Kidsgrove Athletic v Stafford Rangers

Football's back ! An early start this morning - Mrs Smiffy had to be in Malvern for 0930, so I was "waker up/breakfast chef" @0630 ! A fairly straightforward train journey (Mossley - Stalybridge - Manchester Picc - Stoke - Kidsgrove saw me "ganning up the Hollinwood Road" at 1215. Not been to Kidsgrove for a few years (now they're in Unibond South) but remembered the route via canal etc. First important spot was this...




The Woodshutts - now shut ! Always handy for a decent beer when arriving by train (two minutes from the ground) - never mind, in honour of my visit KAFC had put on a Real Ale Festival in the club, and a fine effort it was as well (over the day I drank Acorn "Summer Pale", Ashover "Rainbows End", Blythe "Ridware Pale", Derventio "Emperors Whim", Lymstone "Stone Cutter", Salopian "Oracle" and White Horse "Village Idiot" - yes, ever the saddo, I've got the "ticks" on my programme !!) - and yes they had a Mossley brew there as well (Millstone "True Grit" - with an unusual "John Wayne" pumpclip !)

Football - got off to a bad start for Stafford when the keeper Evans went off in the first couple of minutes with a nasty facial injury - and after that there was only one team in it for the next 88 minutes ! Finished 5-1 to Kidsgrove - some of the higlights (lowlights ?) to be seen at

KidsgroveStafford

Home team looked better organised throughout - can't really say much more than that. Naturally with it being the first game for both sides (I think !), I wouldn't like to read too much into it - but there were some glum faces from Stafford around the ground.

A couple more beers after the game and home for 2000 (the time not the year - can't afford a Tardis on my wages !) ... and now this..

Tomorrow I'll probably give the Curzon Ashton v Glossop NE morning friendly a go - it's on the FieldTurf pitch (1100 kick-off), so the fact that it's chucking it down at the moment shouldn't make too much of a difference.

Got a couple of texts through the game - Mossley drew 3-3 at Dukinfield Town in the hastily arranged friendly this afternoon - apparently Danny Egan scored a peach. Next Wednesday Mossley entertain Bury - I'll have to see if I can get the "time off", what with Wednesday being a "non-normal footy day" !

Good to get back into the swing of things mind - although I wasn't expecting THAT result !
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