Finally sorted the re-direct ...

... so if you type in http://www.sixtamesides.co.uk  ... you get re-directed to the new site !!

Such are the perils of going for the "cheap" options (one company owning the domain name - and another company hosting it) !!

So now IT REALLY IS "Farewell" ...
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And It's Farewell ...

As from tonight the "Six Tame Sides" blog will cease to be ...  regular viewers will no doubt have noticed that I'm finding it harder and harder to do both pictures - and words.  OK the pictures are always there, up and running - but trying to put 500/1000 words with them has been proving a touch too much - especially when I know there are others out there in blog/website world who are doing much the same (albeit without the pictures !!!)

So - for 2014 - it's going to be "concentrate more on the pictures" - so a new blog has been set up - viz.

http://stsphotographic.blogspot.co.uk/

That's where the football stuff will be going - together with a more photographic-based blurb (or in most cases- not too much blurb) - and for those who play catch-up, there's a link on the side of this 'ere blog (plus anyone who uses the sixtamesides.co.uk link will be re-directed to the new blog.  I've been playing around on the new'un for a week or so - so there's already a "bit of a start" ...

Happy New Year to you all ...
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Sunday Wander ...

... taking a new "walking lens" out for a walk - now in a position to just take one lens (18-200mm) out for walks rather than two (28-105mm and 70-300mm) - and pleased with performance of it as well ... pics at

Greenfield/Uppermill Wander 29Dec13

Nice day for it as well - back in work tomorrow ... just in time for the return of the wind and rain - aargh ..
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Ashton United v Stafford Rangers ...

The other chance of the season to see the old "home-town team" - but oh dear oh dear - saw them scrape past Droylsden a month or so ago - but today ... absolutely no chance - in the end a 4-0 defeat could have been a lot worse had it not been for some heroics from Stafford 'keeper Jon Brain.  Pictures from the game at

Ashton United 4 Stafford Rangers 0

Relegation looms for the Boro - reading between the lines (as I've only seen them twice) and looking at the league table - they're now 16 points from safety ... a miracle is required in 2014.  As for Ashton - now up to 7th with games in hand - play-offs maybe ??
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Mossley v Bamber Bridge

Mossley 2 Bamber Bridge 3

Mossley once again gave one of the top teams a run for their money ... but another tale of errors - and a red card ..
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Now that's what I call photography ...

45 years ago today ... from Apollo 8 ...

Wow ...
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Stalybridge Celtic v Boston United

Adam Pepper on the ball for Celtic ...


The "Christmas Rush" relented just a touch - and I got to Bower Fold in time for kick-off (if not for the customary bottle of Peroni !!).  Thoroughly entertaining game from a neutral standpoint I suppose - but Celtic must be ruing two dropped points when they were 2-0 and 3-1 up - but fair play to a very good Boston United side who got themselves back into the game in the second half ... and to be honest could have gone on to win it.  Pictures at

Stalybridge Celtic 3 Boston United 3

Two more working days ... and then straight into the kitchen ...
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Hallelujah ???

For the first time ...

Vince Cable makes a sensible comment

Can't last ...
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Mossley v Padiham

20 minutes late ... sorry folks ... but you WILL shop on t'internet ...  pics from game at 

Mossley 0 Padiham 1

I could say more ... but with Mrs S away I get to watch MOTD ... but with Mrs S being away - you may well get LOADS of words tomorrow ... QED
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Ashton United v Nantwich Town

Again .. just the pics ... I'm tired and word is that tomorrow will be "the big one" at work - as if the last two weeks haven't ...

Ashton United 1 Nantwich 0
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Some Silly Stuff ...

Found today hanging out of the letterbox of one of my customers ...

As a Royal Mail employee, I faithfully swear never to stick any parcel in this particular location (unless it's a poster in a tube) ...

Have just emptied some pics of my phone; might find time to upload a couple more silly buggers 

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Crazy Week - Busy Weekend ..

... and so it continues - a man of few words following a hellish week at the mail-face - football yesterday (missed kick-off due to above) - pictures at

Curzon Ashton 2 Ramsbottom United 2

... followed by trip to friends in Rochdale - and today - ironically a trip to Ramsbottom (a Farmer's Market wander).  Managed to clock a couple of "Santa Special" Steam/Diesel trains as well; pics to follow ..

East Lancs Railway 08Dec13
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Mossley v Stockport County ...

A friendly up at Seel Park tonight - yes 'twas cold !!!   Just a few pics at

Mossley 1 Stockport County 1 (Friendly)

Promise I will try to get more than just pics up here - but ... time ...work ... need to sleep now and again (and eat !) ... bear with me during this "Christmas Pressure" ...
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Mossley v Darlington 1883 ...

... or "time to play catch up over the last seven days" ... for starters - some pics from yesterday ..

Mossley 1 Darlington 1883 2

...as you can tell - I was "working" !!!

More later - as today is my birthday (Heinz) - I've got dispensation for extra football ...
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Stalybridge Celtic v Worcester City

"Have I left the gas on ??"

 As Christmas looms ... it's starting to get tricky on Saturdays with regard to finishing work at a reasonable time in order to dash home etc etc and then dash out to football.  No car either yesterday to whizz me home at speed - fortunately just managed to catch the 1350 train from Greenfield (next one would have been one hour later !), dash home etc etc and dash out again (having first checked on tellyweb ref postponements) - was hoping to go to Ashton United v Stocksbridge Park Steels but a frozen pitch put paid to that option.

So - to Bower Fold so see if Celtic could get a fourth successive home victory under their belt against lowly Worcester City.  However ... the visitors belied their lowly status and caught Celtic cold in the first minute - ouch !!  The visitors looked far more dangerous in the first 45 with the Celtic defence creaking alarmingly at times, although Celtic did hit the post right on half-time.

Things improved after the break - a couple of subs on just after the hour made a difference up front - but for all the possession Celtic were unable to find that elusive equaliser ... until 10 minutes from time when Obi Anoruo was felled in the box and Kristian Platt converted the penalty.  With time ticking away, it looked like a point rescued - until a comic-cuts winner came for the visitors with Celtic 'keeper Urwin colliding with his own player and the ball dropping to Daniel Nti two yards out - who couldn't miss !  A defeat snatched from the jaw of a draw ...  some pictures at

Stalybridge Celtic 1 Worcester City 2

Unlucky in the end ?? Possibly - although Worcester could have been out of sight at half-time but for some good work by Urwin and some profligacy (lovely word !) by the Worcester attack.  Rather than saying Celtic were poor (which the inevitable pessimists are doing), I'd rather say that Worcester City look to be in a very false position.  We shall see ...

Elsewhere - Hyde took the lead at home to Alfreton - and lost 1-2 (getting a bit habit-forming this !!);  Droylsden went down 0-3 at Worksop; Curzon Ashton continued their impressive unbeaten run with a 3-1 win over Kendal Town; and Mossley matched league leaders Warrington Town for much of the game before going down 2-3 ...

Checking out the "Non League Paper", midweek is looking a touch spartan for football round here ... Droylsden host FC United on Tuesday night - but I don't fancy getting shown up by the pro-snappers that the visitors bring along (!!!). Maybe a short trip out of the area on Tuesday night (Manchester Premier Cup Quarter-Final twixt Glossop NE and Trafford - haven't been to Surrey Street for ages !).  We shall see ...

Droylsden v Stafford Rangers

Cold ... at work all day (fortunately a Manager appeared in our office in the morning - and handed out some RM-issue gloves - huzzah !!).  Christmas has deffo kicked in this week - Tuesday is normally one of the quiet days - not this week ... one way of looking at it is "Thank God mail is down (QED) - otherwise I'd never get all the bloody parcels in the bag".  However we're getting everything (not forgetting of course the four pieces of **** - sorry Door2Doors) at once - and it ain't pretty.

Finished work (late of course .. O/T suitably booked) - home to warm up before heading back out to Droylsden to see the night's "six pointer" - bottom versus bottom-but-one ... and it showed.  The visitors did look the more threatening - but just couldn't finish - until Kinsella put them ahead.  Droylsden found an equaliser at the end of the first half, but the second 45 minutes was pretty similar - loads of action in and around the Droylsden penalty box - but not much in it.  Then a "Did it Cross the Line" controversy seemed to be the turning point.  Goal not given - but the pressure finally brought results with goals from Woolery and Burke.  However - true to league table position - a late goal from Droylsden made the last 10 minutes a bit hairy for the travelling fans (attendance was officially 115 - and there must have been 40-ish from Stafford ?  And they made ALL the noise !) - but Stafford held out for their first away win of the season - and Droylsden's winless streak continued.

By God it was cold - and late on the pitch was starting to crisp up nicely - again great credit to the groundstaff - one of my reasons for missing Stafford's third goal was potential frostbite (this despite wearing TWO pairs of gloves !).  Hey ho - my best efforts from the evening at

Droylsden 2 Stafford Rangers 3

So - midweek allowance used up last night, so giving Mossley v Abbey Hey a miss tonight (latest score 1-0 to Abbey Hey).  Also appears to be some controversy vis-a-vis Mossley Social Club - so probably nowhere to get a half-time shandy at Seel Park tonight either.

To be honest though - on last night's showing - we could be welcoming both teams to Seel Park next season - although I hope that the win for Stafford might kick-start their season (just a point behind Stocksbridge PS now) - and get them out of the mire they currently find themselves in.
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FA Trophy Draw ...

... made today - to be played on November 30th

Chorley v CURZON ASHTON
HYDE FC v North Ferriby United/Stourbridge
Lincoln City v STALYBRIDGE CELTIC

Reckon Hyde will be happiest ...

QUICK EDIT THREE MINUTES LATER - apparently not - pessimism is alive and well and living at Ewen Fields ...
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Curzon Ashton v AFC Fylde ...

Why is it every time I get a jobbie for the "Non League Paper" ... I end up at the wrong end ??  Always expect the unexpected I guess !!  I guess it goes down as a shock result (a 2-1 win for the home side against the team from the division above), but on the balance of play it was a well-deserved victory for the team that "seemed to want it more" ... although had the penalty shout for Fylde been upheld - or the Harry Winter "goal" allowed - it would have made for an even more interesting last 15 minutes - although what we were served was good enough !!  Some pictures from the game - i.e. the pics I sent up to the paper but were not used (!) - at

Curzon Ashton 2 AFC Fylde 1

So ... well done to John Flanagan and his team - which was incidentally decimated by injury/suspension/cup-tied type stuff - when I saw the team sheet I thought ... incorrectly as it ended up !!

Still - onwards and upwards - will certainly be checking out the draw for the next round of the FA Trophy on Monday (how about Curzon Ashton v Stalybridge Celtic ??).  'Bridge eased past Vauxhall Motors 3-0 in their home tie yesterday - league-wise, Hyde FC let a 2-0 lead slip away losing 3-2 at Woking, Ashton United let a 1-0 lead slip away losing 2-3 at home to Worksop (note ex-Mossley Tom Denton scoring for the Tigers against the Robins), Padiham let a 1-0 and 2-1 lead slip away, losing 2-3 to Mossley - and finally Droylsden's season of woe continued with a 3-7 reverse at Skelmersdale United.

Still ... maybe a chance for Droylsden on Tuesday night when they take on the team just above them viz. Stafford Rangers ... guess where I'll be that night (and it won't be watching England/Germany !) - this of course assumes that all the tales of "-9 degrees" and "25 feet of snow" are just southern-based sensationalism.

So - week's holiday over, and back in tomorrow ... but first the Sunday Quiz at the "Britannia" this evening - 'tis another one of mine !!
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Komdu á Íslandi ..

Fingur minn er krossleggja Íslands í kvöld í leit þeirra að ná World Cup Finals. Ég hef verið stuðningsmaður Króatíu í fortíðinni, en í kvöld er ég að styðja við litla liðið.

Aaah ... takes me back !! 

... and as regards England v Chile ... going out for a meal ...

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RANT ! The Economy ...

Bank of England Governer Mark Carney "The economic recovery has taken hold" ...

Bank of England Director of Markets Paul Fisher "The economy is a long way from normality"

UK unemployment  down from 7.8% to 7.6%

"Millions more working but they're earning less" - because we're all working on part-time hours.

I'll say no more ... surely you can work it out for yourselves ...
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