Flags, firkins and flat caps

There was plenty to entertain the visitor at Prescot Cables game against Warrington Town. Admittedly there was no Shaun Reid, and, wst former Cables defender Lee Smith has maintained their form on the field, he exhibits a much calmer match day demeanour.

Lee Smith (left) watches Phil Bannister

Still there was still a flag display and collection for the Alfie Lund Fund, raising awareness for MECP2 duplication syndrome; a dance display at half time, and the little matter of a beer festival.

Alfie Lund Fund flag display

The latter attracted a few ground hopping bloggers, and I met Matt from the Lost Boyos, whose site I only found a few weeks ago, and who, in the manner of our Train Crew, enjoys getting to the game almost as much as being there. He shows the same respect for the flat cap as appropriate headgear for football as these pages, although his is an all year round trademark, rather than just for keeping his head warm or visiting the borders of the known world. I posed for and took the obligatory #NoFlatCapNoParty" double thumbs up pictures. The all thumbs match day photographer may not be the best person to let loose on your compact camera: my first attempt started a movie by mistake.

Whilst this was going on, I just about saw the visitors' first goal, from Ged Kinsella. We had a decent amount of the play up to this point, but had been unable to convert it. Warrington went further ahead with a second from Ciaran Kilheeny in first half injury time.

I then had an unusual assignment for me, some pictures of the half time display from the Dancebeatz Academy. The dancers had a lot of space between them, which worked live, and may have made a good video panning along the line, but I did not have anything with me to keep the camera stable. It would not have made much of a picture if I had put everyone in one frame, so a presentation montage seemed the order of the day.

I also took the opportunity to capture our new mural on the end of the toilet block. We have been around for a while.

With sunset after 6pm, you would not expect much drop in light over an hour earlier with consistent light cloud cover throughout. However, the shutter speed dropped from a fairly consistent 1/1000s at ISO 800 at the beginning of the game ...

Joe Nicholson

... to 1/500s hovering around ISO 1000 at the end.

James McCulloch

I have worked out roughly how the sports mode manages exposure. In the conditions I have encountered (I have yet to use the equipment on summer day), if there is enough light for shutter speeds over 1/1000s, it uses the most open aperture, at ISO 400. In lower light, it maintains speed by increasing sensitivity up to ISO 800, when it reduces shutter speed until 1/500s, then increases the sensitivity again, until ISO 3200, when it drops the speed until it is too slow to be practical, and I need to switch mode.

Jonah O'Reilly

The visitors added their third goal, and continued their march towards the title with a penalty ten minutes from time.

After the game it was back to the festival beers, with a neat system for the transition between the afternoon session (included in the game, and therefore free for season ticket holders) and the evening session. Beers were served up to 6pm in a plastic glass, and then after this only in a glass included in the evening entry fee.

The rest of the pictures from the game can be seen on the club website here, and on Google Photos here. Matt's Lost Boyos blog on the game is available here.

Final score: Prescot Cables 0 Warrington Town 3.