Monday 31st August 2026 ko 14:00

West Lancashire League Premier Division

ROSSENDALE FC 4 (Wilde 18 26 Mensay 75 90)

MILNTHORPE CORINTHIANS 0

Att 278

Entry £5

Programme £2

The final club on this year’s West Lancashire Hop proved to be a little controversial. Part of it was who Rossendale are, but more was where they play.

The club were formed in 1937 as Old Rossendalians but former pupils of Bacup & Rossendale Grammar School, before metamorphosing firstly into Rossendale Amateurs then in 1990 to today’s Rossendale FC. As such they have nothing to do with the Rossendale United who played at Dark Lane, Newchurch, near Rawtenstall. They reached the Northern Premier League before folding in 2010 and a subsequent arson attack kyboshed any notion of a revival.

This Rossendale moved in amateur circles, mainly the Lancashire Amateur League moving to the West Lancashire League in 2019. They play at the Marl Pits Leisure which did see some mutterings amongst a few who I suspect might not have come along anyway. The issue seemed to be that the pitch is the middle of a running track, which does lead to poorer than normal sightlines. But not every ground can be Glentoran and one of my top-10 grounds has a running track too! And after all, there was a game to watch at a new ground? Why over think this?

I grabbed a seat in the clubhouse. I wasn’t hungry but I was tempted judging by what was coming out of the kitchen. Perhaps folks worry about the obvious, and don’t look to how the club will host. Rossendale had plenty to work with and made it work beautifully. Even the sightlines could easily be mitigated, you just had to stand on the rugby club side, and the view of the hills beyond was wonderful.

The real surprise was the game, as the the previous weekend, the hosts had lost 13-1 at home to Wren Rovers and Milnthorpe had beaten CMB Sports 6-0. The tale of the tape went in the bin as Rossendale won and won well, to provide a fitting end to another wonderful weekend with the West Lancashire League. Our thanks to all concerned.

As a footnote this was Robyn and I’s last game as part of the GroundhopUK team. There are many reasons why we decided to stand down, the main one being that we’ve found committing to 7 or 8 events a season difficult with family and other commitments.

What is doesn’t mean is that we won’t be seen on GroundhopUK events in the future, and no we are not giving up groundhopping! We still support what Chris and Craig are trying to achieve, and I write this after attending a hop organised by the Kent County League where at the game I attended I counted 23 spectators – clearly their services are very much needed! All the best to them for the future, and thanks for, in my case, the last 17 years starting at Ynysddu Welfare in the South Wales Amateur League. So much has happened since then…. I hope we did some good, I must admit to thinking about the North Berkshire and Witney Leagues on our way home.