Two Great Clubs .... 110 Years on........
Well....a
whole lot can happen in 110 years.......
On 2
September 1905 Stockport County and Chelsea FC met at Edgeley Park. For County
it was their first game back in the Football League whilst for our visitors it
was their first ever game in the League.
 |
| County 1905 , from `Pictorial History` by Phil Brennan & Richard Harnwell |
History
records the facts of the day`s events as a 1-0 win for County , whilst accounts
of the day tend to vary a tad.....
Peter Freeman
& Richard Harnwell's excellent
`Stockport County- A Complete Record' briefly records...
` County`s
first game back in the Second Division was against another elected club,
Chelsea. New to the league, Chelsea might have been ,but they were `well known
throughout the kingdom.' The Cheshire Daily Echo explained ` Chelsea`s life has
been started on such a big scale that it
has attracted the attention of all interested in the doings of big clubs.
Between £20000 and £30000 has been spent on ground and team before a match was
played'.
Considering
County`s very humble beginnings and lack of financial resource, the game was
very much a David and Goliath affair, and the contest was played out before
7000 spectators who saw David triumph
with a goal by Bob Manson who was ` enthusiastically hugged for his
achievement'.
Other
newspaper accounts of the time speak of ...
` County
kicking off against a strong wind..... Heywood
and Hall doing well for County.......Miller testing County keeper Pemble with a
long shot.....Cresser grazing the bar from a clearance by 22 stone Chelsea
keeper Foulkes.....Foulkes saving a penalty'
0-0 at the
break became 1-0 to County when Bob Manson fired home .
So....it has
taken 110 years ...but yesterday the two famous
Clubs made contact again with the visit
of 4 Chelsea people to Edgeley Park.
County were
delighted to receive Mark Goddard, Keith
Gaunt, David Kostis and Leonard ` Ledgey' Nodaros who had made the trip north in
a determined effort to mark the anniversary of their Clubs first FL game.
County
Historians Ian Lancashire and Des Hinks , along with Club Secretary Mark
Lockyear, were on hand to show the lads around, and much excellent banter
ensued and despite the distance now between our Clubs in the Pyramid, much common ground was established between the
two sets of supporters.
Scratch a football
fan and they bleed of course....but in the case of County and Chelsea that
blood runs blue, the colour both Clubs still hold dear. It was interesting to hear that ,in the eighties, at
the same time that County were desperately trying to keep alive and fend off the
tax man, Chelsea were fighting to stay in the Second Division at Burnden Park-
both Clubs survived these troubles.
Leonard
Nodaris was adamant however that the Chelsea account of the 1905 encounter was
the correct one, and his account spoke of ` Foulkes throwing the ball
out....the ball hitting a divot.....then hitting McEwan....who pushed it into
the net'. Ledgey's interest extended to finding that divot and we are happy to
provide some albeit inconclusive
evidence he unearthed yesterday.......
 |
| A Divot....possibly not THE divot ! |
The Chelsea
lads were in their element.....a trip to the dressing rooms......
the Board
Room......
photos in the Danny Bergara Stand......
under the roof of the Cheadle End.......
and a re-work of the famous Chelsea team pic of 1905( header pic) in front
of the Railway End.....
It was great
stuff and such a shame that eventually we had to bid the Chelsea lads farewell
as they set off home.
It has taken
110 years for the 2 great Clubs to make
contact.....how wonderful would it be to mark the 110 year gap with another
game between teams from Chelsea and County? It would be simply marvellous!
Is a
friendly a possibility....possibly....possibly not, but why not? We could of
course wait until we draw Chelsea in the FA Cup , but I am sure that Jose would
rather fancy a trip north to see us before then.
How about it
Jose!
Ian Brown
A Permanent Cure for Herpes Virus with Dr Kham Herbal Remedies, I'm writing this to share my personal journey and victory over a health challenge. I was previously suffering from genital herpes, oral herpes, and shingles. It is no longer news that the herpes virus is increasing by the day, and many people living with the sickness are often too afraid to speak about it due to the stigma associated with the diagnosis. I'm coming forward today because I believe it is important for others to know that there is a path to healing. When I first discovered I was infected three months ago, I was shocked, confused, and felt as though my world had crumbled. While my medical practitioner suggested ways to manage the symptoms, I was desperate to find a lasting solution. I was suffering from genital herpes and oral herpes. Before I came in contact with Dr. Kham, it is no longer news that the herpes virus is increasing by the day. The fear is that many people living with the sickness are scared of speaking about it because of the stigma that comes along with it. I am bold enough among many others to state that there is now a potent cure for this sickness, but many are unaware of it. During my search for alternative remedies, I came across the website of Dr. Kham, an African herbalist. I reached out to him, followed his instructions meticulously, and recently returned to the hospital for a follow-up test. To my absolute amazement, the results confirmed that I am now negative. If you are struggling with this virus, I encourage you to reach out to Dr. Kham to get his herbs and get cured from his virus: Contact Information Email: dr.khamcaregiver@gmail.com and WhatsApp: +234 8159922297, His Website; https://herbalistdrkhamcaregiver.simdif.com
ReplyDelete