Saturday 27 February 2010

Maltby Main v Arnold Town - Northern Counties East League Premier Division

Saturday 27th February 2010, Northern Counties East League Premier Division
Muglet Lane, Maltby

Maltby Main (0) 0
Arnold Town (1) 3 Tony Law 2 (1 pen), Nick Hall

Admission £5, Programme £1, Attendance 45
Maltby is only a fifteen minute drive from where I live, which meant I could get a decent night's sleep after my Friday night shift before setting off and would be able to get back at a leisurely pace to start my Saturday night turn at 6PM
Of course, my forward planning is often a waste of time when it comes to football travels circa 2009-10 and falling back to sleep after my dinner combined with an head on collision between two horse carriage lorries in Blyth village, at the potentially hazardous staggered crossroads junction that every motorist in north Notts will have had at least a couple of dozen near miss tales of their own to tell, meant that in the event the short trip, in both directions, wasn't without a few fraught 'white knuckle' moments, but I made kick off just in time and I got to work with a minuscule amount of moments to spare too.
If truth be told, if I'd woken up and stayed awake when I had planned to, I would have gone to Kirkby Town v Pinxton instead for the 2PM kick off, with Hucknall Town v Frickley Athletic and Chesterfield v Aldershot pencilled in as back up games just in case the weather was up to it's usual tricks.
The latter of those games would've been for a last ever visit to Saltergate for me, because Chesterfield are moving into the newly built b2net Stadium after this season and I don't want my last ever game at that run down old venue to have been on the day they knocked Mansfield Town out of the FA Cup last season.
In the event, today would've been an ideal to bid farewell to the rickety old dump because Aldershot won.
However, once Arnold found their feet on a very sticky pitch and began to assert themselves and show some composure, today's game wasn't such a bad choice.
Maltby completely misfired today and I did have to wonder if they were having a sponsored 'air kicking' competition around the visitors box at one point, such was their propensity to swing a boot at the ball and miss it completely whenever they threatened to look dangerous in front of goal.
One especially flamboyant attempt at a diving header, under the ball, was especially amusing.
I like Maltby, the team and the village, what you see is what you get round here, a no frills, down to earth ruggedness, usually with a bit of rain chucked in, but refreshingly honest, unpretentious and welcoming (no, honestly!) never the less.
Today the local team, to be blunt (as is the Maltby way) were bloody rubbish.
Welcome to Maltby ...
the scenery opposite the football ground entrance is quite spectacular

Just after the game had started, a friendly old Arnold fan stopped for a chat on his way around the ground and told me "I'm going to the end we're defending, that's where all the action will be", he was about to be proved wrong this afternoon then.
Attacking down the slope towards Outgang Lane in the first half, Arnold went from strength to strength and were definitely good value for their half time lead.

On 23 minutes a long free kick from the right was parried back into play by the home side's goalkeeper Jason Bailey and Tony Law was on hand to put the rebound away.
Law was a handful throughout the half and I reckon the 0-1 scoreline flattered Maltby somewhat when the teams went in at the break.

After the restart, I would have hoped that Maltby would have stepped up their game and applied themselves a bit more, taking advantage of the slope, but it was more of 'how you were' from Arnold and they took control of the midfield and were already two goals to the good just two minutes after the restart.
Luke Smithson launched in a corner from the left on 47 minutes (the one in the picture above) and a Maltby player, not their goalkeeper, got his hand to it, whoops!
Tony Law put the penalty away.
There was only one team looking like taking all three points now.
On 55 minutes, Tony Law burst through into Maltby box again, he was fired up and chasing his hat trick ... from where I was stood it looked as though he was stopped in his tracks by a Maltby player tugging on his shirt, but the referee missed the incident and waved the appeals for a penalty away.
The Arnold striker was incensed and I can only assume his booking a few minutes later was for 'persistent complaining'.
Far be it from me to say the ref now had it in for Law, but from then on in every decision went against him and the player was clearly getting more and more frustrated.
Perhaps, with the points already in the bag, it was a wise decision when the Arnold management substituted Law, to remove him from a potentially worsening situation between the player and the match official.
On 79 minutes, Luke Smithson, to my way of thinking already the 'man of the match' unleashed a killer pass right through Maltby's defence for Nick Hall to run on to and Arnold's number 4 slotted the ball past Jamie Bailey just inside the post to seal an emphatic and much deserved win for the visitors.

This being a South Yorkshire v South Notts encounter, I wasn't entirely surprised to hear an octogenarian Maltby Main supporter muttering under his breath "C'mon Reds, lets win this f***ing one for Scargill!", but this was just one isolated incident out of earshot of anybody who might have taken offence. And I'd wager that even 'King Arthur' wouldn't have begrudged Arnold their three points today in what became one of the most one sided games of football I have seen this season.
Note to Arnold Town FC, well played, best team (by a mile) won, great friendly bunch of travelling fans you have etc. etc. but it would make the programme editors at the clubs you visit's job a little bit easier, if you could forward a team line up and a bit about your club history in advance (I know Bridlington Town will back me up here too) and I might have been able to recognise a few more of your players from the line ups on the back cover as a consequence.

the66pow

Tuesday 23 February 2010

Gainsborough Trinity v Vauxhall Motors - Blue Square North

Ticket stub,
right game, wrong date


Tuesday 23rd February 2010 - Blue Square North
at The Northolme, Gainsborough

Gainsborough Trinity (0) 2 (Peat 62, Greaves 65)
Vauxhall Motors (0) 0

Attendance £10, Programme £2, Attendance 229
The Trinity programme,
good content, crap cover

Not much football on anywhere tonight, but in a little vortex of Lincolnshire, Scunthorpe United, Brigg Town, Bottesford United and the Blues of Gainsborough Trinity all managed to get their games on.
It was reassuring to see the latters floodlights in the distance as I came over the top of Clarborough Hill from Retford, after just having spent the best part of an hour speed reading internet sites and calling clubs to find a fixture to go to tonight.
Did you know, it's £23 to watch Doncaster Rovers these days? Ten years ago you could have bought them for that.
I'd never really realised just how close Trinity play to my house, until I got home at 9.55PM tonight without either leaving early or breaking the speed limit (ish).
I guess I'm just getting used to travelling further for my Non League football pleasures on a regular basis this season.
Scunny drew (again) v. Ipswich Town, the other three nearby clubs all chalked up victories without conceding a single goal between them.
Though it snowed for virtually the whole of the game at the Northolme, it was only that lightweight stuff that doesn't settle and there's plenty of covered terracing to take shelter from getting a good soaking on this ex Football League ground (that was a long, long time ago mind you).
Northmoor Park, the home of Lincolnshire's finest

Of course Lincolnshire's number one team, Scotter United, weren't in action tonight and I was joined on the terraces by their tactical wizard and manager Colin Picken.
I think it would be fair to say that by the end of 90 minutes we had completely revolutionised the trade union movement and put the world to rights. Lord help you all when I'm Prime Minister and he's my Chancellor, there are going to be a few swinging changes ... and then some!
Right from the kick off Gainsborough knew it would be their night,
when Vauxhall Motors turned up with a headless goalkeeper

I'm not convinced that the first half was a case of two equally matched teams cancelling each other out ... from where I was stood it looked more like a bunch of semi-interested journeymen just going through the motions, because they didn't really fancy it much in the cold and wet.
But the second half was much better.
Motors kept Phil Barnes in the Gainsborough goal busy at times, but it was all fairly easy stuff to deal with for the Trinity shot stopper. I suspect when he was at school he was one of those kids who went in goal because he liked sliding around on his knees and getting them all muddy. But you couldn't fault him for effort.
Trinity deserved the victory, their second 2-0 triumph in the space of just a few days and with games in hand to fall back on, they can now drag themselves up the table and out of the relegation berths.
The tide finally seems to be turning, gradually at least, for the beleaguered Blues boss Brian Little. I met him a couple of times when he was the manager of Wrexham and he's a very nice guy ... possibly the reason Trinity have been struggling is that he's just that little bit too nice, when from what I've seen, some of his players need to have a few cups chucked at them in anger in the dressing room and a good kick up their fat lazy arses for good measure.
There are a few players at Gainsborough who get decent salaries but who don't actually earn them. I won't name names, anybody who's seen this team play more than a couple of times this season would be able to pinpoint the ones I mean.
I'm certain they'll be shipped out once the season finishes and Little will be able to rebuild the team - possibly still in the Blue Square North.
During a break in play both teams amuse themselves by playing the who
can stare the longest at Trinity's number 7 Ashley Burbeary game.

Nathan Peat whacked home a thumping shot from over 20 yards out on 62 minutes that nestled into the back of the net. And three minutes later Lewis McMahon hit a free kick from outside the box that James Coates got his hands to but couldn't hold and Mark Greaves was on hand to head home the rebound.
Vauxhall Motors didn't really come back at Trinity with much heart after that quick-fire double and the home side seemed content to sit on their lead and not take any risks. Right at the very end, as the snow abated for a few minutes, Trinity pushed on to try enforcing their lead still further, but had to content themselves with a 2-0 win and six points out of two games ... a scenario they would've ripped your arm off for a week ago.
My old mate Lee who was at the match with his Trinity mad daughter had predicted 2-0, I'd gone one better and backed 3-0, but I guess he knows his own team better than a mere ground hopping old wanderer like me.
Wow! That's nearly as posh as the one Falkirk use

Right, now lets have some decent weather by the weekend.

Matlock Town v Worksop Town (& Retford United v Whitby Town)

Tonight's UniBond League Premier Division game at Causeway Lane, Matlock, is POSTPONED due to a frozen pitch.
Fair play to Matlock for circulating the news so early.
So I'm going, err ... somewhere else now instead.

Amendment 2.30PM
Note* Anybody going to Retford United v Whitby Town tonight, that's just been called off too.


This weather is getting a bit boring now.
Anybody would think it was winter!!!

Saturday 20 February 2010

Scunthorpe United v Watford - Football League Championship.

Saturday 20th February 2010. Football League Championship
at Glanford Park, Scunthorpe

Scunthorpe United (1) 2 (Hooper 42 & 90+5 pen)
Watford (0) 2 (Graham 64, Eustace 90+1)

Admission £15 (standing), Programme £3 (10 out of 10),
Attendance 5,411
At Glanford Park you can eat either outside the ground, or inside.
Or both if you're so inclined.

How did we used to manage before the internet and mobile phones were invented?
Back in the 'good olde days' clubs would just have one permanently engaged telephone number you could ring to ascertain whether fixtures were postponed or not.
And for the most part the Non League club numbers listed in the Directory would be out of date anyway.
It's easy these days though, receive a text message moments after the ref has declared 'game off', forward it to all interested parties and then wait for news of the next fixture to fall foul of the weather, until eventually after Worksop Town, Mansfield Town and Sheffield FC have all fallen by the wayside, you get an invitation ... "Scunny's still on and we're setting off in 10 minutes if you fancy it'.
Indeed, I did fancy it.
Tempting as it was to go to Cannon Park to see Matlock Town's visit to Retford United, I had already ascertained that the pitch there was going to cut up badly, which would probably mean that game would be ruined as a spectacle.
Glanford Park, in spite of being a Championship venue, still has a covered terrace behind one goal, which at £15 offers very reasonably priced admission for this level of football.
Note I said level there, not standard.
At £3, a lot of people I know would baulk at the price of the programme, but it is larger, thicker and contains far more reading matter than any other club magazine I've ever seen before, so I purchased one on the back of the award winning reputation I'd heard about and was very impressed.
In my book it's great that a team from a town like Scunthorpe can reach the dizzy heights of being just one promotion away from the 'greed is good' league. That said, I wouldn't want to watch Championship football on a regular basis, but it won't do me any harm to see how the other half live every once in a while.

Some people have set agendas and rules that dictate what type of games they will watch, but personally I just go where the mood takes me.
There weren't any other neutral games within a reasonable distance of home that I fancied today, or grounds that I hadn't already visited numerous times before, so Glanford Park was as good a destination as any. I think the last time I was here was for an England v France Under 17's International about 7 or 8 years ago with my son and his hyperactive mate, I'd never been very good at keeping lists until that column on the right of this blog appeared, so I don't know the exact date. The ground hasn't changed one little bit since then by the way. But I digress.
I can't be doing with all the faux 'Groundhopper' inverted snobbery stuff myself, it's not as if those of us who get tarred with that brush are some kind of elitist cult with a pecking order based on one-upmanship and holier than thou type standards, now is it?
If people feel they have some kind of point to prove, then that is their problem, not mine.
I'm just a football fan who enjoys the freedom of being able to go and watch whatever game I fancy, wherever I like, whenever I like.
WIN UP TO £1000 INSTANTLY - I didn't of course.

Usually Non League football is my tipple of choice these days, but there's nowt wrong with trying out a few different flavours every now and again. Is there?
Spread your feckin' wings a bit cherubs, there's an whole wide world out there for you to discover.
And if you're not really enjoying what you're doing, well, quit doing it.

Today was my fifth football match in six days, but that is only because I went out for a relatives 65th birthday meal last night, or I would've gone to Rotherham United v Torquay United then instead, another non Non League game ... Oh, great snorkel parka God in the sky forgive me!!!
To be frank, the quality of football in the Championship isn't anywhere near as good as it should be if today's game is anything to go by. But I enjoyed my day out with a couple of good mates that I hadn't been to a match with for ages.
Neither of them support league clubs either. Their team play in the Conference (at present) and Field Mill had a frozen pitch today.
In this day and age, Mansfield Town regaining their Football League status would be very nice, but it isn't seen as some be all and end all kind of holy grail any more.
The Rainham Steel Stand.
Surprisingly enough, not a fertile breeding ground for boy bands and male models

Scunny's first half game plan seemed to revolve around leaving just one man up front most of the time, while the rest of the team played really deep and kept conceding possession far too often and easily.
Evidently, the home crowd weren't at all enamoured with this approach and were soon venting their dis-satisfaction towards the manager Nigel Adkins and one or two of his players, who quite obviously aren't ever likely to top any fans favourites poll any time soon.
Watford were encouraged to push forward in response to the Iron's negativity, which they did often, but without any real malice.
The Hornets linked up well around the box but were lacking that final edge ... and Scunthorpe ought to be grateful for that or this game would have been out of their reach by the break.
Possibly the home side's goal difference of minus 19 explains why they've taken to packing out their defence, maybe they were luring Watford into a false sense of security before unleashing a few swift counter attacks but had forgotten to implement the second part of this tactical ploy.
Either way it wasn't working.
Watford's lack of penetration, power or accuracy around the goal were the main reasons that they weren't winning at a canter.
The only two incidents of note in the first 45 minutes, were a hold up in play while a referee's assistant needed treatment from the home side's Physio and, completely out of the blue and to the amazement of everybody present, Scunthorpe scored.
We spotted an handball in the build up, but the referee didn't ... so on 42 minutes, Gary Hooper ran on to a defence splitting pass and struck the ball low and hard past Scott Loach in the Watford goal.
The Caucasian Tom Cleverley of Watford taking a corner

After the teams returned from their half time isotonic drinks, Scunthorpe looked as though they had finally remembered what it was they did for a living on a Saturday afternoon and came out all guns blazing.
For a while at least.
Martyn Woolford came closest to increasing their lead when his effort was turned onto the bar by Loach and the dissenters in the crowd seemed to cheer up, but their happy demeanour was short lived.
On 64 minutes Watford scored, it was a scrambled effort from close range, which highlighted one of the Iron's main problems this season ... they're crap at defending set pieces.
Woolford, again, tried to restore the home side's one goal advantage, but got the ball stuck under his feet when it looked easier to score from close range.
When Woolford was substituted a while later it was a very popular decision going by the crowd's reaction to him being taken off.
By now, the moaners amongst the home fans had their own players, their manager and the referee in their sights.
Stood close to us (too damn close actually), two of the most vocal critics were spewing out some of the most undiluted effluent imaginable and one of them in particular looked to be heading to the emergency room in the coronary unit at the local hospital if he didn't calm down a fraction.
My notebook was in danger of becoming soggy due to the steam coming out of his ears (well, almost, you get the picture).
A United player, Marcus Williams, conceded a foul when he shoved a Watford player in the back, the ref's whistle sounded and Williams nonchalantly belted the ball away across the field.
Time wasting when you're only drawing at home isn't very bright, getting yourself booked into the bargain is particularly stupid. But angry man was now on the verge of imploding with indignation and blamed the referee for the whole incident.
"You ought be be wearing a yellow shirt ref, you're given them everything"
'Hmm, only when Scunny players break the rules' I thought quietly to myself, not wanting to cause a scene.
The ref's next action was to give Watford's Tom Cleverley a straight red card for a dangerous challenge. A fracas involving several players broke out in response to the foul, but nobody else was dismissed, not even the Scunthorpe players who had retaliated, so the referee must've forgotten he was being biased when that happened.
Angry man screamed abuse at Cleverley as he left the pitch "Go on, get off you black bastard!"
Alas, he couldn't be ejected for being racist, because Tom Cleverley is actually white.
In the first minute of injury time, Scunthorpe failed yet again to clear a set piece and Watford launched a smash and grab raid that appeared to have nicked all three points at the death when Eustace netted in front of the jubilant visiting fans.
Four whole minutes later, the 'biased' referee awarded United a spot kick when a firmly struck cross hit Jay DeMerit with some force.
It looked to me as if it had hit him in the face ... and the way he fell to the ground holding his head in his hands seemed to indicate that was the case. The linesman flagged for a corner, but David Webb of County Durham (the referee, not the ex Chelsea player) pointed to the spot never the less.
Hooper hit the penalty home for his second goal, the goalkeeper got booked for his response to the last action of the game and everybody went away happy ... kind of.
Gary Hooper smashes home a stoppage time equaliser for 'Scunny' from the spot

To round off this resume of my day trip to 'Sunny Scunny', here are some of the respective managers after match comments, taken from the BBC website:

Scunthorpe manager Nigel Adkins: "We have got to look at this game as two points dropped. We felt Watford's opening goal should not have been allowed because there was a clear foul on our goalkeeper but then the referee has had an interesting game. I'm sure, though, that it was handball for the penalty which has earned us a point."

Watford manager Malkay Mackay: "It should never have been a penalty. The ball has hit DeMerit flush in the face at 100 miles an hour and after the game I took him to see the referee to show him the state of his eye where the ball has hit him. The linesman, who was much nearer, has signalled for a corner but the referee has given a penalty which I find incredible. It was one of a series of strange decisions that we got from him this afternoon.

"To referee a game at Championship level requires an official with some experience and I don't think this referee has handled many games like this."

And as for 'Angry man' and his final thoughts on the game ... he'd left just after Cleverley's sending off and missed the whole of the dramatic grand finale. Good, I'm glad he did!

Thursday 18 February 2010

Worksop Town v Staveley Miners Welfare - North Midlands Under 19's League Division One

Thursday 18th February 2010. North Midlands Under 19's League Division One.
at Primrose Hill (Blackwell Miners Welfare)

Worksop Town (0) 0
Staveley MW (2) 3 (Eborall 2, Annerson)

Admission £2, Programme 50p
Blackwell's versatile sweeper on the wing
About half an hour prior to kick off the steady drizzle gave way to sleat.
The sleat in turn, was replaced by a snow flurry and that still hadn't abated as we drove out of the Blackwell Miners Welfare car park after the game.
Tonight was one of those momentous events that I'll look back on in future years and say "Hey, do you remember the midweek snow storm at Blackwell, when the Under 19's got beat by a very good Staveley MW side?" and everyone will say "No. We weren't daft enough to be there like you"
Well it's your own fault you never went and you missed a really ... err, interesting spectacle. So there!
Staveley opened the lead when Dave Cutts swung in a left wing corner which Danny Eborall netted on 17 minutes.
Before half time Eborall netted again and it looked as if high flying, free scoring Staveley were about to take control.
But a rugged Worksop rearguard limited the Blues scoring opportunities in the second half ... and I'm sure the weather, on loan from the Winter Olympics, made some of the firmly contested 'committed' tackles look more like fouls than they actually were.
Callum Smith pulled off two very agile saves in quick succession, his 'reward' for his efforts was Josh Annerson bundling home the ball as it ran lose for Staveley's third.
Worksop had a couple of chances to make some in roads into the three goal deficit, but against a team of Staveley's calibre you have to take each and every opportunity.
To be fair Staveley looked more likely to score, but a couple of close shaves amounted to nothing.
One of the Staveley contingent shouted out to Eborall "Come on Danny lad, you've done nowt' tonight besides score twice", it was of course tongue in cheek.
Each and every player out on the pitch had done well to last the pace tonight. Likewise the officials and the ground staff who ran onto the pitch during breaks in play to sweep the snow off of the pitch markings.
Full Time 0-3

Wednesday 17 February 2010

Worksop Town v Frickley Athletic - UniBond League Premier Division

Never Mind The Bollards

Wednesday 17th February 2010. UniBond League Premier Division
at the New Manor Ground, Ilkeston

Worksop Town (0) 1 (Ben Tomlinson 52)
Frickley Athletic (1) 2 (Chris White 31, Adam Lee 90+1)

Attendance 137. Admission season ticket. Programme £2

And at 8.34PM, Frickley had a corner kick

Worksop gave a first team debut to Jamie Jackson, a former Matlock player who has joined the Tigers from Sheffield FC, and a home debut to ex Gainsborough Trinity player Ryan Mallon, who had put in a good workmanlike performance in over at Gigg Lane v. FCUM on Saturday, before being withdrawn after 70 minutes.
Two useful looking signings so far then ... plus midfielder Matty Thorpe (also previously with Matlock and Sheffield) joined just prior to this game (too late to appear), so who knows what's just around the corner in this eventful season, both on and off the pitch?

Can we organise a whip round for match day announcer Ray Lucas, so he can get a decent microphone that actually works?
The poor soul's meant to be taking it easy now he's retired, not getting heckled all night for having to work with substandard equipment.
I can even forgive him the David Essex songs after the night he had ... almost!
With both teams looking a bit apprehensive about conceding anything in the first half - understandable when they are in direct competition for a place near the bottom of the pile - the play was a bit bogged down in midfield for a while, but at least the Tigers players were starting to look as if they knew each other again after Saturday's indifferent run out.
And the two new guys have slotted in well from the off, which bodes well.
Frickley just about shaded the first half, but not by much and they certainly didn't look comfortable when Worksop ran at their defence.
There was a stroke of fortune about the opening goal (he says with complete impartiality).
Chris White fired in a shot on Jon Kennedy's goal, which the keeper seemed to have covered, but a deflection directed the ball just out of his grasp and wrong footed the big keeper, who could only tickle the ball with his outstretched hand as the ball beat him on it's way into the back of the goal.
When things aren't going your way, they really aren't. That could be WTFC's team motto at times this season.

Stop me and buy one

The Tigers came out in the second half and went straight into attack mode.
On 52 minutes, Ben Tomlinson drew the keeper from his line, rounded him on the left edge of the area and coolly rolled the ball across the line into an empty net.
Five minutes later, with Worksop pulling the Frickley defence all over, an Athletic player under hit a back pass to his keeper Adam Nicklin, who charged from his line and belted the ball away with force, it truck Ben Tomlinson and ricocheted back over Nicklin into the net.
But the referee took the advice of his assistant who accused Tomlinson of handball and the goal was disallowed.
Ben was merely running in to challenge for the ball and had no say over which part of his body the ball slammed into, if it was his arm, it certainly wasn't deliberate.

They may have signed some new players, but Worksop couldn't buy a win at present. Despite them having much the better of the second half, they just couldn't find that elusive touch in front of goal that would secure all three points.
Cruelly, Frickley scrambled home a second goal, so deep into injury time it almost impeded Boston United's goalkeeper as he came out onto the pitch to warm up on Saturday afternoon (give or take a few hours).
The Tigers didn't deserve to lose tonight.
The Frickley fans were obviously delighted, but magnanimous enough to admit they hadn't expected a finish like that to the second half either.
Oh well, onwards and, hopefully, upwards.
Bassetlaw Labour MP John Mann watches on from the sparsely populated stand.
Note, I meant it's nearly empty, that isn't what the stand is actually called.

Tuesday 16 February 2010

Kirkby Town v Blidworth Welfare - Notts FA Senior Cup

Tuesday 16th February 2010. Nottinghamshire FA Senior Cup.
Kirkby were drawn at home but the match was played at Blidworth because the Summit Centre, home of KTFC, doesn't have floodlights yet.

Kirkby Town (0) 1 (Edwards 53)
Blidworth Welfare (0) 0

Admission £3, Programme £1, Free cup of coffee ... thank you Hazel Hornby!
Attendance 34

A bitterly cold night out, in down town Blidworth.
There was some doubt that this game was going ahead when we set off, but we had a back up plan to got to Arnold Town v. Armthorpe Welfare, if the Blidworth pitch failed the referee's inspection ... it didn't.
I don't know what made me think Arnold's pitch, with it's notoriously bad drainage, would get the nod if other pitches in the area were unplayable. Games there are usually the first to go if there's an hint of any postponements in the offing.
I'm told, that in the event, after a lengthy and protracted inspection, the game at Eagle Valley wasn't deemed fit for purpose until 7.10PM, but the game there did go ahead eventually.
When we got to Blidworth, the lights were on, the players were getting changed, but a gentleman known only to me as 'Andy from Kirkby', who resembles a (much) taller Ian Dowie, told us the game was off ... thankfully he was only having us on.
If only there was some way I could get my own back on him for clowning around ...
... I'm sure an opportunity for revenge will present itself to me at some point.

Fred of Kirkby Town joined us after we made a slight detour to pick him up en route, it's always a good laugh having Fred around, both in person and in his t'internet alter ego guise on a couple of Non League forums I visit.
He's desperately in need of a barber to give him an estimate, but good company and knowledgeable never the less.
And at least I didn't need to write down one team's line up tonight :-)
Blidworth Welfare's ground is undergoing a few changes, so at present they have no tea hut or any toilet facilities in the ground.
The tea hut, up some stairs and overlooking the pitch, used to offer the best, unspoilt panoramic views in the whole ground. But it's gone now, except for the balcony rail.
Thankfully, Mrs Hazel Hornby (she's married to Rob the CMFL Registrar, but is far too nice for him) spotted me shivering out in the cold and bought me a cup of coffee from within the warmth of the club and league officials dining facilities cum shed.
Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No it's Committee Man!!!

First half. Kirkby squandered at least four or five chances, but the pitch was proving to be a bit of a nightmare, which made passing and any kind of close ball control very difficult.
To their credit, Kirkby don't go long and play direct, but it might have been the better option on a surface like tonight's rapidly deteriorating one.
Blidworth came strong towards the end of the half and almost (but not quite) punished the visitors for not cashing in on any of their goal scoring opportunities.
Second half. In the 53rd minute Edwards had a free header to put Kirkby in front and wasn't about to miss from a couple of yards out.
From then on in, it was pretty much one way traffic as Town went looking for the goal to wrap the game up, Haslam (making his 50th appearance for Kirkby tonight), Bramwell (with a stinging 30 yarder) and Edwards (again) all came close.
As I was walking towards the exit at the end to get out straight on 90 minutes, because it was bloody freezing by now, Blidworth almost scored an equaliser in the dying moments. I don't think even they would have relished extra time on a night like this ... and I was grateful they missed (narrowly) so I could get back in the car and thaw my bits and pieces out.
Up the road at 'Eagle Valley', Arnold were chucking away a 3-1 lead in the process of losing 3-4 to Armthorpe. Now that was a bit clumsy!
As was my final choice of game for tonight it would seem.
At least both teams tried to make a game of it, but the pitch wasn't having any of it.
Kirkby Town now face Eastwood Town in the next round.

Sunday 14 February 2010

FC United of Manchester v. Worksop Town - UniBond League Premier Division

Saturday 13th February 2010. UniBond League Premier Division.
At Gigg Lane, Bury

FC United of Manchester (1) 2 (Carden 2)
Worksop Town (0) 0

Admission £7.50 (all seated), Programme £2
Attendance 2137 (102 visiting supporters, total declared by home club)
Personally, I would've gone via the M62/M60/A56, but the bus driver's
preference was 'the long and winding road' that is the Woodhead Pass

A great gesture from the Lion Hotel on Bridge Street in Worksop, saw them sponsoring the supporters club coach over to Bury today, which meant Tigers fans could travel for just £5.
The coach was by no means full, which was a shame, but over 100 Worksop fans still made the trip over the Pennines to see their struggling side in action.
I know 102 sounds like a generous estimate, but just prior to kick off I did a quick headcount and there were about 90 in the away fans section then, with a few more coming in as the game was starting ... but even I'm not anal enough to carry one of those clicky counter things around in my pocket, so I couldn't really give a 100% totally accurate figure of how many Worksop fans were there, not that anybody would be nit pickingly sad enough to lose any sleep over it anyway.
This hardcore nucleus have stuck by the club through thin times and ever thinner times in recent years and they demonstrate both the level of support and loyalty the club has to fall back on during this lean period in the club's existence in exile and the potential following the club has once this rocky patch has been navigated.
If only a few more of the 700 plus who travelled to Bournemouth for an FA Cup 1st Round tie a few years ago would still make the effort sometimes, it would go a long way to helping balance the books.
Being a football supporter is not just about turning up and pledging allegiance when things are going well ... I don't recall having read in the news anywhere about mass carnage on the northbound motorways after that game at Dean Court, so I can only assume that all the "Worksop 'til I die!" chants that day, were just shallow words and lies belted out by an army of day tripping posers.
Obviously there will always be a good few band wagon hopping types at such games, but where have all the others gone?
Answers on a postcard to the usual address.
FC United of Manchester ...
more flags and scarves than the rest of the UniBond League combined together

I know Ilkeston is a pain in the arse to get to when the traffic is bad through the 'average speed camera' section of the M1, I know that sometimes the team aren't playing especially well at present, but if there was a hint of truth in those "Worksop 'til I die!" chants, then it's about time a few of the glory hunters put in at least an occasional appearance at a Worksop Town game.
I heard an 'excuse' from one lapsed regular follower of the club who said, "Oh, I don't go since they moved out of Worksop, but I'll watch them again once they move back"
Two things to say in response to that:
1) Worksop Town did not ask to be locked out of their ground and be forced into exile and they still need money coming through the turnstiles to survive until such a time as they do return home.
They are not playing rent free at the New Manor Ground after all.
2) Ilkeston, though being at the wrong end of one of the worse stretches of the M1 to travel on from the Worksop area, can be reached in far less time and at a fraction of a cost than it would take to get to Bournemouth, Tiverton, Forest Green and all those other long distance and far flung places hundreds of people travelled to when it was boom time for Worksop Town FC.
And even though Ilkeston does not have a railway station, if you don't have a car to get there, the supporters club run transport to ALL games.
If you need details of the travel arrangements call the WTSC at either 01909 478178 or 07795512902 ... Don't be bashful now ;-)
Unmoved by the scenery en route, a lonely traveller was missing his missus

Anyway, back to today, we arrived in Bury in plenty of time to be sociable in the Bury FC social club, even though the large function room side of it, that I've used before for league matches at Gigg Lane, wasn't in use for some reason.
Some people took advantage of the early arrival and nipped off to the famous Bury Market, to buy, hmm ... some paint brushes. Sadly I wasn't able to stock up on fish and the internationally acclaimed black pudding, because I would probably have been made to walk home for stinking the bus out by the time we were going home, but I will put a cool box in the car next time I'm over.
I personally had to abstain from partaking in alcoholic beverages until I'm fully on the mend from some recent disruption to my internal (and external) organs in Bassetlaw Hospital, typically, that would be the case when I'm not driving.
The pre match mood was fairly fairly upbeat and the various cliques amongst the away fans and the FCUM supporters mixed freely in the bar without any hint of any hostility whatsoever.
Worksop would have their new signing Ryan Mallon from Gainsborough Trinity playing today, with more new faces said to be on their way soon, FC United for their part were riding high on the back of a four game unbeaten run, including a 6-1 away win at Nantwich Town last weekend.
All things being relative, both sets of fans had reasons to feel positive.
FC United of Manchester.
Hmm, what are we to make of this football club cum phenomenon?
Formed out of a protest against the USA based Glazer family bastardisation of the established football institution that is Manchester United FC, a 'takeover' of which the full gory implications of are still only just starting to be truly revealed, you really have to say 'well done' and 'fair play' to the people behind FCUM for making an 'enough is enough' stand and for refusing to be exploited by a family who seem to have only moved in on Old Trafford as a way of relocating the burden of their already massive debts onto a football club, who I think I can safely say have probably the largest fan base in the world.
The Glazers have no truck with the heritage and traditions of Manchester United, they merely view the Red Devils as a cash cow to be slaughtered for their own ends.
FC United have sought to go back to the roots and the true history of Manchester United Football Club, as opposed to another entity known as Man Utd PLC.
And I have an immense amount of respect for them for doing that.
However, I do have a few reservations.
Though 'their' roots are obviously based in the history of Manchester United; FC United of Manchester are in essence a relatively new club, who started out on their impressive upwardly mobile climb through the Non League pyramid in the North West Counties League Division 2 as recently as 2005.
Did they not, by severing themselves away from the parent club, however painful the move must have been, abdicate all of the history, pride and tradition, along with any unwanted baggage they off loaded and become a completely brand new football club?
If that is the case, then isn't it just a little bit ironic and contradictory that they still sing songs about Eric Cantona (a football genius in my eyes too, even though I've never for one moment had any leanings towards MUFC) and 'cheerful' ditties about hating 'Leeds scum'?
To my knowledge, none of the current FCUM first team has slept with Dani Behr either, though she may have slipped down the celebrity listing standings to UniBond League level by now for all I know and the nearest this new team has ever got to to coming face to face with Leeds United on a level playing field was a trip or two to Guiseley in West Yorkshire, which is geographically speaking anyway, in the same sort of area.
I've checked the league tables and though Leeds fall from grace was nothing short of spectacular, they addressed their plummet and landed on their feet in Football League Division Three, or League One as it's called nowadays unless they changed the name again when I just nipped out to get this months issue of Pedantic News.
Even during the Elland Road club's most desperate back peddling with a broken chain spell, when they appeared to be in complete free fall, I think they would have still managed to halt their decline at Conference North level and wouldn't have actually slipped all the way through to the UniBond League ;-)
Like I've said, I'm all for FCUM being a supporter owned club who are uniquely sticking up two fingers at the fat cats who are whoring the thick end of the football wedge ... I personally have only ever attended one top flight game since the Premier League was formed myself (I needed to visit Ewood Park to complete my 92 grounds at the time, my anorak tendencies got the better of my principles that night), so I know to some extent where they are coming from.
In my book, their efforts and determination are a great example of what can be achieved by organising and mobilising fan power, even if they did possibly have a significant head start on any other club's fans who might feel the need to rip it up and start again, by the sheer number of potential ready made followers they already had in situ.
So, FCUM, good luck in your quest to produce (reproduce?) a football club run along the right lines and in the correct manner, within the true spirit of the game, I think what you're doing is quite awesome and highly commendable, I just think there are a couple of little contradictions that need a bit of tweaking.
But what do I know!?
"Weicom Worksop Town sup Enjoy the game"
And a slightly more confusing notice at the away fans entrance

One thing I do know, is that the music you hear in football grounds is for the most part dire and likely to induce nausea attacks in most sane thinking people.
The FCUM fans repertoire of virtually non stop singing was impressive (save for the the songs that possibly belong to another club in the Great Manchester area), but their match day announcers selection was even better.
"tedious dross"
I have never heard Jimi Hendrix being played at a football match before, it made a great change to the usual tedious dross you tend to hear in grounds and was complimented by one of Paul Weller's finest moments (he did churn out a few duff tunes in his time too mind you). The crowning glory of Otis Redding topped off the experience, completely uninterrupted from start to finish.
If there was ever a case to bring terraces back to grounds like Gigg Lane, it would be that there is no room to dance in between the rows of seats when the sound system is this good.
St. Johnstone made the effort to play a few half decent songs a few weeks ago when I was up in Perth, today FC United topped even that half time entertainment with some great tunes.
Who will be the next club to take up the crusade to rid our football grounds of shit music?
Any thoughts on the matter Ray!!!???
Penalty taking. Don't show off and bugger about in front of the noisy
home supporters, just hit the bloody thing ... and hit it hard!

Alas, I have rambled on long enough trying to avoid the inevitable for as long as possible, but I suppose at some point I really better mention the fact that there was actually a game of football being played here today too and say a few things about it.
Bugger, I'd been hoping you'd have forgotten about that by now and that I could just slope off unnoticed out of a quiet side exit without passing any comment or judgement.
Worksop started well on Gigg Lane's hard and rutted pitch and looked as if they were going to give their hosts a real game of it.
But in the end, well ... to be frank, they didn't.

It really did look like promising to be a champagne performance from the Tigers if the early exchanges were anything to go by, but in reality it turned out to be more like a bottle of Happy Shopper lemonade that went flat after a few minutes, once the lid had been removed.
Inside the first five minutes FCUM's David Chadwick jumped in an attempt to head away a cross and landed with his knees in Gary Townsend's back, which knocked the Tigers player to the ground.
It didn't look especially malicious or pre-meditated, but never the less it was a foul and it had floored Townsend inside the penalty area.
In spite of the Non League Paper claiming it was Ben Tomlinson who Chadwick collided with, it was definitely number 9 Gary Townsend.
A spot kick was awarded and the 'straight up and at 'em from the very off' tactics Worksop had adopted appeared to be paying dividends.
There was a delay while Gary received treatment, during which the supporters behind the goal upped the noise in an attempt to put the designated penalty taker Adam Burley off.
But Adam was having none of it!
Oh no!
He was completely unfazed by it all (ahem) and to prove a point he decided to put the keeper off and shut up the supporters in one fell swoop, with an improvised penalty technique.
He took a bizarre zig-zag style run up to trick the keeper into diving early, stopped when he got to the ball quite deliberately, did an odd little jig and then kicked the ball.
Alas Sam Ashton in the FCUM goal didn't commit himself early and saved the weakly struck penalty with ease ... the supporters didn't exactly fall silent as a consequence either.
I know Burley has used this penalty taking ritual before ... now I have never taken a spot kick in front of a noisy throng of people all willing me to miss it before in my life, so I have no first hand experience or expertise to draw on for my analysis of the situation but ... I genuinely hope he never repeats the trick and that if he is ever called upon to take a penalty again, he just hits it hard and on target, without all the show boating.
At least there were still around 85 minutes left to make amends for the miss and lets face it, even international footballers sometimes fluff penalties at more crucial moments than Adam Burley did today, take for example that one against Portugal for England that former FC United of Manchester player David Beckham took that ... err, whoops, genuine mistake, profound apologies, he played for the other United didn't he!?
FCUM players run behind a pillar to celebrate the first goal.

After the penalty 'mishap' Worksop's enthusiasm for holding on to the early impetus they had created seemed to evaporate.
The home side stepped up their game a bit and began to make some in roads, particularly down the left flank.
But both teams were struggling to make the ball move about to much effect on the 'difficult' surface.
With half time fast approaching, Peter Rinkcavage must've been looking forward to the break, so he could refocus his players and point them back in the direction they had come out of the blocks in originally and possibly also advise Adam Burley about any further penalty kicking that might be required.
But just as half time was almost upon us, FC United struck.
Ben Deegan got on the end of a Jerome Wright free kick and headed goal bound ... Tigers keeper Jon Kennedy got down to it but could only parry the ball away, Simon Carden gratefully seized on the rebound and hit the ball home from close range.
Half time 1-0
The home side stole Worksop's first half master plan after the break and came out all guns blazing.
They did come close to increasing their lead when Deegan headed against the post right at the start of the second period, but the breakthrough they were pushing for came in the 55th minute, when Carden netted his second, from a left wing cross fired into the mix by Wright (again), by virtue of deflecting the ball home via his chest.
They all count and some forms of improvisation in front of the goal are more effective than others, aren't they!?
Especially that particular goal.
The Tigers now seemed to be making even harder work of finding any rhythm on the difficult surface, though they did shut up shop and prevented FCUM from making any further advances through the channels they had been exploiting.
For a while it did look like 'the Rebels' (as I believe FCUM are called) would open the floodgates but belatedly Worksop repelled the danger FC were posing and stood strong.
But the game was now fast become a bit of a stalemate with the likelihood of any further goals from either side looking unlikely ... and that was hardly going to worry the team who seemingly already had all three points points in the bag.
All in all, a frustrating and disappointing afternoon for Worksop after they had shown so much spirit initially.
Ryan Mallon put in a good shift and looks like a good signing in the making, but at times the Tigers appeared to be lacking sharpness after the enforced winter break has starved them of match practice. That will hopefully only be a temporary situation as the games now start coming thick and fast again.
To that end, that is why the friendly game at Long Eaton United was hastily arranged recently.
But there's no substitute for the real cut and thrust.
Ben Tomlinson almost scored a consolation goal for the Tigers, Danny Bacon looked purposeful when he came on, but all in all I don't think anybody could have any complaints about the final outcome.
Fellow strugglers Frickley Athletic visit the New Manor Ground on Wednesday 17th February, for a UniBond League fixture, a good result against the South Elmsall side last season at 'home' (AKA in Hucknall) paved the way for an end of season run of form that moved the Tigers out of the drop zone ... an omen maybe?
Let's hope so.
In 20 consecutive games since the Tigers last played (and beat) FC United of Manchester 3-1 at 'home' they have recorded only 4 victories and 2 of those were against the UniBond Premier's whipping boys Durham City. Though let it be said, that run of results has come against a backdrop of uncertainty and strife that has almost seen the club go to the wall more often than anybody would dare even think about.
Worksop Town's fate in the league this season is still in their own hands.
A victory on Wednesday, over the side one place below them in the table, would be a massive stride in the right direction.

People of Worksop, are you really "Worksop 'til I die!" or not? Your club need you more on Wednesday night than they ever did on any FA Cup 1st Round proper weekend piss up at a south coast seaside resort.
Are you going to stand up and counted or not?
Go to Google maps on your computer and type in DE7 8JF for directions to get to the match, what else are you going to be doing on Wednesday night anyway?
Mural on the wall behind the away supporters seats.
I don't recall Phil Lynott ever being a Rotherham United player.