Arf arf

Those who know me will know I like a running joke. So, for years I have been referring to Transport for London's Oyster card as a Lobster. In 2011 Merseytravel pinched my joke, announcing with great fanfare that their smart card was to be called the Walrus, with all sorts of travel goodies on it. Four years later, they finally put a product on, the Saveaway, a one day ticket, previously on a scratch card. This weekend was the first time I used one to get to the game. It was also the first day I correctly paid: my ticket failed to load the first day I used it, so I got around using the receipt from the payment terminal; and the second day the system gave me the previous occasion's ticket for free.

A Walrus card - I think the yellow bits are tusks

Fortunately, at Prescot Cables' game at home to Bamber Bridge, we had something more old fashioned, good wholesome beer at the annual beer festival. Business was brisk once people started to arrive for the game.

Outside, the weather was overcast, and colder than it had been for a few days.

James McCulloch

We scored first with a header from James Jenkins. I got a picture, but not one for the final collection, even on the goal is a goal principle.

Everyone joined in the celebrations.

We are having trouble keeping a lead, and scores were level again after a couple of minutes.

We thought we had restored our lead when Jack Phillips put the ball in the net, but the effort was ruled out for offside - another picture that did not have the quality to make it into the final collection.

We can see the moment before the ball goes in the net here, although we cannot judge much from it: I usually see when the ball arrives with the player who may or may not be in an offside position, not the position when the ball is played.

Learned papers have been written on the physical possibility of judging an offside position, although they presume that the assistant referee needs to focus on every player distinctly and in turn, whereas in many cases it is possible to determine much by colour and movement. An attacker with the defender's colour to his right is unlikely to be in an offside position.

This is all very well when everything is in the assistant referee's field of vision. With a ball from a point to the assistant's side, one way of determining when it was played is by sound. My refereeing friend James once explained this to me, saying that the distance was too short for the speed of sound to have any effect. However, if a ball is played from near the half way line, with the assistant near the goal line, the distance can be 40 - 50m. Sound travels at approximately 330m/s, so takes about 0.15s to travel that distance. If a player can run 100m in 15s, he can cover a metre in that time, enough to move from an onside to an apparently offside position. However, an eye movement takes about 0.2s , and a similar time for the eye to focus in the new position, so sound may well be the best way to use.

The visitors extended their lead with two goals from Stuart Vasey, both long range shots, good goals, and one, I cannot remember which, was almost an excellent save: Ben Morrow got fingers to it, but not enough to stop it going in. It is an occupational hazard of goalkeeping, even when you get your bit right (which Ben largely has over the last three games), people remember the ones that go in.

Ben Morrow

The second half had very much the balance of the first, with a fourth goal about 10 minutes in. Not that our team gave up, still trying for the late goal until the end.

Joe Evans

After this, it was back to the beer festival, with more good business, including a few of our visitors staying to enjoy the festival until quite late in the evening.

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

Final score: Prescot Cables 1 (Jenkins) Bamber Bridge 4.