Light and angles

We were joined for Prescot Cables' game at home to Trafford by the match and ball sponsors, the Rotary Club of Prescot. I was asked to try and catch a few shots around and about, but as they were in the crowd for the game, I did not manage to do so, and they brought a photographer anyway. They did, however, present the man of the match award.

Baba Conteh receives his award

At the previous evening game, I retreated behind the perimeter barrier once it got dark, but I decided this time I would see what results I would get staying pitchside for the whole game.

Tunde Owolabi

We were attacking the Safari Park End for the first half, so I went to my usual position. I was still on the way when James McCulloch opened the scoring. The time was given as three minutes, but it felt a lot quicker. Not only did I not catch the goal, but I did not get much of the celebration either.

James McCulloch

I worked my way around, first crossing to the other side of the goal, where I did not capture much at all. With the linesmen working on the opposite diagonal to normal, I then took up position a third of the way down the Gasworks Side. This gave the best results, with an angle I had not had before. You cannot get the stand in the background in the same way when you are standing up: having the camera three or four feet lower makes all the difference.

Valter Fernandes

I put the raw images through the Nikon ViewNX software, but I was not satisfied with the results, as the black in the kit was coming out grey. I therefore converted the raw files manually in Photoshop Elements, lowering the setting for the black until it was just starting to lose definition. It works with the sky too, and sitting underneath a throw in gives a striking angle.

For the second half, I started behind the goal at the Eaton Street End...

Jordan Wynne

... and worked my way round to the side. I added a new starter to the photographic record.

Reece McNally

Because of the diagonal the linesmen were using, I needed to shoot from the side just beyond the half way line, alongside our own half. I was happy with the results.

Harry Cain

Joey Faux made the result secure with a goal after 72 minutes.

Joey Faux celebrates his goal

Despite an injury time goal for the visitors, we ensured we would collect all six points for the season from a Trafford side who looked as though they had made progress since we beat them away at the beginning of the month.

The rest of the pictures from the game can be seen on the club website (placed in reverse order by the Pitchero uploader, grrr) here, and on Google Photos here.

Final score: Prescot Cables 2 (McCulloch, Faux) Trafford 1.

Man of the match - eventually

For Prescot Cables' game at home to Brighouse Town, we were joined by Dr Phil, continuing to recruit to the Cables interest, and his friends from Edinburgh, Drs Benny, Tammy and Victoria (at least I think they are all PhDs). Benny had a full day of sport, having risen early to watch the Australian Rules Premiership semi final, where his West Coast Eagles lost 19.11 - 9.4 (I have no idea what that means either, but it sounds grim). He was looking to Cables to redeem the day: not generally a course of action I recommend. Checking the AFL website, I noticed a team nicknamed the Pies, but was disappointed this was short for Magpies, rather than a celebration of pastry encased comestibles.

My photographic day started with some of the players at Poco Coffee, sponsors of the player of the month award and official suppliers to yours truly when the tea bar cannot cut it. As we shot at the outside seats, an elderly couple at a window table looked as though they were thoroughly enjoying photobombing.

We played the first half towards the Safari Park End.

Lloyd Dean

Whilst we had chances, even the photographer with the flimsiest grasp of tactics (that would be me) will notice when most of the play is in your own half. Only a bit more than a third of the collection came from the first half.

There was welcome news at half time, when Danny Flood reported he was back on both feet. I took the chance to get his squad photo.

Danny Flood

Things picked up in the second half, with lots of pace on the wings from Tunde Owolabi and Harry Cain.

Tunde Owolabi

Harry was rewarded with a goal on the hour. When I told him later that I had not got a picture as there were other players in the way, he replied that it was not a particularly good one anyway. That may be the case, but there are no points for style, any goal will do. In any event, I got something.

That is Harry Cain's foot, honest

Although I like the way everyone is looking as the ball goes in, being able to identify the scorer is a requirement for the collection. However, I caught the celebration.

Our Australian visitors (Drs Benny and Tammy) were represented on the field when Joey Faux joined the fray.

Joey Faux

When you have your own banner, it is always good to get a shot with it in the background.

Andy Scarisbrick

Dogs are a regular part of the non league game - there are those who keep a close eye on the action when their human is playing.

Marcus Burgess under observation

We were able to keep some late pressure at bay to secure all three points.

Valter Fernandes applauds the crowd

We had an excellent performance from both wings, but consensus emerged that Harry Cain had earned the man of the match award by virtue of his winning goal. So far, so good, but there was less consensus on who would do the presentation, with my being advised there would not be one. The alternative view prevailed after I had gone that as Harry had won it, it was only fair to present it, which I found out when I was safely settled on the premises of our sponsor, the Sun Inn.

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 1 (Cain) Brighouse Town 0

Bullet points

With Prescot Cables having no further games before the start of the league season - having had two cup games, I can see the point of not going back to friendlies - I looked to the Hallmark Security League or the Emirates FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round for action. I never understood why the FA Cup starts a week earlier this year, but it meant many teams started their season in this competition. As somewhere I had not been, with easy train connections, I chose Alsager Town at home to Barton Town Old Boys.

The hosts started playing in 1968, making them the same age as me, although they had a year or two when they were disbanded before being reformed in 1988-9. I was a student then, so you could say I followed a similar trajectory. They are known as the Bullets after the ammunition factory that has been located near the town since the Second World War. The visitors, meanwhile, could easily have been called Barton Town and Old Boys, as they were formed when two clubs merged to make the best of limited volunteer resources a few years ago.

The ground entrance was a little hard to find, off a residential street. The close suggested by Mr Google's maps backed on to the ground, as I could see the floodlights, but did not provide access. As I tried the next close, I noted the visitors' coach driver had chosen not to watch the game, but to remain in his vehicle and read the paper, so I could ask if he saw which way his passengers had gone. As it was, I had found the way in.

Once inside, the pitch was down some steps, and offered a range of cover on the two sides. I found the ideal spot for the weather conditions: in the shade, with the sun behind me, a nice pillar to lean on and a cooling breeze.

Watching televised games in the 1970s, northern grounds all seemed to have an advert for Mornflake Oats. They still produce oat based comestibles, and their advertising is more colourful than I remember.

Speaking of food, clubs that appear later in the competition have been accused of being a home to the prawn sandwich brigade. We do not hold with such things in these pages, being more particular in our choice of fish.

The strong sunlight proved a challenge, with which View NX2's automatic settings generally coped well. I tried processing some raw files with my choice of settings to see if I could produce a better result, rapidly finding I could not.

I was alongside the half the hosts were attacking, a good place to be as they took a firm grip on the game, scoring after three minutes, and keeping up the pressure to add a second a couple of minutes before half time.

Alsager score their second goal

At half time, the visitors went to the dressing room in the conventional manner, whilst Alsager elected to gather on the pitch in front of me, where the manager's team talk drew a small but attentive audience. I stayed put for the second half: as an occasional visitor with no horse in the race, I saw no need to change my comfortable position.

After Alsager scored early in the second half, the supporters behind me were still apprehensive, losing a three goal lead apparently not being unknown in these parts. They relaxed, however, with a further goal, as no-one could remember throwing away four, even with a consolation goal for the visitors.

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

Final score: Alsager Town 4 Barton Town Old Boys 1

Changing a lightbulb

Prescot Cables continued their pre season programme with a visit from 1874 Northwich, who we met in last season's F.A.Cup. This was another evening game, with cooler and cloudier, but drier, weather than against Charnock Richard the previous week. This meant we would be unlikely to complete the game without the floodlights. The positive side was that the mosquitoes that had liberally populated the Gasworks Side last week had gone home for an early night.

The light was a bit gloomy, which often does not work well with the automated creation of jpeg files, saving them on the camera, or using the batch conversion in ViewNx. However, I was able to fix everything in editing without needing to adjust the lighting in raw.

Joe Nicholson

We went ahead with a goal from Andy Scarisbrick, included here on the "goal is a goal" principle. We will not see him wearing that number very much, but for these games players seem to be putting on whatever number is at the top of the laundry basket, which makes sense when most are substituted at some point.

Snapping from the side gives the chance to catch those pictures of a throw in that give exposure to the shirt back sponsor.

At half time, it was time to capture the shots Paul, the programme editor, wanted to use for this season's cover. There was the obligatory view of the stand (not many clubs have anything like it) ...

... and a view of the gates and smart new sign promoting the ground sponsor, Volair, Knowsley Council's organisation for leisure services, who are providing training facilities at the new Prescot Soccer Centre.

The floodlights came on for the second half, which the software seemed to like - this was my first use of ViewNX with images from under our own lights.

Sam Staunton-Turner

We continue to see players progressing from the Youth team, with last year's goalkeeper and Manager's Player of the Year James Burke taking his turn in goal - so much for my being unsure of his age when he made his début for the First team away to Northwich Victoria.

James Burke

The visitors pulled a goal back, with a group of their supporters singing that they had not come to mess around - an attitude confirmed by both sides with a competitive second half.

As I walked round to the clubhouse towards the end of the game...

Make  people think you are a hopper by taking a picture of a corner flag

... I spotted an outstanding job had been completed. Soon after the current floodlights were installed, the bulb went in one of the heads between the stand and the Safari Park End, which has rendered that corner unavailable for photography. It has now been replaced, no small undertaking. I cannot remember if the column unscrews at the bottom, but either way the equipment and skilled personnel required costs more than the bulb. Play seems to have been unaffected: I mentioned it to Jonah O'Reilly, who had not noticed.

James McCulloch, illuminated by the repaired floodlights

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 1 (Scarisbrick) 1874 Northwich 1.

A word from our sponsors

Before Prescot Cables' game at home to Brighouse Town, I was buttonholed by our new commercial manager, Steve Garnett. He asked if it was possible to take some action shots in front of the advertising boards: whilst I occasionally crop a picture so the board is included, I had not thought of sending them to the advertiser. Our commercial activity has increased recently, including new advertisers, and a Cables Commercial Twitter feed, forwarding our advertisers' tweets, so we see their names even when we are not at the game. We are benefiting from new contacts Steve has been able to bring to us, and ideas to give them extra value for money. I would not set out to concentrate on the boards, it would be a quick way to miss out on pictures of play. However, there are a few pictures I have identified where I can make a slightly different crop for the sponsors.

We also have a new Pitchero website, which has been in the pipeline for a while. Our former website, created a few years ago by our webmaster Geoff was a definite improvement on what was available at the time, but the Pitchero template has improved, many other clubs use it, and we really need the facility to have more than one administrator. I can upload photos directly, without having to try and embed a link, for which Geoff and I made several attempts, with the method of creating the link in Picasa seeming to change every week.

The game started with the weather bright and dry, with the shadows falling in the usual parts of the pitch.

Jonah O'Reilly

During the first half the visitors probably had the better of play, which was taking place more in our own half. However, we went a goal ahead, courtesy of a penalty. There was some doubt about what it was for, but a consensus emerged for dangerous play by Brighouse's goalkeeper.

Phil Bannister scores from the spot

The weather was a bit cloudier for the second half, which assisted one of our spectators, Mike Bayly of When Saturday Comes, visiting for his book 100 British Football Grounds to Visit Before You Die, due to be published at the end of the year, who captured this picture of the main stand.

A new starter was Jacob Jones, on loan from Atherton Collieries.

Jacob Jones

We had the better of the second half. I did not capture Joe Evans' header from just in front of me (play can get too close for the 70mm minimum length of my lens), and he might have intended for someone to get on the end of it rather than for it to go in directly. Still, there is no requirement for intention when it comes to a goal.

Joe Evans

The visitors pulled a goal back late in the game by getting a free kick round our wall, but never looked like taking a point.

Loading the photos to the website was straightforward, if slightly annoying when you have wait for the photos to load before saving, which, on a standard broadband connection takes some time, as there is no tool to compress the files. Once they are online, the site displays them in a square format. Plenty of sites do this, but not generally in a square of the short side. You can click though to the full photos on a desktop or laptop, but not on a mobile, where they remain resolutely square - Marcus Burgess flagged up to me that even downloading, he looked like this.

Here is the picture as it should be.

I posted the link to the club website first to push traffic towards the site - and our sponsors - but still linked to the Google+ collection later for a mobile friendly display, with better resolution for downloads.

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

Final score: Prescot Cables 2 (Bannister pen, Evans) Brighouse Town 1.

The Quakers claim their oats

Prescot Cables' fixtures against Darlington 1883 were among the highlights of last season, a well attended game at Bishop Auckland, the return visit coinciding with our beer festival, and an unexpected point from both. This season's home game had been scheduled for a Tuesday in February - a long trip in midweek for the visitors, at a time lacking either early enthusiasm or the excitement of a push for the title or playoff places. However, with both clubs being out of the FA Cup, it made sense to get the fixture played before the inevitable weather related postponements.

Our guests contributed to a crowd of 361, with healthy numbers frequenting the bar, which was augmented by a table selling bottled beers. Their transport included two coaches, although we once needed something more substantial, as reported in the July issue of Back Track, the historical railway magazine, as part of an article about the introduction of Diesel traction on the Liverpool - Wigan lines with some decent pictures of local locations before modernisation.

A rarer football special ran from Prescot in November 1959 when Prescot Cables managed to reach the first round proper of the FA Cup and were drawn at the then Third Division North Darlington. The chartered train arrived at Prescot behind a tender-first 'Crab' 2-6-0, reversed in Shaw Street station, crossed the Pennines over Standedge to Leeds and, after re-engining with a B1, took the Leeds Northern route through Ripon and Northallerton. Arrival at Darlington Bank Top was late, missing the first goal of which there were plenty, all in the Cables net.

Our visitors have changed away colour (more green!) since our last meeting, but continue the medical theme with their charitable sponsorship, supporting the Great North Air Ambulance.

Rob Doran

The first half was overcast but dry, and we were playing towards the Hope Street end, so I took up my usual position, where an old base for the cover that used to extend the full width of the end provides a handy makeshift seat, with a view down the wing...

Mason Ryan

.. and to our own goal.

Ciaran Gibson

Their photographer brought his own furniture, but, given that the distance between the goal line and the perimeter fence is about as short as is allowed (when the Laws of the Game referred to a photographers' line, the fence would have been in front of it), if I had been sitting there, I would have donned a bit of high vis.

All lenses are trained on Antony Shinks

The sun came out for the second half: with its being low in the sky at this time of year, the stand casts a deep shadow, with the usual lighting challenges.

Jonah O'Reilly

There was to be no repeat of the results of last season, Darlington's well organised team scoring once in each half (that from the first half being one of the better ones we will see all season).

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

Final result: Prescot Cables 0, Darlington 1883 2.

Spennymoor, Bridlington, Brighouse, Town

Prescot Cables' recent itinerary has resembled a line from It's Grim Up North, an occupational hazard at this time of year: a couple of rounds of the FA Cup can leave you with a long run of away games. I therefore had mixed feelings when our game at Brighouse Town was brought forward from November to fill a date made vacant by our scheduled opponents still being in the Cup. It is a new ground for us - even Cliff, who has supported Cables since 1959, said he had never been there as he cheerfully contemplated the prospect, and playing now means there is little risk of a weather related postponement. On the other hand, this was the fifth weekend away in six weeks (with another to come next week), two of those being our longest away trips.

Some of our party wanted to watch Liverpool v Everton, so Richie, our leader in beer and pub choices, called ahead. The Barge, near the station, met our requirements - showing the game and serving real ale. They are Brighouse Town's shirt sponsor, and we were greeted by the club's impressively bearded kit man working behind the bar.

Phil Bannister, and the Brighouse kit

On arrival at the ground, we found a cheerful set of officials and volunteers, and a refreshingly non corporate sign.

The Train Crew assemble, having taken three different combinations of trains - photo by Brighouse's car park steward

The ground is quite compact, with cover, seated and standing, along most of one side. The only snag was the lack of a barrier between the main and training pitches, allowing a stray ball to travel even further than our own gasworks side. However, they had a ready supply of spares to stop this delaying the restart of play.

The game started well enough, with a goal from Sam Corlett.

Peter, Ken and Cliff consider Sam Corlett's options

It did not seem too much of a concern when Brighouse equalised, something from which we are more than capable of coming back. However, it went downhill from there, with a performance we would all rather forget, co-ordination seemed to have completely disappeared. When one player is having a bad day, the manager can make a substitution, but when the team is doing so, choices become more difficult. James McCulloch would not have been most people's first choice to substitute on individual grounds 30 minutes into the game, but it meant Phil Bannister took over as captain, with the possibility that this might change the team dynamic. I am not sure how effective this is likely to be, and it did not work on this occasion, but I can see the logic, if that was indeed the intention.

Half time, with the score at 3-1, provided probably the last chance to turn things around, and when Brighouse scored their fourth goal, my travelling companions adjourned to the Old Pond public house. I do not think I have ever left a game early on the ground of performance, although my attention was starting to wander.

I have found five weeks out of six on the road a bit of a bind. However, I do not have to train in midweek, I can travel at a time of my own choosing and relax before and after the game, an option not available to the players, so in my photos and posts I try to reflect the effort and commitment involved in playing for the club, even on an off day. So, here goes for a positive point. With the score standing at 6-1 in the final minute of normal time, our hosts let their guard slip, and Matty West was ready to pounce with a consolation goal.

Matty West

Having had one pleasant surprise, there was another thirty seconds after the restart, this time from Sam Corlett. Even when we have not been playing well, we play to the final whistle, and I believe in not neglecting goal difference - provided we can pick ourselves up and get the points of which I know we are capable.

Having rejoined the others in the Old Pond, a number headed to the town centre for post match refreshment, including in the Old Ship, a local landmark, so called because it was once rebuilt using timbers from, er, an old ship, HMS Donegal, broken up in 1925.

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

Final result: Brighouse Town 6, Prescot Cables 3 (Corlett 2, West)

Starting the season

A fellow Dulwich Hamlet supporter put on his Twitter feed last week that he would clump the next person who asked if he was looking forward to football starting on Saturday, assuming football was equivalent to the Premiership. It could also mean the speaker watches the EvoStik League, as the Division 1 seasons had no week free of distractions from the moneyed classes this year. It's grim up north.

A new manager means new players. Many like to approach the first game completely fresh, whereas others follow the pre season programme and have an idea what we are likely to see. I came to our game against Ossett Albion, feeling there was work to be done, but we had enough in place for a reasonable start.

Ciaran Gibson started in goal, a surprise for those who had seen more of Adam Reid, but justified on recent form. He has what at this level can be a worrying tendency to stray upfield: I am not sure if this comes from past involvement with England Schoolboys, as Tim Horn at Burscough has a similar habit.

Ciaran Gibson

Some players have been with us for a while - even the advertising points them out.

Joe "Evo" Evans

Others were making their first appearances, at least on the team sheet: my memory starts to develop when I see the names.

Liam Dodd

The kit is very similar to last year's, with PMB Tools as kit sponsors - they have supported the club with advertising and sponsorship for some years. Believe it or not, there is an advantage to this from the photographer's point of view. All sponsors are welcome, and you become familiar with all sorts of text and logos, but PMB have one of the best (particularly the size and weight of the word "tools") for checking focus, and the effects of grain and movement blur, even when only part is visible.

Mark McLaughlin

However you perform in the friendlies, there are always surprises, a team can spring out of the blocks like Harrogate Railway Athletic with five goals, only to find Mossley doing the same in reply. We had no goals, which is unusual for us. Although this was a game both sides regarded as winnable, we avoided starting with a defeat, and the clean sheet was particularly welcome.

Unfortunately, Ossett's Ryan Harrison sustained a serious knee injury when he appeared to put his leg down awkwardly in front of the dugout - it is never a good sight when Club Secretary Doug on the pitch making a telephone call, as it is usually for an ambulance. According to the Non League Yorkshire website, Ryan can only have a scan to assess the full extent of the injury when the swelling has gone down. In common with all at Prescot, this blog offers him best wishes for a speedy recovery.

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

Final score: Prescot Cables 0, Ossett Albion 0.