Sunday 24th August 2025 ko 17:00

West Lancashire League Premier Division

BURSCOUGH RICHMOND 2 (Carberry 79 Avis 90)

LOSTOCK ST GERARDS 1 (Sarda 34)

Att 407

Sunday’s final hop game saw us in Burscough’s environs- and for those not in the know the town is pronounced Burrs-Coe. The oddity of the piece was that there was and is a connection between Burscough and GroundhopUK- and its to be found in Anglesey!

Back in 2013 GroundhopUK visited Glantraeth, just a stone’s throw where Prince William lived whilst working as a helicopter pilot involved in Air Sea Rescue. Glantraeth’s secretary Stan Strickland did a wonderful job in making sure his club hosted beautifully and we enjoyed the wonderful views of Snowdonia. But Stan had moved to Wales to retire, and had been the secretary of Burscough when they won the FA Trophy in 2003 at Villa Park- before you ask, yes I was there….

It is odd that I haven’d visited Burscough FC yet, perhaps knowing Stan I’m aware I’ll never be able to do the place as well as he could- so perhaps seeing another Burscough club do so well, will do for now?

Burscough Richmond date from 1975 and started in Sunday football before switching to Saturday football 10 years later entering the Preston & District League before moving up to the West Lancs in 2011 and won the league in 2023.

We knew that Richmond Park would come with its own challenges mainly due to it being a public park, so if people decided that they weren’t going to pay to get in, there would be little or nothing the club could do about it. It is something we got used to back in the days of the North Berkshire and Witney Hops and you hope that the groundhoppers see the big picture, and work so the club makes money from non-gate revenue too.

It has to be said a few locals really didn’t get that bigger picture, but at least Richmond more than made up for the loss by excellent catering and merchandise. As tired as I was, it was a pleasure being in their company.

We got a superb game too. Lostock St Gerards came with 11 minutes of a famous victory, but the hosts dug deep and two substitutes scored to take the win. Who couldn’t love a last minute winner?