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... that all began at about 2200hrs on Monday night - got up off the settee and suddenly realised that I felt like sh*t ! Had an early night (i.e. before midnight !), up at 0600hrs for work realising I actually felt even worse. Went for it anyway (knowing that Tuesday is one of the "lighter" days of the week) and when I got home I went straight back to bed and slept until about 1900hrs (3 hours - during the day - unheard of !!). Still felt grim. Beer consumption down to zero - yes it was that bad. Can't be flu - I've had the jab ... although I did do some overtime in Dobcross on Monday afternoon - one guy who works up there had last week off with "severe stomach problems" (probably left a virus all over the frame !).
Today up at 0730 (didn't need to go for the early start - yet another staffing cock-up from "da management", so I decided to go in at normal time ... had rung up to find out what to do - left messages - no come-back, so I made the decision that the management are paid to do - and will probably save RM some money as well !
Feeling slightly better this afternoon/evening - although workload was twice as bad as yesterday - but have decided to err on the side of caution and will therefore be giving Ashton United v Chasetown a miss tonight - apologies for absence !! I know for a fact the 99% of peeps (i.e. the under 30s in RM), had they felt like I felt on Monday night, would have banged in for at least a week off work - such is the work ethic these days - tsskk ! However my aging body needs a little bit of TLC - and fortunately today no (female) customer asked me to marry them either !
So I'm going for the quiet night in option - will probably watch the England game from a prone position on that very same settee - not that it will be THAT interesting (think there's been more column inches on "Who Will Be Captain ?" rather than the actual game itself - which is another pointless mid-season friendly anyway ...)
Three more days - and then I've got a whole week off - by heck I think I need it ...
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Fit football into anything me !!Reckon this was probably the first "real walk" of 2012 (I'm not allowed to count work walks !!) - not as warm as promised (a bit of misty rain towards the end) - but a decent enough starter for the year. Started at Feizor (got the spelling right today !!) - a tiny hamlet famed for Elaine's Tea Rooms and took in Stainforth, Settle, Giggleswick before returning to the start. A few (some "surgically enhanced") pictures at
Feizor Walk 26Feb12
(Weather unfortunately not good enough to see such delights as Ingleborough etc in the distance - but one of the aims of the exercise was to see some of the early spring lambs - and we did - eventually).
Football this week ? Looks like Wednesday (leap year 29th Feb !) up at Hurst Cross to see Ashton United take on Chasetown ... some more "full days" at work before then (for the second week in a row I'm on "full-time duties" - with an extra half-walk tomorrow as well - another 10 hour day - aarrgh !) ... think of the money ...
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...for a Saturday - it was not good today - especially when you end up with four Special Deliveries all over the bloomin' walk. OK - SDs - the deliver by 1300hrs type stuff - doesn't apply on Saturdays (the time thing) ... unless they have a special "SG" sticker - and of course I had one of them ... near the end of the walk - aargh !
Still - we got there in the end (about 1345hrs) - home, change, out up the road to Seel Park. Mossley took a fairly early lead, had several chances to improve on same, but they came to nowt. 1-0 was never going to be enough - but it took a controversial penalty for the visitors to draw level ... one of those "shot hits arm and 99 players shout HANDBALL" ... and the ref gives it. It could have been even worse at the death - but Mossley 'keeper Martin Pearson pulled off a fantastic save to keep it at 1-1. Overall ... my opinion of course ... an awful game ... you can see why both teams are where they are ... some pictures anyway at
Mossley 1 Harrogate RA 1
Meanwhile - sore legs (it's been a hard week !); sore mouth (a bit of a toothache - hoping it will disappear - I only had a check-up a few weeks ago so ...) - so looking forward to a bit of a rest tomorrow (as in a walk around Fiezer, near Settle !). Just hope my mouth improves overnight - cus it's going to be a hard week at work again next week (0700 starts again - but at least NOT the "Round of Hell" - not at this moment in time anyway !!)
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... it's been a tough 'un this week - not so much the 0700 starts but the actual walk itself (certainly NOT one the the easiest ones I've done !). Still one more day - at least I hope so (not been told what I'm doing next week - but I'm in the same office - and the regular on this "walk from hell" has another week's leave ... so we wait - we see - we pray !). Let's get tomorrow out of the way - to be followed by a "real six pointer" for Mossley (18th - 31 played - 27 points) at home to Harrogate RA (20th - 31 played - 26 points).
Out for tea at daughters tonight - she's even brought in a cook to "do the honours" - as in eldest son !! Looking forward to some mainly veggie delights (although I believe he IS doing some chicken legs for the carnivores as well !!).
Ooooh - and look what EBay brought today (well actually I got home from work to find a P739 card, so it was straight back out (still in uniform) down to the Post Office to pick it up - aaah the irony !!) - 'twas an "impulse buy" to say the least ...
I always liked Wards Bitter from my heady days at Sheffield Poly back in the late 70's !In fact it might come in useful ... as I've got a week's holiday starting on the 5th March - which means I've GOT A SATURDAY OFF (10th) !!! I've not been "daaarnn that way" all season ... and the Nailers are at home to Kidsgrove Athletic on that very day. Sounds like a plan ...
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... as predicted - 'twas a bugger today (what didn't help was the 0645 train being cancelled and me having to wait another 30 minutes - making me late for work ... I knew I was doomed even at that early hour !!!). So a heavy day which was made worse by the incessant rain from start to finish - as per usual the house is now littered with stuff drying out (if it ain't camera stuff ... it's work stuff !). Looking on the bright side (ha !) - tomorrow's weather is supposed to be untypically tropical - hurrah ! However the chicken & chorizo (and bacon and mushrooms and red peppers and sugar snap peas and sweetcorn with passata, garlic bouillon and paprika sauce) was probably better than it would have been last night, having had an extra 24 hours to mix/marinade/flavour/imbue/call it what you will ...
I've also got around to downloading a couple of pix taken on cameraphone yesterday whilst "on the road" - one that made me think "It's all worthwhile" ... and the other that made me think "Tell me about it !!" - should be fairly obvious which is which !!!
Now THAT'S what I call a delivery - outside Greenfield Brewery ...
A stone on the steps up to St Mark's Church, Greenfield ...One football "diary date" now confirmed - Monday 26th March at Hyde FC KO 1945hrs - Droylsden v Mossley (Manchester Premier Cup Final).... now wondering whether to wear my shorts tomorrow ... that didn't take long ... NO CHANCE !!
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... are now up and running ...
Curzon Ashton 2 Clitheroe 1
... OK so I'd done the walk yesterday (so I knew where I was going at least) - but for a so-called "light Tuesday" it was still a right bugger - God only knows what it will be like when it gets heavy - as in the rest of the week. Once again I spent the day slowly collecting undeliverable packets until I ended up with the final bag full of mail and as much again.
obviously NOT the "real thing" - but you get the point !!!
It's probably the one thing that gets my goat - the RM "Management" are forever wobbling on about the need to change the business due to the change in mail - and you may have noticed in the past I'm forever wobbling on about the need for change being a "two-way thing" - RM do their bit (for better for worse !) and why don't the customers do their bit as well (decent sized letter boxes, adequate safe parcel storage - and if you're expecting a Special Delivery/Sign-For packet/letter - make an effort to actually receive it !!!). Hey ho - rant over for another day ...
Apparently it's Pancake Day - so my chicken and chorizo stew is doing just that --- stewing --- while everyone makes pancakes --- grr !!
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The immortal 0615 phone call came through - man gone sick, can you get in for 0700, do three hours prepping, then a walk you've never done before - not forgetting that half-walk you're doing on overtime ... cutting it short I finally dropped my final letter at about 1705hrs ... yep about 7 (seven) hours walking; a lot of it in that fine miserable drizzle ... what people have to do to earn a crust !!! Must admit I'm astonished at the number of "man sick" stories - it's all these young 'uns (right bunch of wimps - or lead swingers - you choose ...) especially as I can stand/sit on my high horse as since June 2010, my attendance record has been 100% - counts for nowt probably but makes me feel good !
Home - dry off - change - eat cheese & ham butty before shooting off to Curzon Ashton for the game against Clitheroe - and the away team caught everybody cold with a first minute goal - yeah, me still plumbing the gear in - still, Curzon showed why they're up there at the top by coming out 2-1 winners, which puts them two points clear of AFC Fylde at the top of Evo One North - with a game in hand as well.
Too late to go through the full set of pix (I'm on a similar daft o'clock start tomorrow - but only one walk - and now I've done it once ... etc etc ...), so you'll have to wait until Tuesday evening for the full set ... HOWEVER, being the nice person I am - here's Chris McDonagh scoring the winner tonight ...
2-1 Curzon !!!That nice relaxing Sunday - straight out of the window in less than 24 hours ...
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Waiting for the train @ Greenfield Station (after the shopping/drinking) ...... a little shopping (i.e. tonight's tea - baked salmon side with "stuff") ...
... a little drinking ...
... a little FA Cup watching (not too much mind - I've a non-league reputation to keep !) ...
... a little cooking (see above) ...
Some of tonight's "tea toons" (fancy lights are on the ceiling) - have to pick and choose with this album mind ...... a little TV (with built-in 'snooze') ...
... a little blogging ...
... to be followed by big sleep (very soon !) ...
A couple of hours (and a half) overtime waiting for me @ work tomorrow (must remember to shout at people as well !!), to be followed by Curzon Ashton v Clitheroe in the evening ...
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... more to come ... pix for now ...
Stalybridge Celtic 1 Workington 3
(we've run out of beer and chocolate at home - so I need to repair to the local convenience store - and maybe drop in to a local hostelry on the way back !!).
Al Bee Bak
It's 0020 - and I am back - listening to the classic Budgie album "Never Turn Your Back On A Friend" (note to Metallica fans - if you've ever heard them playing a track called "Breadfan" - it was originally a Budgie track) - and that trip to the hostelry involved watching the Klitschko/Chisora fight ... well he tried !
Anyway today ... knowing that was some overtime involved, I went into work 45 mins early and did the o/t first. Reckon I did get stung a touch (even with it being a Saturday) but hey ho on that (did it within the allotted time so ..) ... then did my full walk - and the "clowns" who'd thrown it in had decided it was rather funny to throw a load of random "door to doors" into the frame - now I've been a good boy all week and dutifully delivered the damn stuff (in fact doing over the top to ensure bugger all to do today) - so to find this cr*p today was a right bugger. Maybe they think it's funny - I don't - and next week I'm on the same walk - so ... "words will be had" on Monday morning (based around phrases like "selfish ****s", "define the word team", "lazy b*st*rds", and so on) - put it this way - I'm not well pleased - and I don't get peed off easily. Certainly fitted in with the earlier "overtime split" ...
Anyway - after a late "run" (at the end) I managed to make the 1351hrs train from Greenfield - got home - got changed /dried off (it was a grotty day weather-wise as well) and went for the 1430hrs bus to Stalybridge ... which by 1450 HAD NOT TURNED UP !! Bottled out - ordered a taxi (so that's today's overtime money straight out of the flipping window), arriving at the ground at about 1505hrs - not missed too much thought I - only to find Workington had arrived late and the KO had been moved back to 1530hrs - so once again me well dischuffed (I could have caught the 1455 train to Stalybridge and walked up - 15 mins).
Bonus pic - that time-wasting Wukkie keeper gets his just desserts ...
The game - don't care what peeps say - Bridge were shocking first half - Workington not much better, but they had the eye for goal - and 3-0 at half-time was no more than they deserved. There must have been a real "hair dryer" job in the Celtic dressing room at half time, - because the home team totally dominated - but could only find one goal ... the damage had been done..
Home - fiddle with pix - sneak out for chocolate - watch fight - come home - and this (the Budgie album has finished - now listening to some rare stuff - Steve Hillage live at the Deeply Vale Festival 1978 - Steve Hillage - one of my two "absolute" music heroes - Todd Rundgren being t'other).
... and how else do you prove your allegiance to Steve Hillage - the glorious "OM" tattoo on my right arm ...
And - at 0100hrs ... that's y'lot ..
(Obscenities removed/amended 1100 Sunday - I've calmed down a bit now !!!)
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... since any photography of note (it's been even longer for football I'm afraid) ... so in a bid to fill in some gaps I offer you a copy of the official 2012 Smiffy Home Calendar - a few snaps taken in 2011 that are now hanging on the wall thanks to Photobox - my online photo processing company of choice (awaits e-mail with further discounts due to online "plugging" !!!). Note the lack of football - possibly down to the input of Mrs S (sorry probably !!) ...
Fingers crossed for some football on Saturday (Stalybridge Celtic v Workington looks like the one) - weather 'should' be fine - it's just the "RM Brains" ... who are trying to get me to do daft overtime on Saturday afternoon ... might do a bit ... but not a lot !!
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As the weather got warmer and warmer today (relatively speaking of course !) ... and first the woolly hat came off ... and then the gloves came off ... I was thinking what with my St Valentines Day promises to Mrs S for tomorrow (food and pictures), despite there being a Salford City v Mossley game (which I truly believed - still do - will be off) - there might JUST be a chance with Curzon Ashton v Bamber Bridge tonight - rung 'em up as I was finishing walking today - to be told "It's already been called off" - this was the game I went to a couple of weeks ago when the floodlights 'went out' as I was walking towards the ground. Got home - went on Evo-Stik website - yep it's off ... frozen pitch. In a fit of desperation I checked out the North West Counties League website - nowt tonight ...
... and so it goes on ... watch the Salford/Mossley game be on tomorrow ...
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(as at 1830hrs Friday)
Ashton United v Marine - no call yet but ... what do YOU think when you look below !!
Bishop's Stortford v Hyde FC - OFF
Curzon Ashton v Ossett Town - OFF
Droylsden v Harrogate Town - OFF
Mossley v Lancaster City - OFF
Stalybridge Celtic v Nuneaton Town - OFF
Well - should have been at the pictures 7 minutes ago to go and check out "The Woman in Black" (can Daniel Radcliffe hack it in a non-Harry Potter casting ??) - but thanks again to some (more !) startling management ineptitude I didn't get home until 1800hrs. It's certainly been an 'interesting' week ...
Monday - Go into Greenfield to do Walk A (knowing full well that Walk A man is coming in anyway - he finishes on Thursday - as in leaving). Get sent to Oldham to do a walk in the Limeside area - heavy (all social housing, and Housing Association has sent a mail-out i.e. to every bloody house !).
Tuesday - Sent to Greenfield to do Walk B (guys day off) - fall over (!!) - get phone call - can you now do Walk B for the rest of the week (God only knows what Walk B guy has been told) ?
Wednesday - Do Walk B
Thursday - Do Walk B
Friday - Go in to do Walk B - get phone call - can you do Walk A as Walk A guy has now left ? Oh and can you do some of Walk B as well (basically because we forgot Walk A guy was leaving and now we can't cover Walk B) ? No drop bag keys available for Walk A. Can you get them off driver ? Driver already gone out. Can you do the overtime Walk B first and leave note for driver ? OK. Do half of Walk B before starting on Walk A - finish at 1600hrs. Still some of Walk B to do - can you please ? OK. Do more of Walk B - finish at 1720hrs - wait for train home (OK quick slurp in "Railway" @ Greenfield, so not ALL bad !). Home at 1800hrs so too late for tea, shower and out to pics for 1830hrs.
Saturday - who knows ? Have been told to do Walk A again (and next weeks duty sheet says I will be on Walk A ALL next week) - but I wonder - just a little bit (!!) - whether Walk B will be covered tomorrow - or will the phone ring yet again with the plea "Can you do a bit ... ?". Looking at the top of this post (i.e. the state of "football play") - I'll probably say "What the hell, why not ...).
Sometimes I really wonder about RM 'management' - see earlier posts about p*ss ups in breweries etc etc ...
(Looks like the pictures will now happen next Tuesday night - well it IS St Valentines Day - and Salford play Mossley in the Manchester Premier Cup - allegedly - can't see that being on either - can you ?)
Oh - and there is a slow gradual improvement with the "Grade 1 Muscle Contusion" - still stiffening up quite awkwardly in the evenings but starting to get more comfortable during the day - and today HAS been quite a day - fortunately someone else is now doing the cooking !!
LATE EDIT (2100hrs) - Ashton United game now OFF as well ...
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... well I did what every sensible person does - no, not a trip to the Doctors - I'm so 21st Century me !! A quick Google on "bruised calf muscle" and that told me everything I needed to know (eat your heart out NHS Direct !!). It appears to be a "Grade 1 Muscle Contusion" - I know it's Grade 1 because I passed the 'tiptoe test' (as in if you can stand on your tiptoes without going "AAAARGH !", it's classed as Grade 1). Remedy was 2-3 weeks rest (although I think this actually applies to athletes !) and lots of RICE (as in Rest Ice Compression Elevation) - myself I actually prefer PASTA (Prolong Agony Saving Time Anyway) - although I did go for the Elevation on Tuesday night knowing full well the Ice would kick in on Wednesday morning - as in bloody cold outside !
Can feel a slight improvement over the days - but with me not being the "21st Century Wimp" (i.e. work through it) it might take a while - still the leg hasn't dropped off yet. Wednesday was bad underfoot - but today was actually worse, what with the last couple of days being 'melt a bit and then freeze again overnight' - end up walking on very awkward lumpy chunks of ice. Still ... job done - money in bank (not that namby pamby sick pay stuff either).
Other news - apparently the FA Cup is up on display in Mossley Social Club tonight - well that was well advertised - NOT (I only found out when I got home from work) - no doubt the idea is for the FA to make a few bob allowing peeps to be photographed with it - helps to pay for New Wembley I suppose. I'll give it a miss (in the midst of cooking a rich winter beef casserole anyway !), because if I turn up with a camera, no doubt there'll be rather large security guards barring my view (ever the cycnic - but I believe that's the norm).
As you probably know, our old cat finally met its maker a few weeks ago - which put us down to one cat (young Berlioz). However ... for the last couple of months there's been (you guessed it) a stray cat knocking about on our street and (you guessed) it's had the odd meal at our place. It now seems to be getting comfy in our kitchen !!!
Known as "Pirate Cat" ...Just looked outside ... no snow yet !!!
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... and double ouch !! Came an "almighty cropper" on some sheet ice this morning - right at the start of the walk - finished OK but still bloody painful this evening. Back of the right calf - no external bruising but ... like a dead leg only deader (any clues anyone ??). Fingers crossed I can walk tomorrow morning - very stiff at the moment ...
Strangely enough - no football this evening; the only option (Stalybridge Celtic v Bishop's Stortford) was quite sensibly called off yesterday ... not holding my breath for this weekend either to be honest ...
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... just a few snaps from the back yard and garden - nowt special - not much colour - but at least the snow isn't blue (all down to exposure compensation y'know !!!)
Out the Back - 05Feb12
Now putting together a rather juicy chicken casserole (with bacon and chorizo thrown in - naturally !). Mrs Smiffy made it back safely from Belper (isn't the A6 wonderful) - as did daughter (who'd gone down there on Friday in "Bobby Blue" !) - so all's well ...
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... well it seems to be like that these days - a few snaps taken today (on my way up to the Co-op !) 0f Seel Park, Mossley (it's been very misty/foggy today up our end as well) - should be at home to Lancaster City next Saturday ... we'll see how the week pans out - although it has to be said the temperature today is tropical compared to previous (i.e. it IS above freezing !) and there has been a fair bit of thawing today. However it is going to dip below again tonight, so what's left (as in still a lot !) will crisp up nicely before another "rise" tomorrow daytime.
Seel Park in the Snow 05Feb12
Next (I think only) midweek 'should' see Stalybridge Celtic at home to Bishop's Stortford on Tuesday night - again it's a wait and see - although given the travelling required, I can't give it much hope ... I can feel a "call to arms" at Bower Fold on Monday afternoon/Tuesday morning to shift snow (I'm guessing the frost covers will be there underneath) - unfortunately this time round - I have a job and am therefore unable ... unlike this (Jan 2010) and this (Dec 2009)
Fingers crossed ...
(PS - got a few "macro type" snaps from the garden today - will have a peep at them later (not expecting miracles mind !!!)
1710 hrs - OOPS - cocked up link - now sorted ...
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... and even the Woodley Sports "all-weather surface" has failed today ...
Just got back from work (OK about 1405hrs) - it started snowing just after 1200hrs in Greenfield ...
... forget non-league football "up our end" today - unless you live in Fleetwood or Durham. Conference North all off; Evo-Stik Prem all off; Evo-Stik North all off (except Durham v Mossley - hope it lasts longer than 43 minutes - hope the coach gets back as well !); Evo-Stik South all off (except Sutton Coldfield v Kidsgrove); North West Counties League all off as well.
Reckon I was right "not to be bovvered" ... ESPN here we come !
(1455hrs update - still snowing - and it's sticking !)
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... about football tomorrow ?? As in "live" football ??Straight answer - NO ! Having just spent three blisteringly cold days "on the road" - with one (apparently worse !) to come, the thought of more cold time finding my way to a game and then suffering 90 minutes of sub-zero before similar journey home ... just doesn't fill me with enthusiasm at all. Of course the other problem would be actually finding a game - OK you might think Woodley (plastic) Sports is a guaranteed "on" ... but ... please note that Mossley are away at Durham (plastic) City - and they're apparently having a pitch inspection at 0900hrs tomorrow (obviously not wishing a repeat of the 2008 fiasco) - so I guess anything's possible. Plenty of games at all levels already called off tomorrow - with more to come following some cursory pitch inspections in the morning I would think. An obvious "cheapskate" option is to take advantage of the free ESPN weekend on TV (in fact I've already caught a bit of the Nuremberg v Borussia Dortmund tonight) - tomorrow's UK option is Man City v Fulham ... well it's football of sorts ... and I trust all the pubs/clubs are aware of this free offer (i.e. when "fewer than expected" turn up).
And - just for info - last night's DVD of choice was "Back to the Future 1" - and tonight's DVD of choice was ..."Back to the Future 2" - wonder what I might watch tomorrow night ??
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... well a day off on Tuesday - when they come somewhat 'unexpected' you just don't know what to do - so by 1100hrs on Tuesday I was bored witless ... so ... I went shopping (sort out Tuesday tea) !! Tuesday came and went - and then on Wednesday I got the call - to do a walk in Uppermill (guy on compassionate leave), and today (at 0619hrs to be exact !) I got the call - "Can you be in Greenfield for 0700 hrs ?" - no problem (starting that early = 3 hours O/T). Looks like similar for the rest of the week as well (unsure why - assuming a "man flu" epidemic !!). Mrs Smiffy shot off to Mum-in-Laws today (she's just had a cataract op - and she is over 85 - M-I-L not wife !), so tonight either ...
1) stay in and watch DVD of choice ...
2) sneak out to "Railway" in Greenfield (with camera) to watch band (Pie) and take snaps ...
See how I feel later on ... meanwhile a midweek picture, taken shortly after dinner last night (hence no plates on table) on compact and buggered about with on Photoshop - just for fun as they say ...
... aim was trying to emphasise the wine glass shadow ...Weekend football is NOT looking promising - with Mrs S being away (probably until Sunday), no car available for a speedy end to Saturday work - notwithstanding the weather forecast either (as in "Grim"). Best bet is probably Woodley (plastic pitch) Sports v Curzon Ashton - but it might be a bugger getting there - we'll see ...
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