Huyton Stanley v Woodstreet

1.15pm 9 December 2023

Liverpool Old Boys Amateur League, Premier Division
Huyton Stanley 6 Woodstreet 2 (att 4)

The Simpson Ground in Liverpool was a simple playing field with changing rooms when I visited for a Woolton home game in 2014.

Since then Woolton have had something of a makeover, becoming MSB Woolton, and the ground has been transformed into one of Liverpool's football hubs.

There are now a trio 3G pitches. MSB Woolton apparently have ambitions to climb the leagues and are turning 'pitch three' - which is on the same footprint as the grass pitch used in 2014 - into a venue suitable for promotion.

As there were two games at 1pm/1.15pm I knew at least one would allow me to tick off one of the other pitches. As it turned out neither fixture was on pitch I'd already been to so I had a choice.

With the prospect of a single 3pm game featuring a first team at home I gambled on the chance to complete the set of pitches in one go, and so dipped into the Liverpool Old Boys Amateur League for this match.

Huyton Stanley and Woodstreet were using 'pitch two', the only one of the three without dugouts. There's a spectator area the full length of one side and around part of one end.

Stanley are going well in the league, and with Woodstreet struggling I expected a comfortable home win. But it was a good effort from the visitors who matched their hosts for much of the game.

The home side always looked to have an extra gear or two though, and a gulf between the sides widened as Woodstreet tired during the second half. The win was convincing in the end but the final score was harsh on the visitors.