Brookburn Road, home of West Didsbury & Chorlton based in Greater Manchester and compete in Step 6 of the non league pyramid in the North West Counties League Division One South… But not any more!! They are the CHAMPIONS!! And will as of next season be playing in Step 5! In the North West Counties Premier Division! Good luck to them!!
It’s a free Saturday for Match Days Joe!!!! The original plan was to watch Scarborough vs Matlock but a late change in his plans sees him in the North West this weekend meaning a different game must be selected… Mansfield aren’t too far away you know…? West Didsbury & Chorlton is the decided location to see them claim the title against an already relegated Alsager Town! Which should mean goals goals goals of course!!
A lovely 1 hour and 20 minutes drive through the Peak District later sees me at the ground with just over an hour to go before kick off! Match Days Joe is here! I’m finally parked up! In we go! £5 to get in here! PARTAAAAAYYY!!
We have set up territory in the Shed! Out come the players for their warm ups! Me and Match Days Joe are discussing our plans for next season and for the end of this one… That sure did pass the time! The spirits are certainly sky high with the West Didsbury fans!!
Out come the Champions to a guard of honour from Alsager! “Don’t you know pump it up! The West are going up!” And “Championes! Championes! Ole Ole Ole!” A guard of honour from the West faithful as well!!
Kick Off! “He’s big Marcus Dibble and he’s number 5! Everyone needs a Dibble in the middle!” Very creative with their chants I have to say! “Billy! Oh Billy Matthews runs down the wing for me!” 10 minutes in and Alsager play a long ball forward, Conor Comber gets onto it and he shrugs off his man… A little too heavily and the Referee blows for a free kick… He goes for the lob… And he puts it over much to the delight of the West faithful!!
“Matty COOK! Aha! He runs down the right! Aha! He’s f***ing dynamite! Aha! Let’s have a beer with Matty Cook!!” It’s a poor game sadly with both team already knowing their fate… But the atmosphere is unreal to say the least!!
27th minute and Alsager have a free kick in the West Didsbury half on the left, it’s played into the middle and here’s Will Aldred with the header… It’s wide! He should’ve done better there and he knows it! “You just can’t get me out of the shed! North West Counties is all I think about! BROOKBURN ROAD! M21! Drinking Krombachers and West! 1 2 3 4! Na na na! Nana na na na! To the tune of Kylie Minogue’s ‘Can’t get you out of my head’ I think that is my new favourite chant EVER!!
38 minutes on the clock and West play a long ball forward, it’s flicked on to Billy Matthews running into the box… Down he goes… Referee not interested! I’m not sure on that one! The West fans certainly are!! Normally fans would say that the Referee is a “w***er” but not here… “The Referee’s a Tory!” And why not!?
42 minutes now and West have a free kick about 30 yards out to the right… I don’t know! The game is unimportant to me and Joe with a party like this!! Tom Westall steps up… He’s clipped the top of the bar! So close!! A very uneventful game is inevitably 0-0 at half time… I honestly don’t mind it being 0-0 today… I never thought I’d hear myself say that… Well apart from that day at MK Dons with Mansfield…
Second half, “West! West! West! West! WEEEEESSSSSSTTTT! You know you’re watching West Didsbury now! Watching West Didsbury! Brookburn Road! Brookburn Road!” Has the Beatles’ Twist & Shout ever sounded so good at a football match!!!?
“Say it ain’t so! We hate Maine Road! Floodlights on! Brookburn Road!” And now Blink 182 have a song to remaster!!! Literally every other song that is not used by other football fans is being sung today by the West fans!!! Incredible!!
63rd minute and there’s only one scoreline this is finishing today… But West have a throw in on the right, they play it in and have it under control, it’s crossed in and here’s Ben Elliott who chests it down… Alsager get there and clear the danger.
76 minutes on the clock and West play down the right… They want to finish off in style here! Crossed in, here’s Dontai Gabidon at the back stick who heads it across for Rhain Davis running in… Alsager are there again and they clear again.
87th minute and West have a corner, in it comes… Liam Delaney with the header… Over! 2 minutes later and Alsager launch the ball forward and Connor Comber gets onto it, is there a sting in the tale here…? No! He’s put it over! Straight from the goal kick and here come West, Dontai Gabidon gets it in the box on the left, he plays it across… The keeper has spilled it… It’s cleared for a corner, in it comes… Liam Delaney is there again… Exactly the same! Just over like 2 minutes ago…
Into stoppage time now and West play it back to the keeper, he lumps it forward, the keeper comes for it… He’s missed it and it’s loose… Alsager clear… It could have been so much more! Stoppage time goes on and West play it back to the keeper again and he launches it forward again, Dominic Barnes gets his head to it for Alsager to clear… And that is that!! Full Time!!
Scarborough Athletic 0-0 Matlock Town we made the right call there!! Mansfield have won it in the 95th minute against Oldham… UNBELIEVABLE!! What a day it’s been!! Let the celebrations begin!! Out comes that trophy!! Drum roll………………… “HURRAYYYYYYYY!” The trophy is lifted!!! They can taste the Champagne now!!! Congratulations on a good season to West Didsbury & Chorlton!!!
FT: West Didsbury & Chorlton 0-0 Alsager Town
Ratings
- Atmosphere: 10/10 – Absolutely unreal today!! From start to finish absolutely deafening and some of the best chants I’ve ever heard!! Some of the best fans in non league!!! I’d definitely say these are the most creative fans in non league!! I loved them!!
- The Ground: 6.5/10 – There’s not too much here but they have certainly made the most of what they have got! The shed end is full of stickers and flags and the banking on the side makes for a good view! They’ve even got a disco ball in the shed end!! I’d say it’s a good summer ground! I wouldn’t like to be coming here on a cold day…
- Expense: 10/10 – I couldn’t care less that it was 0-0 today! That atmosphere was worth it!!
- Overall Experience: 10/10 – The best day I’ve had with Match Days Joe so far!! What an atmosphere! What a party!! Groundhoppers you must experience that with those fans!! They are incredible!!!
36.5/40
Nice one Jake. You get everywhere pal!!