Do not shout it out too loud but on Saturday we travel to top of the league Farsley Celtic. They will not need reminding that last Saturday we travelled to top of the league Warrington. Can lightning strike twice.

In midweek both sides put the league to one side to play cup football. Remember when Farsley visited us recently and beat us 5-0 in the Integro cup. Well last Tuesday they beat Belper 3-1 to now play Trafford in the Integro League Cup final. More importantly for us we knocked out Kidsgrove with a Ben Mills header to book our place in the Staffs Senior Cup final. No date has yet been arranged for the final but keep a look out on 26th of this month as Rushall play Stoke City under 23’s in the other semi-final.

We have come across Farsley Celtic before, but that side came to an unfortunate end as they entered Administration in June 2009 whilst in the Blue Square North, failing fulfil its fixtures and eventually being expelled from that league early in 2010. Our record with that team was a 0-1 away defeat on opening day 2007 and a home defeat 0-2 in the March. Both sides were relegated from the Conference and met again on the opening day in 2008 but we recorded a 1-0 win but lost 4-0 away in December. 2009/10 saw us draw 2-2 at home but on-going financial difficulties saw the Administrators appointed with the club’s results expunged in March 2010 when the Administrator prohibited the club from fulfilling its fixtures, one of them being our away fixture.

One funny anecdote from the old Farsley was that for the segregated away end at half time two guys lifted out the turnstile and allowed fans out to purchase cans of beer out of a car boot.

Farsley AFC were formed in June 2010 from the embers of Farsley Celtic F.C and were placed in the NCEL Premier Division for their first season which turned out to be highly successful with a league and cup double recorded, it appears mainly due to many of the former players remaining loyal to the club. Promotion to the Northern Premier League 1 in 2011/12 saw them secured 4th spot but they failed in the play offs. Consolidation at step 4 then continued until season 2016/17 when they finished runners up to Lancaster and promotion secured. Last season Farsley finished 4th and did the double over us. This season they came to Marston Road in October for the league game and went home with a 3-1 win.

So, come on you Rangers’ fans out there, lets keep this run going and who knows if lightening can strike twice, they there is no reason why we cannot spring yet another surprise. I understand spaces are available on the fans minibus but for independent drivers head for the Throstle nest LS28 5BE. For those going by train, Farsley lies between Leeds and Bradford with New Pudsey being the nearest station which is a ten-minute walk away from Throstle Nest.

Farsley have only lost twice at home in the league this season to, Hednesford and Witton. If Hednesford can do it then why can’t we.

Games payed on 16th March this century

2002 Bath City A 3-4 Southern League
2013 Eastwood H 2-0 Northern Premier League

Kidsgrove match preview.

Kidsgrove stand in our way as we try to return to the Staffs Senior Cup final to keep a tighter grip on “our” trophy. However, let’s not be too complacent playing away to a side a division below as they will see the opportunity to put one over us. They are currently enjoying a good run of results, having had league victories over Leek and Runcorn Linnets who are 5th and 3rd respectively. They also demolished Newcastle 5-1 in the last round of this cup. To make matters worse, former Rangers players Chris Budrys and Anthony Malbon are banging in the goals, with Malbon fresh from his hat trick on Saturday against Droylsden making it 8 goals in his last 7 games. That recent run has steered them well away from any relegation threat and currently lie 11th in the west Division with 41 points from their 29 games and a plus 8 goal difference. With league status all but secured for another season it looks like Kidsgrove can go all out for a Staffordshire Senior Cup success.

Kidsgrove Athletic are a relatively young side, formed in December 1952. Having played in local league football they joined the Staffs County League in1963 and three years later, having won the County league and the Staffs Challenge Cup they joined the Mid-Cheshire league where they became champions four times and challenge cup winners three times. During the seventies the club lifted several trophies with success in the Staffs FA Vase, the Challenge Cup and the Sentinel Cup. In the Eighties having tried several times to join the North West Counties League, they were finally accepted in 1989. 1992 saw their best National cup run losing to Tiverton in the FA Vase. Four years later as champions Kidsgrove were promoted to the Unibond Northern Premier League. 2004 saw them finish bottom of the league but some league restructuring saved them from their first ever relegation. That year they did however win the Staffs Senior Cup for the first time beating us 1-0 at the Britannia Stadium. While still playing at step 4 of the non-league pyramid, Kidsgrove have had recent success in the Staffs Senior cup beating Rushall Olympic 6-1 in 2007, with a return in 2008, but losing to Rocester. 2009 saw yet another Staffs Senior Cup win at Vale Park when a 2-2 draw with us (yet again) and Kidsgrove triumph on penalties.

I know Wednesday night is an unusual day for football for us, but please travel up the A34 to cheer on the team.

Games played on13th March this century.

2004 Moor Green A 2-1 Southern League
2007 Gravesend H 3-1 Conference
2010 Northwich Victoria A 2-2 Conference North
2018 Warrington H 0-0 Northern Premier League

I am not an historian to go back to early Cheshire League days, but I am not aware of any competitive games with Warrington until our promotion back to the Northern Premier League for season 2016/17. Our first encounter was a 2-2 draw at home on 5th November 2016. The return fixture was to be played on17th December. We started brightly and quickly got into a 2-0 lead when brightness was the concern. Warrington’s pitch runs alongside the Manchester Ship Canal and as the game developed so too did the fog. The referee allowed no leeway and once visibility made it impossible to continue, he abandoned the game. Had he waited about 30 minutes he would have seen the fog clear, but sadly too late. The game was eventually replayed on 8th April and justice was seen to be done as we won 2-1. Last season we lost 1-0 away and drew 0-0 at home. Therefore, our record with Warrington is won 1, drawn 2 and lost one, but with us leading the abandoned game we will take that as a win to give us the edge over Warrington.

Warrington away we all know will be a difficult game. They are top of the league with a home record of won 10, drawn 4 and lost only 2 home league games. Warrington had a shaky start losing their first home to Farsley Celtic and draws with Stalybridge and Bamber Bridge. There only other defeat was in October when Matlock were the winners. They have since drawn with Basford and Lancaster. You never know how a football game will finish and with the right attitude who knows what could happen. As Jimmy Greaves often said, “football is a funny old game”. To sum this up, you only have to look at last Saturday’s National League South Division when bottom of the table Weston Super mare won at top of the league Torquay.

I hope that has whetted your appetite for a short tip up the M6 into Cheshire to see if we can pull off a shock. If travelling by car you need to tolerate the M6 road works through Cheshire to get to Canteliver Park on Common Lane, post code WA4 2RG. Trains are roughly every hour changing at Crewe for Warrington Bank Quay. Do not go to the Halliwell Jones stadium as you may end up watching the “egg chasers”.

Games played on March 9th this century

2002       Tamworth           H             0-1          Southern League

2004       Welling                 H             3-2          Southern League

2013       Buxton                 A             1-2          Northern Premier League