It's polyester Jim, but not as we know it

I had commitments in the morning before Prescot Cables' game at Hyde United, so had to set out fairly late. The electric train to Manchester connected nicely with one to Newton for Hyde, which, according to Mr Google's maps is sixteen minutes walk from the ground. This, however, is the way to the main entrance, and there is a shorter route through what Google Earth has as a street, but which felt worryingly like someone's back garden, to a side entrance.

The ground has been upgraded to Conference standard, so has modern conveniences like regulation height metal pitch perimeter barriers, just right for resting my arms without getting concrete dust on my coat. A sense of community is retained by features such as a memorial wall, on which there are a number of plaques commemorating deceased supporters.

Many supporters enjoy the chance to meet the locals.

Richie, our leader in beer and pub choices, and friend

The main feature of the ground is a new 4G pitch. Our team train on such a surface, but this is the first time I have seen a game on one. At least, I think it is, as, when I looked up the difference between 3G and 4G, some sites suggested that the difference was a marketing name, and all the technology was 3G. The surface looked particularly smooth, in better condition than my living room carpet. It was an even green, without any visible black between the blades, and only threw up any rubber infill on sliding tackles, although other descriptions led me to expect no rubber crumb at all.

There seemed to be some spare turf.

We secured an early goal. The home goalkeeper was playing the ball with his feet, and did not see an advancing Lloyd Dean, who successfully dispossessed him. Celebrations started before the ball went in to the net.

This could be counting chickens before they are hatched, we have all seen players miss in that situation, but Lloyd did not err.

I decided to divide my time in this half into three locations, behind the goal on each side, then on the side, near the benches.

James McCulloch

The floodlights came on for the second half, up to which point I had not noticed the unusual combination of a corner arrangement on one side, and a side arrangement on the other, including distinctive pylons on top of the stand.

The quality of the light meant I could do as I did in the first half and move round behind the goal. There did not appear to be any particularly poorly illuminated spots.

Harry Cain, pictured just after half time

Valter Fernandes, near the end of the game

We held out until about 75 minutes, when the hosts scored from a goalmouth scramble. I am not in the habit of showing the opposition's goals in detail, but you have to hand it to their player for getting a leg to Jordan Wynne's clearance.

The rest of the pictures from the game can be seen on the club website here, and on Google Photos here.

Final score: Hyde United 1 Prescot Cables 1 (Dean)

Could not see to take pictures

It is not often I write without pictures, the clue to this blog is in the name. For Dulwich Hamlet's game away to Maidstone United, I had my camera in full working order, the problem was finding a point from which to use it.

I travelled fairly early, and went to Aylesford and its Priory, with a view to a stroll back along the Medway Valley Walk. I tend to underestimate the time it takes to walk anywhere, and this was no exception, by the time I should have been passing through the turnstiles, I was at Allington Lock, power walking past a chap with a guitar on his back. By the time I was in earshot of the stadium, 15 minutes late, I heard a cheer, so I thought I had missed at least one goal, but then I heard music, indicating kick off had been delayed to allow the crowd of 2,296 to get in.

With limited terracing (average crowds are at least twice what they anticipated when planning the stadium), unless you take a position early, all space around the pitch will be taken, in most places a couple of people deep. I do not know if they have plans for capacity enhancement, but they have room at the town end for a substantial terrace with room underneath for the club shop, toilets and catering outlets, currently in mobile structures, which would allow the current metal terracing to be redeployed along the open side.

Not that that was of any use in current circumstances, and, still having a frozen shoulder, I was not going to try holding the camera above my head, so I picked a point where I had a view between heads of the goal we were attacking. I took just one picture, on my phone.

We can see the stand was completely full, and get an idea of the depth of the crowd along the sides. My 2,295 companions (although some thought there were more in the ground than the official figure) had not wasted their time queueing to get in, as we were treated to two good sides trading the lead, three apiece at 90 minutes, the home side clinching a win with an injury time goal. The even surface provided by Maidstone's pristine polyester suited both sides' passing game.

Having watched from the side, I joined other Dulwich supporters behind the goal to applaud the players at the end, which we apparently did for 14 minutes, with some of the stewards congratulating our vocal support. You should see our supporters when we win.

I then spent more time discussing the game with complete strangers than I have done before. I adjourned to the Flower Pot, the nearest Good Beer Guide establishment, for a pint and to read my paper. My pink and blue top was spotted by some Dulwich supporters and four or five Maidstone supporters all saying it was either the best game of the season, or the best since the Gallagher Stadium opened. I was not the only one spending the evening in Maidstone: on my train, three hours later, there were more groups of Dulwich supporters, none of whom I recognised, but all of whom made mention of the game.

Then, to cap it all, in the Wenlock Arms in Hoxton on Sunday, I was having a drink after church, wearing a pink and blue tie (not a club one, just from Marks & Spencer), when I was approached by another stranger who recognised me from the game.

Final score: Maidstone United 4 Dulwich Hamlet 3 (Clunis, Whitnell, Öztümer)

From touchline to shining touchline

"I would not know where to buy suits that shiny", mused the Vicar, observing a particularly fashionably turned out congregation for a baptism. For me, a suit shinier than shoes is on the list of people your grandmother would warn you about, up there with more rings than fingers. These wonders are achieved by the judicious addition of modern synthetic fibres, so I should not have been surprised at the degree of shine imparted by a polyester pitch on a sunny day.

Rich Moran

As the shine is only from the level of the pitch, it is not as troublesome as other kinds of backlighting - as we can see above, the lighting has taken its cue from the more matt finish of the wall and natural grass bank behind. Given the weather we have had recently, I should have been surprised at a sunny day, although it was only sunny for part of it. Also, playing on an artificial pitch at least guaranteed that the game would go ahead.

This was Prescot Cables' first pre season game, against Stockport Sports, previously Woodley Sports. Our 4-0 defeat there on the opening day of last season suggested we may be in for a long campaign. Whilst they had a good season on the field, they were relegated due to ground grading and security of tenure issues. They seem keen to bounce back, adopting the Stockport Sports name to increase sponsorship opportunities, as few from outside Stockport are familiar with Woodley. This may be true: last year most of our independently travelling supporters went directly to Woodley and pronounced themselves unimpressed with the choice of pubs, whereas I realised it was a short bus ride from Stockport, and accessed the selection of Good Beer Guide establishments there. Their ambition extends on the field too, as they have attracted the European Cup winning player and former Thailand and Indonesia manager Peter Withe as their manager.

Building work was ongoing at their home at Stockport Sports Village, so the game was played at the JMO Sports Park, a small complex of pitches in Skelmersdale, and handy for the main bus route, which stopped a couple of hundred yards away, near a roundabout. This, on inspection if its sign, appeared to be called "The Roundabout", a strange choice of name in a town that has one every few hundred yards.

Stockport had already played a couple of pre season games (the North West Counties season starts a couple of weeks before ours, at about the time pre season games used to start), so they fielded the same team for both halves, whereas Cables' new manager Dave Powell took the opportunity to try two different combinations of players in a match situation, with only James Thomas playing in both halves.

Dave Powell

James Thomas

At this time of year, there is always speculation as to who will be back, as non contract players' registrations expire on 1st June, so players are free agents until they register for the new season. The first couple of pre season games are an opportunity to see who is pulling on a shirt, and of course word spreads around about who has appeared elsewhere. Even other managers take an interest, I spotted in the background of one of my pictures that Tommy Lawson, the manager of Skelmersdale United had stopped off for a few minutes to take a look.

Steven Longrigg gathers the ball with James McCulloch in defence

Steven Kelly

Returning players appearing in this game included Stephen Longrigg in goal, James McCulloch and Steven Kelly. Also present was Liam Hollett, who will not be playing for a month or so, as he is recovering from a knee operation - I am trying to remember a game since Liam started playing regularly for the first team when he has not been present, even when injured or suspended, he has been there, supporting the team.

The rest of the pictures from the game can be seen here.

Hats, kits and polyester pitches

The Evo-Stik League season is now under way, with Prescot Cables having played their first game of the season away to Woodley Sports.

The quickest way to get there (with the best options for Good Beer Guide pubs) seemed to be via Stockport. Since I first got a train through Stockport a few years ago, I had been intrigued by a chimney that you can see from the viaduct.

Stockport was a centre of hat making from the 16th century until 1997, when the last factory closed, so the town has the Hat Works, a well presented little museum. They also had a small display on local sport, apparently Stockport is something of a centre for lacrosse, a sport I have not had the opportunity to watch.

Woodley's ground is in the middle of a building site at the moment, as it is to become part of the new Stockport Sports Village, to be run by the Stockport Sports Trust, which operates the former municipal sports facilities in partnership with Stockport Council.

Woodley have one of the few synthetic pitches at this level, a Field Turf surface, with the "grass" being polyester fibres attached to a polyurethane base, with a rubber infill, avoiding the carpet burns synonymous with the nylon based surfaces of the eighties.For photography it does not make a lot of difference, although the more predictable bounce can sometimes make it easier to keep up with the ball. The fibres seem to be darker than grass, which, combined with the infill (mainly from recycled material from tyres) makes the pitch look darker than grass, which is balanced by the fibres having a slightly wet look.

Prescot have a new kit for the season, supplied by PaxSport, the company run by former Prescot goalkeeper Andy Paxton, here being worn by last season's top scorer, Lee Madin.

The black band at the top looks quite distinctive, although as it does not extend a similar distance down the back, the appearance from the side takes a little getting used to. Along with a number of people who have commented on the club forum so far, I would have preferred a bolder yellow (closer to amber), I am a bit concerned about visibility on a murky afternoon in November before the floodlights are turned on, but only time will tell on that.

The photos from the game are available here.