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The cream of Cornwall

As the mainland football correspondent of Radio Scilly, I was naturally interested when this week’s Non-League Paper took an in depth look at football in West Cornwall. On a clear day the Cornish coast can clearly be seen from the islands where the Woolpack Wanderers are currently dominating the two team football league.

The article stated, ‘From Mousehole to Ludgvan in West Cornwall is just under eight miles, but in football terms these days it feels like a million. Last week, the team with the charming name (they say it should be pronounced Mowsle, I always say Meusel) outside the gorgeous seaside village, made the short journey and won 11-1 in Peninsula League Division One West, Step Seven.’

I remember seeing Mousehole losing 10-1 at Falmouth Town in a Cornwall Senior Cup match when Falmouth were dominating the Rothmans Western League. Anyway, the article continues, ‘Recently the former Torquay United player and manager Kevin Nicholson was lured to Trungle Park by wealthy chairman Tim Richardson, who describes himself as a property investor and has huge ambition for the club. Their stated ambition is to build “the highest-performing, best-run, most self-sustaining football club in Cornwall.” Compare and contrast with poor old Ludgvan, rooted to the bottom of the league and struggling to field a team.’

‘In between the two villages is the major town of Penzance whose club Mousehole have already approached with an unwelcome merger-cum-takeover. It was almost certainly mooted due to the facilities at Trungle, a couple of miles away, which need upgrading and have a tricky access road, plus the greater crowd potential of Penzance.’

‘Now there will be many in non-league who have seen this before in Cornwall, with Kevin Hearney bank rolling Truro City before the financial problems set in.’

While admitting that it is a strong rugby area, the article concludes that West Cornwall is ‘the game’s most forgotten region’, but something is stirring and the result could be a Step 1 non-league club. I’ll believe it when I see it.

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