Turn Right At Mottram Roundabout - Episode 19
Tue 13th December 2016 | General | By Stewart Taylor
Last week, Episode 18 took us through the South Lakes to the Furness peninsula and Holker Old Boys.
The photo shows the clubhouse at Holker but you can see in the reflection in the windows the glorious setting of this most picturesque ground.
The quick link talked about Hugh Cavendish and a link with this club. The link is only in a name in that Hugh Cavendish, third in line to the dukedom of Devonshire, lives in Holker Hall near Cartmel.
Turning back to this week's destination, we have spoken before about settlements by rivers when looking at the origins of places within our League and this place is no exception sitting, as it does, where no less than three rivers converge. This rather suggests that this place was important during the early stages of its development and, indeed, it was and remains so to this day.
Going back to Roman times, this place, known back then as Lugovalium, - a name which suggests a derivative of a well known drug used for anxiety disorders - has a hugely significant history. Long running conflicts around here with all variety of local brigands and other ne’er do wells does rather suggest that a form of that well known drug would have been useful at the time as anxiety, no doubt, abounded.
Given that this place was known and named by the Romans suggests that its location was strategic in that grand Roman thing of attempting to sweep all before them. In this context, strategic locations are often gateways and this place most certainly satisfies that requirement.
It is the case that boundaries have shifted somewhat over the years. In the case of this place, boundary changes, inspired to some extent by conflict rather than the somewhat more benign Boundary Commission, have been hugely significant.
Skip forward the better part of 2000 years, during which time the now familiar developments of transport links and a large textile industry were evident here, and we reach the modern day. As with many places, the centre is now pedestrianised and boasts a shopping area which was created in an area which had previously been dominated by narrow alleyways of housing which had changed little for hundreds of years.
One of the most interesting local debates of very recent times has been the fate of “The Curse”. The origins of “The Curse” are complex and need not detain us here, suffice to say that the Millennium here was celebrated by, amongst other things, the commissioning of a huge granite artwork featuring the words of “The Curse”.
Amongst superstitious locals, “The Curse” was blamed for all sorts of events which occurred in the area. Amongst these were an outbreak of foot and mouth disease, floods and even the relegation of the local professional football team. After much discussion, involving an unholy alliance of local politicians and representatives of the white witches, the artwork was installed in an underpass near the centre of this place.
The passage above makes reference to a professional football club but, as may be expected, this is not the one we are looking for this week. The club in question was founded some 40 years or so ago as a place “to give local lads somewhere to play” by two members of the previously referred to professional club.
The current ground was taken over as recently as 2015 and has a hugely significant place in the history of non-league football in the area. Some estimates indicate that the ground capacity is 4000 and crowds of 2000 have been recorded within the last 10 years.
Football in this area has a great tradition and there have been a good number of professional players who were born here. These include Kevin Beattie, Grant Holt, Paul Simpson and Peter Thompson, some of whom started their playing careers in the youth set up of the local professional club.
Quick link - What links the legendary music venue the Glasgow Apollo with this club?
Turn Right At Mottram Roundabout - Episode 19
Tue 13th December 2016 | General
By Stewart Taylor
Last week, Episode 18 took us through the South Lakes to the Furness peninsula and Holker Old Boys.
The photo shows the clubhouse at Holker but you can see in the reflection in the windows the glorious setting of this most picturesque ground.
The quick link talked about Hugh Cavendish and a link with this club. The link is only in a name in that Hugh Cavendish, third in line to the dukedom of Devonshire, lives in Holker Hall near Cartmel.
Turning back to this week's destination, we have spoken before about settlements by rivers when looking at the origins of places within our League and this place is no exception sitting, as it does, where no less than three rivers converge. This rather suggests that this place was important during the early stages of its development and, indeed, it was and remains so to this day.
Going back to Roman times, this place, known back then as Lugovalium, - a name which suggests a derivative of a well known drug used for anxiety disorders - has a hugely significant history. Long running conflicts around here with all variety of local brigands and other ne’er do wells does rather suggest that a form of that well known drug would have been useful at the time as anxiety, no doubt, abounded.
Given that this place was known and named by the Romans suggests that its location was strategic in that grand Roman thing of attempting to sweep all before them. In this context, strategic locations are often gateways and this place most certainly satisfies that requirement.
It is the case that boundaries have shifted somewhat over the years. In the case of this place, boundary changes, inspired to some extent by conflict rather than the somewhat more benign Boundary Commission, have been hugely significant.
Skip forward the better part of 2000 years, during which time the now familiar developments of transport links and a large textile industry were evident here, and we reach the modern day. As with many places, the centre is now pedestrianised and boasts a shopping area which was created in an area which had previously been dominated by narrow alleyways of housing which had changed little for hundreds of years.
One of the most interesting local debates of very recent times has been the fate of “The Curse”. The origins of “The Curse” are complex and need not detain us here, suffice to say that the Millennium here was celebrated by, amongst other things, the commissioning of a huge granite artwork featuring the words of “The Curse”.
Amongst superstitious locals, “The Curse” was blamed for all sorts of events which occurred in the area. Amongst these were an outbreak of foot and mouth disease, floods and even the relegation of the local professional football team. After much discussion, involving an unholy alliance of local politicians and representatives of the white witches, the artwork was installed in an underpass near the centre of this place.
The passage above makes reference to a professional football club but, as may be expected, this is not the one we are looking for this week. The club in question was founded some 40 years or so ago as a place “to give local lads somewhere to play” by two members of the previously referred to professional club.
The current ground was taken over as recently as 2015 and has a hugely significant place in the history of non-league football in the area. Some estimates indicate that the ground capacity is 4000 and crowds of 2000 have been recorded within the last 10 years.
Football in this area has a great tradition and there have been a good number of professional players who were born here. These include Kevin Beattie, Grant Holt, Paul Simpson and Peter Thompson, some of whom started their playing careers in the youth set up of the local professional club.
Quick link - What links the legendary music venue the Glasgow Apollo with this club?
