Means of transport

Regular readers will be aware of the group of Prescot Cables supporters informally known as the Cables Train Crew. Travelling to Burscough, the options by train are a half hourly service with 25 stops, or a quicker but irregular service, and, as the game is local, there is no coach. In discussion at Rhyl, someone thought of hiring a minibus, then came the idea that it would probably be not much more expensive to hire a stretch limousine. This turned out to be the case, so thirteen of us fitted surprisingly comfortably into our novel transport. The vehicle had to take roundabouts rather gingerly, so we picked our game well: if we had chosen to travel this way to Warrington or Skelmersdale, we would still be on the road.

When we took our refreshment in the Hop Vine before last season's fixture, we were impressed with the look of the food, so this time we booked a table, and were rewarded with generous portions of good food at reasonable prices. They had a beer festival too, so as well as their usual selection of English beers, particularly from their own Burscough Brewery, a number of German brews were available, and could be served in the traditional manner.

Dr Phil enjoys a beer from the world's oldest brewery. Photo by Richie Brown

Once in the ground - having renewed acquaintance with Burscough's turnstiles, through which the average broom would need to go sideways - I looked at the programme and found both goalkeepers to be of interest. Our keeper, Nick Culkin, has a wealth of experience in the Football League, and a brief Premiership appearance as a late substitute in a game for Manchester United.

Nick Culkin

The home keeper, Tim Horn, represented England Universities last season, part of a silver medal winning team at the World University Games. I am not sure what they teach them at University: he had a worrying tendency (for his side) to stray outside his area, and had to resort to the normal tackle to get the ball away from an advancing player. Having tried this in the first few minutes with Connor McCarthy ...

... he was left with a stray ball, that was put away by Kyle Riley (this picture is not of the goal).

There are those who say beards make men look older. I am inclined to disagree, I remember a picture from the last day I had a shave in 1994, and it is only in the last couple of years when the grey has taken hold that I started to look any older. However, it works in some cases, looking at the profiles in our programme, Kyle is 19, so there is no harm in the opposition thinking he is a couple of years older, although he has still chalked up good playing experience as a trainee with Burnley and Oldham Athletic, and has played in Spain.

Connor McCarthy made his own entry on the score sheet a few minutes later, the photo of this getting in to the collection on the "goal is a goal" principle.

Most of the Train (or Limousine) Crew decided to use of the covered standing to make some noise, so for the first half they were in what I think of as a non traditional position behind the goal we were defending.

Members of the Train Crew watch Ryan Eiselt

I was quite glad to go to that end for the second half, as the shade is better, making for a more even light.

Dave Powell and John Filan watch Ryan Grattan taking a throw in

Having taken a 2-1 lead into the second half, we were not able to hold on to it, and Tim Horn, whilst still ranging more widely than many goalkeepers, wisely stayed in his area, and was able to keep our attacks at bay, leaving us to go home in our exotic transport with a point.

Finally, this blog extends its best wishes for a speedy recovery to Dulwich Hamlet's Harry Ottaway, who sustained a fracture to his tibia in a collision with Carshalton Athletic's goalkeeper in their game at the weekend.

Harry Ottaway

The rest of the pictures from Prescot's game at Burscough can be seen here.

Back so soon?

It is not unusual for a fixture from the end of one season to become one of the first the following year. So it was with Prescot Cables first game of the season, at home to Ossett Town, our visitors for our last league game in May.

On my way to my pre match refreshment, I was crossing the road, negotiating stationary traffic at a temporary traffic light, when a loud beeping started to emerge from one of the cars. Thinking it was someone exasperated at the time it was taking to get past the roadworks (I would have got off the bus at the previous stop if I had known), I concentrated on the moving traffic in the opposite direction. When I got to the other side of the road, the driver finally attracted my attention with a cheery wave. Regular Cables supporters will not be surprised to learn the noise was coming from stalwart supporter Harry Thomas.

At the ground, I found a team all of whose members I had seen play at least once, which happens less often than you might think: it is common to see new players who have suddenly become available. The team were wearing a new kit, darker than in previous seasons (our traditional colour is amber rather than yellow), with black shoulders and sleeves. I am not sure how this will affect my exposures under floodlights, but the amber stood out well in the wet, and towards the end, quite murky, conditions, which is a good sign.

James McCulloch in the new kit, with Ryan Eislet in the background

We also have numbers on the front of the shirts, which will make the task of announcers and match secretaries easier in identifying scorers, substitutions etc. To make my task easier, it needs to catch on, and for other clubs to start doing it. When you set up a five man wall, it is handy for the woman who does the match reports on the Lincolnshire Poacher Numbers Station too

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Our goalkeeper, Ciaran Gibson, who had previously been picked to represent England schoolboys at under 18 level, was making his first league appearance, having looked promising in pre season.

Ciaran Gibson

When Ossett scored after a few minutes, it looked as though we may start the season as we finished the last one when our visitors took home the points. Step forward Dave Dempsey. We retain Dave for his defensive abilities, so anything he is able to put away is a bonus: the question at the pre season game against West Didsbury and Chorlton was whether he had scored his second career goal, or whether Connor McCarthy had completed the finish.

There was to be no doubt for either player on this occasion, as they both made unequivocal contributions to the score sheet. Dave Dempsey was first, sending a free kick directly to goal. Unfortunately, I did not get a picture, as I was shooting straight into the wind and rain (at least it was warm wind and rain), so keeping the lens dry was the main preoccupation.

Connor McCarthy was the next to score, in the second half. As it was still raining, I decided to go under cover. This meant I was capturing the same side of our play in both halves, so I found I had very little of  the players, particularly Connor, who were playing on the other side. Still, if you are only going to capture a couple of pictures of a player, when he is scoring a goal is the best one to get.

Connor McCarthy shoots for Prescot's second goal

With Ossett having drawn level again, it was time for another addition to Dave Dempsey's goal tally. Sean Myler was brought down...

... so up stepped Dave for the free kick. The Ossett player in the background is on the half way line, giving us an idea how far out the the kick was taken.

Goalkeeper Thomas Taylor can only watch as it goes in.

I sent the pictures of both goals in for the Merseymart, but unfortunately they did not use one of mine this week: their feature picture on the sports page was a rather good boxing image.

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

Penalties saved, denied and scored

This weekend's Sir Bobby Robson National Football Day saw Dulwich Hamlet's first Ryman League Premier Division game for 12 years, against Lowestoft Town, the turf accountants' favourites for the championship. I have followed football at Premier Division level more recently, as, since Dulwich were relegated in 2001, Prescot Cables have been both promoted to and relegated from the Northern Premier League Premier Division.

Lowestoft are known to some as the Trawler Boys, in recognition of the town's fishing industry. At the turn of the 20th century, railway companies issued fishworkers' tickets, from Scottish ports to Yorkshire and to Lowestoft, with a return about 6 months later. These were for skilled onshore fish workers following the boats as they worked down the coast during the herring fishing season. I am not sure whether this explains one of the visiting supporters' flags, proclaiming themselves as Yorkshire Blues.

Lowestoft were awarded a penalty in the first few minutes, which, if they had scored, may have given them confidence to dominate the game. However, a save by Phil Wilson ensured that advantages remained even.

Phil Wilson plays the ball as the chap behind him texts home about the saved penalty

I rarely capture a good picture of our own goalkeeper saving a penalty. Although it is one of the spectacles of the game, with the penalty taker and goalkeeper lined up against each other, the  other players on the edge of the penalty area usually get in the way.

This took place whilst I was still walking round to the end we were attacking. I took up position behind one of the flags, indicating that we are a South London club.

Spectators have a part in catching or retrieving balls that have gone out of play. Doing so without spilling your pint is a useful skill.

When Harry Ottaway was brought to ground in the penalty area, many of us looked to the match officials ...

... and I lowered the camera in anticipation of a penalty. This is a dangerous time for the attacking side: if the referee adjudges there was no foul, the defending side often take advantage of the lapse in attention to make a break. Fortunately, Ellis Green played to the whistle, and, when it did not sound, put the loose ball in the net. Not that I saw it, as I was still looking at the referee.

Ellis Green

As an aside, I wonder if Harry Ottaway is any relation to the first England captain, Cuthbert Ottaway (not a descendant, as Cuthbert had only one child, a daughter): it is after all not a common name.

Having seen a penalty against our side, and a denied appeal, the match provided a useful opportunity for the writer and photographer - a penalty awarded to us. Some people use continuous shooting mode for a penalty, but I forget which button to press, the kick would be taken by the time I had gone through the menu, and I have enough practice to shoot almost as quickly manually. I generally photograph from my normal position, rather than moving directly behind the goal. On this occasion I captured the sequence quite well, with Erhun Öztümer placing the ball (keeping a straight back, best practice even with something as light as a football) ...

... taking the kick, with a couple of defenders in the background getting ready for any rebound ...

... and the ball heading towards goal.

We can see Erhun has a head down style, concentrating on the ball, rather than looking up and trying to second guess the goalkeeper's movement - a sensible approach, the movement of the goalkeeper is a variable you cannot control, best to concentrate on getting a powerful shot on target, which you can.

This was the best possible start to the season for Dulwich, for team morale and crowd retention: a crowd of over 500 treated to a win over one of the favourites for the title, and a good collection in the 12th Man bucket, building funds for Gavin Rose to use to strengthen the squad later in the season, or offer a contract to a player attracting attention from Football League clubs, allowing the club to collect a fee if the player signs professional terms.

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

Motoring

The name of Vauxhall has spread far and wide in transport circles. The first reason is not entirely verified, but a group of Russian engineers building a new railway inspected the London & South Western Railway in the 1840s. Vauxhall seemed an important station, so the name became the Russian word for a large railway station. More verifiably, an iron works in the area became the Vauxhall Motor Company, now the UK operation of General Motors. Prescot Cables' visitors this week, Vauxhall Motors, started life as a works team for the company's plant at Ellesmere Port.

Having missed last week's game, this was the first time I saw the pitch since last week's rain, and the improvement achieved by the Supporters on the Pitch scheme was much more apparent.

Antony Shinks takes a free kick on the much improved playing surface

As we get closer to the start of the season, conditions are closer to a league game, with less substitutions. This was also the first game of the pre season programme where the team sheet was posted in the clubhouse, so the process of learning the names of new players can begin in earnest.

Mike Smith

Starting with a new team can mean the players need to head to the shops: whilst the club supplies the kit, the laws of the game provide that undershorts have to be the same main colour as shorts, and undershirts have to be the same main colour as the sleeves of the shirt, so those undergarments that were perfectly fine with a different club last season are heading for the cupboard. Referees can and do send players to change any clothing that does not comply, and they often notice at the most inconvenient moment.

Kyle Riley

At the game, we learnt of a departure and a return to the team. Jon Bathurst has joined Rhyl, where we played a couple of weeks ago. I can see why the Welsh Premier League is an attractive option. The standard is higher than our Division, one I am sure Jon will have no trouble meeting. For a player with heavy time commitments for work and who had to take time out last season to rest an injury, there is an additional attraction, no midweek games, and five of the twelve clubs in the league are along the north coast.

Jon Bathurst - enjoyed Rhyl so much he decided to stay

Returning to us was Nick Culkin in goal, after his involvement last season was ended by an injury at work.

Nick Culkin

When I posted my photos from the game on the club Facebook page, the system decided people needed the link in Swedish: strangely, I have also had a larger than usual number of hits on these pages from Sweden in the last week.

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

Four sevens and two Fs

Once there were express trains and local trains. These days train companies sweat the assets when they are not sweating the passengers, so a long distance train will often run part of the journey as a local service. Thus there is a train from Chester direct to Maesteg, north of Bridgend. The name stood out in rugby results on Grandstand in the seventies: Maesteg were one of the top clubs in Wales, winning the Merit Table in 1978 and 1979. I knew a chap from the town at University, and I always thought if I find myself in South Wales, I should pop along and watch a game. The club badge includes the characters "7777", whose origins are explained on the website.

That is business for another day, as I was on my way to Flint Town United, where Prescot Cables were playing their last away pre season game (with two to play at home). A number of places where the name is the same in English and Welsh now use the Welsh spelling, especially in the north west. The situation in the north east is more mixed, but some give Flint a "Welsh" spelling.

The trouble is that the name of Flint in Welsh is "Y Fflint" (signs at the station exclusively carry this name), so putting an extra F in English does not make a lot of sense.

For a ground less than 5 minutes from the station, Flint is a bit tricky to find if you approach from the wrong direction. Come from the river side of the station, the ground is right in front of you. Come, as I did, from the town side, it is hidden behind houses, so you follow the map to their postal address, and end up in someone's garden. There is a sign at the junction, but whoever put it up thought there would be no problem putting a tree in the same bit of ground.

Our hosts intended to kick off at 2.30, the normal time for games in the Cymru Alliance. We anticipated 3pm, and Dave Powell had to hastily assemble the players for the earlier time. Not that he need have done so, the message did not reach Tony Zeverona, our Chairman, who brought the kit. The match therefore kicked off at about 2.50, meaning that, as I arrived at 3pm, I only missed 10 minutes or so.

The pitch is aligned north-east - south-west, so, in the first half, if I wanted to watch our team, there was no way of avoiding shooting straight in to the sun, which never produces the best lighting results, apart from for our goalkeeper in the shadow of the fence.

We could have fielded a good team with players who were not there, with only Antony Shinks, Phil Bannister and Ged Murphy present from those I would describe as regular first team players. I think Dave Powell was using this game to make a final assessment of players who have joined over the summer, deciding who to keep for the squad. No trip to Wales seems complete without bumping into one of our former players, this time Alejandro Barba, who had the thankless task of marking Connor McCarthy, making a strong claim for a first team place with two goals.

Connor McCarthy keeps Alejandro Barba at bay

When we score a goal, my first reaction, as a supporter, is to lower the camera and applaud. Then the photographer kicks back in and I try to get a couple of shots of the celebration. I almost always include one in the collection that I edit, not because it will be a good picture, it is more often not, so finds its way to the cutting room floor, but it is a useful marker for the pictures of the goal.

Ged Murphy and Antony Shinks congratulate Connor McCarthy on his goal

The light in the second half was of course directly behind me, which gives less problems.

Jordan Smith shoots for Cables' 4th goal

I had not expected to spend more time than the length of the match in Flint, but after the game I was able to look at the ruined castle, and enjoy the riverside walk, where I met this fine looking chap.

At 1/100s at 300mm in a decent breeze, I am surprised he did not disappear into a blur of camera shake.

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