Eccleshall - Pershall Park

Eccleshall FC

Stoke Signage Stadium

Chester Road (corner of Smithy Lane)

Eccleshall

Staffordshire

ST21 6NE

01785 851351

Official Website

Twiiter

Ground Number: 1471

Saturday 6th September 2025

Eccleshall 3-1 Barnton
North West Counties South

ECCLESHALL FC - A BRIEF HISTORY

The club was established in 1971 with involvement from the staff at Eccleshall Secondary School and was originally named Eccleshall Old Boys. They joined the Mid-Staffordshire League, and in 1974, they finished as Division 3 runners-up, going up to Division 2. They adopted their current name the following year and joined the Staffordshire County League in 1979. After earning promotion to the Premier Division in 1981, they won the title outright in 1984. Over that summer, Eccleshall became a founder member of the Staffordshire Senior League. They won the title in 1990, and then in 1994, the league changed its name to the Midland League. Further titles came in 2002 & 2003. Having previously not taken promotion, Eccleshall made the step up to the North West Counties League in 2003. They have been in the league's second tier ever since. Last season saw a best-ever finish of 5th before they lost 5-0 to Abbey Hulton United in the playoff semi-finals.

Eccleshall entered the FA Cup every season between 2005 & 2012. Their best run came in 2010 when they beat Southam before a significant giant-killing over local side Leek Town. Their run came to an end in the 1st Qualifying Round with a 5-0 defeat to Coalville Town. They have also twice reached the FA Vase 2nd Round.  Local cup honours for Eccleshall include the Staffordshire County League May Bank Cup in 1984, two Mid-Staffordshire Leagues and the Staffordshire FA Vase in 2003. The club's record attendance was 2,011 in a November 2005 game against FC United of Manchester, played at Stafford Rangers. At their own ground they had a crowd of 475 for a Staffordshire League Cup game against Stoke City in 2019. Notable players to have represented the club include former Mansfield midfielder Wayne Corden and non-league journeyman Anthony Malbon.

The Staffordshire town of Eccleshall has a population of 6,500. It is located seven miles northwest of Stafford and six miles west-southwest of Stone. Eccleshall is twinned with Sancerre in France. According to the Domesday Book, Eccleshall in 1086 was no more than a small village of about one hundred inhabitants. A few fragments of stone at the base of the tower of the present Parish Church of Holy Trinity suggest that a stone church was in existence about this time, and the base of a 10th-century cross still stands outside the church. Eccleshall became important as a market town for the surrounding area. In 1153, it was granted the right to hold a weekly market. Around the beginning of the 13th century, the village had become a town with the granting of ‘Borough’ status, and by 1259 had obtained a charter to hold an annual fair at Ascensiontide. For three centuries, leather working and shoemaking had been important domestic industries in Eccleshall, but by the end of the 19th century, both had almost ceased, with the growth of the mechanised shoe factories in nearby Stafford.

Some pictures of the ground that I took on the way to Stockport County 4-3 Wycombe Wanderers on Saturday, 27th February 2010. It would take me a year or so to take up Groundhopping properly, and I wish I'd started earlier.

MY VISIT

A few weeks ago, I pencilled in a Rushall Olympic U21 and Eccleshall double. Colin was quite keen to visit the former, and I had not been there for over 12 years. The ground had changed a bit since I had been there, thanks to some seasons at a higher level and the installation of a 3G pitch. The Midland U21 League was perfect in that respect as it allowed us to get a double in. For the second game, I had narrowed it down to two grounds that I had missed on previous North West Counties Hops. As well as Charnock Richard and Pilkington in the North, there were Sandbach United and Eccleshall. These were the two most sensible options, and the Eccleshall game won out of the two on distance. It was also impossible to do on public transport with the next buses back to Stafford after the game being on Monday morning. There was also the bonus of a possible Wetherspoons tick in Stafford, too. The thing that sealed it was Wycombe's awful style of football and huge player turnover. With no season ticket, there was no need to commit to something I don't enjoy, so I'd be missing the Mansfield home game.

From our game in Harleston, it was a two-and-a-half-hour drive home. Greatest Hits Radio 80s made the journey fly by. Colin was his standard self, talking incessantly for the first half of the journey until his batteries ran out, and then sleeping until home. I dropped him off at midnight and got home myself fifteen minutes later. I watched Corrie, got my blog up and had a cider, getting into bed well before my 2 am target. It was a patchy night's sleep, and I woke just before my 7 am alarm. After getting ready and having breakfast, I was out by 7.35. It was a good journey up to Rushall, covered elsewhere in this blog. It was a delayed journey to Stafford, only slightly though, due to roadworks. I needed some bits, so we parked in Asda and walked to Wetherspoons 434, The Picture House. It was a grand old building and a good place for a buffalo burger and a bottle of Aspalls for £11.72. It was all good, and from there we headed back to the car. I got my rum, oatcakes, fruit and sweets before heading to the ground, 25 minutes drive away. It was a £7 entry fee, and the place had changed a lot since my visit for photos fifteen years ago.

 

Eccleshall were 8th in the table, having won three and lost two of their games so far. They'd lost 2-0 at New Mills in their last game, ending a three-game winning run. Barnton were in 6th, having won four, drawn one and lost one. Last time out, they won 2-0 at Cheadle Heath Nomads, their third win in a row in all competitions. Eccleshall started on fire and were ahead in the opening minute through a well-worked move finished off by Aiden Braxton-Lloyd. On 24 minutes, it was 2-0, a corner from the left was headed home from six yards by Nicky Parker. On the half hour, it was 3-0 as the Barnton defence switched off and the ball was poked home by Ben Marshall. Colin was asleep twenty minutes into the game, and it appeared as if the visitors were likewise. Colin finally woke and joined me in the wooden seats behind the goal, the best place to watch in my opinion. Barnton were better in the second half and they pulled a goal back on 77 minutes, Joel Hind bundling home from close range.

 

THE GROUND 

THE STOKE SIGNAGE STADIUM or PERSHALL PARK is a decent stadium with many unique touches. There is cover on three sides. Firstly, in front of the clubhouse, holding around 50 people, with the seating stretching around the corner. This area of cover also has a small area for standing plus some wooden seats which are more comfortable and spacious. On the far side are two smaller, newer stands with small capacities, one seated, one standing. 

There is a good range of food, thanks to their new kitchen. Highlights include pizzas, paninis, chips and chocolate brownies, the latter of which I tried and was excellent for £1. The bar is quite limited, with cans of beer and soft drinks. They also sell pin badges, which are the only merch I saw at the ground. Car parking is plentiful, but the public transport is abysmal. Even if you walk a mile to the bus stop, the last one I could see to Stafford via Stone was 13:50; otherwise, wait until 7.30 on Monday morning. Overall, though, the ground is well worth a visit if you drive.