February 2014

February was another month in which the weather played a major part, the only action at Low Farm coming on the last Saturday!  With City's home game against Southampton providing my only other source of live sport, at least February saw me go full steam ahead on 'A Hull Of A Time' book and blog...

Saturday 1st February

CML North Division

Easington United v Kinsley Boys - match postponed

Although this picture doesn't perhaps show the pitch in its worst light, rest assured that those areas that are brown were, shall we say, very soft underfoot.  In particular the far end penalty area was very wet with small areas of standing water, as was the far touchline.  We'd wait another week...

Saturday 8th February

CML North Division

Ollerton Town v Easington United - match postponed

Saturday 15th February

CML North Division

Easington United v Westella Hanson - match postponed

...Or three as it turned out!  Suddenly the late start to the season and the fact we'd not yet been given one of the Yorkshire floodlit grounds midweek meant our backlog problems were beginning to look a tad serious.

Tuesday 11th February

FA Premier League

Hull City 0 Southampton 1

Hmm, not quite as enjoyable as my most recent visit to the KC Stadium.  Still, fair play to the Saints who looked an excellent side and to their support, who travelled in numbers and were superb throughout.

The Daily Telegraph match report can be read here.  Amber Nectar's account of the night can be read here.

Sunday 16th February
Rugby League Superleague
Hull Kingston Rovers 6 Leeds Rhinos 34

Rovers' big day fell somewhat flat!  The first day of the new season brought a near capacity crowd of over 11,500 to the re-branded KC Lightstream Stadium (Craven Park) but Leeds blew their hosts away with a scintillating second half performance.  Former Hull FC winger added insult to injury with a hat-trick of tries.

At least a certain East Stand cockerel managed to keep me entertained - especially when putting Rhinos skipper Kevin Sinfield off during his normally reliable goal-kicking routine.  In fairness the Leeds man took it all in good heart, casting a smile in his barracker's direction after finally nailing one late on.

The BBC match report can be read here.  Hull KR's own report can be read here.

Saturday 22nd February

ER County League Premier Division

Easington United Reserves 1 Beverley Town Reserves 2

Ah, football at Low Farm at last.  While the First Team were eking out a valuable point on the road at Sherwood Colliery, I contented myself with the Stiffs against current league leaders Beverley Town Reserves.  Perhaps wisely I ventured only briefly across the ditch to where the Casuals were receiving something of a tonking at the hands of Withernsea.

Reserves match report here.  Photos on Facebook here.

First Team report at Sherwood here and Facebook photos from that game here. 

January 2014

It's perhaps fitting that the start of a New Year is accompanied by a new direction for this blog.  Due to my ongoing commitments with A Hull Of A Time, I can no longer commit to producing lengthy accounts on here of individual matches seen or any other tosh I used to decide was worthy of my input.  However, in not wishing to see A Game In Four Quarters die completely, I intend to run it as a monthly log that still charts the progress of 'The Pride Of Holderness' along with any other games I get to see.  So here goes for a round-up of month one...

Saturday 4th January

CML Challenge Cup Round 3

Easington United 1 Belper United 4

My match report (with pictures) can be read here.

Further pictures can be found on our Facebook page here.

The Belper report can be found here.

Saturday 11th January

CML North Division

Brodsworth Welfare 3 Easington United 0

My match report can be read here.

Further pictures can be found here.

Saturday 18th January

CML North Division

Easington United v Clay Cross Town - match postponed

Saturday 25th January

ERCFL Premier Division

Easington United Reserves v Sculcoates Amateurs Reserves - match postponed

ERCFL Division 4

Easington United Casuals v Holme Rovers Reserves - match postponed

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... 

 



Oh Bugger

Saturday 12th November

CML North Division

Easington United v Bentley Colliery

Match Postponed

I’d predicted this would happen from the moment I read Chris Toyne’s comments on the unofficial CML Message Board, late on Thursday night.

As I browsed his self-penned reasons for resigning as Bentley Colliery manager and glanced at the pile of match programmes sat neatly awaiting final collation by the side of my desk, a little voice inside was saying, “You won’t be needing them then!”

Sure enough, the call came at just after ten the following morning; CML Secretary Mark Senior informing me that due to the upheaval caused by the resignation of their manager, Bentley Colliery felt unable to fulfil Saturday’s fixture.   

“Gutted” is I believe the proper term for such moments.
However, it wasn’t the first time during the week I’d felt such deflation.  Nor was it the first time I'd second-guessed an event that would prompt such feelings.  
That had occurred whilst listening to Nigel Pearson’s post-match interview with local radio's Burnsy in the immediate wake of City’s home defeat by West Ham the previous Saturday.  “That’s it, he’s off”, I said to my brother-in-law as we awaited the fun, games and excellent fodder that constitutes the annual Cooper family fireworks night.  He wasn’t convinced.  “What’s he supposed to say?  The club hasn’t been approached yet so why should he speculate.”  A good point perhaps but I still thought the opportunity was there to lay all rumours to rest and pledge his future to the Tigers.  He didn’t.  And by Monday it was clear he was on his way back to Leicester.  
Reaction to the news was mainly a mixture of sadness and bitterness, with the likes of Amber Nectar and regular Tigers blogger Marcus Dysch offering some of the more thoughtful analysis.  Those filling the comments threads on the Hull Daily Mail site and/or ringing Radio Humberside's Sports Talk programme, less so! 

Going?

Much closer to home, another individual apparently on his way out of a club was youngster Fitzy who, according to Coach Nicho's interpretation of the text he'd received, was making himself unavailable for us for the foreseeable future. 
At with any level of football, this isn't unusual, especially when a player feels - rightly or wrongy - that he's been dealt a harsh hand selection-wise.   It usually translates as a way of ensuring the manager soon comes calling, almost begging the player to reconsider.  Not sure if that was the intention in this case but if so he's likely to be disappointed.  Nicho’s played under Dave Start at Reckitts and learnt a lot.  There’d be no phone call – at least not this week!
Not that I didn't feel some sympathy with the plight of the lad.  Ever since it was agreed between management and players that this season would see us adopt a more "ruthless" approach to team selection, I could foresee problems - everyone will agree to a manager picking his "best eleven" when they all think they're in it!  And so, when it dawned on Karl he was no longer a shoo-in on the left side of midfield, a feeling that his Saturdays could be better spent elsewhere crept in.  He's not the first to make himself "unavailable for selection until further notice" and I've no doubt he won't be the last.  
Similarly he's perhaps another player to suffer from having "smoke blown up his arse" by other people, namely those who tempted him along to Bridlington Town over the summer.  Perhaps the fact you're on the books of a Northern Counties East League side should ensure you a place at CML level?  Perhaps without having to put quite the same effort in as others?  Not according to Mack and Nicho.
I don't know, maybe I'm doing the lad a disservice.  On his day, Fitzy is certainly a very destructive presence for opposition defenders, either down the flank or through the middle.  Hopefully, he'll realise that there can still be some good times to be had with the lads at Low Farm.  We'll see.

Going?

Finally there was the storm over FIFA's refusal to allow the England players to wear shirts with the poppy sewn-in for Saturday's friendly international against Spain.  Crikey did this create some headlines.  As with the England 2018 World Cup bid, the Prime Minister and Prince William threw themselves into the fight.  And as on that occasion FIFA simply ignored them.  Well, almost, for despite the tabloid press saying it was the Prince what swung it, the Governing Body's eventual decision to agree to a compromise of a poppy sewn into the black armbands to be worn by the England players was actually largely down to the efforts of a backbench Tory MP.  But, hey, don't let the facts get in the way of a good story an' all that.
My own personal view is that a sensible compromise was eventually reached but how the hell did it get to that stage in the first place.  Once it had been ascertained that nobody was likely to be offended by what is - despite some people's protestations to the contrary - a non-political, non-religious symbol, then surely FIFA could have allowed it.  So what if it opens the floodgates?  Why not treat each case on its individual merit?  Had this been done in the first place then there wouldn't have been such an outcry.
As for those who point out that having a poppy emblazoned on a shirt is a recent phenomenon, so what?  Does that make it any less significant?  The 21st century conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan have, quite rightly, brought the sacrifices of those serving in HM Forces again to the fore as well as helping educate people about the significance of countless conflicts past and present.  Surely anything to help this - such as the wearing of a poppy at high-profile international matches - can only be good, can't it? 

Gone

Friday was Armistice Day.  Ninety years since formation of the Royal British Legion, there was extra poignancy when at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month of the eleventh year, our office – along with thousands of other establishments the length and breadth of the country – paused for thought.
As opposed to Remembrance Sunday, the observing of the silence on Armistice Day itself seems to have come back into fashion (for want of a better term) more in recent years; again in line with the increased profile of our Armed Forces.  And not before time if you ask me.
In our office we observed the marking of the hour in the company of Radio Humberside, who broadcast the commemorations live from the Cenotaph in Hull.  It proved a deeply moving occasion.

But not forgotten

Mrs Slush had chosen this weekend for her annual expedition to Meadowhall, which involved an overnight stay.  And so while she and a friend “shopped ‘til they dropped”, I picked the Slushettes up from school and headed off to Newton's in Patrington for a fish supper, stopping en route to plant a Remembrance cross at Skeffling (as mentioned in the previous post).

Back home the girls were allowed the treat of watching both Corrie episodes before being dispatched to bed.  I know, I spoil them.

After a lengthy discussion on the phone with affable Bentley secretary JP Tooth, which helped shed further light on the reasons for the following day’s postponement, I settled down to the riveting contest that was the Bosnia v Portugal Euro 2012 play-off.  I think I woke up in time to see Ronaldo fall over.  Again.  Bed couldn’t come soon enough.  

Lightning strikes twice

Saturday 7th May - Welbeck Welfare (home) Match postponed...again

Another wasted effort

The phone rang at 10.20 on Saturday morning.  I answered it to be informed that for the second time in three weeks, our scheduled opponents Welbeck Welfare FC would not be making the trip up from Nottinghamshire.  Words fail me.

Not that Good a Friday

Friday 22nd April - Hull FC 36 Hull KR 18

Saturday 23rd April - Welbeck Welfare (home) Match postponed

Monday 25th April - Whatton United (home) Match postponed

Now, where's my "father's gun"?

There aren't many things that can put the mockers on a scorching Easter weekend.  But I think I just about managed to find all of them.

First, at the end of a week in which Hull Kingston Rovers were again made to look rather silly for events going on off the field, they proceeded to be given something of a spanking in the "only true derby" in Super League.

Then, having found some sort of solace in the beer garden of the local Neptune Inn, courtesy of good company and a rather nice pint (or several) of Tetley Cask, I returned home to find out via email that neither of the weekend's scheduled opponents would now be bothering to make the trip up to the Humber Riviera.  

And to cap it all, on flicking to the BBC Sport cricket pages in order to check on just how long it had taken the Tykes to polish off champions Notts at Headingley, I was confronted by the news that they'd somehow managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

It was all so dispiriting that it's taken me all this time to type just these introductory paragraphs.  

They might be all you ever get to read on the subject.  Instead I'd like to direct you to this, one of the most intelligent football-related pieces I've read all year.  

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to find a cat to kick...

A defining moment...or two?

Saturday 5th March - Kiveton Park (home) Won 3-0
Tuesday 8th March - Hull City 0 Burnley 1

I should have been cock-a-hoop as I first prepared this post (some weeks ago now!).  On the Saturday  - three days prior  to beginning bashing the keyboard - we had chalked up our first league win since October (which also came against "Kivo") and moved up to seventh in the Premier Division table.  
In addition, the following Tuesday I was to revisit the East Stand at the KC Stadium for the first time since the "pre-Championship-on-the-way-up" days, where a Hull City side fresh from ending Nottingham Forest's 36-match unbeaten run at home were set to entertain in-form Burnley in one of the night's most attractive looking fixtures. 

Catch of the Day

Unfortunately, however, my mood had been tempered somewhat by events that despite my not witnessing them first hand and which, strictly speaking, were out of my control I still felt in some way responsible for.  
For the first time that I could ever remember, an Easington United team (in this case the Reserves) had conceded the points from a league game AFTER actually setting off.  Their ER County League Premier Division fixture at Bridlington side Forum FC was conceded within two hours of kick-off, much to the understandable frustration of the the hosts and with possible financial repurcussions for ourselves.

Brett entertains a packed North Stand

In truth it's a scenario that has been on the cards for some time.  The Stiffs have endured a torrid time of late, not just in terms of results but having suffered more than most at the hands of the weather and seeing manager Kev ruled out of action and removed from the frontline with a broken leg sustained during one of his all-too-rare appearances at North Cave back in November.
It's a combination that has since led to a lack of bodies on match days.   But to come to a head like this is very hard to swallow.  As part of my job is to ensure that on a Saturday afternoon, each Easington team in action is at the correct venue with the correct number of players and wearing the correct colours, I took the Stiffs' failure personally.   

What I subsequently found more hurtful was the accusation by some within the Club that what happened with the Reserves wouldn't matter because the First Team won; the inference obviously being that results at senior level override all other events within the club.  As I wrote in the subsequent week's programme and on the club website, that is definitely not the case. 
That said, this is a blog primarily about the fixtures that do take place and that I actually get to see.  So, let's move on to some of the details  of a much-needed 3-0 win at Low Farm rather than dwelling on what might or might not have occured en route to Brid.
  

Fresh from the frustration of Nottingham, Mack took the opportunity before kick-off to highlight the fact that a run of 9 home matches in the last 13 fixtures could still see us drastically improve our league position in the CML Premier Division.  

A provisional target of 30pts was written large on the Nobo board.  Cue plenty of tub-thumping and good intentions...

A man on a mission

Not that it counted for much as we made a sluggish start to proceedings.  Again.  In fairness to our visitors (who, it must be said, are certainly among the more affable opponents in what is at any rate a very friendly competition) we were very fortunate to come off at half-time still on level terms.

"He's no Terry Butcher"

Admittedly, we weren't helped by a nasty gash to the head that forced Blounty off the park - thus splitting up our hitherto entertaining central defensive duo of Barry & Paul Chuckle.
At least Danny's withdrawal allowed the Farm Faithful their first look at new signing Ricky Kemp.  And the Barton Town man was to leave them impressied by much of what he did...although, apart from Pete Farndale, not many will take kindly to his choice of Leeds United leisurewear on match days.  Club tracksuit required ASAP.

"He's new thoo knows?"

Kiveton had definitely shaded matters territorially and created the better of the chances.  Some of their play was a pleasure to watch, slick passing and good movement off the ball; on this evidence there's no wonder they're enjoying a much better campaign this time round.
Thankfully, in a game in which it always seemed the first goal would be crucial, it fell our way thanks to Mozzer's stonking strike from 25 yards.

"One Nil"

His second, from a corner, put us firmly in the driving seat and Kivo were already a beaten side by the time Gav smacked home number three near the end.  A defining moment in our season perhaps?

Mozzer doubles up

As a side-note, the first and second goals prompted much mirth among the home Committee given that both saw the ball disappear through the back of the goal net.  Head Groundsman 'Brim' Biglin duly took the blame...

"I've put 'em right lads...in case we get a third!"

We did...and the net held firm!

An enjoyable day on the home front had also seen the surprise but welcome - albeit temporary - return to the First Team fold  of former asst-boss 'Nige'.  He enjoyed a productive run off the bench and his performance certainly gave Mack much post-match food for thought.
My collection of some overdue "fines" and a convivial post-match atmosphere involving members of the Stiffs, who'd come down to watch, also helped divert thoughts away from the obvious trouble brewing elsewhere in the "Ezzie Family". 
And given the increased tetchiness among members of the Second XI, hearing of a well-deserved point gained by a full-strength Casuals at promotion rivals Shiptonthorpe, was perhaps not the news they wanted to hear.  I braced myself for the predictable texts and emails to follow. 

Still, this was put to the back of my mind and I retired to the Granby buoyed by news of Super Matty Fryatt's winner in front of three and a half thousand travelling Tigers at The City Ground, Nottingham.  Sets things up nicely for Tuesday night thought I...

If there's one thing I've learnt as a Hull City fan of some thirty-odd years, it's that there's no club like East Yorkshire's finest for building you up only to knock you straight back down.

And so perhaps I shouldn't have been too surprised by the fact that my return to the East Stand would be accompanied by defeat to one of our main  top six rivals.  A defining moment in their Play-off pursuit perhaps?

Stung by a sucker punch early on from newly-arrived Aston Villa loanee Nathan Delfuoneso, the Tigers certainly had their moments.  Super Matt couldn't quite cap one of the few incisive moves of the first half, while Andy Dawson was denied by a fine save at the start of the second half.  However, the best chance fell to match programme cover star Corry Evans on 69mins but, having been played through by Aaron McLean's excellent pass, he too was denied by Grant.

"Why couldn't he have signed a day later?"

Burnley were also forced to defend what seemed an unusually high number of corners but sadly for the majority of the 21,000 crowd, Anthony Gerrard endured a rare "threepenny bit of a head" night.  

In truth the Clarets could well have doubled their tally on the break and overall it wasn't a bad game, although you wouldn't have thought so given the subdued atmosphere inside the ground.  

The East Stand was far from the "cauldron of noise" that I'd hoped it might be and, indeed, had been for fleeting moments during my last visit to the ground for the Leeds game.  My disappointment was compounded by the glut of ignorant and innane comments generally aimed in the direction of current "boo Boy" James Harper.  It was enough to ensure I'll revert to the Upper West for my next return (at least "Arps" can be assured a better class of insult from up there).

Thankfully, despite the result, there was enough evidence to suggest that under the increasingly popular manager Nigel Pearson, this City side may take the odd step backwards in the short term but the long-term direction is very much forwards.

I went to bed wondering whether I'd be saying the same about our Reserve team in a few days time...

Photos courtesy of Colin Brammer & Burt Graham

Wet, Wet, Wetter

Saturday 5th February - Bentley Colliery (home, Cup) Lost 2-4

Saturday 12th February - Yorkshire Main (away) 
Match postponed

Saturday 19th February - Whatton United (home) 
Match postponed

"Come May, when they're all togged up in their smart shirts at Presentation Night, do you think any of the lads'll give a thought to us daft bastards stood down here on a Saturday morning in February, freezing cold and saying, 'If we come back in an hour and we can't see Lounty's farm it means it's pissing it down'?"

No I didn't.  And neither did Mickey Bo' Wilson who along with Dave Hodgson (the person asking the question) completed the trio of "daft bastards" stood looking across a somewhat desolate scene at Low Farm.
If October had been "Black" then February was turning out to be very "Grey".  Since the brief advent of better weather in January that had prompted a return to action after eight weeks inactivity, February had been accompanied by a succession of wet weekends.
Thankfully, on the first of these, the rain hadn't arrived until too late to force postponement of our second round tie in the CML's Quartet Catering League Challenge Cup.  However, the persistent drizzle provided a fitting backdrop to our exit from the competition.

Having taken some ten weeks to finally get past first round opponents Parkhouse, we were effectively out of the second round after barely fifteen minutes.
Mack's decision to bring Blounty back into the starting eleven upon completion of a three-match ban was deemed to be the right one by most people in the home camp.  Unfortunately, his first contribution to the action was a complete miskick on 2mins, which allowed Bentley marksman Mark Richardson to stroll through and calmly slot the ball under the advancing Charlie for 0-1.
Our last two meetings against the South Yorkshire side have virtually been decided before the break, by which time "The Jet Men" have held a comfortable advantage.  And they must've thought they were on to a hat-trick when an amazing error of judgement by skipper AG gifted them a bizarre second goal with less than a quarter of the game gone.
It appeared that Charlie had got just enough on Richardson's shot to allow the skipper back to cover.  He had.  And AG did.  But instead of whacking the ball into orbit, admittedly at the probable cost of a corner, he decided to coolly let the ball run wide for a goal-kick...only its trajectory wasn't taking it wide and as it virtually limped over the goal-line the look of horror on the skip's face was matched by that of ten team-mates, five management & subs and some forty-odd spectators at Low Farm.  Oops. 

The Skip has a premonition of dropping a clanger today...

Thankfully, we now made a game of it.  Owen had already stung the keeper's fingertips with one drive from distance before cutting inside his man to drill home a left-footed daisy-cutter and reduce arrears.  A goal almost deserving of "The Sprinkler"-inspired celebration it received.
As we gradually got on top towards half-time it was almost inevitable that Bentley would hit us on the counter.  And they did, the dangerous Callum Smith again getting away down the left before teeing up Lee Tilley who finished smartly from ten yards.  Half-time: 1-3.

The Mountain scores...

...then celebrates. (Even the ref joins in "The Sprinkler"!)

My frustration at events on the field was partly offset by an encouraging afternoon off it.  A glut of fines collected in beforehand had cheered up the Chairman, who at the Monthly Management Committee meeting in midweek had expressed concern over the current financial state of affairs.  In addition, despite it being a "mucky awd" afternoon (as we say down the East End) a decent-sized crowd had assembled and were now keeping Judy busy in the Tea Hut.  More ker-ching!  Of sorts.  Our efforts would at least reap some reward...if not a passage through to the quarter-finals.

One header...

Two cameras

There was no doubting the effort or commitment of the lads on duty.  Indeed, at times the performance ranked alongside some of our better ones thus far this term.  We continued to try and put best foot forward on an increasingly gluey surface.  Owen's volley was deflected wide and from the corner Farny headed just over.  Gav then drilled wide before sub Andy M's header was hacked off the line.  There was a feeling that if we could just get one...
It came seventeen minutes from time.  A defender again denied Owen at the expense of a cormer from which Blounty manged to head home to break his duck for the club.  2-3, game on.  A replay in South Yorkshire perhaps...
Not so.  Eight minutes from time, that man Smith again created space for a pull-back from which Michael Pashley ensured the visitors' progress.

AG gets up highest...

...but Blounty has made the decisive contact. 2-3

Not for the first time this season, some players appeared to take defeat worse than others - despite the level of performance against a side that certainly looks like it will figure in the end-of-season shake-up for honours. 
It always winds me up when people say daft things immediately in the wake of a game.  No-one likes getting beat (me more than most) but the way some people respond casts aspersions that others are perhaps not trying as hard.  Which is complete bullox.  In my humble opinion of course.
The news of defeat for the Stiffs at South Cave compounded my downbeat mood, as did the feeling that the Casuals - who grabbed an impressive draw at high-flying Shiptonthorpe - may have benefitted from a little bit of selection shenanigans (a matter that, thankfully, would be cleared up in due course).
And so I was more than relieved to get into The Granby in time to catch updates on The Tigers' impressive win at Glanford Park in the self-styled "Humber Derby".  A hat-trick for "Super" Matty Fryatt and Aaron McLean's first goals for City ensured that the night's curry wouldn't taste so unpalatable after all.

Mozzer auditions for the next Non-Bio Washpowder ad

Little did I think then that our sodden exit from the League Cup would be our last action for three weeks.  Especially given that the days leading up to both the following weekends appeared to be accompanied by favourable weather - only for the Friday night prior to Yorkshire Main and the Saturday morning of the Whatton game to ensure postponement of both fixtures.  In other words, we'd gone from "crash out" to "washout".

I must admit I sometimes wonder whether our players - or those of any club for that matter - ever actually consider the sort of decision-making process that takes place before a game is called off. 
Judging by the reaction I see afterwards, I often think they see our prevention of them kicking a ball about on a Saturday afternoon as part of some sort of conspiracy; although to what end I don't know.

Take the aforementioned two postponements.  I heard several players questioning the "real reason" for the Yorkshire Main call-off (i.e. "Who have they got missing?"); before labelling our decision on the Whatton game last weekend as "a joke".  Well if it was, I for one wasn't laughing.

I got up at just past six o'clock last Saturday morning, trying desperately not to wake the two Slushettes in the process, before going into the office to print off sixty copies of the afternoon's match programme.  Back home just in time to grab some breakfast , it was then a scoot down to Low Farm for the first of two morning pitch inspections - the one recounted at the top of this piece.

 A wasted effort

With the heavy rain that appeared to be pounding all areas north of Derby & Nottingham having not yet reached the "Humber Riviera", it was impossible to call the game off while there was still the slightest chance that the River-inspired local micro-climate could once again come to our rescue.  It was the slimmest of hopes but in a season already badly disrupted by weather, the last thing we needed was another blank afternoon.

Thus Hodgy stated our intention to use Firtholme ("Lounty's farm") as our guide on our return to the ground at 10.15am.

Needless to say, when we reconvened, it was getting more difficult to pick out the aforementioned farm.  Given that our opponents Whatton and the three match officials (from Bilsthorpe) were all scheduled to be on the road within a few minutes, there was only one decision we could make.  Cue the outrage from various players!  Facebook doesn't make good reading when lads think they've been unfairly done to!
Therefore, when Hodgy rang me later - about twenty minutes in had we kicked off as normal - to inform me of standing water in several areas of the pitch ("You'd never have got to half-time") I did at least feel vindicated, whilst not exactly happy at the outcome.  Hopefully the players may see that now and admit we were right.  I won't hold my breath to read it on Facebook though...

Thanks to Colin Brammer & Burt Graham for the photos

Booking in for a Winter Break!

Monday 3rd January - Thorne Colliery (home) Match postponed
Saturday 8th January - Parkhouse (Cup replay, home) Match postponed

I've found myself with a bit of time on my hands lately, what with football having disappeared from the local calendar for some six weekends on the trot.

Even allowing for the fact we've just come through the Christmas holidays, with people to visit, pubs to attend and the Slushettes as hyper as a certain John Stape (bad comparison I admit!) I've still been left with plenty of time to think: what to do now?

When in deep...stop digging!

Especially when the kids have got bored of getting wet and cold, and when even Mrs Slush is struggling to find jobs for you to do "of a weekend".  I've even struggled to find anything to blog about - which is unusual.

So, reading then.  As in books.  That's what I've been doing for the past six weeks (along with trying to sort out a kernackered Steepletone stereo/MP3 downloader and attempting to keep pace with events on Corrie of course!).

As I've perhaps previously explained (probably at the same time last year) my book reading is a bit like Shane Watson's batting i.e. I usually make a good start and sometimes romp to fifty...only to then fail to build on things.  My bedside still comprises an almost completed In Cold Blood (Truman Capote) and George MacDonald Fraser's second Flashman instalment, which I've just recently re-started. (In fact so long had elapsed since I last put it down  I'd forgotten the identity of the main players!)

However, maintaining the batting analogy, these two titles aside I've moved from Watson to Cook in recent weeks and have been positively prolific in clocking up completed titles of late.

It must be to do with the snow.   And the ice.  And the rain.  And most of all the bloody cold!

And then when the snow goes...

I began with an Assam-inspired trio of books with an Egyptian theme (Winston Churchill's The River War, Michael Barthorp's Blood Red Desert Sand and Philip Ziegler's Omdurman) before then switching from Victorian military history to crime-fiction and racing through Cathi Unsworth's 60s Soho-set noir novel Bad Penny Blues.  An absolute stonker of a book.  Meanwhile, prompted by the recent TV adaptation of Aftermath, I've also set myself the task of completing Peter Robinson's highly-acclaimed Inspector Banks' mysteries.  The 1987 opener Gallows View was swiftly seen off, as was follow-up A Dedicated Man and I'm already cracking through third instalment A Necessary End (1989) like there's no tomorrow!  Just twelve more to go...

Thing is, I can never just read a book in its own right without wanting to provide  some background to what's actually happening therein.  Thus, while wading through books about the aforementioned tales of battling the "Fuzzy Wuzzies" in Egypt and Sudan I took the chance to watch The Four Feathers and Gordon of Khartoum; in addition of course to countless episodes of Dads Army in which Cpl Jones would reiterate, "They don't like it up 'em!" 

Sodden Saturday!

Similarly, the Cathi Unsworth novel had me also referencing Dominic Sandbrook's Never Had It So Good (A History of Britain from Suez to The Beatles) as well as listening to sounds ranging from late-50s British rock 'n' roll to early Mod Jazz compilations  (I drew the line at Trad!) to set the scene for the period covered in the book.  A fascinating trawl through the Jack The Stripper murders, which provide the backdrop to Bad Penny Blues, also helped set the novel in a clearer context.  
So, as you can imagine, all this reading, watching and listening (and I've not mentioned  More 4's re-run of the Red Riding trilogy - a decent companion to the Banks' series, also set in the seedier side of Yorkshire) has left little time for anything else.  Even football.  Little wonder then that Mrs Slush gets exasperated!  

Still, as I type this, hopes are finally high that a First Team fixture this Saturday may finally drag me out of a book and onto a playing field.  And, given that FC 05 Bilsthorpe's pitch is one of the best in the league, I've at last got some confidence that this might just be the case...