The Rovers Return

Sunday 3rd March

Super League

Hull Kingston Rovers 26 Warrington Wolves 12

I know, I know, it's been too long.  Nothing I can say can atone for my absence.  I deserted you in your hour(s) of need (i.e. most of last season) and for that I deserve to be horse-whipped and/or force-fed the upcoming DVD of Hull FC's all-conquering 2013 season...ah, perhaps a suspended sentence then?!

Anyway, the main thing dear old East Stand is that I'm back.  In person. Unaccompanied (fickle kids) and ready to celebrate with the boys again.  I can't promise this will suddenly become a regular thing again (just in case Mrs Slush is reading) but I do promise to enjoy it while it lasts.

And this particular Sunday afternoon in East Hull was very, very enjoyable!

 

More to come...

Someone hasn't read the script

Saturday 2nd March

CML North Division

Easington United 2 Phoenix FC 3

With writing as good as this, why watch the game anyway?

A week on from the battling draw against in-form Brodsworth and with the pitch freshly rolled and looking as good as it had in yonks, hopes were high that we could build up a head of steam through March; beginning by picking up 3pts from the visit of Rotherham side Phoenix.  Hmm...

More to come...

Anyone for a cuppa?

Saturday 23rd February

CML North Division

Easington United 2 Brodsworth Welfare 2

"One or two lumps?"

Low Farm's first CML game since 24th November was always likely to throw up several challenges.  The ravages of the winter, which had seen the main pitch stage just two games of any type in the intervening period, meant this was never going to be a surface for "total football".  The visit of Brodsworth - one of the form teams in the league - presented its own difficulties for a home side still reeling from a collapse at Ollerton Town seven days previous.  And finally, with Club Secretary (and regular char lady) Judy away in Spain for a month, Tea Hut duties were going to fall to someone else.

Now it's well known that Chairman Doug and Vice Chair Mickey Bo' are willing to turn their hands to most things but even they would be sorely tested this particular afternoon - and that was with only 27 spectators in attendance.
They weren't the only ones.  Without thinking things through, I'd offered to do the first stint from half-twelve, which would cover the arrival of the match officials and the visiting club.  With Brodsworth having already informed me they would have no accompanying committee members save for manager and assistant, I foresaw no problems.  How wrong could I be?

Usually Judy prepares a decent buffet for match officials and visiting entourage alike.  today they had to make do with a few biscuits and cake offerings, bought as almost an after-thought that morning.  Thankfully, the lack of numbers meant we got away with this.
What I wasn't prepared for was the onslaught at the serving hatch the moment the Brodsworth minibus pulled into Low Farm.  Poor old Shotgum Burt and me were made to feel like Stanley Baker and Michael Caine with our visitors from South UYorkshire playing the part of the Zulu hordes.
It's fair to say, the arrival - later than anticipated of Messrs Clubley and Wilson - was akin to the Relief of Mafeking as far as I was concerned.
The way our season has been going it would be tempting to point to this pre-match entertainment as being more interesting than the game itself.  However, this was a home performance that the lads could take plenty of positives from, as can be seen - along with pics - in the "official" match report.
Obviously, our visitors' take on proceedings was slightly different, although remaining pretty fair on the whole.

Sharp Frost on a cold afternoon

The return of Frosty from self-imposed First Team exile played a huge part in our picking up a moral-boosting point.  His pace and quality of finishing have been assets sadly lacking from our line-up since September.
But it wasn't just the returning frontman.  There was a steely resolve about the side, the type of which has also been absent far too often this season - not least at Ollerton last time out.  The question now was would it last to the end of the season?
  

 

Switch on

Ceding home advantage in our protracted CML cup tie has not met with universal approval but needs must I'm afraid...

As I was getting ready for work the other morning, Mrs Slush decided to regale me with tales of her dream the previous night.  This involved her being part of Tyrone Dobbs' ongoing abduction of his own baby on Corrie.  I chuckled at yet another night in which my good lady's sleep has taken her off into TV celeb land.

Previous dreams have included cameo appearances by Ant & Dec, Will Young and Corrie corner shop owner Dev.  I know, I know, it's a good job one of us remains wedded to the real world.

"Anyway", she said, "You needn't laugh.  What about that dream you had that Kym Marsh (Corrie's Michelle Conner) was your new boss at work?"  Ah! 

So why, exactly, am I sharing these intricate details of the Slush Family master bedroom with you the dear reader?  Well, because at the moment they bear about as much relation to the real world as do our hopes of ever staging another game at Low Farm. 

 

Last weekend was the third in a row that I'd found myself standing on the once hallowed turf, looking with resignation at another unplayable pitch and wondering just when our protracted second round CML Cup tie against Belper United would finally get played.

As it happens, the game is actually underway as I type this very post.  Only it's occurring over a hundred miles away in deepest Derbyshire, after our Committee reluctantly agreed to cede home advantage.

Perhaps unsurprisingly it's a decision that has met with a little criticism.  Given our respective league positions - us in the lower reaches of the North Division and opponents Belper United currently sitting atop the South - many people have pointed out that we've given up our best chance of causing an upset.  Possibly so. 
By switching venues, we have also denied all but the hardiest of our supporters the chance to see the game.  True. 
And by embarking on our longest trip of the season while still being officially the "home" club in the tie, we have also burdened ourselves with ridiculous costs.  I can't deny that possibility.
So why have we done it?
Well, the overriding factor is time.  Already, we do not have enough Saturdays left in the season to complete our full quota of outstanding league fixtures let alone extra games in the cup.  Without lights and being so far removed geographically from the rest of the league, this presents massive problems.
The League Cup is already at the 4th round stage, following a full quota of scheduled 3rd round ties being played last Saturday.  Given our probable inability to stage another game at Low Farm until late February / early March, this presents the competition with a big hurdle to overcome - the date and venue for the final are already set in stone.
In addition, despite extensive enquiries, we simply could not find another pitch locally on which to get the game played.
And finally, we were also quite confident that had we offered the players the only alternative today (i.e. another postponement) they would rather be making their longest trip of the season in order to kick a ball about for only the second time since 1st December.  And I say this despite just learning the lads are three down at half-time.  Ouch!

Now if you'll excuse me, I've got a pitch to inspect... 

 



Hope lost, point gained

Saturday 12th January

CML North Division

Sherwood Colliery 1 Easington United 1

 

I've often thought that away days on the Pistol Pete Express fall somewhere between 'The InBetweeners', 'Waiting For God' and the latest ITV "laddish" offering, 'Great Night Out'.  And on Saturday evening, as I sat with the aforementioned Pistol and Shotgun Burt watching a young lady inadvertently exposing her virtue to all and sundry on a main road in Holderness, such views were very much reinforced.

Such titillation provided a fitting end to another fine day out aboard the "PPE" - a rare treat for me this season.  Admittedly, it did lack several ingredients that formed the staple diet of such jaunts in the past: namely, Mozzer rubbing his tackle along the inside of the windows as well as exposing himself in Service Station toilets and a pantomime villain to rip the shit out of...Charlie.  In addition, even The Pistol seems to have reined himself in a touch these days - well he's given up on the "ten times round the roundabout" party piece at any rate. 
These minor disappointments aside, there was still the by now traditional mixture of high drama and low-grade humour that has become the norm when travelling away with this particular brand of "Eastenders"...

Gaffer in pink, Gaffer's eldest in camp pose - is there something we should know?

Our first ever trip to Sherwood Colliery was something of a hastily arranged affair.  It came on the back of our cup postponement the week before and several draws in the ties that were played; the need for replays causing some tinkering with the fixture list.  Hence instead of a visit to Welbeck Welfare's brand new home as originally planned, we were heading for Debdale Park, home of "The Wood".

In time-honoured manner the day began with a drop-out (Brettles having "woken up feeling ill") and continued with the usual mix of timing issues ("I was told half-past") and Shotgun Burt's sexual anecdotes, which were helped on this occasion by a hip flask of Jura single malt.
Hip flasks appeared to be the order of the day in the "Waiting For God" seats at the front and mine (sloe gin) was almost downed in one to aid recovery from shock halfway down the M1 - moments after a bright red VW Golf had come spinning across our path before settling on the grass embankment just north of Junction 29.  For once The Pistol was entirely blameless.
We had a decent run down only to then be thwarted in our attempts to find the venue due to a lack of signage - a point that affable Wood secretary Phil Kirkland later assured us is currently being addressed.
First impressions of Debdale Park were good.  A smart looking clubhouse and changing room complex lead out to a cricket pitch, bordered by those used for mini-soccer, and up towards a couple of full-size pitches, one of which was playing host to a local junior game.

Eastender Westoby aka 'Debut Dave'

Having searched the club website in vain for any "history" of the club as such, I eventually found the following via their Facebook page: "Sherwood Colliery FC were formed in 2008 at the request of Debdale Park Sports and Recreation Club".  I know, concise isn't it.

What I also know, from the well laid-out match programme and the aforementioned Mr Kirkland is that the club takes its name from the former colliery and were previously members of the Midland Amateur Alliance wherein they were crowned Division 1 champions in 2010/11.
The club recruits its players locally and have enjoyed their first season in the CML despite it proving a struggle.  They came into this game lying third-bottom from an impressive 21 games played (compared to our 14).  Just four wins have been claimed all season, a double over bottom club Welbeck and victories against Brodsworth and Thoresby, with the point gained in a 4-4 draw against the latter in the return fixture constituting the only other point gained thus far.
Unfortunately for Sherwood, their local rivals just happen to be the division's "big time Charlies", AFC Mansfield, and the first "derby" ended in a painful 9-0 defeat at Forest Town Welfare Ground.  
Still, the Debdale Park side have scored 44 goals in the league this season, more than any other team outside the top six, so we weren't going to take anything for granted.

Thommo to make it one-nil

Sumo's first line-up of 2013 included debutant Dave Westoby (following a Yuletide switch from Withernsea) and a "coming out of retirement" for Craig Smalley, in for his 275th Eastenders first team appearance after having "trained the house down" on Wednesday.  Apparently.  Absent was the still injured Jimmy D, newly injured Wilky Woo, the working Willo and Westoby's fellow new arrival Billy Melton who's out on the piste.

In addition to coming out of retirement in order to board the "PPE", the aforementioned "Smalls" created another "first" by bringing his homework with him - in this case a crate full of exercise books that required marking.  Yes sir!
There was also a surprise return to the line-up for the manager's eldest son, Tom (the recent lay-off having allowed him to sort a few things out) while Darren Thompson got the nod to replace the injured Wilks up top as Sumo retained his 4-2-3-1 formation.  Assistant AG and James Hope (young Hoppie) occupied the bench...well, at least for the first half!
Conditions were near perfect as I joined The Pistol and Shotgun Burt in the small covered stand on the near side of the main pitch.  Among the twenty-odd other souls present was a small but entertaining group of Groundhoppers from London.
As always you can check out our club website for a detailed-ish recording of the actual game (plus The Shotgun's full collection of snaps).  Suffice to say here that having taken the lead for the first time since late October, it was disappointing not to come away with all 3pts.  That said, Triston Burrell should have ensured we returned home empty-handed. 
The main talking point of the game, however, came off the field of play.  This was the "disappearance" of sub Hoppie.  Apparently, having been told by AG to get warmed ready for an early entry after the break, the lad instead got change and joined his dad for a car-bound dash back up to Hull and the Tigers' early evening televised clash with Sheffield Wednesday.  It's safe to say I was left pretty staggered by his actions.  Still, it certainly gave the nearby ground-hopper gang something to write in their books!

Jamie sees another 'win bonus' go begging

Overall, a point was about a fair result from a scrappy if still entertaining affair between noth sides showing the effects of recent inactivity.

There certainly won't have been much to worry the lad who asked me if Low Farm can accommodate a "full-sized bus...or two" ahead of his team's visit in a couple of weeks.  He was obviously from AFC Mansfield.
Afterwards, it was quite amusing to hear some of the lads cursing our inability to take all 3pts.  Indeed some of them were quite patronising about our hosts and had to be reminded that our current position doesn't allow such loftiness.  We are in a real scrap to move away from the wrong end of the table at the moment - I sometimes think some of our players still believe this is August and we've won three out of three!
Retirement to the 'Wood's impressive clubhouse held the promise of some cask ale courtesy of club sponsors, Greene King IPA.  Sadly it wasn't a great pint.  Pity.  Still, the chips were nice and the scores in the Championship helped put a smile on several of our faces. Hmm.
The enjoyable, alcohol-accompanied and incident-free ride back up to East Yorkshire - which included Debut Dave's intro to the "Thractor Song" - was to be blighted by news of City's horrible display against the Wendies.  In fairness I'd had a bad feeling about this game beforehand, and not just because in the run up to it Steve Bruce had been named December's Manager of the Month. Ah well, everyone's allowed a hiccup - some might say we've been having ours ever since those sunny days of August!

New Year, new...er...start?

Saturday 5th January

CML Challenge Cup Round 2

Easington United v Belper United - match postponed

Having enjoyed my two trips to watch the Tigers over the Festive Break, I was really looking forward to the New Year and the return to local action it would bring.  Oh well.

I should have known things weren’t going to turn out well when Mrs Slush was struck down by a virus that not only consigned her to a party-free New Year’s Eve.  Thus, instead of seeing in 2013 in the company of friends, I greeted it with a single glass of Balvenie Double Wood in front of Jools Holland’s annual Hootenany while from outside came the sounds of fireworks and – somewhat bizarrely – kids playing ‘Hide and Seek’.  I would term it a “low key” celebration.

Up early the following morning allowed me to take in a brisk walk around the village, which in turn helped set me up for my own “festivities” - an afternoon in the Granby, accompanied by the Slushettes.  A very fine pint or four of Tom Woods Lincoln Gold cushioned the blow.
Mrs Slush’s ailments also forced postponement of her impending operation to have her tonsils removed, scheduled for the first Friday of 2013.

Sensing that she was slightly disappointed by this fact – having got herself all psyched up for what isn’t the most pleasant of experiences - I thought it best not to mention that now I was no longer needed to drive to Castle Hill on Saturday afternoon, I could instead be down pitch-side at Low Farm…there’s a fine line between bravery and stupidity.

In the event any smugness I may have felt got its deserved comeuppance.  Having convinced myself on the Friday afternoon that the League Cup tie against Belper United would go ahead as planned, a subsequent inspection by locally-based referee Steve Spruce ruled otherwise.  It was going to be another blank Saturday down on the Farm…



Mauled by the Tigers

Saturday, 29th December

Football League Championship

Hull City 2 Leeds United 0

 

On Sunday 8th November 2009 I took my eldest daughter Emma to her first Hull City match, a Jimmy Bullard-inspired 2-1 win over Stoke City in the Premier League.  The Elder Slushette proceeded to accompany me to another half-dozen matches before the more, can I say, "girly" counter-attractions of shopping proved more tempting than a seat at the KC.

Thankfully, I had a ready-made replacement to take her place and, on Saturday 29th December 2012, the Younger Slushette accompanied me and my mate 'Biff' to The Circle for her first bit of Tiger-trekking.  She couldn't have wished for a more perfect debut.

I've no need to go into detail on the game, instead leaving this to the BBC and the excellent accounts in 'From Boothferry To Wembley' and 'Amber Nectar'.

What I would like to state here is that I don't think I'll ever get bored of telling people just how good I think this current City side is - and that's on the evidence of just five matches, one of which (away at Boro) was hardly a ringing endorsement.

The recent draw at home to Palace highlighted some of the exquisite approach play the team is capable of but without the cutting edge.  Ditto the draw against Leicester on Boxing Day.  And for 45 minutes of this one I feared my "jinx" (I'd yet to see a Tigers win in 2012/13) would continue.  Thankfully, two goals in quick succession ensured this would not be the case.

 

The Younger Slushette's first City souvenirs

On Radio Humberside afterwards, Steve Bruce used the term "bollocking" to describe what he'd delivered to some of the players for what he termed "show-boating".  And it's true that towards the end City were Arsenal-esque at times in their attempts to score the perfect goal.  But I would guess that most of the 23,453 inside the stadium lapped it up.

There was one particular episode near the South-West corner flag (i.e. directly in front of us) which reminded me a bit of that famous 1970s footage of Leeds toying with their opponents (Southampton?) at Elland Road.  Well, this time, it was Leeds on the receiving end.

It was enough to prompt a mass rendition of "You're getting mauled by the Tigers" - and not just from E1 but from right around the ground.  The irony of the chant appeared to be lost on the visiting supprt, several of whom later took to Twitter to describe how embarrassed they were by it.  Seems to me they should have been more embarrassed by the "mauling" their team had sustained rather than a tongue-in-cheek way of telling them so!

 

"Like taking candy from a baby"

On the way home my youngest assured me she'd enjoyed it, despite being unable to see every time the crowd rose in anticipation of another City goal and also in spite of the fact that the actual beauty of what she'd witnessed was really too much for a 6-year-old to fully appreciate.  Still, she's since asked when she can go again.  A flooded Low Farm pitch and the postponement of Mrs Slush's hospital op this coming Saturday might mean it's sooner than she'd have thought...

Boxing Day Fox Hunt

Wednesday 26th December

Football League Championship

Hull City 0 Leicester City 0

 



During my formative years of attending Hull City matches, Boxing Day was one of the trickiest fixture dates to negotiate, both in terms of getting a pass out and indeed actually getting to the game - especially if it was at home.

Years later, as a more occasional follower of the Tigers, Boxing Day remains one of the trickiest fixture dates to negotiate, both in terms of getting a pass out and indeed actually getting to the game - especially if it's at home. 

Those family commitments that didn't seem too important in my late teens are suddenly magnified where tea at the in-laws is concerned, while the worry over lack of public transport has been replaced by Mrs Slush's need of the car to transport her and my offspring to the aforementioned venue for our Boxing Day meal!

Thankfully, my pass for this attractive looking game had been stamped some time in advance.  And so, at just after half-past one Wednesday afternoon, I found myself enjoying the rare luxury of a pre-match pint (even if finding a decent cask ale near the ground was too much to ask).

Having only got round to ordering my ticket two days' earlier, I was nearly one of those caught out by the size of the "Picking-up" queue for this, the "Tenth Anniversary" game at the KC Stadium.  The size of said queue would lead some to believe the KC was in for its biggest gate of the season to date...and they were right.  Thankfully, having allowed myself a little extra time, I was in my seat well before kick-off, looking ahead to what I hoped would be a "Pants Down Pearson" affair...

 

A bigger than pocket sized 10th anniversary edition



That it wasn't was due to a very efficient performance by a well-organised (as you'd expect) Foxes outfit.

Having said that, City still looked the more likely.  Although new custodian of the Tigers leather, Eldin Jakupovic was called upon to make one fine first half save, it was the hosts who created the better chances.

Jay Simpson could have had a brace, including one header that we were sure had won it for us right at the death, while the impressive Sone Aluko was also denied by a full-length stop from Kasper Schmeichel.

Torrential rain during the second half accompanied us all the way back to the car parked down the Boulevard, which made keeping the special A4-sized Tenth Anniversary souvenir programme dry all the more awkward! 

Any frustration at the squandering of more points  at homewas soon eased by another excellent post-match Steve Bruce interview.

Having not been one of the former Man Ure man's biggest fans prior to appointment, the City boss has won me - and I suspect many others - over with not only the brand of football he has got his team playing but the excellent way he appears to conduct himeslf in the media.  Which, as we all know, is the only thing that really matters these days... 

 

The full BBC Sport report of the game can be found here.  Alternatively, catch Rick Skelton's version from the excellent 'From Boothferry To Wembley' blog. 

A Review of The Eastenders' Year

This piece appeared in Thursday's Holderness Gazette...

Eastenders reflect on the ups and downs of 2012

 

AS anticipated Easington United’s calendar year came to a soggy end with the First Team’s third consecutive postponement due to a waterlogged pitch.

They must now hope that Low Farm gets chance to dry out before January 5, when CML South high-fliers Belper United are scheduled to arrive in the League Cup.

At least the natural break provides a chance to reflect on a year of change at the club.

On the field 2012 saw The Eastenders attain their highest ever league placing in the “Football Pyramid”.  In addition, one of our teams moved up a division, one went down and all three changed managers.

At senior level, Dave Mackay-Dundas’s 16-year association as player, assistant-manager and manager came to an end last May, having taken the First Team to a top-ten placing in the Central Midlands League North Division.

Dave’s replacement in the “hot seat” was Sean McLaughlin.  “The Sumo” – as he is known to anybody with more than a passing interest in the local game – was joined at the helm by former skipper Andy Graham, Mike Nicholson and Tony Hunt, although Nicholson’s involvement has since been curtailed by other commitments.

After a bright start, the First Team has found this season an increasingly tough challenge.  However, given that recent line-ups have included only two or three players over 24 years of age, there is no cause for despair.  The players have shown themselves eager to learn and rarely willing to throw in the towel, which has provided a good grounding for the challenges that lay ahead. 

At ER County League level the Reserves enjoyed a mixed 2012.  The end of last season brought with it relegation to Division 1 but also a magnificent win in one of the finest South Holderness Cup Finals anyone can remember.

Under new manager Gavin Thurkettle and assistant Dave Gatti, the Stiffs are currently mounting a serious promotion bid and have also taken a couple of Premier Division scalps en route to a place in the quarter-finals of the League Senior Cup.

The Casuals gave outgoing manager Iain McNaught the perfect send-off with the Division 5 title, which was clinched in January – something unheard of in County League history.  They remained unbeaten throughout and but for a draw in their final game would have enjoyed a perfect campaign.

Taking up the reins for 2012/13, Daniel Campbell and assistant Jodi Stow have made a solid start to life in Division 4, although the expected departure of leading scorer Karl Hodgson leaves something of a void to fill in the New Year.

Behind the scenes, 2012 saw Richard Lusmore named the Central Midlands League’s ‘Secretary of the Year’ and Doug Clubley as ‘Volunteer of the Year’ by the East Riding County FA.

Chairman Doug’s 60 years’ celebration in November provided one of the off-field highlights, while the recent Race Night and Christmas Draw brought in much-needed funds, along with new partner club Sporting Withernsea Wolves’ inaugural tournament at Low Farm and October’s sponsored walk along the Humber Bank.

Proceeds from these not only prove a godsend but should also allow the club to make a significant donation to its chosen good cause, the Paediatric Nephrology Department at Leeds General Infirmary.

As we now look ahead to 2013, the Committee of Easington United AFC would like to thank all managers, players, supporters and sponsors for their efforts over the past twelve months.

For the latest news visit our website (www.easington-united.co.uk), follow us on Twitter at @EasingtonUtd or check out our Facebook page. 

Gerrin' me kicks on Yorkshire's Route 66

Review: ‘Route 66 – A Journey Around the Football Grounds of Yorkshire’

Firstly apologies.  This review is somewhat outdated, having been printed for the Phoenix match programme of 8th December, the first of three successive home games to fall victim to the weather.  It is also outdated inasmuch as I originally aimed it at those people looking for a Christmas stocking filler.  And finally, it's also outdated as I've since gone on to finish the book...something which wasn't true when this review was written.  Anyway, despite all that, here's hoping it will still tempt some of you to go out and buy it...

 

For a club of its size, Easington United has featured quite heavily in Yorkshire-based football publications. 

Steven Penny, once of the Yorkshire Post and author of the excellent Tykes Travels yearbooks, devoted a chapter to the club in his ‘Soap Stars & Burst Bubbles – A Season of Yorkshire Football’.  Easington also featured heavily in Hull writer Craig Ellyard’s 2002 book ‘Now Then – A Journey Across The Football Fields of East Yorkshire’, while numerous Ground-hoppers have written very complimentary posts about the Low Farm match day experience on various blogs and websites.   All of which has brought ‘The Eastenders’ welcome publicity. 

The latest addition to the set comes courtesy of ‘Route 66 – A Journey Around the Football Grounds of Yorkshire’ by Michael J Mowbray.

Midlands-born Michael is an adopted Yorkshireman and also, for his sins, a Leeds United fan.  He describes his quest to spend a season visiting all 66 Yorkshire football grounds at Step 7 level and above as a sign of his impending mid-life crisis.  (For the record my equivalent would currently appear to involve visiting every CML ground Easington United play at – preferably with an accompanying pint of real ale at a nearby hostelry!).

I must confess that my review of the book suffers one slight flaw in that I’ve not yet actually finished it.  But with Christmas rapidly approaching I feel the need to point you in the direction of it as a rather fabulous stocking-filler.

Actually, by the time you read this, I may well have reached the final whistle.  In addition to having read the first 33 chapters in sequence, for the purposes of this review I’ve also covered those ‘second half’ offerings that feature the remaining East Riding clubs - Bridlington Town (Chapter 42), Hull City (49), Hall Road Rangers (53) and of course Easington United (55) – as well as our fellow CML teams (Bentley Colliery, Yorkshire Main, Harworth Colliery, Thorne Colliery, Kiveton Park (v Easington, Chapter 62), Phoenix and Westella & Willerby).  So, I think I’ve digested enough to be able to judge it.

If there are failings with Route 66 they are few and far between and most can be overlooked, although I might have to ask him to double check my quote against Dronfield – did I really predict a win?  If so it must have been down to the sloe-gin.   

As you’d expect from what is essentially the work of a keen amateur, there’s the odd spelling mistake, the occasional gaffe (Queensway instead of Queensgate for Bridlington Town’s ground) and one of my personal pet hates when it comes to grammar - the regular use of the word “of” when it should be “have” (as in “would of predicted”).  But, unlike Mr Ellyard’s error-ridden offering, such slips don’t spoil the read.

The reason for this is because the content is excellent.  Not only in the rich diversity of football grounds visited but also in the little sub-plots involved in each chapter.

I particularly liked the author’s story of his walk from Scarborough to Bridlington for the Seadogs’ ‘home’ game against Staveley on a Tuesday in November; a feat which is almost matched in its foolhardiness by his decision to drive from his snow-bound Ilkley home to Bishop Burton and back, simply in order to tick Westella & Willerby off his list!

Michael’s attention to detail is excellent – though thankfully not overly so where the graffiti-adorned grandstand at Bentley Colliery is concerned! He also introduces some fantastic characters along the way, with Goole appearing to have more than its fair share.  That said I’m still trying to work out the identities of the ‘League of Gentleman’ extras he met on his visit to the “Humber Riviera”. (Note to Michael – “Humber” not “Hull”!)

Although some of the football watched would appear to have been fairly poor, the author still manages to find something that will keep the reader’s attention, whether it’s the quality of food on offer, a particular incident involving sons George and Lucas (of which there are too many for his liking) or just the general scene around him.  He also has a very amusing knack of managing to miss goals due to various reasons.

Certainly those of you who’ve travelled away with Easington will relate to many of his observations – the clubhouse atmosphere at Harworth, the “big lads” in the Kinsley team and the smell of cannabis at Yorkshire Main!  On the debit side, I can’t believe he passed up the pies at Bentley Colliery or the range of ales available in the clubhouse at Phoenix.  Perhaps he’s saving these for a Route 66 Revisited?

There are also some items Michael now perhaps regrets including.  For example he won’t be the only person who thought Jimmy Savile deserving of a gushing tribute in the immediate wake of his death.  Thankfully, this is more than offset by similar pieces on the much worthier Gary Speed and Arthur Wharton.

On a personal note, I smiled at a description (admittedly not Michael’s) of the CML as “park football with no stands or beer”.  I also took as a real compliment his comment that “it must take years to get to this level of an anorak” in relation to a piece I’d written about Hutton Cranswick, even though I’m not sure it was intended thus!

In addition to a foreword by Michael Vaughan, what really sets this book apart from being just another Ground-hopper’s Travelogue are the author’s child-related scrapes.  Tales of the hazards encountered when taking young sons to games, while trying to record events for posterity, gives Route 66 a human feel that is perhaps lacking from similar publications.

I found (or should I say, am still finding) the book both informative and entertaining.  I’d like to think many of you will back yourselves to do the same. 

 

You can also check out Michael's excellent new website of the same name.