Turned out fine in the end

This weekend saw Prescot Cables' last game of the season at home to Curzon Ashton. A couple of weeks ago, we were a bit concerned about this game, possibly needing points to avoid relegation, against a Curzon side needing a win to clinch automatic promotion.

That was then: a win at Ossett Town and a point against their tenants Wakefield in midweek pulled us free from the bottom two places; relegation positions were likely to be allocated off the field; and Curzon were assured of second place, so were resting some players for the play off semi final a couple of days later. The last was a sensible precaution, as they needed extra time and penalties to overcome Garforth Town and secure their place in the final.

The result was a win for Prescot, meaning an average tally of exactly one point per game and a 16th place finish, which came as a surprise, not least to me, as I was confident that we could not finish higher than 17th. It was a good finish, with all the changes in the team management over the year, and the first time for at least 5 years that the club has finished in a higher league position than the previous season.

After the game came the end of season presentation, with Joe Gibiliru Jnr winning a clean sweep of Supporters', Players' and Injury Assessor's Player of the Year awards. The last of those is more traditionally the Manager's award, but with one manager having left the country with his day job, and another taking Warrington Town to the Football League, the choice was made by the Injury Assessor, Tony Carroll, who has been a stabilising influence on the bench.

Joe Gibiliru Jnr

All the players deserve credit for the season's performance, those who have been with us all the way through, and those who have played a small number of games. When we are not able to compensate players for money lost through taking time off work, or when other pressures call for them to be elsewhere, we will necessarily have to field a lot of players in a season. As an illustration, here are our most regular player of the season, John Couch, with 35 starts and 5 substitute appearances, and our newest player, Luke Edwards, making his first appearance on the pitch away to Skelmersdale a couple of weeks ago.

John Couch

Luke Edwards

I think the handling of the move to amateur status helped to retain players, and still make the club attractive for new players. There was no saga of unpaid wages for weeks on end: amounts due were paid on time, and players who wanted to move on were able to do so without fuss. Indeed, only a couple of players with longer travelling distances chose to do so.

Of course, the game would not be complete without the supporters. Stalwart Cables supporter Harry Thomas is often telling me he should appear in more pictures, so here he is chatting to substitute goalkeeper Brian Pilkington.

From the look on Brian's face, and the careful look in the direction of the goal, I think Harry may have just told him of the time he was keeping goal, under the rather less well constructed posts of yesteryear, and the crossbar fell on his head.

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

All over bar the shouting ... or maybe not

The dust is starting to settle on the issues of promotion and relegation in the EvoStik League Division 1 North. The championship goes to AFC Fylde with a couple of games to spare, so unless we meet them in a cup, the plan to take a trip to Lytham and its Good Beer Guide pubs and use Fylde's free bus to get to the game will not be put into action.

The breezy Kellamergh Park, home of AFC Fylde

Relegation issues may have been determined off the field. The League have determined that Woodley Sports will be relegated, due to ground grading and security of tenure issues. That means only one remaining relegation place, occupied by Cammell Laird, too far behind on points to escape. Woodley can appeal to the FA, and I am convinced that the committees that decide these things have chicken for lunch, to consult the entrails for their meeting, so it is worth making sure to resolve the issue on points.

Keeping warm at Durham

There was also news on Thursday that Durham City had requested to take one of the two relegation places, courtesy of the Wakefield Express, reported as a possible life line from relegation for Wakefield. There was some confusion, with sources from Durham denying this, and the report being removed. However, it resurfaced on Friday on the Express' sister papers, the Harrogate Advertiser and Ripon Gazette, as a potential reprieve for Harrogate Railway Athletic, and quoting from an e-mail sent by the League to member clubs. Finally, the news was confirmed on the Durham City website.

This could therefore mean Cammell Laird, Wakefield and Harrogate Railway Athletic all avoiding relegation. So, those trips to Gallaghers Pub and Barber Shop in Birkenhead, Blind Jack's in Knaresborough, and the various establishments of Ossett could still be on the itinerary next season.

I am not entirely surprised by Durham's decision, as they are looking to return to the Northern League, with the much reduced travelling this would entail. When I started watching football in the early nineties, the Northern League had just joined the Pyramid, having previously refused to do so, as they felt their standard was sufficient to feed directly to the Conference when it was founded in 1979. Durham's resignation leaves only Whitby Town of the former Northern League clubs still in the EvoStik League (with Blyth Spartans and Gateshead having reached Conference North). The travelling will always be a problem for clubs in the North East, Durham's nearest club in the division was Harrogate Railway Athletic, 67 miles away. Changing the Division 1 split from north / south to east / west has been suggested, although this cannot change how distant they are from the bulk of the other cubs, swapping trips to Prescot with those to Grantham.

There is likely to be no candidate for promotion from the Northern League again this year, so you have to wonder at the tidy mind of the FA worrying that there are 14 leagues at step 5 feeding to 12 places at step 4, and planning disruptive changes to rectify the situation, when 2 of those leagues (the South West has the same problem) rarely feed to the next level.

This was all put to one side for the visit of Wakefield - on the principle of making sure on points, one from this game would put Prescot's safety from relegation beyond even mathematical doubt.

Steven Tames

The weather has not been as bad this season as last, so this was the first evening game since the clocks went forward, so the first to start in daylight. The evening light producing some shots with a clear sense of movement, although I was able to get the same effect under the lights.

Freddie Potter

It was a scrappy physical game, particularly in the second half. Cables' Stuart McMullen, fortunately one of our calmest players, collected an elbow in the eye when the referee's back was turned, and then received a punch to the same eye, for which the offending Wakefield player was instantly shown a red card.

Stuart McMullen

The end result was a 1-1 draw, which, leaving aside off field events elsewhere, was useful for both clubs, putting Wakefield 3 points ahead of Harrogate Railway Athletic with a far superior goal difference. The rest of the pictures from the game can be seen here.

Il fait froid - or 'appen it's a bit parky

There is only a small number of people who have a stadium named after them. Amongst this group is the "Russian linesman" from the 1966 World Cup final, Tofiq Bahramov, who served as Secretary of the Azerbaijan Football Federation after he retired as a referee, and who received the honour after his death in 1993, shortly after his country gained independence from the Soviet Union. More namings are the result of sponsorship, as with Ossett Town's Stade France, named after local scrap metal merchant Eric France, who has been a sponsor of sport in the area for some years.

There are many reasons for an area having a microclimate, such as some geographical feature causing cold air to congregate in one place. I have never noticed such a feature at Ossett Town, but the ground has always felt a few degrees colder than the town centre a couple of hundred of yards away, even before it shared a name with a foreign country. There are plans in hand for the ground to become a Tesco, with a new ground being built a short walk away on the edge of the town - I think I found where the chiller cabinets and frozen food will be, but was unable to locate anywhere warm enough for the in store bakery.

Players wearing gloves are an unusual sight in April, but on this occasion, my only surprise was that more had not chosen to do so.

Luke Edwards

This is the ground with large notices warning about bringing in your own food and drink, so it is always good to slip in a little contraband.

They seemed to have solved the problems that a few clubs have had recently with floodlight pylons by getting those nice people from the mobile operators to pay for them, with 4 of the 6 sets of lights being attached to communications masts.

It ensured a good signal, although it was of no avail in accessing the League website, as T-Mobile seem to think it contains adult content.

Prescot went into the game knowing that a win would put us 6 points ahead of Wakefield, who would need to overtake us to push us into a relegation position, with a superior goal difference. Events elsewhere suggested that the club finishing second from bottom was unlikely to be relegated, but I sometimes wonder if the committees that consider these things consult the chicken entrails, so it is worth making sure on points.

Ossett Town is one of those places we have tended not to do well, but an early goal from Ashley Ruane suggested things may be different this time.

Ashley Ruane scores Prescot's first goal

It is another of those photos that makes it in to the collection on the "a goal is a goal" principle, the composition leaves something to be desired, even after cropping.

Prescot seemed seemed more than willing to have a shot, with all hands to the deck to retrieve those that did not make it.

Cables Chairman Tony Zeverona returns one of our more wayward shots

Even so, the Ossett manager was left after one attacking spell looking rather keen that the boys who had gone to retrieve the balls that had gone over the fence would be back soon.

The main stand comes close to the pitch behind one goal, so for the second half, I could loaf on the seats to take most of my pictures. There is a slight dip at that end, and being lower than the action can produce a better picture. A recent edition of the Nikon Professional Update (I think professional refers to those giving the tips) included a comment from a chap who had won a sports photography award suggesting that the best vantage point for sports photography is as low as possible - and if it were possible to dig a pit next to a football pitch, then one should do so and take pictures from there. You do get a definite sense of looking up.

Steven Tames, scoreer of Prescot's second and third goals

Once again, I caught one of those pictures where something appears to be happening independent of the play. In this case, Cables' Chris Rowntree, the scorer of Prescot's 4th goal, is playing the ball, as Ossett's no 11 appears to be flying through the air in an unconnected movement.

The win for Prescot ensured League status for another year, as Wakefield's win at Harrogate Railway Athletic, the current occupier of the second relegation spot, meant that the latter would be unable to finish ahead of Prescot.

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

April showers

Despite having supported Prescot Cables since the early 1990s, it was only last season that I first visited local rivals Skelmersdale United. Skelmersdale play at the West Lancashire College Stadium, a few minutes' walk from the main Southport to Wigan bus route, although on this occasion, I took up the offer of a lift via the Prince Albert in Westhead. The ground is also known as Stormy Corner, which appears to be the only concrete commemoration of the village of the same name, demolished in the 1960s to make way for the development of Skelmersdale New Town.

New grounds on an industrial estate can sometimes feel a bit bleak, and villages can get their names for a reason. Corner is explained by a look at an old map, and Stormy, well you can guess what the weather can be like. We were fortunate: AFC Liverpool, playing back home in Prescot, had their game called off due to the rain.

The away crowd keeping dry(ish)

Most of our support took cover in the stand, but the camera and I were well covered, so I took up my usual position behind the goal Prescot were attacking, but not before getting a couple of shots of our own goalkeeper, with even the programme seller in his booth looking impressed at the jump.

Brian Pilkington

Once the cover has been sorted out, cloudy and wet weather at this time of year gives an easy light, with very little processing required to adjust the lighting, apart perhaps from to emphasise the rain.

Other liquids seemed to be in shorter supply -

- or perhaps it was just a marketing ploy.

Skelmersdale has never been a profitable place for Prescot to visit, and it looked to be so again with Skelmersdale's first goal from Shaun Tuck. An excellent reply from Ashley Ruane gave a brief hope that this may be a more productive visit, although normal service was quickly resumed.

Ashley Ruane lines up his shot

In the second half, one of the home officials suggested I might like to try their gantry.

I decided not to avail myself of the opportunity, as this blog is about taking pictures from areas accessible to the general public, and I suspected there may be a few health and safety forms to be filled in before hopping up the ladder. The result of the endeavours of the gentlemen on the gantry is available as a video nasty (if you support Prescot) here.

The rain eased off in the second half, and even a little sun was able to peep through the clouds.

Steven Tames competes for the ball with former Cables player Rob McIntosh

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

Over 'ere son, on me 'ead

I take ONE weekend away ...

Since my last Prescot Cables post, we have had a change of manager, with the previous incumbent departing for the snouting velvet dingles of Cantilever Park to take charge of Warrington Town, and bring League football to the town.Warrington acted with considerable speed: having announced the dismissal of Joey Dunn on Monday 20th March, they received over 40 applications, sifted them and announced an appointment shortly after the post arrived on the closing day the following Monday.

Stepping in to the caretaker role at Prescot is someone who needs no introduction, Joe Gibiliru Senior, who my friend Roger pointed out as one of our best players when I first started watching the club in 1991. Shortly afterwards, Joe was appointed for his first spell as Manager.

Club President George Hayward welcomes Joe Gibiliru Snr back to the dugout

Prescot were entertaining Lancaster City, having captured a point at Witton Albion, in the first game of Joe's stewardship, in midweek.

I was once watching a game at North Ferriby, where the home manager was loudly instructing his team, "Head the BALL, head the BALL". The emphasis on the word "ball" was such that I thought he may have been concerned a stout Yorkshire cranium was about to be applied to downing a passing pigeon. From the photographer's point of view, this is welcome advice, as getting a head to the ball is good for a photo when it works, although using the head for freelance pest control in mid game may provide an interesting image as well.

Prescot very rarely outrank their opposition for height, so we sometimes come off second best in the air. We have some exceptions, such as Stuart McMullen, who joined us before Christmas.

Stuart McMullen

This is one of the classic shots of a header, the player making a big jump to get to the ball. Sometimes of course, the player hardly needs to leave the ground, as here.

Chris Rowntree

Another classic header shot is of the player rising above the players around, such as here.

Michael Grogan

Having the player taking the header with other playes in close proximity is very handy, as the feet of the players on the ground give a natural lower edge for the picture to show how high the player is jumping, with the ball forming the natural upper edge. I was looking for an example of a header without other players to prodvide a point of reference, and realised that they hardly ever make it in to the collection.

Better still are two players are in the air, going for the ball, as here.

John Couch

You will see that in many cases, the ball is not particularly close the the player's head. I do not always have the best of reflexes, and, unlike a player making a run, the header is a single contact, so if I catch the player's head making contact with the ball, it is sometimes more by luck than judgment. The SLR, with its mirror that rises to allow the light through to the sensor provides instant feedback - if you see the moment of contact, then you have not captured it.

The momentary nature of the header means that a lot of pictures end up in the bin.

James McCulloch

This one has everything - James McCulloch rising above his marker to head the ball, Ashley Ruane getting into position to receive the ball, and even a dark background for contrast. The fatal flaw of course is that the ball is just out of frame.

Prescot were unable to repeat their result from midweek, and lost 1-0. Meanwhile, numbers were coming in from Durham - 5, 6, and finally the end result. Durham City 7 Warrington Town 1.

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