Art attack: Droylsden FC’s promotion is the stuff of dreams for Cody

Images by Derek Lloyd

CODY Artwell has fulfilled a childhood dream by helping fire Droylsden to promotion glory.

The Bloods’ Butchers Arms ground may not compare to Manchester United’s Old Trafford or Wembley.

But try telling the striker, who thought he had scored the goal that would win promotion to the North West Counties League Premier Division, it is not somewhere special.

And try saying that to the child who walked past the stadium in awe at the noise.

Droylsden FC Cody Artwell – CREDIT DEREK LLOYD

“When I was a kid, I used to walk past the Butchers Arms and I could hear it,” recalled Artwell, who hails from Gorton but had relatives in Droylsden.

“My grandparents, Steve and Lorraine Wood, lived in Droylsden and every Friday, I’d stay at their house and walk past the stadium.

“It’s just mad that I would always walk past the stadium as a kid, now I’ve won promotion there.

“It’s mental, but it’s such a good feeling. That moment we won it just can’t be bought and it’s the best feeling I’ve ever had in football.”

To describe Droylsden’s First Division North play-off final as a rollercoaster is probably doing the match a disservice.

When Artwell left the pitch after scoring goal number 24 with 10 minutes left, he looked like being the matchwinner for Dave Pace’s side.

But in the seventh minute of stoppage time, Jamie Clark struck to make it 3-3, bringing extra time and penalties.

Step up goalkeeper Jordan Latham, once a Droylsden ballboy, who saved five as Kyle Campbell scored the winning 16^th spot kick to spark wild celebrations among a 1,940 crowd.

Fans who did not have a club to support as it lay mothballed for three seasons.

“I don’t think I’ve actually relaxed and come down yet,” Artwell added as the dust attempted to start to settle.

“The emotions we went through on the pitch were just mental. When I scored and took my top off, I thought we’d won the game, but Maghull just stuck to it.

“I came off and thought, ‘That’s it, job done.’ But they scored the goal and that summed them up. They put up such a good fight and didn’t give up.

“However, we all know how big the club was. It’s made to think they weren’t around for a while, now we’re playing under the same manager who had them right at the very top.

“It’s massive seeing this and seeing the same people turn out after missing their football for the years the club wasn’t playing.

“So we relished the occasion and said in the dressing room, ‘Let’s get the fans behind us in the first five or 10 minutes.’

“We did that and there was non-stop singing all day, but I would’ve loved to have taken a penalty.

“It takes so much to step up and take one, though, and our ‘keeper had a blinder. When Kyle stepped up to take the winning one, that feeling can’t be topped.”

Now Droylsden are promoted, they can look forward to matches with Abbey Hey, where Artwell played for their Under-21s, and a trip to the Isle of Man.

First, though, a sigh of relief and a holiday, before preparing for a step up, which security advisor Artwell – who trains doormen and shop security guards – cannot wait for after his first full season of men’s football in the non-league pyramid, following a spell away from the game.

The 22-year-old, who first played as a kid at Blackburn Rovers, told The Correspondent: *I’ll just rest up and have a couple of holidays, then go again.

“And I can’t wait to step up. I can’t wait to go on again.

“We can build on what we’ve already done and we’ve already showed we can beat teams in leagues above us – we defeated West Didsbury and Chorlton, Ashton United and Curzon Ashton to win the Manchester Premier Cup.

“I was released by Blackburn before my family moved to Spain and when we came back my head wasn’t really in football.