First-time visitors are familiar to Linnets fans with long memories
- dbettley
- 1 day ago
- 4 min read
RUNCORN LINNETS v Shifnal Town
Pitching In Northern Premier League West
Saturday, October 18th (ko 3pm)
APEC Taxis Stadium, Stockham Lane, Murdishaw, RUNCORN, WA7 6JG
The APEC welcomes NPL newcomers
Shifnal Town are the one of five teams new to NPL West Division this season and the first to visit in the league.
They were promoted to Step 4 as the winners of the Midlands League Premier Division Play-offs, defeating 1874 Northwich 2-0 in a home final.
Shifnal had finished second in the table, four points behind champions Lichfield and 12 points ahead of 1874 in fourth place with 25 wins, three draws and six losses from 34 matches.
Our visitors hail from a small Shropshire market town, four miles east of Telford, with a population of around 7,000.
The club was founded in 1968 as St Andrew's Youth Club, soon changing name to Shifnal Juniors before becoming Shifnal Town in 1976.
Although they are new opponents for Runcorn Linnets, Shifnal are familiar to some of our long-standing fans.
They entertained Runcorn AFC in an FA Cup Second Round Qualifying tie in 1981-82 with Linnets winning 3-0.
This was a title-winning season for both clubs.
Shifnal were West Midlands League Premier Division champions while Runcorn reached the summit in the Alliance Premier League at the first attempt.
The two clubs were denied promotion - Shifnal to the Southern League and Linnets to the Football League - because of ground grading issues.
Shifnal have moved on from Admirals Park, which our predecessors visited 44 years ago.
They now play at Pheonix Park in the 1,500-capacity Acoustafoam Stadium which we are due to visit on February 21st.
A rare result
Tuesday's 0-0 draw at Mossley was the first goalless game under manager Brad Cooke, but the manager almost didn't get to see it!
The boss's car suffered a blown tyre en route to Mossley and it was 10 minutes after kick-off that he took his place in the dugout.
It was our first no score draw for more than a year, the last being at Wythenshawe Town, also in NPL West, on Saturday, October 5th 2024.
Each of our last 57 games had contained at least one goal.
Our only other stalemate last season came on the opening day of the league campaign - coincidentally at Town's neighbours Wythenshawe.
We have now kept eight clean sheets in 17 matches in all competitions this season and failed to score three times, being shut out in our last two matches.
Form guide
Shifnal are eighth in the table with 19 points from 12 matches.
They have played six away games in the league so far, picking up eight points.
Beaten 1-0 in their opening match at Chasetown, Shifnal had won 2-1 at Avro and 2-0 at Wythenshawe before August was out.
They have since failed to win on the road in four attempts across all competitions, in Sepptember losing 3-0 at Bury and drawing 2-2 at Bootle.
Their only league game so far in October brought - at Sporting Khalsa - ended 1-1 although this followed a creditable showing in a 3-2 Isuzu FA Trophy Third Round Qualifying defeat at Gsinsborough Trinity.
Earlier rounds of the Trophy had seen Shifnal knock out Chasetown, reversing the scoreline from the earlier away meeting in a home tie, and then visiting Carlton Town from NPL Midlands 2-1.
In the Emirates FA Cup, Shifnal suffered a shock 1-0 home defeat by Coventry United of the United Counties League Premier Division South in the Extra Preliminary Round.
Linnets are unbeaten in the league at home with two wins and a draw from three matches but we have lost on our last two appearances at the APEC to higher opposition - going out on penalties in the Isuzu FA Trophy and to a stoppage-time Emirates FA Cup goal.
We are in 15th spot on 12 points from seven games as we start to play catch-up. Only Nantwich, who are two points and two places below us, have played so few matches - we both have up to six matches in hand on rival teams.
Player landmarks
Ryan Brooke's next start will be his 150th in a Runcorn shirt while Naim Arsan is one away from his 50th.
How to get here
By car - postcode for APEC Taxis Stadium is WA7 6GJ.
By train - Runcorn is served by two railway stations, Runcorn (Liverpool Lime Street to London line, also with services from Chester and Birmingham) and Runcorn East (trains to and from Manchester, Chester and North Wales). Both stations are served by buses running close to the stadium, although Runcorn High Street bus station (10-minute walk) offers a wider choice for passengers using Runcorn Railway Station.
By bus - the ground is a short walk from the Runcorn Busway - alight at Orniston Bollingbroke Academy (Halton High School) and follow pathway on the opposite side of the busway from the school to Murdishaw Avenue and cross into Stockham Lane. Many local services (including Shopping City circular) run on the busway as well as those from Widnes, Warrington, Liverpool and Chester.
By taxi - a local taxi service is provided by APEC Taxis (tel 01928 575757).
Parking
There is a large free car park on site.
Bar and catering
The licensed clubhouse bar offers a range of alcoholic and non-alcholic drinks while hot food, tea, coffee and soft drinks and confectionery are on sale from the tea bar.
Admission
Adult - £11
(£2 discount for Halton Leisure Card holders)
Concession (Over 65s) - £8
Juniors (18 and under) - £2
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