Stone | Manchopper's Ventures

Result: Stone Old Alleynians 4-2 Rugby Town (FA Cup Preliminary Round)

Venue: King’s Park (Saturday 21st August 2021, 3pm)

Att: 131

The penultimate weekend of August saw me return onto the Road to Wembley for the second time this season – but it certainly wouldn’t be the only road I’d have the “pleasure” of seeing today! I’d had a few options in my mind in the week leading up to the game, but with Stone Old Alleynians now playing out of the former Meir KA ground – King’s Park – they were an early front-runner.

With the ground not exactly being easily accessed by public transport (the nearest you can get is around a half-hour away), I thus had come up with a plan to do something similar to my visit to Partington Village, a month or so earlier. As such, this would include navigating the roads around the villages just south of Stoke-on-Trent which, as it turned out, wouldn’t be all that easy! Tie into that the fact that absolutely zero bus services link the villages to anywhere, it seems a little strange and almost as if the people here are being ignored. Luckily, cabs were popular and I’d make use of that later in the day.

Anyway, back onto earlier in the day and I set off bright and early into Manchester, before grabbing the service to Stoke at a little before 9.30am. Passing through the damp and dreary Cheshire and North Staffordshire countryside and bypassing Edgeley Park and Moss Rose as per usual, I soon pulled into an equally wet Stoke station about 45 minutes later. With a good twenty minutes to await my next train for the short hop down to Stone, this was a rare trip of little stress!

Stone station

First village of the day – Oulton.

The train duly pulled in on time (likely due to, thankfully, not being of the dreadful West Midlands Trains as advertised) and I was stepping foot in Stone once again within 10 minutes. I’d previously payed a visit to the town just before the fun and games of the last 18 months began, back when the club were playing out of the Yarnfield ground. An immediate positive of there was that you could actually get a bus and not have to dodge traffic at each turn!

As it was, the first stage of the walk up to King’s Park was nice and easy and after passing the Alleyne’s Academy (of which is the school which lends its name to the club), I arrived into the village of Oulton on the stroke of 11am. Luckily, the Wheatsheaf was open bright and early and so I could dive in for some cover and waste away and hour awaiting everywhere else in the region to open their doors too! I set in over a pint of Dortmunder Pils at the surprisingly cheap price of £3.65 and spoke to the ladies working there about the trials and tribulations that are still being suffered by hospitality. A nice place, though I did leave shortly after a wedding party, accompanying the groom, arrived for some pre-service Dutch courage!

Pretty much right next door sits the Brushmakers Arms and no sooner than the guy had unlocked his doors, was I in there too! My initial choice of a San Miguel didn’t quite go to plan (the gas wasn’t having it) and so I resolved to instead have a pint of Moretti (£4.50)…I know, such a terrible occurrence. Interestingly, the two pubs used to have a cricket competition until at least the late 1980’s (according to the bat on the wall, recording the winners) but, I was informed, this is no longer in action, as the Wheatsheaf left behind the Brushmakers and its old form as a drinker’s pub. Two very different places, so give a nice mix of surroundings.

Within the Wheatsheaf; the football-like light gave me hope!

The Brushmaker’s Arms and Wheatsheaf

From here, it was time for my first country roads (take me home) walk across to the village of Moddershall and the lakeside Boar Inn. This appeared to be the trickiest walk of the day (ha!) and so I was happy to get it done and have it in the rear-view, so to speak. Crossing the A-road which splits Mill Lane in two, the road follows a stream on either side of the road, which itself is at road level and has no barrier separating it from said lane. I eventually reached the top of the road and the Boar soon came into view.

I headed in, only to be met with…well, no-one! I soon began to fret that I’d arrived before the place was actually due to open. But my fears were allayed when the sounds of movement from behind the bar soon revealed someone who would tend to my drink-centric needs! A pint of Peroni (£4.50) in here was decent enough, if a little on the flat side, but that’s the lottery you play with Peroni, I find. It’s kind of like Ferrari in F1, it always looks and is good stuff, but usually gets let down along the way!

Streaming…

Boar Inn

From Moddershall, it was off up the way and towards Meir Heath, and a fair bit closer to the ground. After navigating my way past a number of farm yards – including one with a number of pretty vocal hens – I was rather relieved to reach the main road leading into Meir and, most importantly, some proper terra-firma; an actual pavement!!! The fact that this was a highlight of the day so far should let you know just how much of a ball ache the rest of the walks had been to that point! And, if I’m honest, it wasn’t getting better than this afterwards, either…

However, I soon arrived at the Swynnerton Arms, which was a nice old-style pub, though was certainly inching towards being a little more food-centric. Having said that, it was a nice place to sit in for some time and avoid yet more rainfall, as another sharp shower breezed through. The pint of Amstel (£4) was very decent too and kind of seemed like it had the gas from the Peroni in the other place within it too! Soon enough, it was time to head just up the way to my penultimate pre-match stop, the Windmill. Now, there’s certainly a few pubs around the place that carry this name; however, I do wonder just how many actually have said windmill within its car park?! Not many, I’d assume!

(NB: Apparently, it is the only one to have a windmill actually on site!).

Swynnerton Arms

To Meir Heath…FINALLY!

Meir Heath is a village to the south of Stoke-on-Trent and is situated on a hilltop between Meir and Rough Close. Located within the Borough of Stafford, it is said to be the highest conurbation within the county of Staffordshire and, because of this, experiences more snowfall than the surrounding area. With the winds and drifts that also occur, this is likely the reasoning for locating the aforementioned windmill here. I covered Stone in all its glory when visiting Old Alleynians at Yarnfield, which can be found here.

After rather concerning the barman by waffling on about my walk and my now rather sweaty state(!), I was soon in possession of a pint of Amstel (£3.70) and took up a seat to watch the final ten minutes or so of the Liverpool-Burnley game, before I’d be heading just the other side of the ground and to my final stop before kick-off:- the Black Lake Inn. I had wondered just why it was called this, but I did happen to come across the lake of the same name within a field not too far away, but still far away enough as to wonder why they bothered naming the pub after this piece of geography. It seemed a rather strange choice. God, I’ve just read that back – I’m really quite boring, aren’t I?

The Windmill (x2!)

Black Lake Inn

After finishing up in the Windmill, it’s about a ten minute walk down to the ground and the Black Lake just next door. I arrived just as a group of Rugby fans were leaving, with one guy trying to sweet-talk the owner into letting them all back in post-match! He was more than happy to oblige, as the travelling fans had been good lads and ladettes. My stay was only brief, a quick bottle of Sol (£3-odd) doing the job, before it was time to make haste towards the turnstiles of King’s Park.

I arrived at the ground and was soon handing over my £5 entry, plus £1 for my saved programme; my confirmation of the name being the security question of the day! I did have to remind the fella on the gate to actually charge me for it, though! The game, pitting two unbeaten sides early in this season, was in its early stages as I headed in and was greeted by another of the Stone clan who I think I spoke to back when they were at Yarnfield and he thanked me for going to see them.

Arriving at the ground!

The ground itself is a kind of throwback to an older style of “counties” venue. It has a seated stand behind the near-end goal from which you enter behind, and is made up of a couple of rows of seats. It runs the majority of that end and is joined by another stand which is located on around the half-way line of the left-hand side. The right-hand features a bit of a raised grassy mound, above the ground-level hard standing, though I did have struggles trying to navigate it – both heading up and down! The far end is open, hard standing, though some trees do give some protection from the elements. That’s the ground in short-order and this is the story of Stone Old Alleynians…

History Lesson:

Stone Old Alleynians Football Club was founded in 1962 by former pupils of the Alleynians Grammar School. They began life playing in the Staffordshire Amateur League’s Division 4, they were promoted to Division 3 at the end of their second season there and would be promoted again after just one season in Division 3. The club would only spend one season in Division 2 as well, with this providing their first title, to go along with their third-straight promotion.

Clubhouse

Now playing in the Division 1, Stone won the league championship for the first time in 1971 and would go on to lift it a further three times before departing for the North Staffordshire League in 1980. When the league was split into two divisions, the club was effectively relegated to the Division 1, though did return in 1988, after finishing in 2nd place. In 1992, Stone moved to the Staffordshire County League, where they would spend the next 15 years, prior to a move to the West Midlands (Regional) League Division 2, in 2007.

The 2009-’10 season saw Stone record a 4th placed finish, with this being enough to secure them promotion to Division 1. Here they remained until 2014-’15, when they again ended up in the runners-up spot in a season, but this was again enough for them to attain a spot in the Premier Division. That season had also seen the club make their FA Vase bow. Spending the following three years in the WMRL’s top-tier, Stone would depart in 2018, FA reorganisation seeing them switched into the North West Counties League, where they would play in the Division 1.

Meir KA

The club duly remained here for just the one complete season, with the following two ending up being truncated due to the thing we’ve become all too aware of; although, the first of these did see Stone make their FA Cup debut. As it turned out, these two seasons weren’t a complete write-off, as the combined results were enough to see Stone promoted from the NWCFL’s Division 1 South to the Midland League’s Premier Division, as further league re-organisation ahead of the current campaign saw another enforced change of leagues.

With the game in its early stages, it was the visitors who had begun the stronger and it wasn’t much of a surprise to anyone in the ground, aside from myself that is (I’d glanced down at my camera), when they went ahead. Thanks to the club match reports, I can actually describe what happened! David Kodolynski received the ball, laid it off into the path of Dylan Parker and the forward made no mistake in firing into the bottom corner. 0-1!

Kolodynski himself went close soon afterwards, as his lob drifted narrowly over the bar, before the sides began to share half-chances. Stone were growing into the game, although they did still need a bit of wayward striking to keep them in the game. It was Parker who really ought to have doubled his and his side’s tally as the forward found himself linking up with that man Kolodzynski once more, but could only drive his shot wastefully over the crossbar. Speaking of the crossbar, Stone would strike it not too long afterwards, as a cross drifted against it, before bouncing clear.

Match Action

Match Action

Around the same time, a rather serious looking injury befell one of the Stone defenders and it looked suspiciously like a break, unfortunately. Unlike in some other games, the Stone man showed he was made of similar stuff and allowed himself to be carried from the field by his team-mates, as not to have an abandonment. Having seen a game abandoned for a broken arm, I’m always wary when something happens like this. The defender was later stretchered away and best wishes go along with him.

Not too long after, though, Stone rallied and grabbed the equaliser, just as I headed round to the far side. Of course, wouldn’t you just know it, I missed it. Again. As it is written by the fine reporters from each side, a quick throw in allowed Sam Wilson to cross low for Jack Tomlinson – the forward gleefully slotting home from six-yards or so.

I had just about managed to navigate the hill and upon getting to the top, decided I’d ask the guy already up there what had actually happened for both! As such, I was able to get a bit of a picture of the goals – but not before I’d told him all about my goal-avoiding horror story! However, Lucas Baker would soon see me right as he latched onto a knockdown off of a looped cross from the tall figure of Tomlinson, to sweep into the bottom corner.

View from the covered area.

Match Action

Alleynians nearly went 3-1 up just before the break, Matt Thomas’ header lacking the power required to beat Ben Newey in the Valleys’ net, but they would still grab the third just prior to the shrill whistle, as Wilson ran into the area, on the angle, and fired one low beyond Newey and into the far corner. As it was, talking to (I want to say Jeff, I did make a note, but my phone didn’t save it) my new enforced friend of the day had turned my luck around.

It turned out that…Jeff…had been a ref in the past, before turning to a bit of the ‘hopping as a bit of a stopgap, here and there. Was an interesting chat – though I’m not sure the feeling would quite be reciprocated from his end!!! Anyway, I soon departed and just about managed to make it back down the hill, before heading off in search of something to eat. Hot dogs were advertised on the blackboard in the clubhouse, but there wasn’t much sign of them being there (at least at that time) and so I would go hungry. Pray for Manchopper.

The second half was soon underway and it was unsurprising that Rugby came out in all out attack mode. Liam Francis ought to have scored early in the piece, but his close-range header from one of many successive set-pieces was well saved by the home ‘keeper. But the visitors would see a second arrive not too long after this, Parker grabbing his second of the afternoon, nodding a rebound in, after the initial shot from Melu Mpande was saved by the Stone stopper.

Match Action

Match Action

Parker went close again, in just failing to turn home a low ball from Mpande, before Justin Marsden’s effort was well charged down by the ‘keeper, as the hosts strove to keep their lead intact. And this proved pivotal as, just minutes later, Stone would grab their fourth of the afternoon through Sam Bowater.

As with Rugby’s second, it would be a rebound which would find the net, but this time it was all Bowater’s work. His initial effort was kept out by ‘keeper Newey, but he couldn’t avoid it falling kindly for Bowater who slotted in at the second time of asking to seal Stone’s place in the next round.

Stone seal their win.

From the stand, late in the game

Another late chance would hit the bar for Stone, but it mattered little in the end as the whistle blew to put the hosts through to a new FA Cup best. Post-match and with the rain beginning to fall a little harder, I beat a hasty exit and began the 20-25 minute walk down the road towards the Spotgate Inn. I was expecting to find a nice path, akin to that found earlier but, as seems the way in this part of Staffordshire, the council (or whoever deals with these things) seem more than happy to have you traversing the verges of long grass. Add into that the fact they were rather waterlogged at that point, it wasn’t a particularly pleasant foray!

Eventually I made it down to the crossroads and could see the Spotgate in the not too distant, er…distance. I dove in to find a pretty split place. One side was seemingly more modern than the other, though I didn’t take all too much notice, as I recovered from my most recent trial. Indeed, as I was being served, the girl stated that she’d seen me walking up and did wonder if I’d have required a lift. What that says to me is that I obviously look like the type to make it to a pub at any cost, but not enough to warrant stopping for!

Even happier than normal to see a pub!

Next up – Fulford!

Fulford village

I did get my San Miguel (£4.50) on this occasion and had a peruse of my programme (which stood up rather well to the conditions), before it was eventually time to set off on the penultimate walk of the area. This was to the Shoulder of Mutton and, thankfully, was only about 10 minutes. It was also a little easier too as, upon arriving into the village of Fulford, you actually have – you know – roads with paths on them. Novel, I know. Anyway, I entered into the pub and did my good deed for the day in letting a local get served ahead of me, so I instead was served by the guy there who, it turned out, was from across the Barton Bridge from Trafford-based me, in Salford.

Anyway, I opted to have a bit of a refresher here, so a Dark Fruits (£4.50) did the job as the regular day’s routine began to come back into play! Last up was a pub by the name of the Greyhound, which is located in a village named Saverley Green. I opted for a Kopparberg in here and was sorted out a taxi back down to Stone too, which saved a hell of a lot of hassle! The cab driver was a cricket fan too – supporting both England and Pakistan – so that took up most of the journey’s talk, until I decided to get dropped off outside the Bridge Inn, where I got a Corona (£3.70) which would accompany me for some of the trip back Manchester-bound.

The Shoulder of Mutton

Saverley Green

Greyhound Inn

After sitting in there for a short period, it was soon high time to make my way over the short distance to Stone station and grab the train back into Stoke. I arrived into the, thankfully covered, station, although one lad over the way probably didn’t quite know where he was, as he was pretty paralytic and was rather in a state. Eventually, his mates and (I guess partner) got him into a cab – so hopefully all was okay there.

As for me, things were a bit more run-of-the-mill, as my train arrived in fairly short order and I was off into Piccadilly where, with Dan having called off the now staple ‘Spoons visit (shame, shame!), I popped into the Piccadilly Tap for the first time in God knows. It was an “Hello, old friend” moment in many ways, as I tick off these old norms in stages, almost on a list of ‘normal’ happenings that used to be part of days out on the reg. A Budvar did for me, as I awaited the time to tick away until my train home.

So ends the second part of this year’s FA Cup journey. So far, so good! After the thrashing seen in the extra-prelim, it was good to see a ‘proper’ contest this time around. The ground is well worth the trip – especially as it’s a bit of an unknown how long Stone will be in situ here – though the lack of food options was certainly a bugbear. The programme was a very decent read though, so kudos for that – especially at just £1. Pubs were all decent places too; just get some bloody buses out there! Hopefully next week will be a bit easier…and less wet…