24 HOURS FROM MACCLESFIELD – THE LONGEST DAY MACCLESFIELD TOWN 0 – GRIMSBY TOWN 1 Vanarama Conference Premier League – (Division 5) Boxing Day 26th December 2014 It was 50 years to the day since I attended my first away game. Boxing Day 1964 and The Mariners were away at The Old Show Ground in Division Three – losing two-one with a Ron Foster consolation goal for Town in front of 10,867 fans. So Boxing Day loomed again and it was an anniversary I couldn’t miss! Town away at Macclesfield Town had to be visited. Although I’ve been there twice before and it wasn’t a new ground to tick off it was only the second time I’d seen Macc there as my first visit had been in 1990 to see Town play Chester when they were having their new ground built. After checking the weather forecast, Hayden and I set out at 11.15 from Kirton Lindsey across country via Gainsborough, Retford, Chesterfield and Buxton (all places visited before to watch football at!). Beautiful views across the Moors as we paused at The Cat & Fiddle for a swift half about 1 pm. Arriving at Moss Rose at 1.50, tickets were bought and we were admitted to the ground at 2pm following the now expected body search. The Meat & Potato pie I queued 10 mins for was the worst pie I’ve had at a game for years – the crust was thick and hard and I could only find potato and carrot inside and dried up gravy being the meat content? The game kicked off on time and we were among the 694 Town fans mostly on the open terrace behind the goal. We were soon cheering what turned out to be the fourth minute winner – Nathan Arnold broke on the left and his shot rebounded off the Macc keeper straight to Jack Mackreth (a summer signing from Macc!) who put his shot away. The rest of the 2,786 crowd weren’t cheering. It started raining at about 3.15 – just a slight drizzle at first then a constant but not heavy downpour. I can’t remember the last time I was daft enough to stand without shelter for nearly a whole game! Still I had a waterproof on but by 4.50 my jeans and shoes were sodden. It didn’t seem to matter as Town soaked up everything and three points were secured! In a couple of minutes I’d be back in the car and would have the heater on! We set off for home deciding to take a different route to Buxton. I went towards Leek then turned left at the A54 to Buxton. As I turned left at the traffic lights I thought I could see snow in the headlights – must have been dreaming? No afraid not! The next 10 minutes were the most frightening I have experienced for years. About five miles further, going steeply uphill, I passed a pub and the car in front of me that had covered the last mile at no more than 15 mph turned in to my relief. I could now get a move on. But no, after about a mile the car would go no further. In the space of 10 minutes the road had become totally impassable! I gingerly turned around and the mile back to the pub was terrifying! Steeper than I had realised, with the car in first gear and brakes full on (ABS working overtime) I continued to slide towards a 90 degree left bend with a sheer drop beyond it! Somehow with careful assistance from the handbrake I managed to negotiate the bend! After pulling into the car park we ventured into the pub. It was closing at 6pm and the landlady told me they were going out for the evening and our best bet was back to Macclesfield and take a different route. Setting off back to Macc we got about a mile and an Audi in front of me could get no further. After stopping and trying to push him we soon realised we were going no further so both cars were abandoned in a gate way off the road and we trudged back the mile or so to the pub. Fortunately we made it back by 6pm and informed the landlord and his wife that we were stuck! They were brilliant and by 7pm there were 13 people camping out in the bar. Food and beer were excellent and they didn’t charge us for staying! The last two to arrive were a couple in a 4WD Nissan on their way home from Goodison Park. Fortunately, during the night snow ploughs and gritters got through. I set off with a lift back to my car from the Evertonians just after 8 am. Very gingerly back to Macclesfield then via Stockport to the M60 and M62, arriving home at 11.15, exactly 24 hours since I set off. Never taken that long to get home from a match in 50 years! So if you’re going from Buxton west along the A54 and want somewhere to stop for lunch, or stay, pop into The Rose & Crown at Allgreave and meet Ian and Luda and remind them of the two Grimsby fans who stayed the night!
Posted on: Sun, 28 Dec 2014 16:50:48 +0000
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