Wigan Robins v Padiham Storks. It's a birds and booze fest... well we'll be having a couple before the game

Padiham centre - looks a decent gaff



And if it thaws Padiham FC cometh to the Stadio de Robin Park this Saturday. And they come riding high in second place five points and two places above the Robins.

And they haven't lost since 13th September 2008 and have got summat like 41 goals. Paul Fildes has ten of them and won the Vodkat League Division One Player of the Month Award last month. Padiham's boss Graham Haworth lavished praise on prolific striker Paul Fildes – whose November goalscoring exploits - in the Lancashire Telegraph

Fildes hit the scoresheet in seven of Padiham’s last eight games last month, scoring 12 in total, including a superb hat-trick at AFC Liverpool.

“Paul’s made a difference to us,” said Haworth, “He’s a real goal threat and he stretches teams a lot with his pace.

Hmmm the bit about the pace is a bit worrying but... we'll worry about that on the day. And may the best team win - as long as they play in red and white!

If Padiham are on a good run at the moment they've had a good run as a football club. Last month they celebrated their 130th birthday.

Here's the Wiganpedia blurb

When the club was formed in 1878 it was among the first football clubs in Lancashire and was well supported, attracting an attendance of 9000 for a match against neighbours Burnley in 1884.[1] At this time Padiham's ground was on the banks of the River Calder, hence the nickname, The Caldersiders.

Padiham was one of the first clubs to support the legalisation of professional football. However, this backfired as they were unable to compete with clubs in larger towns such as Blackburn, and the club folded in 1916. The club lost their ground during World War I and lay dormant until after the end of the Second World War.

Then in 1949 the club was resurrected with the opening of the Arbories Memorial Sports Ground. A crowd of 1,777 turned up to see their opening fixture of the season in the Lancashire Combination Football League.

They became founder members of the North West Counties Football League in 1982 but left the league in 1990. They returned in 2001 after spending £300,000 on upgrading the Arbories Memorial Sports Ground and finished in the top four of the second division in 2003 and 2005.

So all told a pretty good old club. As for the town well it sits on the River Calder and is three miles from Burnley and sits in the shadows of Pendle Hill.



There will be witches in them there hills

photo nicked from Cheadle Town lads (I'll get you a beer next week....)

Padiham (H) League, th'athletics stadium Sat 3 Jan 2009 3.00pm - £3.50 to geet in.

Wigan down the bads, while Bootle and AFC Liverpool serve up a derby thriller

Hail Ryan Small - Wigan's best midfielder - apart from the fact he wasn't Corcy was but... and two absolutely superb goals that downed a spirited Ashton Town side in the Pie Classico.

Well I'm told they were absolutely superb goals but if you will score them on 45 and 51 minutes and the bar is open do you really expect the Wigan Robin Bastards to see them.

Here's what the offish site says about 'em

39 min - Ryan Small (8/10)
Ryan Small fired home from close range with a superb headed goal, following a cross from Danny Worthington.

47 min - Ryan Small (10/10)
A mind-blowing team goal, finished off by Ryan Small with a left footed conversion from long range, following a Andrew Miller pass

All-in-all it was a tough hard-earned victory. Ashton looked a different side to the one that was gobbled up 6-1 by Hurrricane Maurice down at the Stadio de Robin Park yonks back. That said the Robins looked a little rusty but in the end it was job well done and a special pat on the back for the aforementioned Jon Corcoran who battled through the sand and slope of the Edge Green Street to control the midfield.


Jon Corcoran



Anyroad the beer in the Cross Keys was good, the club's weren't too bad either and the after-match chilli was alright 'n all - so job's a good 'un!

The next day I took in the Bootle v AFC Liverpool game and what a fantastic advert for the NWCL it was. Over 700 watching and a 4-3 win for AFC. Not that it was really deserved but good luck to them as they took their chances whilst Bootle didn't. The game had everything: an own goal, goalkeeping gaffs, a cracker from the half way line and a great finish. Plus as we've lost twice to Bootle we were hoping for an AFC win as we have a chance of clawing three points back off them. That said great hospitality from Bootle, good pies and beer at £2 a pint.


Photo nicked off the AFC Liverpool site

The victory restored AFC's lead at the top of the table that they had lost to Padiham - our opponents this coming Saturday: a game that looks like being a blinder ...

Padiham (H) League, th'athletics stadium Sat 3 Jan 2009 3.00pm - £3.50 to geet in.
Preview later in the week

Ashes to Ashton: It's the Pie Classico as Town take on Wigan Robins

ASHTON = Really classy women and race courses

Oh and Eddie Arrows, and the the Brian Boru and two pubs called the Cross Keys and the Tom and Jerry and the coal field was once part of St Helens and half the town is part of St Helens and the other half support Liverpool. Well they watch Latics now but they really support Liverpool...

And there are two semi-pro teams. Ashton Athletic and Ashton Town. And Garswood United if you want to support them but for now we are interested in Ashton Town FC.

And they play near the Cross Keys pub - the Cross Keys pub near Stubshaw Cross that is. They play in red and on Boxing Day the Robins make the quick dash from the Bath Springs to Edge Green Road.

Town are struggling at the bottom but as "Adam was a lad" when the Robins last played who knows what will happen. Add in to this the local derby factor, a heavy pitch, probably, too much stuffing, WII injuries, Sound of Music overkill...

Kick -off is 3pm, the pies will be hot, the beer will cure the hangover and well it sure beats dressing up in fancy dress and acting like a mong?



The hand of Eddie Arrows

I'm dreaming of a Wigan WN5 Christmas

It\'s Christmassssssssssssssssssssssssssss.............sssssssssssssssss

There doesn't appear to be any football so welcome to the festive WN5 district of Wigan and The Mudhutter's Christmas Special.

As well as the tinsel and mistletoe stuff we've a load of the usual - just check the December file for all other articles. We'll alter the order around a bit over the next month or so to keep it fresh but for now Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from all at Mudhuts Media and Bobbin Along

You can find The Mudhutter @ www.themudhutter.blogspot.com or click image to the right

All contributions welcome (deadline for next issue 27 January 2009) and you can get them through to us at

vaughanie@mudhutsmedia.co.uk


Meanwhile a thought for Christmas











Oh soulless town, oh dreary place,
bequeathed its charm and sold its face,
a chain-store culture with no grace,
enveloped you at such a pace.

Arcade so new, but not so grand,
you stole my home and raped the land,
snatching childhood from my hand,
replaced by all I cannot stand.

Blue fronts, green fronts, fronts the same,
same old culprits, same old names,
comfort lies to heal the lame,
conform their lives to fit the game.

A sinking place, ’neath waters drown,
a subjugated King, no crown,
it‘s with regret that this old town,
is void of culture, going down.

THIS is Wigan

Dirrrrtyoldman
http://thethoughtsofadirrrrtyoldman.blogspot.com/

Daisy Duke, pubs with facebook and the Wigan Robins Weather Check

Double Daisy Duke














According to the ever so reliable metcheck we are told the forecast for Saturday in BL5 - the home of Daisy Hill - from 15.00hrs to 17.59hrs is:

2 degrees C but feeling -4 degrees C
100% Cloud
3.44mm of Heavy Snow
(and the good news) Winds of just 8mph





So it'll be off then!

But if it's not then let's rejoice in this local derby of the Robins versus The Cutters (or Daisies)

A quaint name for a place adjoined to Cayed City but I digress: So what will we find there?

Well the gruesome Wanderers player Nicky Hunt might be home visiting relatives as I believe he was hatched there. There's also a decent cricket pitch - and home of Daisy Hill CC - near the ground.















Add to that the Daisy Hill Hotel that is also known as the Blue Lion and the place is buzzing. In fact the Daisy Hill Hotel that is also known as the Blue Lion has it's own facebook page. Whatever next a facebook page for the Bath Springs? In fact the Daisy Hill Hotel that is also known as the Blue Lion has a discussion on it's own facebook page about who should be barred from the pub. Now if the Bath Springs had it's own facebook page about who should be barred from the pub dare we even guess who might win that prize?

Probably me and I've only been in three times (and not known where I was the first time)...

And that's about all my research (ten minutes on google) tells me. As for the match who knows: Daisy Hill lie in 15th place with 15 points off 15th games which is pretty consistent in one way or another. In fact they they were our last opponents in the league - as way back on the 1st November a 4-2 victory (nil-nil with 22 minutes to go) to the Robins settled the score that day. And it was probably the worst 4-2 match anywhere this season but at least we saw some football... Last week Daisy Hill were beat 2-0 up at Holker Old Boys so we'll see...



Not the football ground









Did I say: "So it'll be off then"?

That was the month that was: waterlogged Wigan pitches and snowy Bacup

Photo courtesy www.nwcfl.co.uk








Now I like my football a bit on the rough side. Give me Springfield Park over Whelan Towers any day. White Hart Lane and Goodison Park are proper grounds. Pride Park and The Riverside are not.

I also have no airs or graces about where I have a bevy or a nosebag. Back streets of Islington before the Kings Road any day. I’ve also a lot more in common – and feel more at home – in Warrington than in Windsor and that is why I – and a good few others are hoping for Fleetwood away in the FA Cup and are loving watching the Robins away from home.

I mean what’s not to like about towns such as Bootle and Bacup and Darwen and Rochdale. Proper rough holes with proper football clubs. Proper football clubs with proper pies and home made soup and Bovril. Even if the girl serving you is likely to have six fingers!!

Then there are the country places. Stone and Eccleshall. I mean: “Who’d live in a place like this?”

Great little grounds like Rochdale Town where the club’s supporters and members have put heart and soul into getting a decent little ground together. No identikit stadia here. A stand (or cover) is built when they can afford it. No undersoil heating for these cold months. If it rains heavily it’s off! But there is no point in complaining as it always used to be like that. Walking up Park Road as kids, sliding on the ice and snow to be faced by the returning fans and: “It’s off lads.

“It’s frozzen solid!”

So off for a bit of mischief in Mesnes Park and a snowball fight with whoever’s about.

And there will be some more games off in the NWCFL in the coming weeks but that’s half the fun of it. Watching football at this level isn’t easy. It’s not meant to be easy. You are not watching a “product”. You’re watching a football match including 22honest players, subs, managers, refs, committee men etc. So if you make the journey and it’s off then you have to accept it. It all adds to the attraction of watching the game. There are no PR leaflets dropping through your door about WRPFC. Unless you count posts on toddler.net drumming (sic) up support. No marketing man’s spunkfest with words such as: Honesty
“Honesty Progression Passion Unity”

And the reason why there isn’t, is because it’s a football club. A bloody proper football club and a bloody good one at that. All those words relate to the Robins and hundreds of other non-league clubs but they don’t need to put them on leaflets advertising the latest kit or credit card or summat.

As I write this, the Robins are second in the league. Sure they’ve played more games than some of the other teams but as the old cliché goes (summat like): it’s better off having the points in the onion bag.

There have been some right goal feasts. Ryan Small (Wigan’s best midfielder?) has a ponfull as does the Bear and Danny Worthington! Proper football – proper players. Give it a try you might just love it. The big game is at the Stadio de Robin Park on 6 December against the mini Koppites AFC Liverpool. They’ll bring a good few so a decent atmosphere should be prevail. But there’s also Daisy Hill and Ashton Town and the inform Padiham (where they will undoubtedly have six fingers and their sister will be their…) and somewhere near Port Vale called Norton United

So it’s onward and upward…

SONG: “Robin Park, Robin Park, charging through the Glen”
PLAYER: Danny Worthington
AWAY: Probably Darwen (but it’s before we’ve gone to press) so Rochdale Town
HOPE: Stay undefeated and easily beat the Scousers
LOOKING FORWARD: Ashton Bads at their gaff

“When the red, red, Robins go bob, bob, bobbin along… We’re the bastards, we’re the bastards…”


This monthly column originally appeared in the Mudhutter Football Express













For more details see www.mudhutsmedia.co.uk