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TT No.53: Mike Latham - Sat 18 Sep 2010: West LancsLeague Div Two: Ladybridge 1-3 Furness Rovers; No admission or programme: Attendance: 2 |
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Matchday images (7) http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/footballgroundsinfocus/LadybridgeFC It’s a mid September afternoon in After two pleasant hours spent at Adlington Cricket Club watching their last Bolton & District Association league game of the season on a soft and spongy pitch, the lure of a new ground in the West Lancashire League, and one so close to home was not to be dismissed lightly. There are three new teams to this excellently organised league this season with Ambleside United and What was more of a surprise was the elevation of Ladybridge FC from the third division of the Lancashire Amateur League, a club I must admit I knew nothing about until a couple of months ago. Further information gleaned from ground-hopping friends with a far closer ear to the ground than me and the club’s own website shows that the club, established in 1989 have a thriving junior set-up and have achieved the coveted FA Charter standard rating as a community club. Steve Hill, instrumental in their formation and their development of a new ground in Ladybridge over the last decade appears is the driving force. I’ve got a lot of time for this league which caters for a good standard of amateur football with one of my local clubs Charnock Richard arguably the standard bearers. The league has an excellent web-site and information on fixtures and results is easy to glean. Ladybridge is an affluent suburb of The ground is an eye-opener, created so I am informed by converting two junior pitches into one large playing area, which is flat, well grassed and in immaculate condition. There is a large club house behind the near-side goal, with dressing rooms and toilets on the ground floor and a pleasant café area which also doubles up as a children’s nursery on the first floor. This is a voluntary, non-profit-making club with its roots deep in the local community. A huge amount of work has gone into making the tree-lined ground meet the exacting standards of the league with pitch railings on three sides and impressive perspex dug-outs. There is a vast amount of space and with its elevated position there are superb views over a local beauty spot, Doffcocker Lodge and beyond. When I arrived hot-foot from the cricket, the game was about to start. West Lancashire Leagues are not renowned for attracting huge crowds but the lack of spectators was disappointing given the excellent facilities; a man with an umbrella comprising the ‘crowd’ until my arrival. Sadly Ladybridge FC also appeared to have only 11 men with no substitutes and only one manager in the huge technical area and the afore-mentioned club chairman Mr Hill running the line which he did with great assiduity. The game was dominated largely by the visitors but the home side fought back well from a poor start to equalise before half-time before going down to two further second half goals, the last a fine effort deep into stoppage time. Played in an excellent spirit on an immaculate playing surface this was a fine advert for the West Lancashire League and hopefully Ladybridge FC will soon adapt to their elevation in the senior ranks and establish themselves at this level of football. A visit here comes highly recommended; this was grass roots sport at its best. |
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contributed on 19/09/10 |
