This Is Not A Drill: The Sad Demise of Northwich Victoria

 

Since the publication of the Taylor Report in 1990, many historic football grounds around the country have been lost, the clubs concerned taking the plunge into the brave new world of the all-seater stadium genre. While the majority of the losses have been throughout the upper echelons of the English game, there has been some regrettable losses further down the food chain, and one of the biggest was the disappearance of The Drill Field, the former home of Northwich Victoria, which - at the time of its closure in 2002 - was the oldest ground in the world on which football had been continuously played.

The move away from their historic home was designed to help the club address some serious financial challenges while at the same time provide them with the infrastructure to put them in a position where they could contemplate for a return to the Football League. Instead it put them on a completely different path which has left the club in what appears to be terminal decline.

Northwich Victoria was formed in 1874, though in some quarters it is thought that the club was around a few years earlier, initially playing their football at Stumper's Field, though the following year they moved to The Drill Field where they remained for the next 127 years.

The Drill Field: the former home of Northwich Victoria (Image: Vince Taylor)

After a few years of playing friendlies and challenge matches, the club played their first competitive fixtures in 1877 when they entered the Welsh Cup, a competition which they went close to winning on two occasions, finishing runners-up to first Druids, and then Bangor City. When they faced Druids in 1882, they became the first English club to reach the final.

In 1880, the club entered the inaugural Cheshire FA Challenge Cup (now the Cheshire Senior Cup), and went on to lift the trophy, beating Hartford St. Johns in the final. They followed this with five successive triumphs to become the dominant Cheshire club.

Early in 1890, the original incarnation of Northwich Victoria ceased to exist when the decision was taken to merge with Hartford and Davenham United, though the new club retained the Northwich Victoria name. As leagues became established around the country, Northwich Victoria became a founding member of the second iteration of The Combination in 1890, and in the 1891/92 season, the club finished as runners-up.

In 1892, Northwich Victoria became a founder member of the Football League Second Division and as a result, turned professional. Their first season as a Football League club was a great success, and saw them finish in seventh place, their highest ever finish, while they also knocked Liverpool out of the FA Cup, and so became the first club to beat The Reds in England's biggest cup competition. During that debut campaign, The Vics secured the services of Billy Meredith who is widely considered to be English football's first genuine star; Meredith went on to play for Manchester City and Manchester United, and earn 48 caps for Wales. However, despite Meredith's presence, Northwich's second season in the Football League was a disaster, with the club finishing bottom of the Second Division though they did achieve some notable results, including a 5-3 win over Newcastle United at The Drill Field in which Billy Meredith bagged his first hat-trick for the club.

At the end of the season, the club's board took the decision not to apply for re-election, and instead reverted back to regional football on an amateur basis after concluding that the financial burden associated with professionalism was too difficult to sustain.

After playing variously in The Combination, the Manchester League and the Lancashire Combination, the club joined the Cheshire League in 1919, where they remained until 1968 when they left to become a founder member of the Northern Premier League.

The Vics tended to be a mid-table side during their time in the Northern Premier League, though they went incredibly close to securing the title during the 1976/77 season when they lost out to Boston United on goal difference. The same season the club enjoyed their best run in the FA Cup in modern times, reaching the fourth round proper, beating Rochdale in the first round,  and Peterborough United in the second round. In the third round they drew Elton John's Watford and gave them a rocket, man, beating them 3-2 in a thriller at The Drill Field to secure a home tie with Oldham Athletic. Cup fever gripped Northwich, and interest in the tie meant that it was played at Manchester City's Maine Road where The Vics bowed out before a crowd of over 29,000, losing 3-1.

In 1979, Northwich became a founder member of the new Alliance Premier League, the top-flight of non-league football, and in their second campaign, finished in fourth place.

The 1980s proved to be a good one for the club, reaching two successive FA Trophy finals at Wembley. The first saw them lose 2-1 to Telford United, but the second saw them defeat Bangor City 2-1 in a replay at Stoke City's Victoria Ground following a 1-1 draw in the first match. The club returned to Wembley again in the 1995/96 season when they reached the FA Trophy final for a third time to face Cheshire rivals Macclesfield Town. The Silkmen ran out 3-1 winners.

And the 1980s also saw one of football's most bizarre fixtures - and it was played at The Drill Field - the so-called 'Pie and Pints Match'. In December 1986, The Vics faced Maidstone United in a Conference fixture, but due to illness and injuries, manager Stuart Pearson had just eight available players, though he still planned to go ahead with the match. On hearing the team news, chairman Derek Nuttall went into The Drill Field's social club an hour before kick-off and asked if anyone there would like a game. Astonishingly, three supporters volunteered - one of whom had had two pints and a pork pie - and the club secretary managed to complete the registrations in time. Pearson gave the three novices one simple instruction, "when you get the ball, give it to Gordon Hill (the former Manchester United winger and England international)". Incredibly, the game finished in a 1-1 draw.

Northwich Victoria's FA Trophy-winning Squad (Image: The Non League Football Paper)

By the dawn of the new millennium, Northwich Victoria found themselves in deep financial trouble, and in a bid to find a solution, agreed to sell The Drill Field to housebuilder Wain Homes, and move to a new stadium on the fringes of an industrial estate on the outskirts of the town, a short distance from the home of local rivals Witton Albion who had themselves relocated in the early 1990s. The big problem was, the club would be tenant in their new home.

But the plans proceeded, and the club played its final game at The Drill Field on 3 May 2002 when they faced Congleton Town in a Mid Cheshire Senior Cup tie. Following the ground's closure, the entire Dane Bank Stand - which had been rebuilt in 1998 to help the club meet Conference standards - was dismantled and re-erected at their new home, the Victoria Stadium.

The Drill Field before its closure (Image: Andy Dakin)

The Vics ground-shared with Witton Albion until 2005 when they finally were able to move into their new home, but it had been a drawn-out and painful process, and it felt more like a relief than a celebration. The 2003/04 season only saw them avoid relegation to the new Conference North due to the bankruptcy of Telford United, Hucknall Town's ground not meeting Conference National standards, and the demotion of Margate. The following season was even more challenging, with the club entering administration and receiving a 10 point deduction, and though they avoided relegation on the pitch, they chose a voluntary demotion due to legal issues associated with the club brought out of administration by property developer Mike Connett, who also happened to be the owner of the club's new stadium.

The 2005/06 was a positive one for Northwich Victoria, and at the time, it felt like the club had turned a corner. They finally moved into the 5,045-capacity Victoria Stadium, The Vics beating Gainsborough Trinity 2-0 in the first league fixture at their new home. They reached the third round proper of the FA Cup, securing a trip to the Stadium of Light to face Premier League Sunderland - who won the tie 3-0 - with 3,500 Vics supporters making the trip to the North East. And they ended the season as Conference North champions, securing the title with a 3-1 win over nearest rivals Stafford Rangers before the new ground's record league attendance of 3,154. Later in 2006, the Victoria Stadium was officially opened by Sir Alex Ferguson ahead of a friendly with Manchester United, whose reserve team went on to have two spells playing their football at the ground.

However, the upturn was only a short one and proved to be the calm before the storm. By October 2007, the club was bottom of the table with just two points, and owner Mike Connett - who still owned the Victoria Stadium and the surrounding land - was actively looking to sell the club. Shortly afterwards, The Vics entered administration for a second time over an unpaid tax bill of more than £350,000. By December, the club was in new hands when a consortium led by businessman Jim Rushe, though the Victoria Stadium remained in the hands of previous owner Mike Connett whose own business Beaconet had gone into receivership.

On the pitch they had somehow managed to stay clear of safety until the 2008/09 season which proved to be another difficult one. As well as struggling on the pitch, the club had to relocate to Altrincham's Moss Lane on a temporary basis when Mike Connett removed safety equipment from the ground. At the end of the season they were relegated from the Conference National, and subsequently collapsed into administration for a third time, owing creditors in the region of £500,000, and were looking at a double relegation to the Northern Premier League as a result, though they eventually secured a place in the Conference North for the 2009/10 season on appeal.

The 2009/10 season was one of consolidation for The Vics, and they finished safely in mid-table and enjoyed a good FA Cup run - they reached the second round proper, beating Charlton Athletic in the first - as they looked to rebuild. But they received a hammer blow at the end of the campaign when - due to the continuation of their financial problems, exacerbated by the FA holding back FA Cup prize and TV money of £180,000 - they were relegated to the Northern Premier League. In order to try and cut costs, the majority of the playing squad was made available for transfer.

By now, former Stockport County and Crystal Palace striker Andy Preece was in charge at the Victoria Stadium, and at the end of the 2010/11 season he led Northwich to their first piece of silverware in five years when they lifted the Cheshire Senior Cup.

During the 2011/12 season, Northwich were negotiating the acquisition of the Victoria Stadium from former owner Mike Connett, and despite receiving assurances that the club's proposal was close to a conclusion, a deal was instead done with neighbouring THOR Chemicals who then evicted The Vics, with the ground eventually demolished, though the Dane Bank Stand was once again dismantled and was rebuilt at the new home of FC United of Manchester, Broadhurst Park. The club ended the season groundsharing with Stafford Rangers some 40 miles away. This upheaval led to the departure of Andy Preece and the rest of his management team, who were replaced by Paul Simpson who himself only lasted a month. Former Port Vale manager Martin Foyle took the position until the end of the season, and despite the madness that had enveloped the club, Northwich finished in second place. However, due to a breach of league rules concerning financial matters, The Vics weren't allowed to contest the promotion play-offs and were instead expelled from the Northern Premier League. The club appealed the decision, and the FA found that the punishment was excessive, and instead demoted them to Division One South, the lowest level in the club's long history with local rivals Witton Albion starting above them in the pyramid for the first time.

Former Wolves striker Andy Mutch was appointed manager ahead of the start of the 2012/13 season, but the continued mismanagement of the club and lack of a home ground alienated a large chunk of the club's support, and for a 4-3 defeat to Stamford, they recorded their lowest ever gate of 86. And things got worse still for The Vics. At a meeting of the Northwich Victoria Supporters' Trust on 15 November 2012, a vote was held on the formation of a new club, with the result being a resounding 'yes'. Two weeks later, the name 1874 Northwich was chosen for the new club, in recognition of the year the original Northwich Victoria was formed. 1874 Northwich was registered with the Cheshire FA early in 2013, and were accepted into the North West Counties Football League Division One for the start of the 2013/14 season, having agreed a groundshare arrangement with Winsford United.

A couple of weeks prior to the announcement regarding 1874 Northwich, Andy Mutch left The Vics with the club sitting eighth in the table, to be replaced by former Grimsby Town and West Bromwich Albion winger Lee Ashcroft.

The 2013/14 season saw The Vics switched to Division One North of the Northern Premier League, and shortly after the start of the season, their new - but now former - home the Victoria Stadium was demolished. Further problems arose for The Vics when manager Lee Ashcroft received a 10-match stadium ban, leading to his departure. Ashcroft was replaced by another former Port Vale manager, this time Jim Gannon. Gannon settled things down somewhat, and during the 2014/15 season, led The Vics to the promotion play-offs though they were to miss out.

The Victoria Stadium - demolished in 2013 just eight years after its opening (Image: Nathan Jackson)

The 2015/16 season was another positive one for The Vics. The club was to enjoy a remarkable FA Cup run which saw them progress through five rounds to reach the second round proper where they were beaten by Northampton Town of League Two. And they once again reached the promotion play-offs despite a nine-point deduction for fielding an ineligible player, and losing manager Jim Gannon to Stockport County, though they again failed at the final hurdle.

To add to the drama in Northwich and the murkiness that had surrounded The Vics, former chairman Jim Rushe - who lost hundreds of thousands of pounds after rescuing the club from administration - was jailed for six years in March 2016, after being found guilty for his involvement in a £5million plot to supply cocaine.

Over in Winsford, 1874 Northwich were making great strides, attracting good gates, and by the end of the 2015/16 season were established in the North West Counties Football League Premier Division, and had lifted their first piece of silverware - the Mid Cheshire Senior Cup.

By contrast, The Vics were in a continual state of disarray, and towards the end of the 2016/17, they once again found themselves in administration and hit with a 10-point deduction which sent them down to the North West Counties Football League Premier Division alongside 1874 Northwich.

In June 2017, Northwich Victoria were taken over by the Northwich Victoria Supporters Association, putting the club in the hands of those that care for it the most, and a groundshare agreement was reached with nearby Barnton, with everyone hopeful that they could begin to stabilise things and turn a corner.

But while 1874 Northwich continued to progress - though they themselves now seem to have hit a glass ceiling - The Vics found themselves stuck in a rut, without a home of their own, and a much diminished support following the formation of 1874. And despite securing a new groundshare - this time at Winsford United's Barton Stadium - things took a further turn for the worse in the summer of 2023 when a further reorganisation of the non-league game saw The Vics inexplicably moved into the Midland Football League Premier Division for the 2023/24 campaign which has impacted on player retention and attendances. The Vics currently find themselves at their lowest ebb, just outside the relegation zone, and look like a club in terminal decline.

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Although it was clearly a more complicated affair, you can probably pinpoint the start of Northwich Victoria's demise as the decision to leave The Drill Field - once described as "without question...the most celebrated and well-known non-league ground in the country" - to pursue a new life in a grotty industrial landscape in an out-of-town location. The club sold the family silver and basically put themselves in the hands of someone who would never have seen The Vics as a long-term thing, particularly in that location, and more of an opportunity to enhance their property portfolio.

Aside from the loss of one of English football's little gems, the saddest part about The Vics' recent history is that despite the chaos and financial troubles, there was still a lot of fight left in the club, and on the pitch they continued to battle on, with a couple of excellent FA Cup runs, and three trophies.

But ultimately, the heart and soul had been ripped from the club, and there has been a certain inevitability about the way that it spiralled out of control. The fracture of the support that led to the formation of 1874 Northwich hasn't helped in many ways, and neither club has its own permanent home; 1874 since the club's creation, and The Vics since being evicted from the Victoria Stadium. And more recently, the footballing authorities have not helped during the reorganisation of the non-league game, and if 1874 Northwich are relegated this season - and it's certainly looking that way - then it is highly probably that they will join The Vics in the Midland Football League Premier Division, that's if The Vics survive themselves of course.

Northwich has always been a football town, and Northwich Victoria has a long and proud history. But right now, the future would appear to be bleak for this former member of the Football League, and one of non-league football's grand old names.

Dave Proudlove