Radcliffe Borough 1 Bury 2
(Pre-season friendly) Saturday 6th July 2013 – Stainton Park
With my last non-league outing now feeling like an entire epoch away (was it really only ten weeks ago?) and even Greater Manchester basking in the height of British summer, Stainton Park was a glorious venue to open my account for the 2013/14 season.
I’ve been organising my pre-season schedule for a while now, sifting Twitter and club websites looking for some of the more glamorous ties, whilst also ticking off a few more new grounds. Radcliffe Borough v Bury is an annual event, which according to a former workmate and Shaker-Statto, the hosts have only won once in the last twenty seasons.
Stainton Park is a twenty minute or so walk from Radcliffe tram stop, and only a little more than three miles from Bury’s Gigg Lane, on a quiet residential estate next door to the cricket club. Even before half past one the ground was open, with a swarm of expectant Bury supporters congregating around the clubhouse.
Having managed to avoid the exploded bag of dog muck just outside the main gate, I went in search of a cold lager, and watched a fairly entertaining game of junior football being played on the pitch – complete with pushy parents berating the referee for his failure to penalise blatant shoulder barging!
Radcliffe’s Wikipedia page rather modestly claims that Stainton Park is one of the best non-league grounds at this level of football (Northern Premier League Division One North or Step 8), and I guess they’re probably right. A sizeable all seater stand behind the goal at the far end of the pitch reminds me of one of the goal ends at Crewe Alexandra, and the clubhouse is modern and expansive. The rest of the ground is a little more modest, with plenty of hard standing, a small bank of open terrace behind the other goal, and a cowshed half the length of the pitch to give some protection from the elements.
Not that the growing crowd wanted any protection, as the proportion of topless men sporting impressive pot bellies in the sweltering heat increased. The atmosphere was almost akin to that at a large family reunion, with 800 or so of the Bury die-hards reconvening to run the rule over their new squad and trialists. With Bury having recently undergone a change in ownership, any lingering pessimism from their recent relegation from League One certainly appears to have been more or less washed away. Ticket prices have been slashed, new facilities have been installed at Gigg Lane, and some impressive new signings such as Ashley Grimes and Gareth Roberts herald a new dawn for a club that just a few months ago was days away from total collapse.
I cannot possibly cover the match itself in the detail I usually do, due to the myriad of substitutions, although it’s fair to say the hosts were in complete control in the first half, opening the scoring early on with a diagonal ball through the box splitting the Bury defence, giving Radcliffe’s number ten an easy tap in at the back post. Bury were all huff and puff (not that the very long grass on the pitch helped), too inclined to try and hoof the ball to the rapidly exhausting frontmen in the scorching July sunshine. A few half chances for the visitors were wasted, and one of the Bury coaching staff was berated as he sought the shelter of the changing rooms just before the end of the half – “It’s not bloody basketball – get it on the bloody floor!”.
Bury manager Kevin Blackwell was slumped in the dug-out like a corpse, presumably exasperated by his teams indifferent first half performance. In his shorts and flip flops, he looked more a tourist waiting for his return flight from the Costa del Sol than the slightly grumpy, straight talking football manager that many are familiar with!
Half time: Radcliffe Borough 1 Bury 0
Bury fielded an XI mostly comprised of trialists in the second half, who gave a far more accomplished display, albeit against their tiring non-league opponents. Belgian midfielder Jeremy Byame, hoping to earn a contract at Bury, looked a particular threat. A late double salvo from the visitors spared any potential embarrassment, but they could have easily grabbed more goals but for a little more composure in the box.
Full time: Radcliffe Borough 1 Bury 2
Of course, pre-season is about gaining match fitness and getting minutes under players belts, so even though Bury made hard work of it at times, I wouldn’t read too much into this performance, particularly given the Sahara-like heat and the dry bobbly pitch.
It was an entertaining afternoon at Stainton Park, with the supporters in good humour, the beer flowing freely, and sensible hands-off stewarding of the large crowd at the ground (900+). All football matches should be like this.
Level of the pyramid: 8 vs 4 (nominally)
Lost balls: I lost count!
inthecowshed 