AFC Darwen - The Anchour Ground
I was wanting to visit AFC Darwen for quite a while and when I saw an opportunity to visit The Anchor Ground, I couldn't resist!
It was all planned, Tom was joining me for this exciting voyage to Darwen. Tom would arrive at my house for 13: before we set off to the long walk to the bus stop in Egerton. We caught the number 1 bus which would take is to out destination of The Anchor Ground for 14:15. The bus fares were abit expensive for a short(ish) journey, £2:30 for me (u16).
Potted History:
In 2008 Darwen FC were wound up due to debts as high as £60,000, Que a board of committed Darwen FC fans to set up a new football club for the people of Darwen to support, AFC Darwen. AFC Darwen were told to enter at Level 11 of the football pyramid, so they were 'chucked' into (mouthful) The West Lancishire Football League Premier Division. They were soon granted permission to get promoted to North West Countites Football League for the 2010-11 season.
One of the main reasons I came to the game at AFC Darwen was because u16's were free, yay! I bought what I am going to say a decent programme for £1.00, full of information, it was very rare to see any pictures but overall a superb attempt of a programme by AFC Darwen Me and Tom then took our seats in The Main Stand.
The Anchor Ground is a decent ground for the level AFC Darwen play in. Well, I have seen worse! The main stand along with the rather homely club house covers the dugouts half of the pitch, opposite is just a rale round the pitch like the remainder of the Anchor Ground.
After sitting down for about ten minutes watching the players warm up, I went to locate the refreshment hut. Once found, I bought a pie and asked for a hot chocolate, the women's response was: "I bought the wrong hot chocolate"! How can you buy the wrong hot chocolate? After much disappointment, I bought a hot Vimto instead.
Soon after the teams came out, I was eager Tom was eager and maybe Northwich Villa player Cameron Clarke was abit to eager after he was red carded in the 5th minute for doing a Samir Nasri style head butt on an AFC Darwen player in full sight of the referee! How thick can you get?
Anyway, 7 minutes in and a nasty injury to an AFC Darwen caused the AFC Darwen assistant manager to shout at the physio "Steve, steve wake up hes fucking dead, JESUS CHRIST hes dead!", that has to be one of the funniest saying in football for along time!
AFC Darwen were sending wave after wave of attack on the Nortwich goal, but finally on 24 minutes the deadlock was broken. A poor Nortwich clearance fell to Steve Lee who slid the ball home.
Darwen were 2-0 ahead 3 minutes later, Bobby Langford with a tap in inside of the box.
Half time and me and Tom retreated to the club house for a drink and a warm up.
The second half begun and 5 minutes into it, it was 3-0 to AFC Darwen, Bobby Langford broke down the right and put a superb cross in for Karl Turner to stroke the ball home with ease.
It was 4-0 just 8 minutes later, Steve Lee chase the ball back from goal and laid it to the edge of the box where John Leeming was waiting to volley home.
In the sixty fourth minute, Anthony Gandy managed to push a long range effort from Kiel Lonsdale away, but from the resulting corner John Leeming struck again to make it five.
The home side wrapped up the scoring with seven minutes to go. Tom Entwistle brought the ball out of defence, and skipping over a tackle passed inside to Lee Turner. The Darwen man got to within five yards of the area and looped a shot over keeper Gandy into the top corner of the net.
It was a simple journey home for me and Tom and a thoroughly good day out, I might not be visiting AFC Darwen again as I did not feel very welcome, but hey, that's life!
It was all planned, Tom was joining me for this exciting voyage to Darwen. Tom would arrive at my house for 13: before we set off to the long walk to the bus stop in Egerton. We caught the number 1 bus which would take is to out destination of The Anchor Ground for 14:15. The bus fares were abit expensive for a short(ish) journey, £2:30 for me (u16).
Potted History:
In 2008 Darwen FC were wound up due to debts as high as £60,000, Que a board of committed Darwen FC fans to set up a new football club for the people of Darwen to support, AFC Darwen. AFC Darwen were told to enter at Level 11 of the football pyramid, so they were 'chucked' into (mouthful) The West Lancishire Football League Premier Division. They were soon granted permission to get promoted to North West Countites Football League for the 2010-11 season.
One of the main reasons I came to the game at AFC Darwen was because u16's were free, yay! I bought what I am going to say a decent programme for £1.00, full of information, it was very rare to see any pictures but overall a superb attempt of a programme by AFC Darwen Me and Tom then took our seats in The Main Stand.
The Anchor Ground is a decent ground for the level AFC Darwen play in. Well, I have seen worse! The main stand along with the rather homely club house covers the dugouts half of the pitch, opposite is just a rale round the pitch like the remainder of the Anchor Ground.
After sitting down for about ten minutes watching the players warm up, I went to locate the refreshment hut. Once found, I bought a pie and asked for a hot chocolate, the women's response was: "I bought the wrong hot chocolate"! How can you buy the wrong hot chocolate? After much disappointment, I bought a hot Vimto instead.
Soon after the teams came out, I was eager Tom was eager and maybe Northwich Villa player Cameron Clarke was abit to eager after he was red carded in the 5th minute for doing a Samir Nasri style head butt on an AFC Darwen player in full sight of the referee! How thick can you get?
Anyway, 7 minutes in and a nasty injury to an AFC Darwen caused the AFC Darwen assistant manager to shout at the physio "Steve, steve wake up hes fucking dead, JESUS CHRIST hes dead!", that has to be one of the funniest saying in football for along time!
AFC Darwen were sending wave after wave of attack on the Nortwich goal, but finally on 24 minutes the deadlock was broken. A poor Nortwich clearance fell to Steve Lee who slid the ball home.
Darwen were 2-0 ahead 3 minutes later, Bobby Langford with a tap in inside of the box.
Half time and me and Tom retreated to the club house for a drink and a warm up.
The second half begun and 5 minutes into it, it was 3-0 to AFC Darwen, Bobby Langford broke down the right and put a superb cross in for Karl Turner to stroke the ball home with ease.
It was 4-0 just 8 minutes later, Steve Lee chase the ball back from goal and laid it to the edge of the box where John Leeming was waiting to volley home.
In the sixty fourth minute, Anthony Gandy managed to push a long range effort from Kiel Lonsdale away, but from the resulting corner John Leeming struck again to make it five.
The home side wrapped up the scoring with seven minutes to go. Tom Entwistle brought the ball out of defence, and skipping over a tackle passed inside to Lee Turner. The Darwen man got to within five yards of the area and looped a shot over keeper Gandy into the top corner of the net.
It was a simple journey home for me and Tom and a thoroughly good day out, I might not be visiting AFC Darwen again as I did not feel very welcome, but hey, that's life!
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