Let it snow

As I walked from the tram to Droylsden's ground for Prescot Cables fixture, I spotted a notice on the wall of the neighbouring King's Head, announcing it as Joseph Holt's best wet pub last year. I am confused as to what this entails, as I thought all the brewery's pubs serve alcoholic refreshments and are wet in that sense, and their houses are generally well maintained and not springing a leak.

The weather forecast predicted snow showers with a strong wind. When I arrived, it was bright and sunny but, as the players went in from warming up, the first snow shower arrived. The tunnel steward kindly told me where I could obtain free tea and coffee. Everything and everyone had a light dusting.

I had some trouble stopping the wind blowing my polyethylene seat pad away before I had chance to sit on it, and this was not the weather to sit on cold ground, especially as there was a shallow drainage ditch in front of the perimeter fence. I realised this was going to be particularly cold day when I started to lose sensation in my fingers after about 10 minutes. I had sorted myself out in time to catch Chris Almond opening the scoring in bright sunshine.

Chris Almond shoots for goal

It then started to snow. A still photograph cannot show the sideways nature of it.

Valter Fernandes

The sun was soon back out.

Ben Barnes

An own goal just before the end of the half made the scores level. I spent half time with my hands in my pockets (not just an in joke, but a description of how I was staving off frostbite).

I have never seen someone brushing the snow off the lines before.

The weather kept me moving. Keeping warm was an incidental benefit, but the sun was from the south, so from behind the goal I was looking in to it, and the wind was from the east, so by the side it was blowing on to the front of the lens. Naturally, there came a point when it was doing both.

Jordan Wynne prepares for a free kick

Some on the stand side attributed the next goal to James McCulloch, and the hosts reported it to the league website as an own goal. However, those behind the goal, who had the best view immediately started chanting for Harry Cain, who retained a coating of snow on his head.

Celebrating Harry Cain's goal

Josh Klein-Davies had less clement weather to make the result secure a couple of minutes from time.

Josh Klein-Davies gets past Richie Branagan

After the game I retired to the King's Head, which appeared, in the light of its award, to be weather tight. I had intended to go straight home, but it is always enjoyable to stay around for a while after a win, and more to the point I wanted the toilet, and literally had to spend 15 minutes in the warm before I had enough feeling to grip my clothing.

The rest of the pictures from the game can be seen on the club website here, and on Google Photos here.

Final score: Droylsden 1 Prescot Cables 3 (Almond, Cain, Klein-Davies).