Is there honey still for tea?

Football's pre season games seem to start earlier every year. In part this seems to accommodate an earlier finish to the season to make way for international fixtures, which rarely trouble the sides I watch. Also, managers at all levels want to have a better preparation for the season than in days gone by, when the drill was a couple of warm up games against traditional opponents and letting players run off the summer in the first couple of games of the season.

The latter is not an option these days, there are important games in the first few weeks of the season with the FA Cup Preliminary Round on the August Bank Holiday weekend (with County League clubs starting 2 weeks earlier in the Extra Preliminary Round), and the FA Trophy in September. Clubs at our level are unlikely to win these competitions, but there is prize money for all rounds, so a successful couple of games can bring in the equivalent of about a month's gate receipts - valuable help paying the bills - so good preparation for the season can make all the difference.

It means that those of us who like to follow the pre season schedule are treated to the ambience usually associated with cricket, relaxing on the grass in the summer sunshine in the shadow of historic church towers peeping out from behind the trees.

Maghull FC, whom Prescot were visiting for their second pre season game, share a field with the local cricket club, who were also playing. So, the question was, to watch the game from the clubhouse side with the barrier a few yards from the touchline, from behind the goal looking into the sun, or from the far side avoiding both disadvantages at the risk of being felled by a well hit six. As it turned out, I think our ball was causing more hazard to the cricketers than theirs was to us.

Half a second later the score was 140-2

The grass was looking as healthy as one might expect with the watering it has had, and the ground looks well drained, as it was dry to sit on only a couple of days after we had to cancel a game elsewhere due to a waterlogged pitch.

Even though it was only the second game, we could see a team taking shape. The more I see of the players, the easier it is to anticipate their movements, and the way they play the ball, making a better chance of getting a good shot.

The better weather brought a few of our regular supporters along (to be fair, a majority of those pictured had been at the Stockport Sports game last week), and Dave Powell took the opportunity to introduce himself to some of those he had not met before.

The away support hanging on for the ride ahead

The results of these pre season games are not too significant, as they are more about preparing the team for the season ahead, but some well taken goals in a 5-0 win will have done no harm to the players' confidence.

After the game I headed back to the station with a vague sense I had forgotten something. When I sat back in my seat on the train I remembered - my friend Mice (his name is Mike, but Mice has become the usual greeting for Christmas and birthday cards from humorous e-mails lost in the mists of time) lives about 300 yards from the ground, and I was going to check if he was in and arrange to call round before or after the game. With the weather, I wanted wait and to see if I would be travelling before doing so ... so, er, sorry about that if you are reading!