Lancashire & Cheshire AFL | Manchopper's Ventures

Result: Spurley Hey 4-1 Whalley Range ‘A’ (Lancashire & Cheshire League Division 3)

Venue: Warth Meadow (Saturday 18th March 2023; 2pm)

Att: 13 (hc)

As, hopefully, the last strike day came around on the rails, so it was that I headed onto the roads of south Manchester and, what some like to call, Cheshire! To be fair, this one did give me the chance to do a ground of a club that I’ve known of since even before the days of these pages and so I was more than happy to be heading across to the town of Bredbury and the nearby club known as Spurley Hey.

Playing out of the Lancashire & Cheshire League’s Division 3 nowadays, I first saw Spurley Hey back in their Premier Division days when they were tussling with the likes of current Cheshire League high-flyers Whalley Range. Unfortunately, the fortunes of the two have somewhat diverged…but not enough to keep the two clubs apart completely! You see, Whalley Range still hold a presence in the Lancs and Chesh via their ‘A’ team and it was this side who would provide the opposition for the Hey today.

So it was a nice throwback of sorts that I had awaiting me at around 2pm on this Saturday afternoon. However, that was still to come as I had the usual late-morning/early afternoon explore to navigate. My trip began with a meeting with the spoon formerly known as ‘football’ at the bus stop, as he was beginning to make his way up into Lancashire. We soon departed on our own merry ways and after eventually getting through the lovely roadworks in Chorlton, I was making hay for Stockport (yes, that’s a really, really bad pun).

Unfortunately, I didn’t quite make enough as I missed my connecting bus to Bredbury by about 20 seconds, thanks to being stuck behind a family spanning the whole bloody pavement and thus blocking any chance I had to just about get there. Tch. Still, after a 20 minute wait, I was on my way and hopped off just short of my first planned stop of The Barnhouse…and what a unique spot this was. It’s hard to really describe what the Barnhouse is other than it, well, looks like an old barn!

Finally arriving in Bredbury and the Barnhouse

Queen’s

As you enter into the bar area, there is a couple of different rooms and the place is still dominated by the wooden beams, stonework and the like which make the Barnhouse what it is. Some of the seats and tables also play into this rustic theme too and it was upon one of these wooden creations which I myself took a seat with my pint of Atlantic Pale Ale (£4.15). There was a few locals mixing with the staff here in the other room as I supped away at this quiet point in the morning – all in all, it was a pleasant start to the day. Eventually, though, it was time to head on the short distance down the road to The Queens.

The Queens was far more of the usual, staple pub that you can find in most places around the country. It was fine for what it was, though; an open plan building with a few TV’s dotted around the walls and a decent enough choice on the go. I ended up plumping for a pint of Coors (£3.90) for the moment as time was running a little thin on the ground for me and I still wanted to at least give myself the chance to get to two more pubs prior to the match – although this was looking unlikely, given that I was leaving here at just a tick before ten-to-one.

Bredbury is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport, Greater Manchester. Historically part of the county of Cheshire, it lies upon the Werneth Low’s southern slopes. the Low being an outlier of the Peak District and located between the valleys of the Rivers Goyt and Tame – the head-waters of the River Mersey. Its name derives from Anglo-Saxon and is likely taken from the original settlement or fortification which was located here.

After becoming part of the newly-created Bredbury and Romiley Local Board in 1865, the two parishes were amalgamated in 1880. Later, in 1894, the Bredbury and Romiley Urban District came into being and this was later extended to incorporate the Compstall Urban District in 1936, although Brinnington was lost to Stockport in 1952. In 1958, the urban district was split into the Bredbury Tame and Bredbury Goyt divisions, before being abolished completely in 1974 as the Local Government Act came about to see the area become part of the newly-formed Greater Manchester. It was combined with other neighbouring districts to form the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport.

Bredbury

There isn’t much to suggest that there was much in the way of habitation in the area during the Iron Age, with the bleak hilltop likely proving an unattractive proposition to the local Brigantes. During this time and right through to their being dammed in the 19th century (to provide water supply to Stockport, Manchester and other large towns), the rivers flowed far more fully and thus made it a difficult task to navigate around these parts. However, it is possible that an ancient highway did run where the valley of the River Goyt narrows at New Bridge and thus allowed for passage from the village through to the higher lands towards the north-east.

Indeed, the Romans constructed a road between their forts of Mamucium (Manchester) and Ardotalia (Melandra Castle, Gamesley) over this ancient track and this later became the turnpike and latterly trunk road linking Liverpool to Skegness – the A560. A Roman coin was also found near to Bredbury station and with this long pre-dating the Roman occupation of Britain, it’s likely to have been lost by a trader on their visit to the country. Bredbury comprised of not much more than farmlands bought by Lord Danson in 1014 and there is no mention of Lord Danton’s manor. However, the ‘lord’ of Bredbury prior to the Norman Conquest was the Anglo-Saxon thane, Wulfric.

It is likely that, as they continued on their northern tour to quell the troubles brewing in those parts of the country, that William the Conqueror’s army followed the highway from Yorkshire to Chester, as to quash the rebellion taking place in the city. Virtually all the intermediary settlements were looted as they carried on their ‘Harrying of the North’, although Bredbury was seemingly, for reasons unknown, spared from this fate. The army did, however, travel into Romiley – with this later being described as ‘waste’ in the Domesday Book of 1086. Bredbury itself was mentioned as being several hundred acres of land. The only occupants? A duck and a sheep. Yes, really.

Bredbury’s Vernon Park

Bredbury passed from the hands of Richard de Vernon to the Mascis of Durham, under whom it was held by the Fitz-Waltheofs of Stockport. During the 14th century, Bredbury was sub-divided into two portions, the larger of the two held by the Bredbury family. This later came into the possession of Ardernes, with the other part being held by the Davenports of Henbury, who lived in the Goyt Hall here. During Tudor times, the area began to gain a share in the wool trade, as the extinction of the wild wolves in the Longendale area allowed for great flocks of sheep to be kept safely.

As such, shepherds and weavers began to prosper and local families such as the Ardernes became wealthy. Most of the wool continued to be woven by hand, with domestic looms being a mainstay in the absence of water power. Felt hats were also made. By the 1660’s the Ardernes had purchased the whole manor, purchasing the Davenports area and a Court Baron, held for lordship, continued to be in place until the 19th century, under the title of the Court of the Manor of Bredbury-cum-Goyt.

Salt was regularly transported along the main road through Bredbury since medieval times and no less than twelve smethies had arisen by the 17th century, as to service the many packhorses’ shoes as they passed on through the village. Bredbury remained as a small hamlet until the Industrial Revolution when a number of cotton mills were founded – with many depending on water from the River Mersey and the Peak Forest Canal, created by Samuel Oldknow under direction of Benjamin Outram – upon which numerous other mills were built following its opening in 1790.

Bredbury

It was around this time that the landowners’ era came to an end. By that point though, most lands had already been sold off as to pay off familial debts, largely accrued by John Arden, who had been within the circle of the Prince Regent. As a result, the family home at Arden Hall had to also be sold off in 1833. It is now a ruin. Upon the death of Richard Arden in 1857, the family line become extinct. There is a local tradition held that Oliver Cromwell stayed at the hall (the Ardens being friendly to his cause) and that a skirmish took place locally between the Royalist and Parliamentarian forces, although no firm evidence exists to confirm these happenings.

Smaller families held the lands together in the proceeding years, before these were sold off to developers. The aforementioned Peak Forest Canal had a striking effect on the village during the 19th century, although did close for a time before being refurbished and reopened in 1974 after local campaigns led by the council. Supplying water and being used for agricultural transportation (e.g. lime from Derbyshire), as well as that of fuel, raw materials and finished products from and to the mills, the Peak Forest Canal meant that the local agricultural scene thrived during and following the Napoleonic Wars, when other rural parts of the country experienced a depression.

Coal mining also became a large industry during the 17th century and by the 19th century had become a large part of local life. The last colliery closed in 1926, with spoil heaps being levelled in the 1960’s in pursuit of industrial development. Exors of James Mills steelworks opened in the village for over 100 years, making and exporting materials for railway infrastructure amongst other uses. The company was later purchased by GKN and was closed in 1985. Brick making and hat making also continued to be large trades in Bredbury, with the final hat works closing in 1958. Prior to and after World War II, new industries began to thrive, with these numbering the likes of chemical and engineering works as well as clothing and textiles manufacture.

Bredbury Hall Hotel

Speaking of the railways, their arrival led to more expansion of Bredbury and led to the fusing of other outlying settlements into the village. The first line was the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway branch line from Hyde Junction, which opened in 1858 and was later expanded to Marple in 1862. As the line (now joined by the Stockport and Woodley Junction) was later incorporated into the Cheshire Lines Committee in 1865 and by 1867, Bredbury was seeing Midland Railway services into Manchester London Road. The terminus later transferred to Manchester Central in 1880, with trains running via Stockport Tiviot Dale. The tramway along the A560 from Stockport to Hyde and onwards was closed after less than 50 years of use, with it running in Bredbury from 1901.

Notable people from Bredbury include the likes of Emmerdale actor Danny Miller, fellow actor Will Mellor, surgeon and “Father of Ovariotomy” Charles Clay and impressionist Mike Yarwood.

I soon popped across the road and into the Greyhound where I was the only early-doors punter in this traditional, two-roomed pub…although that may have been down to the fact that Maps stated it wasn’t open until 2pm! The landlord was saying how he was happy the weather had finally taken a turn for the better (that didn’t last!!) and it was the first time this year he hadn’t had to put on the heating. I opted for a Strongbow (£3.90) in here but soon realised that the bus that was due and could whisk me up to outside my, by now unlikely, final stop, hadn’t turned up yet and so I took the chance to briskly finish off the pint of cider and get over the road in time to catch it and secure all four pre-match pubs I’d hoped for. Nice.

Soundtracked by a couple of brave/bordering on stupid(!) Liverpool fans blaring out some of their club’s anthems from the rear of the bus (Scouser Tommy, especially!), the bus trip back up the way went smoothly and I hopped off just before my final pre-match stop of the Traveller’s Call. A pub I passed a number of times on my visits to Woodley with Trafford back in t’day, this was one I was pleased to get to finally pay a visit to. It was decent within as well, with some interesting historical photos and the like adorning the walls, whilst a few lads, mums and dads had begun to roll in after their respective matches during the morning. As for me, Strongbow (£4.90 – a full £1 more than just down the road!!) was again the order of the day before it was time to grab the bus a little further on down the road to the ground.

Greyhound

Traveller’s Call

After grabbing said transportation from the stop just outside the pub, I was dropped at the foot of the road to the ground within a few minutes. Cutting down the side of an industrial estate and with a large mill at the bottom of the road, it doesn’t seem like you’re about to come across a sporting venue of any kind. However, then the home of Spurley Hey – Warth Meadow – comes into view. It is a rather basic ground, as you might, expect, although it was probably one of the better ones in terms of pitchside furniture, with the pitch barred off on two sides.

In terms of said features, the far end and the near touchline are the parts which are barred off whilst, behind the near goal, is the changing room block which also features a toilet if needs be. There is a slightly raised mound over the far side of the pitch, whilst an old bit of tree trunk gives some “seating” out the far end! That’s the ground in a nutshell and this is the story behind Spurley Hey FC…

History Lesson:

Spurley Hey Football Club was founded in 1968 and have played in the Lancashire & Cheshire League since 2001, having presumably been a junior club alone prior to this point. Originally playing in the league’s Division ‘C’, the club won this title in 2003 and were promoted to the Division ‘B’. In 2004, they lifted the league’s Wray Cup and by the time of the 2010’s, the club were competing in the Lancashire & Cheshire League’s Premier Division. However, despite having some strong showings, they fell away and finished second-bottom in 2014, being relegated two divisions to Division 2, presumably taking the place of their reserve side.

Arriving at the ground

Spurley Hey FC

The club continued to be in the lower end of mid-table for the next few seasons, finishing 8th in 2016 and 2018 and 10th in both 2017 and 2019. If I remember correctly, the club resigned during the 2019-’20 campaign and, upon their return for the 2020-’21 season, were now playing in the league’s Division ‘B’. Of course, both that and the following season would be culled thanks to the you-know-what, with last season’s campaign seeing them struggle to 10th place – second bottom. However, upon re-organisation of the league ahead of this season, the club were placed in Division 3 and have seen a marked improvement – currently sitting 4th at time of writing.

The game got going pretty much just as I popped through the gate and onto the “private land” of Warth Meadow itself. A couple of half-chances, one for either side, came and went early doors, before Spurley Hey’s #11 free-kick saw his effort tipped over the bar. But #10 went one better, breaking the deadlock with a tremendous strike from over 20 yards for the home side. This was just before the heavy sleet shower arrived, blocked out the arriving traffic into Manchester and made everything a little more muddy and, well, cold!!

Match Action

Match Action, from the “seats”!

Match Action

Hey had a penalty shout turned down soon after and Range nearly took full advantage from their distracted state when #9 shot over the crossbar down the other end. A goal-line block then denied his opposite number from doubling Hey’s advantage, before Range came close to levelling up the scores on three straight occasions: firstly when #9 worked some space but saw his effort palmed over the bar and then when the initial corner ended with another shot being saved, the next kick saw #10 head straight at GK.

#7 thought he’d doubled Spurley’s lead, but saw his header ruled out for a push, before a good couple of blocks from Range defenders kept them within touch. This proved vital just before the break when #7 harried his defender and nicked the ball off of the home ‘keeper to slot into the back of the net and send the sides in all-square. With not much else to do during half-time other than waste it away, I was happy that it was just a few minutes and we were soon back playing. All the better to avoid any further sleet showers!

Managing…

Match Action

Match Action

Early on in the second half, Hey’s #10 hit the post before #3 saw his drive well stopped by the ‘keeper, before #10 was then brought down by the ‘keeper and #7 drilled in from the spot. The Range ‘keeper seemed to suffer some sort of injury, but he kept on battling for the moment and denied #11’s effort well before bettering that in keeping at bay #15’s header.

After he’d again denied #15 a goal a second time, he had to give best and was forced from the field after a slip had allowed the same man to get on the scoresheet at the lucky third attempt. He then nearly grabbed a second in a neat, reversed-header-type try at goal, #7 nearly grabbed one back to set-up a grandstand finish, but was denied by the home stopper. Moments later, they really ought to have been back in the game, but the same man somehow contrived to send his shot wide of the mark. As it was, these misses were moot as an own-goal right at the end of the game made it 4-1 at full-time.

Match Action

Late on…

After the game, it was back off down the roadway I entered from and back out onto the main thoroughfare. Before heading to the pub here, though, I reckoned I really ought to visit the park located here which goes by the name of Vernon Park. It’s a pretty pleasant open space and features a lake, a river or waterfall (I thought I could hear one, anyway!) and a few different ‘hidden’ areas slightly off the beaten track, as it were. There were a number of cyclists making use of the pathways around the park too, so it’s worth keeping your wits about you, lest you come into contact with el ciclista!

Anyway, it was soon time to head back out of one of the other park exits and to the neighbouring pub which is fittingly named The Park Inn. This is located in the area known as Lower Bredbury and is seemingly used as the de facto clubhouse for Spurley Hey, as a number of the players would soon join me in patronising the place…and no, we weren’t being nasty, we were paying customers! I opted for a pint of Heineken (£4.70) in here and settled into watch the outcomes of second halves around the country, via the medium of Soccer Saturday.

Departing one park…

…and heading to this one!

As most of the Spurley Hey lads began to leave, it was time for me to do similarly, although I’d be backtracking on myself somewhat and heading away from the bustle of the main roads. You see, set back a little from all that is the Bredbury Hall hotel and this kind of interested me. It was mostly the look of the older parts of it that really piqued my interest although, on arrival at the hotel itself, it soon became obvious that this was just a booked area (at least I gathered as much) and not actually open. However, the hotel bar itself definitely was and so I headed on in and was greeted in a friendly manner and asked just what and why I was in Bredbury and, as usual, largely confused the enquirer with my answer! I’m here to expand everyone’s local football knowledge, I suppose!!

Anyway, I was soon in possession of a pint of San Miguel (which at £6 seems a lot, but considering some places it’s over a fiver anyway and this was a pretty decent hotel, wasn’t all too bad) and did a bit of dual sports watching, as they had both the England rugby match and a Serie ‘A’ game on, which kept me entertained during my all-too brief stay here. It was worth the effort to come around to the hotel though and so I left with a sense of (completely unearned, I’m fully aware!) self-achievement! However, my day wasn’t quite at an end just yet and after re-tracing my steps back towards Vernon Park, I continued on just beyond it and to my last pub stop of the day:- the Midway. I just hoped there’d be no battles happening.

Bredbury Hall Hotel

The Midway

The Midway was definitely more of a food pub, with me being directed to take one of the bench seats for a drink only. This wasn’t an issue for me, as I was already looking at those anyway as they had a view of the TV and the late game pitting Manchester City against the return of some…ahem, good Kompany. Sorry…but not as sorry as the scoreline ended up. Anyway, I was in there long enough to see Mr. Haaland net another two for the season whilst sipping a pint of Heineken (£4.30), before it was finally time to pop back out and grab the bus back into Stockport.

The journey back didn’t feature anything of note and I was soon back home and happy to begin to warm up a little…are you sure it’s March?! More to the point – WHAT HAPPENED TO THE MORNING WEATHER?! Anyway, at least there was more than enough in the game to keep me warmed up…somewhat! It was a decent game on the whole and, for what it is, I did quite like Warth Meadow. The pubs were okay, on the whole and with it being a cheap travel day, there isn’t a whole lot to truly moan about, aside from the bloody British weather. But we’re all too aware of that by now, even if you’re from the furthest reaches of the globe!

Anyway, this visit was in the books (well, the online archives if we’re being pedantic) and it’s onto another weekend as this season begins to enter its final throes. I’m off up to Tyneside for this year’s Non-League Day extravaganza and with it falling in March, it is probably rather fitting that I’ll be off to somewhere pretty synonymous with marching…