leaflet proposing that Israel be thrown out of UEFA. While I'm not going to offer a comment on the issue, it just shows how closely sport and politics are linked.

On the pitch this was an intriguing clash. Liverpool initially took the game to Spurs but the North London side were extremely difficult to contain. The way that both teams pressed high at every opportunity made the first half pretty energetic, but a fairly equal affair nonetheless. I was particularly impressed by the formation and organisation of a hard-working and extremely fit Spurs side. Sometimes they kept the ball with consummate ease, though their work rate was matched by Klopp's Liverpool.

Barely 8 minutes had passed in the second half and Liverpool were ahead. Sturridge's quick pass to Coutinho set up the Brazilian to slide the ball into the bottom corner. It was a classic Coutinho goal and reminded me of many Scholes and Lampard strikes in the past (quick thinking and arriving late in the box). That could be crucial. But Spurs are made of tough stuff this year, and equalised when Kane turned at a tight angle inside the box, spinning the defence and leaving Mignolet with no chance.

The game could then have gone either way, with the Reds carving out a couple of half chances and Spurs forcing Mignolet into some brilliant saves (he can't catch but he can tip the ball away!) In the end the home side were probably happier with the point, and Tottenham may regard this as 2 points dropped. As we swiftly exited the ground and pretty much straight onto the bus, you got a sense that this title race is entering a decisive final strait.