1874 Northwich season review 2020-21

IF we thought 2019/20 was bad enough, it is safe to say 2020/21 has been a season like no other.

Following the heartbreak of riding high at the top of the NWCFL Premier Division and on the cusp of promotion to the Northern Premier League before the Covid-19 pandemic brought the season to a shuddering halt with the Football Association declaring the season null and void, 1874 Northwich returned undeterred for 2020/21.

Emerging from the first national lockdown into an eerie, mainly behind closed doors pre-season programme, 1874 kicked off the new season on Tuesday 1st September in the Emirates FA Cup extra preliminary round against Warrington Rylands 1906.

Watched by a Covid-restricted capacity crowd of 300, the Green and Blacks crashed out at the first hurdle, losing 1-6 – Taylor Kennerley scoring the consolation.

Four days later on Saturday 5th and it was 6-1 again at Townfield, this time to 1874 against First Division Shelley in a Macron Cup semi-final held over from last season.

Cup holders 1874 eventually eased past their opponents, who had switched venues as their ground was not available.

Scott McGowan, in his last appearance for 1874, signed off with two goals. Harry Cain, Jake Parker, Matt Woolley and Kennerley completed the scoring in front of 279 fans.

Action from 1874’s 2020-21 season. Pictures by Frank Oakes, Portmanteau Studio and Karl Brooks Photography

After filling in time with several friendly games, 1874’s next scheduled match should have been the 2019/20 Macron Cup Final against Runcorn Town on Saturday 26th September.

However, the game was postponed due to concerns about public health and safety as a result of Covid-19 restrictions in Halton.

1874’s first two NWCFL games at home to Runcorn Town and Bootle scheduled for the first week of October were also postponed due to Covid-19 restrictions.

They returned to action on Saturday 10th October, when they comfortably defeated Selby Town of the Northern Counties East at Townfield in the FA Vase 2nd qualifying round.

On target for the Green and Blacks in front of a crowd of 180 were Woolley, Parker and Aaron Smith.

Aaron Smith celebrates scoring against Selby Town in the FA Vase. Picture by Portmanteau Studio

1874 finally got their NWCFL campaign going on Tuesday 13th with a mid-week trip to Barnoldswick Town.

They returned home with all three points thanks to a 3-0 win with two goals from Parker and one from Kennerley.

Having got their league season off to a winning star.t 1874 were brought crashing down to earth a few days later on Saturday 17th when 237 spectators saw them lose 3-2 at home to an Irlam side which ended the game with 10 men, Woolley and Cain being 74’s goal scorers.

A second defeat followed by the seaside three days later on Tuesday 20th when a midweek venture to Squires Gate resulted in a 4-2 reverse, Mark Jones and Parker the goal scorers.

They returned to winning ways at a rain-soaked Padiham on Saturday 24th with a 2-0 win. Ashley Woods opened the scoring in the first half with his first goal for the club before Parker completed the scoring in the second half.

1874 came from behind to beat FA Cup heroes Skelmersdale United on Tuesday 27th at Townfield. With 1874 having fallen behind to an early goal, Cain equalised before the break before a Ryan Mitchell goal and a second Cain strike after half time secured a 3-1 win.

Saturday 31st saw 1874 make further progress on the road to Wembley, overcoming Northern Counties East Harrogate Railway Athletic in the 2nd round of the FA Vase at Townfield.

1874 took the lead through an own goal before Callum Gardner doubled the advantage on the stroke of half time. Despite conceding just after the restart, the hosts managed to hold on to a 2-1 win.

They were more convincing winners in their next cup tie on Tuesday 3rd November when they hosted Sandbach United in the Cheshire Senior Cup second round.

Fielding a team including squad players and a smattering from the under 21s team, they comfortably won 7-2.

Lucas Weir was the star of the show with a hat-trick while Joe O’Brien and Harry Johnson registered their maiden goals for the first team, with Woods and Ryan Jackson rounding off the scoring.

With the country entering a second national lockdown, all remaining fixtures for November were suspended with the NWCFL extending the extension until 19th December.

However, non-elite football started up again at the beginning of December with the second round of the FA Vase, the draw for which handed 1874 a home tie with West Auckland Town of the Northern League.

1874 emerged from lockdown to have their Wembley dreams smashed, losing 4-1. The consolation goal was scored by Woolley.

Harry Cain takes on a West Auckland Town defender during 1874's 4-1 FA Vase loss - their final match of the season. Picture by Karl Brooks Photography

And bar a space-filling friendly against Runcorn Linnets that was it as a home NWCFL Premier Division fixture against Padiham scheduled for the weekend before Christmas fell victim to a waterlogged pitch and the festive Bank Holiday Derby with Northwich Victoria was postponed due to extra Covid restrictions imposed.

On New Year’s Eve, the NWCFL announced all fixtures would be suspended until further notice before all non-elite sport was suspended due to the country entering the latest national lockdown on January 4, leaving 1874 Northwich 10th in the NWCFL Premier Division table and supporters, officials and fans waiting for the day when their favourite football team return to action.

Hope you all enjoyed this little walk down memory lane. Don’t forget an in-depth review of what happened – or didn’t – on and off the field during the 2020-21 season will be available later in the year in the 2021 1874 Northwich Annual Season Review.

Picture by Portmanteau Studio