Head for the hills

I went to school at the foot of the North Downs, so I would often enjoy running up Pitchfont Lane, a rather steep route to the top of Botley Hill in Limpsfield (incorrectly referred to by all as Titsey Hill). Well, our PE teachers, who included a Major-General, would enjoy thinking of us running up to collect some piece of information from the telephone box at the top of the hill to prove we had completed the route. For the sake of clarity, the gentleman was not a Major-General at the time, but subsequently switched from teaching to a successful Army career.

To be fair, the teachers would often join us, and when we had a choice of activities in our senior years, it was a good way of letting the runners take care of ourselves whilst they took a football, rugby or gym session. I enjoyed running when I found I was reasonably good at it: I certainly was not good at football or rugby, and anyone who remembers me playing will understand my preference for taking pictures rather than being on the field.

This heritage has left me with a tendency to look at hills, mutter "a mere bagatelle" and start charging up, before getting about half way and remembering that these days I am built rather more for comfort than speed.

Prescot's game this weekend was at Mossley AFC. The directions from the station are quite simple - if it looks like the steepest of the available hills, then go up it: after about 600 yards (and 50 yards up), you should be there. The view from the top is worth it, the hills have to make one of the most impressive entrances of any ground at our level.

Saturday was one of the hottest October days for a few years, with the sun shining diagonally across the pitch, so shade from both light and heat was a necessity (as well as climbing up the side of the valley, I had warmed up by enjoying a walk from Stalybridge along the towpath of the Huddersfield Narrow Canal). A vantage point at the side of the pitch was therefore a better bet than my usual position behind the goal Prescot were attacking. Not that it helped me getting a shot of Prescot's goal, as I was retrieving a ball at the time. I have taken pictures one handed with my half time pie in the other hand, but I have yet to perfect the art with a football. I did, however, get a few goalmouth shots I would not normally expect from behind the goal.

From a vantage point at the side of the pitch, there is also more action flowing across the frame ...

... whereas the vantage point behind the goal (which I took in the second half) has more action running in to the frame.

There is more to say about vantage points in future posts, but in the meantime the rest of the pictures from the game can be seen here.