Runcorn Linnets (NWCFL Premier Division)

Midway through the second half of Abbey’s ill-fated cup final appearance in April something happened that, according to Barry Walker, was a first in the club’s 101-year history. Singing at the match.

‘Elliott Goodwin on the wing, we had dreams and songs to sing, there’ll be glory on the fields of Abbey Hey’ bellowed out of the end we were attacking with extreme conviction.

But the noise wasn’t coming from the travelling fans or indeed any one from Manchester. The singers were local Runcorn teenagers who hadn’t a clue where Abbey Hey was but liked the cavalier football on show and decided to back us for the night.

Three months on and our paths cross again. We liked the youngsters’ enthusiasm and managed to track them down for a quick chat. Here’s what the Runcorn Youth’s elected spokesperson Ben Hodgson had to say.

Your club turned seven years old this year. What has it’s short life been like?

It has been brilliant but we have had three different managers in the last three years so it has been quite a rollercoaster ride. Things are currently looking more stable with Joey Dunn in charge and hopefully we’ll see a promotion push this season.

Tell us about the ‘Runcorn Youth’.

Quite simply, we are a group of lads aged 14 and 15 who just want to get behind our local team. Our numbers vary but on average around eight of us travel to matches around the north west with our handmade Runcorn Youth flag. We became a lot more organised last season and have a soft spot for Abbey Hey after a few of us got behind them at the recent cup final.

What do you like most about watching football at this level?

I think it has to be the strong player-fan relationship. Seeing players celebrate with the fans after scoring important goals really is superb.

You won the 2012/13 NWCFL Challenge Cup. What were your memories of the night?

Where to start with that! It was just a really special night and the feeling when we scored our penalty to seal the 3-0 victory shortly before the end was unbelievable. There are YouTube clips available online that capture the emotion perfectly - our end was a sea of limbs! A few of us joined the team on the pitch to celebrate after the final whistle only to be ordered off by a steward. Mike Tomlinson, our captain, saw this happening and kept us on the pitch where we ended up holding the trophy. It was brilliant.

Who was your stand out player of 2012/13?

Matty Atherton, a pacy left winger.

Do you have a song for him?

We sing 'Athers is a Linnet, Athers is a Linnet, na na na'.

Any other players get a song?

Oh, yes. Our favourite is the one we have for Kyle Hamid to the tune of Don’t You Want Me Baby: ‘Kyle Hamid baby, Kyle Hamid, ohhhhh’.

Describe your rivalry with Runcorn Town.

Our derby rivalry isn't one of hatred, just a case of wanting to outdo each other. That said, they can't compete with our attendances and support.

What’s the best away trip in the NWCFL Prem?

I’d have to say Winsford, due to the fact we can get there quickly on the train. Hopefully Abbey will become the best after today.

Tell us something about Runcorn Linnets that we don’t know.

Every single game in the 2012/13 cup run, except the final, went to extra time. We faced Stockport Sports away in the first game where Joey Dunn was a coach. Come the next round he was our new boss.

Predict the score this afternoon.

A 3-1 victory for the Linnets.

Mossley (pre season friendly)

Kendal? Mint
I’m in The Lakes today. Kendal Calling music festival to be precise. As the game kicks off it’s highly likely that I’ll already be four pints into the day and gearing up to see Brummie scallywags The Twang.
This is our third trip up here and the reason we come back is quite simple. In our 15 years of festival going Kendal is the best one we’ve ever been to.
It’s basically a chance to see semi-stellar bands in a fantastically compact country park without the premium price tag of say Leeds or Glastonbury.
Another plus point is the interaction between the stars of the show and the paying public. The festival’s intimate nature combined with a really friendly atmosphere often sees established bands milling around the bars and chatting to punters. Not a million miles away from how it is at Abbey.
Top of my must-see list this year are Northwich veterans The Charlatans, hip hop legends Public Enemy and guitar god Johnny Marr. I’ve heard the latter may even throw in a few Smiths tunes.
My ethos over the years has generally been the-more-the-merrier which is good because tales of last year’s escapades have spread and this time around there are almost 20 of us on the trip. Not bad going seeing as we’re all in our thirties. Just hope the weather stays nice.

Picture perfect
If you’re at a loose end this summer then you could do a lot worse than hop on a bus into town and take in football photographer Stuart Roy Clarke’s free exhibition at the National Football Museum in Cathedral Gardens.
I’ve been a fan of Stuart’s work for a number of years now and marvel at the way he manages to capture the off-the-pitch side of football that all-to-often goes unnoticed in the Sky Sports age. The oddities, the quirks, the expressions, the characters, they’re all there. He also sees the same beauty I do in a forgotten ramshackle non league main stand.
This latest series of photographs is called True Colours and was taken throughout last season. It captures the peaks and troughs of following a team home and away and subjects range from promotion joy at Cardiff to relegation battles at Oldham. He describes the work as “wanting to get across that feeling of first love...to show the raw affection and undying loyalty to clubs who put us through the shredder”.
Got to be worth a couple of hours in my book.

Home comforts
Me and the nephews were debating where the best viewing spot is at the Abbey Stad. A tricky one as all four sides have their pros and cons.
The main stand has the obvious advantage of a roof but can feel a bit distant from the action with its set back position. The Railway End is ace in the first half and offers a great option for latecomers with its proximity to the car parking area. There’s generally no one down here though so if you’re on your own it can get a bit lonely.
The clubhouse side is where the action happens. Always busy, this side is great if you fancy a brew but your view can sometimes be obscured when Gibbo climbs up on top of the dugout. He’ll tell you he’s trying to get a better view of the action but really he’s living out the rock and roll dream of being on stage. Watch out for his sly air guitar.
Finally the Entrance End, a part of the ground that’s right in the thick of things as far as second half excitement goes. The downside to this spot is that anyone who stands here becomes an involuntary ball boy and will inevitably spend the most exciting part of the match chasing wayward shots down the banking. That said, if you’ve got a nephew or two in tow to cover this duty then the Entrance End maybe shades it.
What? It’s raining? Right, I’ll be in the clubhouse watching from the window. Mine’s a Holts.

Hyde FC (pre season friendly)

Jeff Parish makes up one half of the Soul Twins, a Manchester DJ combo that specialises in funk, soul, hip hop and reggae. With his identical twin Stuart, Jeff has forged a solid 10-year reputation that has landed the pair a number of high profile residencies. Among these is their regular Saturday slot in Bluu Bar on Thomas Street, a nightspot our first team squad will be more than familiar with. I met Jeff in town for a pint to listen to him talk enthusiastically about his five favourite records of all time and why we should own them.

The Temptations - I could never love another (After loving you)
This song has quite a tragic story behind it. The lyrics were penned by Roger Penzabene who killed himself after finding out his wife was cheating on him. It is also the last single to feature David Ruffin on lead vocals. The pain of Roger's lyrics is brought to life perfectly by Ruffin's raw vocal performance and it is definitely one of my favourite Temps tracks.

Theo Parrish - Summertime is here
Theo is often labelled as a house music producer but to me he is so much more. This track for example showcases his jazz background. Parrish once said that ‘DJing should be you presenting your record collection to the crowd’ and this tune does exactly that. You can hear all the different influences of his collection, from the infectious rhythm of the JBs to the freestyle anything-goes style of Miles Davis.

Slum Village - The look of love
This one is from the now-deceased legendary producer J Dilla. It is probably one of the first tracks of his I bought after hearing it at club nights like Eyes Down in town. Dilla grew in stature on the underground scene after music fans started passing around mix tapes with tracks like this on them. As a result, the crowd knew every lyric before he’d even had a record out.

Moodymann – Don’t you want my love
Kenny Dixon Jnr AKA Moodymann is one of the real characters of the Detroit music scene. His unwillingness to do interviews and desire to keep a low profile only adds to the man’s enigma. Moodymann is the DJ I love listening to more than any other. He produces exactly like he DJs too with a nod to black underground music from the past. This tune for example is a reworking of The Crusaders’ Spiral. It has been in my record bag from the day I first DJ’ed.

Jackie Wilson - Because of you
This last one is a nod to my mam and dad, two massive northern soul fans. I will always remember going to northern soul nights in pubs around Prestwich, Whitefield and other glamourous north Manchester locations. Jackie Wilson's voice is phenomenally powerful and he hits every note perfectly on this monster of a record.

For more recommendations interspersed with sharp observational humour, follow Jeff on Twitter @soultwinjeff

Ramsbottom United (pre season friendly)

Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes
Close season is a fascinating time when your team has just come off the back of a successful campaign. You’ve set the benchmark, your reputation is spreading and tons of lads want to play for you.
But after last year’s heroics, it was inevitable that in turn there would be sizeable local interest in some of our players. At the time of writing, a handful have been snapped up by larger clubs but the spine and guts of the red and black beast remain largely in tact. Killer’s move to Ashton United is an obvious blow but the devastating form young Sam Jones showed in both the run in and pre season suggests that it’s not all doom and gloom. The loss of right back Alex Byrne to Glossop North End is bound to have an impact too but going into the new season with four fifths of last year’s superb defensive unit has to be seen to be a bonus. 
It’s testament to the club that so many of the Barry Walker-crafted side want to stick around and work with ambitious new boss Luke Gibson in the Premier League. If all goes to plan, the departed may look back midway through the season secretly wishing they were still part of this great set up. Whatever happens we wish them well.

Enough to make yer Nantwich
The friendly at Crewe FC at the start of the month proved to be a splendid little afternoon out, but only one nephew joined me for it. The younger one wanted to go to the cinema instead. On a Saturday afternoon.
He’ll learn. As injured goalkeeper Jonny Mac rightly pointed out on the sidelines, there were more than likely to have been girls involved.
Similar opportunities weren’t available at Reaseheath College, Nantwich. What we got though was a good first hand look at some of Gibbo’s hopefuls for 2013/14 with second half handbags involving a cannonball shaped goalkeeper thrown in for good measure (pictures available on the website). Not bad for free admission.
Flame-haired Maltese frontman Richard Chetcuti, who has represented his country at under-21 level, opened his Abbey account with a well taken brace and is definitely one to keep an eye on over the coming weeks.

Revenge is a dish West served cold

How good was the FA Cup draw? If those three battles with West Didsbury and Chorlton last season were anything to go by we should be in for a real treat on August 17. In the first encounter at leafy Brookburn Road Killer’s second half thunderbolt should have been enough to bag the three points but unfortunately it was bettered by resilient well-organised Didsbury comeback and two late goals. Killer was sidelined with an acute case of man-flu for the return leg which produced a solid home win played out at a snowy Abbey Stad. Our cup final defeat in neutral Runcorn we know about all too well. How the Reds didn’t score in that second half I’ll never know. Credit to West though for another resilient display but that makes it two victories to our one now. This needs addressing and what on what better platform is there to do it on than in the FA Cup. Bring them on.

Curzon Ashton (pre season friendly)

What an achievement 2012/13 was. A seemingly impossible task taken on and conquered with consummate aplomb. Abbey’s first team didn’t do too badly either.

While Barry Walker’s young steeds were smashing in goal after goal and enhancing their growing reputation by the week, something of equal personal importance was happening within my family. After years of feuding we finally found a bit of footballing peace. Allow me to explain.

Like many Manchester families mine awkwardly straddles the city’s football divide. While I’ve been going to Old Trafford for as long as I can remember, my brother-in-law and nephews are regulars at City. As a result our wives, sisters, mothers and aunties are all too used to looking on, eyes rolled, as football-related arguments and tedious one-upmanship dominate our relationship.
 

Two years ago however we decided to call a truce for the good of the family. It was agreed that we desperately needed to watch football together. With our respective teams playing an increasing amount of Sunday and Monday night games, non league suddenly became our best and most affordable way of achieving this.
 

Having moved to North Reddish some two years earlier, I was acutely aware of the small but tidy football ground that appeared about a mile north from our house on Google Maps. My wife who’d been schooled in Gorton drove me down one day for a closer look. I was impressed with the set up and what looked to be a superb playing surface. 

Furthermore, when I discovered the team’s colours were red and black and that there was no exclusive bias to either Manchester giant I soon realised there was potential here. I ran the idea of Abbey by the youngsters. The eldest was keen and in October 2011 on an international weekend we decided to test the water with an away game at Northwich Villa. In a crowd of 32, we weren’t disappointed. A blistering away performance and SIX well worked goals left us buzzing and looking down the fixture list for our next possible game.
 

Clinging to the exposed railings in the howling January rain at the Abbey Stad was a world away from the cantilever splendor we were used to in the Premiership but some how it didn’t matter. As Jon Hardy ran his marker ragged and Martin Pilkington capitalised on Liam Murray’s beautifully teed up passes, the bond between red uncle and blue nephew was solidifying by the second.
 

It was only a matter of time before my younger nephew joined us and when he did it was with some serious gusto. “I can’t wait for Abbey to score,” he said on his debut at Didsbury away at the start of last season, “...just to shut that keeper up.” He had a point. Didsbury’s keeper was exceptionally mouthy.
 

While the chance to visit beautifully ramshackle away grounds proved enough to satisfy my football geek within, the nephews developed a ridiculously in depth knowledge of the Abbey players’ characteristics and can now recall the tiniest, most forgettable incidents from previous matches at the drop of a hat.
 

Attending at least one game a month, our 2012/13 memories include seeing a caravan on top of the main stand roof and a comprehensive away win at Rochdale Town; the 0-0 on Atherton’s bobbly pitch played out in a makeshift green kit; the lights going out against Formby; the demolition of Holker and the Cumbrians’ teenage keeper asking us how long was left – at 65 mins; beating Didsbury in the March snow; Derek the groundsman and his relentless barracking of the linesmen and, last but not least, Killer’s phenomenal goal haul backed up by a flair cast whose desire to play football the right way saw them reap one of the ultimate rewards.
 

While families in some corners of this vast and varied world think nothing of paying thousands for therapy, we’ve found ours for a fraction of the cost on a windy bit of land in Gorton. And we love it. Enjoy the season.

Hey Hey Hey

Following articles I submitted last season (see below), Abbey Hey Football Club has kindly given me a page in their matchday programme for the 2013/14 season. I will be repaying this gesture with opinion pieces and interviews as the year goes on. For those who can't make the match, articles will be published on here after the game. The first issue will be on sale at the Curzon Ashton friendly at The Abbey Stadium on July 13 priced just £1.

For a Boxing Day special, Rob Mager speaks to amateur Manchester boxer Danny Armstrong, 22

What weight do you box at and what’s your record like?
I fight at welterweight and weigh in at about 65kg before a fight – 10st 5lbs in old money. I've had 21 bouts in all but some of them were unlicensed. My official amateur record from seven fights is W5 (with two KOs) L1 and one disqualification.

What’s been your career highlight so far?
I was quite proud to fight over in Malta last summer. I did six hard rounds against a pro called Daniel Micallef and narrowly lost on points. My best win though was when I won my fight at a Varsity boxing show for Sheffield. My dad and all my mates came to watch and the atmosphere was electric. I came out to Fools Gold by The Stone Roses and the place went wild. I met my girlfriend that night as well.

Are you mates with any of your opponents and what is the level of sportsmanship like at your level?
There's a lad I fought a couple of years ago who trains at the same gym as me. He's gone pro now and I wish him all the best. Everyone on the circuit is generally sound and sportsmanship is a big thing for me. I don't see the point in being moody with anyone because if you want to punch each other in the head then you can do. Simple.

When did you get into the sport?
I was interested from quite a young age but my mum wouldn't let me fight until I was a bit older. I started going to the gym properly when I turned 13. Ricky Hatton was a big deal at the time and I really wanted to be him.

Do you have any other boxing heroes?
Roberto Duran is my all-time favourite fighter. The guy is just machismo personified. Five foot seven inches of snarling pugnacity. I must also give an honourable mention to the late Arturo Gatti who was like a human highlight reel.

How do you prepare for a fight?
I train my hardest every day in the run up and make sure my diet is right. This means no booze, sadly. It's easy to do once you get into a routine but the last week is particularly difficult while I make weight and go over the fight again and again in my head. You can drive yourself loopy sometimes trying to throw every punch before you're even in the ring.

Will you have to watch what you eat and drink over the Christmas period?
I've got a bit of time off so I think I'll allow myself at least a couple of beers and a mince pie. I cut out drinking and eating rubbish for most of the year so I make sure I enjoy it when I can.

You’re from an area that is home to several non-league sides. Do you manage to see any of them in action?
I go and watch Trafford FC whenever I can. Shawe View is right next to my nana's house so I've been to a few games over the years and my dad used to take me when I was little. I watched them draw 2-2 with a Manchester United reserve side a couple of years ago. That was a big deal and I was really pleased for them even though I'm a Red.

Any fights lined up for the new year?
I'll be fighting in February in a Sheffield versus Manchester tournament and then afterwards I've got the British Universities and Colleges Championship. This means I've got a bit of time to shed my Christmas weight.