Wherever the highway unwinds

The eyes of the non league world seemed to be concentrated last weekend on Scarborough Athletic playing their first fixture at their new ground, returning to the town for the first time in ten years. On a lower key, in Lancashire, I watched St Helens Town also moving in to their new home, having had a peripatetic existence after a deal with St Helens RLFC worked out more to the advantage of the latter.

There were a few teething problems with the council run facilities at the new Ruskin Sports Village, but they were in a position to entertain Congleton Town, and were optimistic of everything being ready for the start of the season. My benevolent disposition towards Town's homecoming was mildly reduced by someone complaining about his lucky escape from pneumonia in Prescot Cables' board room last season, although on the substantive issue, I have to concede it is a smidgeon cold.

I had been right in my assessment of Pilkington Recs pitch the previous week, the football pitch had much shorter blades of polyester, with more crumb.

With the sky overcast and no sun to worry about, I took up position at the end St Helens were attacking.

St Helens opened the scoring with Congleton replying a few minutes later, with plenty of other chances for both sides that they were not able to convert.

The hosts had their own photographer whereas the visitors appeared not to, so I decided to aim for a neutral collection and stayed in the same position for the second half.

 Mannion, who played a few games for Prescot Cables when Andy Paxton was manager, was appearing for the visitors on the side I was covering.

Congleton are in the division above St Helens, and in the second half made their advantage on paper felt on the field with two more goals without reply.

There was a reasonable crowd, although some people I expect to be planning to visit a new ground may be waiting for competitive action. However, I am sure that once the weather closes in, there will be a few taking refuge from weather related postponements at other grounds.

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

Final score St Helens Town 1 Congleton Town 3

Touchdowns, runways and roads

I decided not to travel to Thatto Heath Crusaders' game at Wath Brow Hornets, although with the unexpected good weather, I should have treated myself to a stay at the coast. There was a crop of pre season football games, but I stayed with competitive rugby league. Pilkington Recs were the nearest club, at home to Wigan St Patricks. They had been an option when I started watching a couple of months ago, but Thatto Heath were nearer, and Pilkington had a regular photographer. I am not worried about treading on toes, but at a club without I am more likely to be useful. This was the case with Thatto Heath asking whether I was coming again after my first collection.

This was the official opening day at Ruskin Sports Village, previously owned by the Pilkington glass company, now run by St Helens Council with facilities for Pilkington Recs and St Helens Town FC. I found a festival in full swing, with cricket, a junior football tournament, tennis and bowls in addition to rugby. As I was early, I watched a few overs of the cricket with an ice cream. Some of the first dedicated sports action photographs just over 100 years ago were taken of cricket. This is logical, as for much of the action you can train your camera on where the player will be, and concentrate on the shutter. As I had no idea who the teams were, and therefore where to send the pictures, I decided not to try my hand.

Our game was preceded by a minute's silence for Adam Cooper, who sadly died playing for Culcheth Eagles in a National Conference League fixture the previous week.

This was the first time I have watched rugby on a 3G pitch. There seemed to be more and longer polyester blades and less visible rubber crumb than I would normally expect. The shine from the blades can affect the lighting on a bright sunny day.

We have seen the visitors before, playing in all black.

I have encountered the hosts' colours in rugby union, chosen I suspect because it holds visibility in the mud: less of a consideration for league now it is a summer game. It also reproduces well under most lighting conditions.

With the sun shining strongly from the hosts' end, I took up position near the half way line.

I was right about a resident photographer or two, lenses were being trained from all directions.

The game followed a pattern that has been common for me this season, starting evenly, with one side, in this case Pilkington's, having an advantage at half time, and taking a decisive grip to run away as clear winners in the second.

After the game, I had a choice of cricket - more overs at the ground, or a pint in tip top condition at the Cricketers' Arms. I decided on the latter. Despite the name and some cricket memorabilia, rugby league is a way of life in these parts. The bases of the hand pumps all bear the name of  one of the great St Helens players, and I cannot remember a minute's silence as well observed in a pub as that for Adam Cooper at the start of the televised game.

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

Final score: Pilkington Recs 50 Wigan St Patricks 22