Mossley v Altrincham

A very good game indeed ... yes OK a friendly - with a shed-load of subs (especially Alty at half-time who put out virtually a complete new (youthy-type) team) - but worth the money nevertheless.  A full-strength (I believe ?) Altrincham team started the game - and looked very good (although supposed hot-shot Damien Reeves DIDN'T score - tee hee !!) - but Mossley gave as good as they got and kept it to 1-1 at half-time.  The multiple subs for Alty brought on a fair few youngsters/trialists - but then again Mossley also started to make more subs as the half progressed ... and when it got to the final 25 minutes the home team looked the fitter, the stronger, the team with more desire... and throroughly deserved the win.  Some pics at

Mossley 4 Altrincham 2

Might say more later - but (like Monday) I'm in the progress of drying out both body and gear after another moist day at the mail-face ... and we're on a late late tea tonight ...
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OMG ...

... just seen DVD of Friday's "performance" ... 'nuff said 

...reckon I should stick to football photographs ...

(but had I started a key lower, I'd have been in with a chance ....)

Hey ho - Mossley/Altrincham calls ... at least I stayed dry today at work ... the less said about yesterday the better ....
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Just for any Bikers out there ...

... from the babycam on Friday night - outside the "Railway" in Greenfield - picture taken shortly before I made a prat of myself 'on stage' ... a beautiful customised (and freshly polished according to the owner !!) Harley ...

... shame about the 4x4 crap in the background ....
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Ashton United v Curzon Ashton ...

... for the Arthur Clancy Trophy (for the unitiated Arthur Clancy was a Curzon stalwart of the  groundsman variety).

A right feisty affair it was ... not unlike the first 45 minutes of the Mossley/Airbus game last week.  That game calmed down a bit after the break ... unlike today's offering.  Sometimes I wonder about officials - my guess at the Mossley game was that the ref "had a word" at half-time (I may be wrong - ask Chris Brayshaw - liner !!!).  Certainly didn't happen today.  Another "bee in my bonnet" involves what the officials wear ... in the "good old days" they wore their black shirts with their County FA logo/Major League logo/FIFA logo on their heart ... so you knew what you were getting - and could accept as such.  These days they ALL wear these bloody "three lions" shirts ... so unless you're up to scratch with names etc  you just don't know...

Anyway enough grumbling ... so it went on ... if we're talking football, there wasn't much in it ... but then with a couple of minutes to go (and me panicking i.e. "I've not brought my penalty shoot-out lens !!"), Curzon snatch a "winner" - if someone would be so kind as to explain how it went in, I'd be grateful (maybe I'll just wait for the official reports - don't forget this IS the guy who thought it was 5-1 on Tuesday night !) - still another run-out for two local teams - obviously new names here there and everywhere - my excuse for the paucity of captions on the pictures from today - oh yes ...

Ashton United 0 Curzon Ashton 1

So ... sat at home sorting pics - and (with Mrs Smiffy being away for weekend) watching "AC/DC Live at River Plate" ... y'know the more I watch it the more I think it HAS to be one of those classic live concert DVDs. You only need to watch the first track ""Runaway Train" and see the audience  - if those buggers had been defending the Malvinas all those years ago - it would have been a lot trickier.  For an "audience reaction" concert, it HAS to be up there with the Queen contribution to Live Aid all those years ago.

Talking of "audience reaction" ... I nipped out last night to the "Railway" in Greenfield for their "open mic" night - and my challenge to myself was to stand up and sing ... so I did - "Honest Work" by Todd Rundgren done in the same way viz. acapella.  Apparently everything IS recorded (sound and vision) so maybe I might get a chance to see how much a pillock I made of myself !!!!!!!

Enough for now - the rain has arrived - big style ... but I'm indoors and NOT working ... Let there be Rock !!!
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Mossley v Airbus UK Broughton

Despite the score (1-4) ... despite the fact I came home believing it was 1-5 (eek !) ... 'twas a very good game.  It was obvious which side was the fitter, more organised etc (well they HAVE been to Latvia and back !!).  Shame that some of the first half was spoilt by a lot of "unnecessaries" - I baulk to point out the number of Liverpool accents in the visitor's team - I was thinking more "Whingemakers" than "Wingmakers".  Fortunately it soon calmed down (!) and we were treated to a very good game of football.  Airbus well worth their win - obviously with the extra games they've played - and the quality of the teams they've met - there was only going to be one winner.  However Mossley gave it their best shot ... and certainly looked very good in places.  Like I said about the Stalybridge/Gateshead game - it's only a friendly ... but it's useful to test yourself against someone better.  Pictures to be found at

Mossley 1 AirbusUKBroughton 4

Tomorrow sees a trip up to Hurst Cross to the annual "Meet the Players" evening - camera in hand to assist the "main man".  Saturday ?? Who knows - I don't - yet ...
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Duchess in Labour ...

... now THAT surprised me when I got home tonight ... thought all the Royalty were at least Conservative sympathisers ... obviously can't do UKIP due to German heritage ... and no-one - repeat no-one - does Liberal Democrat these days do they ???

If I were a betting man it would be George or Victoria ... but wouldn't it be much better if it was Kyle or Chardonnay ??
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(Can't you tell cricket's finished, golf's finished, cycling's finished ??? - bring on Tuesday footy !!!)
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Cock-Up Sunday ...

... went for a bit of a wander (no local cricket unfortunately) - to try some stuff out with the "old" camera - sad to say ... it didn't work too well !!!  Rescue attempted via the "black and white option" ... but ...

Settings suitably noted down - promise better next time !!!

Football tomorrow - the "big international" 'twixt Mossley and Airbus UK Broughton ... sadly looking at the weather forecast, it'll probably be in a raging rainstorm ... with flash flooding options ... we'll see (but I'm taking wet weather gear - i.e. plastic bag and rubber band - just in case !!!)
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Stalybridge Celtic v Gateshead

A touch cooler today work-wise - nice bit of breeze at times - finished at a decent time to get home, then rush up the Mottram Road to see Celtic take on a useful Gateshead side who were a touch quicker and sharper all round - believe they've had a few more friendlies so ...  can't argue with result really - but that's what friendlies are for ... innit ??? Some more pics from the rusty lens at

Stalybridge Celtic 0 Gateshead 4

One gripe ... a bottle of Peroni in't'club has gone up from £2-60 to £3-00 !!!!  Lucozade (or temperance) calls ....
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Gridlock in Uppermill ...

... a quickie from yesterday ... excuse lateness - there were more important things happening - like football and death ...

Here's a couple of pix (via phonecam) from my walk yesterday close to the mill pond in Uppermill ...

 

The mill pond is on the right of pic 1 - left of pic 2 ... talking to Pete who was out there ... he reckons the Canada Geese are evil b'tards who scare the big white buggers away.  However checked this morning - they were happily back in big pond !

Meanwhile - the hot weather continues - I'm still alive (obviously) - very very very disappointed that the postman death story  I mentioned yesterday (another story here) has been relegated to the page 4/5 of most papers today.  As I said - we're not Territorial Army "heroes" going for it - and not knowing their limits - we're just peeps doing our job - with little or no help/advice from the highly paid management. ... sad when it comes down to that - but I AM very disappointed that the story appears to have been almost "hushed up" ...

Hey ho - apparently the North-West weather is up to "LEVEL 3" tomorrow ... whatever level 3 means ... will struggle again tomorrow - and the only local footy is Stalybridge Celtic v Gateshead.  Hopefully I'll get finished/stay alive/get down to Bower Fold to continue knocking the cobwebs off the footy lens ... although I was quite happy with Wednesday's efforts ...

Stay cool ................ stay safe ........
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As If I Cared ...

... but thanks to Davro @ Belper for pointing it out !!! (Note the "slight censorship" !!!!!)

RIP ... Graham Bennett

... but then again ... a postman dying is not as "front page" as TA's dying on the Brecon Beacons ...

Postman dies on duty 

Work it out ... we're not just talking about the odd "hot day" ... it's been 75c+ for at least two and a bit weeks ('scuse my farhenheit ... I'm old !) - and even I'm feeling it - big style. Add to this we get the "heavy days" - as in Wednesday/Thursday usually) ... and these days it's a lot more parcels/packets - plus I'm still out in "the countries" as it's called round here - still bags on shoulders (no vans for us !) - and in the Pennine foothills .. we have ... hills.

Naturally ... we await the full SP - no doubt RM will be hoping there are "underlying medical medical issues" ... which will get them off the hook ...
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Mossley v Glossop North End - PSF

Yes football is BACK on "STS" ...OK so I've missed a few over the past few days - but having spent several hours a day out in ridiculous heat (and I'm on 0645hrs starts as well), I hope you'll bear with me

Mossley 3 Glossop NE 1

Will update tomoz ...
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Edale and Back ... Twice ...

One of those "silly ones" ... whereby I finish work on Friday, head down to Edale, set up tent, make food, drink, sleep ... then wake up at daft o'clock, come home, go to work, do work then head back to Edale on Saturday afternoon etc etc.  Didn't take big camera either - but managed a few pix with babycam.  Unfortunately something seems to be wrong with the "Alt" key on my laptop at the moment - hence "dodgy panorama" picture.  Still ... good time had by all - and got a good walk in today ...

Edale Weekend 14Jul13

... and yes ... it was hot !!!
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Management Merry-go-Round ...

At the end of last season Ashton United Manager Danny Johnson left to take over the reins at Nantwich Town - he was replaced at Hurst Cross by Craig Robinson ...

... but it's all happened today !! First Craig Robinson resigns due to personal reasons ... and Coach Paul Phillips was appointed "Joint Manager" ... together with Steve Halford who leaves the job of Mossley Manager.  Taking over at Mossley is former Assistant Manager Peter Band ... we await the new Mossley Assistant Manager ...

All that in about five hours flat !!!
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And a few from Sunday ...

Another scorcher - and some "time out" again ...

Poster @ Greenfield Station ...

Some more cricket - well the Uppermill innings (including a ferocious 30 runs off the final over) ...

Greenfield v Uppermill 07Jul13

... followed by the third set of Andy Murray - and 20 minutes of George Borowski at the "Railway" ...

One last snap - from the "Britannia" - of Robinsons fastest selling brew for yonks !!

(MONDAY MORNING UPDATE ... Uppermill 289 all out ... Greenfield 142 all out ...)
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Cricket at Greenfield ...

A sunny afternoon - and a chance to break out the big lens for what is usually the "one and only" cricket match I ever manage in a summer ...

So - finish work - home, change and then straight back to Greenfield to watch their 2nd XI take on Friarmere 2nd XI.  When I arrived, Greenfield were in trouble at 78 for 5, but after some hard-hitting from the middle/end they posted a score of 164 all out.  Tea interval allowed me to discover that the club was selling Greenfield Brewery "Silver Owl" on tap - very nice it was too !!

Greenfield struck early (4 for 1) ... and by the time I had to leave Friarmere were wobbling at 39 for 4 ... some pics from the afternoon at

Greenfield 2nds v Friarmere 2nds 06Jul13

Checked out the score this morning - apparently Friarmere squeezed home by 2 wickets.  
 
NOTE - The First Team have a big game this afternoon - the Tanner Cup Semi-Final against Uppermill.
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Some Early Cup Draws

FA Cup Preliminary Round - 31st August

CURZON ASHTON v St Helens Town/Ashton Athletic
MOSSLEY v Worksop Parramore/AFC Blackpool

FA Cup 1st Qualifying Round - 14th September

ASHTON UNITED v Witton Albion
DROYLSDEN v Trafford
Marine v CURZON ASHTON/St Helens Town/Ashton Athletic
MOSSLEY/Worksop P/AFC Blackpool  v Cammell Laird/Salford City

FA Trophy Preliminary Round - 5th October

Ossett Albion v CURZON ASHTON

FA Trophy 1st Qualifying Round - 19th October

ASHTON UNITED v Padiham/Sheffield
DROYLSDEN v Nantwich Town 
Lincoln United/Cammell Laird v Ossett Albion/CURZON ASHTON
MOSSLEY v Lancaster City/New Mills
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Conference Fixtures Out ...

some selected games (Opening/Christmas/Bank Holidays) here ...

HYDE FC - full Hyde FC Fixtures here

Sat 10 Aug - Forest Green Rovers (A)
Tue 13 Aug - SOUTHPORT (H)
Sat 17 Aug - HEREFORD UNITED (H)
Mon 26 Aug - GRIMSBY TOWN (H)
Thu 26 Dec - Macclesfield Town (A)
Wed 01 Jan - MACCLESFIELD TOWN (H)
Mon 21 Apr - Grimsby Town (A)

STALYBRIDGE CELTIC- full Stalybridge Celtic fixtures here

Sat 17 Aug - HEDNESFORD TOWN (H)
Mon 26 Aug - BRADFORD P.A. (H)
Sat 21 Sep - STOCKPORT COUNTY (H)
Thu 26 Dec Altrincham (A)
Wed 01 Jan - ALTRINCHAM (H)
Mon 21 Apr - Bradford P.A. (A)
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Well Done Bala Town ...

winning 1-0 tonight in the Europa League against Levadia Tallinn - BBC Report
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Rest of Weekend ...

... after work Saturday headed off down to Belper (OK Bargate as in "just outside") for sister-in-laws Birthday Bash (had to go ... I'd marinaded the lamb for the kebabs on Friday night !!).  Good do - pretty much all the wife's side of the family were there - and that's a lot  - and the kebabs were good too.  When we were down to the last eight we sloped off to the pub ("Dead Poets Society" in Holbrook) for a few before returning at about 2245hrs ... and kicking off the barbecue again !

"Pimms o'clock - Saturday afternoon

Brief walk on Sunday before returning home

Making hay while the sun shone - Belpershire ...

... and that was the weekend.

And can someone tell me why something like this ...

 

... has something like this on the packet ...

... pointless isn't it ???


Football ... Wednesday is the day ... Football Conference fixtures released ... until then we can only look at Wimbledon - and stuff like that (actually I DID watch the first half of the Confederation Cup Final late on Sunday night - Brazil looked tasty didn't they ??)
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Wimbledon ... Is it just me ...

... or does Sabine Lisicki (Germany) look like Alice Tinker (Vicar of Dibley) ???

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