A Giant Axe to Grind
Lancaster City play in one of the more interesting ground names in the UK… the Giant Axe.
How did that name come about?
I’m looking forward to doing a little research and finding out the answer to that and other things.
Discovering the history and strange little facts is part of the blogging process I enjoy when visiting a new club.
It’s only two weeks ago that I stood on the Lancaster train station platform, waiting for my final connecting train to Morecambe.
Therefore, this will be a familiar journey, and I’m hoping that public transport runs as smoothly again as it did that day.
Travelling a long distance on public transport with a schedule is always a little nerve-wracking!
The visitors to the Giant Axe will be Blyth Spartans, a club I am now quite familiar with. They have had a terrible season, ending with a second successive relegation. However, at least there is still a club for the fans to support, and even that didn’t look certain at one stage this season.
I hope things start to improve soon for the sake of Blyth’s loyal Green and White Army, but I don’t see that beginning today. They need a complete rebuild and kick off the new season with a resolute frame of mind.
That said, today is about Lancaster City, so let’s get on with it, shall we?
Lancaster – The Journey
The day started early, even earlier than necessary, with me struggling to sleep for once.
I got up around six o’clock and started writing this blog, rather than staring at the slowly lightning curtains for an hour.
I wandered down to the bus station to catch the 08:13 X1 to Newcastle, arriving in the Toon at 09:05.
While on the bus, I got the first train notification of the day… “The 11:22 TransPennine Express train to Lancaster has been cancelled”.
Oh, joy!
A quick look at the train app told me I could still arrive in time by catching the next TPE train at 12:33. However, this would mean cutting out some of the things I had wanted to do.
It was a lovely, warm and sunny morning. Walking toward the train station, I saw someone painting the scene looking down Grey Street.
I headed into Greggs to gorge on pastry-based sustenance and then finished the walk to Central Station.
When I arrived at 09:30, the train was already on Platform 9, and the doors opened at 09:35.
We left on schedule and an eventless journey (I like those) culminated in arriving in Carlisle at 11:10.
It was nice to make the cross-country journey on a day like today. Some of the scenery is beautiful as you travel along the River Tyne to Hexham and then the hills beyond.
Carlisle
After checking with the information office that the next train my ticket would allow me to travel on was indeed the 12:33, I headed off to find a watering hole.
There is no shortage of these near Carlisle train station, and I chose the nearest one, The Griffin.
I settled in with a pint of Guinness (£5.25) and waited, passing the time watching TV, which showed some of the best Scottish Premier League goals from over the years.
While I waited, I received the second notification… “The 17:22 TransPennine Express train to Lancaster has been cancelled”.
Let the inner fury and frustration at the state of our public transport commence.
After letting the initial rage subside, I got out my phone and ensured I could still get home in time before travelling any further. I could, so let’s head back to the station and get on with it.
The 12:33 left on time at 12:37… arriving in Lancaster at 13:35.
Having arrived later than planned, I went straight to the ground, hoping they had a clubhouse.
While I do that, why not familiarise yourself with the city of Lancaster?
Lancaster
Lancaster is a city near Lancashire’s northwest coast and is the county town of Lancashire.
The city lies on the River Lune, with Morecambe’s Mazuma Stadium (Hopper Tales #137) just 4.5 miles west. Preston is 20 miles south, Blackpool is 25 miles southwest, and the Lake District National Park is less than 25 miles to the north.
At the 2021 Census, Lancaster had a population of 52,660.
The etymology of Lancaster gives a clue to the city’s age. ‘Lon‘ being Latin for the River Lune, and ‘cæster‘ (Old English), or ‘castrum‘ (Latin), meaning fort. This refers to the Roman fort that was built on Castle Hill.
The fort was constructed circa 80 AD, and ruins of its second revamp are visible where the castle now stands.
The castle replaced the fort, with construction beginning under Queen Elizabeth I in the 13th century.
Lancaster was attacked several times by the Scots, including a raid by Robert the Bruce in 1322.
The Hanging Town
The city played a part in the Pendle Witch Trials, an infamous occasion where ten of the 12 accused went on trial at the Lancaster Assizes (courts). All but one were found guilty and hanged. Indeed, Lancaster became renowned for its use of the rope and earned the moniker ‘the Hanging Town’. Only London executed more people by hanging than Lancaster.
In the 15th century, Lancaster was the seat of the Lancastrians during the civil war dubbed the ‘War of the Roses‘ between them and the Yorkists.
Lancaster was a port in the 18th century and played a part in the shameful slave trading industry that somehow still goes on around the world today. It was the UK’s fourth most important port for the slave trade, though, as the river began to silt up, it lost its importance.
During the Industrial Revolution, Lancaster had many trades, with candles, sailcloth, ropes and shipbuilding being prominent.
City status was granted in 1937 by King George VI as part of his coronation celebrations.
Nowadays, Lancaster relies on tourism and service industries such as IT and telecommunications, though there are other sizeable industries, such as chemicals, textiles and farm machinery.
Notable People from Lancaster
Comedian, Jon Richardson – Film director, Bob Kellett – Artist, James Baynes – Children’s fantasy authors, Cherith Baldry and Joe Abercrombie – Musician, John Waite – Actresses, Joanna David, Linda Foster and Meg Wynn Owen.
Two famous footballers hailing from Lancaster are Scott McTominay and James Beattie.
Lancaster City – The Giant Axe
While you were reading about the city, I had made my way down the slope from the train station to the Giant Axe stadium
But why is it called the Giant Axe? How on earth does a football stadium earn that moniker?
The answer is disappointingly mundane.
The walls constructed to form the outer boundaries of the sports club made it appear like an axe head when viewed from overhead.
Nowadays, it could be argued it looks more like nunchucks…
Getting In
Entry into the stadium is via cash, card, or ticket.
I purchased a ticket in advance from Fanbase, stored on my phone, costing £12.00.
The ticket was scanned at the turnstile, and I entered the ground.
Once inside, a little hut contains the club shop, just to the left as you enter.
Inside, I purchased a programme and a pin badge for a combined £5.00.
Superb value!
Programme
£3.00 at Lancaster City gets you 32 glossy pages, 8 of which contain non-club-related adverts.
All of the usual stuff you would expect from a programme is there, including a few words from new gaffer, Jimmy Marshall and 2 pages on visitors, Blyth Spartans.
An excellent effort from the Dolly Blues!
After leaving the club shop, I went on my customary walk around the ground.
I entered the Giant Axe via the turnstiles on West Road (confusingly located at the south end), so we will begin at that end of the ground.
South Terrace (Or West Road Terrace)
The south side is a fairly large, uncovered twelve-step terrace, constructed in 2000.
Despite having no roof, it almost has a ‘closed-off’ feel. There are three entrances between the sturdy crush barriers, with wire mesh inserted in all the exterior fencing.
It all adds up to make it feel ‘cage-like’, although there are some away ends in places like Poland that would laugh at this suggestion.
Behind the terrace is the club car park.
East Side (or Long Side)
Moving along the terrace brings us to the east side of the ground.
This has a hospitality building for sponsors that straddles the halfway line.
On either side of it are the technical dugouts and more standing room, with two shallow terrace steps.
Embedded into the concrete are four floodlight posts, and a concrete wall provides a boundary.
The Neil Marshall Stand (or Shed End)
At the northern end of the ground is the Shed End, renamed after long-serving player and captain, Neil Marshall.
This is a covered terrace with five shallow steps that runs the width of the pitch.
Strangely, there is a net between the pitch and the stand, partially obscuring the view for fans.
A manually operated scoreboard stands in the southeast corner.
West Side
The west side of the ground is the hub for supporters on a matchday.
It contains the main John Bagguley Stand, the players’ tunnel, dressing rooms, the director’s lounge, the clubhouse, and a food kiosk named Dolly’s Diner.
The main stand houses up to 513 supporters and was constructed to replace an open terrace in 1977.
There is a second food and drink kiosk past the southern end of the main stand.
Four more floodlights stand on this side of the ground, partially blocking the view from the main stand.
The playing surface at Giant Axe is natural grass, and the ground capacity is 3,513.
Appleby were the unfortunate recipients of Lancaster’s record win, when they were defeated 17-2 by the Dollies in the 1915 FA Cup.
Their worst defeat (0-10) came at the hands of Matlock Town in a Northern Premier League fixture in 1974.
The record attendance at Giant Axe was set on 17th November 1927, when they met Carlisle United in the 4th Qualifying Round of the FA Cup. An incredible 7,506 spectators were present for the game.
Regarding transfer fees, the most City have paid for a player was £6,000 for Jamie Tandy in 2006. The record fee received came in 1999, when they sold Peter Thompson to Dutch club NAC Breda for £50,000.
Lancaster City – The Giant Axe Gallery
Clubhouse and Dolly’s Diner
Having completed my circuit of the giant Axe, my thoughts turned to a nice cold pint and a snack.
I first went into the clubhouse and bought a pint of Madri from the small bar at the far corner, costing me £4.00.
While inside the clubhouse, I noticed a few people eating food from Dolly’s Diner, so after finding a seat in the corner next to a couple of Blyth Spartans fans, I asked if they would mind keeping an eye on my drink while I got some food.
I went outside again and ordered chips and gravy. Despite the board saying £2.00 for chips and 50p for gravy, I was charged just £2.00, and it was a good (un)healthy-sized portion, too.
Great value again.
I went back inside and sat with my goodies. I chatted with the Spartans fans who had kept an eye on my drink, discussing the latest developments with Blyth and how they thought the club would do in the NPL East next season.
Northeast folks are always happy to chat with folks who show an interest in their teams.
Unfortunately, I didn’t get to mingle with any Lancaster fans today, so I can’t say if the same is true of them. The staff were all friendly around the ground, though.
The room isn’t the biggest, so I didn’t feel comfortable taking photographs of the inside, as it would have shown people more than the room itself. I did take a couple of photos of some of the wall decorations, though.
A set of double doors from the clubhouse lead into the director’s lounge.
With kick-off time approaching, it was time to head back outside.
Before the game starts, why don’t we familiarise ourselves with Lancaster City Football Club?
Lancaster City Tidbits
The Lancaster City Football Club was founded in 1911 as Lancaster Town.
Life started for the club in Division Two of the Lancashire Combination, though World War One soon halted things.
Lancaster City are nicknamed the Dolly Blues, and they take this from a popular early 20th-century washing tablet that made clothes appear whiter. For any laundry aficionados reading this, you can learn more about the product behind the name here.
Following the war, the Lancashire Combination consolidated into one division, and Town were runners-up in 1919/20.
After an unsuccessful bid for election to the Third Division North of the Football League, they won the Combination for the first time two seasons later.
In 1928/29, the Dolly Blues reached the 1st Round of the FA Cup for the first time, where they fell to a 3-1 defeat at the hands of Lincoln City.
They won the Combination again in 1929/30, 1934/35 and 1935/36.
During the 1930s, Lancaster Town regularly attracted crowds of 3,000 plus.
In 1937, Town became City for both the football club and the newly titled city.
In 1970, the club decided to join the Northern Premier League.
Reformation and Rise…
They remained there until the end of the 1981/82 season, when, after finishing 17th, financial difficulties forced the club to fold and reform. They were forced to resign from the NPL and joined the North West Counties League.
The expansion of the Northern Premier League in 1987 allowed City to join as founding members of Division One (with the Premier Division above them).
It took them until 1994/95 to gain promotion to the NPL Premier Division as champions.
Promotion in 2003/04 saw them become founding members of the Football Conference North Division (now the National League North).
…And Fall
A mystery buyer took over the club in the pre-season of 2006/07. As happens all too often in these ‘too good to be true’ moments, things went badly, and financial difficulties led to administration and a ten-point deduction.
Once more, the club was folded and reformed, with the Northern League accepting them back into the fold as part of their Division One.
Former professional footballers Neil Wainwright and Darren Peacock (with Trevor Sinclair as his assistant) failed to get the club back into the Premier Division, and in 2015, former City player Phil Brown was hired.
In 2016/17, Brown was successful where more illustrious names had failed, taking City back to the 7th tier of English football with a league title win.
The Dolly Blues have recently hired Kendall Town’s Jimmy Marshall as their manager. Lancaster-born, the attraction of managing his hometown club was too strong for Marshall to turn down.
They Played for Lancaster City
Jack Armer – Graeme Atkinson – Richie Baker – David Bayliss – Mark Beesley – Junior Bent – Andy Bond – Phil Clarkson – Keith Dyson – Jimmy Graham – John Hardiker – Phil Horner – Garry Hunter – Alex Jones – George Jones – Jimmy Kelly – Alex Kenyon – Paul Lodge – Andy Lyons – Dean Martin – Andy McAteer – Steve McIlhargey – John McNamee – Micky Mellon – Melle Meulensteen – Jamie Murphy – David Norris – Adam Nowland – Nathan Pond – Tom Pope – Trevor Sinclair – Ian Stevens – Aidan Stone – Alan Suddick – Alan Taylor and Oshor Williams.
However, the greatest player to ever pull on a shirt for Lancaster City is Blackpool and England legend, Stan Mortenson.
Stan played for the Dolly Blues between 1960 and 1962, at the end of his career.
Lancaster City – Pre-Game View of The Giant Axe
Lancaster City v Blyth Spartans – The Game
Form
Coming into today’s game, Lancaster City has played 38 games, during which they have won 10, drawn 14 and lost 14. They have scored 45 goals and conceded 56.
In March, they lost three games, winning one and drawing the other. The sole win came on March 8th at Basford United.
April started with a 1-0 home defeat at the Giant Axe, with Whitby Town taking the three points back to the North Yorkshire coast.
Visitors, Blyth Spartans have had a horrendous campaign, which has seen them relegated for a second successive season.
With 38 games played, they have won just 3, drawn 9 and lost 26. They have managed 34 goals while conceding a whopping 91.
In March, they lost all six games, and April has started with a 3-2 defeat at Hyde United.
Technically, last week’s defeat at home to Whitby Town was Jimmy Marshall’s first game as City’s boss, but that came just two days after his appointment. A full week surveying his squad would make this his first real game in charge.
Neither side has bathed itself in glory this season, but Lancaster should be too strong for a poor Blyth side, who also have a new temporary manager in Colin Myers.
With the Dollies still needing points to avoid relegation, I fully expect a home win.
Pre-Match Prediction: Lancaster City 2 Blyth Spartans 0
Kick-Off
I won’t go into too much detail about the game, simply because Lancaster City have an excellent match report that can be read at the end of the game highlights below.
However, Lancaster was the better side in the first half, though they had just a 1-0 lead to show for it at the break.
The Dollies got their breakthrough in the 31st minute from the right wing.
The ball was squared across the six-yard box by Lewis Mansell and tucked away by the incoming Charlie Fox.
You can view the goal below, although I was a little late to the party.
At 00:25 in the video below, there is a decent overhead kick effort at goal by Nic Evangelinos, going narrowly wide of the post.
Half Time – Lancaster City 1 Blyth Spartans 0
While the players trooped off for their break, I took out my phone to check on the Stoke score.
We had an important game against relegation rivals Cardiff to contend with. The score was 0-0 at half-time, which, to be honest, I would have taken as a full-time score.
It got better, though!
An 85th-minute winner via a deflected own goal by Will Fish saw the Potters snatch all three points, giving us real hope of avoiding the drop.
It’s the hope that kills you, right?
Second Half
The second half seemed to be going in the ‘more of the same’ vein when Lancaster tightened the noose, making it 2-0 in the 52nd minute.
A free-kick from the right was headed onto the crossbar, leading to a goalmouth scramble, with Harrison Beeden declared the winner.
However, Blyth showed some spirit and clawed their way back into the match.
They earned themselves a penalty in the 58th minute, though it’s one that captain Nicky Deverdics would love to have back again.
He placed his spot-kick miserably wide of the post, and heads were hung. (Not a poke at Lancaster’s ‘ropey’ past in any way, honestly! 😉)
They finally scored a goal in the 71st minute, destroying my pre-match prediction in the process.
Don’t worry about it, I’m used to it…
The ball was worked down the left before finding its way into the penalty box, where JJ Hooper coolly rounded the ‘keeper and the last defender with a drop of his shoulder before stroking it home.
🎵 It’s oh so Quiet… 🎵
The game was effectively killed off in the 88th minute when Lancaster added a third via Bobby Bjork.
Any relation?
This goal came straight through the middle of the pitch, finding its way to Bjork via through balls by first Nathan Caine, and then Aaron Bennett.
Bjork cut back onto his right foot before squeezing his shot between two defenders and past Baker in the Blyth goal.
***Game Over***
Or was it?
It certainly seemed to be when Dean Briggs was shown a red card for a high tackle where he raked his studs on a Lancaster player’s thigh.
Again, Blyth showed spirit and kept going to the end, earning another goal in the second minute of injury time, briefly giving them hope.
A cross from the left fell at the feet of Joe Oliver, who saw his shot saved by Forshaw. The rebound fell kindly for Zack Simpson, who slammed the ball home to make it 3-2.
Too little, too late for Blyth and the Dollies ‘hung’ on to collect the priceless three points.
You can read a full Match Report here, courtesy of the Lancaster City website.
Full-time – Lancaster City 3 Blyth Spartans 2
Attendance – 470
Entrance Fee – £12.00
Programme – £3.00
Lancaster City v Blyth Spartans – Match Highlights
League Table After Today’s Game
Up Next
Next up for the Dollies will be a trip to Warrington on April 19th to face Rylands.
Their final two matches will be against local rivals Bamber Bridge on 21st April, before ending their campaign with a visit to Derbyshire’s Matlock Town on April 26th.
Spartans will be keen to get this campaign consigned to history and start rebuilding in the NPL Division One East next season.
First, they have three more games to see out, beginning with Guiseley at home on April 19th.
They then face a trip to Whitby Town on Easter Monday (21st), before concluding with a game against Worksop Town at Croft Park (26th).
Lancaster City Thoughts
Aside from train cancellations, I enjoyed my day in Lancaster, and I’m only sad I didn’t see more of the city centre.
The train station is just five minutes away, making this an easy place to get to by public transport (if it’s running properly!)
Staff at the ground were all very friendly from the moment I came through the turnstiles. While I didn’t speak to any local fans, I’m sure they would have been no different.
As usual, the Spartans fans I spoke to were more than happy to chat, and were indicative of the welcome you get in the Northeast. Thanks, guys!
Everything was fairly priced, and in the case of food and the pin badge, I’d go as far as to say cheap. I’ve paid as much as £6.00 for a pin badge this season (Alloa Athletic), so to get a pin badge, chips and gravy (not all on the same tray, by the way) for £4.00 was very impressive.
The club also produces a good programme, and £3.00 is fair for the quality.
The ground itself has a good, old-school feel. Terracing is always a winner with me, and I watched a half from each end. A relatively small number of people can generate a decent atmosphere in the Shed End.
The clubhouse isn’t the biggest, but it was nice to sit inside and eat my food with a pint.
It was interesting to note how much the Lancaster fans dislike Morecambe. They were very happy with the scoreline coming out of Mazuma Park just up the road, with Carlisle beating their neighbours 2-0. They sang plenty of songs about Morecambe going down, and it’s easy to see how intense a game between the two would be.
Suggestions
I wonder how important is a director’s lounge at this level of the game?
Would it be better to make the clubhouse one big room for supporters (and directors) to enjoy a pre-match pint? Surely the more people you can get inside, the more money the club makes?
Netting in front of the Shed End should be moved to help with fans’ views of the game. It serves little purpose as a ball catcher, as it is no higher than the roof. If that is its purpose, then attach it to the top of the terraces’ roof. It may save money on lost footballs over time.
Overall, Lancaster City’s Giant Axe is a great place to visit.
Lancaster – After the Game
Following the final whistle, I made my way up to the train station to see what fate, and public transport, had in store for me.
With my 17:22 train to Edinburgh cancelled, I planned to catch the 18:19 instead.
A pleasant surprise indeed, then, when I saw there was a TPE train heading to Carlisle at 17:17!
Five minutes earlier than my original, cancelled train. The only question being, why wasn’t I booked on this train in the first place?
We left the station at 17:20, just as the police arrived on the platform in preparation for the Carlisle United supporters heading this way from the big relegation showdown at nearby Morecambe.
Arriving in Carlisle at 18:15, I had just over thirty minutes before the connecting train to Newcastle.
Dare I risk sitting in the waiting room feeling tired? Yeah, go for it.
I managed to stay awake and boarded the train, which left on schedule at 18:49.
The evening trains between Carlisle and Newcastle are always an ‘experience’. Basically, a party train for drinkers and never fails to entertain.
Amid the sounds of loud cackling and many loud, slurred voices, we pulled into Newcastle Central at 20:15.
Good timing! This gave me plenty of time to get to the bus stop, but not long to wait.
The X1 arrived at 20:30, dropping me off fifty minutes late, and I was through the front door by 21:30.
Another successful Hop in the books!
Next Up for Hoppers Guide
Next week will see us remaining in the Northern Premier League Premier Division.
I will finally, and hopefully, get to see Stockton Town’s Bishopton Road West ground.
Twice previously, I have planned to visit and failed.
There was a GoNorthEast bus strike on the first occasion, and the second time, buses weren’t heading that far south due to snow.
So, hopefully we can get third-time luck, as the saying goes.
Perfect timing for a visit, too, with the club looking to secure a playoff place at the top. That looks all but secured, but they will need another point to make sure.
On top of the relevance at the top of the table, the visitors will be northeast rivals, Morpeth Town, adding a little extra to the occasion.
As always, I’m looking forward to this one…
Onto the next!
An excellent and comprehensive account of your day.
Hope to see you soon at Worksop.
Thank you, Tim
Who knows where the wind (and trains) will take me next…