Midweek Football - after a fashion !

It’s been a funny week for football. No home games for any of the “Six Tame Sides” at all this mid-week. The “ju-jitsu taxi service” which runs every Monday and Wednesday does allow me a short time in the “Railway” at Greenfield, so I caught a bit of the Man City v Middlesbrough game (including the goal) and also some of the Kobenhavn v Man United games (excluding the goal !)

I thought about Wakefield v Ashton United on Tuesday – but since the Mossley trains now terminate at Huddersfield rather than going straight through to Wakefield, the connections were a bit of a bugger. Going outside the “Six Tame Sides” zone, there was the offer of Woodley Sports (aka Mossley reserves !) v Stocksbridge Park Steels – but again transport from Mossley equates to train and bus – and can be a bit of a pain (as you may have gathered – no car was available as Mrs Smiffy was running a training course until 2100 that day). Plus of course, the weather had turned cold and my finger was giving me gyp !! So excuses aplenty there …

So Tuesday turned into a “virtual football” night – with the Barcelona v Chelsea game on in the other room. I’ve done this sort of thing before and it can be fun ! That night I “watched” the Wakefield v Ashton United game via a cute “live” website - http://www.matchdayupdates.com/team/wakefield_emley where someone from Wakefield texts in the odd one-liner which then appears on the screen – I believe Kendal do a similar thing – must check that one out. Also being updated on the web (via the club message boards) were the Leek Town v AFC Telford United game – my first ever penalty shoot-out on the web, and the Goole v Belper Town game – which had a “local slant” in that Andy Parton (on loan from Stalybridge Celtic) managed to score a hat-trick for Goole against my good friends from Derbyshire. I popped in and out of the other room to see bits of the Chelsea game – even took some photos (now isn’t that SAD !) – when Mrs Smiffy returned the Chelsea game went off (just before their late late equaliser !) – so I stuck with the Telford penalty shoot-out – I think the message board thread for that game went to nearly 250 messages !!



Look - a picture off the telly of some Chelsea bloke ...

Normality returns tomorrow with a trip to Birkenhead to see if Mossley can progress any further in the FA Trophy against Cammel Laird. This will be a tricky one I feel in more ways than one. Cammel Laird appear to be “rather good” – and also there are no trains from Mossley or Stalybridge into Manchester tomorrow because of the ubiquitous “engineering works” – obviously no-one travels at the weekend in the eyes of Network Rail – so it’s either a bus to Manchester, or a bus to Guide Bridge for a train to Manchester. – that’s my next jobbie tonight – check out the route etc. Mrs Smiffy is off to Belper tomorrow (they’re at home to Bamber Bridge – am I tempted - a little – but only a little at this moment in time..) Hey ho – off to http://nationalrail.co.uk – the course of anti-biotics is now over – so the “alcohol in moderation” rule can be relaxed somewhat this weekend !!