The Wallasey Welcome

Ashville  2  Newton  3

West Cheshire League – Division One

It was one of the more bizarre moments of the season.

Myself and Steve, were just about to take the first sips of a well earned pint in a pub in Wallasey when something very strange happened.

You have to picture the scene, I was sat on one of the window seats and in front of me was a table for two, Steve was sat opposite, and then suddenly an old boy walked up to us, put his pint on the table and sat next to me underneath the window.

This was a table for two, it was somewhat uncomfortable, indeed a clear invasion of privacy, I had to act!

“Sorry mate, are we in your seat?” was my question, because clearly we were, seeing as virtually every other seat in the pub was free.

“It’s a pub, you can sit where you like!” was the reply, to which I couldn’t distinguish whether it was a clear hint to move, or just an invitation to remain at ‘his’ table.

Anyway, I suggested we moved to the next table, which we did, and for the next hour he barely took his eyes off of us. Welcome foreigners, to Wallasey, the land where pub seats have names on them, and they aren’t yours!

Ashville Football Club have been on the radar for a few years now, largely because they have been mooted as being a club with aspirations, and indeed facilities, to move into the North West Counties League. When the list of applicants to move from Step 7 to Step 6 was released in January, indeed this time around the club were on that list.

With a couple of midweek fixtures scheduled, we decided to have a trip over, and what an enjoyable experience it turned out to be.

Departing Chesterfield after a minor domestic involving Steve, his wife and an absent sat nav, we traversed the High Peak before hitting the delights of Manchester Airport and the M56. The section which bypasses Runcorn was a true delight as always, until we then reached the M53 and headed to the end of the rather large cul-de-sac!

The Wirral is not a place I’m well versed with. I went to Tranmere Rovers for some Friday night footy back in the early Nineties, and since then I’ve been to Cammell Laird and Vauxhall Motors. Wallasey and New Brighton, which sit almost at the very end of the cul-de-sac, are new territory.

Nothing much was happening at the ground when we arrived, so we headed to the aforementioned boozer which was just a couple of minutes away, and that was where the fun started!

So, Ashville Football Club, what’s the story?

Always a West Cheshire League side from the moment they joined the competition in 1955 until now, albeit more recent seasons has seen them have something of a yo-yo existence between the First and Second Division.

They dropped into the second tier in 2008, but bounced back as champions in 2011. The following season they won the top flight, but by the end of 2015 they’d been relegated again. They were crowned champions of the Second Division in 2017 while last season they finished third from bottom, but this wasn’t helped by a fifteen point deduction.

This season, they sit inside the top ten, but if they are to finish in the top five which is the placing they need to be considered for promotion, they have work to do.

Because the club has had floodlights for a number of years now, they’ve been sporadic entrants to the FA Vase. A first appearance came in 1990, while the 2005-06 season was the best campaign by far when they beat Silsden, Penrith, Nelson and Racing Club Warwick, before losing at Buxton in the Fourth Round. A last appearance came in 2011 when they departed in the Second Round at home to Staveley Miners Welfare.

So what of Villa Park then? Located just off Junction One of the M53, the ground sits at the end of a road that runs parallel to the motorway. You enter via the Wallasey Rugby Union Club car park until reaching the car park that serves the football club. Two of your finest English Pounds are handed over to gain admission, and once inside, it is a very impressive arena for Step 7 football.

A seated stand straddles the half way line, while behind the North goal sits a smart clubhouse and a two story dressing room building. Fully railed, enclosed and equipped with hard standing, it’s hard to see how it wouldn’t make the grade for Step 6.

A decent crowd assembled to see second placed title favourites Newton (who have games in hand), race into a 3-0 first half lead. The visitors looked comfortably the better side as they attacked with pace, and demonstrated great movement in attack. You did wonder at half time just how many they would get, but all credit to Ashville for what happened next.

An early goal was followed up by a second, and suddenly a confident looking Newton were on the back foot and having to defend deeply. Ashville continued to press, but an equaliser would simply not arrive.

On reflection, Ashville were a very friendly club, the welcome was undoubtedly warm, and the officials were nothing but thoroughly good lads. I strongly suspect that was more akin to a proper Wallasey welcome.

Unless of course you are sat in someone’s seat……….