Double pie, double peas

In London pie and mash shops, the ordering convention is "double pie" if you want two, and "double mash" for two portions of potato. On arrival at Farsley Celtic for our FA Trophy game, I headed to the tea bar, which was serving fresh local Growler's pies. I only had toast for breakfast, so, having had the steak before the match, I have to admit to also having the pork at half time. This being Yorkshire, the traditional accompaniment is peas rather than mash. The food and drink offering was completed by Wadworth's Dirty Rucker, advertising an event in a different sport, on hand pump in the bar. The name will have had people in these parts wondering what a ruck is.

The hosts made four changes from the league game the previous week. We made one, replacing Sam Staunton-Turner, who has returned to Skelmersdale.

I travelled on the team coach, so, unusually for me, arrived well before kick off. Whilst books talk about taking time to find a suitable position, in football the location of the goals and and stand, and where the sun is shining are the main considerations. I have been to Farsley enough times too know the ground well, and I was mindful of my observations last week about moving around, so I decided to experiment. I started in front of the tea bar.

Rob Doran

This was not the best place, as it was one of the more populated parts of the ground. I prefer less crowded areas, as you avoid somebody leaning in front of you for a better view at the crucial moment.

After some time in the conventional position behind the goal, I moved to the far side and worked my way along.

Phil Bannister

I went beyond the dugout and alongside our own half and was happy with the results. Farsley's performance was stronger than the previous week, so I was rewarded with some closer pictures than normal of our defence.

Marcus Burgess

I captured some movement forward from the queue for the second part of lunch. We went in at half time a goal behind.

Lloyd Dean

I decided to move around around again for the second half. This was complicated by the sun's being out. The first half had been cloudy, with the mist from the morning only fully lifting just before the start. We were playing with the sun behind us. I started on the stand side where I was mainly shooting across the sunlight.

James McCulloch

I then worked round behind the goal we were attacking, ending up between the dugouts.

George Lomax

The sun appeared to bring some moisture out of the ground, so, looking into it, the mist had returned. It is possible to remove this almost completely on the computer, but I tried to keep the effect.

Jonah O'Reilly

Unfortunately, the result was not as good as the pictures: Farsley came out stronger after half time, and their second goal probably sealed the result, with our looking unlikely to come back, and in the event being unable to prevent two more goals.

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

Final score: Farsley Celtic 4 Prescot Cables 0

Engineering works

Hopes were high before Harrogate Railway Athletic's visit to Prescot Cables. We had seen a superb defensive point against Darlington, and were encouraged by three goals in a 5-3 defeat at Ramsbottom United. Draws and good goals against top sides keep players and supporters enthused, but wins against sides with whom we are competing to avoid relegation provide the points to secure safety. Harrogate looked safe, and we need a few more points to be sure.

Harrogate sides often include industrial sized Yorkshirepersons, but this time they had a few smaller players. Nathan Cartman, seen here with Phil Bannister, is a name that reaches even this side of the Pennines, being 10th in the scorers' table for our Division.

I took up position in front of the tea bar.

Mike Kennedy playing in front of the stand

I intended to adjourn behind the goal, but my lens hood blew on to the pitch (fortunately not the field of play) before I had chance to attach it, so I had to wait for the substitutes to start warming up so one could retrieve it.

Lloyd Balazs - second half substitute and impromptu photographer's assistant

I could probably get a bib and access to the pitch, but I have never done so, as I blog about using consumer kit from places spectators can access. Also, the perimeter is quite close to the edge of the field of play, so there is a risk of ending up sandwiched between a player and the fence.

Conditions were a bit misty, especially when the sun came out.

Robert Gilroy - picture taken from one corner flag to the other

There have been reports of air pollution including sand from the Sahara brought over by high level air currents. These reports had not appeared at the weekend, although a couple of friends found their cars surprisingly dusty on Sunday morning. Whatever the mist was, you still get an impression of it in the final version.

Dave Powell said to the Merseymart that the team did not really click as a unit for this game. We could not provide a response to an early Harrogate goal.

In the last few weeks we have been helped by teams around us losing or drawing when we have done so, and avoiding defeat at New Mills and Padiham maintained our position relative to them. This weekend, teams around us won, closing the gap between us and the relegation positions. In "normal" circumstances, two clubs are relegated from each division at Step 4, making 12 in all. In the event of Step 5 leagues not providing a club for promotion or of resignations further up, the club(s) second from bottom with the best points per game will be reprieved, so we develop an interest in the tables of the Ryman and Calor Leagues. Clubs finishing bottom is not eligible for reprieve.

However, we know Wakefield will not have a ground for next season. Clubs must own, lease or share for the following season a ground meeting the FA's Grade D by 31st March. Wakefield will therefore be relegated. I thought this meant they take the non-reprievable place, although Sports Performer understands the FA have stipulated the bottom placed club cannot be reprieved even in these circumstances.

This is further complicated by our local rivals Cammell Laird. Their Football Committee is separate from the Board of the Limited Company that owns the club. Due to a dispute over ownership, the Football Committee will not continue to run the football side after the end of this season. This places the ball with the Directors to find someone to run it or resign from the League. If they resign before the end of the season, and take a relegation position, the bottom club (it if is not Wakefield) must presumably be reprieved to avoid three clubs being relegated. If they resign after the end of the season, I have no idea whether they take the place of a relegated team, or a place goes into the national pot for reprieves.

With games against Curzon Ashton, Bamber Bridge and Warrington Town, our run in is not without challenges, but we are capable of picking up surprise points, and still have to travel to Wakefield - whilst our away form has not been good, neither has their home form.

The pictures from the game can be seen here.

Final score: Prescot Cables 0 Harrogate Railway Athletic 1

Grew amid the island-dwellings

I do not often find myself called upon to attend cup finals. The only one to which I made it before this week was the North West Counties League Cup final in 2002, won by Prescot Cables. On that occasion, at Bury's Gigg Lane ground, I looked for a seat, and walked past a steward holding open a gate without being challenged. After a couple of minutes, I realised I was sitting in the blazers' enclosure, so, this being before I started taking pictures, I sat tight and enjoyed the best view of the game. There was no chance of a repeat at the Ryman League Cup final at the Gallagher Stadium, home of Maidstone United, as their directors' and press facilities are completely separated from the hoi polloi. My friend John from the Southwark News eschewed the gallery, and enjoyed the game from the terraces - not the first reporter from the paper to be a supporter too.

The main stand, with fully segregated press and directors' box

Dulwich Hamlet were playing Concord Rangers, who are challenging for the playoff places in the Premier Division, and who are named after a beach on Canvey Island. I know little of Canvey Island, apart from its having storage facilities for large amounts of flammable liquid and only one road out, and that flapjacks are required to be square, not triangular.

Walking to the ground, I was examining the satnav and about to proceed by the long way via the road, when a helpful passer by pointed out it was quicker by the riverside path. At the same time, I was joined by a Maidstone supporter for the remainder of the journey. He expressed his desire for the game - a Dulwich win, and, given that at the time of the game, we were level with them on points at the top of the table, a well fought game with extra time and penalties.

When I arrived, there were supporters ready to pose for a picture. Having the 70-300mm lens already attached, taking a picture involves retreating an almost silly distance.

The flag Michael is holding is from Altona 93, a club at a similar level to ours in Hamburg, a coach load of whose supporters visited London last month for a music and football weekend and a return match against the Dulwich Hamlet Supporters' Team.

I am not sure to what standard Maidstone's floodlights were installed: the original planning application, including floodlighting plan, was submitted in 2004, before Maidstone Council digitised their planning documents, so it was not available online. However, I think may be to the Football League Division Two standard of 350 lux. They were the best lights under which I have worked since I started writing these pages.

I started the first half, when there was still some daylight left, using shutter priority at 1/320s. With 9 heads per pylon, all working, there were none of the dark spots you normally see, which matters when our kit is two thirds dark blue from the front, and wholly so from the back. When photographing Dulwich, I always have trouble getting the pink to come out with the right shade, and had the same trouble under the lights.

Luke Hickie takes a throw in in a normally dark area of the pitch, Peter Adeniyi in the background

Man of the Match Ellis Green shoots for Dulwich's first goal

With all this light, you may have thought everyone would be able to see what was going on. However, when Ellis Green scored the first goal for Dulwich, a superb shot into the top corner, Concord's goalkeeper vociferously protested that the ball had entered the goal through a hole in the net, regardless that no-one else had seen anything irregular, and his team mates were all back in their own half without protest for the restart of play.

The Dulwich supporters make full use of the metal modular terracing to make some noise

For the second half, I dropped the shutter speed down to 1/250s, with surprisingly crisp results.

Ethan Pinnock

I was even able to get a couple of shots of Dulwich goalkeeper Chico Ramos in action from a vantage point behind the goal we were attacking, something I do not normally expect to be able to do under floodlights.

Chico Ramos makes a save

The main lighting challenge was the mist for most of the game, which is to be expected in a riverside location. Maidstone's 3G pitch means they do not have the same problems as other clubs with postponements due to rain, although it is not proof against the sort of snow we have had this season, and I wonder whether they have more of a problem with fog than some.

The Maidstone supporters got their wish for extra time, although not penalties, as Concord's Premier Division experience told in the end, and they took the Cup back across the water. The extra time did not have the desired effect in the League, with Dulwich bouncing back at the weekend to win 5-0 against Walton Casuals on Saturday and Maidstone losing at Faversham.

There was news during the week that Danny Carr, who had attracted interest from a number of clubs, including Liverpool, signed terms with Huddersfield Town. He is a contract player, so there will be a fee, and I suspect it strengthened the position of our manager, Gavin Rose, negotiating for Danny to remain with us until the end of the season. This was made possible by funding from the 12th Man scheme, which allows supporters to donate regular amounts by standing order or one off amounts at home games, with all money being ring fenced to allow Gavin to augment his playing budget as he sees fit.

Danny Carr (right) with Erhun Öztümer

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