Ahead of our trip to Victory Park this coming Saturday, we take a look back at all the previous trips that we have made to face Chorley.
Our first-ever trip to face The Magpies actually came under the guise of Macclesfield FC.
This occurred on 13th March 1915, just days after the first British offensive of the First World War around the village of Neuve Chapelle.
After Britain had declared war on Germany on 4th August 1914, there were contrasting arguments as to whether football should be suspended for the duration of the hostilities.
This polarised opinion across the length and breadth of the nation, however Macclesfield FC ultimately decided to embark on the 1914/15 campaign in a move that mirrored the stance of many other Clubs.
Despite the fact that conscription was not introduced until January 1916, several of the Macclesfield team had already pledged their allegiance to King and country by the time The Silkmen made the trip over to Chorley to contest their Lancashire Combination fixture.
Although his first name is not recorded, Mr S Bithell found the back of the net in what was reported to be an entertaining 1 – 1 draw that day.
Bithell was a prolific goalscorer who had registered 19 goals in 22 appearances the previous season, and despite the reduced number of games, still managed to score nine times in 13 starts during the 1914/15 campaign.
Out of the last thirteen games of the season, Macclesfield recorded ten wins and in their one and only season within the Lancashire Combination, finished a very respectable fourth – just three points behind champions, Eccles Borough.
Within a week of the season finishing, the Football Association banned any competitive football from taking place until the end of the war.
The makeshift Macclesfield side, who accepted a 50% wage cut in order to play, received a wealth of plaudits for their endeavours – so much so that on 1st May 1915, The Staffordshire Sentinel reported the following.
“So closes one of the most remarkable seasons in the history of the Club…one of which both players and committee can be proud.”
Macclesfield would not return to Chorley for another 53 years, and this was under the guise of Macclesfield Town.
Player / Manager Frank Beaumont took his illustrious side to Victory Park on Boxing Day 1968, and saw his side pick up a valuable point in their bid to become the first-ever Northern Premier League champions.
Former Manchester City winger John Clay was the Macc goalscorer that day, as our second visit to Chorley ended in a 1 – 1 draw.
Our third trip to face The Magpies occurred on 26th January 1971, as Beaumont’s side returned to contest a North West Floodlit League fixture.
Despite Alan Wilcockson scoring a brace that evening, The Silkmen suffered their first-ever defeat at Chorley as the hosts ran out 3 – 2 winners.
This scoreline was replicated three months later as we made our fourth visit to Chorley in order to contest a Northern Premier League fixture on 10th April 1971.
George Sievwright and Denis Fidler both found the back of the net for the visitors, yet The Magpies would claim back-to-back victories against Beaumont’s side.
Our fifth trip to face Chorley occurred on 16th October 1971, with Player / Manager Beaumont adding to John Collins’ opening goal in what proved to be a lively 2 – 2 draw.
Due to the home side joining the Cheshire League at the end of the 1971/72 season, our sixth visit to Victory Park wasn’t until 7th September 1982.
By this point, the home side had regained their Northern Premier League status and faced Brian Booth’s side eager to make a good impression.
Despite this however, The Silkmen secured their first-ever win at Chorley as Kevan Keelan and Johnny Walker both struck without reply in front of 518 spectators.
Keelan was also on the scoresheet when we made our seventh trip to Victory Park on 3rd December 1983, as he added to Brian Jackson’s opening goal.
Despite this, the hosts would run out 4 – 2 winners in what remains Chorley’s biggest-ever margin of victory against the visiting Silkmen.
Booth would get his revenge during our eighth trip to Victory Park however, as he oversaw an emphatic 3 – 0 victory on 16th October 1984.
Defender Graham Tobin opened the scoring that day, with experienced Football League forward Dave Goodwin doubling our lead.
Stuart Chapman went on to complete the scoring in front of 358 spectators.
Graham Tobin: The reliable defender was on the scoresheet at Victory Park back in October 1984.
Shortly before our ninth trip to Victory Park on 5th April 1986, Booth resigned his position due to health reasons, and after short stints from Neil Griffiths and Roy Campbell, was replaced by Peter Wragg.
A brace from David Esser, coupled with strikes from Steve Burr and Bob Askey helped Macc to a 4 – 1 victory that day, as the former Hyde United Manager began to forge an incredibly special relationship with the Silkmen faithful.
Wraggy returned to Victory Park with his Silkmen side on 4th April 1987, as the most epic of title races was ebbing towards its dramatic conclusion.
Macc had trailed Bangor City by a colossal thirteen points at the end of February and were still fighting on two other fronts – the NPL Cup and President’s Cup.
By the start of April, games were coming thick and fast (some literally within 24 hours of each other), yet Wragg’s iconic side remained unbeaten in their last 22 games and won 18 of them to claim a unique treble.
As part of this, a clinical brace from Steve Burr did the damage at Victory Park, as our tenth visit produced a third consecutive win.
Elevation to the GM Vauxhall Conference in 1987 meant the two Clubs would not meet again until 19th November 1988.
Chorley had followed in the footsteps of Macclesfield Town by claiming the Northern Premier League title at the end of the 1987/88 campaign, and ahead of our eleventh visit, had acclimatised well to life in the fifth tier.
That said, a Phil Derbyshire penalty proved to be decisive as Wragg continued his perfect record at Victory Park in front of 1012 fans.
Phil Derbyshire: Match-winner from the penalty spot back in November 1988.
Our last league trip to face Chorley occurred on 6th January 1990, as the two sides contested a GM Vauxhall Conference fixture for the final time.
On a bitterly cold afternoon, the game did little to warm the 1069 spectators up as it finished as a rather drab goalless draw.
The Silkmen would finish in a very respectable fourth position that season as Darlington secured an immediate return to the Football League, yet Chorley were sadly relegated – together with Enfield and Farnborough Town.
Our last trip to face Chorley was on 20th April 1996 and is arguably the most iconic, as Sammy McIlroy took his reigning GM Vauxhall Conference champions to face The Magpies in order to contest the FA Umbro Trophy Semi-Final Second Leg.
The first leg had been a tense affair, with The Magpies taking the lead thanks to Steve Hook’s perfectly-timed header midway through the first period.
Resilient defending then proved to be more than just a little frustrating for McIlroy’s men, yet parity was restored shortly after the interval when Andy Thorpe inadvertently struck the ball past his own ‘keeper to catalyse Macc’s response.
The pendulum then took a massive swing in Macc’s favour in the 84th minute, as Marc Coates hammered the ball home from an acute angle to put the home side into the lead.
Phil Power then gave The Silkmen a two-goal cushion, as he swept the ball home from close range in the closing stages.
The stage was set for a monumental return leg at Victory Park, and that is exactly what transpired.
In front of 3048 spectators, the visiting side undeniably started brighter, and for a time, this helped to calm some of the nerves emanating from the away end.
Tony Hemmings, Phil Power and Neil Sorvel all had chances to open the scoring, yet somehow the deadlock remained intact.
After weathering the proverbial storm somewhat, Chorley fought back and would send shockwaves through everyone connected with our Club when Brian Ross slid the ball past Ryan Price to claim his 30th goal of the season.
Buoyed by the goal, the hosts were relentless in their bid to level the tie on aggregate.
Wave after wave of Chorley pressure ensued – to the extent that even the most devout Macc fan’s fingernails must have been absolutely obliterated.
The drama seemed to be intensifying by the minute, with Price making a number of gravity-defying saves to keep our noses in front.
Super Cec: The best goal line clearance you will ever see back in April 1996.
Midway through the second half, Chorley were denied a certain goal – not by Price, but by defender Cec Edey.
In what will always remain an iconic piece of our history, Dean Emerson lifted the ball over a stranded Price, and it looked destined to drop into the back of the net.
Only a backpedalling Edey could prevent it – but it seemed beyond the realms of any possibility.
Yet Edey produced an astonishing backflip that projected him inches under the crossbar, and it was from there that he was able to heroically head the ball over.
Words genuinely don’t do the intervention justice, as the whole ground held their breath in utter bewilderment.
Two minutes from time, the contest was effectively ended when Power threaded the ball through to Sorvel, and he slotted the ball home to spark ecstatic scenes amongst the away contingent.
Skipper Neil Howarth celebrates reaching the Twin Towers with goalscorer Neil Sorvel back in April 1996.
Macc went on to beat Cheshire rivals Northwich Victoria 3 – 1 at Wembley Stadium, but nobody will ever forget the jubilant scenes which accompanied our last competitive trip to Victory Park.
All this means that our complete record when making the trip over to Chorley is as follows –
Played: 13
Won: 5
Drawn: 5
Lost: 3
Goals For: 23
Goals Against: 16
How will our fourteenth trip end?
Read all the ticket news ahead of the game HERE.
