Saturday 23rd August 2025 k0 11:00

West Lancashire League Division

ASKAM UNITED 0

CROOKLANDS CASUALS 1 (Armstrong 19)

Att 374

Entry £3

Programme £2

With my duties for the West Lancs Hop mainly adding up to driving I felt the sense of anticipation keenly. Craig, Robyn and I formed the GroundhopUK advance party ferrying boxes of programme packs for those ticket holder who’d opted to miss the Wren Rovers game but also to offer help where needed. Truthfully, I don’t remember anywhere that needed our help. Glorious redundancy is a good thing sometimes!

I was pleasantly surprised to be heading for day in both Westmorland and Cumbria. If you like me regard Westmorland and the Lake District as pretty much the same thing then I knew we’d be visiting some spectacular settings. And in case you are wondering yes the Westmorland League is of interest to us- but we’d have to complete the West Lancs first!

And Askam-in-Furness and the little ground at Duddon Road is up there with the best of them. Set on the Duddon Estuary the place buzzed with groundhoppers who like me, had little idea as to what to expect. We loved the place- not just for the view where you could take your pick of the Estuary or the Pennines as a back-drop, but the hosting was first class too.

Its an old but true adage that smaller clubs host best- not least because they know that doing what they do on any other match day won’t work. Here the bar did a roaring trade, the breakfast rolls sold taking advantage of the fresh air but more than anything else what I’ll remember Askam for was the wonderful company they were- a great advert for themselves and their league.

Of course that didn’t mean we brought the team any luck that perhaps goes without saying. Luke Armstrong scored for visitors Crooklands in the first twenty minutes, and despite no little home pressure the points headed away.