Friday 30th May 2008

Today's pic .............. \m/ p.s. Moshhead15 - I've two tickets !!



I'll probably be back later with ramblings about crap trains - and - more importantly - my company's decision to attempt to wind-up our final salary pension scheme - and as Union Rep I have to get off *rse and fight this - (according to the management it's down to Stock Market fluctuations and increased life expectancy - but we all know it's all down to evil capitalists, company "pension holidays" during the 'good times', some "severe" financial mismanagement and the like ... and the "long-serving experienced staff" (yes the ones they always glorify to others/clients/etc) are the one who - as usual - carry the can) - I've got a shed-load of stuff to sort out this weekend, questions from Union members, questions from non-Union members (yes we're all in this sh*t together - and join up Union + non-Union - we've got clout !!) - and some info/advice from my Union experts - something to fit in amongst the "flat-pack furniture" construction which is this weekend ....there's no football this weekend really - is there ????
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The Best Laid Plans ...

...of mice and men (forget Rabbi Burns - see the Eddie Izzard sketch) .... but this needs publicity as it may make other teams "think about it". I offer you ....

a Unibond League 1 South Football Team selling a 2008/09 Season Ticket for ...

£99

beat that ....or more hopefully for the hard-done by punters ....

MATCH THAT...

(It's Shepshed Dynamo by the way)
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A Pic a Day - for Summer 2008

It's like a drug I guess - so I'll offer up a non-football pic a day (strictly up-to-date of course)

So here's a pic of some freshly-cut trees taken last Friday on Wenlock Edge ...

Closed for the Summer .....mostly

Yes - time for time off .. time to put stuff together - words, heads, ideas - for the future -I reckon updates about once a week twixt now and .....
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"Going Straight" - next season ...

...in a photographic way of course. ...

At the Unibond and North West Counties level this season, it hasn't been a problem - turn up, pay in and snap to your hearts content. (Although - just to stir a bit of controversy up - did anyone notice the disappearance of the "Unibond League Photo Gallery" link at the top right of the Unibond site ?? OK I did !! (just to fuel stuff - AMMedia/Prestwich Heys etc etc)

However at Conference level - Stalybridge have always been nice to me, Hyde and Droylsden have "had words" which have led me to believe it's a "Do it again and we'll kick you out" - which was what I got at Burton Albion for the Play-Off Final (but they did give me a nice hi-vis press jacket in the end tho !!)

Next season - if I'm doing a little bit more than Unibond - it's make it legal time - which involves licence applications and £2m public liability insurance - no less !! Another summer job is to get organised on the web i.e. a "proper" web-site....stuff to do then ....

But for now .... it's long weekend time - off to Ludlow tomorrow (walking on Wenlock Edge on the way down) for a weekend of walking eating and drinking - and back on Monday in time to miss the big one on the telly - I can't pick between Stockport and Rochdale due to having a fan of each working either side of me !!

Just hope Droylsden Carl has got the gig for Rochdale ......cus my mate Steve who normally does for the "Rochdale Observer" is getting married tomorrow - and while he might be going to Wembley, his missus has said "NO WORK !!"
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A Midweek "Diversion"

Back to the Fracture Clinic at Tameside Hospital today – probably the thought of doing this brought back a few bad memories from late last year and no doubt contributed to my general “state of mind” yesterday evening / night ……

This time however, the “small boy” wound is self-inflicted – a broken big toe whilst negotiating the fearsome ……stairs !! Clinic 10 in the bowels of the hospital was a pretty depressing place to spend a morning – fortunately a 1015 appointment was done and dusted by 1055, which was a pretty good turnaround.

Getting the bus back to Mossley though, nearly made me turn around and call in sick mind - £2-30 – yes £2-30 - from Hospital to Mossley Station – and I thought Dick Turpin was long dead – my Cheap Day Return on the train from Mossley to Cheadle Hulme today only cost me three quid !! You can certainly see why buses are awash with old people and kids …. and trains are just awash ….

Some good football last night – the injury late on (which necessitated an ambulance) cast a bit of a damper on proceedings, but the Fleece were well worth the win in the end.
And so to tonight’s game – will Red Square resemble Piccadilly Gardens on a bad Wednesday night ?? Will it be 0-0/Extra Time/Penalties ?? Will Giggs break the record ?? Will I watch the game ?? Will Scarlett or Will Smith ??
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Tuesday Football ...

...as promised ...

http://mossleysmiffy.myjalbum.net/FleecevStamford2008/

..and I promise you - this week will get messier/controversial etc etc etc ....

..to put it bluntly Mossley AFC is no more - for me anyway - I had my probs before with the "owners" - this time it's a little bit more personal - I can say no more - as legal/libel sh*t may come into it - suffice to say Seel Park has seen the last of me tonight ....

this is the Mossley "bye bye" ..........

Farewell to Mossley AFC - having managed the Rigby "dysentry" - I feel that after tonight - I don't really want to be in the same room/ground/district as certain people who are happy to back up the actions of their alleged "thug children" and also attempt to prove that they are no different to their alleged thug children by allegedly threatening me.

Strange really - all I did was ask for a certain person to be pointed out to me - I merely wanted to know who it was - but obviously someone needed to tell "said person" that someone wanted to know ....so said person came over to "have a word" ...I don't drink in places like that - I don't go to places where these people go - they're obviously accepted at Mossley AFC - so they don't need me...

This is a farewell message to all at Seel Park - tara - I leave you with pix from tonight - as in

http://mossleysmiffy.myjalbum.net/FleecevStamford2008/

but after this I will be closing down the "Smiffy" account/login

Some people are obviously more worthy than myself - live with them - because I can't ...
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Clearing up one point mind .. my beef is NOT with the Football Club ..... I reckon I've just "fallen out of love" with Mossley - or parts of it at least..... I just can't be bothered any more...
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2330 - and we're back !!

..and believe it or not it's mostly down to the "Help Files" from Orange that I looked at (and printed off) at work today.... seems to be "limping a bit" - but good enough for what I want ! Tomorrow's football - as planned .....
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Computer Crisis - aargh !

On our (fairly) new wireless network at Smiffy Towers, two thirds of the pcs are working fine and dandy ....

...You can guess which one isn't - yes the one I share with small boy and his "World of Bloody Bandwidth" or whatever ...

Hopefully a short-term hiccup - anything dramatic can be put up/on via the works jobbie (that's right - I'm NOT ALLOWED to touch either of the other two machines in da house !!)

Tomorrow sees the Fleece play the Stamford in the Mossley Pub Cup Final at Seel Park - that's my football for the week - rumour is that there's some game on Wednesday on "Terry Steel TV" as well.
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Armageddon (2006) Remembered ....

For those with short memories ... was it only two years ago .....

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/tm_objectid=17214419&method=full&siteid=66633&headline=bbc-crisis-after-drunken-riots--name_page.html

(a Scottish paper - now where's the irony in that .....)

Never mind - out later ... after some Whit Friday Mayhem .....
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Friendlies - what people want !!

... found so far ...

Belper Town

Sat 2nd August - Hucknall Town (Home)
Sat 9th August - Matlock Town (Home)
Tue 12th August - Ossett Albion (Home)

Mossley

14^th July – Stalybridge Celtic (home)

Shepshed Dynamo

Tue 15^th July – Kettering Town (home)
Thu 17^th July – Mansfield Town (home)

I think I may make this a "moveable feast" - as I update I'll keep it at the top ....
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Armageddon ? I Think Not ...

...Ok coming home from work last night there was this all-pervading smell of alcohol in the air (passive drinking - now there's a thought...) This morning - alcohol and urine (passive peeing - saves getting up in the middle of the night !!) The "Manchester United Evening News" would have us believe that last night in Manchester was a cross between 9/11, World War 3 (and 4) and the Last Days of Sodom and Gomorrah. When you actually talk to an on-duty copper who says "Not much different to a normal New Years Eve", it does tend to put it into perspective a bit - 42 arrests out of 150,000+- small percentage - one stabbing - OK not good - but it happens on the streets of Manc almost on a daily basis. But then again if we didn't moan about something - we'd only moan. One lovely quote in the MUEN from the Marketing Manager of the Triangle shopping precinct - "It has had a negative effect for us in terms of footfall" - what a pompous ass (allegedly) - my heart is bleeding heavily for you - obviously you do loads of trade on a Wednesday - be thankful it wasn't a Saturday eh ??

Don't forget - up our way tomorrow - our local Sassenachs (and often the "invaders" from Oldham) have a chance to even things up a bit in the "Beer and Best Behaviour Wars" during the Whit Friday band contests - let's see the Evening News "bull" that up for Saturday's early editions - with all-day opening it's just not the same anymore - a couple of years ago they had to have a two-hour "close-down" of Mossley pubs on the Whit Friday afternoon - on police advice .... I'll be waiting for the owner of (just an example) Mossley Wholefoods coming out with the "negative footfall" quote - it won't happen (and if it did it certainly wouldn't make pages 1,2,3 and 4 of the MUEN !!) So as they won't get the publicity that the Triangle Shopping Centre got .... I give you ..

http://www.mossleyorganicandfinefoods.co.uk/

(our veg box arrived today - as it does every Thursday - and they do good bottled beer as well !)

In prep for tomorrow night - I'm drinking 37 bottles of White Lightning and using the punch bag - actually we've been out for a bit of a stroll (including a quick tincture at the Dysarts Arms) !!!

Some exotic barbed wire for starters ...



...and here's Derek - the Heyheads Dalmatian - who got slobber all over my lens the friendly "chap" !!



..and finally - through the hedge - some bowls at Carrbrook ...



I guess me and Mrs Smiffy will have another wander tomorrow evening - it'll be strange not to have a contest at the "New Bridge" in Mossley this year (two differing stories here - one = no-one to run it; and two = police didn't want it - you tell me....) We'll certainly go for a Millstone Brewery-related contest...can you guess where this might be ??
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Wednesday ...

...working in Cheadle Hulme, I guess I missed most of the "action/stuff" in Central Manchester today - yes I've seen the pictures "Manchester turns Blue" etc etc - and getting into Piccadilly from CHulme this evening I've seen a fair few who won't be seeing too much of tonight's game - all smiley smiley mind ... so - instead of the "sea of blue" pictures you will see elsewhere - I bring two - one small juxtaposition from Platform 14 on Man Picc tonight - Irn Bru, Fosters, Carling - and the mystical "Buckfast"...



.....and the second picture is what I had with my salad tonight ....



I'm doing this at h/t naturally - could have been a pen late on there (!!!) - otherwise comfy - just get that ball up front quicker ...
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Real Football Tonight .....

Stalybridge Celtic Reserves beat Padgate St Oswalds 3-2 - and yes the sad b*st*rd has pictures from same ....

http://mossleysmiffy.myjalbum.net/CelticResvPadgate/

interesting to see not only Mike Fish (striker) at No 6 but also Jon-Paul Lewis (keeper) at No 5 ....

I have to say JP looked a useful central defender without his mittens on - and Fishy ...fell over a few times :D

Cheshire Assoc Div 1 - just like the f**king railways mind - I bust a gut to get there in time for the 1830 kick-off - it finally "did" at 1900-ish ...

hey ho - football continues ......no idea what I'm doing Saturday - in the Belper area

Football ? Errr - YES !!

With it being "ju-jitsu" night for boy - I managed just over 39 minutes of the Leeds v Carlisle game on telly this evening - and wasn't that little bit rather good - rather refreshing .... a good honest "end-to-end, hard-tackling, players getting up and getting on with it" 39 minutes of football. I saw the first goal too - ex-Woodley Sports' Simon Hackney did the hard work, only for it to go in off Danny Graham's arse !! Apparently it finished up 2-1 - with Leeds getting "their one" on about 95 minutes.... a surprise to some maybe....but that keeps it open for part two eh ?

And STILL the season goes on ...tomorrow night - at Bower Fold - kick off 1830 - that's six-thirty to you - Cheshire Association Division One - Stalybridge Celtic Reserves v Greenhalls Padgate St Oswalds ....

....I've even been offered some West Riding games for next Saturday (sorry Dave but I'll have to decline - it's a Belper/Mother-in-Law weekend - now if you know of any Central Mids League stuff (no don't look - that DID finish last Saturday))

We'll look no further than tomorrow for now ..... !!!
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Football ? Errr - No ...

A family man can only do so much over a weekend - so today it was "walkies" with Mrs Smiffy out in the Derbyshire Dales (Calver/Baslow) ... so this is what you get today / tonight ....

A bluebell wood ..



A "Whitebell" in amongst the bluebells



A "flying thing" on a "purple thing" - any clues would be welcome (I don't do the "Observer Book of...." type stuff !)



Good to see Stockport getting a draw down at Wycombe mind .........

(Added at 2355)

Holy sh*t !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yes I've just seen the Man City result ......................................
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Stockport Georgians v Prestwich Heys

From one extreme to another eh ??

Pix at

http://mossleysmiffy.myjalbum.net/StockportvsPrestwich/

but you'll have to wait for everything else as I'm missing a film I want to watch at the moment - it started at 2000......it's now 2014 ...

...stay tuned
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Stalybridge Celtic v Barrow

Some pictures here on this new-fangled "JAlbum" thing ...

http://mossleysmiffy.myjalbum.net/StalybridgeBarrow/

The afternoon got off to a bad start - finished work at 1230 - home at 1330 - to find house-key on key-ring - in desk drawer - d'oh .... had to get Mrs Smiffy out of work to "let me in". Back to Stalybridge, and a small "calmer" at the Buffet bar before heading for the Bus Station - busy ....

Unfortunately the buses were "a touch late" - OK as far as Buxton, and then .... to say "cross-country" would be an understatement. Not exactly farm tracks but Monyash ????? Finally got to - and through - Ashbourne and on to Burton, our coach arriving about 1920 (another did not make it till after the kick-off !).

The game - first half a little flat in my eyes anyway - chances were few and far between. Half-Time - 0-0 and me in trouble with the security etc vis-a-vis camera - next season I really MUST get my paperwork in order !! The second half was a different story - ebbed and flowed until Barrow took the lead on the hour with a header at the far post. They had chances for 2-0, but the final 20 belonged to Celtic - but they just couldn't get the ball in the net. The post was rattled, a hand was rattled, but on the night it was not to be.

A sombre journey back - a touch quicker than the outward mind - arriving back just before midnight into the "Last Days of Sodom and Gomorrah" that is Friday Night in StalyVegas. However sanctuary was found in the "Fleece" where post-mortem and quiz machine were the order of the day/night/morning. Taxi back to Mossley about 0230 - and now this ...

Later today - pick up house-keys from workmate's house in Stockport, before heading for Stockport Georgians ground for this afternoon's Manky League "finale" against Prestwich Heys (don't forget 1430 kick-off) - last night's crowd of 2,530 is unlikely to be beaten !!
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Friday ....

...OK - it's apres midnight as we speak (OK 0100 !!) - and to be honest, all eyes should now turn towards Stalybridge Celtic in their quest to "wave at Droylsden as they pass 'em" - viz the BSN Play-Off Final @ Burton in just over 19 hours.

It's interesting to go around the boards of the "Six Tame Sides" - it varies between complete indifference (Curzon) to "C'mon Barrow" (Hyde & Droylsden).

I'm going - OK, call me a Mossley fan if you like (it's nice ...) but it's probably because I'm not born, bred and buttered in any of the local towns that gives me the urge/feeling/etc etc to go and support a local team other than the one five minutes walk away from my house ...

I've a sneaky feeling that there will be a few from the Tameside area down at the Pirelli later today - let's hope for something good. After last Sunday's game at Bower Fold (i.e best part of 3 hours of everything - up - down - heart attack - etc) - well who knows.......

DON'T FORGET - If you can't go - get down to a pub that's got Setanta - cus it's on live ........... I'm told the "Q" in Bridge will have it on - if you want to avoid the "StalyVegas" crap - go to the"Railway" in Greenfield - if there's more than one of you - they'll put Sultana on - I watched a few Conf play-offs up there last season ... no probs....
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Something for the Weekend Sir ??

This post will exclude Friday night @ Pirelli Stadium Burton-upon-Trent ....the build-up to this one is better viewed either via the Stalybridge Celtic board ...

http://www.stalybridgeceltic.co.uk/forum/index.php?showforum=2

or even the Barrow message board ...

http://www.barrowfc.com/

THIS is more for those who need their " Saturday Fix" - well there's plenty afoot in the Manchester League with four offerings, two of which affect the outcome of the Championship ...

(Note all 1430 KO)

Atherton Town v Gregorians (who are top - 72 pts GD +25)
Breightmet Utd v Wigan Robin Park (second - 71 pts GD +46)
Hindsford v Leigh Athletic
Stockport Georgians v Prestwich Heys

As Mrs Smiffy has to go to work on Saturday in Warrington (a teacher's work is never done..) I may well partake of the Stockport Georgians game .. assuming the return trip from Burton goes OK on Friday night (Saturday morning ?) - yes I'm going of course - 5 coachloads up to now from Stalybridge ...

A crazy crazy thought, but wouldn't it be nice if they could get the support of all "Six Tame Sides" - if only for the evening - it just couldn't happen ...... could it ??? A little bit like last Thursday at the Ashton United Quiz Night .... hey ho ...
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