Wednesday 6th March 2013 ko 19.30

Mercian Regional League : Premier Division Cup Quarter-Final

WHITCHURCH ALPORT 0

SHIFNAL UNITED 97 4 (Biggins 22p 42p Falmer 70 Wood 87p)

Att 29 (h/c)

Entry £3

No Programme (old copy FREE)

Coffee 90p

There seem to be quite a few Whitchurchs in the UK, so for the avoidance of any doubt this one is in Shropshire! It’s also only a couple of miles from the Welsh border, and a few more from Cheshire. The town is home to JB Joyce Ltd. the oldest Tower Clock manufacturer in the world, having started trading in 1690, and is now a subsidiary of the Smiths Group. In 1849 the company copied the escapement in the clock in Big Ben at the Houses of Parliament.

To be honest when this fixture was suggested to me, I had to look the club up. I’ve visited a few Shropshire clubs, mainly during the defunct Shropshire Groundhops, but until this season the club plied its trade in the Cheshire League, otherwise I’m sure they would have would have featured. You don’t leave out a ground like this!

The club was formed in 1946 and the reason for the unusual suffix is that nearby Alport Farm was the home of local footballer Coley Maddocks who was killed in action during the Second World War. Yockings Park was formerly a farm and the dressing rooms, still in use today, were constructed from wooden packing crates acquired from the nearby Army Camp at Prees Heath. That sense of make do and mend is in evidence throughout the ground. The seats first saw service at Stoke City’s former home, The Victoria Ground, and the floodlights were purchased from Holyhead Hotspur. They were erected in 2012 on new poles, and are far more powerful than just about any others I’ve photographed outside the professional game. I can only assume Holyhead were expecting to host televised games! Having lights this good has led to a problem; the mains can only cope if the club uses only two of the four strips of bulbs! That’s fine for training, but for games a generator is fired up to save the local mains, and avoid a hefty power bill!

I asked why a club 4 promotions from needing lights bothered with the expense, and no challenge for the West Midlands League looks forthcoming. The main reason seems to be that they want to host the semi-finals and final of the Commander Ethelston Charity Cup under lights. The cup was created in memory of Commander Alfred Peel Ethelston in 1908, who died 10 years earlier during the Boer War. His campaign medals are set into the trophy’s base, and in terms of the weight of solid silver, its more valuable than the FA Cup! There is one small Welsh connection, as Alport were the last English club to win the Welsh Amateur Cup, a feat achieved in 1974, which resulted in English clubs being barred the next season!

10 promotions from the Football League they may be, but the standard was nearer Step 6 despite the heavy home defeat. It wasn’t unexpected, Alport are second from bottom with United mid-table but the principle reason why United won is that they asked better questions than Alport. Three penalties tells its own story; Dan Biggins was tripped by Jordan Maclean for the first, before Andy Edge handled at a corner to give Biggins his second spot kick. Jamie Falmer headed home a corner for the third before Alex Cawser was tripped for the third penalty. With Biggins substituted Tom Wood buried the spot kick to send United through.

It’s a shame this fixture wasn’t better publicised, as Yockings Park under lights is a real pleasure, even if those who insist on a programme will miss out, as programmes are produced only for the final of the Ethelston Cup. Keep an eye on the Mercian League Full-Time page, and go and visit this friendly little club, with an interesting history and an incredible ground.