TT No.50: Mike Latham - Monday 10 September 2007:
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With the nights drawing in the chances of finding an early evening kick-off appeared remote until a search of the excellent North Lancashire & District League website proved otherwise.
The internet has been a boon for leagues such as this, enabling them to post fixtures, results, tables and ground directions in a clear and easy-to-find fashion and advertise their games to a wider audience.
The directions were spot-on: straight into Lancaster City Centre, turn left by Waterstones, follow the road past the railway station to the end, turn right and the Coronation Field home of Marsh United FC is on your left on
There is a small changing pavilion, decked out with a sign in the club’s smart yellow and black colours and the pitch, not roped-off but in a good condition is alongside. The surroundings are interesting- a row of grey stone pebble-dashed houses behind a hedge on one side with a storage depot behind the far goal. Another football field borders the nearside touchline and a children’s play area is behind the other goal with spectacular views across to sloping terraced houses up the hill towards the city centre.
On a beautifully sunny evening a decent-sized crowd lines the touchline for the 6-15pm kick-off. Play is fast and frenetic, played hard but fair with a sprinkling of skill outweighed by perspiration. Well refereed by a tolerant official, who somewhat reluctantly has to book two players in the second half- one for repeated transgressions, the other for a bad foul, it looks as though one goal will be enough to settle this robust encounter. Sure enough the goal comes midway through the second half, the Galgate substitute scoring with his first touch- a low shot that squirms underneath the goalkeeper’s despairing dive. Though Marsh press late on the visitors dig deep and survive one or two late scares to take all three points as darkness falls..
Sadly no programme or refreshment facilities are available but rather like the neighbouring Westmorland League this is a players’ league. It’s an interesting way to spend a late summer’s evening and the league is certainly well worth supporting for those travellers not bothered about programmes or other facilities.
contributed on 11/09/07