Match Information
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Irlam 1-1 Burscough
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When: Easter Saturday 30th March 2024
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Kick-off: 3pm
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Where: Silver Street, Irlam, Greater Manchester M44 6JJ
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Competition: North West Counties League Premier Division
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Attendance: 112
Irlam were one of just four Step 5 Non-League clubs across the entire country that I had yet to visit.
In fact I actually set off in earnest for a designated groundhopper match there on Sunday 10th March 2019 versus West Didsbury & Chorlton. Alas it was postponed due to waterlogging when I was exactly halfway.
Since then, I had been planning a return journey for quite some time but totally incessant wet weather throughout 2023/24 meant it was too risky to travel in view of the possibility of another cancellation. I believe the water table under their pitch had reached unusually high levels recently.
However, an unexpectedly mild Easter Saturday saw Irlam helpfully message me stating: “No rain forecast we should be a goer. Hopefully you can finally tick us off your list.” An amusing club tweet followed:
“MATCHDAY !!!!! There is a strange orange thing in the sky and the pitch is perfect.”
Accordingly I embarked on my 400 mile round trip up the M1, M6 and A57. Irlam itself is a suburb of Greater Manchester housing 20,000 residents.
Ground Description
Silver Street was the former home of now defunct Irlam Town FC who appeared in both the North West Counties League and the Northern Premier League prior to their demise in 1995.
The replacement Irlam FC took over this ground in 2003 hosting Manchester United’s youth team for a celebratory opening game before 950 spectators. They have held membership of the NWCL from 2008/09 onwards.
Nowadays, amenities on offer are decent in my opinion. The Ian Street Stand sits on one touchline containing 150 blue tip-up seats. Signage within admirably declares: “IRLAM FC YOUR CLUB YOUR TOWN”. Adjacent terracing affords an elevated view.
Furthermore, a covered terrace for 150 supporters lies behind one goal. Good-sized car parking provision and a homely clubhouse are present too. And I noticed the railed-off junior pitch next door.
Programme Details
On sale at the entrance. Priced £2 although suitably reduced to £1 reflecting that it was issued for a previously scheduled fixture between these two sides on Tuesday 6th February which was postponed.
Therefore admirable recycling to deliver a perfectly adequate and acceptable addition to my groundhopping memorabilia archive.
The 40 glossy pages included club details, line-ups, welcome notes, histories of both teams, match reports, fixtures & results, under-18’s youth review and a Non-League Paper column.
The Match
Amid surprisingly mild temperatures touching 14°C, it featured 12th versus 22nd in the NWCL Premier Division standings.
Hard fought exchanges unfolded whereby Irlam forged ahead through Ethan Cartwright’s crisply struck low penalty on 67 minutes.
But a spirited Burscough fightback led to Callum Sandle scrambling their close range equaliser into the roof of the net with seven minutes remaining.
The People
Long-serving Irlam club secretary Warren Dodd is one of Non-League football’s great dedicated volunteers. He was manning the entry hut when I arrived providing an extremely warm welcome to everyone.
Warren told me: "Like all Non-League people, we have one position the outside world will see - in my case, secretary - plus multiple other roles shared amongst those inside the club.
“My main task involves administrating all aspects of Irlam FC but I am also the kit man and dressing room cleaner! After that, you will usually find me doing the gate on matchdays if needed.
“I joined Irlam 18 years ago during our days of playing in the Manchester Premier League. My ambition was to attain North West Counties League status.
“Thanks to assistance via the Football Association and in particularly a local trust fund called Hamilton Davies, significant capital investment was received allowing us to hit the required ground grading. We entered the NWCL in 2008 and ongoing development of facilities has constantly continued.
“Our current ground lay-out is much more compact than the original Irlam Town FC era. The only thing left from the old club is a sign which used to be located at the top of Silver Street. We made sure we took it down and kept it for old times’ sake.”
*Credit for the photos in this article belongs to Tony Incenzo*
