National League North Clubs | Manchopper's Ventures

Result: York City 1-1 Morpeth Town (FA Cup 4th Qualifying Round)

Venue: York Community Stadium (Saturday 16th October 2021; 3pm)

Att: 2,258

With little overly standing out in this round’s draw, I therefore reconciled to instead look at the towns and cities clubs play in for my inspiration. However, even then there wasn’t much to excite, at least within a reasonable distance, but one did meet these parameters. That was the fine city of York, which I could visit for the second time to see York City…unfortunately, their new ground isn’t quite as ‘characterful’ as their former Bootham Crescent home. Regardless, it was to the county town of the White Rose I was bound!

I started off my day by forgetting my pin number (never a good sign), although the guy at the ticket office in Manchester made me feel somewhat better – at least at the other end of the spectrum – having been up for too long for his brain to work properly, whereas I’d not been up long enough. Between us, though, we just about managed to sort the transactions out and I was soon heading over the Pennines and into Yorkshire. A largely uneventful journey saw me pulling into York station at just about 11.30am and it was onwards towards the city centre itself.

Hardly any time had passed from my arrival, that there was some weird happenings up on the city walls and a road train rolled on past. Was it going to be one of those wacky days, I wondered, as I arrived outside my first pub stop of the day: the Old Bank. I couldn’t quite get a bank-y feel off this Spoons-esque place, but it was decent enough for me to set out a plan of action for the remainder of the day, surrounded by early Hallowe’en decorations, which included a clown keeping me company at my table. There’s a joke about bankers in there somewhere, isn’t there?

Arriving into York

First stop – the Old Bank (and the bar next door!)

Anyway, I soon polished off the last of my decent pint of Heineken (£4.80) before continuing on along the street known only as ‘Lendal’ and it was at the foot of said street that I found the cellar bar known as Lendal Vaults. Part of some older constructions on and around the site, the Vaults are down within arched cellars and are likely best visited earlier in a session, lest you risk a headache courtesy of the low brick ceilings in places! A pint of Amstel (£4.45) did the job for me in here, before I was off once more, just up the way, to the Punch Bowl – my first reputably haunted venue of the day. Spooky.

The Punch Bowl was full to the brim at this time of the early afternoon and it’s great to see such scenes after the last year-and-a-half or so of shite these places have had to suffer through. Once a group of guys had an enforced ale switch sorted out, I was in possession of an easier to come by Amstel (£4.70). The Punch Bowl was a nice, old pub and it’s well worth a visit – although I suppose being there when it’s a bit quieter may enable more of its atmosphere to come across.

Alas, for me, my visit was brief and I was soon crossing the road to another of York’s haunted hostelries, the Ye Olde Starre. I’m certain there’s far me ‘e’s in that name than there ought to be! Regardless, the Starre was another that oozed character from its walls, especially considering all the scenes they must have witnessed over the years. Again, this place was another that was benefiting from a fair amount of custom, but I was able to nab a seat on this occasion, as Amstel (£4.45) continued to be the order of the day. You can’t go wrong with it!

Descending into the depths of the cellars!

Punch Bowl

Anyway, there was little to report happening from my visit to the Starre aside from it being a decent enough boozer and I was on the move again in short order, this time making my way a little closer to the area around the dominating York Minster and the Snickleway Inn which, you guessed it, is said to be haunted. Not only that, it’s said to be the MOST haunted. Is anywhere in York not haunted? I mean, I think there’s more ghosts than living people in that city!

Formerly known as the Angler’s Arms, the Snickleway pays homage to its former identity by still having the old lettering from the front high on its walls, which is something I’ve not come across anywhere else, I have to admit. There’s a multitude of other paraphernalia adorning the pub’s interior too, including more old signs from its earlier days as the Snickleway. In short, you won’t get bored quickly in here!

I opted for a pint of Madri (£4.60) in here, though did later think that the more potent taste of it wouldn’t likely sit all that well off the back of the more staple Amstel lager taste. This proved to be the case as I struggled on through, but persevered to the very end. I never waste a drop and I’m sure you’re all very proud of my bravery.

To the Starr. It’s claim to fame isn’t too hard to find!

Snickleway

York is a cathedral city and unitary authority area within the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire. Before becoming the unitary authority in 1974, it fell under the jurisdiction of the Lord Lieutenant of the County of York, West Riding and the County of the City of York. Standing upon the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss, York is a walled city that is, unsurprisingly, the head city of historic Yorkshire and the county town of the ridings. However, the city itself was a separate entity from the ridings, being a county corporate and separate from the county’s council. The City of York unitary authority serves the city and its outlying rural areas beyond the city walls and the old city boundaries.

Founded in 71AD by the Romans as Eboracum, the name of York itself derives from the Old Norse name ‘Jorvik’, which itself comes from the Brittonic version of the Roman city name ‘Eburakon’, meaning ‘place of the yew trees’. An alternative meaning is that it could mean the settlement owned by a person named Eburos, a Celtic personal name. This later became Eoforwic under the Anglians (Eofor’s Village), then Jorvik upon the arrival of the Danes, and the Old French name Everwic after the Norman Conquest. York itself was first used in the 13th century, along with Yerke, Yourke and Yark up until the 17th century.

Evidence suggests the area was inhabited in the Mesolithic period, with people settled around York from around 8-7000BC. By the time of the Roman occupation of Britain, the area was under the control of the Brigantes tribe, who were initially welcoming to the Roman’s, before later becoming hostile and facing off against the Ninth Legion – the legendary ‘missing’ legion of the Roman army, who weren’t mentioned again after 120AD, with one story being they disappeared within the wilds of Caledonia (Scotland).

York

However, they actually had some success in battle against the Caledonians and later were back in York and rebuilding the fortress there. Within their ranks at the time was future Emperor, Titus, though this isn’t the last Imperial connection York has to the Romans, as alongside many (including Hadrian) holding court in the city whilst on campaign, Constantine was proclaimed as Emperor in the city, upon the death of his father Constantius I during his own stay. After the departure of the Romans, York declined somewhat and it wasn’t until around the 5th century the Angles took the city as their own.

King Edwin of Northumbria instructed reclamations to be made around the city and for York to become the main city in his kingdom. The first wooden minster was built in 627AD for his baptism, but soon after ordering a stone replacement, Edwin was killed and the task fell to his son, Oswald. In the following century, Alcuin of York, who went on to be a leading advisor to Charlemagne, arrived to study in the city, but his time here had long since passed by the time the Danes arrived to sack and plunder York.

The Viking raiders were led by Ivan the Boneless (I guess you couldn’t break him) and Halfdan (as opposed to Fulldan?) and they attacked on All Saints Day, when the city was vulnerable. After the capture of the city, it was renamed from the Saxon Eoforwic, to the well-known title of Jorvik and it became the Viking’s capital in Britain, being second only in population to London. It became an important centre for industry and trade, becoming a world-spanning river port, as well as housing the Jorvik mint – what with Jorvik existing as an independent city state.

York

However the Danes, led by Eric Bloodaxe, were driven from York in 954AD by King Eadred as he went about successfully reuniting England. After the Norman Conquest, the people of York rebelled and in 1068, they initially succeeded, before King William’s forces put the rebellion down. William went about building two wooden fortresses, which were both destroyed the next year and so William went about ravaging Northumbria as part of his “Harrying of the North”. The remains of his rebuilt stone castles still stand, fragmented, in the form of parts like Clifford’s Tower.

The initial minster had also been badly damaged during the uprising, but a new cathedral was begun in 1080 and has remained in situ to become the current minster that continues to stand dominatingly above the skyline of the city. As an aside, the Archbishop of York still uses ‘Ebor’ as his surname in his signature, harking back to the city’s early history.

After a horrific massacre of members of the city’s Jewish community in the 12th century (which saw between 150 and 500 murdered), York began to prosper once more, its proximity to the Great North Road allowing it to return to being a major trading hub. It gained its first charter, courtesy of King John, in 1212 and traded its cloth and materials throughout the southern part of the European continent and the Baltic regions.

York Minster. It’s quite something.

It became the base for Edward I for his wars with Scotland and after being a major part of the Peasant’s Revolt of 1381, York gained more autonomy via Richard II in 1396. However, its economy declined over the Tudor period, with King Henry VIII’s dissolution of the monasteries affecting York severely. A Catholic uprising thus followed, with Henry responding by founding the ‘Council of the North’ in the cities former St. Mary’s Abbey. Dick move!

The city was visited by Anne of Denmark and was the birthplace of the infamous Guy Fawkes, before the times of war again returned to the city; though this time the sides were of the same nationality (on the whole). York was besieged by Parliamentarian forces in 1644, as the Civil War claimed many more medieval properties to add to those destroyed under Henry VIII’s watch. Prince Rupert arrived with a 15,000-strong Royalist force, who lifted the siege but were routed at the Battle of Marston Moor, as the Parliamentarian army outmanoeuvred Rupert’s men.

The city was duly surrendered to Sir Thomas Fairfax. Upon the restoration of the monarchy in 1660, as everyone saw just how bad parliamentarians tend to be (nothing changes there!), the York garrison was removed in 1688 and York began to become more of a wealthy place and townhouses, theatres and the racecourse were created as to afford them due entertainment. The city did lose its trading importance to nearby Leeds and Hull over this period, though.

The railways arrived in the city in 1839, and the promotion of the city as a main railway hub for the York and Midland Railway led to it become widely recognised as such by the mid-19th century. The North Eastern Railway later held their headquarters in the city and the railways led to the expansion of the Rowntree’s cocoa factory and Terry’s of York chocolate factory and these allied aided in the growth of jobs and the overall economy of the city again profited. In 1942, the city suffered bombing damage from Luftwaffe ‘Baedeke Blitz’ raids – these resulting in the deaths of 92 people.

York station

Not far from the Snickleway and just a few doors down the road, my final pre-match stop ahead of catching the Park & Ride bus up to the ground, came courtesy of the Old White Swan which, shock, horror, is apparently haunted. I know, I couldn’t believe it either. With me now playing it safe after the Madri madness, I opted for the safe haven of a bottle of Corona (£4-odd), before undertaking the short walk to the bus stop to catch the number 9 service that drops you off outside the ground. Boarding and paying £4.50 for a return ticket, I was soon being whisked on up to the ground and, soon after arriving, I was in possession of the York City “Citizens” bible – a cut-back issue.

A bit of pub history…

…and a little more too!

Final pre-match stop, the Old White Swan

However, this wasn’t the worst of my troubles, as no-one I asked seemed to know where I could get a ticket. You see, I headed through the area of the leisure centre around the swimming pool and outside to the turnstile queues. Here, I queried where I could grab a ticket and was pointed in the direction somewhere either outside of the centre again, or in the shop. I reckoned I’d try the shop but, no, I was instead given the more solid information that the ticket office was actually just around the corner from where I had just been directed away from. Superb knowledge around these parts – at least the shop knows the details!

Anyway, ticket issues over, I was soon relieved of £12 and was given a ticket for the turnstiles just next to me and so was swiftly into the ground’s under-stand concourse, where the game had just kicked off. I quickly headed up pitch-side to get my first real look at the inside of York’s shiny new home. First of all, the seats. THE SEATS. Who in their right mind came up with that, never mind signed off on it?! I get there’s a reason behind it, but it just looks shoddy and untidy.

As you’d expect, the ground is very much a uniform set-up, with the all-seater stands pretty much reflecting each other. Both sides have stands that run the length of the pitch, whilst both ends have stands that similarly span the width of the playing area. With that being said, there’s not much else to add, so let’s get on with the history behind the Minstermen of York…

History Lesson:

York City Football Club was originally founded in 1908 as an amateur club and first joined the Northern League. Playing out of a ground on Holgate Road, they stayed in the league for two seasons, prior to departing for the Yorkshire Combination as so to cut down on travelling. York turned professional in 1912, purchased a ground at Field View and joined the Midland League for this next phase of their journey.

They remained in the Midland League for the next three years, before the league was closed down during the span of World War One, but the original York club wouldn’t last to return, being liquidated in 1917. The current York City came around in 1922 and returned the name to the Midland League ranks, having had their application to the Football League turned down. However, they would eventually be successful in applying for Football League membership in 1929, after a number of failed attempts, as they replaced Ashington in the Third Division North.

They defeated Wigan Borough in their first League outing and finished a highly creditable sixth at the close of their first season there. In 1932, York departed their decade-long home at Fulfordgate for Bootham Crescent, their home up until last season. Despite the move, however, they had a close shave with having to apply for re-election just three years later, with a last day triumph avoiding this necessity. In the 1937-’38 edition of the FA Cup, York made it to the Sixth Round, seeing off the likes of First Division West Bromwich Albion and Middlesbrough, before being defeated by Huddersfield Town in a replay.

Arriving at the ground

Again, though, their league form fluctuated, as a title-contending season was followed by another close shave with the re-election rule. The outbreak of World War II saw the league paused for the wartime period, with York competing in local wartime competitions organised by the Football League and winning the 1942 Combined Counties Cup. Post-war, the club were forced to successfully seek re-election for the first time in 1950 but recovered to finish a then club best of 4th in 1953.

They reached the semi-finals of the 1954-’55 FA Cup, eventually bowing out to Newcastle United after a replay and thus, in doing so, became the first third-tier club to achieve that feat (competing in a semi replay). After finishing the 1957-’58 campaign in 13th, York became a founding member of the national Fourth Division for the following season, where they missed out on finishing runners-up in the first season on goal average alone.

However, third place was enough to secure promotion back to the Third Division, but they would only spend one single campaign back there, before being relegated back to Division 4. The club achieved their best League Cup run in the cup’s second outing, reaching the fifth round, but again found their league form following no clear trajectory. Having again had to seek re-election for a second time in 1964, City achieved promotion to the Third Division via a third placed finish once more the very next year.

In a more steady bit of form, they were again relegated after just the one season and this was the precursor to a period of struggle for the club, as they had the misfortune to have to apply for re-election in each of the next three seasons, having finished in the bottom four of each of those Division 4 campaigns. But, again, they soon bounced back with a promotion winning season just two years after the latter of those re-elections, 4th place being enough to secure them a place back in Division 3.

Having finally gotten my ticket, I could join the queue.

After close shaves with the drop in each of their first two years back, they managed to secure a third placed finish in 1974, when they made full use of the new ‘three-up, three-down’ system to achieve promotion to Division 2 for the first time in their history. 1976 would see this brief flirtation with Division 2 come to an end, as relegation back to the third-tier was suffered and 1977 saw them relegated for the second season in succession – the club again finding themselves in Division 4. Their struggles continued, with 1978 seeing the club again having to apply for re-election, before they had to do so once more in 1981, this time having finished bottom of the Football League.

1984 did see their fortunes change, as York won the Fourth Division title and became the first League club to achieve a 100-point season in doing so. 1985 saw them overcome First Division Arsenal 1-0 in the FA Cup and drew 1-1 with European champions Liverpool, though would be vanquished 7-0 in the replay at Anfield. The two met again the next season, with another 1-1 draw being recorded in the original tie, before a more competitive replay saw Liverpool eventually see off City 3-1 AET.

After a near-miss with the drop in 1987, they did succumb the next year and spent the next five years back in the bottom tier of the Football League, competing in the first seasons of the “new” Third Division, after the creation of the Premier League. 1993 saw the Minstermen promoted via the play-offs to the Second Division, as they saw off the challenge of Crewe Alexandra in the final at Wembley.

They reached the play-offs of the Division 2 at the first attempt, losing to Stockport County in the semi-finals and, in the 1995-’96 League Cup, York took the scalp of that year’s Premier League and FA Cup double-winners Manchester United over two legs. They also defeated Everton in the following season’s competition, but were relegated from Division 2 in 1999. The new millennium saw the spectre of financial issues and backroom upheavals take hold of Bootham Crescent and with York’s subsequent on-field form falling away, they were relegated from the Football League ending a 75-year tenure.

An early viewing of York’s new home…and the seats.

Now in the Conference, York narrowly staved off the drop in 2005, but bounced back to make the play-offs in 2007, but they were defeated in the semi-finals by Morecambe. Their up-and-down form continued, as 2009 again saw the drop loom for a time, but the next year’s league season saw the Minstermen again make the play-offs, this time reaching the final at Wembley, but being defeated by Oxford United. The 2009 season had also seen the club reach the final of the FA Trophy for the first time, but another defeat was suffered – this time at the hands of Stevenage Borough, although they rectified this in 2012 by overcoming Newport County to lift the club’s first countrywide knockout cup title.

A week later, York returned to Wembley to see off Luton Town in the play-off final and secure a return to the Football League, in the now-titled League 2, after eight years away. Again staving off the drop early on in a new league, they followed a now familiar path by following up a season of struggle with one of relative success; York reaching the play-offs in 2014, but losing out to Fleetwood Town in the semi-final. Just two years later, though, York would be at the wrong end of the table and were relegated from the Football League for a second time.

A second consecutive relegation in 2017 saw York in Step 2 of the non-league system for the first time in their history, competing in the National League North, where they remain to this day. That 2017 season did see some on-field success outside of the league table, though, as the club won their second FA Trophy title, seeing off the ill-fated Macclesfield Town by 3-2.

A close up view of the skittles-inspired seats.

With the game in its early stages, I headed up the stand and fairly quickly spotted an opportunity which my devilish side fancied exploiting. For no apparent reason, I took up a spot next to a guy and his daughter who, by the first sounds of it, was being introduced to the in’s and out’s of the game of non-league. As such, I took my opportunity to dive in on their conversation and played my impish (perhaps more fitting in Lincoln?) card by asking if they were married. I know, I can be awful sometimes!

Anyway, it gave a bit of awkwardness which was my full intention, but it was all a bit of fun. I got talking to them both a little more and found out that they were Craig, a Sunderland fan with a York-persuasion and his girl Esmae, who didn’t care too much for football, but had come along for the ride anyway. By the time I bid them goodbye, I can’t imagine she’d be rushing back! Sorry to ambush your efforts, Craig!

Having shared a bit of my story around my visit up to the Stadium of Light a few years back, an eye kept being drifted over to the on-field action which, if I’m honest, wasn’t all too engrossing. Morpeth had a chance early on in the game, but the forward’s effort flew just wide, before York were awarded a free-kick and the resultant delivery was headed back into danger, where #16, Mark Beck, nodded past Morpeth ‘keeper Dan Lowson and into the net from close range. The Minstermen were ahead!

Match Action

Match Action

As half-time approached, I headed down the stand towards the opening back down into the concourse. From here, I witnessed a couple more Morpeth half-chances be snuffed out well by the York back-line, but bar these and a good low stop by York stopper Peter Jameson to deny Andrew Johnson, there wasn’t too much to add leading up to the break.

By the time I was in the queue for a steak pie at the food bar underneath the seats, the whistle had blown and the sides headed into the dressing rooms with just the one goal between them. York had looked decent enough, if showing nothing spectacular, whilst Morpeth, low in their league – somewhat falsely on account of their Cup run – had more than matched them for most of the first period.

As the second half kicked-off, I could just about see some of the pitch from my place in the queue and so there’s a tip if you don’t fancy rushing down to grab some half-time grub. I did apparently miss out on a goal-line clearance, though, which denied Morpeth a leveller! The first half-hour of the second period didn’t see much of interest occur aside from this close-call, but it was a warning that City didn’t heed as much as they maybe ought to have done. On 75 minutes, the visitors would get themselves the equaliser as an initial throw-in wasn’t cleared by the unconvincing York defence and the header back led to Ben Sayer looping his own headed effort over York ‘keeper Jameson. 1-1!

Match Action

West Indies represented!

After Morpeth’s Liam Noble had seen his drive palmed behind by the increasingly busy Jameson, Clayton Donaldson thought he’d put York back ahead with around five minutes of normal time to play, as he slotted home after being played in by Heaney, only for the linesman’s flag to cut short the celebrations from those in the home ranks and this denied goal almost came back to haunt York. As the seconds ran down, Ryan Donaldson was afforded a sight of goal and unleashed a stinging drive which looked destined for the upper reaches of the net.

However, agonisingly for both he and the Town fans in behind the goal, Jameson got just enough of a hand on the ball to tip it onto the crossbar, with the ball bouncing over to relative safety. That was that and the sides would head for a replay, which York would take 3-1 at Morpeth’s Craik Park – a Kurt Willoughby hat-trick guiding the Minstermen into the First Round and to a face-off with Buxton. The draw at the Community Stadium had achieved something of a milestone for the Northumbrians, though, as the result saw Town make the FA Cup’s First Round draw for the very first time in their history. Something to remember, regardless.

Back in York and to the Black Swan

Before ending up in the Duke. It was pretty grand.

After the whistle, a swift exit had me back at the bus stop, though it took a fair while for the bus to actually get going, as it was eventually filled up. I disembarked at Peasholme, with the intention of heading straight to the Duke of York to meet up with Gibbo, Ben and any other persons that were due to be there. However, my best intentions were soon disrupted as I came across another old pub by the name of the Black Swan. I even crossed over to try and stop myself, but it was no use. Before I knew it, I was through the door at the bar, ordering a Corona (again over £4) and was sitting down in one of the pub’s small drinking rooms. Ah.

Before long, I was making my second effort at making the Duke of York without any diversions and this time, I met my objective. Upon entering, I was hollered at and soon joined the lads (including a lad who has the unfortunate task of working at Northern) and later Gibbo’s girlfriend Chloe, where I settled in for a couple of pints of Tropical cider (around the £4.50 mark), before we all eventually headed off on our own respective ways – yours truly making haste back towards the station for the last of the direct trains back to Manchester. I certainly didn’t fancy any changes at Leeds and much preferred a nap on the train…though this didn’t come to pass.

Back station-wards

Anyway, having successfully navigated my way back to the bridge over the River Ouse (a film/recollection on this may not be quite as dramatic as its Kwai counterpart) another uneventful trip back into Manchester followed and I was back indoors before the stroke of midnight. It had been a long, but fun, day out. York is always a brilliant place to visit and its pubs offer something for anyone, whatever you’re seeking out.

The ground isn’t very interesting, although it does give fine views of the action and the facilities are better, of course, as was told to me by Craig – who has far more experience in those matters than myself, so who am I to argue?! The game was ok, if nothing to shout about. There ends yet another day out and, next week, it’s back on the “real” non-league trail once more. To where will I head?