TT No.144: Mike Latham - Mon 3rd January 2011; Runcorn Town v Norton United; Vodkat League First Division; Result: 2-1; Attendance: 84; Programme: £1; FGIF Match Rating: 4* 

Matchday images (12) http://picasaweb.google.com/footballgroundsinfocus/RuncornTownFC02

The North West Counties League is in my experience an excellent league with a huge diversity; stretching down from Barrow to Staffordshire, incorporating the industrial towns of the north-west and the more rural settings of East Lancashire.  Barnoldswick, Abbey Hey, Runcorn, Stone and Holker Old Boys are all clubs within separate distinctive communities that but for football might never meet up.

I’ve been watching this league for the best part of 30 years, have seen teams rise through the ranks and fallen giants seek to re-group. The common denominator has been the joy of watching grass roots football in a usually friendly setting. I’ve completed the league more than once, then seen new clubs emerge and had to re-complete the league again.  Not that that is the only aim: given the choice between a Football League match and one at Padiham, Colne, Silsden or Barnoldswick the decision is easily made. So it was as 2011 dawned large and with the north-west mercifully frost-free I decided to re-complete the league with a visit to Runcorn Town; another champagne job or in my case a welcome, hot cup of Minestrone soup from the excellent club canteen.

Formed originally as Mond Rangers FC in 1970, the club began in local Sunday league circles before progressing to the Warrington & District League and then the West Cheshire League. They eventually changed their name to Runcorn Town FC in a bid to attract more sponsorship and support from the town with a view to eventually joining the North West Counties League.  With the installation of floodlights and several ground improvements, those dreams became a reality when Town joined the League, now known as the Vodkat League in 2010.

Home is the Pavilions complex off Sandy Lane in Runcorn, situated between the busy expressway that links the town with the M56 motorway and is a major route to the iconic Runcorn Bridge north to Widnes and beyond.  Runcorn, situated on the south bank of the River Mersey was once a small village, later a health resort.  But all that changed with the Industrial Revolution with Runcorn transformed into an industrial town known for the manufacture of soap and alkali, quarrying, shipbuilding, engineering, and tanning. 

Runcorn has overseen many changes and of its traditional industries all but chemicals have disappeared. The chemical industry was dominated for many years by Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI), formed as a merger between four chemical businesses in 1926, and has since been taken over by Inesos.

Warehouses and distribution outlets, a business and technical park including laboratories, conference and leisure centres now also contribute hugely to the economy of an industrial town with a population of over 60,000 people.  With excellent transport links, including the motorway network, the John Lennon airport and a direct rail link to Birmingham and London Runcorn is favourably situated and continues to act as an important port on the Manchester Ship canal.

Close to Weston Point, Town’s ground is set amidst the scenery of steel tanks, chimneys, pylons and gantries in a particularly grey stretch of the Mersey estuary; a green oasis in an industrial setting.  Traffic thunders by on the expressway, planes land and take-off seemingly every other minute from the airport nearby and the footballers of Runcorn Town and Norton United battle for league points after the self-enforced lay-offs of the wintry weather of the last month or so.

It’s a keenly fought and competitive game, with no little skill, as games in this league invariably are. The visitors take the lead after a goalkeeping error, a shame this as the home custodian had previously pulled off two magnificent saves. But Town equalise before half-time and, in an increasingly fractious encounter grab the winner ten minutes from time.  Off the field the clubhouse is warm and inviting, manned by friendly and smiling faces and dispensing hot drinks and food so welcome on a raw afternoon- a bowl of Scouse, the local delicacy with bread is only £1. The programme is an outstanding read, the ground more than adequate for this level of football and the crowd are royally entertained for a pittance of the price needed to watch a Football League game. It’s a great way to complete a ‘Champagne Job’ marked by a glorious pint of Holts Mild in the Crown and a fine start to the New Year.

contributed on 04/01/11