It was a bizarre decade. We started in Tier 3, and within just over 3 years found ourselves in Tier 6, playing regional semi-professional football. There were precious few highs, with 3 relegations; a whole plethora of players, and visits to places many had never heard of never mind thinking that we would face them in competitive action. We dropped from Tier 3 to Tier 4 five months into the decade. Lots of people thought that it would be about consolidating in Tier 4, (League 2), but biblical scale mis-management off the pitch translated itself onto the playing area and our demise was sealed at Gresty Road in April 2011.
By that time I’d seen us in action 67 times in 16 months. It had brought a paltry 10 wins; 21 draws and 36 defeats. I saw us hit the net 67 times, whilst seeing 138 whistle past (mainly) Owain Fon Williams and Matt Glennon. The figures tell the tale – on average we needed to score twice to even seal a draw A truly desperate period.
And it didn’t get any better. The Board Room shenanigans continued apace, as chancers like Tony Evans came and went. Two seasons in the Blue Square Bet Premier, (Tier 5), might have given me the chance to go to a lot of new grounds but it was still at a level lower than I could have thought possible 3 years earlier when we triumphed at Wembley.. We played 92 league games in the following two seasons I saw all bar one of these the exception being a game at Luton on early 2013, when I was away on business, I was accompanied to virtually every one by Mark. my son. At the tender age of 18 it must have been a real trial for him, but he kept at it, as we both did, in the vain hope that things must get better. They didn’t.
We tumbled into regional football and whatever the finances of things, the decision to go ‘part-time’ was fundamental in our stay of 6 seasons in Tier 6. We went through a series of managers.
Ian Bogie lasted but 5 games into the Skrill North campaign of 2013/14. Club stalwart Alan Lord took charge until the end of 2014/15, and was followed by a ludicrous 6 month spell under Neil Young. More of his time in charge comes in other posts on this site, but suffice it to say that in the 27 games I saw him leading from the bench he fielded 34 different players. Hardly the recipe for consistency; rebuilding and moving on upwards. Mike Flynn took charge for a single game, (against Nuneaton in January 2016), before the return of Jim Gannon for his third spell. From that point onwards it has definitely been an upwards trajectory.
So in terms of the competitions we played. Tier 3 in 2009/10 was the Coca Cola League – League 1. The following season, (Tier 4 for us) was the nPower Football League – League 2. Non League days have seen the Blue Square Bet Premier, (2011 – 2013); and then in Tier 6 it’s been the Skrill North, (2013/14); the Vanrama Conference North, (2014-16); and subsequently the Vanarama National League North until promotion in 2019 when we returned to Tier 5 and the Vanarama National League.
We played in what eventually became the Buildbase FA Trophy, and for the purposes of this site non-league status meant that the Cheshire Senior Cup was now counted.
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HOME
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The early years of the decade show just what a desperate time it was. The calamitous fall out of the Football League is witnessed by the home record in Tiers 3 and 4. In 35 games we recorded but 5 wins, and averaged hardly above a goal a game. I tried to look for some highlight from this period. There were none.
It hardly improved in Tier 5, (the National League). Our two seasons prior to demotion to regional football saw an average of just over a point a game at home. 16 wins and 9 draws produced 57 points. I saw every single minute of those 46 games. Amazingly the crowds held up for a club that seemed in terminal decline, especially during that catastrophic 2012/13 season. It was the time when Lord Snape, Spencer Fearn and the by-wonder Ryan McKnight took charge. They fired Gannon; made the unbelievable appointment of Darije Kalezic and saw a once proud club become a laughing stock. It all came to a head on that afternoon of shame at Kidderminster, more of which can be read on the Aggborough post.
The first four seasons in the National League North, (in its various guises) saw us treading water. It was only with the return of Gannon, for his third spell, that we began to have hope. His first full season saw us reach the Play-offs. Hope was high. A reported attendance of 6,230, (which many in the ground that night believe was a significant under-estimate), saw a dismal performance where we seemed to play to the Chorley strengths. It was good to see the place so well occupied – a crowd of that size in regional football!! Twelve months later the work that Gannon had done was rewarded with promotion, and indeed the Championship. I’d watched them for 56 years at that point and it was the first time, (being too young in 1966/67), that I’d seen them lift Championship silverware.
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| COMPETITION | P | W | D | L | F | A | Ave Crowd |
| TIER 3 | 12 | 1 | 4 | 7 | 10 | 25 | 4,264 |
| TIER 4 | 23 | 4 | 12 | 7 | 31 | 51 | 4,163 |
| TIER 5 | 58 | 23 | 10 | 25 | 88 | 85 | 3,689 |
| TIER 6 | 117 | 55 | 33 | 29 | 190 | 136 | 3,172 |
| TIER 6 PLAY-OFFS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6,230 |
| FA CUP | 12 | 8 | 1 | 3 | 22 | 13 | 2,663 |
| LEAGUE CUP | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 3,724 |
| FA TROPHY | 17 | 8 | 7 | 2 | 40 | 22 | 1,537 |
| CHESHIRE SENIOR CUP | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 5 | 370 |
| TOTAL | 244 | 102 | 67 | 75 | 396 | 344 | 3,283 |
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For more information on the home games I saw in the 2010’s check HERE . There’s a page for each year, with a commentary about how the year went, together with any other County related stuff that I thought may be of interest.
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AWAY
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I saw plenty of new places in this decade and prior to 2017 hardly missed one anywhere. The first three years were special – not on the football front, because that was grim. But Mark, my youngest son, became a fixture on away travels. We barely missed a game in the National League seasons. He was at University in Sheffield and it became a habit to drive over Woodhead, pick him up and then head south towards places like Braintree; Dartford and Ebbsfleet. They were indeed special times – some father and son bonding, founded in football.
I was on the road 201 times, (averaging 20 a year). It involved 59 grounds new to me on my County travels. One thing that I did notice was the far more relaxed attitude at away grounds. Take aside former Football League foes, (Wrexham; Luton et al), we were welcomed – what a difference from the treatment at grounds higher up the pyramid. There was standing; movement round the grounds and on the whole a far better standard, (and pricing), of refreshment. It was a breath of fresh air.
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| COMPETITION | P | W | D | L | F | A | Ave Crowd |
| TIER 3 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 14 | 8,897 |
| TIER 4 | 21 | 5 | 2 | 14 | 17 | 38 | 4,753 |
| TIER 5 | 48 | 10 | 17 | 21 | 49 | 87 | 2,104 |
| TIER 6 | 103 | 37 | 33 | 33 | 119 | 114 | 1,241 |
| FA CUP | 7 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 12 | 1,797 |
| FA TROPHY | 10 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 16 | 18 | 1,030 |
| CHESHIRE SENIOR CUP | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 260 |
| TOTAL | 201 | 62 | 56 | 83 | 214 | 283 | 2,075 |
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For more information on the away games I saw in the 2010’s check HERE . There’s a page for each year with a list of games that I went to. If I visited a new ground in that year there’s a link to an article which reflects my thoughts about the ground and any other memories it brings
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GAME AT NEUTRAL VENUE
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There was just the single game at a neutral arena. That was the Cheshire Senior Cup Final in April 2016 when we took the silverware with an extra time win over Tranmere. It was played at the Weaver Stadium, Nantwich
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| COMPETITION | P | W | D | L | F | A | Ave Crowd |
| CHESHIRE SENIOR CUP | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 503 |
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ALL GAMES
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| COMPETITION | P | W | D | L | F | A | Ave Crowd |
| TIER 3 | 19 | 1 | 5 | 13 | 12 | 39 | 5,971 |
| TIER 4 | 44 | 9 | 14 | 21 | 48 | 89 | 4,445 |
| TIER 5 | 106 | 33 | 27 | 46 | 137 | 172 | 2,972 |
| TIER 6 | 221 | 93 | 66 | 62 | 313 | 251 | 2,276 |
| TIER 6 PLAY-OFFS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6,230 |
| FA CUP | 19 | 10 | 1 | 8 | 27 | 25 | 2,344 |
| LEAGUE CUP | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 3,724 |
| FA TROPHY | 27 | 12 | 9 | 6 | 56 | 40 | 1,349 |
| CHESHIRE SENIOR CUP | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 5 | 332 |
| TOTAL | 446 | 165 | 123 | 158 | 608 | 626 | 2,733 |
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WHERE THE GAMES WERE
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It was a decade of two parts for me. My diagnosis came a few days before a game at The Shay on 28th January 2017, and the chemo started a couple of days after that trip to Yorkshire. At that time I had seen 345 games in the decade, missing only 6.
The impact of treatment throughout 2017 and then the necessity of avoiding infection thereafter meant that long distance travels were off the agenda. Promotion into the National League in 2019/20 provided the opportunity for lots more discoveries – Dover; Bromley; Borehamwood; Sutton; Eastleigh and others. However, it wasn’t to be. Energy levels were, and remain, low. The prospect of hiking up and down the country wasn’t one that I felt able to undertake.
So after the Halifax game, (and up until the suspension of football due to the Covid-19 outbreak), there had been 167 games, including 6 in 2020). I managed to make it to 103 of those, mainly at home, but still got out to places like Harrogate; Wrexham; Solihull and of course the promotion winning match at Nuneaton. It felt really strange listening to the games on the radio at home, hearing the action unfold as described by the dulcet tones of Jon Keighren.
Strangely enough despite the standard of football, and the level we were playing at I had (unlike some fellow County fans who described it as a ‘dogshit league’) enjoyed the trips; enjoyed the companionship with Jeff Lawrenson; and really looked forwards to going to places I’d never been before. My eldest son Rob has remarked to me on more than one occasion that I liked non-league.
It’s no real surprise, living in Tameside where there are 6 non-league teams. I had spent many a non County matchday at Hurst Cross; Bower Fold; the Tameside Stadium; Ewen Fields; Seel Park and the Butchers Arms. Little did I realise, over the myriad of games I had seen at these grounds that i would one day have the opportunity of seeing County in anything other than a friendly. In the 2010’s we played at the first four of those grounds – the homes of Ashton United; Stalybridge Celtic; Curzon Ashton and Hyde United respectively. Not something, back in the FL days, that I would ever have envisaged.
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Click on the Ground name for my memories of the stadium when I first visited, together with any other thoughts which have come to mind as I have put this together. An asterisk, (*) next to the ground name indicates that it was my first visit on my County travels
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| Ground | Opponents | P | W | D | L | ||
| Abbey Stadium | Cambridge United | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||
| Adams Park | Wycombe Wanderers | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
| Aggborough | * | } | Kidderminster Harriers | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| } | Worcester City | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||
| b2net Stadium | * | Chesterfield | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| Blackwell Meadows | * | Darlington | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| Blundell Park | Grimsby Town | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ||
| Booth Street | * | Congleton Town | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| Bootham Crescent | York City | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| Borough Park | * | Workington | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| Bower Fold | * | Stalybridge Celtic | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | |
| Brewery Field | * | Spennymoor Town | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| Bridge Road | * | Histon | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| Broadhall Way | Stevenage | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
| Broadhurst Park | * | FC United Of Manchester | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | |
| Brunton Park | Carlisle United | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| New Bucks Head | AFC Telford United | 5 | 1 | 3 | 1 | ||
| Cantilever Park | * | Warrington Town | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| County Ground | Swindon Town | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
| Court Place Farm | * | Oxford City | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
| Cressing Road | * | Braintree Town | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
| Croft Park | * | Blyth Spartans | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| Crown Ground | Accrington Stanley | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
| Crown Meadow | * | Lowestoft Town | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
| Damson Park | * | Solihull Moors | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | |
| Darlington Arena | Darlington | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Deva Stadium | Chester FC | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Don Valley Stadium | * | Rotherham United | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| Edgar Street | } | Hereford United | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| } | Hereford | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| Edgeley Park | 244 | 102 | 67 | 75 | |||
| Ewen Fields | * | Hyde FC | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | |
| Field Mill | Mansfield Town | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| Giant Axe | * | Lancaster City | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| Gigg Lane | Bury | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Grange Lane | * | North Ferriby United | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | |
| Gresty Road | Crewe Alexandra | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
| Haig Avenue | * | Southport | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | |
| Harry Williams Riverside Stadium | * | Ramsbottom United | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| Heritage Park | * | Darlington | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| Highbury | * | Fleetwood Town | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| Holker Street | * | Barrow | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | |
| Horsfall Stadium | * | Bradford Park Avenue | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | |
| International Stadium | * | Gateshead | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| Kassam Stadium | Oxford United | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Kellemergh Park | * | AFC Fylde | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| Kenilworth Road | Luton Town | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
| Keys Park | * | Hednesford Town | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| Kingfield Stadium | * | } | Hayes & Yeading United | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| } | Woking | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
| Liberty Way | * | } | Nuneaton Borough | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| } | Nuneaton Town | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | ||
| Llanelian Road | * | Colwyn Bay | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | |
| London Road | Peterborough United | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
| Mariners Park | * | South Shields | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| Memorial Ground | Bristol Rovers | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
| Mill Farm | * | AFC Fylde | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
| Moor Lane | * | Salford City | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| Moss Lane | * | Altrincham | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | |
| Moss Rose | Macclesfield Town | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||
| Nene Park | Kettering Town | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Nethermoor Park | * | Guiseley | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | |
| New Meadow | Shrewsbury Town | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
| Newport Stadium | * | Newport County | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| North Street | * | Alfreton Town | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | |
| Northolme | * | Gainsborough Trinity | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | |
| Pirelli Stadium | * | Burton Albion | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| Plainmoor | Torquay United | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
| Prenton Park | Tranmere Rovers | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| Priestfield | Gillingham | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
| Princes Park | * | Dartford | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| Recreation Ground | * | Aldershot Town | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| Rivacre Park | * | Vauxhall Motors | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| Rodney Parade | * | Newport County | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| Roots Hall | Southend United | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | ||
| Sincil Bank | Lincoln City | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | ||
| St James Park Brackley | * | Brackley Town | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | |
| St Marys | * | Southampton | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| Sandy Lane | * | Runcorn Town | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| Steel Park | * | Corby Town | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| Stonebridge Road | * | Ebbsfleet United | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| Tameside Stadium | * | Curzon Ashton | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | |
| The Hive | * | Barnet | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| The Lamb Ground | * | Tamworth | 6 | 1 | 3 | 2 | |
| The New Lawn | * | Forest Green Rovers | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| The New Windmill | * | Leamington | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | |
| The Racecourse | Wrexham | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | ||
| The Shay | FC Halifax Town | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| The Valley | Charlton Athletic | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
| Twerton Park | Bath City | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Underhill | Barnet | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Vale Park | Port Vale | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Valley Parade | Bradford City | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
| Victoria Ground Bromsgrove | * | Worcester City | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| Victoria Ground Hartlepool | } | Hartlepool United | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| } | Gateshead | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| Victory Park | * | Chorley | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | |
| Weaver Stadium | * | Tranmere Rovers | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| Wetherby Road | * | Harrogate Town | 7 | 3 | 0 | 4 | |
| Whaddon Road | } | Cheltenham Town | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| } | Gloucester City | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||
| Wood Park | * | Congleton Town | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| York Street | Boston United | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | ||
| TOTAL | 446 | 166 | 123 | 158 |
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There were 202 trips, and the discovery of a further 59 grounds, (to add to those I had previously visited), which were a County debut for me. From as far south east as Dartford and Ebbsfleet to Bath and Newport in the west. I travelled further north than before when we visited Blyth. However the most stressful, and getting on for the furthest, was to Crown Meadow, Lowestoft. I went there twice and am still bemused how the football authorties could place them in northern regional league. It was a ludicrous trip for me. But it was only once a season – I really felt for the players and fans who had to make the same trip every fortnight. They were coming to places which were in the main little more than an hour from my house in Stalybridge. Madness.
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