Bottesford Town v AFC Emley - NCEL Division 1

An Ode to the Lincolnshire Poachers

Saturday 5th September 2009. Northern Counties East League Division 1
Birch Park, Ontario Road, Bottesford

Bottesford Town (1) 1 (Mitchell)
AFC Emley (0) 0

Admission £4 Programme £1
Attendance 71
I saw an enthralling and very lively game at Bottesford's ever improving ground today.
Emley were probably a bit unlucky to not get at least a draw, but you have to take your chances, because goals win games not statistics.
Look! Sometimes you have to state the bleeding obvious and resort to a few well worn clichés and at the end of the day you would all be as sick as proverbial squawking pet birds if I didn't.
Maybe the stiff wind (this was North East Lincolnshire after all) didn't help some of the finishing, but it didn't spoil a well contested game.
Brigg Town's legendary ex manager Ralph Clayton came out of his well earned retirement to take over the reigns at Birch Park a couple of years ago. I couldn't imagine him not playing some role or another in local football for very long.
In his 17 years at the Hawthorns 'Raz' (pictured above) took Brigg to two successful FA Vase finals and led them to the Unibond League in his last season in charge.
Brigg for their part have been in a bit of a malaise since he left them, while Bottesford have gone from strength to strength winning promotion from the Central Midlands League and finishing 3rd and 6th in the NCEL Division 1 since they went up.
Ralph Clayton has, according to some people, got an uncanny resemblance to Ted Bovis from 'Hi-De-Hi', but I couldn't possibly comment on that because the TV series was before my time (ahem).
'Raz' took time out, even during the game, to come over for a brief chat and to confirm my question as to whether or not that was the Tim Lowe playing at right back for the Poachers, i.e. none other than the former captain of the England Under 18's ... it was.
It would seem with the money being invested in the new facilities at Birch Park and the calibre of players they have brought in, the Poachers are on the verge of gearing up for bigger and better things.
Today the main difference between the two teams was Bottesford's Craig Mitchell, the midfield creator was officially playing in the left back berth wearing the number 3 this afternoon, but must've covered just about every blade of grass on the pitch. He even weighed in with the only goal of the game, which he fired home from the edge of the box (see picture above) on 24 minutes.
Much as they tried ... and they really, really did ... to salvage a point, especially in the second half, AFC Emley just couldn't find the final finishing touch.
Bottesford did have the ball in the back of the net again, but Mick Clarke the Emley keeper had firmly hold of it when he was unceremoniously bundled into the goal and what with it not being the 1930's any more n' all that the referee disallowed the effort for an infringement.
Today's programme featured all the usual information you'd expect plus a few quizzes, one being the Who Am I? selection of questions written from the perspective of the mystery character. Y'know the sort of thing ... I manage Derby County just like my dad used to and my name is Nigel, by way of example.
Anyway, I'm quite sure most people would have guessed from the first 8 clues giving his details: Nationality - Welsh,
International appearances - 51,
The fine for a training ground assault - on Eyal Berkovic at West Ham,
and the chronological history of clubs he played for, namely Luton, Arsenal, West Ham, Celtic, Wimbledon and Coventry etc etc,
The identity of today's mystery celebrity is John Hartson.
I don't actually think clue number nine was in particularly good taste, in fact I felt it was quite unnecessary ...
9. Hopeful of winning my fight against cancer which was diagnosed in 2009.
Am I just being over sensitive?
I'm sure it was clumsiness rather than anybody deliberately causing anybody any genuine offence. But it was tactless.
I got home with time to spare to watch England scrape a 2-1 win over Slovenia in a friendly on ITV, the opening goal came from a penalty. Frankly I'm mystified as to why it was ever awarded in the first place, but I've seen iffy decisions go against England before on slightly more important occasions. So, Que Sera and oh well, winning is a good habit for the England team to keep going, bring on the serious business on Wednesday night now.

The high mileage maroon Mondeo sneaks into shot again

Of course I won't be watching the Croatia game on 9th September. Because the Nottinghamshire team from the place where I was born (8 miles away), is playing against the team who play down the road from my house (700 yards away) on a shared ground (46 miles away) in a 'local' Notts derby taking place over the M1 in Derbyshire.
And we all know which arse hole is to blame for that state of affairs, don't we!?
In the unlikely event you don't, trawl back through the66pow archives, I don't mention his name in polite company any more.
Incidentally, a good number of Worksop Town fans who go to 'home' and away games, also follow England and had their tickets for the Wembley game before the Unibond League fixtures were announced.
No, I'm not texting any of you the score from the New Manor Ground ;-P

the66pow