I’ve picked Kev up, having climbed over the Pennines to his abode. ‘Shall we take my car or yours?’ I ask. ‘Oh...errr...yours...the wife’s borrowed mine.’ Settled then. Kev has to direct though, the ground is the other side of Ashton-under-Lyne, the biggest town nobody has heard of. I’m keen to see The Quakers this evening, as they’ve little chance of staying up and seem destined to return to Ashton next season to play United in the division below.
Parking is easy, there’s a large car park adjacent. We’re early, but it’s already busy. Turns out it’s all the runners and cyclists using the sports facilities here. The football ground is another 200 metres on, past a glorious statue to the 3 World Cup winners born in Ashton; Geoff Hurst, Jimmy Armfield (in the ’66 squad) and...wait for it...Simone Perrotta, who played every game as Italy won it in 2006. I know, with a name like that (and a limited knowledge of all things Italian) he could have been in any Italian World Cup squad ever. 1934? 1938? Could be!
The social club is a large portacabin. Characterless as it is, it was nice to receive a teamsheet as we drank. And I hate to say this, and I said it several times to Kev and Chris, Darlington dream of having a ground like the Tameside Stadium. There’s a cantilevered main stand on the halfway line (seating 524, though not tonite), a large covered terrace opposite and open terracing at either end. Official capacity is 4,200, but it looks like it could hold a lot more than that. Yet, despite their lofty position, Curzon (or ‘The Nash’...CurzoN ASHton) have breached the four figure barrier once this season, for the visit of Chester City (and who knows how many the visitors brought?) Less than 500 is the norm.
Still, The Nash are red hot favourites against a Darlington side on to their third manager of the season. However, The Quakers have spent a reputed ‘Boost the Budget’ £30k in January, raised by the fans, most of which has gone on a half decent centre forward who is strong, puts himself about, holds a ball up and is generally a pest. What a difference Cedric Main makes, as Darlington spurn 3 glorious 1st half chances. While everyone worries about Main, Mitchell Curry is allowed a trio of opportunities to score with the goalkeeper to beat. To say he’s hapless doesn’t do justice to hapless.
Thankfully, the Quakers go ahead with a backpost header off a corner and go on to record a notable 3-1 victory. As a Barnsley fan, I get to muse over the career of Curzon centre half George Waring. Once on loan to us in division 3 from Stoke, I never thought he’d amount to much, despite his stated aim of playing for Stoke in the Premiership. That didn’t go well in every way, but full marks for the delusion ambition that he’d displace England’s Peter Crouch. With Curzon increasingly desperate, Waring was pushed up for the last 10 minutes. He looked a better centre half.
The Damage:
£15 ent
£2.50 programme
= £17.50
*a beer on Kev ‘for the lift’.
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