Wythenshawe - Hollyhedge Park

Wythenshawe FC

Community Stadium

Hollyhedge Park

Altrincham Road

Sharston

Wythenshawe

Manchester 

M22 4US

0161 428 0517

Official Website

Twitter

Ground Number: 1450
Saturday 19th July 2025

Wythenshawe 4-1 Wythenshawe Town

Friendly

WYTHENSHAWE FC - A BRIEF HISTORY

The club was established in 1946 under the name Wythenshawe Lads Club. They joined the Manchester Federation of Lads' Clubs League. In 1949, the players became too old for the league, leading the club to form an adult side that entered the South Manchester and Wythenshawe League. The club also changed its name to Wythenshawe Amateurs. After a series of promotions, the club became Division One champions in 1953. Following this, Wythenshawe joined the Altrincham & District League, where they played for one season before switching to Division 3A of the Lancashire & Cheshire League. They won this and were runners-up in Division 3 the following season, to win promotion to Division 2. A third consecutive promotion followed in 1957, and they then went on to win the Division 1 title in 1962.

In 1972, the club joined Division 1 of the Manchester League and won it at the first attempt. In 1985, Wythenshawe were Premier Division runners-up to Maine Road before winning the title in 1990. A further title followed in 1993, along with a colossal nine runner-up spots. After the final one of these, promotion was secured to the North West Counties League in 2018. Five good seasons were enjoyed in Division 1 South before they won the title in 2023, following a loss in the playoffs to FC Isle of Man the previous season. That summer, they dropped the 'Amateurs' suffix to become Wythenshawe. In 2024, they made it two titles in a row as they won the North West Counties Premier. However, they only lasted one season in the NPL D1 West, being relegated back to step 5 long before the season ended.

A few unsuccessful FA Cup campaigns have been embarked upon. The 1984/85 season saw them have their best run in the FA Vase as they beat Rylands, Chadderton, Emley, Buckingham Town and Rushall Olympic before a defeat to eventual winners Halesowen Town in the 5th Round. Local cup wins include the NWCFL Division One South Champions Cup in 2023, seven Manchester League Gilgryst Cups and the Norman Noden Memorial Invitation Cup, as well as many Lancashire & Cheshire League cups. Their biggest attendance of 1,450 came against local rivals Wythenshawe Town for a league match on Boxing Day 2023. Around three miles separate the two rivals' grounds.

 

MY VISIT

This game was the whole reason that I was going on this trip. A noon kickoff allowed me to get a double in, and it was a cracking local derby too. It had always been high on my list, as Groundhop UK had done it on a previous hop. Combined with the fact that I was in Silsden the previous evening, this meant that it was the perfect time to go. We got back to our campsite around ten. The nearby road was still very noisy, so a couple of pints hardly made a dent in my consciousness. I could have got blotto, but I wasn't really in the mood, and I'd had enough to shake off the rust. It was a lousy night's sleep, though with the traffic noise and sharing a tent with a gorilla but I must have got a few hours in. I woke up to see a brown stain on Colin's leg that most definitely wasn't fake tan. Rather than clean himself, he said his trousers would cover it up and he'd sort it out when he got home. 

Around 7, I got up and freshened up and spent an hour relaxing before packing everything away and leaving at 8.45. It was a slow journey at first, which killed the fuel economy, but we soon got on the motorway. We were at Eccles at 10.05 and I tried to do the right thing by paying to park. However, the machine was not working properly, and the Ringo app wouldn't let me register. I spent ten minutes cursing at the machine before giving up and parking in Morrisons. I'm fearful of a fine turning up as it's probably deliberately set up to catch people out with ANPR, and the DVLA give details out to any old shyster. The Eccles Cross was a smallish Spoons but a good place for a breakfast muffin with an energy drink. By luck, I'd already filled up with petrol on the way at Sainsbury's and it was by far the cheapest in the area. From there, it was 20 minutes drive to Wythenshawe with us parking in a side street for a quick getaway and paying £7 to get in. I then went to the bar, getting a pint of Strongbow Dark Fruits for the souvenir glass. Colin had another entitled whine at the bar lady using coarse language as if the world revolves around him. I thought it was a lovely place, albeit it would have been nice to get some extra merch.

The game kicked off 22 minutes late for whatever reason. I was hoping it wasn't anything bad, but no communication was offered by the club, which was disappointing. They'd been excellent on Twitter but had clammed up once lineups had been announced. Town dominated early on, but the Ammies had the first chance, having a close-range finish disallowed for an infringement. On 24 minutes, the home side took the lead, a good charging run forward and a shot in the top of the net from outside of the area by Darius Palma. I had taken shelter at the back of the stand by now, and with the late kickoff, was considering giving it a miss. Just before half time, it was 2-0 with a low shot from Steven Hewitt from just inside the area. The second half kicked off at 1.24. On 58 minutes, it was 3-0, another low shot. It was then 4-0 on 73 minutes, a curling shot in off the post. Town reduced the arrears to make it 4-1 on 78 minutes, netting a penalty.

 

Usually, the one time I never have issues finding a game is Saturday at 3 PM. But this week was different, with me coming from the Wythenshawe derby at 12. But for some reason, they were scarce this week, despite Futbology giving me false hope. First off, I had Middlewich Town v Alsager Town down. That would have been perfect on the way home with a 3 PM kickoff, but Futbology had it wrong. Next up was Atherton Laburnum Rovers, which was in the wrong direction, but I already had a blog done, thanks to the weather ruining my previous two visits. They were scheduled to kick off at 2:30 against Ashton Town in the Atherton Charity Cup. But that proved to be incorrect, too, clarified by their helpful and friendly Twitter. I was really hoping for Eccleshall or Sandbach to further catch up with Groundhop UK in the North West Counties League. But it wasn't happening with so many sides resting their pitches at this time of year. I had to settle for a 2 PM game and have to miss the first few minutes. Futbology had it listed as Poynton, which was perfect, as I had already done a blog for them. I was due to visit back in March, but I switched to Whalley Bridge at the last minute because the public transport links were better. However, even that turned out to be a false hope, with the game being played at Whalley Range. But with little else on, I decided to stick with it as it was also a cup final. But in the end, it was not to be, with the late kick-off and other factors, I decided to head home instead. It was frustrating, but I welcomed the relaxing evening at home.

 

THE GROUND

HOLLYHEDGE PARK is a fairly basic venue but has a good vibe to it. The ground is open aside from a decent stand along the side. Thr comprises a mixture of benches and seats for 200, plus room for another 100 behind standing. The bar is a lovely place for a pint, and they have branded plastic cups. Not the greatest range for cider drinkers, but an excellent-looking food menu was available. More simple food and hot and soft drinks were available outside. Sadly, no merch was available. Parking was decent, though chargeable. Free street parking was also available, and buses ran close by. It is a friendly club to visit and well worth a hop.

Silsden - The Regal Interiors Stadium

Silsden FC

The Regal Interiors Stadium

Keighley Road

Silsden

Keighley

BD20 0EH

Official Website

Twitter

Ground Number: 1449

Friday 18th July 2025

Silsden 1-1 Curzon Ashton

Friendly

SILSDEN FC - A BRIEF HISTORY

The club was established in 1904, adopting the blue and white colours of a recently defunct rugby team and also taking over the vacated ground. They still play on the field today, albeit with the pitch being moved. The club joined the Keighley & District League and won it in 1909 and 1915, with a short spell in the Bradford & District League sandwiched in between. Following the end of the war, Silsden became a founder member of the West Riding League, but their stay here was short-lived, and they led a nomadic existence, league-wise. Success came with the Airedale & Craven League title in 1932, their third Keighley & District title in 1940 and the Craven League in 1964. The 1970s saw West Riding County Amateur and three West Yorkshire League titles. The 1980s saw turbulent times with the club going into abeyance for a couple of short periods owing to ground, financial and player availability issues. The end of the 90s saw a sustained period of success. Silsden were Craven League runners-up in 1997 and Division 1 runners-up in 1998. The Premier Division title followed in 1999, and with it, promotion to the West Riding County Amateur League. Division 2 and Division 1 titles followed in 2000 and 2001 to make it five successive promotions. In 2002, Silsden were runners-up to Brighouse Town in the Premier Division before they won the title two seasons in a row.

Elevation to the North West Counties League was achieved in 2004, thanks to a groundsharing agreement with local rugby side Keighley Cougars. Starting in the league's second tier, they finished as runners-up to Cammell Laird in their first season. Eleven seasons were spent in the top tier, with the best finish of 9th coming in 2009 and a move back to their refurbished ground the following year. After relegation from the Premier Division in 2018, Silsden won the Division 1 title two years later. In 2019, the club was switched to the NCEL Premier, and after a series of mid-table finishes, they won the title last season. They will play at step 4 for the first time this season as members of the NPL D1 West.

Silsden have had twenty FA Cup campaigns but have only gone as far as the 1st Qualifying Round twice.  In 2023, they had a good FA Vase run, beating Newcastle Blue Star, Billingham Synthonia, Redcar Athletic, Abbey Hey and Newcastle University before they lost to Hallam in the 4th Round. Recent local cup honours include three West Riding County Challenge Cups, two Northern Plant Hire Cups and five Keighley Cups, although many more competitions were won in earlier years. The ground's record attendance of 1,125 came for a 2011 friendly game against Bradford City.

The town of Silsden is located near Keighley and the city of Bradford. It has a population of around 8,500. It has a history in milling and nailmaking. These latter "cobbler's nails" gave Silsden its nickname of "Cobbydale". The Leeds and Liverpool Canal became a key element of local infrastructure upon its completion in 1816. Silsden was then connected to both a significant manufacturing city (Leeds) and a major ocean port (Liverpool) by canal. Canal boats allowed for the cheap transportation of bulk goods, especially coal and wool, to the area.

Bonaparte's Restaurant, on Kirkgate, was the subject of the first-ever episode of Gordon Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares in 2004. After the show aired, the restaurant's owner, Sue Ray, threatened to take legal action against Ramsay, Channel 4 and the programme makers, Optomen, after claiming that the show put her £400,000 in debt. The young 21-year-old chef Tim Gray also became famous when he burnt some things, undercooked others and couldn't even cook an omelette. The most famous scene was when he fed Ramsay a rancid scallop, causing him to be sick. A few years later, Gray was caught drink-driving and blamed the show for ruining his life. 

MY VISIT

I was always keen to treat myself on my birthday weekend, and the fact that there was a derby between Wythenshawe and Wythenshawe Town. With me having visited the away side for a similar early kickoff and the hosts having already been on the North West Counties Hop, it meant that it would be a useful tick. I just needed something for Friday night and was presented with a number of options. I wouldn't have minded Guilsfield or Ruthin in the Welsh Cup, but the nearest campsites were miles away. Colin had agreed to come along, and we agreed that camping was a good way to save money. Silsden was perfect in that respect, as the nearest site was a ten-minute walk from the ground. The only let down was no decent pubs, so I'd take my own and save money. The clincher was an amenable campsite owner who was happy to let me leave it until the last minute to book. This was important with some friendlies often being cancelled at short notice.

From our game at Westwood Wanderers, Colin and I drove home. It was a far more pleasant trip than the one on the way there. It was a bit of a diversion to drop Colin off, but the buses were infrequent at this time of night. I dropped him off at 22.15 and arrived home 15 minutes later. It was hard to get to sleep as we had done a lot of talking and planning for a September trip up north. It was the usual groggy Wednesday at work, though as ever it was my short day. In the evening, I started my blogs and seeing that the website I use for camping wasn't accepting bookings for the next day, I got Friday booked just in case. Thursday was a busy day at work and a frustrating afternoon owing to my intended second game on Saturday not going ahead. I eventually found something and was tempted to treat myself to a drink. I got as far as getting the bottle out of the garage and into the kitchen, but then decided to wait until Friday.

My spirits were lifted in the evening when I watched Haverfordwest v Floriana on S4C's English stream. The Welsh side raced into a 2-0 lead, but some strange refereeing decisions, especially a sending off and a penalty, saw the Maltese side take control and win. It was a cracking game though, the first live TV game aside from Wycombe that I've watched since I watched Connah's Quay v Bravo last year. It was a fairly early night as I knew I'd be driving after work. I filled up with petrol before work and was a couple of minutes late. It was the usual busy Friday and I wasn't a huge fan of working on my birthday but at least it wasn't as bad as 2002 when a manager that looked and sounded like Jeanette Krankie gave me a disciplinary for some trivial offence and cost me my yearly bonus. I got a meal deal and got changed and was out about 1.10. I'd rather have left early to be honest, but no chance on a Friday.

 

I met Colin outside and the journey prognosis did not look great. It was worse than expected, 20 minutes out of Wycombe when it usually takes a few minutes thanks to the traffic light phasing being changed. Then, off the M40 early through Banbury and finally on the M1 there were delays. We got to our campsite at 6 by which point, I had been working for 14 hours. Colin had an upset stomach and refused to throw his boxers away despite the stains so I pitched the tent while he washed them. Originally, he wanted to chuck them in my boot and sort them when he got home, but that wasn't happening. Personally, I'd have thrown them away. The friendly campsite owner came and said hello. After all the other bits, it was 6.30 by the time we left, and I poured myself a pint of cider to drink on the way. Colin went straight to the ground whilst I headed to Sid's Kitchen, where I had Masalla Chips and a samosa in hot gravy for £8.90. Both were excellent as I walked back to the ground. It was £6 in and £3.80 for a pint of Cold River Cider. Not quite Spoons prices but still great value.

 

I went outside for the game. I'd got a goal in minute 68 on the Golden Goal. Curzon Ashton in a nice purple kit were well on top, but they were wasteful, much to the delight of the young Silsden fans behind the goal who gave their team excellent vocal backing all night. Curzon Ashton also had a goal adjudged offside on five minutes. Finally, on 27 minutes, the pressure told. Curzon Ashton played a good through ball and a Crispin McClean finish beyond the keeper made it 0-1. They also hit the bar a couple of times, including right on half-time. A load of Curzon Ashton changes killed the game. However, in the last minute, Silsden equalised from the spot, much to the delight of the young ultras. It had been a bit of a rush before the game, but I was looking forward to relaxing while doing my blog. Thankfully, my car seat showed no signs of Colin's antics earlier.

THE GROUND 

THE REGAL INTERIORS STADIUM is set in lovely countryside and rolling hills. However, it is still close to a nice town which has limited pubs but some great takeaways. Sid's Kitchen is very decent. Back at the ground is a nice bar and basic food, including pies. There are two small stands, one seated and one standing, holding around 150 each. There's plenty of parking, and it's also close to bus stops, with a train station serving the town.