Wednesday Catch-Up - Woodley Sports v Warrington Town

I was so close to getting it sorted last night - until I realised it was 0200 today - I went to bed !!! Pictures from a damp and damp night at Lambeth Grove to be found at

Woodley Sports 1 Warrington Town 0

(couple of belters with baby lens from behind the goal - my excuse for not getting a decent pic of the winner as well - i.e. too bloody close !!).

Woodley continue to be the "form team" in the league with 5 straight wins - better even than Skem (or in third place at the mo, Mossley's opponents on Saturday Bae Colwyn) .. but God almighty - Warrington - what a bunch of whingers !!!! Look - if it ain't Mossley (or Stafford Rangers !) I go to football games as a devout neutral - but bloody hell on the pitch, in the dug-out, and one fine gobby tw*t behind the barriers as well - a tale here - end of game he launches into the ref big style - I advise him to stop bloody whinging - he'd have won the Eurovision Whinge Contest - SOLO ! - he says "You've obviously never played football in your life" - I counter with "Looking at your figure - you neither matey !" - this was the same gob who when Woodley were "winding down the clock" was shouting "KICK HIM !". You baulk at using phrases like "Scouse Martyrs" - but really - the world can do without that sort of thing. Admittedly Woodley were a tad lucky - I'm sure Warrington hit woodwork more than the once I snapped - so by all means whinge in frustration - but NOT FROM MINUTE 1 TO MINUTE 93 - it does you no favours at all .... there was one really fierce tackle on Woodley's Russ Headley - he hit the (3G) deck - he rolled - he got up - he carried on .. there were many lesser tackles where WarRington players were squealing like pigs - just like them Premiership wimps on the box. It's worth remembering that if you're on £70,000+ a week, you CAN make a total d*ck of yourself in front of people (I certainly would !!) - but NOT at Unibond level please ...

Warington - the Wire - the Whinge more like - so I guess, I'll be the marked man on Feb 24th ..

Mossley into Europe - we find ourselves at the whim the the new simplified Rail Ticketing System - ha flipping ha - it's easier on frickin' EBay - we've watched the 'Advance' price go from £22 up to (I think now) £30 - that magic phrase "subject to availability" - total bollox - Stu got 3 tickets - I checked prices - they'd gone up - that's after buying THREE through tix from Mossley to Bae Colwyn - I'll be REALLY interested to see how full the train is - simplified ticketing - total crap ...

Enough for now ....back soon ...
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Monday - football, ju-jitsu, politics ...

Found out early doors that the Stalybridge game tomorrow is off as Alfreton have to travel to Buxton for a Derbyshire Senior Thingy tomorrow ... tonight boy goes to ju-jitsu so I got to watch about 40 minutes of the Burton v Barrow game on Sultana @ the Railway in Greenfield - naturally my support was for the Brewers (the last time Barrow were @ the Pirelli, I was there with my "Stalybridge hat" on in last season's Play-Off Final - not so many Barrow fans there tonight ..) Burton were pretty flaccid in the little that I watched (I've since found out they won 2-1 so .. hey) - what to do tomorrow - it's Woodley Sports v Warrington ...

But now I'm watching "Bloody Sunday" - another sad indictment of British thuggery, that continues to this day in Iraq and Afghanistan - although these later skirmishes come under the "Yankee banner" - we managed the Irish problem all on our own - and before we get the "American contributions to the IRA argument" - the Protestants were similarly sponsored were they not ? Never seen this before - but James Nesbitt is doing a fine job as the MP - maybe the British "power/attitude" - up to now - is a little "overdone" - but it's only 2315 and the march has not yet begun ... sign off now to watch the "meat" ... just listening to the "voices" (scripts ?) of the Paras though - a done deal of anti-Catholicism hidden behind a "crush the IRA" agenda ??

0030 Update - and the misery and injustice continues ... 36 years on .....

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/bloodysunday
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Matlock Town v Leigh Genesis

Here's the pix - you can always ignore the rest !!

Matlock Town 5 Leigh Genesis 0

Got the nod early on Saturday that the Ilkeston game was off - so that meant less of a rush down the A6 to Belper (driving through Matlock of course ..). Dump car - cup of tea then on the train back to Matlock - last time I was there, Mossley were getting a good thumping - on my 50th birthday as well !! It was good to see some familiar faces in the club before the game as well - always had a solid/dedicated fan base at Matlock...

Leigh started the better side in this "basement battle" - I can only put it down to youthful inexperience that saw the game still at 0-0 after 20 minutes. It was at that point, that I thought "First goal will win it" - confidence and all that kerfuffle ... I'd been warned about Jamie Jackson before the start of the game by "Rico" from Matlock - his days of "phoning through" have disappeared (but I've read his write up on the NLP this evening !) - and it was Jackson who broke the deadlock - second goal - no idea ... curse these indoor toilets (all I could hear was "YESSSSS !!") - number three was a bit of a cock-up on the keeping front - although to be fair certain members of the Leigh defence were starting to go AWOL by now - and I've got a great photo of a great save by Danny Morton - with one major drawback - so I've hidden (some of) my incompetence behind some "fancy footwork"...you get the picture (ho ! ho !)



Half-time - another beer in the old dilapidated Social Club - I can remember it from the 70's when coming with Stafford Rangers ! Plans are afoot for a new build however, and having seen the plans and been given the talk (come on Football Foundation get your 50% in !) it looks rather nice !

Two more goals to make it 5-0 - and to be honest it should have been a lot more (I'm afraid "you'll win nowt wi' kids" as they say) - and that win (plus Worksop's defeat and Prescot's draw) moved Matlock up from 22nd (bottom) to 19th. By niow the txts were coming through - Mossley had slipped up 1-0 whilst Belper had stuffed Goole 5-0. Train back to Belper in time to go out for a Chinese (New Ming Court - recommended)

Today - a brief walk in the mud they call Belper Meadows before home, tidy up, sort washing, cook tea, cleanup after, have bath - and then and only then - to settle down in front of a copy of Photoshop, a copy of Neat Image (demo) and some cans of "stuff" - hence this ....

This midweek sees probably Stalybridge at home to my good friends from Alfreton - and Celtic have a serious (?) problem with their home form at the moment - the 1-4 to Workington yesterday was Workington's first league away win this season - and two points were dropped last Tuesday to bottom-club Hucknall - so we'll see what the evening brings ... ooh and must get passport in order for next Saturday as in "Mossley in Europe" (Ok Bae Colwyn).
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Tomorrow ...

... first choice is Ilkeston Town v Cammell Laird - but they're having an "inspection" @ 0900 - next option is Matlock v Leigh Gabriel - sorry Genesis - who appear comfy enough NOT to have an inspection.

Tis one or t'other - Mossley have an inspection early doors as well I believe ... there's football somewhere tomoz - no worries .. off to Railway @ Greenfield now for "open mic" - might catch a bit of the "A52 derby" (come on keep up - Derby County v Notts Forest) as well....

Saturday morning update - Ilson off - Matlock it is ...

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Stalybridge Celtic v Hucknall Town

a 2-2 draw - and credit to Hucknall for snatching the point at the death - pix at

http://mossleysmiffy.jalbum.net/StalybridgeHucknall/

Celtic were well on top throughout - but seemed to "fall down" on the edge of the box with monotonous regularity - still reckon the "ring rusty" excuse can be used at times - but the approach play was great - just managed to throw it away - twice !! I wouldn't see it as a cause for concern however - it's "all there" - just needs to come together neatly - Celtic play Workington on Saturday - a bit of a bogey team in the past, so that would be a good time for it to click.

Meanwhile Mossley were creeping past Maine Road - after extra time - in the Manky Cup Quarter Final ....still need to check out more as I got back late last night and have (as you've probably noticed) only just sorted the pix out - sorry for the delay, but until someone pays me loads to take pix and upload them at half-time via the wireless broadband on the laptop from the comfort of the Social Club, I still have to sleep and then go to work - that place where the "sack race" is continuing apace - "one-a-day" before Christmas - and several since (including two people called Clive in the last 24 hours - we're now completely "Clive-free" - loads of Mikes left though ...
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Test Test

Monkey Monkey ... Trouser Trouser

Ashton United Offski

But check out ..

http://www.vimeo.com/2872317

to see Hyde United beat Telford United - quality vid - and a pleasing result - you can even see "Dear John" behind the net when the winner goes in (clue - it's not James - Glasses/Parka !!)

Looking out of window at 0030 - we've had mucho snow - fingers crossed for tomorrow/today - somewhere - reckon Celtic v 'Ucknall should be OK ..
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I've been busy ! (Mossley v Lancaster City)

..visitors on Saturday evening - 11 miler today - still having problems in having to use two pcs to do one flipping job ... hey ho ... yesterday's pictures at

http://mossleysmiffy.jalbum.net/MossleyLancaster/

Would have been happy with a point at 1455 - a little disappointed with just one at 1645 - can't fault the performance though against the so-called second place team (who I saw struggle past Woodley up at the Giant Axe earlier this season). Take off the "rose covered ones" to admit there were plenty of chances at both ends (including one "penalty shout" each ...) - sub-standard officials unfortunately who brandished cards at the wrong time -and contrived to "lose them" at the crucial moments ..

Next midweek sees Mossley in the Quarter Final of the Manky Cup away at Maine Road in the apology for a Manchester County FA HQ - sorry Brantingham Road. I however will be donning my socialist hat, taking my socialist wallet and helping to assist the "green shoots of recovery" with a trip to Bower Fold to see Steve Burr's Stalybridge Celtic take on one of his "old teams", Hucknall Town ... next Saturday sees trouble - a trip to Belper is necessary when Mossley are at home and Belper are away ... early shout looks like Ilkeston Town v Cammell Laird - we'll see how it pans out ...

Nearly forgot - a big "Well Done !" to Glossop North End and their 2-1 4th Round FA Vase victory over Stewarts & Lloyds yesterday - let's see what the draw brings tomorrow .... and apparently "Sticky" (see my links) was there as well ...
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"Most Vaunted" ?? Yvette Fielding ...

...complete and utter FAKE - Christopher Trace and Shep must be turning in their graves - no I haven't been watching this "Strictly Mostly Screaming" for the last seven days, but I've seen "bits and bats" - enough to make any sceptic .... more sceptical - it must be like watching "Strictly Come Dancing" looking for a dancer - or "X Factor" looking for talent ...



Ms Fielding in "Blue Peter" back in the late 80s - not an orb/spirit/pile of bullsh*t in site !!

... roll on the reality of non-league football tomorrow ...

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RIP "Number 6"

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Yep, Patrick McGoohan - best remembered by me as "Number 6" in the classic cult series "The Prisoner" - finally "met his Rover" on Tuesday aged 80. Younger readers may remember him playing King Edward I in "Braveheart", and he appeared in many other films as well ("Ice Station Zebra" is another one I can remember).

Still it was his meanderings around "The Village" (aka Portmeirion - a grand day out that is as well - designed and built by Taylor Woodrow - no actually it was Sir Clough Williams-Ellis whilst under the influence of something we should ALL be taking on a regular basis !!!) that stick in my mind most of all - "A still tongue makes a happy life" - and the surrealism of the writing certainly matched the surroundings - and was well in keeping with the late 1960s ...

Be seeing you Patrick
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"The Prisoner" News Web Site
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Bad Night All Round ...

.. OK Wolves beat Brum ... but ... Curzon Ashton came to Mossley and got revenge for Boxing Day with a 2-0 victory - "lucky to win" was the quote from one Curzon official, but I wasn't complaining - they "hustled" Mossley out of the game (I use "hustled" where others will use "thuggery" - it did work both ways at times) - Curzon 'keeper Carnell my MOM - one terrific save seconds before they went 1-0 up - and a similar one in the second half - there was, I felt, a certain amount of "ring rustiness" all round (both teams - and your snapper tonight- yep I even missed the second goal !) - some pix (not my best but hey ....) at

Mossley v Curzon

.. and Stalybridge lost tonight down at Ebbsfleet - not had time to check out "the details" - just the score.

Good to see a game on grass though - it did cut up badly (weather forecst said "no rain" - it rained !!) - and we're at home to Lancaster on Saturday as well - should be OK though - however - it's half-one and time for bed (when "the can is bare" ) ....
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Happy Birthday !!!!

... to Tamla Motown - 50 years old today ... some folks may see me as a bit of an old hippie/heavy rocker - but I spent the early/mid/late 60s listening to some classic Motown (a much better option than early Beatles/Merseybeat stuff). There are still some tracks that stand out for me ..."Nowhere to Run" and "Dancing in the Street" (Martha Reeves & the Vandellas) ... "Road Runner" from Junior Walker .. "Tracks of my Tears" and "Tears of a Clown" (Smokey Robinson) - probably my top 5 Motown tracks. Mrs Smiffy is a bit of a Stax afficianado as well so we're well covered for toons at "Chez Smiffy" (don't forget - get up to date with the 'Soul of the 21st Century' .. "This is Seb Clarke" - engineered by our Michelle!)

I leave you with a shameless link to my fave Motown track ..

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=R8CYDzFWgKM

(and if I could have found a YouTube link to "The Commitments" version - I'd have posted that as well !)

Politics - not tonight (just one entry on the Hyde board tonight - they need something to talk about as there's been bugger all in the way of football for a while !) - Ashton United have beaten Horwich RMI 3-1 in the Unibond Cup tonight after extra time) - and fingers crossed for Mossley vs Curzon Ashton tomorrow evening - tonight's weather forecast was extremely promising... !

(and good luck to Celtic in their FA Trophy "long haul" to Ebbsfleet - a home tie awaits against Uxbridge or Swindon Supermarine in the 3rd Round if they win).
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Woodley Sports v Rossendale United

A welcome football match in a Greater Manchester desert (I think Bury played mind ..) - a welcome "decent crowd" of over 250 for Woodley - same reason (about 120 togs there today - and they ran out of soup !!) - and a welcome win for Woodley as well (I'm putting it down to a change in MY routine, namely a pint in the "Navigation" in Woodley, rather than the "Railway" in Woodley - all Robbies mind !)

Some pictures at:

Woodley Sports 2 Rossendale United 0

Another good performance from the youngsters of Woodley (OK , including Jeff Whitley and Gary Furnival, but mostly "under 45s !" ) - they did well last week against Kendal with no reward, so altogether more satisfying for the locals this weekend - and I grabbed a "bit of a chat" with Woodley "supremo" (?) Tony Whiteside after the game - the only downside was my inability to "clock" Rod Haslam standing/climbing in a silly way !!

.. and tonight it rains/thaws etc etc - so what chance Mossley v Curzon Ashton on Tuesday night ?
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Football Sir ?

There's ALWAYS Woodley Sports .... probably my "jeu de choix" today !
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God HATES Non-League Football ...

... a couple of nice "thaw-type" days (nowt to do with Inspector Morse - ho ! ho !) are promptly followed by what looks like being an absolute bugger tonight - I write this @ about 1930, and cars are already froz on the street.

Stalybridge @ Ebbsfleet - already off.

Skem v Mossley - an absolute tw*t to get to via public transport so I've already sacked it - on or off.

Ashton United - no game ....

Hyde v Blyth - off - probably fortunate for me (see further down when I get to writing it !)

Droylsden v Kings Lynn - still a poss ...

Curzon v Salford - we'll find out tomorrow (there'll be bugger all on their msgboard !) ..

Glossop v Atherton - "not looking promising" according to their msgboard ....

Oh yes - God apparently hates Palestinians as well - knowing some peeps who been out there working in Palestine and knowing how the Israelis behave (yes from peeps who have been there) I - last night - found the "Dear John" avatar on the Hyde message board totally insulting - so I called him a pr*ck (and tweaked my avatar as well !) - but then again the same chap (?) has found "disfavour" on other boards as well (I believe the word "odious" was once used on the Stalybridge Celtic board).

Each to their own - naturally - but if that's the kind of "fan" that goes for Hyde - they may well struggle to pick up neutrals (my opinion of course) - I could go on (and on - and on) but I won't - let the viewer decide - but I just find that particular brand of fascism rather nasty - ironic really when you think back (Hitler etc) ... wonder what the new USA guy has to say about this particular 'war' ... hmmmm ... hmmmm ...
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Northern Fail ...

Well it got silly today - checking on the nationalfail.co.uk site, and reading so much about the West Coast cock-up (I can only refer you to my December 20th post - West Coast complete ? Total b*ll*x !!).

Anyway, this afternoon I sent the "dossier" of cancellations/late stuff to the "Manchester Evening News" - I'm fed up of hearing about the commuters to London - there's even worse sh*t going on with our local "short-haul" commuters - it's hard enough getting into bloody Manchester, let alone Euston !

I await the MEN "reaction" with interest - even coming home tonight I was able to add "1658 ManPicc - Hazel Grove - CANCELLED" to my list ...
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Wednesday Football - Oh Yes ...

... surely you were NOT expecting non-league ??? Got the "time off" to watch the Carling Cup game - with my wife and family being from the Derby area - and my "non-supportiveness" of anything that says Manchester United on it ... I chose a semi-safe option viz the "Railway" at Greenfield - OK many Reds, but several Blues and the odd "don't care" as well. When the Kris Commons goal went in though it felt strange (!!) to be shouting "Get in There !!" amongst a wall of silence/indifference/etc.

All to play for in the second leg - proves a point mind .. you'll win nowt with £80,000 per week players - need to get the millionaires out for the second leg .. and (p.s.) get rid of Tevez - complete waste of space/money - and who owns him ?? Not United Not West Ham some scummy agent called Kia (crap car) - lose him - I may be a United "non-sympathiser" but ... I can see crap at all levels - and Tevez is not worth whatever he is being paid - by whoever is paying him - that Kia Jorbaachhin (scuse spelling - can't be arsed to check proper) is pure scum and should be seen as such - an evil money-grabbing tw*t who doesn't give a toss about football - but hang on, I'm almost talking about ALL agents - wankers the lot of 'em ...
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Shameless Photographic Plug !!

A forgotten moment from Christmas - walking on the Saturday (27th), a "bump" on a dry-stone wall led to a the big scratch on UV filter (though strangely, pix taken afterwards - with filter still on - showed no scratch - am I missing something here ?). Hey ho, home in the evening, onto EBay and found a replacement - damn cheap with reasonable p&p - do you need to spend £20+ when it's only really a lens protector ??

Anyway - big up to partner4dc - in addition to all the above, it arrived on New Years Eve - OK no footy in the end on NYD, but if there had been ... that's bloomin prompt service given the holidays - and he's based in Manchester as well !

Worthy of a plug I feel - will be returning to partner4dc for a 77mm polarizing filter very soon ...

... if only Northern "pigging" Rail were as efficient - but now I'm dreaming ...
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Welcome Back ....

... this morning (first day back for most) to total incompetence, brought to you by the good burghers of Northern Rail - who won all sorts of awards in 2007 - God knows what they were up against ... they'll win sod all for 2008 ! yes this was Mossley Station at 0715 this morning ...



If interested - they're putting some kind of manager "in the firing line" on Victoria Station tomorrow evening between 1600 and 1800 to 'take note of the customer ideas/suggestions' etc - all volunteers for the lynch mob make yourselves known ...

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Catch-up - New Years Day

... from the abortive New Years Day fixture up the Mottram Road - I was going that way anyway - when offered a party with a barrel of Millstone Beer - you just can't say no !! So thanks to Chris and Di and all the other Stalybridge Celtic fans for letting me in and giving me beer !!

Bits of Bower Fold from Cheetham Park ...



Festive gates at Bower Fold ...



Frost Covers - Part 1 ...



Frost Covers - Part 2 ...



White stuff and floodlight - "round the back" ...


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Catch-up - New Years Eve Walk

Some pretty (?) stuff from a walk around Baslow before heading for Belper to bring M-I-L up for a "bit of a do" in the evening ....

A white tree ...



Some white foliage ...



A white wood ...



A white web - Part 1



A white web - Part 2 - with "mislaid mug" in background (not ours !!)


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Kendal Town v Woodley Sports - pix

.. at

Kendal v Woodley - at Woodley !

..will attempt to "tidy up stuff" tonight before the "Oh God it's back to the grind" moment later on.
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