MIDDLEWICH Town are to create a piece of Cheshire amateur football history tonight.
They will become the first club to win two championships on the same night if the first team beat Bollington at home and their Reserves avoid defeat at Barnton.
Both games kick off at 6.30pm and, by 9.15pm, the Reserves will be back at Seddon Street to join the first team in what could be a double celebration.
'It could be an absolutely marvellous night for the club - and we would like the people of Middlewich to join us,' said manager Terry Murphy.
Second-team boss Steve Moore added: 'We should have won it last week - but we were hammered 9-2! Unbelievable, but you get days like that.
'I've had a few sleepless nights since. Luckily we had a couple of games left to put things right. We are not prepared to wait any longer - tonight's the night.'
But the season does not end when both sides lift their championship trophies - they have still to play each other in the Mid Cheshire Amateur Cup Final at Witton Albion next Wednesday. Middlewich have not won the Mid Cheshire League championship since 1975. Indeed, if Barnton won at rivals Poynton last night, they are already uncatchable and, therefore, champions.
Murphy said: 'I don't care how they do - I'd rather we win it ourselves.
'Bollington have signed a few play-ers recently from Congleton and they beat Barnton, so it won't be easy.'
Both managers share the sentiment that their - fingers crossed - unprecedented success tonight and the completion of the improvement work at Seddon Street would be a fitting tribute to John McAteer, Town's vice-chairman and stalwart who died last week. His funeral is tomorrow at noon at Middlewich Parish Church.
'Look at our ground now - it is magnificent. John put everything in motion and I wish he could have been here to see it all come to fruition, on and off the pitch,' added Moore.
His team takes on Reserve Division wooden-spoonists Barnton, who have nosedived since Christmas.
With their seniors playing last night, they are unlikely to field any first-teamers and it should be a straightforward job for Middlewich.
It will mean a championship medal at last for 45-year-old Micky Jump, after more than 25 years at the club.
But the Reserves' main function is to promote juniors to the first team. Rob Hopley, John Hurst and Adam Morris have made an impact this season and there are more in the pipeline.
Murphy said: 'All my players are from Mid Cheshire. It is a young side and we have already won the league. The more we get through the youth section the better. There are some I shall be looking at for next season.'
Hopley has attracted a Conference club and interest from the League of Wales, while 17-year-old reserves Lewis Warren and James Petrie have been scrutinised by Football League sides. Murphy will have at least two vacancies to fill next season. Keeper Paul Simpson dislocated a finger last week and defender Matt Hitchen is seeing out the season between the sticks, while Mark Tomlinson - arguably one of the best players on the Mid Cheshire amateur scene for the past two decades - is 40 and is retiring.
