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.