Turton - Thomason Fold

Turton FC

Thomasson Fold

Turton

Bolton

BL7 0PD

West Lancs Page

Twitter

Ground Number: 1580

Sunday 30th August 2026

Turton 0-3 Carnforth Rangers

West Lancs D1

TURTON FC - A BRIEF HISTORY

The club was established in 1871 and was one of the leading clubs in Lancashire during their early years. They were one of the clubs who led to the creation of the Lancashire FA in 1878. It is believed that their white shirts and blue shorts inspired Bolton Wanderers in their choice of kit. John Bentley played for the club before helping form Bolton.  Later went on to be president of the Football League, vice-chairman of the Football Association and Manchester United secretary. He maintained his close relationship with Turton FC throughout and was president of the club in the early 20th century. The introduction of professional football saw their influence wane as they chose to remain strictly amateur. Unfortunately, on two separate occasions the club has folded and then been inactive for a lengthy period. Early days were spent in the Lancashire Combination, with them going down from Division 1 in 1904 and then exiting from the league altogether in 1910.

After a long period out of the game, Turton would return to local football and would join the West Lancashire League in 1987. They won the Division 2 title in their first season and were promoted to Division 1. In 1994, they finished as runners-up to Burnley United. By 1999, though, they had been relegated back to Division 2 but came straight back up as runners-up to Burnley Belvedere. In 2002, they were Division 1 runners-up to Milnthorpe Corinthians and won promotion to the Premier Division. Turton were relegated in 2010 and would remain in Division 1 until 2016, when they won the title. Despite a 5th place finish in 2019, they were relegated in 2024 and have been in Division 1 ever since. 

The current home of Turton FC, Thomason Fold, in Edgworth, is about a mile away from the original ground, Tower Street, in Chapeltown. This old ground is still in use, with Lancashire Amateur League team Old Boltonians having been the residents for over 50 years. This ground is possibly the oldest remaining football ground in the world. Turton have played three seasons in the FA Cup, progressing to the 3rd Round twice and facing off against the likes of Sheffield Wednesday and Nottingham Forest. Local cup wins include four Lancashire Junior Cups, two Lancashire Amateur Shields, the West Lancashire League Richardson Cup in 2019 and the West Lancs League Wilf Carr Memorial Trophy in 2020.

MY VISIT

For the last game of the weekend, the main pre-match talk was about the parking due to the entitlement and hostility of the local residents to people parking on a public road near their property. There was a particular territorial old hag at 6 Moorfields. Quotes such as 'Be aware that she may put stickers that are hard to remove if you try to park on her hallowed turf' and 'She's a proper Hyacinth Bucket and it's not just her....other locals come out to back her up'. Also 'If you can, park your coach outside 6 Moorfield to wind her up. We had a stand-off with her before a game a few years ago, and she called the Chairman on speed dial to lay down the law on football fans parking....' and 'Just a heads up for the Turton game in the Hop......the locals have their own gestapo against anyone trying to park around Moorfield Rd area near the ground. They have their own parking cones and leave notes on car...' summed up a pretty deranged bunch of locals. The vast majority of the hoppers didn't want to cause the club any grief, so lots of suggestions had been put out.

 

 

It was a slow getaway from Eagley as around 300 cars tried to leave at the same time. I felt sorry for the ice cream man who must have been expecting a quiet industrial estate but was faced with a torrent of cars. The drive was around 15 minutes; as it happened, parking was not so bad, very easy on the side of the main road. It was just under a mile walk to the ground. The traffic cones were out in force, and I heard reports of the charming lady outside her house in a hi-viz giving evils to any car that slowed down near her property. Entry was £5, and first stop was the food place. The queue was quite long, snaking out of the door and causing difficulty getting out. However, they did very well. I went for a chilli hot dog, cake, cookie, Strongbow and Irn Bru for £9. All of it was first class, especially the chilli. I went and joined the others on the hill overlooking the ground, a great view in every respect.

 

Turton were in 7th place having won four and lost three. Last time out, they won 3-1 at Kendal United. Carnforth Rangers were top of the league and had won five, drawn one and lost one. In their last game, they beat Askam United 3-0. Carnforth took the lead on 8 minutes with a penalty. A long-range strike on 25 minutes made it 2-0 in what was a one-sided first half. It was only the performance of the keeper that kept the score respectable. Another long-range shot made it 3-0 just before half-time. Turton were better in the second half, and they hit the post and had a goal ruled out for offside. Hoppers had lost interest by now, with Colin watching the wrestling on his tablet and PuffPuff was watching the oncoming storm. That storm started shortly after the full-time whistle, and we got a bit wet on the way back to the car. It was a half-hour drive back to the hotel via a Morrisons petrol station so that my passengers could get some snacks. We were back around 7.45, and I finished off my cider whilst getting my blogs up.

THE GROUND

THOMASON FOLD is a very picturesque venue with a large grass hill on one side. The pitch is fully railed, but there is no cover. There was a range of merch but the best thing was the great selection of food and drink, which the club looked to do well from. The only let-down was the parking; there was no car park that I could see, with the ground hidden down a footpath. It's advised to park up on the main road due to the territorial local residents.

Eagley - Eagley Sports Complex

Eagley FC

Eagley Sports Complex

Dunscar Bridge

Blackburn Road (A666)

Bolton

Greater Manchester

BL7 9PF

Official Website

Twitter

Ground Number: 1579

Sunday 30th August 2026

Eagley 2-2 Hurst Green

West Lancs Premier

EAGLEY FC - A BRIEF HISTORY

Although another Eagley club existed from 1875 until 1887, this club was established in 1952 and was originally known as Eagley Mills. They stuck with local leagues at first, playing in the Manchester League and Bolton Combination. Eagley joined the West Lancs in 1988, starting in Division 2 and winning the title in 1991. A 3rd place finish in 1994 was a good achievement, especially after a three-point deduction. The division was renamed the Premier in 1998, and in 2004 they were runners-up to Kirkham & Wesham (now AFC Fylde). Eagley finished bottom of the league in 2017 and were relegated to Division 1. They'd have to wait until 2024 to win promotion back as champions. Last season they won the Premier Division but did not have the facilities to accept promotion.

The previous version of the club played in the FA Cup in the late 1800s but failed to win a game. Local cup wins include four Bolton Hospital Cups and the Lancashire Amateur Shield in 1960. From December 2013 to 2014, the club was managed by former Wales and Wigan Athletic striker Simon Haworth. The village of Eagley is near Bolton in Greater Manchester.  Historically part of Lancashire, it lies on the southern slopes of the West Pennine Moors. Eagley Brook passes through the village and runs by Eagley Mills, which are now converted flats which overlook the river. The population, including the nearby Sharples area, is around 8,400.

MY VISIT

Thanks to Colin, this had been a good value weekend, potential ramifications of a speeding fine permitting. I had split the costs as follows. Friday was the petrol and servicing costs of getting to the hotel - that was £21. Saturday was the costs of the petrol and servicing to get to the Friday and Saturday games - as we had Boston fan Shaun with us, that worked out at £13 each between two games. Today's costs were what I paid for the hotel room - a shade over £180 - £90 each or £30 a game. Finally, tomorrow's games would be Sunday's and Monday's car costs - still to be determined. Either way, it worked out very reasonable per game due to the volume of games, which is the whole purpose of the organised hop.

From the game at Stoneclough, it was a fairly slow drive to Eagley due to going through a busy area. We were there at 1.15; the parking was well organised but quite tight compared to the previous game. After brilliant sunshine, it was gloomy and drizzly on the journey and at the ground. £5 secured me entry into the game; a chilli beef brisket barm was £5, chocolate cake £3, and a pint of Aspalls was £4.

Eagley were 4th in the table, having won four, drawn two and lost one. Last time out, they beat Astley and Buckshaw 2-0. Hurst Green were 7th and had won three, drawn two and lost two. In their last game, they'd won 6-0 at CMB. It was an all-female refereeing team for this game, which was rather unique. Hurst Green had the better of the first half and the home keeper was rather erratic. However, it was Eagley that took the lead on 42 minutes with an excellent shot that flew into the net. Half-time came, and Hurst Green continued to push after the break, hitting the bar and forcing a good save out of the keeper. Despite this, Eagley rode their luck and doubled their lead on 65 minutes, a good passing move and a shot that went in off the right-hand post. Hurst Green got the goals they deserved near the end, both of them coming in injury time. I was up the other end waiting to go to the next game, so I didn't have the best view, but I know that one was scored by their impressive #9.

 

THE GROUND

EAGLEY SPORTS COMPLEX is a decent venue for step 7. The pitch is fully railed with dugouts but there is no cover pitch side. There is some in the bar, which is just set back from the pitch behind one goal. This is a decent place, well-priced pints served in a nice atmosphere. Food is also good, an interesting range of options for the groundhop. A few merchandise options were also available. There is a reasonably sized car park at the ground with plenty more nearby.

Stoneclough - Fox Park

Stoneclough FC

Fox Park

Brook Street

Stoneclough

Kearsley

M26 1GF

West Lancs Page

Facebook

Ground Number: 1578

Sunday 30th August 2026

Stoneclough 3-2 Chipping

West Lancs D1

STONECLOUGH FC - A BRIEF HISTORY

The club was established in 1986 and spent its first fifteen years in the Bolton Combination, during which it lifted the Premier Division title twice. When the league folded in 2001, they made the step up to the West Lancashire League, joining Division 2. In 2005, they were promoted after finishing as runners-up to Haslingden St Mary's on goal difference, following a three-point deduction for player registration issues.  Stoneclough then won the Division 1 title in 2008 to reach the Premier Division. They spent four seasons here, with two 12th-place finishes representing the best in the club's history. The club suffered two successive relegations in 2021 & 2013, dropping to Division 2. After two more disappointing seasons, they bounced back in 2016, finishing 3rd behind CMB and Milnthorpe Corinthians to earn promotion. Results over the two pandemic seasons saw the club relegated to Division 2 in 2021. They came back up last season after finishing as runners-up to Fulwood Amateurs Reserves.

The village of Stoneclough is located near Bolton. It lies along the River Irwell, southeast of Bolton and near Kearsley and Ringley. Stoneclough means stony ravine from the Old English words stan meaning stony and cloh meaning a ravine. Historically part of Lancashire, it grew around local industrial and mining roots. Historically part of Lancashire, there are several listed buildings and recognised ancient monuments in the villages, including Ringley Old Bridge, the village stocks, Kearsley Mill, St Saviour's Church and clock tower and the large stone railway bridge on the Manchester to Bolton railway line. The disused Manchester, Bolton and Bury Canal also passes through this area. The area is served by Kearsley railway station (formerly named Stoneclough railway station), which is on the Manchester to Preston Line (via Bolton) railway line.

MY BLOG

It had been a lovely afternoon at Holker Old Boys with such a wonderful club. Less so, elsewhere. Wycombe Wanderers have a terrible record at Edgeley Park, Stockport, just one win in 15 visits, and I remember attending an especially galling 6-0 defeat there in the pouring rain. Today was not much better as Wycombe were thumped 5-1 and the performance sounded every bit as bad as the result would suggest. The irony of the only win, a thumping 5-0 under club legend Matt Bloomfield, was not lost, as the same people who have cocked up the recruitment and wasted millions were also the ones who destroyed what we had by forcing the manager out. On a personal level, I was also worried about potential points on my driving licence which were probably picked up near Newby Bridge on the A590. It was easy to see how I missed the limit drop from 60 to 40 as it was very much an area with absolutely nothing at the side of the road to indicate a drop in the limit. I will take my punishment if it happens, but it put a damper on the weekend. Something that non-drivers who are lucky enough to get lifts don't have to put up with, of course, but I'd not be without my car out of choice. We stopped for petrol in Milnthorpe and got back to the hotel at 6.40.

Shaun had already opted for a night in, and Colin wanted a rest, and so we went back to the room for a while. I had a pint whilst I caught up with things. I felt a bit better as we headed out, walking the half hour to Blackrod station. Back at our hotel, yet another wedding party looked as if they were having a good time; good luck to them. Colin helped me for once, with his disabled railcard; the return fare was only £4 and got us into Bolton just before 8.30. We walked to the Spinning Mule Spoons where I had ten chicken wings, some half-price cider festival leftovers and a pint of Stowford Press. Bolton fans have always been first class when they've played Wycombe, nice and friendly and none of the superior attitude of the other big teams. There were a fair few hoppers in the pub, so I assume the hotel the coach party was at was nearby. It was the usual good-natured atmosphere, but knowing I had better drink back in the room, we left at 9.35, fed and watered. An hour later, after a train and a walk, we were back at the room. I had a couple more and got a good night's sleep.

 

Waking at 8, I had a shower and got ready before it was time to leave at 9.35. We met Shaun in reception and made our way to the game. Despite it only being a 13-minute journey, Colin managed to fall asleep on the way and then had to go back to the car when we got to the ground as he'd left his phone behind. Everything was well organised, with parking in the local business park a short walk away. It seemed very busy, even an hour before kickoff. £6 was the most expensive entry of the hop so far. Although, to be fair, it included a programme which I didn't pick up as I thought it was extra. My fault, but then all these hops are about helping out clubs that don't usually charge for entry.

Stoneclough were 4th in the table and had won four, drawn one and lost two so far. They had a perfect record at home, winning all four games. In their last game, they'd beaten Ulverston 4-2. Their home record would be severely tested by Chipping, who topped the league with six wins and a defeat. Last time out, they beat Holker Old Boys Reserves 4-1. It was a fairly even opening; Stoneclough forced the first save on 4 minutes with a decent shot. On 10 minutes, it was 1-0 to Chipping, a great free kick from 30 yards by Edmundson. Another good goal made it 1-1 on 14 minutes, a good low shot by Greenhalgh from outside the area which found the bottom corner. The attendance was announced as 324, the bright sunny weather suiting a decent game. On 36 minutes, Stoneclough led 2-1, taking advantage of hesitation in defence for Howlin to finish from the edge of the area, a very well taken goal. A good shot from out wide by Hewitt made it 2-2 on 72 minutes. Stoneclough led 3-2 on 79 minutes; a great corner was volleyed in from a tight angle with a great finish for Howlin's brace. By this point, Stoneclough were down to ten men with Bentley sent off for a second booking.

 

THE GROUND 

FOX PARK is a great ground for the level, the best thing being the scenery with high trees on three sides. Half of the ground is closed off. There is a small wooden stand which is uncovered and a gazebo which provides cover. They had basic food and drink on sale as well as merch. The ground was used as a filming location for Netflix drama The English Game.