50 Not Out

It's Friday night and I've completed my first fifty posts of total and utter tosh. Time for a celebration with three of my fave tracks of 2010 so far...







Here's to a maiden century!

Three Steps To Seven

The CML vote on regionalisation has put the Eastenders ahead of schedule...

...And a Step 7 Ground?

Although it is yet to be confirmed by official announcement, a Special General Meeting of the Central Midlands League on Wednesday night saw member clubs vote through a proposal to reorganise the competition into a North and South Division next season.

Details remain sketchy at this time but it would appear that both divisions will be at Step 7 with the eventual champions eligible for promotion to the Northern Counties East League (North) and the East Midlands Counties League (South) subject to them meeting the required ground grading criteria.

In short this is a win-win for Easington. For a start we cut down on travelling costs while our eventual aim of progressing to NCEL football is brought one step closer.

But seemingly our enthusiasm isn’t shared by all.

In their immediate response to the decision some posters on the various Non-League boards were quite scathing about how much, or rather how little, information had been made available to the clubs. Interestingly it was pointed out that the motion didn’t have the full backing of the League Management Committee (although it later transpired that this was more to do with members abstaining as they felt the decision should be wholly down to the clubs).

Concerns were also raised about how certain struggling clubs likely to be in the new “South” Division – Bulwell, Welbeck and Thoresby were quoted as examples – would cope when competing with the likes of Forest Town and Sutton Town “who are paying their players”.

Questions were asked about the exact definition of “North” and “South” (the line given was from “Mablethorpe to Chesterfield”) and what say those clubs “on the border” might have in deciding which division they join.

Finally, there was the argument put forward that in light of the recent acceptance of clubs from local County leagues into the NCEL without having to come through a supposed feeder competition (e.g. Sheffield clubs Athersley Recreation and Handsworth FC) the CML is now irrelevant.

It was this part of the argument that got me thinking.

When we decided to “jump ship” and join the CML one of the warnings given to us was that should the Humber Premier League get Step 7 we could be “forced” back into the East Riding to play our football. Furthermore, the fact that we are currently not members of a Step 7 competition (only the CML Supreme Division boasts that status) meant there would be no obligation to restore our HPL Premier Division status on our return. In short we could end up back at a level below that from which we departed. Undeterred we pressed ahead with our move.

To be fair I always thought the talk of the HPL getting Step 7 status appeared somewhat remote given the state of some of the grounds therein when set against the criteria adhered to by would-be members of the CML Supreme Division. Compare South Normanton’s Lees Lane to Malet Lambert School for example!

Lees Lane - would you rather play here or on a school pitch?

Then the new Step 7 criteria guidelines arrived, as announced by the FA. Flicking through them it immediately becomes apparent why the HPL is confident of achieving that level.

In short, the new requirements are hardly a step-up from what was needed to gain us entry into the HPL as founder members in 2000. Indeed, if anything they suggest a lowering of standards, a move backwards.

Take Section 1.4 (Boundary of Ground) “There is no requirement for a ground to be enclosed in any way”. This is a step back from one of the original HPL requirements and to me this is akin to reverting to playing on park and/or school grounds where pitches stand side-by-side with balls whizzing over from all directions during the course of play. Not what we signed up for.

But before getting too worked up about such things it’s worth noting that the Grading Level is a three-tier affair, comprising Step 7, Step 7A & Step 7B. There is a certain percentage of the league’s membership required in order to gain the desired Grading and perhaps that is where the HPL may come up short?

However, even if the Humber Premier League does attain the same level as the CML, I for one am keen to remain where we are. Ever since we entered our new surrounds we have had nothing but encouragement from those in charge as well as our fellow clubs (okay, apart from the comments surrounding our location…or rather the time taken to get there!).

In addition, by setting their own ground grading requirements significantly higher than was necessary, the Central Midlands League has ensured that clubs are well placed to mount an eventual move up to the next stage, Step 6. That is where we would like to be and, thanks to Wednesday’s vote, I believe that dream may have inched just that little bit nearer.  Only time will tell...

Soaking it up!

Saturday 20th March - Thorne Colliery (home) Won 2-0

I’m suffering from “Blog Block”. It’s now Wednesday night and I still haven’t composed more than a couple of lines to describe Saturday’s latest “ground-out” victory in the CMFL.

At first I thought this was due to recent “Blog Overkill”, especially around the time of the Bonanza. Then I wondered whether it was my preoccupation with producing a second programme in as many weeks. Finally I began to suspect it was down to the onset of “man flu”, brought on by a couple of hours spent at a dark, damp and dreary Low Farm on the day in question...

The result of four late nights and three early mornings

...But then it came to me. The real reason why I’ve struggled to write anything meaningful about Saturday’s 2-0 win over Thorne Colliery before now is simply because there’s no way I can do so without being complimentary about Charlie Holden. And that doesn’t sit very well!

"Fans Favourite" aka Tosser Chaz

(But a bloody good keeper)

I might as well come straight out with it. Our goalkeeper was simply magnificent on Saturday. There, I’ve said it. Of course, by the time you read this, Charlie will no doubt have told all and sundry just how magnificent he was via one of his thousand or so daily Facebook postings. But I suppose there’s nothing better than reading and/or hearing it from someone else.

In heaping such praise on the self-appointed “Fans Favourite”, I must temper it by also stating that as good as his display was against Thorne Colliery, it pales into insignificance when set against Kevin Appleyard’s performance in the 2002 ERCFA Senior Cup semi-final against Bridlington Town at Dene Park. Captured for posterity in Craig Ellyard’s “Now Then!” book on East Yorkshire football, Appleyard’s performance that night was the nearest thing I’ve ever seen to a real “one-man show” on a football field. Compared to that performance, Charlie’s on Saturday was, well, “alright”!

The Elder Slushette (right) has the best seat (next to the Choccy tin)

while Thommo realises he should be somewhere else!

On the back of the Yorkshire Main result and in a week in which Hull City Football Club occupied the sports pages of the nationals again, my main concern in preparing the programme for the upcoming visit of Thorne Colliery was how to do justice to Andy Medcalf’s and Burt Graham’s sterling efforts with their respective cameras the previous fortnight. Between them they’d captured almost 300 shots of Bonanza day and many were worthy of publication in the match programme. It was just a case of whittling them down!

A fine week’s weather ensured there would be no danger of a “wasted effort” programme-wise (a la the Parkhouse game) although significant rainfall Friday night did leave the ‘Pitch across the Ditch’ somewhat damp ahead of the visit of Haltemprice Reserves for a County League Division 5 fixture.

AG: "Eh up Chav, their skipper's touching the lino up"

CH: "Nah, he's seen his name-tag hanging out the back of his shorts"

On Friday evening - as I awaited what would turn out to be a significant night the Mighty Robins at Headingley Carnegie - I fielded a couple of calls from concerned Hoppers, one from “South Derbyshire” and the other from London, both enquiring about the prospects of the game going ahead. I assured both gentlemen that there was no problem but that I would go down on Saturday morning and have another look. This I did and as I departed to take the Elder Slushette to her Dance Class I left instructions with Mrs Slush on the message she should relay to said Hoppers. This she did. Neither came. I ask you!

The calm before the storm...

The rain that both Hoppers had mentioned the previous evening finally returned to this corner of East Yorkshire at midday – and would stay with us until well into the evening.

The return to three o’clock kick-offs allowed those who wished to do so to take in the Casuals’ game across the ditch. Unfortunately, for the half-a-dozen or so squad members who braved the elements to check up on their club-mates, a late kick-off meant they got about five minutes action in return for their soaking!

"Haltemprice? Straight on, past the en suite, yours is third on the left..."

It’s always amusing when Low Farm stages these types of “double-headers” to watch the reaction of the visiting team for the “junior” fixture. From an initial look of pleasant surprise at the surroundings on arrival in the car park, this usually changes the minute you explain that they’re not actually on this pitch or indeed in these changing rooms and direct them instead to the portacabins at the far end. “No there are no toilets”. “Showers? Who are you trying to kid?” I know, I know, in this day and age all changing rooms should at least possess running water etc. But the “P.a.t.D.” is only meant to be a temporary arrangement, tying us over until the major development of Low Farm is complete! We’ll look at it again in five years time!

As for our visitors on the main pitch, the greeting their first member uttered was to be expected: “Eh, it’s a fucking long way aht ‘ere intit?”

  

Next week Burt's going to invest in a camera that works in wet weather! 

Thorne Colliery narrowly missed out on the CML Team of the Month Award for February and arrived at ‘The Farm’ on the back of some impressive recent results, including wins over Parkhouse and FC Brimington.

Sadly they hadn’t brought any of their “infamous” Colliery Boys with them, meaning there would be no repeat of the unique Moorends atmosphere experienced back in November.

They did, however, bring Darren Fell along and the scorer of both goals in our 2-2 draw at their place was soon into his stride, a stinging 25-yarder being palmed away by a fully-extended Holden.

That came a minute after Jamie Cousins’ sweet strike had almost given us an early lead. Two minutes in and the game was making us forget the weather already.

Not for the first time in his life Mozzer is left to rue a lack of inches

Chances came at both ends and from one, Gavin snuck us into a 20th minute lead courtesy of a smart close-range finish. As you’ll gather from the grainy nature of the pics, it wasn’t a day for Burt and his extendable lens.

Gav puts his fag out just long enough to notch one

That we took this lead into the break was down in no small measure to the aforementioned “Fans Favourite”. Twice more in the half he denied Fell, both saves from close range headers, the first a truly amazing acrobatic effort that had to be seen to be believed.

And when the keeper was beaten, either the finish was off target, as per Darren Brown on 28mins, or a defender came to the rescue as with Bezza’s superb last-ditch effort to deny the hapless Fell.

Not that it was all one-way and Gav saw a second “goal” chalked off for somebody running across the keeper’s line of vision at a free-kick.

We were going to need that second goal.

Half-time was spent in the pleasant company of Thorne’s Paul & Joy, and Peter & Ben Dettmar, representing our match sponsors. And while Paul, with some justification, bemoaned his side’s lack of good fortune, all agreed that it was turning out to be an excellent game given the conditions.

The mood at the start of the second half was buoyed by news of a rare victory for the Casuals (see previous post) although not-such-good tidings of the Reserves’ trip to Beverley served to take the gloss off things.

Thankfully, Charlie continued to raise local spirits, producing a stunning double-save at the start of the second half; this time Ross Ebbage the unfortunate striker. And the Thorne man’s day was to get a whole lot worse on 64mins when, having just seen Holden save from him again, an altercation between the two prompted a straight red from the otherwise jovial Mr Birkett.

Despite going a man down the visitors continued to probe for an equaliser and it was with a huge degree of relief that the hardy crowd of 36 (head count) greeted Farny’s strike in off the post which confirmed the points with just five minutes to go.

Dooley Cousins can't believe Thommo has made such a mess of this chance

Both Chav and sub Thommo then had chances to extend the lead but, in truth, that would have been very harsh on the visitors.

One plus-point of wet weather games now is that spectators tend to seek the cover of ‘The Shed’, the rather grandiose-sounding Bonus Electrical Shelter, the lean-to erected during the close season. You don’t need many in there before the banter flows freely – especially when, as on this occasion, we were joined by a very happy bunch of Casuals second half!

Young Stan asks his Rhino dad how Hull KR got on last night!
(Never thought we'd see a descendant of Bob Eldon wearing Ezzie colours!)

Some downer was applied to the day by news of City’s late capitulation at Fratton Park and I was doubly peeved when I discovered that several players had forgotten all about their post-match responsibilities. (You’d think they could manage to take a couple of nets down between them!)
With all and sundry (including the Elder Slushette) departed for the pub, I was left at a depressingly bleak looking Farm still struggling to get the result rung through and beginning to feel increasingly sorry for myself.
This feeling was exacerbated on arrival at The Granby with the news that a “communication breakdown” had resulted in most of our opposition and some of our own party having adjourned to the wrong pub. Of course I copped for it all. And for a split-second, standing there soaking wet through, with no money to pay the referee, nobody else to point the finger at and…more importantly…no cask ale to console myself with, I almost felt compelled to end it all there & then. Tender my resignation. Say “F__k it”, and leave all this General Manager malarkey to someone else. But if I did that, what excuse would I have to write this tosh on a weekly basis?
And suddenly, the “Blog Block” had gone…

Good Things Come To Those Who Wait

Saturday 20th March
Easington Utd Casuals 3 Haltemprice Reserves 1
Scorers: Rich Clubley, John Clarke (pictured), Neil Rutter

Casuals player-manager Iain McNaught was reminded on Saturday that the last time he told wife Sarah his team had won at home she countered with the news she was pregnant. Their daughter is now 14 years old.

Only kidding...although in recent weeks it has probably felt that long!

Check back later in the week to read more about this and the game going on behind Clarkey's back...

The Brown Stuff

Just sometimes, Hull City fans really p___ me off…

It’s been one “Hull” of a week for supporters of The Tigers, a group I still number myself among even though my other commitments render me somewhat detached from the club these days.

First there was the departure of Phil Brown on “Gardening Leave”, just a day or so after one of the Tigers’ grittiest performances of the season.

Then, following much speculation about his possible successor in the media – Megson, Hughes, Curbishley, Coppell, Venables and Grant all commanding air time and column inches – the man eventually unveiled as Adam Pearson’s chosen one turns out to be somebody who allegedly once described a move to Hull as “a slap in the face” for his family (a quote that has since been strenuously denied I may add).

As the City Chairman has since acknowledged, Iain Dowie’s appointment at the KC Stadium may not possess the “Wow!” factor so craved by many fans (although looking at the earlier list, how many do?) but is it really deserving of some of the vitriol it has provoked? I don’t think so.

It is at times like this that I ought to steer clear of message boards, forums and radio phone-ins. I get wound-up too easily. Some of the stuff I’ve read and heard in the wake of Browny’s departure and Dowie’s arrival has been little short of pathetic.

Wednesday night was a case in point. First caller to Radio Humberside’s Sports Talk was Gavin, a “long-time Hull City supporter”.

Now I’ll admit, I’ve got issues with the Gavin in question (for if I’m not mistaken - and forgive me if I am - I’m almost certain from the sound of his voice that it was Gavin Kenny, one-time manager of Hedon United during their Humber Premier League days).

For a start I never did like the way he belittled our style of play during the time it was customary for The Eastenders to give his side a good whipping. However, that’s a side issue. More pertinent here is the fact that up until, ooh let me see, about 2008, this very same “long-time Hull City supporter” had had a funny way of showing his allegiance; which, every time I saw him, involved wearing at least one item of clothing bearing the logo of Newcastle United!

But even allowing for this second source of irritation – and let’s remember dear reader that my formative years were built around support for the Leeds team that Don built so perhaps I should cast no stones – the caller then further reinforced my suspicions that he’s a typical “KC-come-lately” (as Marcus Dysch refers to his ilk in his fine Daring To Dream blog ) by talking complete b______s about how his “fellow” City fans should receive their new boss at Pompey this weekend. He then went on to say he knew “many” supporters who had already decided to rip-up their 2010/11 season pass renewal forms in protest, showing just how strongly they all felt (although if they were existing pass-holders these forms would have already had to be returned.  Hmm).

Sadly Gavin wasn’t the only one and as the show went on I became more and more dismayed by the prevailing negativity. Whether it was the respective merits and/or timing of Brown’s sacking or the choice of his replacement, Adam Pearson received a caning from those who only months earlier had labelled him a “saviour”. Indeed at one point somebody texted in to label the Tigers Chairman “a total disgrace”. In fairness this was in response to the unfortunate dismissal of Brian Horton that followed the arrival of Dowie’s own backroom staff but even so…

Not surprisingly the national media were also at it. This piece by Louise Taylor in The Guardian in the immediate wake of Brown’s demise was typical of some of the crap spouted over the course of the week.

Thankfully, articles like the above can always be counter-balanced by the likes of Matthew Rudd’s in When Saturday Comes. And when Sports Talk really gets me down I now know I can rely on the aforementioned Mr Dysch and others to put a more balanced and often better-informed slant on proceedings. In similar vein I urge you to read the excellent Boyhood Dreams and equally enjoyable Three O’Clock At Kempton blogs. You might just achieve a much-needed sense of perspective.

Don’t get me wrong. I too was underwhelmed by Dowie’s appointment. However, I must also add that in the days since, the things I’ve heard and read both the new manager and his chairman say have given me renewed optimism.

Phil Brown helped provide me with certainly the greatest sporting day of my life and for that he will never be forgotten. But it should also be remembered that when first appointed, the reaction among many City fans was not too dissimilar to that which has greeted the arrival of Dowie. Who’s to say the new man can’t take The Tiger Nation on another memorable journey?

And at least give the guy a chance before turning into Gavin.

The Main Event

Saturday 13th March - Yorkshire Main (away) Drew 1-1

Doesn't look a day over 50

So as we headed back up the M18 from Edlington and I reflected on a hard-earned point against a very useful Yorkshire Main side, while also enjoying the pleasures of a second can of Scrumpy Jack from the recent stock purchased from an offy in Thorne, I thought to myself, "It hasn't been a bad 44th birthday really, all things considered." 

Then Bendtner scored at the KC...

The start of my 45th year on this earth began quietly enough. With Mrs Slush in Sheffield and the Elder Slushette on a sleepover, there was just my youngest to help me welcome another sunny morning in through the windows of Slush Towers.

Unfortunately, the three-year-old Younger Slushette isn’t big on protocol so instead of “Happy Birthday Daddy” I got “Can we have breakfast now?” at just after 6.25am.

In fairness, she did ask me if I was opening my cards and presents. Or rather she offered to open them for me. Amusingly the first one had a tender message in it along the lines of “Don’t talk shite all your life…have a day off!” Obviously not a Blog/Twitter follower then??!!

What every self-respecting man wants for his 44th birthday

With the return to 3pm kick-offs offering more time for “relaxation” on a Saturday morning, we took ourselves off for a stroll to the shop, calling in at the ground to pick up the balls and first aid bag ahead of the trip to Edlington.

Having arranged for Photographer Burt to ensure the kit was loaded on to the bus at The Granby, I decided to pop into the pub on the way back just to check all was present and correct. It’s a good job I did. For had we stuck to the original plan the lads would have been treated to a kit coming out of the bag at Yorkshire Main in much the same state as it had gone into it on conclusion of the previous week’s game against Hutton Cranswick!

“Well, what’s happened there?” said dear old Dora our long-serving laundry lady.

“Erm, I’d guess it’s not been washed” I suggested, helpfully.

Not to worry. One thing we’re blessed with at Easington is an abundance of kits. I’d take the Reserve team strip and they could play in one of the blue numbers. Sorted…

Well, not quite. When I say abundance of kits the emphasis is very much on the “s”. For in that particular second-team strip there was a distinct lack of “kit”. Indeed only 12 shirts and 11 shorts were present. And we had a squad of fourteen. Time for kit change number two…

By this time it was nearing the point where I had to deposit my youngest with her grandparents (so much for the “relaxing” morning). But there was more to come…

“Katie, where’s your other trainer?”

“Don’t know”

“What do you mean ‘don’t know’? You’ve been out with two on and now there’s only one here. Where did you take it off?"

“Don’t know”

Count to ten time.

“Right, where have you been since we got home?” Kitchen – checked, Play Room – checked, upstairs – checked…I’m starting to lose it now. “Katie, I’m not getting mad sweetheart but WHERE’S YOUR OTHER TRAINER?”
I did well to refrain from swearing. The heart rate was getting faster. The blood pressure was rising.

No answer was forthcoming. It was now half-past eleven and we were going at twelve. Then I looked at the Reserve team kit back sat waiting to be returned to the pub. No, she couldn’t have…she could. Phew. Kids, don’t you just love ‘em?!

A photographer, a supporter & a dangerous driver

If boarding the minibus was supposed to bring a return to normality it didn’t; mainly thanks to Driver Pete’s attempts to emulate the feats being performed by Messrs. Schumacher and co in Bahrain. One particular manoeuvre coming out of Ottringham had all of us checking to see whether cloth had been touched around the rear end!

"You can't leave that wheel there?"

Thankfully there were no other such incidents en route to the People’s Republic of South Yorkshire and it was a happy crew that made its way down the motorway.  Well, that is except goalkeeper Charlie Holden (whose latest real-life trauma prompted the usual sympathy from those on board i.e. "F___ off Chaz") and those unfortunate enough to be sitting within five yards of Farny ("Sorry lads, it's the Mexican chicken and garlic potatoes I had last night"). Still such things serve to pass the time and at ten to two we passed the old wheel that forms part of the entrance to the Yorkshire Main Miners Welfare Ground.

The relief at getting there in one piece is shown by Gav's urgent need for nicotine, Farny checking his balls are intact and the fact that apart from Mozzer, everybody's trainers have turned white with fear!

In olden days they'd whistle dahn t'pit for Yorkshire & England's next fast bowler

Similar to its fellow former Colliery grounds, there was a certain air of neglect around the venue, particularly as you first stride out from the back of the Welfare Club and across the cricket pitch to the football ground beyond.

The remains of the old machine gun turret can still be seen

This is reinforced by the need for barbed wire fencing around the changing rooms complex and the amount of litter left strewn around the pitch boundary, which today included a supermarket shopping trolley.

However, despite the unflattering exterior, the aforementioned complex itself is tidy enough and has recently benefited from a new Officials’ Changing Area & Disabled/Ladies Toilet (courtesy of the Coalfields Regeneration Trust according to the programme). The internal walls of the main foyer are bedecked with team photos from the past, illustrating the changing trends in football fashion, along with a framed list of the Club’s recent Honours.
Formed in the 1920s as Edlington Rangers the Club changed to Yorkshire Main FC in the Fifties but like its predecessor continued to ply its trade in the local leagues.

However, in 1980 a forward-thinking committee decided on a move into regional football, culminating in membership of the Northern Counties East League in 1983/84.  Unfortunately the Miners Strike and closure of the pit in 1985 prompted an exodus of players and after struggling on for a few years Main were forced out in 1991.
Entering the Central Midlands League in 1998 Main gained promotion to the Supreme Division ten years later only to come straight back down due to lack of working floodlights.  If they can finally succeed in overcoming this perennial off-the-field problem this season, on it they look well placed for another tilt at the top-flight. 

"I might not get as close to him as this during the game!"

Hard to imagine they've ever had a winter here

"Charlie, I'm telling you, she won't have finished with you.

Now can you please get your mind back on the game?!"

The route from the changing rooms to the pitch is a somewhat tight and unusual one but the playing surface itself looked in remarkably good nick. Unlike many of its contemporaries, Edlington Lane doesn’t have a main stand running along one side (I remember Main’s affable chairman, Matthew Wynne, telling me on his last visit to Easington that it is one of the few grounds where the local colliery didn’t build one).

  

Instead there are two brick built shelters, which sit astride the halfway line on both sides of the pitch. The nearest one to the changing rooms also houses the dugouts.
The ground also boasts brand new floodlights.  Okay so they're not working yet but they look pretty impressive when casting their shadow across the pitch.

Mack knew that anything gained against a team which had already beaten us twice this season would be hard-earned. So he must have been delighted when, on a perfect afternoon for football, we made a similar start – Farny stooping to head home Gav’s corner on 11mins.

Gav has a sneaky drag in the corner before delivering for Farny to head home

The home defence stand off him on account of the over-powering smell of garlic

Along with three other members of the regular travelling “Green Arrrrrmy” I’d positioned myself on the opposite side of the ground to watch proceedings, where we were joined by what constituted the Main Ultras – a dozen or so young lads of varying ages whose observations on the game may well have been influenced by the strange herbal aroma that appeared to emanate from within their section of the Shelter!    

View from t'other side

It was all harmless banter (enjoyed particularly by Mozzer Snr.) and our enjoyment of it was helped by a first half in which we appeared comfortable in coping with the home side’s attack.
In particular our centre half pairing of skipper AG – making his 400th Easington appearance – and new boy Danny Blount were exceptional in their control at the back. Just how good their performance was didn’t really become apparent until the difficulties of coping with the second half sun were later highlighted by those around them.

Andrew Graham - 400 not out

Getting to the break a goal up, I ventured in for my half-time cuppa to the accompanying sounds of Main manager Dave Twigg giving his team a right going-over…which was nice. Unfortunately I then phoned the Farm to be told of further defeats for both our County League sides in the 2pm kick-offs…which wasn’t so nice.

Chaz takes his mind off his domestic issues long enough to hold on to this one

The aforementioned roasting during the interval obviously worked for the hosts who tore into us from the start of the second period. And it was therefore no surprise when lanky skipper Dan Jarvis lashed home the equaliser on the hour.

What was probably more surprising was that the seemingly inevitable second goal never came. Ryan White – sent off the last time these two teams met – passed up two glorious chances while Michael Sides was denied by the post.
Then, as we entered the final few minutes we had our first real sniff of the second half, sub Karl H fleetingly finding himself in space on the left side of the box but choosing to shoot (tamely) from an acute angle when a pull back to “Torres” might have been the better option.

Sometimes the chance of glory is gone before you know it!

There would be time for one more chance and it came via the third of three corners in injury time. Unfortunately AG failed to cap his milestone appearance with a winning goal, his header flying over the bar.

The final whistle was greeted with disappointment on both sides – the hosts’ for failing to back-up the previous week’s fine win at leaders Church Warsop, ours for letting the half-time advantage slip. But as Mack was keen to point out, we again proved what a hard team to beat we are and with three of the next four games to come at home, the lads should take heart from the display.

Not open to players of Yorkshire Main FC...apparently

Retiring to the nearby Welfare Club it quickly became apparent that (a) this was not the place to watch the Tigers take on The Arse in the day's late kick-off and (b) not many home players would be joining us.

The aforementioned Main Chairman, Matthew, wasn’t surprised by this fact and looked totally and utterly p____d off with the whole day’s proceedings. With not the best pint of Theakston’s I’d ever tasted and little evidence to back-up the benefit of staying put, I asked if it would add to his woes if we were to shoot off after this drink and find a pub showing the footy.  Thankfully, no offence was taken and offered advice on a possible venue.

He directed us to the Graceholme up the road and so, some five minutes later, we were parked in said establishment just in time to see Arshavin fire the Gunners ahead.

Live toneet - 'Ull Citeh v some Cockney Tw_ts

Despite another cask-less selection (I opted for the John Smith Smooth) there a great atmosphere in the place, boosted by Jimmy Bullard’s equalising penalty – the celebrations at which prompted a few raised eyebrows among the regulars!

Gav struggles with modern technology while Chaz takes advice from "three wise men"

"There's Adam who? on the phone..."

(sorry, that's the next Blog Post!)

Man Mountain & the new boy Blount show concern over Chaz's current status

Meanwhile Mozzer wonders if there was a hole in that toilet paper...

...and (far left) Gavin's still struggling to come to terms with the phone!

With several of our party having prior engagements in town, we re-boarded in the immediate wake of Boateng’s injury-time dismissal and headed for home (via the obligatory stock-up of ale of course).

All aboard the Fun Bus

A Leeds fan enjoys the result from the KC Stadium

The banter was again first-class (in spite of Charlie's "problems") and I was just beginning to think what a good day I’d had when Blounty tapped me on the shoulder.

“Bendtner, 93rd minute.” 

I hate birthdays.

(FOOTNOTE: You'll all no doubt be pleased to know that immediately following this trip it was announced that Chaz is all loved up again.  Tosser.  But Farny still stinks of garlic!)

Thanks to Burt for most of the camera work