‘Around the Grounds’ Edition 2: Burscough
Mon 5th August 2024 | Burscough | By Ben Wilkinson
Next up on 'Around the Grounds' is Premier Division side Burscough. After a disappointing season last term, finishing 20th, they will be looking to push on towards returning to the NPL after a seven-year-and-counting absence. They have moved grounds during that time, as their old ground (the fantastic Victoria Park) was demolished in early 2021 and the club moved into a newly-built facility just to the north. The new ground, named The Community Stadium, may have been open for over three years now, but is still being improved constantly. New for this season is a second stand holding 100 seats, and work to extend the car park is well underway.
My favourite part of the ground is the balcony overlooking the pitch. The view of the pitch and beyond towards the coast is second-to-none on a warm summer evening like when I came for Squires Gate's visit on 30th July. This balcony is attached to the '1946 Lounge', a bar with historic programmes and other memorabilia adorning the walls. There's also the usual tea hut type facility near the turnstiles. Aside from the stand along the touchline and the new one behind one goal, the rest of the pitchside is just tarmac, but with plenty of room for additional facilities should they be required. The pitch is of the 4G all-weather variety, and is used frequently by the community throughout the week. Fellow Counties side Skelmersdale United also play their home games here, and towards the back end of last season when clubs scrambled to complete their fixture calendar, local clubs Charnock Richard and Euxton Villa played home games on this surface. Definitely a well used pitch!
Now onto the game, Squires Gate played out an exhilarating 4-4 draw with Bury on the opening day while Burscough succumbed to a late goal at Longridge, so both sides walked out onto the pitch searching for their first win of the season. It took Gate just two minutes to open the scoring, with a great strike from James Hughes curling its way into the top right corner. Burscough during the opening exchanges but soon gained a foothold in the game and tipped the tie on its head just before half time. Che Trapasso-Tully with a cool volley before Harry Cannon-Noren put the Linnets in front after being put through one on one and rolling the ball past the keeper and into the net.
Cian Spencer-McDermott nearly doubled Burscough's advantage shortly after the restart but could only find the woodwork. Just five minutes later and it was 3-1 as Cannon-Noren played the role of provider this time, crossing the ball into Harvey Sample who made no mistake, the ball coming off the underside of the bar on its way in. The ball was in the Gate net again on 74 minutes but John McGrath had strayed offside before chipping the keeper. Super sub Delial Brewster did make it four on 90 minutes with a simple finish from close range after some smart build-up play. James Hughes got his, and Squires Gate's, second of the game in the dying moments to reduce the deficit, but the referee blew for time shortly after with the game finishing 4-2 to the hosts.
‘Around the Grounds’ Edition 2: Burscough
Mon 5th August 2024 | Burscough
By Ben Wilkinson
Next up on 'Around the Grounds' is Premier Division side Burscough. After a disappointing season last term, finishing 20th, they will be looking to push on towards returning to the NPL after a seven-year-and-counting absence. They have moved grounds during that time, as their old ground (the fantastic Victoria Park) was demolished in early 2021 and the club moved into a newly-built facility just to the north. The new ground, named The Community Stadium, may have been open for over three years now, but is still being improved constantly. New for this season is a second stand holding 100 seats, and work to extend the car park is well underway.
My favourite part of the ground is the balcony overlooking the pitch. The view of the pitch and beyond towards the coast is second-to-none on a warm summer evening like when I came for Squires Gate's visit on 30th July. This balcony is attached to the '1946 Lounge', a bar with historic programmes and other memorabilia adorning the walls. There's also the usual tea hut type facility near the turnstiles. Aside from the stand along the touchline and the new one behind one goal, the rest of the pitchside is just tarmac, but with plenty of room for additional facilities should they be required. The pitch is of the 4G all-weather variety, and is used frequently by the community throughout the week. Fellow Counties side Skelmersdale United also play their home games here, and towards the back end of last season when clubs scrambled to complete their fixture calendar, local clubs Charnock Richard and Euxton Villa played home games on this surface. Definitely a well used pitch!
Now onto the game, Squires Gate played out an exhilarating 4-4 draw with Bury on the opening day while Burscough succumbed to a late goal at Longridge, so both sides walked out onto the pitch searching for their first win of the season. It took Gate just two minutes to open the scoring, with a great strike from James Hughes curling its way into the top right corner. Burscough during the opening exchanges but soon gained a foothold in the game and tipped the tie on its head just before half time. Che Trapasso-Tully with a cool volley before Harry Cannon-Noren put the Linnets in front after being put through one on one and rolling the ball past the keeper and into the net.
Cian Spencer-McDermott nearly doubled Burscough's advantage shortly after the restart but could only find the woodwork. Just five minutes later and it was 3-1 as Cannon-Noren played the role of provider this time, crossing the ball into Harvey Sample who made no mistake, the ball coming off the underside of the bar on its way in. The ball was in the Gate net again on 74 minutes but John McGrath had strayed offside before chipping the keeper. Super sub Delial Brewster did make it four on 90 minutes with a simple finish from close range after some smart build-up play. James Hughes got his, and Squires Gate's, second of the game in the dying moments to reduce the deficit, but the referee blew for time shortly after with the game finishing 4-2 to the hosts.
