Rossendale

Rossendale FC is a non-league football club that represents the district of the same name in East Lancashire. The Rossendale Valley is a former industrial heartland now transformed into an extremely attractive area consisting of several towns and villages, with Rawtenstall being the largest of them.

The current Rossendale FC was founded in 1937 as Old Rossendalians, by former pupils of the Bacup & Rawtenstall Grammar School, becoming members of the Lancashire Amateur League in 1947. They form just part of an interesting local football history.

The original Rossendale FC

Another club called Myrtle Grove FC, was formed in 1877, playing in Cloughfold. For the 1881–82 season, the club moved to Dark Lane in Newchurch and renamed themselves Rossendale FC, soon becoming regular entrants in the FA Cup, with their debut an 11-0 thumping by Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park.

The Lancashire League was formed in 1889-90 and Rossendale became founder members. Life was tough against semi-pro and professional clubs. After finishing bottom of the table in 1896-97 the club was wound up.

Rossendale United

In 1898 a new club was formed wearing the same colours as their predecessors, also playing at Dark Lane. Their first honours came when becoming Lancashire Combination champions in 1926-27, where the also lifted the Division Two crown in 1956-57. 

‘The Stags’ joined the Cheshire League in 1970-71, winning the title in their first season. The team had a magnificent FA Cup run in 1971-72 getting through the qualifying stages and then defeating Altrincham before bowing out to Bolton Wanderers in the second round tie moved to Gigg Lane, Bury.

Two runners-up places quickly ensued prior another FA Cup first round appearance in 1975-76 which ended in defeat to Shrewsbury Town prior to becoming founder members of North West Counties League in 1982-83.

The main stand at Dark Lane
image taken from X

After finishing runners-up in the competition, the league title was secured in 1988-89 leading to a short spell in the Northern Premier League. A further championship was collected in 2000-01, which saw a return to Division One of the NPL.

The team was relegated in 2009-10 before finishing second from bottom in the NWCL Premier Division in 2010-11. The club was put up for sale, with no buyer being found. The club folded and on the 15th January 2012, firefighters were called to deal with a fire in the main stand at Dark Lane. 

Covered terracing at Dark Lane
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There had been an attempt by the supporters’ trust to form a new club which would be owned by fans and governed as a community or co-operative society. Rossendale FC was chosen as the preferred name and all plans were in place until they were abandoned because of no suitable ground being available, with the fire putting pay to hopes.

It may have been a coincidence, but the derelict Dark Lane site received outline planning permission for 100 new family homes.

The current Rossendale FC

Meanwhile, while history was being played out at Dark Lane, Old Rossendalians continued along in the Lancashire Amateur League before joining the Bacup Amateur League in 1954, owing to the cost of previous travelling issues. 

A couple of Bury Amateur League in 1964, before returning to the Lancashire Amateur League in 1967. The club used Marl Pits as their home ground, sharing the facility with Rossendale Rugby Club, as a clubhouse was added.

The football club changed their title to Rossendale Amateurs, who went on to become champions of the Lancashire Amateur League in 1981-82, adding a second triumph in 1983-84. A brief spell in the second tier of the competition followed before a third league title was secured in 2007-08. 

In 2010 the club became Rossendale FC, ending as league runners-up in 2011-12 before dropping down a level at the end of the 2013-14 campaign. In 2016-17 the team regained their higher playing status, where continued good form saw the club progress to Division Two of the West Lancashire League in 2019-20.

After a couple of abandoned seasons owing to Covid-19, Rossendale gained promotion to Division One after winning the Division Two title in 2021-22. Further promotion was achieved in 2022-23 as the side ended up league runners-up under manager Ray Davis. 

He resigned in the summer of 2023 to be replaced by the trio of Jonathan Heap, Simon Nangle and Scott Wylie.

Rossendale FC will play in the West Lancashire League Premier Division in the 2024-25 season.

My visit

Sunday 29^th August 2021

It was a pleasant Bank Holiday morning when I awoke at the home of my friends Keith and Julie Roscoe in Rawtenstall. We’d enjoyed a lovely evening after I’d earlier managed a wonderful double of seeing England complete a Test win against India at Headingley and then seen Scarborough Athletic win away at Radcliffe.

I was visiting the area to watch the Lancashire League local derby cricket between Rawtenstall and Haslingden, which would be followed up on the Monday by watching my pal play in his band, the Riflemen of War, at the Bury Glastonburybury Festival.

With time to kill before the first ball at the splendid Worswick Memorial Ground, I decided to go for a walk and build a thirst and appetite. The small atmospheric town centre was just coming to life as I headed along Bank Street before my walk along Newchurch Road. 

It was good to see plenty of junior football action taking place at Marls Pit, the home of the Stags on an artificial surface up on the banking above the main pitch, which had a shale running track running around it for local athletes along with training lights.

It was all part of Marls Pit leisure Centre, which also had some smaller sized 3G pitches, a gym, swimming pool, and a clubhouse for the football and rugby clubs. Spectators would be limited to a view by the buildings if they wanted shelter. 

While it was a relatively basic venue, I'm sure the views from inside the clubhouse and in front of it would be enough for the crowds the team attracted and keep them warm on what looked like it could be an exposed location in winter.

Once I’d taken my snaps, I continued my recreation as far as the village of Waterfoots where I went down the hill and started making my way back to Rawtenstall along Bacup Road. I passed the turning to Dark Lane, former home of football in the area, which is remembered as a road where the housing is located on the old ground is called Stag Lane. 

Cricket at the magnificent Rawtenstall CC

The weekend continued in fine style. There was a steam railway festival on the East Lancashire Line, so I went to film a loco arriving into Rawtenstall, and on my return to the cricket I got to meet comedian and actor Ted Robbins.

He starred as the evil Den Perry, in Phoenix Nights, one of my favourite comedies, and he was a lovely man to boot who took time put for a chat. Apparantly he used to play rugby at Marls Pit with my pal Kes, whose team came out second best in their encounter out in the middle.

Fun with Den Perry

A wonderful time was had in an area I had grown to like a lot. Maybe, a match at Marl Pits or nearby Bacup Borough might be arranged on a future visit.

 

 

Clapton Community

 

Clapton Community FC is a non-league football club whose formation in January 2018 came about through disenfranchised supporters of Clapton FC deciding to form their own club after a huge fall out with owner of the Clapton, Vince McBean.

Those who formed Community had been regular attendees who created a huge rise in attendance at the Old Spotted Dog Ground. You can read here all about the shenanigans and some of my personal views at the time after a visit to a Clapton game.

Immediately the new club set up a women’s team as well as men’s. The men entered the Middlesex County League for the 2018-19 season where they were placed in Division One (Central and East). They won the league title at the first time of asking.

Home games were played on an outside pitch at Wadham Lodge in Walthamstow, which was adapted and added to and given the name of the Stray Dog. Large crowds congregated to watch both teams in action, with some fixtures being moved to the main stadium on the site. 

The club’s ethos is of being open and democratic with transparency and youth as part of the community. Anyone can become an equal member with a pay what you want admission fee. Solidarity, open access, and education all play a part.

The supporter’s campaign for human rights, and often polarize opinion from more traditional supporters elsewhere. They are known to be left-wing and anti-fascist which led to the sale in 2019 of 11,500 away shirts, 5,500 of which went to Spain, after the kit was based on the International Brigades and the Flag of the Second Spanish Republic.

 

In September 2019 the club signed a lease for the Old Spotted Dog after Clapton FC and Hackney Wick had been evicted for non-payment of rent. They took on the freehold of the site in July 2020, with the huge task of getting back in working order and meeting health and safety standards.

The following two seasons were abandoned owing to the coronavirus pandemic. Clapton Community resumed and finished third in the table in 2021-22. Work on the Old Spotted Dog Ground had been carried out so that the club could return to what many would describe as their spiritual home.

The league title was secured for player-manager Geoff Ocran and his team in 2022-23 as they gained promotion to the Eastern Counties League as members of Division One South. The thriving club by now had several sides of all ages as well as a cricket team. They reached the playoffs in 2023-24 but lost to Wormley Rovers in the semi-finals.

The club was transferred laterally to Division One of the Southern Counties East League, which they appealed against owing to the travel distances. 

Clapton Community FC will play in the Southern Counties East League Division One in the 2025-26 season.

My visits

Old Spotted Dog

Several visits were made to the home of Clapton Community in its former condition when occupied by former tenants, which can be viewed here and here.

The Stray

Thursday 6th May 2021

Covid restrictions were about done, and I was keen to head out and get some exercise, which was far healthier than straying indoors alone. Amazingly, the authorities never minded me heading to work in crowds, but that’s another story. 

It was time to have a long walk around Walthamstow. I took a couple of trains and alighted at Blackhorse Road and headed off in a northerly direction, ending up going past the Crooked Billet roundabout and visiting a former legendary venue in that neck of the woods.

Walthamstow Stadium, former home of the Greyhound Derby and Blur album covers was now a smart housing development in its own little village, but the façade thankfully remained. Heading off while listening to Tottenham fans moaning about their owner on TalkSport I headed towards Wadham Lodge.

There were decent enough views for me to take photos of the Stray Dog, the name given to the ground by CCC, from outside and through the railings so that I didn’t set anyone into panic mode on the main gate. Clapton had done a decent job with the railed pitch and erected a shelter and personalized the place.

Onward I wandered listening to this time to the woes of Derby County and their ownership problems. It was rather fitting to have visited a fan’s owned club. Walthamstow Market was vibrant enough, but I’d done enough walking for one day.

A bus delivered me near Hackney Central station where a couple of pints and pork scratchings in The Cock while listening to good tunes put the world to right before I headed home by train. An enjoyable rest bite and few hours fresh air completed.

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.