Elm Hall Dons Methodist v St Sebastian's
Mersey Royal v Upton Athletic Association Reserves
West Kirby v Heswall
A week off work so the start of watching twenty sporting events in eight days
With a lot of the Saturday morning leagues now finished for the season, it was off to Liverpool for the last week of fixtures in the Merseyside Christian league.
My outward move was the same as my 'late train straight to the office' move. So the 0748 Leeds service off Sowerby, with the planters just starting to bloom.
Into Dewsbury.
Lidl Cooking sherry with the security tag still attached. Not quite trademark Yorkshire, but close enough.
Onto a Middlesbrough-Liverpool service.
Through Huddersfield and passing the third place team in the Championship.
Through Ardwick and passing the third place team in the Premier League.
This is the one TransPennine service that goes across the other lines at Piccadilly and onto the through platforms to continue with on to Liverpool. Normally I'm off at Oxford Road as that is where I work, but today it was staying on the train to Liverpool South Parkway.
The station was built on the site of Holly Park, which was home to South Liverpool FC. They were a force in non-league football, producing such players as Jimmy Case and John Aldridge. However, persistent vandalism of the ground saw them give up in the 1990s. So this view of the old ground, now looks like this.
The station is actually where two unconnected lines cross. I'd come off the main lines, and headed over to the Merseyrail platforms.
The unit was taken one shack down the line to Cressington.
This is one of the plusher parts of Merseyside, and it was a wander through leafy residential streets, to the river itself.
This part of the riverside is a grass esplanade, housing a rugby pitch that was bumpier than the Jordache's patio.
I was concerned that there was no signs of activity for my first game of the day, but shortly, someone appeared on a step ladder, making the necessary arrangements.
The game being played at the Merseyside Police Sport and Social Association.
Elm Hall Dons Methodist 2 v St Sebastian's 1, Merseyside Christian League
Elm Hall Drive Methodist Church is located in nearby Sefton. It seems a bit normal, though it does have a Junior section called the Light Factory. The church acts as the methodist chaplaincy to Liverpool’s Universities, hence a lot of the team are students.
St Sebastian's is a Roman Catholic church, 'serving God's people in Fairfield', which is in east Liverpool.
The Riverdale complex is a seven acre site with rugby, cricket and football pitches.
The football section is tucked away on the far side.
It slopes down towards the river, giving fantastic views across to Port Sunlight and then onto the Welsh mountains.
The home side could only raise ten players, so it started off with the away team very dominant.
However, it would be fair to say that the away side had a number of 'robust' players.
The rogues gallery of players ...
...who probably aren't looking forward to pre-season...
...meant they peaked after five minutes.
So it was the ten men who took the lead.
There was some sort of corporate event going on behind the goal, with various team activities.
So here is a corner being taken alongside a group of Mexicans lining up for the start of a race of inflatable giant horses.
However, the 11 men did equalise.
Not that it bothered either of the linesmen...
...who resolutely stayed on the halfway line throughout the game.
I think there were some more goals, but I wasn't really watching.
Let's say it finished 2-1.
I had a wander next door to Aigburth Cricket Ground the home of Liverpool Cricket Club. Lancashire play the odd game here, and strangely, it also hosted an England football international in the 1880's.
I carried on to the station, this time Aigburth.
Onto a Mersey Rail service into Liverpool Central. I'd got the option of Liverpool v Chelsea in the U18 Premier League at Knowsley Accademy, or alternatively, something I'd enjoy. So it was a wander down to the waterfront.
Whilst most people queued for a picture with the Beatles.
I was heading for the fancy new pierhead building.
For the cliched ferry across the Mersey.
Accompanied by German thrash metal fans. Who doesn't have an album by Five Finger Death Punch?
Leaving the waterfront, with the Liver building and the city museum.
Passing the cement carrier Cembrook, which was sailing from Ellesmere Port to Brunsbuettel on the Elbe in north Germany.
Our first stop was Seacombe on the Wallasey peninsula. The ferry plays tour guide commentary and the stop was noticeable for confused tourists trying to translate the phrase 'Mersey tunnel ventilation shaft'.
Looking back to the modern day sky line of the Liverpool waterfront. Of course the only people who can afford to live there are footballers, drug dealers and 300k a year racist, vindictive, part time newspaper columnists.
It was on to our next stop, Birkenhead.
Where I departed, the ferry heading back to Liverpool. It has recently being repainted from its traditional colours into some bizarre Peter Blake garb, that looks like a a 1990s England goalkeepers kit.
Birkenhead Woodside is the ferry terminal for sailings over to Liverpool. It's heyday was before the road and rail tunnels were built, but it continued its importance as it took dockers right across to their place of work.
It used to have a large railway station as it was the northern terminus of the Great Western Railway, and their access for Liverpudlian passenger and freight traffic. These days it remains as a passenger interchange with buses...
...and a U-boat.
But this was my onward move. The Wirral Tramway is a heritage operation that runs through part of the former Birkenhead docks.
I was very pleased to see that instead of the usual newly built Hong Kong trams, my stead was this 120 year old Birkenhead Corporation open top, with a very appropriate destination blind.
We headed off through the Dock gates.
Along the old warehousing.
I'd chosen the open top.
Which gave some great views.
Winding its way to the Wirral Transport Museum.
I didn't know too much about the museum, but it was a really good exhibit about trains, buses and trams. Certainly better than watching a bunch of kids who will never play for the first team, on a 3g pitch in east Liverpool.
After an hour or so at the museum, it was a wander through the surprisingly leafy streets of Birkenhead.
Passing the world's most boring sounding company.
To Conway Park station.
I used to go to Ireland a lot when they still had a lot of loco hauled service. A convenient move was as a foot passenger on the overnight truck ferry from Belfast to Birkenhead. Food was included in the fare, and you used to board the ferry at 2200, get a huge four course meal, then get woken up at 0400, for a massive breakfast, then dumped in Birkenhead at five in the morning. The nearest station was here, and this was always a challenge having just consumed a months worth of saturated fats in the previous six hours.
It was a pair of 508s on a New Brighton service.
For a quick hop up to Birkenhead North.
Part 2 of my alternative to Liverpool v Chelsea youth, was taking place here, Birkenhead Radio Sailing and Power Club.
The club are one of the prominent locations for model sail racing, with previous success in Marbleheads, RG65s and Dragonforce classes. However, today was the mainstay of the scale yachting world, International One Metres.
The rules restrict the size of sail area, so competitors vary sail height and width dependant on conditions.
Although there was a decent enough north westerly breeze, the lake was relatively flat, so “A” rigs were being used by all, which is the tallest mast.
The racing is always best viewed from afar, for the comedy spectacle of a group formation of pensioners charging up and down a lakeside.
Eventually the action will come to you.
I watched a few races, though not too many collisions and no sinkings, although there was a delay as the bloke on the left had to retrieve his stricken vessel.
But all too soon it was off to my next game. This was the location, although it was impossible to get an unobstructed view of the signage.
As though they were trying to recreate their own version of the infamous English Pewter Company.
Mersey Royal are long time members of the West Cheshire League. They were in the top division in the 1980s, and since then, have dropped down a division every ten years.
Upton is a village north of Chester which has now joined up with the city. The football team were founded in 1962 as a church team, playing in the Chester & District league, with the reserves starting a couple of years later in the Runcorn & District. They moved up tot he West Cheshire league in the 1980s, with the reserves stepping up ten years later, and currently reside in the first and third divisions respectively.
The venue was a railed off 3G pitch, complete with remand centre fencing.
The ground is adjacent to Bidston East Junction, where the lines to New Brighton and West Kirkby diverge, so the opportunity to get some @nonleague_train. I couldn't believe my luck when in the first minute, the passing of 2J54 1253 New Brighton to Liverpool James Street was marked by Upton scoring.
Until they scored another a minute later.
Closely followed by the home side pulling one back.
A bored ginger sub stood in front of an immediate response by Upton.
In the complete opposite of the first game, the two linesmen both worked the complete length of the touchline, giving coaching advice. Here, in a rare moment when someone wasn't scoring, the linos are opposite each other.
Another minute and it is 2-3...
..2-4..
..3-4.
The ginger sub was told to cover up his shirt, but had no other top. Cunningly, he turned his shirt inside out, only it for be pointed out that it was exactly the same clour. Anyway, he goes to get a bib just as it becomes 3-5.
Make that 4-5. Notice that hipster jeans and all black Nike Huaraches appear to be de rigueur for Wirral based linesmen.
I'll be honest, it was a bit of a guessing game from now on. I was keeping tally of the away teams score as I wanted to see if they would make it to double figures as this would be the highest level I'd seen it happen since watching Bracknell Town beat Whyeleafe 10-1 in 2003. Here a Beatles liveried 508 is half of 2J64 1401 West Kirby to Liverpool James Street.
By the end, I made the score 7-10, but FA full-time annoyingly lists it as 6-9. Still morn than the total number of goals in the Premier League this weekend.
Onwards was a walk through the type of place where Tony Soprano meets up with Johnny Sack to discus Uncle Junior.
It was to Bidston station.
With Network Rails asset management on show as a replacement switch diamond was precariously balanced on an uneven wall at the station entrance, steadily warping and ceasing up the roller bearings. Remember this next time you are delayed because of a points failure.
Decisions, decisions.
But I was heading in the opposite direction.
Through to the train's final destination of West Kirby.
The ground was a five minute bus ride or a fifteen minute walk. I went looking for the bus but it wasn't clear where it actually went from. Surely it would be easier to put up the correct sign rather than go to the effort of putting this up?
So a walk to me to the appropriately named street for the football ground.
West Kirby 2 v Heswall 2, Carlsberg West Cheshire League - Division 1
West Kirby Football Club were established in 1892. They are one of the longest serving members of the West Cheshire League, having joined in the 1940s. They have been one of the leagues most successful clubs, including four league titles in the last decade.
Heswall is also on the Wirral, just south of West Kirby. They are also long standing members of the league, having joined in the late 1950s, and with a couple of championships to their name.
Marine Park sits on green belt land on the outskirts of the town, so is devoid of any major structures.
The original dugouts have seen one extended.
With another one built on the opposite touch line.
Planning the day out, and the ground seemed to offer a good selection of portacabins.
I wasn't disappointed.
There was a considerable amount of bespoke items for step 11. Logos on corner flags.
Branded bottle holders.
Although choosing full justification for the text alignment of the nameboard might not have been the best option. This is actually because last season '& Wasps' was added to the club name, as they linked up with a local junior club.
There was a textbook example of 'piles of fittings to impress ground graders'. This is where a club has a permanent collection of items needed to get a particular grading, but never bothers erecting it, instead pointing to it as a sign of intent. On this occasion, it seems to be floodlights.
Though an article in the clubhouse showed there may be more to the story.
To the game. To the backdrop of the municipal waste recycling facility, the ball was kicked high.
From this cross, a home player handled the ball and conceded a penalty, amongst much whinging. I did take a picture of the penalty, but my phone froze, but it did kick into life to see the aftermath.
Which was this bus stopping to check what the loud bang had been as something hit it.
As the driver gets out, a following bus informs him he was actually the victim of the worst penalty miss of the season. An official collects the ball from the road.
At the other end, the away side had chosen a child dwarf as their keeper. 25 either signifying his age in months or his height in inches.
Overlooking the ground is Grange Hill, and the Hoylake and West Kirby War Memorial obelisk.
Having just witnessed fifteen or seventeen goals, my memory is a bit hazy. I think there was another penalty.
But West Kirby definitely scored. Although by now I couldn't be arsed to stand up to take a picture of it, so here is a pitchside railing.
There was then some more action.
Which resulted in another goal for the home side.
However, the visitors then pulled one back.
Heswall were not a pleasant side to watch as they just spent the whole game whinging. You get used to everyone moaning about the ref at games, but whatever decision was given, was accompanied by five or so players rounding on the officials.
Then right at the end, they shut up long enough to get an equaliser.
The game ended 2-2, and the Heswall players now having to find another target to take out their inadequacies out on over the next two months.
It was back to the station, where a pair of 507s were sat alongside the art-deco area platform canopy.
Engineering work meant services were being terminated at St James. A replacement bus was running but instead I had a wander through the centre up to Lime Street.
Where it was onto a York bound TransPennine service.
Into Manchester and passing the Ordsal Curve work. This links Victoria and Picadilly stations and is on course to open in December. Although billed as a crucial part of 'Northern Hub' works, it will bring grid lock to North West rail as the number of trains using the already congested two track section through Oxford Road, is doubled.
It was into Victoria, just as a train from Clithero arrived conveying Villa supporters, who seemed very happy with their 1-0 loss at Blackburn. I was onto a Leeds service, but another moment of phone freeze, meant I didn't get a traditional arrival shot back at Sowerby. Perhaps it was worn out having witnessed at least 22 goals in three games.
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