Bury

Ground 59

Match 61

Venue Gigg Lane

NPower League 1

Bury 1-2 Preston North End

Founded 1885

Nickname The Shakers

Attendance 5213

Capacity 11,840

Admission £21

Programme Not Obtained

Distance Travelled 29 miles

Bury is in the Greater Manchester area . Main rivals are Bolton and Rochdale .

Preston sold out their ticket allocation for this category 'A' game so Bury made more available on the day . The 'Shakers' made it a category 'C' match for their fans so there was a temptation to go in the Bury end for a cheaper price though i decided to sit with the North End contingent in the Main stand ;  situated past the half way line , close to the away end off  Manchester Road . Indeed , on my last visit to Gigg Lane in 1976 i sat in the same place - this is the oldest part of the ground . There seemed to be an over spill behind the Manchester Road goal but to be fair to Bury 's staff they appeared to handle the situation without taking more of the home 'Shakers' terrace in the Les Hart Stand . A section of  Bury fans could have been moved away from the Preston support situated near the scoreboard as the Les Hart stand was less than half full .
Parking - The main car park was £3 but i drove down Gigg Lane to the mini roundabout and parked up only a couple of minutes walk from the stadium . I did arrive early though .

North End created little in the first half but managed to find the net when Sodje headed home following corner after 29 minutes . Fortunately for PNE  , Bury lacked finishing quality in the final third albeit most of Preston's defensive problems were caused by their own sloppy play . H-T Bury 0-1  PNE

Manchester Road Away Stand

Main Stand Old Entrance

Les Hart Stand - long walk for the Bury fans

Resumption of the second half saw Preston stamping  authority on their opponents , creating far more chances .  No surprise when they increased their lead after  Cansdell-Sherriff  hit the target following a  corner from the scoreboard end . The Shakers had their moments and made it tense for the 3,000 Preston followers with a goal by Skarz in stoppage time . The Lillywhites were ' Shakin'All Over !'  I committed the ultimate sin and was on Gigg Lane when i heard the cheer -  i'd left early as did most of the Bury fans from the Cemetery Road end - many departing fifteen minutes before the final whistle with The Shakers looking dead and buried ! Westley's men will be shake , rattle and rollin' back to Preston .

Looking towards The Cemetery Road Stand

Apart from the obstruction caused by the Grandstand girders the view was fine but this added a little romance from yesteryear when stadiums had more character albeit not as many comforts .

A great day out , friendly staff and place to visit .

More photos  https://picasaweb.google.com/106951314873209777955/BuryFCPhotosSeptember92012?authuser=0&feat=directlink

Thornton Cleveleys

Ground 58

Match 60

Venue New Bourne Park

West Lancs Div 2

Kit red/Black

Thornton Cleveleys 2-1 Lostock st Gerards

Admission Free

Att 30-40 est

Distance Travelled 29 miles

Thornton and Cleveleys are in the Wyre district  of Lancashire and forms part of the Blackpool urban area .
New Bourne Park is a neat ground for this league and features a smart club house , covered standing area and large ,  on site car park .

Todays opponents are Lostock St Gerards  - both sides have started the season slow , hovering near the bottom of the league .

Thornton settle quickly without producing any early attempts on goal . LSG gradually find their stride but go behind to a smartly taken free kick which clears the two smallest players in their wall ,  dipping into the far corner of the net .  Cleveleys keeper made a stunning save low to his left post just before the interval .  Not much between the two sides at half time with Cleveleys holding their narrow 1-0 advantage .

LSG look more dangerous after the re-start and equalise with a spot kick blasted into the centre of the  roof of the net . Thornton ,  looking desultory  ,  are gifted a goal when a hopeful ball over the top alluded the LSG defence allowing a forward to steal in and score past the indecisive advancing keeper .

The second goal gave  Cleveleys  the impetus  and confidence to push forward having looked devoid of ideas and out-played for most of the second half . LSG managed to get back on the front foot but failed to find the illusive equaliser they deserved .

 

 

 

Standing Covered area

 

 

Clubhouse far side

Free Kick Goal

 

 

 

 

Hurst Green FC

Ground 57

 

Match 59

 

West lancs 2

 

Hurst Green 3-1 Todmorden Borough

 

Att 22  est

 

Distance Travelled 20 miles

 

Might have a split  personality disorder

 Hurst Green is a village almost bang centre between Longridge and Clitheroe in the Ribble Valley Lancashire . The football team have just started life in the West Lancs League Two .

 

 After i negotiated the long and winding road from Ribchester , Hurst Green appears lie a mirage in the desert . There is a more convenient way but it was 'sods law ' i d chosen the most stupid approach .

Once in the village i drove to what i assumed was the ground car park . The Toddy tranny van was there and even some goal posts but this wasn't the pitch . After spending ten minutes walking to the gates which were locked i went back to my car and parked up near a church graveyard off Smithy Row . I walked down the church path heading towards outbursts of ' oh & ah ,'  the pitch was there but no entrance . Next to the church is a woodland bog - it's like a Royal Marine assault course. . Not for me - one step and it was akin to sinking sand .

Decided to jump back in the car and headed up Smithy Row and finally there it was - the entrance gate and pitch !

 

As it happened both teams put on a decent display in an avalanche of rain .

 

 

 

Unusual Corner Kick Attacking Ploy

 

All Hurst Green attackers line up on the far goal line and advance towards the six yard box as the corner is taken - i believe you can't be offside at a corner - this is a move used in subbuteo table soccer - a player is flicked just off the pitch near the goal line at a corner and enables the attacking side a chance to get in behind the defence - an interesting tactic and caught my attention straight away .

 

 

Goal for Hurst Green

 

 

 

 

 

 

View towards ' The Graveyard Goal '

 

Battle of the Umbrellas

 

 

 

 

Pano View from inside the main entance gates

Toddy Tranny

 

Entrance Gates Half Way Up -  Will Greenwood England Rugby player was brought up here i believe .

 

 

Love the sand bags

 

Oxenhope Recreation

Ground  56

Match 58

West Yorkshire Premier

Oxenhope Rec 4 - 2  Ripon City

Venue The Recreation Ground

Formed 1912

Kit - Bright Orange

Programme £2

Att 200 est

Distance Travelled 45 miles

Touchline Pano View of lower elevated pitch

Combined a trip to West Yorkshire taking in the Steam Railway and Haworth and what a superb day out it was too .

Oxenhope is close to Keighley and is set in the stunning countryside surroundings - it's the terminal for the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway made famous in the 1970 film - The Railway Children .

Today i'm taking in a West Yorkshire Premier match at Oxenhope Recreation FC back at their home pitch after a four year exile . There are two pitches set on two differentials of elevation .

Elevated view from behind the goal .

It's Recreations centenary year and a commemorative programme has been produced which is selling well . There's a decent crowd on a sunny aftenoon and both sides have produced a top drawer match . Ox look more dangerous than a  'molotov cocktail ,' and that's just their bright orange shirts !

It's refreshing to see the club name everywhere -- making use of opportunities to display the brand .
Too often it's difficult to spot a club name and afterall , it's the main selling point . Believe me , you'd think this is pretty obvious but at some grounds locating the club name is near impossible .

All Hands To the Pump

Keighley Cup Winners 2011-12

Thought i might be the rib of a few jokes coming from Lancashire but not so - the local punters were superb , extremely accommodating , pleased to see all visitors , hoppers and aliens .

Clubhouse

Penalty and scenic view

More photos https://picasaweb.google.com/106951314873209777955/OxenhopeRecPhotos#

Bradley Wiggins Eccleston

Between Leyland and Chorley is the village of Eccleston , home of Bradley Wiggins  - a tribute mural to Brad adorns The Windmill Public House celebrating his success at The Tour De France and Olympic Gold Medal for Team GB in 2012 .

 Well done to Team GB !

Brad has gone on to win Sports personality 2012 , appear on stage playing guitar  with Paul Weller and become Sir Bradley Wiggins . Top that !