The Stanks (Berwick)

The Stanks is a historical site in the town of Berwick-upon-Tweed in Northumberland close to the border with Scotland. Indeed, the town’s football clubs are members of the Scottish FA and compete in their league and cup structure.

An Elizabethan rampart in the town has a grass area inside them. This is called The Stanks, which means a swampy piece of land or ditch in Scottish language. The area was previously a defensive moat between Brass Bastion and Windmill Mount Bastion.

In the shade, the area would often ice over, providing a perfect area for fishermen to dig out ice they required to keep their salmon at the right temperatures for their journey and to stay fresh before being sold in London.

From 1922 the annual Berwick Infirmary Cup was competed for on the football pitch that is marked out. Unfortunately, it does not meet the required size for FA and SFA regulations to competition is limited to unofficial tournaments.

Several thousand spectators are known to have attended the 1929 final between Eyemouth Rangers and Belford. In 1959 the Berwick Charities Cup, which is competed each year between May and July, with most games kicking off at 6.30pm.

The competing teams are put together from pubs or groups of friends or businesses. The cup was close to being abandoned in 2017 with only nine teams wanting to take part. Fortunately, a publicity drive has since seen an increase in participation, which included the Women's Shield.

Between £5,000 and £8,000 was said to be raised for local charities from 2020 with local dementia, cancer care, pensioners, strokes, and a local school among the beneficiaries in 2023 with the presentation of funds being awarded at the Berwick Bowling Club.

My visit

Tuesday 13^th July 2021

As part of a week off work I decided to visit several places across England that took my fancy and tried to see sport along the way. The previous day I was washed out at Chester-le-Street where cricket was meant to take place.

It led to a long day drinking with good friends before taking the bus to Newcastle where I stayed overnight. Covid restrictions were gradually ending, but not all fixtures were back to full capacity after the pandemic.

I had hoped to see a game at The Stanks, but the Charities Cup had finished a week or so before. Instead, I made do with a good walk around the town and over the bridge to visit the Shielfield Park home of Berwick Rangers.

 

Back in town I had lunch and then settled on the ramparts to relax for a while before taking photos of this most incredible venue where spectators are known to look down on the action from great heights. I would have been down on the level standing for sure.

It was somewhere most photogenic, as was much of the old town, which I enjoyed before taking my train back to Tyneside where there was time for a quick snooze and then fine ales before heading off to the friendly between Hebburn Town and Whitby Town.

Holker Old Boys

Holker Old Boys AFC is a non-league football club formed in 1936, in the northwest port town of Barrow-in-Furness. Initially, they were created as Holker Central Old Boys to provide football for former pupils of the Holker Central Secondary School as under-16 side.

Starting out using playing fields a move to adult competition in the North Western League in 1939, and then a new ground in Thorncliffe Road arrived. The team remained in the competition for several decades before entering the West Lancashire League for the 1967-68 campaign. 

A new ground was sourced in 1971 at Rakesmoor Lane in the northern extremities of town on land which had originally been allotments before the 1972-73 season saw the side going down to Division Two of the West Lancashire League, prior to changing the club title.

Promotion was achieved in 1975-76, followed by another demotion in 1978-79, before Division One status was regained in 1980-81. The 1987-88 season saw Old Boys end as league runners-up. 

The club became members of Division Two of the North West Counties in 1991-92, winning promotion to Division One in 1993-94, before they dropped back down a level in 1998-99. In 2003 a home game against FC United of Manchester was moved to Craven Park, home of Barrow Raiders Rugby League Club and attracted a crowd of 2,303.

That tier was retitled Division One in 2008-09 as Holker ended in third spot in 2010-11 before coming close to going up in 2014-15. They went out in the semi-finals of the play-offs to Hanley Town. 

The NWCL was restructured in 2018-19 as ‘The Stags’ were placed in Division One North. A couple of subsequent seasons were abandoned owing to the coronavirus pandemic before Holker ended as runners-up in 2021-22.

Nelson were defeated before the final was lost at home to Golcar United, before the team ended the following campaign in sixth place. Joint managers Kevin Watkin and David Round took their side to seventh place in 2023-24.

Holker Old Boys AFC will play in the North West Counties League Division One North in the 2024-25 season.

My visit

Wednesday 20^th October 2021

I’d headed to Barrow the previous day on a long journey from London to stay overnight in town and head to the Bluebirds home match against Scunthorpe United. I woke the following day in the OYO Imperial Hotel keen to make the most of my remaining time in town. 

A nearby bus stop allowed me to catch the number 1 service, leaving me a five-minute walk along Rakesmoor Lane to the ground, where I was in luck as a gent was having a tidy up and made me welcome while I took some snaps.

The basic ground had a seated stand in the corner behind the goal and a cover further down the touchline past the changing rooms and clubhouse. It seemed to be an exposed location that I could imagine being very cold during winter.

 

Another bus took me near to the Ernest Pass Memorial Ground on Abbey Road, home to Barrow Cricket Club for a quick look. It was time to get my hiking boots on as I headed to take a look at Furness Park, home of Furness Cricket Club.

A bus transported me back into the town centre where there was time for a look around before a late breakfast at The Furness Railway, the JD Wetherspoon establishment in the chain that continued to save me a fortune.

Soon it was time to head to Durham with delays via the coast to Carlisle and then across to Newcastle in readiness for my evening’s entertainment featuring Crook Town and Consett.

 

 

Solihull Moors

Solihull Moors FC is a professional football club based in the West Midlands town of Solihull. They were formed in July 2007 through a merger between Solihull Borough FC and Moor Green FC, moving into the Borough’s Damson Park home.

Moor Green 

Moor Green FC was a club formed in 1901 by players from the Moseley Ashfield Cricket Club in the Hall Green district of Birmingham, who only played friendly matches until joining the Birmingham AFA in 1922, going on to become champions in 1935-36 after being runners-up on two occasions.

 

They moved to the home of The Moorlands in 1930, going on to join the Central Amateur League, winning the title in 1936-37 and 1937-38 before completing the hattrick in 1938-39. This led to a move to the Birmingham Combination.

The 1954-55 season saw ‘The Moors’ join the Southern Division of the Birmingham & District League, which became the West Midlands (Regional) League a few years later. The club transferred to Division One of the Worcestershire Combination in 1965-66, which changed names to become the Midland Combination from 1968. 

The Moorlands. Image taken from the internet

Moors ended as runners-up in 1974-75, 1975-76, and 1979-80 before finally becoming champions in 1980-81 before another second place followed in 1982-83. This saw the side move up to the Midland Division of the Southern League.

A runners-up berth in 1987-88 under manager Bob Faulkner saw the side promoted to the Premier Division of the competition before dropping back down at the conclusion of the 1993-94 campaign after young starlet David Busst had earned a move to Premier League side Coventry City.

Main Stand. Damson Park

 

In 1999-00 the team went up from the renamed Western Division. Thirteenth place in 2003-04 was enough to secure a place in the newly formed Conference North. A first season of struggle was backed up with an eighth place in 2005-06.

However, the club was hit by an arson attack, meaning a move to share Damson Park. It was deemed financially unviable to rebuild The Moorlands, so Green held discussions with three clubs with thoughts of a merger before applying to the FA to carry it out with Solihull Borough.

Solihull Borough

The club was formed in the market town in 1953 by Joe McGorian, originally playing at Widney Lane in Solihull under the name of Lincoln FC. A change of title in 1969 saw ‘The Boro’ join Division Two of the Midland Combination.

A runners-up spot in 1970-71 led to promotion to Division One, which became the Premier Division from the start of the 1983-84 campaign. Runners-up places in 1984-85, and 1990-91 saw Boro move up to the Midland Division of the Southern League, of which they were champions in their 1991-92 debut season. 

Widney Lane. Taken from the internet

By that time, earlier financial problems had led to the sale of their Widney Lane ground to developers, moving in to share The Moorlands with Moor Green. The team dropped back down in 1994-95 with the lower step being later renamed the Western Division.

A move to play at the home of Redditch United followed in 1998, prior to the club buying the former Damson Parkway Golf Range and developing it into a new home. Promotion to the Premier League was achieved in 2003-04 before the side was demoted once again a couple of years later. 

Boro were given a place in Division One Midlands following the reorganization of the league in 2006-07, prior to Moor Green entering a merger at the end of that season which ended in a mid-table finish.

Solihull Moors

The new club appointed Moor Green boss Bob Faulkner as manager and took his former side’s place in Conference North. Things moved apace with Birmingham City reserves using Damson Park as well as their women’s side. A two-year spell saw Pertemps Bees rugby team use the venue. 

Lower table finishes in their first three seasons came as the club began to build and find its own identity. In February 2011 Faulkner died of cancer. He had been manager of Moor Green and then Moors for a combined total of twenty-five years.

Marcus Bignot, with a wealth of Football League experience, was appointed as manager in the summer of 2011. The team began to make progress while efforts to engage the local community began to pay off as Omar Bogle became a favourite with his goals. 

After a few seasons of building, Moors won the National League North title in 2015-16, going on to reach the second round of the FA Cup the following season before bowing out to Luton Town. By then Bignot had departed to take the same role at Grimsby Town.

New boss Liam McDonald ensured his side consolidated prior to Mark Yates taking over in the 2017-18 season as Moors did just enough to stay up. The manager’s achievements didn’t go unnoticed as he was appointed as manager of Macclesfield Town.

His assistant and former England goalkeeper Tim Flowers was the replacement. He took the side to second place in 2018-19, with dreams of promotion ending in the playoff semi-final against AFC Fylde. The team also had live TV coverage of their home FA Cup second round tie against Blackpool.

They reached the second round again in 2019-20 going out to Rotherham United, while the season was later disrupted by the outbreak of coronavirus after the departure of Flowers. In 2021-22 Moors came close to promotion of the Football League under manager Neal Ardley. 

They defeated Chesterfield in the playoffs before losing to Grimsby Town in the final at London Stadium after extra time, despite taking the lead earlier through giant striker Kyle Hudlin. Andrew Dallas had top scored throughout the regular season.

Ardley departed in the summer of 2023 after a disappointing season to be replaced by former League full back and Banbury United manager Andy Whing. He took the sides to the playoffs in 2023-24 where they defeated Barnet, before losing on penalties to Bromley on penalties after a superb game had ended 2-2, in which skipper Jamey Osborne starred.

Solihull Moors FC will play in the National League in the 2024-25 season.

My visits 

Solihull Moors 0 Yeovil Town 0 (Saturday 30^th October 2021) National League (att: 1,606) 

A bit of a game of snakes and ladders, this Saturday. I was originally intending on a double dose of entertainment as I was heading to Nuneaton Borough v Stamford in the under 21’s league, for the 10.30am kick off with train tickets already prepaid.

On Friday night they swapped the venue to Stamford. This was after the Nuneaton secretary confirmed to me that it would be played at their home. It was as well that I checked Twitter when I awoke after a fine previous evening downtown on the pop. No doubt the previous day’s rain being the issue in the venue change.

I booked a replacement train to Birmingham, as hanging around in Nuneaton in the rain with nothing to do didn’t really appeal, with the greatest of respect to any residents of the town reading this synopsis.

On route to Euston, I received a text to tell me that my booked train from Nuneaton to Coventry to get to the later game was cancelled anyway, so I’d have been left in the lurch. Someone was looking down on me. 

Pre match offerings in The Wellington in Birmingham
It took discipline to leave.

I boarded the fast Birmingham train to find out they had put me in the new premium class, which was most relaxing to get me in a good mood for some lunchtime libation as four magnificent pints in The Wellington followed. What a superb pub it continued to be.

The ever-consistent Oakham Citra, HPA of Wye Valley, BFG of Black Country and Piffle Snonker, sounding like something the PM would call a kid, from Froth Blowers all doing the bizzo. The pub cat took a shine to me. It must have been my skills in talking to the animals at work that attracted it. 

It was a train ride down to Birmingham International which by now saw me in a very merry mood so I took a cab from there, as the buses looked to be running late and I would have been pushing it for kick-off.

What followed was a dull game with very few chances with a sending off for either side being the only remarkable feature. The hosts played better after they were the first side reduced to ten. Solihull fans who like attacking play must have loved me. 

I had now seen them twice in a couple of weeks and both games ended blank. On a personal note, I was chuffed as I completed the top five tiers for the first time. Oh, and I enjoyed listening to England dismantle Australia in the T20 as a backdrop.

I liked the venue too, with it being a work in progress with semi-temporary stands. The people all around the place seemed very decent and proud of their club, if lacking a little in passion. The catering was a bit on the steep side, but it looked to be an affluent area, so that was understandable.

After the match I joined the gathering queue for the A1 bus to the town centre. I was hoping that we would all fit on the double decker, so it was a shock when the small hopper bus came round the corner. We all got on, but only just. I was one of the youngest!

Solihull looked to be a nice town, and I quite liked the ground. A good, if more expensive than intended day out. The game, as often is the case, being the only disappointment. Not even the noisy kids on the train back to Marylebone could keep me awake.

 

Barrow

Barrow AFC is a professional football club that was formed in 1901 at a meeting at the Drill Hall on The Strand, to represent the port town of Barrow-in-Furness. The club started out life at the Strawberry Ground prior to a couple of quick changes of location.

Firstly, to Ainslie Street and then Little Park in Roose as membership of the Lancashire Combination was attained. Promotion to Division One in 1907-08 was followed by moving into their Holker Street home the following year.

There appears some confusion over their history for a few years, but it is thought that it consisted of a relegation and promotion, before ‘The Bluebirds’ won the Combination title in 1920-21 and joined the Football League as founder members of Division Three North for the 1921-22 campaign under manager William Dickinson.

The team under the watchful eye of John Commins finished fifth in their section in 1931-32 prior to reaching the FA Cup third round in 1945-46 before bowing out to Manchester City before Jack Hacking took over as manager from 1949 to 1955, after succeeding Andy Beattie. 

Further forays in the Cup followed, with third round defeats to Chelsea in 1947-48, Swansea Town in 1953-54, Sheffield United in 1955-56, and Wolverhampton Wanderers in 1958-59, as Barrow became a founding member of Division Four that same season.

Swansea Town ended hope of FA Cup glory in 1963-64 before Barrow, under manager Don McEvoy won promotion in 1966-67 as well as going out in round three of the cup against Southampton. Colin Appleton took over as player-manager in August 1967, taking the side to eighth place in Division Three, the same season the team played the boss’s former club Leicester City in the Cup third round.

Brian Arrowsmith was a stalwart on the pitch, while Appleton headed to Scarborough to take up the same role in his hometown. The team was relegated in 1969-70 and was voted out of the Football League at the end of the 1971-72 campaign to be replaced by Hereford United.

Barrow became members of the Northern Premier League, as the club struggled financially. They became founder members of the Alliance Premier League, precursor to the National League in 1979 but were relegated in 1982-83.

Colin Cowperthwaite went on to become the club record appearance holder and goalscorer and remained at the club, scoring in one game away to Kettering Town after just four seconds, while youngster Glenn Skivington earned a move to Derby County.

Several managers tried their best at Holker Street through this period, many with considerable experience and excellent playing records, but were hamstrung by a lack of cash. They included Vic Hallom, Peter McDonnell, Brian Kidd, Maurice Whittle, and David Johnson.

Ray Wilkie arrived in March 1986 and transformed the side. The 1988-89 Northern Premier League title was secured, while Barrow also had two memorable FA Trophy runs under wilkie. A semi-final was reached in 1987-88 going out to Enfield after a second replay at Marston Road in Stafford.

In 1989-90 the Bluebirds went all the way to the final where they defeated Leek Town 3-0 at Wembley as Kenny Gordon netted twice in a team containing superb midfielder Kenny Lowe, who was sold to Barnet for £40,000 after the game. 

The 1990-91 season saw Barrow go out in the third round of the FA Cup before Wilkie had to step down owing to health reasons. The team was relegated from the Conference in 1991-92 under former Altrincham midfielder John King.

Wilkie passed away in December 1992, aged just 56. The road outside Holker Street was renamed Wilkie Road. Cowperthwaite also retired, meaning it was a very difficult period for the club, who went through a series of managers. 

Back in the Northern Premier League and with continual financial struggles, boxing promoter Stephen Vaughan bought and then invested in the club, with Owen Brown leading a side full of Conference standard players to promotion in 1997-98.

However, things were far from well off the pitch, as Vaughan, with connections to the underworld in Liverpool, was being investigated for money laundering. He withdrew his financial support in 1998 while he sold Holker Street to one of his own companies.

A compulsory winding-up order was issued with a liquidator appointed, while a member’s company was formed to provide finances and take over. The club was relegated owing to improper administration at the end of the 1998-99 campaign.

The FA supported Barrow who fought hard to resolve the situation, as they joined the Northern Premier League Premier Division a month into the 1999-00 season, before the stadium was purchased in August 2002 and the club came out of administration the following year.

Former player Lowe had a spell as manager as the side ended as divisional runners-up in 2002-03 before Lee Turnbull took over as team boss. The Bluebirds became members of the newly formed Conference North in 2004-05 before Phil Wison became manager.

Player James Cotterill was jailed for assaulting Bristol Rovers player Sean Rigg in front of the Match of the Day cameras in an FA Cup tie in November 2005, in an off the ball incident missed by the referee but caught by the match coverage.

David Bayliss and Darren Sheridan took over as joint bosses, leading the side to promotion in 2007-08 as AFC Telford United and then Stalybridge Celtic were defeated in the play-offs. An FA Cup third round appearance away to Middlesbrough followed in January 2009.

The same stage was reached twelve months later, this time Sunderland proving too strong at The Stadium of Light. The team went down once again in 2012-13 before Darren Edmondson took over the manager’s position a few months later.

He took the team back up as Conference North champions in 2014-15 to the renamed National League, a season which had begun with the purchase of the club by Barrow born Dallas businessman Paul Casson who provided the increased playing budget.

In November 2015 Paul Cox was appointed as manager, formerly having taken Mansfield Town into the Football League. The 2016-17 campaign saw the team bow out in the third round of the FA Cup against Rochdale, with Micky Moore taking over as manager soon after.

Ady Pennock was next to have a short spell as manager as the side narrowly avoided relegation before the appointment of Ian Evatt in June 2018. Casson sold the club in a management buyout prior to a tenth place in the league offering promise.

The 2019-20 campaign was disrupted by Covid-19 and was eventually decided on points per game. Barrow were promoted as champions back to the Football League thanks to the goals of John Rooney and Scott Quigley.

However, following the success Evatt departed, tempted by the Bolton Wanderers manager’s job, and was replaced by David Dunn, who lasted just a few months before the experienced Mark Cooper was brought in, with the Bluebirds ending in twenty-first position.

They were too close to comfort again at the wrong end of the table in 2021-22 but reached the third round of the Cup before going out to Barnsley, as Phil Brown steered the side at the back end of the season, prior to the appointment of Pete Wild. His side finished 2022-23 in ninth place with Josh Gordon putting away the goals.

The Bluebirds missed out on a playoff spot on the final day of the 2023-24 season prior to Stephen Clemence replacing Wild in May 2014.

Barrow AFC will play in Football League Two in the 2024-25 season.

My visit

Barrow 1 Scunthorpe United 1 (Tuesday 19^th October 2021) Football League Two (att: 2,739 inc 86 away)

 

This proved to be a slow burner of a match and an epic long day out as I once again completed my set of all 92 Football League grounds.

Rail fares were exorbitant from London, so I decided to take the Megabus service towards Lancaster University. However, I had an epiphany as we headed into Manchester by checking the Trainline app. I jumped out at Shudehill, walked across to Piccadilly, and caught the train to Barrow for £13.

I recognised the jacket of a bloke getting on from Beaconsfield the previous evening. Lo and behold it was a poster who went by the name of BDA_85 on the Non-League Matters Forum waiting to get on, also heading to Furness for the match. Talk about a small world. It was nice to meet properly and have a chat.

After taking a photo of the Emlyn Hughes statue, I grabbed a look inside Craven Park rugby league ground, an impressive old school arena, home to Barrow Raiders. I was staying at the OYO Imperial Hotel near the Town Hall where I received a warm welcome.

Emlyn Hughes. Probably Barrow's most famous son and his statue near the station

Pre match beers taken in the excellent Duke of Edinburgh hotel bar, on the way to Holker Street, with samples from Lancaster Brewery most enjoyable. I chose to stand, with admission being £16, and was impressed by the small fans park located behind the disused end.

Good pies were on offer along with scalding Bovril. Perfect. The whole ambience reminded me of nights down Seamer Road watching Scarborough when they first got into the Football League. I liked it as a venue with its covered terrace down the side and main stand opposite.

 

Scunny were awarded a penalty by ref Ben Toner that was promptly put wide by Ryan Loft. However, they went ahead when George Taft headed home a corner from Hayden Hackney before Iron decided to hold on to what they’d got. The natives were restless as the half ended.

Gradually the Bluebirds increased the pressure in the second half. They probably overplayed the sideways passing a times, something those under the roof of the Ray Wilkie Stand weren’t slow in commenting on. Former Scarborough Athletic man Ollie Banks played the role of a poor man’s Pirlo, as he continually made himself available.

Another ex-Seadog, Tom White was on the bench. Eventually the Scunthorpe defence made an error as a penalty was conceded. Banks smashed the kick right up the middle, where it connected with the legs of keeper Rory Watson.

Eventually Barrow levelled through a low shot from Robbie Gott. Josh Gordon nearly won it for the home side as his looping header came back off the bar. The game saw both sides giving everything, if lacking a little creativity.

Walking back to town after the game a local engaged in conversation about the match, with a friendly “take care mate” as he headed down a terraced street. I liked that. In fact, I enjoyed the whole visit.

Barrow will never win any awards as a picture postcard town, but it’s built on good honest toil, and I liked the folk. Everyone I came across was friendly and helpful. I went back to the Furness Railway Wetherspoons, where several of the away fans were warming up and I raised a beer to Colin Appleton who more than made his mark in Barrow and my hometown. 

The following morning, I took a trip to look at the home of non-league club Holker Old Boys before heading to Durham via Carlisle and Newcastle from where I went to see the game between Crook Town and Consett.