In the pink

I remember a rumour at Dulwich Hamlet, back when shirts were stitched together from coloured cloth rather than colours printed on, that our pink and blue kit was delivered late one season because Corinthian Casuals had already used up the available pink cloth. An away game at Casuals was the only time I have seen the opposition in pink (and chocolate), and I have never seen the opposition in pink and blue - until this weekend.

Prescot Cables' visitors, Darlington 1883, adopted this kit as part of their charitable activities in support of the local St Teresa's Hospice.

At the beginning of the season many of us thought Darlington would pass quickly through our Division, bringing four figure crowds with them. Although they are firmly in the play off places, the title looks in Curzon Ashton's grip; and, whilst their visit is the largest gate of the season for most clubs, this has been in the order of 350 - 500.

It made sense once fixtures for the later weeks of the season were finalised (this game was originally scheduled for February) to have the annual Beer Festival this weekend. Good numbers of locals and CAMRA members attended the Friday evening session, and Darlington supporters, some of whom made an early trip, boosted numbers on the Saturday. I have not attended on Friday in previous years, but most of the pharmacologists turned out, so I joined them. Some took a scientific approach, with notes and scores; one of Luke's notes on the ciders simply read "Welsh", not necessarily a complement after a bad experience with the generally well reviewed Naughty Horsey last week.

With the gap in League position, Darlington had to be favourites, but our better form had been at home, and we took points off them in October. We knew we would need to be solid in defence.

James McCulloch blocks Darlington's Terry Galbraith

When I stand behind the goal we are attacking and the opposition spend a lot of time in our half, I take less pictures, although with the 70-300mm lens, I can cover most of the pitch and crop to a large at web quality.

Francis Foy defends our goal area

It does not make much difference to the final collection: I identified plenty of shots with which to work. In some ways it is easier and quicker, I am likely to only get one or two frames of a piece of action at the other end of the pitch, whereas when it is happening right in front of me, I will have a sequence through which to look and make a selection.

Man of the match for Prescot was our goalkeeper Richie Mottram, who kept us in the game with some fine saves, in particular a spectacular one in injury time (not this one) to ensure that we kept hold of another useful point.

After the game, it was time for more of the festival beers, and some of our visitors were staying for the weekend, so stayed on to enjoy some of them too.

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

Final score: Prescot Cables 0 Darlington 1883 0.

Could not see to take pictures

It is not often I write without pictures, the clue to this blog is in the name. For Dulwich Hamlet's game away to Maidstone United, I had my camera in full working order, the problem was finding a point from which to use it.

I travelled fairly early, and went to Aylesford and its Priory, with a view to a stroll back along the Medway Valley Walk. I tend to underestimate the time it takes to walk anywhere, and this was no exception, by the time I should have been passing through the turnstiles, I was at Allington Lock, power walking past a chap with a guitar on his back. By the time I was in earshot of the stadium, 15 minutes late, I heard a cheer, so I thought I had missed at least one goal, but then I heard music, indicating kick off had been delayed to allow the crowd of 2,296 to get in.

With limited terracing (average crowds are at least twice what they anticipated when planning the stadium), unless you take a position early, all space around the pitch will be taken, in most places a couple of people deep. I do not know if they have plans for capacity enhancement, but they have room at the town end for a substantial terrace with room underneath for the club shop, toilets and catering outlets, currently in mobile structures, which would allow the current metal terracing to be redeployed along the open side.

Not that that was of any use in current circumstances, and, still having a frozen shoulder, I was not going to try holding the camera above my head, so I picked a point where I had a view between heads of the goal we were attacking. I took just one picture, on my phone.

We can see the stand was completely full, and get an idea of the depth of the crowd along the sides. My 2,295 companions (although some thought there were more in the ground than the official figure) had not wasted their time queueing to get in, as we were treated to two good sides trading the lead, three apiece at 90 minutes, the home side clinching a win with an injury time goal. The even surface provided by Maidstone's pristine polyester suited both sides' passing game.

Having watched from the side, I joined other Dulwich supporters behind the goal to applaud the players at the end, which we apparently did for 14 minutes, with some of the stewards congratulating our vocal support. You should see our supporters when we win.

I then spent more time discussing the game with complete strangers than I have done before. I adjourned to the Flower Pot, the nearest Good Beer Guide establishment, for a pint and to read my paper. My pink and blue top was spotted by some Dulwich supporters and four or five Maidstone supporters all saying it was either the best game of the season, or the best since the Gallagher Stadium opened. I was not the only one spending the evening in Maidstone: on my train, three hours later, there were more groups of Dulwich supporters, none of whom I recognised, but all of whom made mention of the game.

Then, to cap it all, in the Wenlock Arms in Hoxton on Sunday, I was having a drink after church, wearing a pink and blue tie (not a club one, just from Marks & Spencer), when I was approached by another stranger who recognised me from the game.

Final score: Maidstone United 4 Dulwich Hamlet 3 (Clunis, Whitnell, Öztümer)

The edge of the world - or at least the county

When the fixture list comes out, there are games that jump out for those of us who travel independently. One such was this weekend's game away to Padiham - some distance away; somewhere most of us do not have cause to visit (I last took the train east of Blackburn to a FA Cup game at Great Harwood Town 20 years ago); a new ground; and some Good Beer Guide pubs on the way.

A couple of our Pharmacologists made late cancellations. Phil had forgotten he had a holiday booked, so had to eschew the Bridge Bier Huis, a Belgian style establishment in Burnley, for beers actually available in Belgium, whilst Jon succumbed to food poisoning, or was attending a wedding, I never worked out which.

As we were leaving the Bier Huis, an elderly gentleman at the next table wished us well and reminisced about games between our clubs in the Lancashire Combination.

Padiham's neat, compact ground is just a couple of hundred yards back from the main road, although quite tucked away, as we were to find. Although there is a bus about every 10 minutes, there were seven of us, so a minibus taxi was about the same price per head. Sat nav has not yet reached Burnley's taxis, so, following an attempt at direction with "follow that bus" just as it pulled in to a stop, we used Mr Google's maps on my phone. This worked until the little blue arrow decided to stop moving just before the crucial junction - fortunately someone spotted a sign.

Once inside, we were soon under way with a goal from Isaac Kusoloka. I got a couple of pictures, which Isaac put into a montage.

Montage and effects by Isaac Kusoloka, photos by me

No food or drink was lost in a nonetheless enthusiastic celebration.

The British Geological Society's online viewer shows maps of the rock under your feet at 1:50,000 scale, more detail than the 1:625,000 scale maps on our classroom walls at school. Padiham, like Prescot, sits on bands of sandstone alternating with the mudstone of the Pennine coal measures. Unlike Hope Street, the Arbories Memorial Ground is fortunate to be on well draining sandstone. The pitch was therefore in good condition despite the recent wet weather.

Rob Doran performs on the well drained pitch

Padiham drew level after half an hour, then Phil Bannister pulled us ahead again about 10 minutes into the second half. It was a good day for photography, the first day of the year I have been able to let the sports mode on the camera take care of shutter speeds without having to make sure it does not go too low, so I was pleased to get a picture of this goal too.

Phil Bannister shoots for goal

There was intermittent sun throughout the game. With one end of the ground facing south west, the sun was near the horizon by the end, so I moved to the side of the pitch.

Mike Kennedy

Our poor away form continued with Padiham scoring a second equaliser. We have not won away in the League all season, our position being maintained by our form at home, where we have sprung a couple of surprises on visitors expecting an easy win. However, we once again avoided defeat, so we maintained our position relative to Padiham, below us in the table.

Although the Merseymart carried pictures, they did not include a report, even of the basic facts from the League website, so I got three quarters of the back page - whatever the captions may suggest, the picture of AFC Liverpool manager Paul Moore is not one of mine.

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

Final score: Padiham 2 Prescot Cables 2 (Kusoloka, Bannister)

Goals, unfortunately not ours

Many of us approached Prescot Cables' game against Ramsbottom United with some apprehension. Our visitors had scored 84 goals in their League campaign prior to this fixture, 12 more than any other club, although there was some hope, in that they had conceded 42.

We also received the news that Connor McCarthy, our top scorer, had signed for Skelmersdale United. This was not unexpected, as it was clear his talent would attract clubs at a higher level. Skelmersdale expressed an interest after our Doodson Sport Cup fixture in November, but Connor delayed his move until now, hoping to contribute to securing our league position. Weather related postponements meant there is still work to do, but it is evidence of his character and commitment. He will find strong competition for a place at Skelmersdale, Manager Tommy Lawson maintains a squad to keep his options open, but I am confident Connor will rise to the challenge. This blog wishes him well in his future career.

Connor McCarthy gets away from the opposition at New Mills

Playing for Prescot gives the opportunity for young players to put themselves in the shop window for clubs higher up the pyramid and those in a position to pay more than expenses. The best players understand that the way to impress visiting managers and scouts is to perform well as part of our team, so we benefit too. A player progressing in his career creates opportunities for others, and a start at number 10 went to Luke Robinson.

Luke Robinson

Also starting was Franny Foy, who has been with the club for a while, mainly in the reserves, with some first team appearances, and who scored his first goal for the first team at Ossett Albion in midweek.

Franny Foy

This was the first game for some weeks that had not been threatened by rain. There was even some sunshine, which makes life considerably easier, particularly producing pictures of print quality.

Jordan Shirley- in one of the pictures I submitted to the Merseymart

James McCulloch - in the picture they used

The visitors showed their scoring prowess with two quick goals on half an hour, and finished the game as a contest with a third just before half time. There was a general consensus that Ramsbottom were the best side we have seen at Prescot so far this season, and that they have a good chance of getting themselves into a play off place.

After the game, we held the AGM of the Community Interest Company that runs the club. The most significant football announcement was that our Reserves will be playing at Hope Street next season, following AFC Liverpool's departure to Marine. Whilst this means a reduction in revenue, it also means a reduction in costs, and will hopefully make the Reserves more integrated with the first team.

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

Final result: Prescot Cables 0 Ramsbottom United 3

New Mills, old hills

I was unusually gung-ho this weekend about the prospects of Prescot Cables' game away at New Mills going ahead: with not much rain having fallen during the week, I had no inkling there would be a pitch inspection shortly before midday, by which time I was on a train climbing towards the Derbyshire hills.

I decided to make the best of the scenery, so I got off at Strines, and walked to a pub I had found on the CAMRA WhatPub site, the Fox Inn in the hamlet of Brookbottom.

The Fox Inn - 50 yards outside Greater Manchester

The entry suggests the pub is close to a railway station, which is true, it is about half a mile, although one needs a modicum of fitness to make the trip, up a steep bridleway. Once inside its foot thick walls, I enjoyed an immaculately kept pint of Robinsons' Dizzy Blonde, in what I might also describe as immaculately kept surroundings. I may have been sitting in one of the regulars' seats, as an elderly couple came in, and the gentleman was casting rather confused looks in my direction until his wife chose a table.

Had the weather been less pleasant, I would have stayed for a while, but I decided exercise was in order, and walked to the Pack Horse, a mile away up and down another hill, then on to the ground, another mile or so, involving descending to the level of the River Sett, and up another hill. I was glad to reach the town and its pavements: whilst I am used to walking country roads, I am used to a hedge in which to shelter from any passing cars that get a bit close, whereas dry stone walls look a bit less yielding.

I arrived five minutes before the scheduled kick off to find warming up still in progress. The match referee had not been happy with some areas of the pitch, and was minded to call the game off, but was prepared to accept sand being spread on the affected areas. Unfortunately, there was no sand on the premises, and a trip to the nearest builders' merchants in this part of the world is not as quick as you might at first think. Still, at least I got pictures of Manager Dave Powell and Assistant Manager Carl Furlong taking training.

Dave Powell

Carl Furlong

The original date for this fixture was the first of January's postponements. Quite a few of our Train Crew planned to travel on that occasion, but our numbers were depleted this time by some of our regulars jetting off on foreign holidays, and some taking the train to what might be a foreign holiday next season - in Scotland.

Not that we were short of supporters who travel on the coach or by car.

Dave, Cliff, Ken and Peter keep a close watch on Dave Dempsey

Players move between clubs all the time, so it is no surprise to encounter former players in the opposition line up. Mike Smith moved to New Mills earlier in the season, and was as energetic, and appeared as much in the frame, as he did when playing for us.

Connor McCarthy gets away from Mike Smith

With so few games over the last few weeks, we have not experienced the gradual extension of daylight, instead jumping from a dark second half to full daylight in a couple of jumps. Even with the delay for purchasing sand (kick off eventually occurring at 3.25), there was a decent amount of daylight right to the end.

The floodlights were on on one side for the first half, and both sides for the second. As is often the case, this gave some pictures a blue cast, which in the more extreme cases I tried to remove, you can judge for yourself how natural the end result looks.

Robert Gilroy - colour not adjusted

Phil Bannister - colour adjusted

We were disappointed not to come away with the first away win of the season, although, when we had not been able to score downhill in the first half, I thought we might find it even more difficult to do so uphill in the second. Still, all points are useful, and we kept a clean sheet and therefore avoided a defeat that would have improved the hosts' position at our expense.

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

Final score: New Mills 0 Prescot Cables 0

Frozen shoulder, but fortunately not a frozen pitch

Prescot Cables' game at home to Northwich Victoria last week came after a weekend with no sport for me. Cables had no fixture, and all the rugby and football clubs I like to watch if Cables are not playing were away, with the nearest being Birkenhead Park at Broughton Park in Manchester.

With little rain on Monday and Tuesday, there was a successful pitch inspection at 4.30pm, with only light rain forecast before the match. This fell as snow, leaving a light covering on the pitch. Some were hoping for an orange ball, but our league does not even have a yellow ball. It's grim up north.

Connor McCarthy

I picked up a frozen shoulder over the weekend, a general problem I have had for years, and a cause of merely minor inconvenience. Purely for photography, it is fortunately the right: when holding the camera, the left, which just crunches, takes most of the weight, and I hold my arms close to my chest, for stability, and so the weight of the camera goes through my legs and feet, rather than the arms and shoulders. Had the problem been with the left arm, I might have been heading to the shop for a monopod, or, as my friend Jon the Pharmacologist succinctly described it when I was explaining why a tripod does not give enough freedom of movement for zooming in with still photography, "so, basically a stick, then".

He thought a tripod might be useful to counteract shivering on a cold evening, but I do not shiver at games as much as I used to. That may have something to do with being old enough to follow your grandmother's advice, and wear a coat... and a jacket... and a jumper... and a shirt... and a t-shirt... and a scarf... and a hat - advice not followed by a Northwich supporter behind the goal.

Adam Reid with Danny Jarrett

Our resident photography student thought the reflected light from the snow was worth about half a stop (half an exposure value), which makes all the difference using consumer kit, making the results that bit less grainy ...

Robert Gilroy

... and getting results from places like near the touchlines.

James Cairns

He reported that his batteries were suffering in the cold, with three having run out of charge. I had no problem, although I shoot in jpg, whereas I assume he was using raw, which uses more read/write capacity and therefore power. As his primary interest was pictures rather than play, he headed off at half time, with my parting comment being that anyone who thought the evening was cold had clearly never been to North Ferriby.

When I started watching football, I remember different disciplinary suspensions applied at our level from the full time professional game. In the Football and Premier League, a player receiving a red card would receive a three match suspension, similar to today. In the semi professional game a player would be suspended for 28 or 35 days, usually a lot longer than three matches. These were brought into line a few years later, but the effect at this time of year can be more severe than the old system. Suspension is from all football until the team for which the player incurred the sanction have completed three matches. Dave Dempsey was returning from a suspension that began between Christmas and New Year, and Antony Shinks still has one game to go of a suspension that started on 4th January, following a red card at Salford City two weeks previously. At the time of writing, if the game away to New Mills goes ahead at the weekend, the weather will have extended it to 49 days.

Dave Dempsey returns to action

An early goal from the visitors before I had had got round to the gasworks side did not bode well, but Prescot exerted some good pressure to be level at half time with a penalty from Connor McCarthy. A second half substitution bringing on James McCulloch (who had been unable to start due to work commitments, and was mercilessly ribbed by his father when he arrived to join the bench) and Rob Doran paid off with a goal from Rob to collect all three points.

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

Final score: Prescot Cables 2 (McCarthy, Doran) Northwich Victoria 1

More mud than last week's rugby

I have detailed before how planning to watch a game at this time of year involves almost constant monitoring of the weather. For Prescot Cables' visit from Mossley at the weekend, the rain on Friday night and Saturday morning (for the fifth week in a row) was less heavy than forecast, so the pitch passed an inspection at 10.30. Showers at lunchtime were lighter than expected, so everything was looking good when I arrived in Prescot a few minutes before kick off.

However, in the time it took me to get off the bus, buy a paper and go to the ground, the heavy rain forecast for 3 - 6pm well and truly arrived. The game got under way, with the pitch looking as though it had benefited from a rest, with only two AFC Liverpool games and none of ours on it during January.

There were a few changes since we last played a month ago. Rob Doran made a welcome return to the starting lineup, having returned from injury with a substitute appearance on New Year's Day.

A couple of familiar faces from previous seasons joined us on loan - Richie Mottram in goal, on loan from Runcorn Linnets ...

... and Danny Jarrett in defence, on loan from Rhyl.

I am not sure how easily that works: Danny will have needed international clearance (confirmation from the FA under whose jurisdiction the player has most recently played that he is not suspended) when he joined us, and will need it before he can play for Rhyl again. With half of the population of Wales living within 25 miles of England, and a similar number of people living in the same distance of Wales, the level of movement probably makes it it quite efficient. The same is not the case for true international moves, we had to wait a couple of weeks before Pavel Pinto-Vieira could play for us after playing in Portugal.

The rain continued steadily for the whole of the half.

Jordan Shirley & James McCulloch

It is difficult for players to judge a tackle in these conditions, the slightest misjudgement could give away a free kick in an advantageous position, but hesitation can allow the bold attacker to get past. Mossley's Lewis Nightingale took advantage of the difficulty to get past a number of our players (Mossley's website said at least six, which is a bit of an exaggeration) and supply the ball to Tom Pratt for the only goal of the game.

I had taken up position under the cover at the Hope Street end, from where I could watch a pool of standing water by the corner flag increasing in size. Keith was busy with the fork and the broom at half time to clear the water.

The referee made a further inspection at the end of half time, and decided to proceed. Whilst it meant Keith's efforts were not in vain, I am not sure about the wisdom of the decision: although it had stopped raining briefly, the pitch was by now soft. The home team has an advantage in this situation, there will often be a spare kit available, allowing the players to change in to dry kit at half time.

Lloyd Balazs

We used a kit from a couple of seasons ago that had to be replaced as it was too heavy, the players were becoming overheated, particularly on a warm day. As this was anything but a warm day, it seemed a good occasion to use it. I wondered how reflective it would be in the middle of the winter: despite the cloud having lifted for a while, I found my exposures were not as good as with the current kit.

I took up position behind the goal at the Safari Park End, but soon scuttled back under the stand when it started raining again. Everyone was liberally covered in mud by the end.

Phil Bannister

I have to hand it to the players of both sides for giving us a competitive match  in difficult conditions, but completing the game will have made the pitch more prone to waterlogging for the next few weeks. Fortunately the weather was kinder than usual up to Christmas, so we do not currently have a large fixture backlog.

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

Final score: Prescot Cables 0 Mossley 1.