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.