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The 201516 saw wholesale changes at EP. A new manager, Neil Young; a whole raft of backroom staff and 15 players to boot. I was fairly certain, and had said as much on Yellowboard, that this could only ever end in tears. I took no satisfaction in being proved right within 4 months. The team that took the filed on the opening day against Boston contained only 1 player who had been with us the previous May, and that was keeper Danny Hurst. But it had been a decent opening day with a 2-1 win – Glenn Rule and Joe Garvin on target.

Three days later it was the short trip to Broadhurst Park. It was the first competitive game at the new home of FC United, who had been itinerants since forming a decade earlier. They has swept through the hierarchy on a wave of emotion, (and the finance generated by a fanatical following), from those disaffected with the reign of the Glazer’s at Old Trafford. County had come to this level from a different direction. It promised to be an interesting evening. The cynic in me wondered just how far the split from their spiritual home had travelled. The answer was not too far, and when I get around to reflecting on trips to Broadhurst Park I will undoubtedly wax lyrical about the whole experience of ‘The Rebels’, Suffice it to say that it was suggested that ” …they think they’ve invented non-league’.

The ground itself was 50% decent – a tidy Main Stand, with hospitality and community areas to the rear, and a great covered terrace behind one of the goals, with the roof to it purportedly having arrived from Northwich Victoria. The rest of it was poor and that is being charitable. Cover maybe but absolutely no terracing meaning that unless you were right up against the pitch side fence calling it a view was being more than charitable. Facilities were sparse to say the least – it was a dreadful spectator experience.

On the field I noted that Liam Brownhill was featuring for FCUM – I recalled that he had been an unused sub for us at Swansea in an FA Cup reply back in 2004 – the only time that I think he featured on the teamsheet. We were unchanged from the Boston game, but by half time we were a goal adrift, and there were murmurings on the pavement that masqueraded as the standing accommodation. A superb away following got behind the team in the second period which was punctuated by a fusillade of rocks and other objects hurled into the County fans from outside the ground. In reality it was quite dangerous. I imagine that the local constabulary sorted that out, because great joy then ensued on the 65th minute. A long kick from Hurst was flicked on by Kayode Odejayi into the path of Calum Dyson. He drifted out to the left then turned, got to the edge of the area and curled an absolute screamer into the top corner. The place went daft – not only at the eualiser but the quality of its excution. All to play for now.

Ten minutes or so later a corner from the County right by Rule reached the edge of the six yeard box and Odejayi rose head and shoulders above the FC defence and powered a header home. This time it was pandemonium. Two great goals had given us the points and we stood at the top of the table with a 100% record. Another win on the Saturday, this time at Telford, with Dyson on target again extended that run. Sadly that was about the sum total of Young’s achievements. 24 more games produced only 5 wins and after a loss to Telford in the return fixture he was gone. Jim Gannon returned and from there on it was progress each year, and as I write, (January 2021), remains so….

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Memories of trips to Broadhurst Park

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THE GAMES

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Where the date is in bold click for highlights of the game

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	Date	Venue	Ground	Competition		F	A	Att:
Tues	11/08/15	a	Broadhurst Park	Vanarama National League North (Tier 6)	W	2	1	3,199
Sat	05/12/15	h	Edgeley Park	Vanarama Conference North (Tier 6)	L	1	2	4,797
Fri	12/08/16	a	Broadhurst Park	Vanarama National League North (Tier 6)	L	0	2	3,030
Sat	18/02/17	h	Edgeley Park	Vanarama National League North (Tier 6)	W	2	1	5,630
Sat	17/02/18	a	Broadhurst Park	Vanarama National League North (Tier 6)	W	1	0	3,084
Sat	04/08/18	h	Edgeley Park	Vanarama National League North (Tier 6)	W	5	1	4,689
Sat	26/01/19	a	Broadhurst Park	Vanarama National League North (Tier 6)	W	2	1	2,987

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