Battle of industry

Prescot Cables derives its name from our town's departed industrial heritage, so I enjoy visiting clubs with a similar background. Atherton Collieries can claim more historical points: our name came from sponsorship in the 1920s, theirs is from the club's being founded by miners in the First World War.

For evening games, small variations in transport timetables make a big difference. Last season I was thinking of attending a game as a neutral: the risk of missing the 9.46 train to Wigan meant I decided not to go. This time, the train was at 10pm, and Mr Google's maps showed me that what I thought was the quickest route to the station was nothing of the sort, so I shaved three or four minutes off the walk.

We were due to play this game on the Saturday after Easter, but it fell to a lunchtime downpour when we were on the way. I spent that afternoon in Wigan Central, a railway themed real ale and cider bar in the arches beneath North Western station, and, confusingly to those with an eye to railway history, nowhere near the old Wigan Central station. It was as well the game was off: although I was compos mentis enough to identify alternative entertainment at Wigan St Patrick's rugby league, when the time came I was disinclined to move to actually attend.

The ground has a distinct slope, which features in my memory of our North West Counties winning season of 2002-3. In the last game of the season, in which we needed a point, the hosts had a penalty in the first half, and sent it at an angle that would have gone in on level ground, but went over: we had a penalty in the second half and did not make the same mistake.

We were playing downhill in the first half.

Reece McNally

I often mention wearing high vis working pitchside. This is at least encouraged, if not mandated by the league, so players and officials can see clearly you are not part of the game. I was glad of it after a few minutes, when Atherton goalkeeper Greg Hartley was sliding towards me, downhill, on slippery ground, feet first. I do not know if he would have seen me without high vis, but he did with it, and was able to aim his feet at the pitch perimeter.

Greg Hartley

The hosts opened the scoring after 15 minutes, with a penalty converted by Ben Hardcastle, who has been a dominant feature of Collieries' recent successful seasons.

My position was giving good lighting throughout the half.

Josh Klein-Davies

For the second half, I took up position behind the uphill goal, which may not have been ideal, but as the bulk of the crowd was along the side, it meant I could get a position with no-one (more to the point, no-one with spillable drinks) immediately behind me. The sky was coming out as a nice shade of deep blue.

James Edgar and Harry Cain line up a free kick

About 15 minutes in, a tackle saw an Atherton player on the ground, an appeal for a free kick, more in hope than expectation, ignored by the referee, and everyone played on. This hardly merits a mention, except a spectator helped things along with a shout of "Get up you faggot". You do not hear this at our level as often as the full time game: people are more civilised when they know they will see the players in the bar later. I could only place it within 20 yards, and I was probably in the best place in the ground to hear it. There was a mix of supporters in the vicinity, but as the hosts would have had the advantage of a free kick, it was hardly going to be one of them. In the absence of anyone identifiable to report, I shall make my observation here. If you call an opposition player or match official a queer, faggot or similar term, it is because (a) you know they are like me, (b) you think they are like me, or (c) you think they believe it to be somehow undesirable to be like me. It is shouting abuse at me as much as at them: the second I hear it, I am on their side, not yours.

Once again, we came closer to scoring as the game went on. Our team are noticeably fit for the full 90 minutes, which, when we face a team flagging in the last ten, gets goals and points. Unfortunately the hosts appear to work on the same principle. A good save from Ben Barnes a couple of minutes from time stopped Atherton extending their lead, and Harry Cain hit the post with a minute or two to go, but we could not stop the hosts adding to their excellent record in the second half of the season.

Ben Barnes

I had hoped to give Gibbo from the Collieries committee a quick call on my way out: I saw him at a distance whilst I was on the pitch, but he had moved by the time I had packed up and was ready to go, and I had not appreciated how much time the quickest route to the station saves, so I thought I would not have time to go and find him.

On the way home, I had a wait at Wigan North Western that was too long to be convenient, but not quite long enough for a pint downstairs. Then again, you can find quite a bit to divert you on Realtime Trains and the live signalling maps on Open Train Times: I know a lot more about Anglo-Scottish freight flows than I did before.

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

Final score: Atherton Collieries 1 Prescot Cables 0.

Think of a title

One particular memory I have of creative writing at primary school is that, when the teacher did not supply a title, I would have an idea of what to write, but was staring at the paper wondering what to put on the first line. I was in a similar situation starting this blog, and was prompted to this anecdote, as one of the first people I saw arriving for Prescot Cables' game at home to Atherton Collieries was my friend Gibbo, who has just started work as a teacher at his old primary school. He had been landed with match secretary duties, and confided that being with us would leave him short of time to prepare a maths lesson, but a new ground was a new ground. It is doing your bit to make sure the children do not grow up thinking football is a television programme. 

We were part of a crowd of 281, a big improvement in the last couple of years, it was not long ago that three figures for a midweek game was far from guaranteed. We were expecting a stiff challenge, with the visitors having made a strong start to their first season in this league.

Sunset at this time of year is just after 8 pm, do I took up position on the pitch side of the barrier at the Safari Park End, taking advantage of the last few minutes of the golden hour.

Jordan Southworth

As I was in my formative years in 1986, light blue and white vertical stripes are not my favourite combination (I remember it in those colours even though Argentina wore their away kit), but have the advantage of being reflective.

Jordan Wynne

After a few minutes, I moved to the side, and was there for Joey Faux to open the scoring. I was late to the goal, but caught the celebrations.

Joey Faux celebrates his goal ...

... and Rod supplies musical accompaniment

Half an hour in to the game, the sun was below the trees, and the floodlights were the dominant source of light. I moved behind the barrier, and to the Gasworks Side, where I found Jonah O'Reilly, currently playing for Congleton Town, and his father.

Shortly after I arrived, the visitors levelled the scores with a penalty. Dominic Marie quickly restored our advantage. I was late to the goal, but captured the celebrations.

Dominic Marie celebrates his goal

Joe Herbert made it three a couple of minutes later. I was late ... well you can see the pattern.

Joe Herbert

For the second half, I opted for the pre set sports mode, with ISO set to 12800, and let the shutter speed take care of itself. You can get away with 1/160s if the players are moving in the right direction.

James McCulloch

I bumped into the father of Atherton and former Cables goalkeeper Adam Reid on my way round the ground, and he reminisced about my photos from Adam's days with us. I was able to oblige on this occasion.

Adam Reid saves from Lloyd Dean

With no score in the second half, we took what for many of us was an unexpected three points to continue our much improved performance after our FA Cup exit.

After the game we presented the Player of the Month award, sponsored this year by Poco Coffee, official suppliers to yours truly when I have to get to the ground early and need more caffeine than is available from the tea bar.

Andy Scarisbrick collects his award

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

Final score: Prescot Cables 3 (Faux, Marie, Herbert) Atherton Collieries 0

Inspecting the neighbours' silverware

In 2003 I watched Prescot Cables win the North West Counties League in our final game of the season at Atherton Collieries. The trophy was not there, as its destination was be decided on the day, so was presumably waiting in a vehicle in the Worsley area, ready to set off for Prescot or Mossley once results were in. Team and trophy were on the way home for the presentation before I was even at the station. Fourteen years later I returned to Atherton to rectify my omission, as our hosts on that day had won the League in midweek, and would parade the trophy at their final game of the season against Runcorn Town.

With step three and four leagues having finished apart from the playoff finals, a number of lenses were trained on this game. I felt more than a bit guilty that I did not recognise resident snapper Rob, with whom I had spent an afternoon in Styal in pre season. I took up position at the bottom of the slope, behind the goal the hosts were attacking.

Former Cables goalkeeper Adam Reid has established his position at Collieries over the last couple of seasons.

The hosts had the better of the first half. Towards the end I made my way round towards the clubhouse, tackling the slope side on.

For the second half, I went back to the same end.

It was nearly half an hour into the half before anyone scored, with the hosts going with league advantage and a goal from Jordan Cover.

The visitors looked determined to make a game of it, and, by the time I had changed ends to be in the right place for the presentations, scored two goals in quick succession a couple of minutes from time, leading to enthusiastic celebrations from their supporters. I wondered what this was all aboot (I speak some Canadian), until I looked at the league table and saw that the result meant that whatever happened at Runcorn Linnets' game, Town would finish above them. End of season fixtures are often not as meaningless as you might think.

You may think the gentleman in the crowd is dressed as a hot dog, but there was discussion when I was nearby as to whether it was a hamburger. With all the nasty things happening in the world, it is a happier place when people dress as bread and meat based comestibles for an end of season trip to the league champions.

I remember reading somewhere some speculation as to whether you could buy throwing champagne, made to a lower standard than stuff you intend to drink. Either way, having already won the trophy means you can plan in advance and get some in, without having to hope the opposition buy it off you at the final whistle if things go wrong.

The lid makes a bid for freedom ...

... as the champagne starts to flow

Most of the other photographers went on to the pitch for pictures of the team, the trophy and the medal presentations, but I stayed behind the perimeter to get a slightly different angle and capture the photographers at work.

Rob gets his picture

There are of course others who, when the team wins and everyone starts jumping up and down, have to keep calm, as there is a job to be done.

Gibbo looks after the medals

Finally, as I was about to leave the hosts to enjoy their party, I was able to take a decent look at the cup (the old Lancashire Combination trophy), as I stopped to compare notes on the season with former Cables coach and Collieries Assistant Manager Warren Jones, who was looking after it.

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

Final score: Atherton Collieries 1 Runcorn Town 2.

West Craven and Roger Moor

Having enjoyed my trip to Nelson, I decided for the last week of the North West Counties League season to head for the hills again. My choice was limited, as Nelson and Colne were away. Matt from the Lost Boyos was visiting Padiham, but I wanted to go somewhere I have not been, so I gave him a cheery wave on Twitter as I went through Burnley, and travelled on to Barnoldswick Town, who were entertaining Atherton Collieries.

I decided to walk part of the way from Colne, so I took a route above Foulridge Tunnel and down to the towpath of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal. An information board told me the name of Foulridge comes from foals the Anglo Saxons used to graze in the area. Not that it lived up to that, with grazing mainly by sheep.

Mutton and Lamb

Barnoldswick is in West Craven, administratively in the Pendle District. These pages observe traditional sporting boundaries, so I was heading to Yorkshire, and carried a flat cap to comply with local sumptuary requirements. The County Brook forms the historic boundary, and we can just see it here between the trees. Broad Sunlit Uplands are on the right, although readers in Yorkshire may disagree.

Matt told me the town is known locally as Barlick. I am never sure what to make of information like this - have the locals half forgotten the real name, or do outsiders using the local name draw the incomprehension of a French waiter when you apply an incorrectly gendered ending? I took the bus for the last mile or so, and the driver of the rather plush Witch Way seemed happy to accept the formal name.

After a quick look round, I headed to the ground. Manchester once had a Sanitary Street (now called Anita Street), as the Victorian builders were proud their houses were connected to the new sewers. The bygone civic and sporting fathers of Barnoldswick were presumably equally proud of their drainage arrangements. Fortunately, on this occasion we were upwind of the adjacent works.

I took up position on the stand side. I am a great believer in sponsorship: if it moves, stick an advert on it; if it does not, nail an advert to it. All the neat fence panels had been sponsored.

Regardless of the result, Atherton would finish third in the League. However, they still had the finals of the Bolton Hospital Cup and the MEN United Cup (League Cup) the following week. It was no surprise to see a few of those who played against West Didsbury and Chorlton a couple of weeks previously, when the League Championship was still a possibility, not present or on the bench.

We enjoyed a competitive game in midfield, but the hosts took full advantage of the situation, quickly establishing a lead.

This is a ground where you can quite easily watch football and cricket at the same time, but that would have meant looking in to the sun for the former, so I stayed put.

For the last few minutes of the second half, I moved to the town side of the dugouts, and wished I had done so before, as I had not noticed when I came in that the ground has a slight slope towards this end, with the advantages of the lower shooting position that this provides.

Barnoldswick eventually scored five, with the one consolation for the visitors, whose approach paid off with their subsequently winning both cups.

The hosts were keen to get ready for maintenance over the summer, with the players taking the goalposts down before they got changed - only pausing to ensure I was not brained with the crossbar as I passed them on the way out.

I then adjourned to the Barlick Tap (a use of the abbreviated name aimed at all), for a pint, electricity for my phone, and an unscheduled chat with a chap with a dog, who seemed very keen to sell the attractions of my getting a bigger rucksack to fit a tent, and camping in a random field in the area.

As for the title of this post - I raised an eyebrow when I found the dark bit at the top of the hill in the background really is called Roger Moor.

The pictures from the game can be seen here, and the scenery can be seen here.

Final score: Barnoldswick Town 5 Atherton Collieries 1

No ticket required

Prescot Cables' game for the penultimate weekend of the season was away to Warrington Town. This would normally be easy to attend, but, with the hosts likely to win the Division, they were anticipating a capacity crowd, and made the game all ticket. I thought that was a bit over the top, but that they would easily double their average home gate. I was unsure, due to other commitments, whether I would be able to attend. I was not prepared to buy a ticket I might not use, so it changed a 50-50 chance of attending into definitely not.

Finding myself free after all, I looked for a game somewhere I do not regularly go. Within the travelling time available, the most attractive option was Atherton Collieries, entertaining West Didsbury & Chorlton, third versus fourth in the North West Counties League. I last visited the club with Prescot Cables on the final day of the 2002-3 season.

If there is a more eerily quiet place at 2.30 on a Saturday afternoon than Atherton town centre, I have yet to find it. It was not just that there were few people about (the smoking ban at least means a couple of people outside pubs, on my last visit the place was completely deserted), there was hardly any traffic either. It was only near the ground that there seemed to be any activity.

The ground was much as I remembered it, apart from the tea bar being to the side rather than behind the goal, where it had been perfectly placed for a "tea bar massacre" (when a stray ball goes through the hatch, one hopes without any more serious consequences than some scattered stock).

The pitch has a significant slope, which I also remembered from 2003. In the first half of that game, the hosts had a penalty, which their taker would have placed perfectly if the ground between the spot and goal had been flat. As it was, it went six inches over the bar. In the second half, our taker had been observing carefully, as he put the kick we were awarded into the roof of the net to secure the North West Counties League title.

I took up position towards the bottom of the slope, so the visitors were attacking towards me.

I finished my pie before giving pictures my full and undivided attention - if I apply the maxim of food before photos for our games, I will certainly do so visiting the neighbours. The lighting conditions were close to ideal, with bright, but not glaring, light, allowing plenty of frames with shutter speeds at 1/1600 or 1/2000s, and very little processing required.

There are usually a couple of throw ins in a collection, they are easy to capture, but you wonder how some positions are physically possible.

I approached the game as a neutral observer, but I got more frames in the second half, when Atherton were playing towards me, so they got the balance of the final collection. There was intermittent cloud cover, so shutter speeds dropped in many cases to 1/1000s.

I do not look out for our canine chums, but I often snap one if I see one. I generally find them fine looking creatures, although I am not that confident around them, being more of a cat person.

After the game, I adjourned to the Jolly Nailors, advertised in the programme, for a quick pint before my train. I am not sure if the locals I encountered at the bar were nailors (they either make nails, or maintain the teeth in a carding machine), but they seemed jolly enough as they knocked on the bar and called out "service" to attract the barman's attention.

Back in Warrington, there was a pay gate after all, which I found out on the way to Atherton. I did not miss much, with the champions putting six past Prescot with one in reply (I am told that was a superb Rob Doran free kick). The declared attendance, i.e. the number of people who paid, not necessarily the number who actually used their tickets, was 1411, more than I expected, but substantially less than capacity.

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

Final score: Atherton Collieries 2 West Didsbury & Chorlton 0.