Eric

Golborne Sports  5  Avon Villa  0

Cheshire Football League – Division One

Admission / Programme – No / No

Eric was a lovely bloke, a mate of my Grandad’s, who he served with in the RAF during the Second World War.

He used to come down to visit occasionally, and when he did, I was tasked with going to fetch him. You see Eric wasn’t local, he lived in a place called Golborne, which was just off the M6, on the East Lancs Road, not far from Haydock Racecourse.

We are talking thirty years ago now though, and I can remember going up one Sunday morning, taking my Grandma (Grandad couldn’t travel that far with his knees), suffering a sizable hangover, and then upon arriving at Eric’s, having it insisted upon me that I tuck into the lunch he had prepared.

Tongue sandwiches…..!

Not my finest moment, but a memory that is etched, and, because of Eric, the town of Golborne is one that always brings back memories when I hear it mentioned, or indeed when I see a sign for it when I’m in the proximity. 

Golborne Sports then, like a racehorse tucked in behind the leading pack, they’ve had games in hand but they’ve timed their end of season run to perfection. From not being on the radar (or at least on my radar), they’ve come up on the rails in the Cheshire League First Division, and on the day myself and Steve visited, they were potentially one win from the championship.

It was a lovely May Saturday and the journey across the A50 and up the M6 was as trouble free as you would have hoped. It got a bit sticky at the M62 interchange, but otherwise the sat nav took me off at the first Newton-Le-Willows junction (J22) and it was a scenic cross country run through into Lowton, over the East Lancs Road and then into Golborne.

The ground in Golborne is a sports complex that also comprises the local cricket club. You go through the main entrance on Stone Cross Lane North and then you can choose to either park along the perimeter of the football pitch, or over on the opposite side adjacent to some all-weather courts.

With football and cricket taking place it was busy, and the bar at the ground was doing a decent trade a good hour and a half before kick-off. I landed first, only to be joined by Steve moments after Manchester City had taken the lead at Fulham on the TV. He was happy, some of the locals less so!

The football pitch is surrounded by a fixed post and rail barrier, while there’s hard standing on all four sides. No cover is in place, but it’s a neat and tidy venue that should have no issues meeting the requirements of the top flight of the Cheshire League.

On the pitch, visiting Avon Villa knew a defeat would relegate them, but as for Golborne, if they were to win, and other results went their way, they would be promoted. A decent crowd, and an expectant one, were in place to watch the game unfold.

The first half was a little edgy, but Golborne were on top, and they did take the lead to ease the nerves, but it was after the break that they moved up through the gears and really got into their stride.

Five goals without reply, thanks to Jordan Coates, Daniel Griffiths, Scott Walker and a brace from Rob Newcombe saw attentions begin to focus on matters elsewhere, and without professing to be an expert on all the pre-match permutations, defeats for Knutsford and possibly Vulcan came through via the social media apps, and at the final whistle the smoke bombs could be lit!

Golborne go up, and since then they’ve gone on to clinch a richly deserved championship. A run of eleven straight wins leading up to the final game of the season (they lost the last game!) was the key, and to be fair, there’s no reason why they can’t go on and do something in the Premier Division next season.

I don’t know if Eric was a football fan, but I do know that along with his family, they were big lovers of Rugby League, in fact his grandson, if I recall, ended up getting a senior position working for the League itself. So, I’m not sure how much he knew about Golborne Sports FC, but the town itself is now starting to sit up and take notice.