Mountain high

Saturday 12th March - AFC Hucknall (home) Lost 3-4

Reserves manager Kevin Appleyard set off for a well-deserved family break at Center Parcs shortly after the Forum debacle, allowing him to cool down and me to do some digging as to whether there was now a serious rift in our ranks.

After a Monday spent talking to as many of the central characters as I could, plus liaising with both the Club Chairman and Vice-Chair, I arranged a Development Group Meeting for the following week.  We may have to get through the forthcoming weekend on a wing and a prayer but at least something was now set in place to get round the table and resolve certain matters.

That sorted, I now had the prospect of City v Burnley on Tuesday to provide a welcome, albeit brief, distraction.  Hmm, there's a saying "you should never go back" in football and, as described previously, my return to the East Stand served only to reinforce it!

This may constitute sexual assault in some parts?

Checking the late night Twitter traffic on my return home from the KC, one result in particular caught my eye.  This being Bridlington Town's 5-0 thrashing of local rivals (& ground tenants) Scarborough Athletic in the NCEL Premier Division.  Wow!
I have a lot of time for 'The Seasiders', born mainly out of some tremendous past encounters with them, including a particularly memorable East Riding County FA Senior Cup semi-final at Dene Park back in 2002.  Town eventually beat us 2-1 in "Golden Goal" extra-time but only after we'd taken the lead, played almost half the game with ten men and kept them out almost entirely thanks to what local author Craig Ellyard described in his Now Then! book (on East Yorkshire football) as "the sort of game which only ever happens in the more far fetched comic books" from "incredible" goalkeeper...one Kevin Appleyard!

On a personal front my current links with Brid also extend to regular communication with Town's website/programme guru Dom Taylor (whose roots are down the old East End of Holderness) and Club Chairman (indeed "Saviour") Pete Smurthwaite, with who I share membership of the ER County League Management Committee and whose regular guest presenter appearances on BBC Radio Humberside's nightly Sports Talk programme are always worth a listen.

The Seasiders won the Premier Division title last term but declined promotion on financial grounds.  The win over 'Boro left them handily placed to challenge for the championship again.  I for one hope they can do it.

Colin (above) & Burt (below) catch this better than Chaz

 

As we approached the weekend - and my 45th birthday - my optimism about things was returning.

Jeremy Vine was playing "The Closest Thing To Heaven" by The Kane Gang  on the radio, the sun was shining and I had the first instalment of Andrew Davies' new adaptation of South Riding to catch up on from the weekend.

This latest version of Winifred Holtby's classic story was filmed on location in various areas not too far from home, in particular Sunk Island.  And although panned by some critics, I found it extremely watchable - and not only because I'd been tipped off to look out for former Hull City fanzine-meister and current Eastenders programme designer Andy Medcalf's younger brother popping up as an extra!

I was even more delighted to find the 1974 ITV version is now available on DVD.  This, if I recall correctly, was filmed even closer to home with the shacks that ran adjacent to the Withernsea-Holmpton road near the Hollym turn-off playing a prominent part.  I'll put it on my "Wish For" list...
Eve-of-match day brought with it the usual late panic over numbers, with returning Reserves boss Kev stating he'd just about cobbled enough men together to face Park Athletic on the 3G at South Hunsley without having to dip into Maccer's Casuals ranks as they looked to continue their promotion push at nearby Withernsea.

I passed the day listening to yet another Cricket World Cup match involving "The Entertainers" - or England as they're officially known.  The latest instalment of their topsy-turvy campaign saw them snatch defeat from the jaws of victory against Bangladesh.  They had now lost to two of the supposed minnows in the competition, survived a scare against Holland, beaten the choking Safas and tied against favourites India.  A win over West Indies would now be required next week if they were to have any hope of reaching the quarter-finals.

AFC Hucknall were the visitors to Low Farm on a match day that dawned quite bright.  I know because I was up and into work early to copy off that day's match programme.
Our visitors have somewhat gone off the boil following a blistering start to life in the CML.  Given the history of "Reserve" teams in the Humber Premier League this is perhaps not so surprising.  Players not getting a sniff of first team action decide to head off elsewhere and the "Reserves" (my use of speech marks intentional due to our opponents' name not actually immediately identifying them as the second-string of Evo-Stik League outfit Hucknall Town) suffer as a consequence.
A post-match conversation with Hucknall boss Danny Pheasant pretty much endorsed this view.  His team sheet for the game bore just one name from the team we'd beaten so memorably at Watnall Road back in August.  Several players had been promoted to a struggling first eleven, while many others had opted for other locally based semi-pro clubs.  Mind you, on this evidence, the Nottinghamshire side are building themselves another handy looking squad.

Lest we forget

The afternoon didn't begin too well when Hucknall arrived in their first choice colours of yellow and black; this despite my confirmation earlier in the week that they would come in all-white, cuh!  Thankfully, Chairman (& "Jack of all trades") Doug was on hand to race away from his primary task of fixing the referee's shower to pick up our second choice away strip.  And so the game could begin...though not before we'd observed a minute's silence in memory of one-time club record goalscorer Melvin Douglas and fellow former player Mike "Raggy" Hudson.  Both were definite "characters" during their time with the Club and both departed this earth at a tragically young age, on 9th March 1991 and 3rd March 1997, respectively.  We try to ensure they're never forgotten (a task enhanced by the Memorial Benches to both players now in situ at Low Farm)  and the twentieth anniversary of Melv's departure, in particular, demanded to be marked.
Unfortunately, most of our lads were seemingly still observing the silence when Charlie was forced into a blinding save inside the opening minute.  It set the tone for another sluggish start, similar to that made in recent home games against Bentley and Kiveton.  And as with the first of those, we were punished for it.
As someone who tried - and usually failed - to combine Friday night drinking with playing football the following afternoon, I have some sympathy for those among the current ranks who seem unable to defy temptation at the end of a working week.
However, for some - like right back Brett - this game cruelly exposed the error of his ways.  A product of the Under 15/16 team, from which several of our current senior squad have emerged, Brett has done really well since first forcing his way into the First Eleven.  Indeed, against Kiveton he'd been little short of immense in parts.  Today, however, he would have a shocker.
His wayward defensive header set up Hucknall's Zach Bartlett for the first of the Hucknall striker's hat-trick on 22 minutes.  Then poor marking at the front stick allowed a corner to be flicked on for Bartlett to convert his second just three minutes later.  And had Matt Wiklo's volley moments later being slightly better placed, the game would have been lost before the half-hour mark.
"Brettles" wasn't alone in having a nightmare first half.  As a team, defensively we were all over the place.  AG and Blounty were doing their best "Chuckle Brothers" routine in the middle, while Wiklo was giving Kempy and Bezza all sorts of problems down our left.

Mountain shoots...

...Mountain scores

Then, with half-time a few minutes away and most of the 48-strong crowd perhaps releived that we were only two down, out of the blue (literally!) we scored.  Blounty's pass finding Man Mountain who finished expertly.
A minute later Hucknall keeper Jack Harvey had to move smartly to preserve his team's lead into the break.  Second best for 40 minutes and we could still have come off at two apiece.  Football, eh, it's a funny old game.
Unfortunately, a repeat of our sluggish start in the second half quickly allowed Bartlett to complete his hat-trick and Hucknall to restore their two-goal cushion.  We were in dire need of some inspiration.
It came on the hour mark with the double-introduction of Frosty and Farny.  Suddenly there was a spring in the step and some bite in the challenge.

 

 

Up and over for Mountain's second

On 68mins Bezza released Man Mountain who again finished like a 20-goal striker.  2-3, game back on.

And ten minutes from time the escape looked complete when an excellent move down the right saw Frosty cross for Man Mountain to complete a stunning treble of his own.  3-3, and marked by a contender for "Goal Celebration of the Day"!

Three peaks!

We would now surely go on and win it.  Hucknall heads were down, we were on the front foot.  But, no, Bezza got caught in possession left side of midfield, a quick counter-attack, cross to the far post and Hucknall new boy Theo Ganderson planted a thumping header into the top corner.  No chance for Charlie.  And no more hope for us.  The final five minutes would see the visitors come closer to netting a fifth than we would to levelling again.
There's little consolation to be gleaned from defeats like this but en route to the Granby I tried to take what I could from the manner of our second half fightback.  But that only left me even more frustrated about our first half performance.  Indeed, the erratic nature of the overall display probably summed up our current season perfectly.

Saturday night's web updates were performed with less enthusiasm than usual - despite the positive reaction to the celebration pic and some accompanying audio quality from latest coolsters Frankie & The Heartstrings and fellow beat combo The Courteeners - but at least I had one thing to console myself with as I headed off up to bed; tomorrow was my birthday.  What's more, it was also "Big Willie Day"...

NOTE: Within hours of first appearing, the photograph at the top of this piece, showing Frosty lying on his back to illustrate the "quality of the balls I keep deliverin' to Owen" (get it?), had been distributed to nearly 1,500 people.  Ah, the powers of Twitter! 

Photos courtesy of Colin Brammer & Burt Graham
 

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

"No dickets to Dottingham..."

Saturday 26th February - Nottingham United (away) 
Drew 3-3

It's Tuesday and Mrs Slush has decided to watch the "One Born Every Minute" she recorded the previous night.

At this point, may I point out that I had no hand in the decision to deem this programme worthy of space on the hard drive - I was in the White Horse "thrashing out" the finer points of our forthcoming arrangement with mine host Barry, soon-to-be the new face of our post-match watering hole, The Marquis of Granby.  (I might add that this was done over a very nice couple of pints of Tetley Cask, which itself surprised me as I haven't touched that particular brew since "The Lord's Tears" lost its allure for me some years back.)  But I digress. 
What is it about women who do nothing but complain about the pain felt during child-birth ("men should be forced to go through it" blah blah etc etc) then cannot wait to watch programmes that bring it right back into focus.  What's more, they then get mad when you don't wish to share the "experience".  Again.  For chrissakes, I was there at the arrival of both the Slushettes, I have no burning desire to sit through it all again on my telly screen.

Then there's the tears.  Bloody hell.  I hadn't seen so many since we beat Withernsea in the 1997 South Holderness Cup Final.  So, what did I do?  Sit down beside and give her a hug, assure her everything will be alright and reminisce about both "special nights" of our own?  You're having a laugh - it was into the study to catch up on the Blog.

Not that my account of the latest instalment of the Eastenders' CML story amounts to much - I wasn't there.

A mild bout of man-flu and a full complement on the bus combined to ensure that the trip to the 3G pitch at the Gresham Sports Pavilion last Saturday became the fourth I'd missed since we joined the Central Midlands League.

Given the result - a fifth successive away draw in all competitions - and the lack of reports of a quality cask ale in the post-match watering hole, on balance it appears not to have been a bad one to miss.

The game itself saw goals from Andy M and Gav fire us into a two-goal lead inside the opening half-hour, with several other chances to wrap things up before the break going begging.

A foul by Blounty then offered the hosts a lifeline on the stroke of half-time, which they accepted courtesy of Sean Canning.

The equaliser came when home striker Andrew Richards was afforded too much time and space within a minute of the second half restart.

A second penalty, this time awarded after skipper AG had been fouled, saw Andy M fire us back into the lead but, with just a minute left, Charlie got invovled in an incident at a corner - seen by the referee's assistant - and Canning was given a second opportunity from twelve yards out.  He didn't miss.

Other than the bare facts and a read through the hosts' well produced match programme I have little else to report.  Nobody even thought it worth reporting back on the quality of ale available in the post-match watering hole, The Varsity.  Perhaps the comment, "there was plenty of fanny in there" explains why. 

In summary, frustration appeared to be the overriding emotion of both the manager and skipper when I caught up with them afterwards. 
And frustration would also be a good word to sum up my own mood - I'd wanted to use this hour to catch-up on the first episode of the locally-filmed Sunday night serial South Riding!

"...And Rediffusion Channel B, yeah!"

Humberside - a station celebrates
(and this football follower wishes them all the best)

On Friday 25th February, Radio Humberside celebrated its 40th birthday and a whole host of Alan Partridges came out to commemorate the fact.

And despite conceding that for the first half of my life much of the station's programming aroused nothing but ridicule, I would like to join in sending my best wishes to all involved.

Back in the late-70s/early-80s, in addition to the fact that its title became synonymous with the unloved county of the same name, Humberside was not the choice on the dial for the more discerning younger listener, which I of course considered myself to be. Their combination of news, Swapshop-style phone-ins, more news,  gardening questions, lots more news, consumer issues, even more news and crap playlist, reinforced my view that this station didn't cater for my particular generation.  
Along with a poor-man's radio rip-off of TV's 'The Good Old Days', broadcast on Saturday lunchtimes, the low-point of the week back in those days came 24 hours later when a man supposedly named Tex Milne presented three hours of country & western music.  Jeez.  I was already force-fed plenty of the genre from Dad during the week without having to stomach a succession of  similar wrist-slitting tunes while trying to enjoy my roast beef. 

But for all this, there was one part of Radio Humberside that I always considered worth a listen.  And that was the sport.

I doubt very much whether the coverage back then even came close to matching the current-day operation in terms of time-span, nor do I remember actually listening to many of their programmes in their entirety (following The Eastenders across the lower reaches of the East Riding County League took up most of my Saturdays). 
However, I do recall the Hull City match reporter was called Elliott Oppel, a maths teacher who also fronted a show called Top Town Quiz on Sundays.  For some reason, his voice prompted me to form a mental image of the man in the mould of Norman Vaughan.  I now know this was somewhat wide of the mark!

Similarly, I had the image of my local barber, Mr Stott from Patrington, in my mind every time I heard the Grimsby Town reporter, a certain Charles Eckberg, speak.  He also  presented a piece called Scene From The South, in which he extolled the virtue of most things on t'other side of the Humber (further reinforcing my view at the time that he was anti-Hull!).

As with many other City reporters in the local media (current crop included) Elliott Oppel wasn't particularly popular with supporters.  However, when I remember how underwhelmed one of his successors, Dave Gibbons,  came across every time he commentated on a Tigers goal, it can at least be said that Oppel appeared supportive of the club. 

Sadly, neither he nor Eckberg figured in a superb hour-long programme on Friday morning celebrating Radio Humberside's birthday.  It was presented by Peter Adamson, a man who probably typifies my changing attitude to the station.  At one time, his irritating Mackem accent and headmasterly manner appeared to sum up everthing I found wrong with the station.  But by the time he was eventually allowed to carry through his threat to retire to his caravan in Mablethorpe, I'd come to regard his weekday "Soapbox" programme as a must-listen.

While there were snippets of the wicked Adamson humour in Friday's documentary, it was the succession of news stories covered by the station over the past four decades that really stirred the emotions...and made me realise just how old I am!

From the "Misery Maisonnettes" to the recent floods, the programme took us through the power cuts of the early Seventies, the tragedies of the trawler Gaul, Flixborough and Lockington and high points such as the completion of the Humber Bridge.  In addition it examined the way these stories were covered, which in turn illustrated how the station has developed in tune with changing times.

In terms of sport, as Adamson himself said, there could have been at least an hour devoted solely to it.  Instead we were treated to brief snippets of the 1980 all-Hull rugby league Challenge Cup Final at Wembley, plus City's and Scunthorpe's recent Play-Off wins at the same venue.

The rugby commentary was provided by sports editor Peter Ward and his trusted sidekick Stan Hall who  I remember in addition to Hull and Rovers also delivered commentary on local rugby union matches on Saturday afternoons.  If my memory serves me well, he had a distinctive way of describing goal-kick attempts, culminating in: "One, two, three, four, bang...straight between the sticks..."  Or was that Eddie Waring?  Never mind.

Bringing things much more up-to-date, to hear again Burnsie's description of  that "Windass Wembley winner" raised the hairs on the back of my neck once more, as did his comments at the final whistle: "Hull City are in the Premier League for the first time in their 104-year history and it's okay...you're allowed to cry!"  Brilliant.

So for all its faults and in spite of increased competition over the years from the likes of Viking and KCFM, for me Radio Humberside is still the first choice for local sports coverage.

In addition to the unrivalled weekend coverage of the live action, the relatively recent introduction of the week-night Sportstalk programme has brought the station - and the clubs - closer to the fans.

Even better for me, given my involvement at local level, is the show's nod in the direction of grassroots football.  This has been helped by the regular appearance thereon of Bridlington Town chairman (and ER County League Committee man) Pete Smurthwaite, as well as recent live coverage of the draws for the latter stages of this year's East Riding County FA Senior and Senior Country Cup competitions.   And aside from the odd weak joke - "Riccall? Sounds like a Northern comedian" - it all help gives the thousands of us involved at this level a little bit of credibility.
Of course I'd like to see the station go further and give a full non-league results service every weekend (although according to Burnsie that's already been tried and failed).  But he has at least actively encouraged people associated with grassroots clubs to get involved in Sportstalk.  And indeed we have.  Three summers ago, the show actually broadcast live from Low Farm ahead of our pre-season game with Hull City.  And similar operations have been carried out at Bridlington, Winterton and Barton among others. 
Things like this at least show the local station acknowledges that there is a level of football below the professional game; which in turn gives me hope for the future.

So happy birthday Radio Humberside - and here's to forty more years of top quality local sports coverage.

Now, must dash, Doug & Blair are on at the moment, telling me how to prepare the perfect compost...

Pictures from the station's 40th birthday celebration can be found on the BBC Humberside website

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

The Road to Damascus

Tuesday 1st February - Hull City 2 Leeds United 2

Super cover, Super Matty Fryatt!

Everyone has a guilty secret.  Some have more than one.  Some carry them for longer than others. I have more than one and I've carried them for longer than most. Two of them concern sporting allegiances.

As previously shared, one is connected with the game of rugby league and centres on my initial leanings towards the black & white half of the city of Hull (a fact that ensured my enjoyment of Wembley 1980 was somewhat bittersweet).  It was nine years later and the start of regular attendance at HKR matches that finally banished those particular demons.

However, even that pales into insignificance against the one I'm about to share with you now.  So gather round blog followers - all eleven of you - I need to come clean.  (Cue clear-the-throat moment) I. Used To. Support. Leeds United.  Yes, "Dirty" Leeds United. "The White Shite".  The club even current manager Simon Grayson acknowledges is known around the world as "Leeds scum". Please stick with me while I try and explain...

It was all my dear departed Mum's fault.  For my initial tie-in stemmed from the Christmas present she and Dad gave me back in 1971.  And although Dad must share the blame, Mum was actually the main football fan in our house and so must have instigated it.  Put it this way, I'm certainly not owning up to having actually asked for a Leeds United kit at the tender age of five.  And if I did my parents should have had the decency to refuse such a request!

My Auntie Monica & Uncle Ted did their best to put me on the right path.  Their present to me that Christmas consisted of the classic plain amber shirt, plain black shorts and plain amber socks that Waggy, Chillo and co wore as part of that "great" Tigers team of Terry Neill's.  It was smart.

But unfortunately, it was eclipsed by the one I unwrapped  from my parents. The design was the same as the City number: no frills, plain round-neck, long sleeves, fairly tight fitting shorts and no trim on any of it. But it was almost one hundred per cent  white - the only patch of colour (and perhaps something else that gave it the edge) being the blue emblem of an owl sat astride its perch on the left breast.  It oozed class.
That was it.  Leeds United had become my team.  I'm so sorry.

Twenty blokes wearing my first ever football kit

My "affair" with the Elland Road outfit (I can't bring myself to use the word "love" for surely I was too young to know its true meaning) lasted for several years.  Via our black and white telly I shared in the delights of Clarke's header against the Arse at Wembley in 1972 then suffered the pain caused by Jim Montgomery's heroics at the same venue a year later.  I crowed about Revie's champions then mourned their failure to crown their achievements with victory in Paris in 1975.  I followed from afar the false hopes raised by Messrs. Armfield and Adamson as the shine soon faded from the Leeds "Glory Years".  And, yes, Mum and Dad also bought me THAT Admiral strip with THAT smiley badge. 

Of course I wasn't alone at this time.  At school, Leeds United was one of the "big three" clubs most kids in our little corner of East Yorkshire cited when asked, "Who do you support?" To admit to supporting Hull City at Withernsea High School in the late Seventies was to leave yourself open to intense ridicule.  I remember 'Pom' Foster did though (take a bow son).  Gary Hook, Keith Waites and Jim Maxwell too (although in their case, Leeds, Liverpool and Ipswich were also tagged-on for credibility purposes - Hull City was their "second team"!).

Even after my first visit to Boothferry Park in 1975 and during my four-match FA Cup run of 1980/81 (which, ironically, included a first ever taste of Elland Road thanks to a second round second replay against Blyth Spartans) it was still the Leeds result that I looked for first on the teleprinter.  Indeed, I even established a new rule to govern such inconsistency by supporting Leeds in the league and City in the FA Cup.  I know, "shameful" is not the term.

Andy Dawson - born survivor

It was over eight days in late February 1981 that I experienced my coming of age and indeed "Damascene conversion" as a Hull City supporter.  It began with the Les Mutrie-inspired demolition of Hartlepool in front of me and 2,824 others and ended with a 2-0 win over Mansfield Town, watched by almost double that number - or as ITV News dubbed them: "The fans who want to save Hull City".  In the intervening period, the club had called in the administrators.  These Tigers really were facing extinction.  I rallied to the cause.  I walked the Humber Bridge with my "Save The Tigers" sponsor form.  My "support" of Leeds was consigned to history.

Of course, City did survive and then thrived.  And I accompanied them along the way.  Between 1981 and 1988 I rarely missed any but the most impractical of away games.  There wasn't a ground the length and breadth of England that City played at during that period that I didn't manage to get to at least once.  Except Bury (don't ask!).

And as my feelings towards my local side continued to grow stronger, my disdain for Yorkshire's so-called biggest club and, in particular, the hundreds of "East Yorkshire Whites" seen streaming down the A63 every weekend, grew and grew.  However, as much as Leeds fans would wish it to be so, they didn't become City's biggest rivals in many people's eyes, mine included - Sheffield United still had that particular place well and truly reserved.  No, "disdain" was an appropriate enough term for "TWS".

In 1985 I finally got chance to show this disdain at first hand as Jobbo earned us a point at Elland Road before scoring again in a memorable 2-1 win in the return (along with Waterfront nightclub regular Frankie Bunn).  But if that was good, even better was to follow a year later.
For in 1986/87, Hull City did the double over the self-proclaimed "Champions of Europe".  Again I was there at both matches; behind the goal in which Alex Dyer and Garry Parker confirmed a 2-0 away win and in the South Stand seats for the 3-1 "mauling" in the return (incidentally, this formed part of a glorious "double" of another kind that day as a few hours later I stood on the Gordon Street End to see Garry Clark's try secure a Rovers win at The Boulevard).  Ah, the memories.

Since then, Leeds have had another ultimately unsuccessful flirt with being top dogs in Europe and City have had a couple of further close shaves with the winding-up courts.  However, in 2007 - twenty years after I'd celebrated my first win over Leeds United - we achieved a more significant success.  For while Deano's goal  at Cardiff earned the point that kept City in the Championship, it also confirmed the Elland Road club's relegation to the third-tier of English football.

A year later, in May 2008, Deano again struck to send the Tigers to the Premier League for the first time ever.  The following day Doncaster Rovers beat Leeds on the same Wembley pitch to consign "TWS" to another season in League 1.   How we lapped it up. Hull City - the team that apparently no other club in Yorkshire gives a toss about - were now the top club in the county.  Fact. 
Two seasons on we now find ourselves again competing in the same division.  And on the face of it, the tide would again appear to be turning, with Simon Grayson's side  arriving at the KC as realistic challengers for automatic promotion. 
Having said that the first meeting, at Elland Road, ended all square at 2-2 with John Bostock scoring his second "Wow!" goal during his short spell at the Tigers. And we too were also on the up again.  The Allams' money and Nigel Pearson's workings in the transfer market (loan and permanent) had ensured City were also contenders for promotion - albeit probably via the Play-Offs only.  A measure of the turnaround since the summer could be seen in the starting line-up, of which only skipper Andy Dawson had been involved on the season's opening day.
The days leading up to the second midweek meeting between the two clubs saw plenty of banter on the various boards, forums, web-sites as well as in the Easington United dressing room.
And what amused me was that for people who apparently couldn't give a fig about Hull City, the Leeds fans I encountered were fairly bitter in their pre-match vitriol.  Perhaps living in the shadow of this "small village club from East Yorkshire" for the past three years has got to them more than they like to let on!
There was also a touch of spice in some of the exchanges at official level; Adam Pearson's programme notes that expressed disappointment at having to allocate our visitors the full North Stand at the KC while City fans were "tucked away in the corner" at Elland Road, being quickly refuted by a Leeds spokesman in the following day's Yorkshire Evening Post report.
We arrived at the ground in good time despite almost getting stung by the new extension of "Permit Parking Only" down The Boulevard.  And we took our seats towards the back of the Upper West an ideal fifteen minutes before kick-off.  Five rows below was "Paz", Withernsea binman and Leeds Utd/Hull FC fan (what a combination!).  We shared some pre-match "banter" - I offered to "out" him to the masses should his team get on top!
It took just thirty seconds to realise that there was only one team that would dominate the first half; Matty Fryatt doing really well to hold up play before drilling over a cross that Aaron McLean really should have converted for his first goal in a City shirt.
No matter.  This was the start of the post-Bullard, post-Ashbee era and on first viewing it was an exciting one.  Aside from a couple of brief scares at the other end, the half became a procession of chances in front of the away contingent.  Koren went close, Schmeichel pulled off two cracking saves and both Fryatt and new boy James Chester scored as the Tigers "roared" into a deserved two-goal lead.  There would be no need to do any outing this half...
But then, just before the break, Leeds were gifted a foothold in the game.  A perhaps needless foul by the otherwise impeccable Anthony Gerrard. Up stepped Robert Snodgrass to plant the ball into the top corner from 20 yards.  The half-time interval wouldn't be quite so enjoyable.

The Younger Slushette won't be getting this kit for her fifth Christmas!

It was almost predictable that Leeds would level after the break.  And they did through  Davide Somma.  However, what was refreshing for me - as the visiting supporters mocked "Two nil...and you f____d it up!" - was that City gradually recovered and began to look the more likely as the game wore on.  The City of just a few months back would have folded.  And but for two goal-line clearances to deny the fabulous Fryatt we may well have been celebrating a deserved 3pts.
Almost the last act of the day involved a stray Lloyd Sam elbow flooring - and hospitalising - the unfortunate Leroy Rosenior.  Sam, as is the way with today's players, later "tweeted" that it was an accident and he'd contacted his opponent who'd accepted this as fact.  Nigel Pearson didn't think it was an accident.  And neither did many City fans.  There are no "accidents" where Leeds are concerned...except perhaps the one that resulted in this my guiltiest secret of all!