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A game of two halves indeed - a disjointed first half saw Mossley take the lead with a Graham Kay header, only for Chorley to come out of the blocks faster in the second half with two early goals - second one by Amadi was a belter. However, Mossley buckled down and threw everything at the Chorley defence - a bit messy for the most part, but pressure is pressure and the reward finally came with an equaliser from the spot. Chances at both ends followed but 2-2 - probably a fair result in the end. Some pix at:
Mossley 2 Chorley 2
Only other disappointment - for me - no mention in the programme - I was the Match Ball Sponsor today - but I got my free admission/butties/programme and stuff ...
A few worries though - several players missing from the Mossley team - and only two (instead of five) on the bench - can't all be "work committments" I'm sure ... hmm ...
Some other numbers from today - a healthy 246 crowd at Mossley - Colwyn Bay (obviously still smarting from their FA Cup defeat by St Helens Town) went to Radcliffe Borough and scored 7 (seven). Burscough went one better smacking 8 (eight) past the new Unibon Prem "whipping boys" of Durham City - and one Chorley/Mossley connection - Steve Burke scored for Skelmersdale in their 2-1 defeat at Prescot.
Bank Holiday now officially over - back to "work" tomorrow - can't wait ......
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Not too much to say really - below-average game, a couple of below-average teams - and a distinctly below-average ref who contrived to ruin the game (from a Mossley perspective) in the 95th minute ! Naturally I was "at the other end" from the disputed penalty, but having talked to people who were a lot closer, it's clear that we were on the receiving end of a droppped b*ll*ck ... with naturally no recourse to anything (other than giving him the ref 2 out of 10 I suppose !) .
Some below average pix as well (!!) at
Cammell Laird 2 Mossley 1
So - one Wembley dream over - just the FA Trophy left there - at least we have a game tomorrow as Chorley got a result in their Cup game. Time to pick oneselves up, dust oneselves down - and start all over again ...
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Two poor teams ... and one crap ref ... more to come no doubt (including piccies) - but not tonight ...
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... batteries charged, wet weather gear (carrier bag and elastic band !) stowed, beer vouchers in pocket ...
12 wins to Wembley ...
... and good wishes to Belper (@ home to HolbrookMW), Curzon Ashton (@ home to Lancaster) and Glossop North End (away @ Rossington Main) ...
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... starts tomorrow for Mossley with a trip to Cammell Laird - and a nice rail trip for the "jolly boys" !! Went there three years back - and lost - we hope for better ....
For "only" three days @ work, it's been a long bloody week - word is that the company will be unable to run the "30 day redundancy consultation period" on time (probably over budget as well like every other soddin' project - piss-ups and breweries - as always - come to mind !) Rumour also that redundancy lump sums will NOT be paid until the final day of the notice period - now there's petty and there's "let's take every last shred of dignity out of these people" - it's not even as if it's a hefty wedge - it's just the derisory government minimum - and having been told by OGL (India) that $2-3m had been "set aside" for this very exercise ... it stinks ... unless of course that $2-3m was used to pay the "failure bonuses" of the recently departed senior managers - which wouldn't bloody surprise me.
Anyway - that's work whinge over - it's a long weekend, and I've already watched the "Anvil" DVD - now watching the "Still Crazy" DVD - then ready for some football .. and I've not even looked at Bank Holiday Monday options yet ... obviously because of possible cup replays - yes I'm taking it "one game at a time" !!
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... it took about 6 minutes @ "that place" to undo 10 days of total relaxation - by the end of the day I was so hacked off by it all it was "b*ll*x to going to see the Offspring" - my heart just wasn't in it - so our Michelle promptly went on a nice ethical ticket exchange site (plug www.scarletmist.com) and the two tix were sold at face value within 120 seconds - OK I may be close to the dole, but I value myself as not being a tw*t - sorry tout - and so some nice young lady and her fella got a bonus night out without being ripped off. Oh yes - I wandered through a few pix of Britanny - to keep my mind off "stuff" - a few for your delictation (a double-click on any pic brings a bigger bugger up !!) ... I've gone easy on the dolmens, menhirs and cromlechs tonight (got loads of pictures of them - including Carnac of course !) - but here's one - near Quiberon ...
This guy just walked up to the cliff, took out his bagpipes - and played - not busking - just playing - strangely haunting and strangely moving ...
In memory of the Breton Resistance Movement @ Beg Penn Hir ...
The ruined house of surrealist poet St-Paul-Roux (Le Manoir de Coecilian) ...
Sunset over the beach near our "second campsite" (Plage de Goulien on the Crozon peninsula) ...
Low flying oiseau - same beach - note mucky waves (some weird seaweed !!) and the rocks -
the "Taile de Pois" ("Piles of Peas") ...
Knackered boats in the harbour at Camaret-sur-Mer ...
A "grey day" in St Malo ...
Street Musician in St Malo ...
Tomorrow - one day nearer the long weekend I guess .......
.... quite soon !
Back from Britanny today- not seen a paper (UK) for yonks ... lots to catch up (believe we've won the Ashes !!) - lots to unpack - lots to dry off (we had a wet morning in Crozon, but tent about 95% dry !!) - and of course for me, back to the hell-hole tomorrow morning (bet there's loads of jobs to do in my e-mail - might have a peep tonight !).
Meanwhile Mossley are apparently 0-0 at half-time @ AFC Fylde tonight .... more to come - not necessarily tonight on here - car tacho says over 1140 miles in the last 10 days - I'm knackered, yet relaxed - it will probably take just 10 minutes at Planet Crap tomorrow to undo the last 10 days ... back ... probably tomorrow ...
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Weird day @ work - I've actually sorted out two big jobbies (despite my actual function being redundant !) - and I felt strangely satisfied - naturally the two "satisfied customers" were not senior management or owt like that - but it made me feel good - in the work sense - for the first time in a fair few weeks.
Stopped drinking tonight @ 2100 (another bloody cup of tea next to me as I type !) in preparation for the 0500 start tomorrow to get down to Poole to catch the St Malo ferry (oh and for all those thieving bar stewards who trawl blogs/facebooks etc looking for people who go on holiday - the house will be fully manned throughout, with two people, three lizards and a maniac cat - so there !).
Unibond starts tomorrow - Mossley @ Garforth, Belper @ home to Willenhall - fingers crossed for both - and I am taking laptop in the hope of some free wi-fi (I don't have a fancy-dan dongle !!), so hopefully I can keep up with stuff whilst away.
So - "au revoir" for now - I may well get some posts in, you never know .... and having left work today on a bit of a "semi-high", the chill-out factor of some time away will be all the better (with me naturally hoping that various areas of work will go totally to sh*t in my absence - doesn't normally happen that way though - tee hee !).
Enjoy - and get down to those non-league games - because they need your support - unlike the Premiership crowd who have the support of Arab sheikhs and Sky/ESPN etc to pay their bills ...
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Major depression continues ... god I am so hacked off with work - how can one side (viz the management) say "your job is redundant" while people on the "other side" (viz the real workers) continue to ask for stuff to be done ??? Strange innit ..
There's one song that is going around my head at the moment - "Don't Stop Believing" by Journey - don't know why - just is.
One more day - and then ten days away in Britanny - might help me to chill out - get a decent night's sleep - ease off on the beer and fags (a bit !!!) - and finally get my head around leaving somewhere where I've been for 24 years and look for somewhere and something new - but who wants an "over 50" in IT these days ?? Might give me time to think about a total "career change" indeed.
Spotify brings me that Journey tune once again - just after another great fave as in "It's All Too Much" by Steve Hillage - I think it's time for bed - guaranteed another crap night's sleep, waking up about 0430/0500 and lying there until 0630 - been going on for weeks - seriously ! It's only been the football days/nights really that have kept me semi-sane - these few days "en France" may well help me to make a number of decisions vis-a-vis the future - I've got the job description for the "vacant post" on the org charts - it's not really "floating my boat" to be honest - and should I really be grasping at straws to stay at a place which may well go "bump" before Christmas ?? Appeals ?? Redeployment ?? Or should I say "F**k 'em - it's just not worth it"...........
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... a complete waste of time - going through the motions of a 30 day "at risk" consultation whilst knowing full well that it's pointless - yes I can read organisational charts as well. We began with "How are you feeling ?". I replied with "That's pretty much a rhetorical question isn't it ?" - to receive the reply "If you're going to have an attitude .... etc" - wow - amazing reaction thought I. This guy "doesn't know me from Adam" (his words) - so God only knows what he's supposed to do - believe he's getting my boss (also "out") to fill in the tricky bits - which are pointless anyway as there's no-one for my "score" to be measured against.
I said I would appeal - I said I would apply for the one vacant post on the org chart - why the hell not ? Further irony later today - job mentioned earlier in the week (half done - waiting further information) suddenly became "urgent" - apparently the "safe" manager who requires the work may have had some serious input into the org chart ... watch my enthusiasm, ho ho ! (OK I'll have a look at it tomorrow - cus I'm nice - but the phrase "Your function is redundant" has taken on a whole new meaning this week - this being one of a number of "jobbies" that have arrived - and been done - naturally) "Management" becomes (maybe always was ...) the new five letter word - that's a four-letter word with an "s" on the end ...
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A quick-ish blog tonight - I have my "at risk" (ha bloody ha !) meeting at 0855 tomorrow/today - the guys initials are KO'D - he's known in the trade as "Kiss Of Death" !) - let's see what the "management view" is - whether it's straight from the script or a little bit more revealing - yes folks - tune in later today for the full SP !
Anyway sod that for now - football. Twas 3-0 to Telford - although to be fair the last two goals came in the final five minutes when Bridge were pushing for the equaliser. Overall though it would have been a bit of an injustice had an equaliser arrived. Telford - as usual - well organised at the back, sharp up front - in my view Stalybridge a little pedestrian, a little predictable. Two of the goals were "screamers" (Telford view) or "speculative shots" (Stalybridge view) and the one in between was a defensive nightmare really. Still, early days yet, and Telford WILL be up there amongst the title challengers, I can guarantee that. Oh yes the pictures (might be just me - first time this season - but the lights seemed a little dimmer than last year - probably just me then !)
Stalybridge Celtic 0 AFC Telford United 3
One plug for the Smiffy regime though - there's a pic of mine on one of the adverts in the programme - the Stepan ad for those who have seen/will see - no credit, but it is an advert so I fully understand - and yes permission was sought and granted - so that's me in print every home game !!
Not sure about the next football for me ... Brittany beckons (as well as redundancy - what a time to hold a redundancy exercise .. me - and others are missing all the best bits - CV/Interview Workshops, Pension presentations etc- because we're all on holiday - in fact I know of one chap who doesn't even know if he's had an "at risk" letter because he's out of the country at the moment).
Still - it's what we've come to expect ... until later today ...
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...on way home yesterday - stopped off in Cromford to buy butties for walk - I spot this on the blackboard outside the Community Centre - and naturally whipped out the lens ...
Just in time as well - within seconds, someone came out and wiped it off the board - had a natter, and he told the club had had a visitation from a 'certain religious sect' offering their "deepest condolences" for the sad loss - obviously never clocked it was a vacuum cleaner ! Apparently, with it being an "aquavac" the club members even filled the "dead body" of the vac with flowers - well that's what I was told !!! I just hope he gets his "Henry" ....
Fun over - work - well they arranged my "consultation meeting" for 0855 tomorrow (Tuesday) - and then at 1600 tonight (Monday) they re-scheduled for 0855 on Wednesday (Wednesday) - keep this up and we'll be having a video conference via an Internet Cafe in Brittany - once again that "caring sharing compassionate company" continues to show its true colours - they really don't give a f**k - wonder if they expect me to ???
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... a busy weekend indeed - much faffing/tidying at "Chez Smiffy" before scooting off to Belper - I get "time off" for the football with "easy on the afters" - a family party to go to in Denby (yep, not Derby but Denby !)...
The game - a pretty even first half I thought, and then the second half began with Belper certainly in the ascendancy for about 20 minutes before ... Worksop score ! Belper continued to look useful against their Unibond Prem opponents before one "went in off the *rse" to give the scoreline a most unrealistic view. Some piccies to be found at
Belper 0 Worksop 2
Then off to the party (after a quick natter with "Penfold" !) - party, sleep, up, walk around the Derbyshire Dales before home - and this ....
Tomorrow - back to "that place" ... see if they've managed to re-arrange my "consultation" meeting at a more acceptable time (let's see whether they really do give a f*ck - breath not being held !!) - football this week will be the game 'twixt Stalybridge Celtic and AFC Telford United on Tuesday I feel ...
Got some "silly pix" on t'other card from this weekend - stay tuned (but not tonight though !!)
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Pix now up for your delictation at
http://mossleysmiffy.jalbum.net/MossleySpringheadPSF/
.. including more of that bunch of "young officials" !!
Usual sh*t at work - one day nearer September 3rd - although preparations are being made in "Camp Smiffy" to fight this bugger to the bitter end - be it on beaches, desks, drinking contests etc etc ....
... just been offered my first "Consultation Meeting for Those At Risk" - 1655 on Monday (i.e. nearly bedtime) - I declined - "with comments".....See we made the business section of the "Manchester Evening News" as well today - for those "out of area" I offer http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/business/s/1130407_simon_carves_jobs_axe That simple statement certainly hides a "multitude of sins" ....
For now you get this (reduced to laptop for everything tonight - and I still haven't got my head around the whole "photo show" via laptop - it'll come - it'll have to !).
Mossley won 6-3 - I've a few of the goals (yep - not all !!) - but you'll have to wait for the main stuff - I offer up just two pix tonight - a "before and after" of the officials - the number 49 equates to the combined age of all three (viz 17+16+16) - and I (and many others) felt they did a really good job tonight coping with the "big boys" - in fact there was one penalty given - disputed - but I have evidence that the ref "got it right" (Picture to follow ) ! So a heartfelt "Well Done" to Aaron, Calum and Joe - tonight they coped well and I'm sure it was a very good training session for them as well.Before ....
And after ...
I don't want to "p*pss on their parade" by ranting about work problems (or soon to be non-work) so I'll leave it at this tonight. So many officials are leaving the game because they get no "Respect" - this will have been an experience, hopefully to spur these three onto greater stuff . Once again "Well Done" - and I hope you got some appreciation from the players as well...
Match photos - I'll do some more tomorrow - honest !
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... for the Tiscali user (IP 79.71.105 - plus more - I'm nice) who checked out my website 15 minutes ago - to the best of my knowledge there is no BNP Party in Mossley England - hopefully you were looking for the Newtownabbey Ireland version (where BNP is rife) - but if you're ever up at Seel Park you'll know what I look like won't you ? (amazing what you can discover on websites innit !)
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Just for fun .. the rather meaningless "at risk" letter received today has had an accident in our back yard ... can't understand how....
At home - yep had a quick one in the "Penny Black" before the train - Greene King IPA for those interested @ £1-75 (!) Home via Buffet Bar and a quickie in the Brit - read letter - pretty much the same letter as February - just changed the date at the top - have replied to HR via Webmail pointing out that I feel I cannot return the compliment to the phrase "Thank you for your support during what I appreciate is a very difficult time" - could you ??? At least in February we all had a sporting chance - but when your job title ain't on the org chart the complete "at risk"/"30 day consultation period" charade does become totally meaningless. To add insult to injury I was approached this afternoon by an (obviously safe) "management person" ref setting up a new database to sort out "some stuff" - yeah right ... my initial retort was "Have you confused me with someone who DOES give a f**k ?) However I've started it (pro to the end !!). Naturally there is the "right of appeal" - reckon I'll do that anyway if only to p*ss people off and point out certain things ... meanwhile a useful link for other potential "dolescum" is this ...
Work out how little they value you ..
... yep 24 years LOYAL SERVICE gives me a lot less than ten grand - because we know that we will only get the statutory - because .....(I could put all sorts of stuff in here but I'll leave it - for now).
Into work tomorrow ?? Might as well - I've got a weekly rail ticket - would be a shame to waste it ...
Photos ?? Can't be *rsed ...yet
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... finally points in my direction - the "at risk" letter has arrived at home apparently - and having seen the "proposed organisation chart" .... my job title ain't there - there now follows a "30 Day Consultation Period" - 'charade' if you like - and on the 3rd September 2009 (just realised ... 70 years to the day since World War II began) we get the official "bye bye"..... and if they expect me to work my three months notice - they are sadly sadly mistaken.No football tonight - leaving work in 12 minutes - and will sit outside the pub across the road muttering various expletives under my breath ... might even take some photos to "mess with" tonight !!.
.. and so it goes on ... well at least it takes one's mind off the "Tower of Doom" if only for a short time. Trains cr*p tonight which left me struggling to arrive at Surrey Street in time .. but I did ! Handed over the "secret dossier" to Snapper Jim from Glossop and settled down to watch a very competitive game between two good sides ... HOWEVER ... "Captain Young" from Glossop seemed to "have one on him" tonight - totally unnecessary really, as was the booking in the end - I reckon the ref should have ambled over to the Glossop bench and "advised a substitution" - as it is, it's a yellow card - which counts - before we even start the season in earnest ! Apparently two good goals from Mossley - got something on the first by Sam Walker (another Woodley "old boy" now in the Mossley fold) and Nathan Neequaye right at the death (as in "me in loo preparing for a cadged lift back home" - as in "bugger !").
Tonight you could see that it's only a matter of time - hopefully this season ? - until Glossop get up there into the Unibond (be it north or south - they'd be one of those "teams on the cusp"). Take nowt away from Mossley though - it looked their "beach frolics in Formby" at the weekend have helped with the stamina - and there was some very good link-up play tonight as well. At times, there did seem to be a bit of dissension in the ranks between the Glossop players - can be constructive of course, but I'd have thought it was something to keep an eye on (personal viewpoint of course !). If you've got this far you deserve a break from me wobbling on ...
Glossop NE 0 Mossley 2
Work - tomorrow - well it WILL be interesting - as mentioned in the previous post, the postal service these days seems to vary wildly throughout the area - and it's not only Mossley (or "our street") that gets the "almost midday first delivery" - so these bloody "at risk" letters will be out - and many people will know nowt until tomorrow evening when they go home to find maybe a letter of doom or maybe just a "Sky flyer". With Mrs Smiffy away, I'm in the "capable hands" (!!) of our Pedro - I might tell him to leave it or .. whatever .. can compare notes with others who will be "getting the call" shortly after their particular Postman Pat's arrival. It's going to be one crazy day in work (with very little being done I'm sure ..) - fortunately (?) no football tomorrow night (that I can think of anyway - nearest is probably Hemsworth MW v Wakefield) - maybe treat myself to a quiet night in (or a noisy night out trying to avoid things like Manchester United and Valencia - unless someone knows someone who can blag me a "snapper pass" !!!!!).
Normal (?) service will resume on Thursday with Mossley fitting in another friendly against Springhead (wonder if Paul Buckley is still in charge - he was one fast mover - on the pitch - when at Mossley). One interesting number of note for the Thursday game is ....
49 ................. (just hope I've got that right - or at least my informants have !)
All will be revealed "on the night" !!!
Can't finish without a word about Mossley stalwart Derek Howard who died early on Tuesday morning - another of the Mossley "Old Guard" to leave us - loved Mossley - loved Oldham Athletic - knew so much about "river sand" and was a real hoot on some of the Mossley "booze bus" trips. There's been a number of the old school passing on over the last few years - let's hope that the present "forty somethings"(and me !) continue to become the "Old Guard of 2035" - because Mossley - like so many other clubs - is going to suffer from an entire "generation gap" of fans (thanks Sky) in the not too distant future.
'Bye Derek - go get yourself a decent seat in that "Cantilever Stand in the Sky".
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... announcement came at 0930 today - up to 80 people to go (that's out of a total of 130 staff) - no doubt more information to come (they've promised letters tomorrow - which naturally I won't see until I get home in the evening - such are the hours worked by the "Postmans Pat" these days !!) ... a lunchtime drink seems likely today however. Then Glossop tonight ...and 90 minutes to take one's mind off stuff..
OK that was tonight ... but I do have to mention the events of 24 hours earlier when I eschewed the Nantwich v AFC Fylde game (transport problems - see earlier), the Mossley AFC "Presidents Lunch" (already offered a match ball sponsorship - which was confirmed via moby whilst on my way to Frickley on Saturday !) - so I went for the Stalybridge Celtic Sponsored Beer Walk - a grand day out .. although I "dipped out" with one pub to go as I was rather "full" (too many "fizz pubs" for my liking !!!) They reckon over a grand raised .. and with Chairman Rob Gorski matching pound for pound, that's a tidy chunk in Steve Burr's "treasure chest" for a 7 hour jaunt ! Watch out for the next fundraiser there ....
Monday morning - 0630 - yes a touch "rough" - but we've all been there - some phone in sick (eeeeh the youngsters of today !!), but some get on with it - so I did. Tonight - after a fine piece of peppered steak in a muffin - I wandered down to the Tameside Stadium to see Curzon Ashton take on Matlock Town from the league above - Matlock were a few players short, but for the first 20 minutes or so were well on top, taking the lead via former Belper Town striker Ross Hannah - then Curzon kicked in/woke up .. and Matlock just couldn't handle it - two from the prolific Michael Norton and one from ex-Mossley's Daryl Weston - all past ex-Stalybridge Celtic's Nick Buxton. The second half was more gentle .. and 3-1 it finished. Some piccies to be found at
Curzon Ashton 3 Matlock Town 1
Still having my crisis of confidence re pictures - yes Ken, I may be a little self-critical, but hopefully 'twill spur me on to greater things once the "real thing" begins in a couple of weeks. Until then - some more friendlies to do - starting with Glossop v Mossley on Tuesday night - when I can finally "hand over the disk" (stuff from FA Vase Final !).
One point from tonight - IT DIDN'T RAIN .. until I was walking up the street to "our house" !!
Until tomorrow - eek today - eek 18 hours time ... wonder how the Staff Forum went at work - in true "our place" fashion they arranged it for 1630 tonight - a truly caring company - ha ! In fact when I stop wobbling on here, I'll have a quick peep at my works e-mail - just to see if anything has turned up to greet most people in the morning ... I may be back, but assume no news is ... just no news (certainly won't be any good news will it ?)
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Yep .. to get to Nantwich for a 1300 kick-off would have required a taxi to Stalybridge to catch the 0819 train to Manchester ... arriving Nantwich at 1020 with nearly three hours thumb-twiddling - either that or arrive at 1320 - 20 minutes into the first half ! That option went out the window yesterday evening.
Drinks in the Stalybridge area it is then ..... but first - start to organize FA Vase Final pix to hand over to Glossop on Tuesday night !
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... or "Damp Saturday" if you like - will it ever end (probably when I go off to France later this month - it'll be tropical over here no doubt !)
A gentle train journey with a short break at Huddersfield (but long enough for a pint of "Leeds Pale" @ Head of Steam - they have a Yorkshire Beers festival on this week) and a very short change @ Leeds before arriving at South Elmsall about 1250. I then got "mugged" in the "Plough" - a pint of keg John Smiths ... £2-70 ! In the succint words of Mr Text ... wtf ? A 10 minute walk to the ground - shut. Back down the track to the Cricket Club - not shut. Keg Smiths again .. but £1-90 and I watched some of the cricket higlights from yesterday while the guys in the clubs were setting up for Paul's 50th Birthday - birthday candles in a pork pie no less !!
Into the ground to meet the Belper crew - and a £2 pint before ... game on. First view of Belper this season, but few complaints (until the last 20 minutes when the defence "went totally to sleep" enabling Frickley to snatch a draw). Oh yes .. pictures ...
http://mossleysmiffy.jalbum.net/FrickleyBelperPSF/
.. again (like a couple of games this season) not too happy with them - cr*p weather certainly doesn't help, but there seems to be just "something missing" at the moment - in my mind anyway - seem to be struggling a bit with the "centre point" focussing I think - maybe need more than 9 to choose from !! (And then Belper/Sheffield Ken reveals he's bought a 50D - so that's both Tim and Ken up there with the goods !)
Quick pint after the game before the "many-trained journey" home - again including a stop @ Huddersfield where the Saltaire "Raspberry" was quite superb ! Back to Mossley - a quickie in the Brit (Ossett Revolution IPA - another winner) before ... this ...
Tomorrow - President's Lunch @ Mossley ? Stalybridge Celtic Beer Walk ? If I was to be honest and brutal I should send myself down to Nantwich Town for their game against AFC Fylde - if only to prove to myself I can still take photographs of moving footballers in focus and in cr*p weather .. watch this space (well in 24 hours time anyway !!) ..
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