Looking back on the week ...the end is nigh...

Following last Saturday's game at Dukinfield Town, I think it was pretty well certain that football as we know it is coming to a close this season. A tricky one - think tomorrow - think FA Cup Final - I can't remember the last time I watched one - and with it being an all-London affair (ha ha) .....

This week I've seen a couple of "first halves" in the play-off stakes - Monday's 45 mins betwixt Shrewsbury and MK Dons (?) was awful - a sad/sodden end to Gay Meadow really. I caught most of the first 45 of Derby v Southampton - although arriving at the pub after 9 mins I missed both opening goals - and then had to return home before the real action started (although I was in full txt contact with Darlo who was there at Pride Park - fingernails ?? !!!). Final twixt Derby and West Brom...

That's probably the only game left where I have any interest - because I know Dave Bax from Ashton is a "Baggie" and was there for the second leg against the Wolves (a team - where if I really went back in my life - I wanted to win).. sod it - here we go ..when I was a lad, no when I was a baby in pushchair - my Grandad Sid - who worked at St Georges (the mental hospital as it was in those days) in Stafford - used to take me to Marston Road to watch the Rangers - gave my Mum and Dad a break ..as time went on - and I grew biggerer - we'd do Stafford one weekend and Wolves the next - because they used to take a coachload from the hospital down to Molineux (putting it in the nicest possible way, it was a coachload of the "safer" patients) - we'd all go in the disabled enclosure (just adjacent to the old North Bank) - and I'd "tag along"....saw some good stuff back in the mid/late 60's....oh shut up Michael ...

Thursday saw me up at Hurst Cross for the Ashton United Quiz Night - a well-attended effort despite Mossley having a quiz night on the same night, and Curzon Ashton holding their Presentation Evening and Droylsden .....(fill in excuse - not heard one yet). The quiz was won by the Dukinfield Town team who belied their relegation position in the Manchester League to come out with an amazing 91 out of 100. The Mossley team (i.e. me !) managed an almost respectable 57 out of 100 - and DID NOT finish bottom (OK we/I were/was still in the relegation postions but ...) - a good night was had by all and over £100 was raised for the local Willow Wood Hospice - for more info (and pictures) try..

http://www.takeforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=853&mforum=aufcforum

So who's gonna win tomorrow - s'pose I should err towards the mighty Reds - but I reckon the biggest winners will be the beer sellers, the hot dog sellers and so forth - I'm looking forward to a three-dayer in Holland in August with Belper Town - I bet in total that 72 hour bash will cost me a lot less than most people will spend tomorrow in less than 15 hours.

Long live Non-League.