Some teams in football don’t seem to be able to hit a barn door at times, but in full-time farmer Carl Grimshaw, Charnock Richard have a 45-goal-a-season striker who harvests goals for fun.
Grimshaw and Charnock head to Selby Town in the First Round Qualifying of the Buildbase FA Vase on Saturday and they’ll be looking to play more than agricultural football to go one better than their Second Round Proper exit last year.
The club, based just outside of Chorley, in Lancashire, are in confident mood and Selby have been warned – the prolific Grimshaw is feeling in fine fettle.
“I’m fitter than I’ve ever been. The farm helps physically,” said Grimshaw.
“I’m a farmer by day, footballer in my spare time, really. I was up at five o’clock this morning milking the cows.
“We have a visitor farm for family trips, school visits; that sort of thing. We’ve got over 1000 animals.
“Football, for me, is a bit more about enjoyment. It’s a release from the farm more than anything, just get away from the farm and enjoy myself.”
In recent seasons, Charnock have cultivated somewhat of a golden period in the club’s history, competing in the FA Cup for the first time a few weeks ago [a 4-3 defeat to Penistone Church] and being promoted to the North West Counties Premier Division for this season.
Grimshaw’s side sit third in the table and with last year’s Buildbase FA Vase run being their first time in that competition also, the forward believes they’ll be more confident this season.
“I’m not as nervous as I was last year because last year was our first year in the FA Vase, so it was a bit of a nervous time –
enjoyable but nervy.
“The lads are really looking forward to it. It will be a decent coach journey there and it’ll be a really decent coach journey back if we win too, won’t it?
“I got 45 or 46 goals last year. I’ve already got six this year and I’m hoping to add to that on Saturday.”
Buildbase FA Vase history
In Charnock Richard’s debut in the competition last season, they beat Whickham 2-0, Harrogate Railway Athletic 3-1, and Barnoldswick Town 3-1, before losing after extra-time to Staveley Miners Welfare.
Selby’s best-ever run in the competition saw them reach the Fourth Round Proper in 1995-96, the same year they won the Northern Counties East Football League Division One Title.
Did you know?
Prior to this season, goal-machine Grimshaw has netted an astonishing 335 goals in 283 starts in all competitions for Charnock, after joining from Eagley in the 2009-10 season.
The prize
The winning side stands to win £550 while the losing club will take home £175.
