Stalybridge Celtic v Southport

.. a "call to arms" went out early morning - and having dropped daughter off @ Stalybridge Station at 1030 hrs (heading for London), I drove up the Mottram Road to Bower Fold - and jumped out of the car leaving Mrs Smiffy and boy to go "shopping for shoes". Nearly came a cropper in the car park - not promising - but then Mr Hall said "Game ON !", so I turned round and went to the pub ...

... OK I didn't - I grabbed a snow shovel and pitched in with the band of volunteers - I can now say I've done 90 minutes on Bower Fold (and this morning - Tuesday - my back is REALLY feeling it !!). Some stuff from the morning ...

http://mossleysmiffy.jalbum.net/SnowShifting28Dec09/

Then - walk back down to Stalybridge to get money and lunch - and meet some of the Southport "Train crew" at the Buffet Bar, and then heading back up the road for the game. All the hard work had been worth it for 90 minutes football - a fairly even game - Southport had a tendency to put every chance high wide and handsome (this the team that stuffed Fleetwood 5-0 on Saturday !) - Stalybridge seemed to build/create better, but had less "product" on goal ... and with five or so minutes to go ... the floodlight pylon 10 yards to my left went "BANG" - and went out ... closely followed by the one opposite. After a 5/10 delay the other two "extinguished" and the ref blew his whistle for ... A-A (although I believe some "behind the scenes" chatting went on after the game between Managers and Officials - must wait for the official outcome on all that). Some pictures of the game (and the naughty floodlights !) at

Stalybridge Celtic v Southport

Quickie in the club (stopping only to admire the new wall hangings !!) before a couple in H&H followed by .. home ...

New Years Day - the weather forecast for the rest of this week is NOT promising .. but they've got it wrong before (!)
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