ENTERPRISE NATIONAL LEAGUE. SATURDAY, 15th NOVEMBER 2025.

But Come Back to Win…

Morecambe crossed into God’s Own Country today to face one of the form teams in the National League: York City. This is what I wrote about them in my review of our fellow NL members earlier in the season:

For those Morecambe supporters of a certain age, York City has created an indelible stain on our football consciousness. The first time I saw them was way back in 1968. It was an FA First Round Cup tie at their home ground of the time – Bootham Crescent – and my dad and I set off in our old, green Austin A35 to make what seemed an interminable journey to a thirteen-year-old – as I was then – to support the Shrimps. York was a league club – one of the weak ones that shouldn’t really have been in the top echelons of the English game; Morecambe a lowly ex-member of the Lancashire Combination embarking on a new experience as a founder-member of the brand-new Northern Premier League. But hopes were high of an upset: City were going nowhere but Morecambe Manager Ken Waterhouse was steering his fantastic team to a Senior Cup victory against First Division (top flight) Burnley later in the season: the first time a non-league club had ever won it. Also – extraordinarily enough – the clubs had met only two seasons ago in the same competition. They had drawn 0-0 at Bootham Crescent and then 1-1 in the replay only for the Shrimps to lose by the narrowest of margins – and the only goal of the game – in a third match played in Manchester at Maine Road, with almost five thousand spectators watching on.

Wind the clock forward to 1968 again and Morecambe were one-nil down at half time, when we changed ends with the York contingent – our Skinheads (some of whom I went to school with) growling at theirs and vice-versa. And then huge but very agile Morecambe goalkeeper Lance Millard had a rush of blood, raced out of his penalty area to clear the ball – and missed it. And that was it: a two-nil defeat and a long trudge home through the darkness and the rain.

We were drawn against them anew in the same competition – First Round again – almost twenty years later. The game at York during November 1985 ended in a 0-0 draw.

Christie Park was so dilapidated at another time of financial crisis at the Lancashire club that the replay was also played at Maine Road. And penniless Morecambe lost again, this time 2-0, in front of barely more than a thousand fans.

So the Minstermen were becoming a bit of a bogey team for the Shrimps.

We all had historical reasons to be worried, therefore, when – almost two decades later on 7th May 2007 – the Shrimps faced York again in the absolutely critical Football Conference Play-Off Semi-Final Second Leg at Christie Park. The first leg at Bootham Crescent had been a bruising encounter after which the Shrimps had emerged with a goal-less draw. But in the second leg, what is probably one of the most pivotal moments in the club’s entire history happened after almost 20 minutes. Young, big, skilful York forward Clayton Morrison had been troubling the Morecambe defence right from kick-off. He looked certain to score at this point and would have unless the Shrimps’ Number One – Steven Drench – hadn’t basically wiped him out in a desperate attempt to thwart him. Both players were injured – the goalkeeper, ironically, really badly as he dislocated his elbow. Morrison – clearly shaken as well as hurt – had little impact from that point onwards and was substituted during the second half. Drench had to be helped off the field, never to be the same player again. Extraordinarily, though, Referee East didn’t send our goalkeeper off – or even book him. At half time, the Ref took the very unusual step of talking to the satellite company which was beaming the game live to the world, so controversial was his decision to allow Scott Davies to replace Drench in the Morecambe goal. He explained that in his view, Steven’s had been a genuine attempt to get the ball so did not deserve a red card. It was a let-off for Morecambe – although they trailed 0-1 to the penalty their stopper had conceded, they still had eleven men on the field. Wayne Curtis headed Adam Yates’ free-kick home to equalise after forty minutes and then scored an outstanding goal to win it during the second half. (Next stop was Wembley; Exeter City and then the club’s first ever season in the previously unavailable Hallowed Ground of the English Football League…)

So – for once and actually their first time ever – Morecambe got the better of their White Rose opponents. Subsequently, Normal Service has been more or less resumed: the two clubs have played eight League Two matches and the Shrimps have only won one of them as opposed to three victories for City.

York have had troubles of their own in the years that have passed since they dropped-out of the EFL themselves in 2016. But we get ahead of ourselves again…

The club was formed in 1922 and initially played in the Midland League at a ground on the outskirts of the City called Fulfordgate. But when the new Third Division North of the Football League was introduced in 1929, City were founder-members. They moved to the more central Bootham Crescent in 1932 and then remained in the Third Division North until the regional Divisions were scrapped and new national Third and Fourth Divisions were created during 1958. The Minstermen were only deemed good enough to compete in the lower of these and that’s where they stayed – often struggling – until 1971. (They had to apply for re-election to the Football League – as progressive clubs such as Wigan; Wimbledon and ourselves were knocking on the door but couldn’t get in – six times during their almost totally unremarkable existence in the Closed Shop security of the Football League before 1971.) In this year, they won promotion into the Third Division for three seasons and then reached the giddy heights of Division Two (now called the Championship) in 1974. But the adventure ended with relegation in 1977 and a slow but steady decline followed. By 1989 they were back in the Fourth Division and in 2004, they fell out of a Football League which they had been distinctly unimpressive members of for three quarters of a century altogether, coming rock-bottom of the Fourth Division. They spent eight years in the Football Conference before a 2-1 Play-Off victory at Wembley against Luton Town – after conceding in just the second minute of the game – saw them return to League Two (as the Fourth Division was now known) during 2012.

They only lasted four seasons. With financial crises threatening to scupper the club altogether, they were relegated to the National League after coming bottom of the entire EFL again in 2016 and went straight out of that as well, ending-up in the National League North for five long years as from 2018.

During their first experience of the Fourth level of the English football pyramid, York won the only trophies of note during their pretty unexceptional previous ninety years and longer. In 2012, they beat Newport County 2-0 in the EFL Trophy Final at Wembley and returned there during 2017 to defeat Macclesfield Town 3-2. (Their first appearance in the Trophy Final – during 2009 – ended in a 2-0 defeat by Stevenage Borough). Last season, York finished second in the National League but were comprehensively beaten in the Play-Offs: three-nil at home just a few weeks ago by eventual winners Oldham Athletic.

In 2021, the club moved to a brand new stadium built by York City Council. The York Community Stadium is 128 miles from the Maz in Morecambe.

York has an enviable reputation as an ancient city with a strong Roman and Viking past. The Shambles; the Castle Museum; Jorvik; the National Railway Museum and the Minster attract visitors from all over the world. But beyond the Chocolate Factory tours and River Foss boat-trips, there is a darker side to the place. Drug abuse and crime are rife in some of the poorer areas of the city and you don’t have to go far beyond the ancient city walls to find places such as Foxwood, Chapelfields and Westfield. Clifton – where Bootham Crescent could once be found – is one of these areas. There has always been a hard-core of pretty thuggish City supporters – the York Nomad Society being one of the unlikely names of one of the club’s hooligan `firms’. The move to the leafy suburbs of Huntingdon – three miles to the north east of the old ground on a new Retail Park – has not meant that this problem has been left behind. The sad fact that the club is still plagued by morons like these was illustrated only too clearly as recently as Friday, 12th July 2025 when a `friendly’ game between York and Salford at the new ground had to be abandoned as both sets of players left the field early. York City’s official website explained why:

“York City Football Club are horrified to learn of allegations of racial abuse aimed at Salford City players in this evening’s pre-season match. Both clubs, alongside the match officials, decided to take both teams off the pitch at that time. York City condemns racism in all forms. We stand with Salford in condemning this behaviour in the strongest possible terms.

The club is now working with North Yorkshire Police to investigate the allegations.

Any supporter found guilty of racial abuse will face the strongest possible sanctions from the club. We would like to thank Salford City for their cooperation in what has been a deeply distressing evening.”

Ironically, some of the players to have performed for both clubs could have been subjected to vile abuse of this sort. They include Vadaine Oliver; Manny Panther; Richard Brodie; Lewis Allesandra; Shaun Miller and Scott Loach:  and this is not an exhaustive list.

Morecambe are due to travel across the Pennines to meet York on Saturday, 15th November 2025 and then host City at the Maz on Saturday, 28th February 2026.

Today’s was a really intimidating task. York City is a really good team that has scored more goals than any other in the top five divisions in the English football pyramid: 43 in 18 league games. Whereas Morecambe is a group of players whose heads tend to drop when things go wrong; City is the diametric opposite. They are confident; they have a plan; they have a way of playing that they clearly both understand and are invested in and they are well-coached: all the things today’s opponents so obviously aren’t. The Minstermen have lost only two league games this season – as opposed to the Shrimps’ ten.

I watched the highlights of their 4-0 win against Gateshead – a team which had achieved the same score against us at the Maz after just twelve minutes – a couple of weeks ago and when I thought about our forthcoming clash, I felt like crawling under the sofa and staying there, so dynamic was City’s play. It could have been more for York if Ollie Pearce had not basically passed the ball to the Heed’s goalkeeper from a penalty right at the end of the match. In the first half in particular, what I saw was a red, white and black tide constantly sweeping towards the away goal – and Gateshead struggling to deal with it much of the time. I dreaded to think what this attack would do to a defence as tentative and disorganised as ours frequently is. I dreaded it even more after watching all of their match last Tuesday night live. York demolished third-placed Rochdale 4-1 to put themselves in fifth place in the table. This was the third game in a row in which City had scored four goals – against the team with the best defensive record in the National League. The last time the Minstermen lost in the league was at home to Scunthorpe United on October 1st so they are unbeaten in seven National League fixtures.

I’ve not even bothered to listen to Morecambe manager Ashvir Singh Johal’s pre-match ramblings about how his men would deal with York’s formidable challenge today. If you want to, you will find his `interview’ on the club’s website. Ash’s pre-match speeches are scripted and he’s never asked difficult or searching questions. He tends to talk techno-babble in any case where he speaks about formations and technical aspects of games instead of being asked to explain why his team keeps on losing or failing to hold on to winning positions. He’s been telling us for months that Morecambe would gel and start winning at the end of October. It’s now well into November and there’s absolutely no sign of this happening. Someone should ask him to explain why. Last Saturday’s collapse against fellow relegation favourites Sutton United in Lancashire was one of the most spineless displays I have ever seen from any Morecambe side. The Manager’s team selection was unfathomable in the first place. His failure to change the formation he clearly likes to talk about so much when they were winning 2-0 was equally puzzling. But his claim at the end of the match that he was confident that the team will still `coast to putting in winning performances’ simply beggared – and still beggars – belief. Given that he doesn’t front-up and try to explain remarks like this one or his decisions about the team set-up, we’re left completely in the dark about what’s actually going on in his head. As he’s clearly not going to be asked any questions so contentious in the club’s utterly sterile pre-match output, there’s no point listening to it. Maybe he simply can’t explain – in which case he should give way to someone who can. It won’t be Derek Adams – Panjab Warriors have always been unlikely to bring him back – having jettisoned him in the first place – and the King will become the new Director of Football back at perhaps his favourite old haunt: Plymouth Argyle – beginning on Monday of next week. Good luck to him there: bottom of League One with at least some chance that might things might change must surely be preferable to being at the bottom of the National League without any such hopes at all, mustn’t it?

So what ex-Notts County boss and current York Manager Stuart Maynard had to say would be so much more interesting today: this is a man who doesn’t just talk a good game: his men actually play it. This is what he told BBC Radio York prior to the match:

“It’s going to be a really tough game. We can’t look at league positions within this division. Anyone can beat anyone on their day. We’ve got to be really mindful of that. They’ve got a lot of EFL experience within their squad. We’ve got to stay focused on what we do and go game-by-game.”

Today’s game kicked off at three minutes past three precisely. Why? The threes are important: there is an increasingly strident campaign to increase the number of clubs promoted to the EFL from the National League from two to three. Personally, I would like to see League Two and the National League change places altogether: the quality of football I have witnessed so far is far superior to the stuff I watched last season. That obviously won’t happen but the sooner the dead wood in the EFL can be replaced, the better in my opinion. You can sign the current petition to change the promotion rewards by visiting the following site:

https://c.org/vtqQBL5CsQ

The weather has been stormy and wet in North Yorkshire in recent days and today was no exception. It was bitterly cold in the York Community Stadium and it rained occasionally throughout the game. Ash made a few changes to his starting eleven from last time out with Rolando Aarons rightly dropped along with Ben Williams for whatever reason plus Admiral Musque: Mo Sangare, Emmerson Sutton and Arjan Raikhy took their places.

Predictably, the Yorkshiremen started on the front foot and Jamal Blackman was forced into the first of a number of excellent saves as early as the fourth minute. York took a corner on their right; the ball was headed by Mark Kitching to Daniel Battie on the right whose cross was headed down but goalwards by Malachi Fagan-Walcott only for him to be denied by the visiting keeper’s excellent reactions. Three minutes later, Morecambe worked the ball well up their right flank only for Jake Cain to waste possession with a hopeful punt forwards towards the home penalty and the hosts to easily regain possession. The Shrimps then forced their first corner of the match three minutes later. But York continued to ask most of the questions as the half grew older. An effort from a corner was blocked after thirteen minutes  and Blackman made a routine save from Ollie Pearce with a quarter of an hour played. A minute later, he was beaten by a low shot from an unmarked Pearce but Maldini Calcurri – standing on the goal-line behind him – managed to block the shot with his instant reaction to it.

Controversy then ensued with seventeen minutes on the clock. As Joe Nuttall chased a lofted pass from the impressive Mo Sangare up the Morecambe left, City Captain Callum Howe and goalkeeper Harrison Male converged on him in the home penalty area. Male completely missed the ball but wiped-out the other two players. He should have been sent off but flaky referee Steven Copeland only booked him. As the medical staff from both sides ran onto the pitch unbidden, Joe was eventually led from the field with what looked like a shoulder injury: the York doctor had apparently put his arm in a sling. Clearly dazed City Skipper Howe also had to leave the field, with a swelling the size on an egg on the side of his head.

After a very long delay, Azeez kept his cool and as Male dived to his right, Miguel slipped the ball to his left low into the corner of the net to give the visitors a surprising lead.

In response, free-scoring old-fashioned York Centre Forward Josh Stones – big; tough and aggressive – headed well wide when unmarked in the Shrimps’ penalty area after 24 minutes and then walloped the ball against the crossbar four minutes later. As the home pressure increased, Pearce was thwarted by another really good stop by Blackman after 31 minutes.

But the away team’s resolve was finally broken after forty minutes as Morecambe’s inability to clear the ball following a corner led to a simple cross from the City right by Daniel Battie which Malachi Fagan-Walcott turned home at the far post.

The pressure didn’t relent after this – with Jamal making a tremendous double-save during injury time – but the visitors managed to retreat to the Dressing Rooms with a draw that most people – including myself to be honest – did not expect.

It got even better for the visitors early in the second half. Just four minutes had been played when Sangare got away yet again on the Morecambe left and his low cross into the danger area found its way to Ben Tollitt, who scored with a really well-taken shot to Male’s left into the corner of the net.

Sadly for Morecambe though, there were still forty – actually fifty – minutes left to play.

I doubt that anyone – even as our tremendous fans out-sang the home hordes – really thought we could hold on right until the end. Ashvir’s sides can’t do it even against weak teams – and York is very far from being a weak side. They won the game with further goals from Alex Hunt and – after Azeez had been sent off very late on – substitute Ryan Fallowfield in added time at the end of a game that they had clearly already won.

To be fair – given the harsh words I have written about Ashvir Singh Johal in recent times – his team gave York a real shock – and far more of a contest than they have faced in recent times. But City still managed to keep up their recent form of scoring four goals per game – and it frankly could have been more.

Morecambe rode their luck; defended well with excellent blocks and saves at times and were perhaps unlucky when Harrison Male only received only a Yellow Card for ending Joe Nuttall’s match early. (Maybe it’s Karma for the Steven Drench Incident all those years ago…)

By the Letter of the Law, Azeez’s dismissal late on was justified: he brought down York’s Last Man Pearce just over the half way line with an innocuous but effective foul. However, Alex Hunt’s foul on Jake Cain after about seventy minutes was far from innocuous – it was late; studs showing; clearly out of control – and it should have been penalised with a Red Card all day long: he really should have walked. To add insult to literal injury, Hunt was later awarded the Official York Man of the Match, which is surely unworthy of a club as otherwise excellent in almost every thing they do as they currently are…

But nobody could say that the hosts didn’t deserve to win this afternoon. For me, Mo Sangare was outstanding today: marauding forward intelligently; linking-up the play and defending brilliantly until he was found wanting with York’s second goal. As usual, Jake Cain was outstanding and Lewis Payne, Yann Songo’o and Maldini Calcurri played well. At times, though, Morecambe were clearly just trying to hang on and their defending was shambolic for the second and third goals at least.

When they took the lead for the second time, Morecambe went up to 21st in the National League table but by the end of the game, they had dropped to 23rd again, albeit only four points from safety.

York, meanwhile, consolidated their position as one of the best clubs in the league by claiming fourth spot tonight.

So what did Ash make of it all at the end of the day?:

“We can’t score two goals away from home and not get something out of the game. We have to be better defensively but I thought: at times we were. But these individual lapses of concentration; of positioning – they cost us.”

Thanks again for the excellent photos to Neil Palmer.

York City: 1 Harrison Male; 3 Mark Kitching; 4 Malachi Fagan-Walcott; 5 Callum Howe (C) (2 Ryan Fallowfield 22’); 8 Alex Hunt; 9 Josh Stones; 10 Ollie Pearce; 18 Daniel Battie; 23 Joseph Rabole Felix; 28 Oliver Banks; 30 Alex Newby.

Subs not used:  11 Ashley Nathaniel-George; 14 Ben Georgie Brookes; 17 Craig Hewitt; 22 Greg Olley; 31 George William Sykes–Kenworthy; 33 Eddie Kettlewell.

Morecambe:  40 Jamal Blackman; 2 Lewis Payne; 5 Maldini Calcurri; 8 Miguel Azeez (C); 10 Jake Cain; 18 Ben Tollitt; 20 Mo Sangare; 21 Joe Nuttall (11 Admiral Muskwe 22’); 24 Yann Songo’o (C); 28 Emmerson Sutton; 33 Arjan Raikhy (6 Ludwig Francillette 45’).

Subs not used: 1 Archie Mair; 9 Harrison Panayiotou; 12 Rolando Aarons 19 Ma’Kel Bogle-Campbell; 36 Jack Nolan.

Ref: Steven Copeland.

Att: 6,820 (664 from Morecambe.)