The New Football Pools Blog of the Year 2009

The 100 Football Grounds Club has again been nominated for the prestigious New Football Pools Fanzine Awards - Blog of the Year 2009.

Last year the blog was amongst the finalalists, reaching the last nine nominations, but to achieve this feat again I need your votes.

Please show your support by voting at -http://www.footballfanscensus.com/surveys/questions.html?page=1&survey_id=419

Thanks in advance!

http://www.footballfanscensus.com/index.html

92 Grounds in 92 Hours

Three weeks today 100FGC squad#106 Steve Thorpe and 7 others will be setting of on our 2,500 round trip of England to visit all 92 grounds in 92 hours.

Sponsorship is going well, with nearly £1,000 raised already.

The week after on March 26th, Liz Jones from Newtonabbey, Co.Antrim will be visiting all 12 Premier League grounds in Northern Ireland in just 12 hours!

Thank you to everybody who has sponsored them so far, but they are of course looking for more sponsors, whether as individuals through www.justgiving.com/frekicks92groundsin92hours or if you think your company may want to sponsor the cars and get lots of nationwide publicity.


They have already spoken to 5live, BBC Cambs and BBC Essex, with BBC Humberside, BBC Coventry, ITV Meridian and ITV Border who will be conversing with them as they work there way round the country.

The website is now up and running, although still being updated. There is details of all of the 'Kicks' on there with pictures, including the latest two at Huddersfield Town and Portsmouth.



Please show your support to a very worthy cause.

www.freekicksfoundation.com

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My Matchday - 202 Crown Ground

Accrington Stanley 0v0 Dagenham & Redbridge, League Two, 21st February 2009

Accrington is a town in the Hyndburn district of Lancashire, as common place in this part of the country, it’s former industrial roots were in the cotton and textile industries. “Accy” is also famed for producing the hardest building bricks in the world - “The Accrington Nori” which have been used in the construction of the Empire State Building and the foundations of Blackpool Tower.
The first football club in the town were Accrington FC, one of the original twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888, before resigning after only five years. Another team in the town already existed called Stanley Villa, taking their name from the clubs headquarters at the Stanley Arms on Stanley Street. After Accrington FC folded Stanley Villa took the town name becoming Accrington Stanley.
They originally played in the Lancashire Combination, until League Football returned to the town in 1921 as original members of Division Three North, where they twice finishing runners up in 1954-55 and 1957-58. When the League got rid of the north/south divide Stanley were placed in League Division Three in 1958. Two seasons later they were relegated, then in 1961-62 resigned from the League, playing their last game on 2nd March 1962. The club played on for a couple more seasons in the Lancashire Combination until eventually calling it a day in 1966.
The resurrected Accrington Stanley FC was formed in 1968, the club having remarkably rising through the football pyramid and back into the Football League. They began playing competitive football again in 1970, returning to the Lanc Combo, until progressing as founder members through three leagues; the Cheshire League, North West Counties League, then the Northern Premier Division One in 1987. The Reds became Northern Premier League champions in 2002-03 and thus promotion to the Conference, where they didn’t stick around for long, winning the title in only their third season in 2005-06.

The original club played at Peel Park which in it’s heyday held 20,000 including an impressive Spion Kop and seated stands on either side. When the club reformed they applied for permission to play there, but unfortunately a huge fire to the Main Stand in 1972 led to the grounds demise and put pay to the clubs return.
The Crown Ground is currently called the Fraser Eagle Stadium, and was built on the site of an old clay pit, used by works team Ewbanks when the reformed Stanley first began playing there. In those days the ground only possessed a small pavilion, used as changing rooms and clubhouse purposes, with a wooden fenced enclosure. In 1989 a new changing room block was built and the pavillion was replaced with a new seated stand.
The ground looked much better than I expected, the shallow Whinney Hill Terrace, with it’s rickety looking corrugated iron roof the only part which still looks like it belongs to a non league ground. There’s terraces behind each goal, the vocal home support gather in the covered Clayton End, which is now known as the Sophia Khan Stand. At the opposite end the Coppice Terrace is mainly unemployed, apart from a small section in the corner for away fans. A not so chirpy cockney complained about this fact, unhappy he was unable to stand directly behind the goal, saying it was a disgrace that there was only two home spectators standing on that terrace, before the steward informed him that the terrace isn’t used and those two spectators were in fact the ball boys. Away supporters have no need to complain, at least Accrington are kind enough to offer cover to its visitors, giving them half of the Whinney Hill Terrace.
The seated area of the ground is two separate stands, broken up by the team dugouts, which aren’t the traditional style boxes, but four rows of seats for both teams divided by a wall. The Main Stand is slightly bigger than the Thwaites Stand, both have red flip seats with ASFC picked out in white in the Main Stand, which also houses a kiddies section next to the players entrance(no tunnel) in the near corner. The young’uns sang throughout the game, with those youthful tones reminiscing of the caterwaul at those old schoolboy internationals at Wembley.
The ground is finished off by the red tubular steel supports which appear on top of the covered stands, they somehow give the ground a more attractive look, accessorizing with the red crash barriers and seats. The current capacity is 5,050 which only 1200 are seats, however this may have to change with the Football League criteria set at 2,000 seats within 3 years of become a League Club, so changes will have to be made to bring the Crown Ground up to the required standards.

The players entered the field at the start of both halves to The Jam’s ‘Town Called Malice’ a fine selection indeed and a single I bought in both 7’ and 12’ editions on it’s day of release in February ‘82, reaching number one in the ‘Hit Parade’ the following week. I doubt that three lads from Woking have any connection to this tiny Lancashire town, which means it gets played because of a link to the song title, but is Accrington such a troubled town? - or is it reference to the clubs malicious past? - I don’t think it’s neither, they probably just recognise it as a bloody good song and a top tune!
It’s always disappointing to go to a game which finishes goalless, but I’m not one of those sad sack groundhoppers who doesn’t count 0-0’s and does a revisit until a goal is witnessed. The teams did produced an open entertaining affair, both missing several good chances with the majority of those falling to the home side. Lindfield and a young Dean Saunders lookalikey -John Paul Kissock went close, with the best chance of the first half coming from Paul Mullen, whose thunderous volley rattled off the crossbar.
Dagenham had a good spell in the second period, but failed to take advantage, lacking a cutting edge in front of goal. Stanley finished strongly missing a couple of one-on-one situations until winning a penalty in the 90th minute after a hand ball from Okuonghae. Veteran Daggers keeper Tony Roberts capped his 400th club appearance by saving Andy Procter’s spot kick, giving his side a share of the spoils.
I booked train tickets in early January for my planned trip to Accrington, however my ‘current’ employees are trying their best to mess up ‘My Matchdays’ telling the staff just last week that we now start one hour later on Saturday‘s, which means a later start and a later finish. Thankfully I was assisted by my loyal (and maybe soon to be former) workmates and I made the 11am National Express train from Central Station to York, without any problems.
The train journey to Accrington was a long slog across country, finally arriving in the town at 2.05pm.
I arranged to meet up with Squad#34 David Poole aka ‘The Groundhog’ who was giving an owed “ day out pass” having missed out on a trip to Hereford a fortnight ago to see his beloved Brighton & Hove Albion. He was joined by his mate Martin(a ‘Citeh’ fan) and we arranged to meet up for a bevvy in The Abbey before the game. I arrived at the pub to find they hadn’t arrived but instead found a couple of blokes sporting Chelsea away shirts watching their heroes on the box away at Aston Villa. I stood next to them at the bar and was surprised to hear they had thick Lancashire accents, obviously part of the new breed of Chelsea supporter.
I received a text message from David, informing me they couldn’t find the pub and they were in The Black Horse , so I asked one of the Chelsea lads and he gave me directions, being only a short distance away. After another quick pint we headed to the ground, The Groundhog had travelled by car so I was able to get a lift to the ground and back to the train station after the game.
My train journey back to York went by more quickly after falling asleep, I called in to the Coopers pub in the station, only because I didn’t have much time to venture elsewhere. I had an extortionately priced pint of Davenports Bitter, which was nice but I’m promising myself never to return to this pub, I’ve never liked the place, I’d rather do without a bevvy than come back in here again.
I caught the train back to Newcastle at 1955 and was alarmed to find the train infested with drunken yobs, there was bottles and cans lying all over the place, with no consideration and much annoyence to the other passengers. So I ignored that lot and put my i-pod on at full blast and kept myself to myself until reaching the safety haven of Tyneside.
I purposely wrote this piece without any reference to the one thing that Accrington Stanley have been infamously linked with for a number of years, no clichés or puns regarding that unmentionable burden on a historical club. I’ve did my usual matchday write up, which covers my day out, a description of the ground and a brief history of the club, that’s just in case you were unaware of their background - so now do you know who they are? ...EXACTLY!

Link - The Groundhog's report

Matchday stats
ASFC 0 D&R 0
Att. 1123
Admission £13 (away terrace)
Programme £3

Ground no.202 Crown Ground - Matchday Web album(14 pictures)

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My Matchday - 201 Victoria Park

Burscough 2v4 Gateshead

Conference North

14th February 2009

Burscough is a village in West Lancashire, on the main Liverpool to Ormskirk Road, which was originally developed from two local farming villages, the name derives from Viking speak - Burh-skogr meaning ‘fortress in the woods
The present Burscough FC was formed in 1946, although football in the village stems way back to 1880. The first club played for 20 years in the Liverpool & District League, then in 1905 the successful Burscough Rangers were formed, winning three Liverpool Combination County league titles in the 1920’s. The club went on the play in the Lancashire Combination, but couldn’t repeat their earlier success and after running into financial troubles, folded in 1935.
The Linnets won many cup honours in their formative years, including three pots in 1947-48 season and their first Liverpool Combination County title two seasons later. In 1953-54 they joined the Lancashire Combination, winning the Division Two title and notching 155 goals in their first season, then adding the Division One title only two years later.
After a second league title in 1969-70, the club joined the Cheshire League the following season, at the end of the decade they reached the First Round proper of the FA Cup three times in four years, including a tie against Sheffield United in front of 14,000 at Bramall Lane in 1979.
The club has the accolade of becoming the first title winners of the North Western Counties League in its primary season in 1982-83, then after finishing runner up in 1997-98, joined the Northern Premier League Division One, again promotion to it’s Premier Division was achieved after only two seasons.
The greatest day in the clubs history came on May 18th 2003, becoming the smallest club to win the FA Trophy, a twelve game cup run, including knocking out Football League bound Yeovil Town, culminated in an unforgettable 2-1 win over Tamworth at Villa Park.
After going close in the Northern Premier League, reaching the play-offs and also recording a 3-2 win over League One Gillingham in the FA Cup, Burscough achieved promotion to the Conference North after winning the Unibond Premier League in 2006-07, they then finished a credible 8th last season.

Victoria Park is found on Bobby Langton Way, named after the locally born former England winger, who’s career included spells at Blackburn Rovers, Bolton Wanderers and Preston North End.
Football has been played on land close by at Mart Lane since the early 20th century, but it wasn’t until 1921 that the current site came into existence. In 1926 the club purchased the Bullen Road Stand from Everton, transporting it by train and steam lorry, with volunteered labour building the 400 seated grandstand. After the Bradford Fire it was replaced by a new structure, which was opened in August 1986, the stand originally had 250 seats, with more seats later added to meet the required grading to host Conference North football. The work in March 2008 increased the overall capacity to 3,054, around this time the floodlights were also upgraded, which were first installed in 1972.
Opposite the Main Stand is the Crabtree Lane End, built in 1994 it gives cover to 500 spectators, there’s also a smaller covered terrace at the far goal, parallel with the 6yard box, both stands are connected with five steps of temporary meccanno type terracing, which is also featured behind the nearside goal.
The turnstiles are on Bobby Langton Way, next to the clubhouse, called ‘The Baron Club’ which isn’t the same Baron Club which some of you may be familiar with, which is the 4th best club in Hull and is owned by Paul & Tony Baron, where the compare is Kinky John, with security supplied by Carl and Chris.
Victoria Park celebrated it’s 100th birthday last year, the record attendance stands at 4,798, which was recorded against Wigan Athletic, for an FA Cup tie in 1950-51 season. The ground is currently (using Groundtastic lingo) on amber, as the club are planning to move a short distance to a community based sports complex, adjacent to the current ground.

We set off for Burscough at 10.30am, I travelled shotgun with Captain Carter, with the back seats taking up by Paul and Ray, arriving at the ground before 1.30pm, naturally a few pints at a couple of the locals followed, namely the ‘Waterfront’ and ‘The Bridge’ prior to kick-off.
Our Heed Army Captain and chauffeur had a bad feeling about the game, after 13 matches Burscough have yet to taste league success at Victoria Park this season, there’s always the fear that they must win one sometime, and we could be the ones to break their duck, however there was no need to be so concerned, as Gateshead blitz into a three goal lead in the first 10 minutes.
Gateshead made the ideal start, when a Harwood cross found Phillips at the back stick, catching the ball on the half volley with only 4 minutes gone, then five minutes later a Turnbull free kick fell to Harwood, who had time and space to pick his spot and double the lead. Novak made it 3-0 a minute later, after beating the offside trap, he raced through on goal before unleashing a fierce right foot shot into the corner of the net. Gateshead were unlucky not to add to their lead before half time, Armstrong harshly had a goal ruled out and a penalty appeal was turned down after a blatant handball.
Heed took there foot of the gas in the second half, the home side improved and reduced the arrears on the hour, when a Stanford free kick crept in under Musselwhite’s body. Phillips got his second goal of the afternoon, although he didn’t know much about it, going in for a 50-50 ball which somehow rebounded off his head, spinning into the net via the crossbar.
Gateshead created more good chances to add to their tally, but it was Burscough who grabbed the final goal of the game, with a volley from Parry ten minutes from time, which was little more than a consolation and continued their search for that elusive first home win.Throughout the game, the lads received score updates via text message, involving the other sides at the top of the Conference North, among those were fans of league leaders Tamworth, who had been ringing/texting earlier in the day, trying to wind us up saying; well to put it in a more polite and printable term; We’re not as good as what they are!
Well, all I can say on this matter is the league table doesn’t lie, I know Gateshead have played more games than our rivals, but we’re not dropping many points (last dozen games - W 10 D 1 L 1) while the teams around us continue to slip up. I don’t know how long we‘ll be top of the league, maybe it’ll be for one week only, but we’ll make the most of it and enjoy it while it lasts, especially seeing our( and our rivals) constant reminder on Sky Sports News.

Matchday stats
Linnets 2(Stanford 60, Parry 78) Heed 4(Phillips 4,66, Harwood 9, Novak 10)
Att. 313
Admission £9
Programme £2

Ground no.201 Victoria Park - Matchday Web album(15 pictures)

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