Watching from afar, and when I say watching I mean reading stuff on the Internet, Mossley look a side playing well and impressing those who have been able to see them live. They’re yet to play away from home in the FA Cup and continue this on Saturday when Tadcaster Albion come to Seel Park. Like Mossley and Ramsbottom, Tadcaster is a name I knew, but until now wouldn’t have been able to point to it on a map. It’s a town roughly halfway between Leeds and York, so my familiarity with the name may have come from seeing it as a bus destination during my three years of university. Alternatively, my scattered knowledge of English history may have held onto Tadcaster as being the place where King Harold assembled his troops before marching to the Battle of Stanford Bridge in 1066.
Tadcaster is the home of both John Smith’s and Sam Smith’s, as well as a third brewery The Tower. Wikipedia tells me that Tadkebab is a significant local takeaway, I’m assuming best enjoyed after sampling a variety of the town’s liquid products. A belly full of that probably doesn’t help if you’re trying to complete the White Rose Way which passes through the town from Leeds to Scarborough, but it’s an appealing idea to add to the list of things to do when post-covid freedom eventually returns. It’s a 104 mile walking route which appears to be a popular companion to the Liverpool to Leeds Canal as an alternative take on coast to coast challenges. However, Yorkshire.com implies your plan may go to the wall as “With a fantastic array of cosy pubs selling fine ales and three historic breweries, including the oldest brewery in Yorkshire, it’s the perfect place to stop off for a relaxing afternoon”.
Tadcaster Albion were founded as John Smith’s in 1892. They still play in the same location today behind the brewery. Victory on Saturday would see them match their best ever performance in the FA Cup as they’ve never been beyond the Third Qualifying Round (defeated in 2012 by Boston United).
Glory Hunting 