After walking in the general direction of the ground, we found it eventually, seeing the small floodlight pylons sticking up between the rows of terraced housing. Dodging smokers on pavements outside pubs and being careful not to get flattened by prams on the main street.
Admission to the ground was a fiver, as I had predicted, with the fee of one pounds for the programme. The programme was like one I would have seen at Farsley in my youth when Farsley were in the depths of the Northern Premier League First Division, one division above this. It had a standard front cover and then a photocopied inside with various adverts and a league newsletter. I don't begrudge paying a club like Atherton Collieries a small bit of money.
The ground looked tired. It had a sloping pitch, which wasn't in the best condition and a range of structures fulfilling various functions located around the ground. The East side of the ground had a curious stand with bench seating, which I feared I would get a splinter from, the clubhouse was also here which was like an old scout hut type building. It didn't look like it would support a man of my weight! The changing rooms on the north side of the ground had the look of a static caravan and that building also occupied the refreshment hut and finally to the west of the ground was a more permanent looking stand that was being kitted out with red plastic seats, presumably from Hilton Park at Leigh.
The teams entered the pitch with no fanfare whatsoever and the game itself started with a penalty being awarded in the first minute. Colls' no 10 slotted it past the keeper whilst saying 'Fuck off!'. He looked like the St Helens rugby league player Sean Long, it was the hair. A big blonde thing sat on the top of his head. 8 minutes later at the opposite end of the pitch, Congleton were awarded a penalty which they scored. About 35 minutes followed before the next penalty was given to Collieries, this one was saved. But making up for that, another penalty was awarded to Collieries midway through the second half. Four penalties, thats just crazy!
This turned out to be Atherton's third win of the season, in the 17th game. This was beating a team who had won 8 from 12. It was hard to tell which team was near the top of the league and which team was at the bottom. Colls' substitute, no.14 (he came on in the first half at some point but I wasn't paying much attention), whatever he was called seemed to cause Congleton a lot of problems... he couldn't half run.
I was thinking during the game, when I was one of 47 stood in this crumbling ground (I nearly fell over on a loose paving slab!) that sports teams like this should be at the heart of their communities. I guess maybe at one time when Atherton actually had Collieries that the team will have served a purpose as a social activity for the pitmen. These clubs should be alive with activity, on and off the pitch, but I wasn't really feeling it at Atherton and its the same story all over the place. People should get behind teams like Atherton Collieries.
Only the Premiership, League One, League Two, Blue Square Premier, Unibond Premier, Unibond North (though I've been to a Unibond north club in the FA Cup!) and North West Counties First Division to go, thats more than one match a month!
Enjoy the pictures:
