Flippin' Heck - 'Tis Wednesday already ....

... and I've said nowt since Friday night !!!

What can you say - Saturday just followed on from the Friday night hell in Oldham - yep same "white stuff" out in the hills, so I took my time knowing full well there'd be bugger all football anywhere ... so ended up watching a bit more of the Africa Cup of Nations - which to be honest has been a godsend over the last several days (especially as it's on "normal" telly as well !).  Sunday saw me snatch the second half of the Leeds/Spurs FA Cup game ... and of course had to watch the Oldham/Liverpool tie as well (again normal telly saw me sneak out of the pub !!) - great performance by Oldham - and it was nice to see Matt Smith score a couple - four and a bit years ago he was playing for Droylsden (think he played in the Droylsden v Belper  FA Cup game from October 2008 as well).  Guess it follows on from watching James Hanson score for Bradford City against Villa last week - he used to play for Guiseley - just shows you don;t have to trawl Europe for players and pay daft sums of money ...

Monday - was Monday I suppose - nowt jumps out.  Tuesday - I had to be rather sharp as I had an appointment at the dentist for a rather large (and painful - still now) filling; and what with pain and poo weather I ended up giving the only chance of midweek football (i.e. Droylsden v Worcester) a miss - not a bad move it seems !!! Happy to see the Super Eagles squeeze through as well - Mrs Smiffy spent some time working out in Nigeria (well the "Biafra" end of the country) so we've always given them a shout when the African Nations comes around ...

Today - more rain and hurricane-style winds to boot - nowt to rush for so wandered along and came home to cook a bit of Spanish-type stuff involving patatas bravas, chorizo and the like - and now this ... 

Was it really worth waiting for - - - -  probably not .... !!!!
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Fun in the Snow ...

Well it tried to snow this afternoon - but didn't - so got away with it at work (just five days of compacted "old" snow and ice instead).  Tonight we had tickets for Jeremy Hardy @ the Oldham Coliseum, and by the time we got there (1910hrs) ... it was coming down.  An excellent one-man show - two hours of ramble about this and that - and at 2145 we came out ... into HELL !!!!  The Car Park was total chaos - it was fun watching this 4x4 making a total *rse of itself (it's obviously true that for 90% of people, they're bought as status symbols by people who haven't a clue how to use them - it's being so cynical that keeps me cheerful !!) - wonder if it's still there, going sideways ...  I just cleared our trusty Astra of snow and watched the fun ... before bouncing up over a kerb and down the other side (using the deep snow as a ramp) before a fairly torturous journey home - arriving back at about 2315.  I say back - the final steep hill up to our street was a snowdrift too far, so abandoned the car (safely !!) and trudged the final few hundred yards home for ... BEER - and this !!

Work might be interesting tomorrow morning - as the mega-thaw ain't due to start until the afternoon.  Non-League football ??? Probably a total wipe-out - Droylsden and Stalybridge are already off - only a matter of time tomorrow morning before Hyde and the two Ashton's are called off - typical isn't it; five at home this weekend - and we get this final winter blast (I say final - who knows what February will bring).  TV football - or extended working (!!) looks like the order of the day ..
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Arriving Tomorrow at ALL Tameside Grounds ...

... new kit for the ball boys ...

Should cover all potential "Hazards" ...

(NOTE - have been "dreaming this up all day" whilst out walking - no doubt the office-based internet warriors - stealing bandwidth off their employers - have beaten me to it - but ....)
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RIP John Bircham ...

... because some of us DO go the extra mile ... read on ...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-somerset-21144214

Great to be Back at Work ... ?

Woke up this morning - checked outside and ...

OK I lied (pic stolen from Facebook !!!) ... but yes there were a fair few inches on the ground - eek !!  Still ... managed OK - naturally this week we've got 5 (five) "Door to Doors"/Households/Unaddressed (junk ?) Mail - call it what you will ... a few pics off the phone from today ...

 Canal lock near Greenfield

Looking up towards Pots'n'Pans monument from high up in Uppermill

Footpath up to same ...

 

A few berries - a lot of snow ...

No doubt it's gonna freeze tonight - making it properly treacherous underfoot tomorrow .... oh by the way - Curzon Ashton v Burscough off tonight (surprise !) so I'm giving Nigeria a shout at the moment (and maybe Southampton later !!).
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Chester v Stalybridge Celtic

We got football !!

First we lost Colwyn Bay v Droylsden (which would have meant an early train anyway !) - then Bamber Bridge v Curzon Ashton bit the dust ... which left just Stockport Sports v AFC Liverpool (definitely on because of the 3G pitch) - or wait a little longer for the 1100 hrs pitch inspection at Chester - once that game was confirmed ON, it was a matter of a few frantic phone calls - and I was (virtually) sorted ... and many thanks to Brian @ Stalybridge who managed to squeeze me onto the Suppporters' Bus at very very short notice - always a good posh bus (with toilet for us oldies !!) and a good craic.

So - arrived at Chester with camera in bag thinking "ex-League club mentality - might be tricky" - however two more 'phone calls, much mentioning of the "Tameside Reporter" (who ARE printing a lot of my pics in their weekly paper - with credits !!) and much flashing of the "'Six Tame Sides' Business Card" (good ol' Vistaprint !!) ... and I was in !!  A great deal of credit must go to the hardy band of volunteers who first cleared the snow off the covers - and then removed the covers, to reveal a playable piece of grass - well done to all concerned - and a crowd of 2095 more than justified all the hard work.

Celtic were fielding a much-weakened side due to injuries and suspensions - and despite creating an early chance when Leon Osborne just flicked the ball past the post, found themselves 3-0 down by half-time.   However it would have been much worse had it not been for the heroics of Ashley Woodhouse (replacing the suspended Alex Cairns) in the Celtic goal.  He made three or four stunning saves to keep the rampant Cestrians (who included ex-Celt Dave Hankin) at bay.

A re-shuffle at half time gave the Celtic defence a bit more solidity, and it was a much more even 45 minutes than the first.  Jack Laird was introduced and within minutes he pulled a goal back for Celtic with a wonderful free-kick.  However the home team managed to prevent any sort of revival, and late on scored an excellent fourth goal through Baynes.  Some pics from the game at 

Chester FC 4 Stalybridge Celtic 1

(and by the way it was bloody cold with thin snow falling for pretty much the whole 90 minutes - shutter finger was really starting to struggle at the end !).

Back to Stalybridge - and a quick pint (only my second of the day !) before home to Coq au Vin (which had been popped in the slo-cooker before leaving the house several hours earlier) and more drinkies !!

Today - I'm not going to bust a gut to pick up the "Non-League Paper" - might be a bit thin !!  Mrs Smiffy off to London this afternoon for a few days' training (got to drive her down to Manchester Piccadilly later) - I'll probably write a few "Thank You" cards later - to all "my customers" who gave me Christmas tips - finished the season with nearly £150, 160 ciggies, two bottles of wine, one half-bottle of port and a box of After Eights - not a bad haul at all !!  Have already converted some of the money into goodies - I've finally decided to say "Farewell" to the 'Carrier Bag and Elastic Band' - and bought a rather posh camera and lens cover - 

(For those interested, check out the website )

... plus the Todd Rundgren/Utopia CDs mentioned a day or so ago - plus book "A Wizard A True Star" by Paul Myers (a book about ... Todd Rundgren !) - and a few picture frames - all I need now is some decent pics to put in 'em !!

Having got away with one "bad weather week" by being on holiday last week - it's looking pretty much the same for this coming week - aargh !!  Time to break the full RM Winter Wear Catalogue I feel ...

... and further to the "wild life" pics earlier this week - I found another thieving bugger on the bird table minutes after I'd topped it up this morning - Fitz the squirrel helping himself ...

 


















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Just for Laughs ...

... filmed by a postie ...

... passes the time I guess ...

Football today - we're down to Chester v Stalybridge Celtic or Stockport Sports v my "old friends" AFC Liverpool ... we'll see ...
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No "Big Snow" Here ... Yet ...

Haircut over ... just been prepping tonight's tea - OK it's only bolognese, but if I cook it up early and leave it to "splurge" the flavours will be SO much better !! At the moment we're only getting the thin flaky stuff (snow that is) but I took camera downstairs to see what the birds thought of our offerings - bread, peanuts, water etc plus a bit of bonus bacon rind from the food - never works very well through double glazing - but here's a few ...

Winter Bird Type Stuff 18Jan13

Good to see the Northern Prem have seen sense in allowing clubs to call stuff off today rather than going through the motions tomorrow morning - helluva lot called off already (including Mossley's home game against Farsley FC and Marine v Ashton United) ... but - at this moment in time there's still a few options (Bamber Bridge v Curzon Ashton for starters) ... and in the Conference ... Hyde v Cambridge off but Colwyn Bay v Droylsden and Chester v Stalybridge Celtic are still "cheating the weather".  Maybe more postponements to come this evening but ... I'll be prepared for something - somewhere ...

UPDATE ... still a chance here ...

 
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A Day Out ...

... in the "big city" ... a leisurely wander around the National Football Museum - a good 2/3 hours anyway - and yes it's recommended !! Guess I was a touch lucky going midweek, as it was not too busy/ full of bloody football fans !!  A quick look around the shop where I behaved myself by NOT buying a signed copy of "The Cradle of the Game" by photographer Stuart Roy Clarke (£35 !!) - instead buying 3 postcards (the "My Team's Lost" postcard - just hope 3 is enough for the rest of the season !!).  A few pictures at 

National Football Museum 17Jan13

Followed this by "joining the vultures" - a wander around the HMV Store, where I managed to pick up 5 Todd Rundgren/Utopia CDs for the princely sum of £15.

Today ... no sign of this promised snow - so I'm going for a haircut ... yes it's a real rock'n'roll lifestyle this week ... football tomorrow ?? Not holding my breath ...
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Getting Desperate ...

... so me off to pub to give the Hammers a shout ...

... and tomorrow ... into Manchester for a wander round the National Football Museum ...

... well it's something ...
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Typical (with Wednesday Update) !!

Nice (??) piccy from the Hull City website !!

You get a week off work - and along comes the magic word "Postponed" - first Curzon Ashton v Burscough last night (re-arranged for next Monday by the way) - and minutes ago the Droylsden v Altrincham game bit the dust according to their Message Board.

Hey-ho ... dentists this afternoon ... tea already chugging along in the slo-cooker ... what next ...

WEDNESDAY MORNING - Next ... tonight's game (Ashton United v FC United of Manchester) called off - aargh !
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It's That Time of Year ...

...I'm on holiday - it's snowing - so let's get some pictures of the football club - it seems to be an annual event !!!  So .. Seel Park in the snow ...

Mossley AFC - Snow - 14Jan13

... the things you can do when you're on holiday !!!  Other than that - I gave the cooker a good thrutching (and for those who might want to know ... mix some baking powder and water into a paste and apply it to the oven window - inside bit ... it's brill at getting rid of the brown, greasy sh*t that builds up - trust me !!); sorted out the bird table for the little winged ones; did some shopping; tidied up some papers; drank some beer; cooked a tea - simple rocket salad with onion, olives and feta cheese - topped off with some roasted sweet potato and beetroot and some spicy chicken bits - one pot meal - excellent !!).

No footy tonight - the Curzon Ashton v Burscough League Cup game was called off some some reason (!!!) - maybe tomorrow (Droylsden v Altrincham) ... fingers crossed ...
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Stalybridge Celtic v Corby Town

As per usual on a Saturday, work finishing time dictated choice of game (although I'm now on holiday for a WHOLE WEEK - including next Saturday - so the world is my lobster next weekend !!!), so headed up to Bower Fold to see Celtic take on the Scots from Corby Town (this time round though I didn't hear as many accents as I have in the past). 

"The Laying on of Hands" - Mitch Austin and Dave Pover ...

 It was a big physical Corby team who managed to keep the more "diminutive" home team at bay, getting in the way of most efforts, and when they did get through the Steelmen's 'keeper Paul Walker was in top form.  Celtic were caught cold in the first five minutes - and it took the introduction of  Joel Bembo-Leta early in the second half to give the home side a bit more physical presence up front - with pretty much his first touch (?) he managed to earn a penalty, coolly converted by Kristian Platt.  However parity only lasted for a few minutes when a defensive slip let in Crowe for what proved to be the winner.

It wasn't as though Celtic did much wrong during the last 85 minutes ... Corby came to do a job and did it well.  Some pictures at

Stalybridge Celtic 1 Corby Town 2

Meanwhile ... Droylsden let a one goal lead slip at Solihull Moors losing 1-2 via an 89th minute winner; Mossley had travelled to Trafford in a top-of-the-table clash and came away with a 0-2 defeat (both goals scored by ex-Lilywhite Michael Oates - grrr !);  Ashton United succumbed to a late late winner, losing 0-1 at home to Buxton; and Curzon Ashton drew 1-1 at home to Cammell Laird (in front of a crowd of 615 - apparently some presentation went off after the game).   Hyde FC had no game due to the FA Trophy.

So - a whole week's holiday - what shall I do ??  Certainly building up a list at the moment, including all those things you can't do when you're pretty much working six days a week (dentist, haircut etc etc !!).  Might get some football in too - certainly already looking for something different/unusual/"train trip-like" for next Saturday - time to peruse the "Non League Paper" fixture list I think ...
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Ashton United v Mossley - the Pictures ....

Ashton United 2 Mossley 2 after 90 minutes

The Penalty Shoot-Out - Mossley win 9-8

(Them there penalty shoot-outs are a bugger to go through - three pix for each pen - and then making sure you get everything in the right order - and hoping that someone has noted down all the names - aargh !!).

We got there in the end - and now play Maine Road at home in the semi-final ...
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And Mossley stroll on ...

... into the Semi-Finals of the Manchester Premier Cup after a 2-2 draw tonight at Ashton United ... yes it went STRAIGHT to penalties ... which Mossley won 9-8 - more tomorrow, but here's Martin Pearson saving penalty number  18 ...

It's a bit rough but ... I promise more (and better) tomorrow - cus it's late !!
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... and they want to privatise Royal Mail ...

... so it becomes "just another private courier firm" like this lot ...

The Great Online Delivery Scandal

Food for thought ...
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Mossley v Ossett Albion

That was MUCH better ... obviously "words must have been said" after the New Years Day debacle against New Mills - and it showed from the outset.  Mossley were up against a very defensive-minded Albion - some might have called it "frustrating", but I looked at it like a game of chess with Mossley happy to move the ball around, staying patient and just probing for the openings.  Once Adam Mather got Mossley off the mark however, there was only going to be one winner ... and in the end 2-0 wasn't really a fair reflection of the game - could have/should have been more.  Anyway - good to get last Tuesday "out of the Mossley hair" ... some pictures at

Mossley 2 Ossett Albion 0

Next week sees Stalybridge Celtic at home on Tuesday (v Bishops Stortford) and a Manchester Premier Cup Quarter-Final at Hurst Cross between Ashton United and Mossley - we'll have to see if we can sneak two in (he he !) - unlikely but ...

Finally - well done to Macclesfield Town and Luton Town for keeping the non-league flag flying in the FA Cup - maybe Mansfield could make it a trio of "Towns" later today ???
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Mountain Bikers ... BEWARE !!

From the Manchester Evening News

... some sad sad people around ...
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A "Postie's Lament" ...

Not just after today ... but it sort of sums up the two weeks since Christmas ...

Dear Saga Holidays,

It's really nice that you're looking after the old people - so many of them obviously are unaware of the internet (ha - ever heard the phrase "silver surfers" ??) - so they obviously need holiday information.  Sending four/five brochures in one pack - yes it was nearly one inch thick (or 2.54cms for the "less old" !) - is an interesting way of passing that information on - especially when here are large numbers of  "Saga-age" people on the postie's walk.  Maybe this is some cunning plan to ensure that - in the future - postmen and postwomen who reach the "age of Saga" will be totally incapable of actually going on holiday, due to muscular damage picked up in previous years ... probably down to having to deliver multiple Saga Holiday brochures ... so you're probably "saving money in advance" ...


Dear BarclayCard,

Nice to know that you're looking out for people just after Christmas - you understand that people may well have overstretched themselves financially ... and a bulky flyer advertising your wares can obviously do no harm (although I suppose you could advertise your %APR on the front - it could save a lot of time between letter box and recycling bin).  However - it's probably a good idea to update your address database - no doubt over the last 12 months you've received many "returns" from Royal Mail that have been endorsed with "Addressee gone away"/"Addressee unknown"/even "Addressee DEAD".  I'd like to think that there is some kind of department in your Leeds office that actually takes note of these endorsements - or maybe I'm being a touch optimistic.  Obviously you are charging obscene interest rates on your credit cards - so a few (?) thousand badly addressed flyers shouldn't make too much difference to your overall profits - especially as you are using one of these DSA companies (for those not "in the know" DSA = Down Stream Access, whereby a private company takes all the profit - but hands over all the mail to Royal Mail to do the "final delivery" - and Royal Mail lose approx 1.2p per item) ...

Dear "Other" Holiday Brochure Companies,

Maybe you too need to look at your mail address databases - yes WE KNOW that sometimes the husband will book the holiday ... and sometimes the wife will book the holiday ... but that's no real excuse to send two thick brochures to the same address - maybe you need a software developer to pick up on such anomalies to ensure that only one brochure is sent to one address - and I think a few trees in Scandinavia would support me on this quest ...

Dear Insurance Companies,

Is it really necessary to send two copies of the same thing to one address ??  One "ordinary" letter and one that requires a signature ??  I feel sorry for the customers who open the one and then have to go down to the Post Office to pick up the other one - that has exactly the same thing inside it.  Never mind the time wasted by the postie - that's what we're paid for (allegedly) ...

Dear Catalogue Companies,

By gum they're thick aren't they - and damned heavy too ... OK not all of them but you know what I mean.  Here's an idea - why not check your order databases ... and if someone HAS NOT ordered something from you in the last 5 years - maybe remove them from your database - once again the Scandinavian forests may well thank you for it ...

I could go on - but I'm cold wet, tired ... and my shoulder hurts ...
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... and to add Insult to New Year Injury ...

check this out ('twas mentioned on Sunday's blog - OK near the bottom) ...

Yep -'tis the 'Vegetarian Terrine' - looks really good does it not  ... HOWEVER ... both our freezer and 'fridge appear to be working at "Sub-Polar" temperatures - so a (Sunday) night in the freezer followed by the best part of 40 odd hours in the 'fridge ... and it was  STILL bloody "semi-freddo" - AAAAARGH !!!

Just about put the tin hat on a thoroughly poo day ...
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2013 - A BAD Start ...

... it all started to go horribly wrong when  I found out there were no buses - OK I should have checked earlier ... but I knew the trains were on - and sort of assumed (like you do) ...  so Ashton United v Stafford Rangers ... FAIL !

Too late to do much else other than walk up the road to Seel Park - and after the first 45 minutes I was all for going home.  Probably the most inept/disinterested display of 'football' that I've seen for many a year (and yes I've seen some cr*p over the years up there !).  Marginally better in the second half - but the damage was done - and tbh New Mills could have had more.  I managed - somehow to find a few pictures - but at 1655hrs - even now - I struggled.

Mossley 0 New Mills 4

Guess we should be thankful we're not Hucknall Town fans - although from what I've read the eight players who did turn up gave their all ... which is more than can be said for the 14 that 'graced' the Seel Park pitch today.

(and for those who don't know ... Hucknall Town were beaten 13-0 by Loughborough Dynamo)
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