TT No.104: MIke Latham - Tues 25 Nov 2008; Vodkat NWC League Premier Div: Formby 4-1 St Helens Town; Attendance: 21; Admission: £5; Programme: £1; FGIF Match Rating: 3*

Matchday images (3) >view>   Formby is situated between Liverpool and Southport and is a largely residential town best known for its links golf courses, beaches, sand dunes and nature reserves.  Large areas of the land around Formby are owned by the National Trust, including one reserve for the threatened species of red squirrels.   Formby’s old ground at Brows Lane was as different in character as the new ground could possibly be. Its main feature was a magnificent wooden grandstand dating back to the ground’s inauguration in 1920 and situated behind one goal. But the ground’s location near to the town centre made it a much coveted for developers and in 2002 Formby FC were on the move to a new out-of-town ground situated behind Tescos on the Formby by-pass down Altcar Road.  The site of the old ground is now covered by Formby Pool, which opened in 2007.   On a cold, dry November evening the journey towards Formby from Ormskirk, using the B road just south of Ormskirk on the A59 was eerily quiet.  For the best part of seven miles there was nothing to disturb the tranquillity as several farm houses and acres of agricultural land were passed.  Eventually the floodlights of Formby FC’s ground could be seen shining in the distance.   There is a small car park at the ground and further parking on the industrial estate opposite.  The huge Tescos store dominates the skyline looking towards the coast and the other two sides of the ground are fields, one set aside for sports, the other rough agricultural land.   The ground might tick all the boxes for level five of the football pyramid but hardly sets the pulse of the groundhopper racing. There’s a small covered stand, with seats for 220 behind the nearside goal and a small cover behind the far goal.  The rest of the ground is flat standing behind the pitch perimeter fence.  But there is a small, warm and welcoming tea bar and after long planning delays the club have also been able to open a small licensed bar.   The playing pitch was in excellent condition and the floodlights excellent. With both sides struggling in the lower reaches of the Vodkat League a classic was hardly on the cards. But after falling behind Formby went on to dominate the game and were not flattered by their 4-1 winning margin as they recorded their first league victory for two months.  St Helens meanwhile looked in freefall as they subsided to a tenth successive defeat.   Formby produced a respectable 16 page programme for the game which was well researched and informative and the club officials on hand were friendly.  Sadly they seem desperately short of support and the official attendance for this game was just 21. The club has apparently just been taken over and there are ambitious plans to convert the current ground and surrounds into a multi-use sports area, plans of which were available for perusal in the tea bar. As part of the plan the pitch could be converted into a 3G type as used by the likes of The New Saints and Woodley Sports and available for use for the community.   I wish them well- this may not be the most inspirational place to watch football but it’s neat and functional and a visit here is stress-free for the groundhopper.

contributed on 30/11/08