The Beast from the East

In the week prior to Prescot Cables' game at home to Goole, we had been frustratingly inactive due to a weather system called the Beast from the East, with temperatures well below freezing postponing games against Everton and Bamber Bridge. We had been active off the field, with a successful, if cold, AGM, with Doug Lace addressing us for the first time as Chair, generally encouraging ground and financial reports, and a good question and answer session with Brian Richardson.

Elsewhere, the situation was more critical. Dulwich Hamlet received notice their ground tenancy had been withdrawn for breaches of onerous conditions the club accepted under duress a few months previously. There are also accumulated bills from when the landlords, Meadow Residential, were running the club as the agent of the majority shareholder, including back rent they had carelessly omitted to pay to themselves. In a further effort to intimidate the club, the landlords registered trademarks relating to the club name, a move that brought down widespread derision on their heads. Building crowds and community work has paid dividends, as the club now has the support of the local council, Members of Parliament, the Mayor of London, community and football organisations. Amongst the political support, Lord Kennedy of Southwark has been patrolling Westminster armed with a pink and blue scarf, the resulting tweets spreading news far and wide.

Many clubs find themselves in difficulties, but Dulwich's situation could affect any club that does not own the freehold of their ground. A viable club (treat anything you hear to the contrary with a large basin full of salt), part of whose site can be used for social or affordable housing, retaining the club and still producing a return on investment, is being forced out to make a larger profit for the landlords and their hedge fund owners. If they get away with it, it could be your club next.

Turning to the game I was attending, I had been delayed by traffic for Anfield so kitted myself out with waterproof trousers and hi-vis on the bus. I arrived in a dead heat with the teams coming out, and took up position by the side of the pitch. I am not sure if we have renewed the bulbs on the floodlights, but the pictures on my monitor were better illuminated than usual, even at the other end of the pitch.

Ben Barnes

James McCulloch returned from suspension. When I started watching the game, a card that would attract a three match suspension in the Football League attracted 35 days at our level. This was addressed some years ago, but in the recent bad weather, the three games worked out to 28 days, the gap between the card and his next opportunity to play adding up to 45 days.

James McCulloch

Harry Cain had an also weather delayed return from surgery.

Harry Cain

The visitors opened the scoring after 10 minutes, with Josh Klein-Davies replying 10 minutes later.

I swapped sides about half way through.

Valter Fernandes

For the second half, I used the new gate to access the pitch. It was resisting opening, and Dave "The Monster" was trying to attract my attention. Having squeezed through, I stopped to listen to what Dave was trying to tell me. He pointed out I was trying to open it the wrong way.

I stopped for a few minutes behind the goal, and was able to get a few pictures, which I have generally not been able to do, which turned my attention again to floodlight bulbs.

Chris Almond

Josh Klein-Davies secured the result with a second goal, just at the moment I was having a spot of bother with damp air condensing on the front of the lens. I had cleared it in time to catch the celebration.

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 2 (Klein-Davies 2) Goole AFC 2

And your goalkeeper this week is ...

When I arrived in Goole, I visited a Polish food shop for a bottle of water. I was not familiar with the brands, but the flavoured one with a lime on the label caught my eye. The manufacturers' drawing was as good as my Polish, and it turned out to be apple, but quite pleasant anyway. Once at the Victoria Pleasure Grounds, I headed to the tea bar to make sure I did not miss out on their excellent steak pie. Whilst I was tucking in, club secretary Dan Roberts briefed me. Our goalkeepers have been somewhat injury prone since stand in Charlie Whittingham was unable to complete his game with the club a few weeks ago. With Marcus Burgess recovering from a knee injury, Ben Barnes looked to be settling in well, but he was injured at work in the week, so we had another replacement in the shape of Ben Purdham from Curzon Ashton.

Ben Purdham

Before the game, I discussed camera positions with video camera operator Josh, who is with us for the video analysis module of his sports science degree. For video, particularly for analysis, the ideal position is looking down on the pitch, which is not really possible at Goole, so he set up on the edge of the grass just inside the running track. For me, it is a case of the lower the better, so I sat on the running track by the side of the pitch.

Jordan Southworth

Although I thought this would be a better surface than the grass, as it was not damp, it is quite rough, which makes it difficult to turn with the action, necessary when shooting from the side.

After 15 minutes I went behind the goal, where I had to sit on the grass, better surface or not.

For the last fifteen minutes of the half I swapped sides. The home goal was kept busy.

Joe Herbert has an attempt on goal

Lloyd Dean opened the scoring.

Lloyd Dean shoots for goal

Baba Conteh is first to join in the celebrations

A goal from Jordan Southworth gave us a good cushion at half time.

It is not often you see a ship peeping above the clubhouse.

The sun had set by the start of the second half, but with little cloud there was enough light for me to spend the first ten minutes behind the goal.

Jordan Wynne and a Class 158

I then moved in front of a floodlight, where I found the light to be surprisingly good - the pylons were outside the running track, so I was sitting in more light than I am accustomed to. The hosts were playing well in the second half, and were rewarded with a goal twenty minutes in. Places at the top of the table are often decided by the efficiency with which teams deal with those at the bottom. Over the last few seasons we have inflicted a few surprises on those at the top. However, our current form has put us in a playoff place, and it looked for a while as if Goole might be able take their turn to snatch a point. However, two goals in quick succession from Jordan Wynne in the last couple of minutes secured the result.

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

Final score: Goole AFC 1 Prescot Cables 4 (Dean, Southworth, Wynne 2)

Off colour

Chatting to our programme editor, Gareth Coates, after Prescot Cables' game at home to Goole AFC, I discovered I had committed a faux pas. Ashford Town (Middlesex) play in tangerine, most definitely not orange: in the same way our satsuma shaded shirts are a manifestation of amber. Thinking about it, apart from the Dutch national team, does anyone officially designate this range of colours as orange?

My reaction to the "service" Arriva provided on the way to the game was, on the other hand, turning the air as blue, or perhaps turquoise, as their vehicles. They were keeping buses to time by simply not carrying passengers. There was no bus in service for over half an hour past my stop in either direction, where I would expect one about every three minutes. Those showing on the Arriva Bus app coincided suspiciously closely with empty buses trundling by. Once one turned up, it was delayed further, so I arrived after kick off, without getting the mascots their souvenir picture. Fortunately they had their own photographer, who took a team photo at half time.

James McCulloch

Two weeks ago we had a comfortable eight point cushion ahead of the relegation position occupied by the visitors - by the start of the game it was down to one without our having kicked a ball. Goole's win against Farsley when we did not have a game, and a draw against Mossley when our game against Burscough was postponed (our volunteers got the pitch playable, but it started to rain again) gave them four points. We lost three, having played Lloyd Dean in the Boxing Day win against Bamber Bridge, when he was still suspended after a red card against Scarborough at the beginning of December.

Both sides approached the first half as though the most important thing was not to lose, which, given the league table, seemed reasonable. This, combined with the unaccustomed sun, made it that bit trickier to get a decent picture.

Chris Almond & Jordan Wynne

We took a grip on the game almost immediately in the second half with a goal from Dominic Reid, who is turning out to be something of a find. I was not quite in position to catch the shot, although it would have been more luck than judgment if I had, as I was not expecting it to go in from that far out. I did, however, catch the celebration.

We secured our advantage, or so we thought, when Josh Dolling put away an attempted clearance.

The players celebrate Josh Dolling's goal - Josh remains careful to avoid a card for excessive celebration

I still thought we were still being profligate in front of goal, with plenty of shots going astray or finding Thomas Beaurepaire without requiring him to stretch what appeared to be an injury, as he was not taking his own goal kicks.

What I was fearing happened with seven minutes to go, with Goole exploiting a moment's inattention to score. From then, we were very much on the back foot, as the visitors, with their last minute goal against Mossley in mind, looked to take a point, and deprive us of two. They succeeded with two minutes to go, leaving us very much regretting points lost rather than one gained.

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 2 (Reid, Dolling) Goole AFC 2

Swapping colours

Prescot Cables' game in the FA Trophy against Goole AFC, was our second of the week against a team of Vikings, both Widnes and Goole referring to our longboat-travelling chums on their club crest. Fortunately, the visitors did not bring any of the alarming looking (but probably harmless) insect life that lives at the Victoria Pleasure Grounds.

Both teams were playing in their away kit, Goole in yellow, and us in red (our respective home colours are the other way round). This was listed in the programme, so it must have been convenient for one or both clubs (both teams had home games a couple of days later). Whilst supporters often prefer home colours, I do not think it makes much difference, players are used to playing in different colours, and if they cannot remember to pass to someone in the colour they are wearing, they probably need to consider switching to something like tennis. The visitors' kit was a traditional design with a smart collar.

Neil Prince

This was the first weekend after the clocks went back, and the weather was cloudy, so the floodlights were on throughout. If rules are the same as for the FA Cup, the cost will come from gate receipts before they are shared, along with the away team's travel and the match officials' expenses, so I suspect the only side to make anything will be the winners. Goole agreed in the previous round that their game at Burscough would be played to a conclusion to avoid likely losses from a replay.

We started strongly, with a goal after about 15 minutes - I captured a decent sequence, with Rob Doran exercising superb ball control under pressure ...

... passing in to Jack Phillips ...

... who found Sam Corlett to put it away.

Things started to go wrong with a some individual errors from about half an hour in, although it is arguable that poor refereeing put us in a position to make some of them in the first place. Whatever the cause, Goole took full advantage, scoring three goals.

The situation was not irretrievable, half time gave the opportunity to regroup, and we came out stronger in the second half. A second goal, of which I did not get a photo, came from Mason Ryan, who dispatched a shot from the edge of the penalty area with sufficient force that the Goole keeper could not hold it, and could only watch as it bounced into the goal.

Mason Ryan

We could not find the third goal to secure a replay, and Goole made the result sure with a penalty near the end of the game.

Winning a round in each of the FA Cup and Trophy, and the gate at FC United of Manchester means club funds have done better from the FA competitions than in previous seasons, and every source of income counts.

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

Final score: Prescot Cables 2 (Corlett, Ryan), Goole AFC 4.

Entertaining the Googlies

Easter weekend this year saw Prescot Cables entertain Goole AFC. The game was scheduled for Good Friday, which meant I could catch the second half after finishing in church. However, due to snow earlier in the week, it was switched to Holy Saturday (not Easter Saturday, that is the Saturday after Easter). I was therefore able to see the whole game, having spent the morning helping to set up for the Easter ceremonies.

When I got to the ground, I could see why the game had been switched. There were large piles of snow, or, more to the point, ice around the pitch. Prescot seemed to have had more snow than the surrounding area, which rapidly turned to ice. But for the work put in by Keith, one of our volunteers, clearing the pitch on Good Friday, it would probably have taken another few days to melt. Not that everyone was happy, AFC Liverpool did not seem too pleased Keith had not been available to assist them attempting to clear the pitch for their Liverpool Senior Cup game on Tuesday. Having seen the picture from Tuesday on the Liverpool County FA Facebook page, with a third of the snow cleared and at least 5 people working, I am not sure an extra person would have made a lot of difference.

Adam Reid in front of the cleared snow

At least we had our game away to Goole in the early part of the season, as the independently travelling supporters would have trouble getting there at the moment: the railway line between Doncaster and Goole is blocked by something a bit more substantial than snow - a landslip from an adjoining colliery.

Our match day announcer, David Williams, was in a certain amount of demand for photographs, as he appeared in Coronation Street during the week. If you watch drama on television you will probably have seen David, as he plays many of the incidental characters that give an ongoing drama its variety - this was his eighth character in the Street. The last time I saw the programme was when First World War veteran Albert Tatlock (Jack Howarth) was refusing to travel in the Volkswagen Ken Barlow (William Roache) had just bought, but I believe David was playing a gentleman called Stan Whitmore, who was selling cakes containing dodgy substances to his fellow pensioners.

David Williams (in dark glasses) watches Cables away to Garforth last season

A photographic effect particular to football is to capture the action through the goal net. This is easier said than done, and you need a small focus point on the camera to be able to do it. I was unable to do it at all with my D50, the focus point was too large, so it always focused on the net, but with the D5000, it works about half the time. The more recent Nikon models have the central focus point as a cross hair, which should increase the success rate of this type of shot.

Jonathon Bathurst

The advancing goalkeeper in this picture offers the suggestion that Jon Bathurst's shot was indeed saved.

However, Prescot's two goals indicated the contrast between the ease of capturing two different types of goal. The first, from Sean Myler, was the easy sort, the player running up, with plenty of time to focus, plenty of frames (just keep pressing the button on the top - it's digital), so we capture the ball being dispatched towards the net.

Sean Myler shoots from the edge of the area

The second was more difficult - players in the box, the ball is heading to their goalkeeper, who drops it. Fortunately, Karl Bergqvuist's reactions were sharper than mine, whilst I am still focused on the floundering keeper, Karl has taken the ball round him and dispatched it. Not the best of pictures, but a good goal.

Karl Bergqvist takes advantage of the keeper's error

The 2-1 win means that moving up a further place in the table is not out of reach following a good run of results over the last couple of months. It will not have done any favours to Goole in putting space between themselves and Garforth Town, although form suggests that, with only one team to be relegated as a result of league expansion, Goole are likely to retain their league status. With a route I do not usually use (which should be open again next season), historic ground and interesting insects, Goole was one of the more enjoyable trips this season.

With the League having to extend its season by a week (initially taking the fixtures from last weekend, where all bar two games were lost to the snow and putting them on the first Saturday in May), I am not convinced about league expansion. Although snow at the end of March was unexpected, having four more games for every club cannot be good for resilience. Also, when Chester FC were admitted to the league after appealing to the FA a couple of seasons ago, we had a still manageable 23 teams in the division: if you start with 24, a similar situation will take us to 25.

As for the title of the post, I am not sure whether people from Goole refer to themselves as Goolies, or if it is a name given by inhabitants of other towns in the area. However, when webmaster Geoff was advertising the game and advising of the rearrangement on Twitter, his auto correct kept changing it to Google AFC.

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

Into the spiders' web

You often see pictures from places like India of trains that seem to have as many people outside as there must be inside. One of the most alarming I have seen was of people sitting on the roof ... of an electric train.

We do not see such scenes in England, but when I travel across the Pennines at the weekend, I am convinced that is only because there is nothing outside on which to cling. Trains are at half their weekday length, for what feels like nine tenths of the demand. Still, starting a journey in Liverpool makes it more likely I will get a seat, and a sunny day in the Hope Valley, on the way to Goole AFC, gave views of dry stone walls, farm animals in the fields, and a village football pitch, the best way to describe its slope being that it is not as vertiginous as the hill behind it.

Prescot Captain James McCulloch keeps the ball from Goole's Captain

There seemed to be an exceptional number of spiders active in the ground. Not big daddy long legs, but the small ones that quietly wrap you in silk before you know they are there. I spent much of the game in between frames removing threads from my face, clothing and lenses, often with an attendant spider furiously climbing up. There were one or two insects that may have made too much of a meal for the spiders - this little chap seemed to quite like my jacket.

A forest bug (I think)

I removed it quite gingerly, although looking it up later, I think it eats dead wood, and was somewhat out of its normal territory, this end of the traditional West Riding (now put in with the East Riding for local government purposes) not being particularly forested. Indeed, the most prominent structures for some miles around were the water towers for the docks, behind the main stand.

The ground itself had a running track, only 4 lanes, apart from in the home straight, where there were 6. Unfortunately, given the direction of the sun, the home straight was the best vantage point.

 

When I take pictures from the side of the pitch, I take more frames than from behind the goal. Not that I have any more difficulty choosing those to process, I find getting a good shot is a bit more hit and miss.

A lot of the pictures have the players with their back to me, which does not necessarily preclude them coming out as a good image.

Luke Edwards

We also see a lot more of the opposition goalkeeper facing the camera ...

The Goole keeper kicks the ball away from Jonathon Bathurst

... and it is a good position to get a few decent shots of our own goalkeeper.

Xavier Parisi

It is also nearer to the throw ins.

Joe Fielding

I still have not, however, figured out the best position to be sure of getting some decent pictures of central defence, short of going behind our goal, which just does not seem right somehow.

 

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