Distinguished guests

I was reading a blog post about a game at TPV, a club in the Finnish city of Tampere, describing the groups of regular supporters one could find in the ground. One of those identified was the local Member of Parliament, sitting in the main stand with his friends and associates, and occasionally indicating his support by sonorously and slowly intoning "Tavoitteet, TPV", i.e. "Goals, TPV".

He of course hit the nail on the head, as Prescot Cables must have thought at the end of their game at home to Mossley at the weekend. Sustained pressure in the first half did not result in a goal, although Mossley's goalkeeper looked as though we were making him as warm as when we visited Seel Park on a hot day at the beginning of the autumn.

Mossley goalkeeper Martin Pearson

We do not usually play in the presence of a Parliamentarian, although George Howarth, the MP for the part of the town in which the ground is located has mentioned the club in Parliament.

However, we were in distinguished footballing company, as the game was watched by Peter Reid, Football League and FA Cup winner as a player with Everton, former manager of, amongst others, Manchester City, Sunderland and the Thailand national team, and brother of Prescot Manager Shaun Reid. Peter most recently managed Plymouth Argyle, where he showed great principles in dipping in to his own pocket to ensure the club's bills and the players' wages were paid. I did not get a picture, as he took advantage of the view from the main stand, although he was happy to pose for pictures with supporters and sign programmes and memorabilia before and after the game.

He was not the only person happy to pose for a photo, James Thomas was on the bench, but did not want to miss out on a picture.

James Thomas

The Reid family were represented on the pitch as well, with nephew Michael Reid joining from Skelmersdale United, and putting in an excellent performance.

Michael Reid

Not an entirely new face, but making a welcome return was Fraser Ablett.

Fraser Ablett

As for the game, things started to look up in the second half with a goal from Steven Tames, who may soon disappear from these pages for the right reasons, as he has had interest from Southport, and has trials in the coming weeks with Accrington Stanley and Sheffield Wednesday. I managed to capture the goal - another of those pictures that made it in to the collection on the "goal is a goal" principle.

Steven Tames heads the first goal

Mossley equalised with a penalty for handball, although the contact seemed more with Liam Hollett's shoulder, and then went ahead. Michael Grogan restored parity: once again, the picture gets in because it is a goal. Anywhere else on the pitch I would have dropped it as Michael is almost completely obscured, but when the goalkeeper is only able to watch as the goal goes in, it redeems the other deficiencies of the picture.

Michael Grogan scores Prescot's second goal

Not having converted the pressure of the first half into goals took its toll when Mossley scored the final goal.

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