Nantwich Town have created a plaque to commemorate the club’s first ground – and a bit of history with current Premier League champions Liverpool!
The blue plaque marks the very ground Liverpool played their first ever FA Cup tie – against Nantwich at the Jackson Avenue venue.
Now housing, the ground was the original one where the Dabbers played since they were founded back in 1884.
The Dabbers stayed there until 2007 when it was sold to housing developers who helped to fund their current Weaver Stadium venue off Waterlode.
The FA Cup game is cited in club historian Michael Chatwin’s new book, “Proud to be a Dabber”.
Liverpool, who had only recently been founded, won that FA Cup first qualifying round game 4-0 in front of 700 supporters.
Michael writes: “The new Liverpool club went on to win the Lancashire League title in that inaugural season, having assembled a strong squad enough to beat the best.
“Most of the Liverpool players were “foreigners” brought down from Scotland by the lure of attractive wages.
“Those who took the field at Nantwich included three Scottish internationals!”
The Liverpool players used the nearby Leopard pub on London Road as changing rooms before the trudge up to the pitch in the pouring rain.
Nantwich held out for 20 minutes but were well beaten thanks to a hat-trick from John Miller and a strike by Tom Wylie.
A Nantwich Town spokesman said: “There’s a QR code on the “plaque” that takes you to a secret page on the website with a full team sheet, match report, clipping from an 1892! It’s fascinating stuff.”
You can find out more about Nantwich Town’s history and order a copy of “Proud to be a Dabber” here.
(Images courtesy of Nantwich Town and Michael Chatwin)
I take it it will be displayed properly, not hanging off a street sign