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... it's bloody quiet on a couple of message boards wot I normally trawl ... as in Mossley (3-0 up against Durham City - lost 4-3) and Belper Town (I guess the less said about a 5-1 home defeat the better !).
Anyroad up - work sorted in good time for me to get up to Stalybridge Celtic today - a 2-0 win for the home side who were certainly not firing on all cylinders - but that's always the sign of a good team. Some good individual performances - some great passing play - but also a lot on unforced errors (which fortunately led to nowt !) A good passing game is great to watch but they MUST be careful not to over-elaborate - it's good to have the confidence to play this way but Row Z is also an option at times - don't be scared to use it !!! Pix at
Stalybridge Celtic 2 Worcester City 0
So Bridge stay top - and Hyde continue the chase after a 3-0 win at Harrogate Town ...
Maybe more later - there's an entire packet of faggots and gravy in the oven with MY name on it - tomorrow it's off to Belper (possibly a town in mourning) to pick up Mrs Smiffy - go for a walk etc etc
... and next week ... HOLIDAY !!!!!
(and RIP Jimmy Saville - sad to say that death is one thing that you cannot "Fix")
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... I'm sat at home listening to one of my favourite bands of the 1970s - as in Focus ... I'm listening to side two of "Hamburger Concerto" - the 20 minute classic - and remembering that me and Mrs Smiffy walked up the aisle all those years ago (OK 23rd April 1984) to the first couple of minutes of this track. I clearly remember playing this to the organist at the church beforehand, saying "This is what we want", and remember him saying "I know that !". However he NEVER told us how he knew that. A night alone with Google, Wikipedia and Spotify has finally sorted out this conundrum. I always knew the "Starter" (as it was called on the Focus album) was based on something classical - and tonight - after all those years - I've finally sorted it.
It's by Johannes Brahms - and it's called "Variation on a Theme by Haydn Opus 56a" - or "St Anthony's Chorale".
I can now rest in peace ...
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... obviously starting with Monday off !!
Tuesday - Diggle
Wednesday, Thursday, Friday - Higher Crompton (Shaw)
Tomorrow - Greenfield/Uppermill
Have (postie) bag - will travel !!!
Now then - football tomorrow. With Mossley at home to Durham City you'd think ...
... however, Droyslden have an FA Cup tie at home to Blyth Spartans (winner gets 1st Round Proper); Curzon Ashton also at home to Cammell Laird ; Hyde away at Harrogate Town ...
... however (again) I've had an e-mail from a newspaper in the Worcester area enquiring about photographs - so it looks like I'll be heading for Bower Fold to watch Stalybridge Celtic take on (you've guessed it !) Worcester City !
(and I'll do Mossley v Warrington Town on Tuesday night - promise !)
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... after a hard night's football - to be greeted by this ???
Lazy gits !!
On the case with the football - Mossley beat FC United 2-1 in the Manky Prem Cup; weather poor; number of FC United fans turning up - small; number of photos taken - small ... on the case - NOW (just had a plateful of bolognese what I prepped for the world at about 1630 hrs).
Looking like tomorrow ...
LATE EDIT - 2330 - here's one - of my personal Man of the Match, Hary Noon
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... feet-wise that is - mentioned about the new RM Issue footwear doing nasty things to my feet - especially the left foot. The right foot was suffering as well, but that's sorted itself out viz ...
...however, we're still suffering a bit on the left hand/foot side of things - viz ..
... oh yeah, they all get "stuff etc" put on them before heading out for a work stroll - but when I get home - it's fresh air for the feet (and maybe foot odour for the rest of Chez Smiffy !!!).
We're getting there - and unlike so many people these days (as in the workshy !!), a couple of blisters is something and nothing really .... although (saddo !!) something worth posting on here - maybe ??
Off to cook tea now - barefoot of course !!!!!!!
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... been fairly quiet on here over the last seven days or so has it not ? Last Sunday's football up at Mossley was the shape of things to come weather-wise. Did it actually stop raining at all between Monday morning and Wednesday evening ? Not on poor old Postman Smiffy it didn't !! Joyous evenings were spent drying out coats/bags/me etc. Had to switch shoes as well because they REFUSED to dry out - plus my brand new RM Issue trainers have ripped my left heel to shreds - which hasn't been much fun to walk on all bloomin' week - at least a day off today. No football either last midweek - had my eye on Chadderton v Norton United on Monday night (finished 3-3 with a last minute equaliser for the visitors) but weather and general "bleeurrrggghh" kept me in.
At least the weather managed to improve towards the end of the week (as in "dry" !) - and on Friday night Mrs Smiffy and myself together with a couple of friends went to sample the delights of the "Harvey Nichols Supper Club" down in Manchester - a £20 a head three-course meal with free cocktail thrown in. Surprisingly generous portions as well (half expecting some poncey "nouvelle cuisine" style helpings but no !). Naturally turned out to be more than £20 a head with drinks and a few extra portions of stuff adding to the bill - but well worth it (for the record - Mussels in Pastis with a pea puree; Daube of Beef; and Chocolate Tart).
Saturday morning I finished in good time and was able to get over to Hyde by train/bus/walk in time to see the kick-off (makes a change for a Saturday !). Seems like I caught Hyde on a severe "off day". Visitors Bradford PA (one division below Hyde) were by far the better team in the first half, and this continued in the second 45 minutes as well. Hyde didn't help themselves by going down to 10 men when Worsley was red-carded - and Bradford PA did leave it until the 90th minute to score their winner - but it was no more than they deserved.
Snatched a pint in the "Sportsman" after the game - have to say it was a disappointing pint as well (Rossendale Brewery "Rossendale Ale") before home/fiddle with pictures/sleep/wake/buy "Non League Paper"/write this stuff. Quiet day in today I think (apart from the drilling that I will be doing to hang mirror and magazine rack !). Next week's football - probably Mossley on Tuesday (where according to the "Non League Paper" they are playing "FC Untied" in the Manchester Premier Cup - tee hee !!). The visitors will no doubt bring a sizeable number of fans (and probably a sizeable number of photographers as well !!).
Now to find that drill ...
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How about
Hyde FC 0 Bradford PA 1
(Promise a few words sometime tomorrow - it's been a loooonnnng week !!)
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How about ... Hyde v Bradford Park Avenue ?
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... of the death of John Hesketh who passed away over the weekend. John was the owner of Stalybridge Station Buffet Bar and together with Sylvia back in 1997 they managed to turn around what was an iconic, but failing piece of railway/beer history - extensions, renovations, a kitchen, and of course the beer got the place back to the top.
It was of course a (very !) regular haunt of mine during my previous working life (my picture remains on the wall - a "Guardian" article from 1991), but since job change, I don't get in that often. However I'd known that John had been "not so well" for a number of months - a lifelong smoker (who was SO against 'the ban' !) admittedly, but so what ... a full life, a successful businessman (in the graphics trade before the buffet bar), and a well-loved and respected guy. He will be sadly missed.
(Info regarding funeral arrangements will no doubt be posted on the Stalybridge Buffet Bar Website)
RIP John.
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Look Out !!! Brolly Boy (arty pic - click for big !!)... OK a bonus game for me - but played in awful conditions (wet/wind etc) ... so wimpy snapper spent first half "under cover" before saying magic word (begins with "b" and ends with "x") and going for it in the second half. A comfy victory for the home side it has to be said ... and here's the pix
Mossley Youth 3 Nantwich Town Youth 0
Home - dried out - set to with the pork meal - and I 'mSOOOO well organised in the kitchen that it's all cooking away (veg prepped etc) while I sort out all this stuff - just too good for you guys/gals ...
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... as Mrs Smiffy is away - a brisk walk "up the hill" to see Mossley Youth take on Nantwich Town Youth at 1400hrs ...
... still giving me time to sort out the Roast Pork dinner afterwards !!
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... and before I get to the football, can I just say I had a bloody awful day at work today - a walk I've NEVER done before, 70% of which was social housing flats not unlike Hampton Court maze, added to which they were all in "controlled entry" blocks - I had no layout maps - and more to the point no bloody key fobs - which reduces you to hanging about pressing buttons hoping people are in to unlock the bloody entry doors - it happens a lot in t'Oldham/Ashton area but this walk - aaaargh !!
Arrived at the game at 1530 hrs (now you understand !) and was still "plumbing my gear in" when Glynn Blackhurst scored an absolute screamer to make it 1-0 to Stafford -a couple of mins BEFORE I arrived Ashton's Chris Amadi (who IS the danger man up front) had been red-carded - so I missed all that and only got a "blur" on the goal ! So - Ashton down to 10 men yet again (see the Spennymoor thread last week), and it all went downhill from there. Today I took pix (unashamedly) from a Stafford angle - and here they are ...
Ashton United 1 Stafford Rangers 5
... and as Mrs Smiffy is away - and someone asked - I went through "the rest" and rustled up a "bucket pix" extra album as well ...
AshtonStaffordExtras
I'm sure it was a touch embarrassing for the Ashton fans - and I must admit, even as a born and bred Staffordian I myself felt a little uncomfortable about the whole thing, as I DO enjoy my trips to Ashton - great people, good craic and a very approachable and honest Manager in Danny. Let's hope that they realise that Stafford are in a unrealistic postion in the table - and they won't be playing a team like that every week - certainly not a time to panic.
See Mossley have exited the FA Trophy as well ...
Hey ho - a day off tomorrow ...
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... on't'web - hope it works ...
One not-so-happy local hostelier ...... well the corporate was fun - fed, watered etc - and I think the sponsors are happy with their pictorial memento of the evening - HOWEVER ...
... the football left something to be desired - whilst the "prawn sandwich camera" was having fun, the "there's a bloody game on camera" wasn't so lucky ... see
Mossley 1 Bamber Bridge 2
Reckon I only took about 6 pix in the second half - that's how gripping/exciting/etc it was !! The first "Sack the Boss" message has arrived on the Mossley /Message Board ... a touch premature I feel (especially following a 5 match unbeaten run).
Bored now ...
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Seel Park tonight ... OK maybe not !!!
... a sort of "Ex-Mossley Woodley Sports" kind of day - whilst waiting for the bus into Oldham this morning (getting on in Uppermill, because I was expecting to work in Dobcross so was on my there when when I received the "phone call from hell" saying "Not required in Dobcross - can you come into Oldham ?"), spotted Ben Richardson on his way to work. Then, this afternoon whilst waiting in Oldham for bus back home, spotted physio Jo on her way into Oldham. Was this a sign ?? Should I be off to Ossett tonight ?? I think not !
Mossley v Bamber Bridge it is - and it's a "two camera jobbie" tonight as I'm expected to be a bit of a paparazzi for some of the sponsors of tonight's game (Britannia pub). Different I guess !
Work - tomorrow - Royton - definitely (I say definitely but ... !!)
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