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

Cup final

Following Prescot Cables' win in their Liverpool Senior Cup semi-final against Litherland REMYCA last weekend, the County FA were keen to complete the competition before it got in the way of the new season. For the final against Everton (the Under 23 side, a description applying to a fair number of our team too), they chose the next available date, five days later. Marketing got under way, with posters in the town and on social media, which worked, attracting a crowd of 865. People even returned to Prescot from abroad (well, Scotland anyway).

This was the club's first cup final since the North West Counties League Cup in 2002, so the first I would photograph. I watched the former from the blazers' enclosure at Bury FC, having wandered past a steward helpfully holding a gate open without checking who was going through it.

This time it would fall to me to provide the club's photographic output. In a big game, this leaves you feeling like Jonah (in Nineveh, not in the fish), plugging away at a collection whilst those who only need one or two frames are tweeting their results. I read an interview in the paper with a photographer for Getty Images at the Olympics - they can get an image from camera to editor's laptop to market in 180 seconds. Try that on a wet Tuesday night in November against Ossett Albion.

James Edgar

I try to capture all the players , but if I miss one in a  league game, it will even itself out over two or three weeks. For a game like this, everyone wants to be able to show they were there, playing against a Premiership club, in front of a large crowd, That means ideally pictures including an Everton player, and the crowd in the background. Missing someone out was not going to go down well. I made sure I was there early and got a few pictures of warming up.

Andy Paxton briefs the team

The next challenge came with the mascots, from the Junior section / All Star Coaching, 22 of them, one with each of the players. I snapped them lining up and shaking hands, an activity at which people were not hanging about, with the first players moving down the line before the last had taken their place. I produced a set of pictures with a heading so the boys and their parents can have a souvenir. Identifying that everyone is in is just the same for the adults - check for boots and haircuts.

Once we were under way, I snapped away furiously, making a mental note of who I had not seen for a bit. The new pitch perimeter that volunteers had worked on over the summer was looking tidy, and, most importantly, giving full support to the new advertising boards.

Nathan Quirk

Over the last few games, I have cropped many more pictures to the ratio the camera uses, rather than those like 10 x 8, unless there is a distraction I want to crop out. This is partly technical, the original ratio has more pixels, and partly changing taste on my part. It was handy for a few shots on this occasion.

Josh Nicholson

At the Safari Park End, evidence remained of Stuart Pearce's having been in the ground earlier, filming an advert.

Jonah O'Reilly

For the second half I took up position on the Gasworks Side, where I had more company than usual. With most of the advertising facing the same way as me, I concentrated on getting players in front of the crowd.

Rob Doran

The visitors were taking the competition seriously (not always the case with professional sides in county cups), and took a firm grip on the game with two goals in the first half and one in the second. Even with the game out of reach, our players were still looking for the consolation goal, but it was not to come.

I usually limit a collection to about 60 pictures, about the maximum number most people want to scroll through, but I allowed slightly for this game. The rest of the pictures can be seen on the club website here, and on Google Photos here.

Final score: Prescot Cables 0 Everton 3.

The colour purple

There are some things you see when you get to the ground that just make your evening.

Jack Phillips

When Jack Phillips went to Accrington Stanley last year, I did not expect to see him again, but he has joined us to watch his local club on a number of occasions. He spent the second half of last season recovering from an operation to remove a bone spur, and is about to take up a sports science internship at Everton, so is available to play. Having started the competitive season (more accurately completed the last competitive season) for Skelmersdale in the Liverpool Senior Cup, he has now rejoined us.

Prescot Cables' game against City of Liverpool FC, newly admitted to the Hallmark Security League, took on an unusual air, sandwiched between the Liverpool Senior Cup semi-final against Litherland REMYCA and the final against Everton. The list of those not playing gave an indication of who was likely to start in the cup final - with some of this game's starters being cup-tied.

Dominic Marie

The visitors play in purple, the City's corporate colour, and neutral between Liverpool and Everton. In many types of light, this is difficult to reproduce accurately with digital photography. This is not just true of football kits, even a flower in the garden can present a similar problem.

Lloyd Dean and former Cables player Daley Woods

The material can make a difference - the reproduction of the training top worn by City of Liverpool Assistant Manager and former Cables player Tom Spearitt is a lot closer to what you see with the naked eye.

Tom Spearitt

We were joined by local photographer Charles Green, who I first met when he was a student doing a sports module a couple of years ago. He is now working professionally, so check him out for your event photography requirements.

The match officials were wired for sound, which I have not seen at this level before.

I am not sure what the guidelines on radio communication are. When I have seen officials so equipped in rugby, the touch judge seems to speak in limited circumstances, drawing attention to a foul, or answering a question from the referee. The assistant on the gasworks side seemed to be keeping up a running commentary on anything outside the referee's field of vision, and a few things in it.

We had a strong first half, scoring two goals, as well as sending a couple of shots into the shrubbery at the Safari Park End that were probably only coming out with the assistance of gardening tools. We made a couple of changes for the second half, with the determined visitors pulling two back.

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

Final score: Prescot Cables 2 City of Liverpool 2

Splat

I could picture my late mother's reaction, "It's your own fault for not picking your feet up", as I removed my face from the pavement on which it had come to rest on the way to Prescot Cables' Liverpool Senior Cup Semi Final against Litherland REMYCA. I do not normally shuffle, but there must be something about Sefton Council's pavements, I caught my foot on a paving slab twice more, staying upright this time, before I achieved the level ground of Litherland Sports Park. I arrived gently dripping blood from my face, but no-one seemed to bat an eyelid. We have an unusual number of Doctors supporting us, but with most being PhDs in Pharmacology, recently joined by Dr Tony, PhD in Politics, none are any good with minor injuries. Fortunately, Richie, our leader in beer and pub choices, turned out to be our leader in First Aid too, as he procured some antiseptic wipes and plasters.

Dr Phil and Dr Tony - a rare sight seeing the latter with something not cask conditioned, but needs must!

The game was the semi-final of the 2015-6 Liverpool Senior Cup, the amount of water that fell on our pitch playing a part in ensuring the competition remained unfinished last season. Everton beat Skelmersdale United in the other semi-final, so we would face their Under 23 side if we won. That game had been an opportunity for a friend of these pages, Anthony Phillips, to watch his brother Jack in action for Skelmersdale. There would be nothing unusual in that, but Anthony had been discharged earlier that day after four months in hospital recovering from life threatening pneumonia, so this blog wishes him well in his ongoing recovery, and looks forward to seeing him at Cables soon.

I have visited the hosts on a number of occasions since they joined the North West Counties League, their Wednesday match night attracting a number of additional spectators, and their sandy soil meaning a game is likely to be on when others are off. This would be my first time taking pictures. I could probably have obtained permission to don high vis and go on to their running track, but I was not sure who to ask. I therefore took up position level with the corner flag on the back straight, only six lanes from the pitch, unlike the home straight which would be eight lanes and a long jump pit.

Some were following the game from afar. Phil Bannister was on holiday somewhere hot, and Lloyd Dean was at a wedding. We can picture the latter, "I now pronounce you husband and Gooooooaaaaaaalllllll!"

Prescot enjoyed a two division advantage over the hosts, but this is not necessarily any guide, as REMYCA had put out Southport in a previous round. The likelihood of a contest was considerably diminished when the home goalkeeper was dismissed inside 5 minutes for a foul just outside the penalty area denying a goal scoring opportunity. Rob Doran converted the resulting free kick.

Rob Doran, supported by Joe Herbert and Michael Simpson. For those addicted to business jargon, THIS is "going forward"

We have been able to keep most of last season's team, and there have been a few additions over the summer. Nathan Quirk has looked promising, and confirmed this with a hat tick in his first competitive game.

Nathan Quirk

When Andy Paxton became our manager eleven months ago, he mainly started work with the players we had. However, he brought with him the Nicholson brothers, products of their father's Skelmersdale United Youth setup, who have proved useful and reliable. Both scored in the second half, Josh with two and Joe with one.

Josh Nicholson

Joe Nicholson

For the second half, I again chose a position level with the goal line. Unfortunately, I did not notice the breeze, making the corner flag partially obscure the first goal from Andy Scarisbrick, who has half a season's experience in the First team, but still is only 17 for another month.

Andy Scarisbrick

For Andy's second goal, whilst there are Cables supporters who, at this point, would be muttering, "We can still throw this away you know", I was already packing up, and anticipating our first cup final since the North West Counties League Cup in 2002. Unlike that competition, for which the League usually used a Football League ground, we will be able to host Everton at home.

Our canine chums are part of the non League game, and this one was definitely posing for the camera. He (if it is a he) looked straight into the lens, showed his teeth in what I can only describe as a grin, and then struck this Bismarckian pose.

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

Final score: Litherland REMYCA 0 Prescot Cables 9 (Doran, Quirk 3, Josh Nicholson 2, Joe Nicholson, Scarisbrick 2)

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.

I was a saggar maker's bottom knocker

This weekend saw Prescot Cables travel to their second pre season game, at Hanley Town. I was concerned by the hosts' website, as the home page had them playing Alvechurch. The latter, however, were telling the world they were at Squires Gate, so, if the worst came to the worst, Hanley would be wondering where Alvecurch had got to, before deciding to play us as we were there.

Hanley is one of the "five towns" (actually six) of the City of Stoke-on-Trent. I last visited Hanley, on the way to Leek Town about 10 years ago, on a rainy day, so I did not see one of the more attractive aspects - being hilly, as is the countryside around, you can see a green hill at the end of almost every street. It was from the nearby village of Dilhorne that my great-great-great grandfather moved to London as a pottery seller in the 1840s, before meeting his wife and moving to her home at Marsh Green in Kent, a couple of miles from which, in the broad sunlit uplands of Surrey, I took my first steps 120 years later.

Pottery was fired in containers called saggars, the making of which was a skilled trade. Making, or knocking out, the bases was a separate, less skilled, occupation. I am not sure if there was career progression: successful bottom knocking leading to saggar making, eventually being let loose on a teapot. I was unaware of my family history in earthenware when I read a piece with this post's title in the Blue Peter Annual of about 1977, reporting on John Noakes trying the trade as one of his less intrepid exploits.

On the way from the bus, I could have sworn I heard bleating from someone's back garden. Dismissing this thought, I was soon in the ground, with my ancestral village over the hill in the background (a visit having been thwarted by the bus only running on Mondays to Fridays).

There was plenty of newly laid tarmac, suggesting extensive work over the summer. The machinery was still there, so there may be more to do.

Most of the ground behind the new hard standing was bare earth, presumably as a result of the works, but there was still some undisturbed grass for spectators to enjoy.

Jazz McCulloch

A new modular stand had been named after a gentleman who was clearly a significant figure, as their Twitter profile picture was also a tribute to him.

Jacob Jones in front of the Colin Stair Stand

The stand, when it is open, will provide the only fixed cover, although there are plenty of trees to provide shade opposite the stand, with the usual challenges of shadow once the sun came out properly in the second half.

Bram Johnstone

This was our only longer distance pre season trip of the pre season programme, and was another good test, giving most of the squad a good run out on a humid day, With the hosts having scored in the opening minutes, we replied with two.

At the end of the game, I caught one of the frequent buses to Hanley Bus Station, the concrete wind tunnel of my last visit having been replaced with an award winning new structure with information screens telling you the next bus to Stoke-on-Trent Station, rather than the guesswork of the previous layout. On the way home, I stopped in Manchester to give Matt from the Lost Boyos a cheery wave at his leaving do before he goes to work in Slovakia. I had threatened to join him for his last game at Salford City, but I knew that once Prescot had started playing I would be on the road with the team again: I am just not cut out to be a hopper.

Oh, and the bleating I heard earlier? My ears had not deceived me, someone did have a couple of sheep in a back garden - a larger than usual one, but a garden nonetheless.

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

Final score: Hanley Town 1 Prescot Cables 2.

Colour combinations

Prescot Cables opened their pre season programme with a visit from Charnock Richard, recently admitted to the Hallmark Security (North West Counties) League. In previous seasons we visited them, but this was more convenient for an evening game, as the bus service through their village finishes at 5.30. I was pleased to see a good turnout from last season's squad, which I was anticipating, as a number of players tweeted earlier in the month that they were enjoying training sessions, but feeling it the following morning.

We planned a different Prescot team in each half. The first half team were sporting the new season's home kit. We have the Puma kit from last season, tending towards the orange end of amber, sponsored again by PMB Tools, with a shirt back sponsor, Britannia Taxis. A priority of the match day photographer is not just to capture the action, or make the players look good, but also to give the sponsors the exposure they are paying for. So, we can expect more shots from this angle!

Joe Nicholson take a free kick

The side for the first half was the stronger of the two, and we were quickly ahead through another Joe Nicholson free kick. I was then in just the right position for Lloyd Dean to score from a penalty into the neat new goal nets.

I once worked with some French people, who wore coloured socks socks matching their shirts or ties. One gentleman, noticing on the way to work that his socks did not match his shirt, went home to change. This thinking seems to have affected the compilers of the Laws of Association Football, who have tightened up on colour matching: undershirts and undershorts must match the dominant colour of shirts or shorts; and sock tape needs to match the dominant colour of socks. I am not sure what the rule was before, but practice was to match a colour, so ours allowed for black undershirts. Not only that, but undergarments and tape must also match the rest of the team. I can see the point of this in professional competition rules, but it seems excessive to incorporate it into the Laws. Those who move clubs will accumulate a large wardrobe. They have not stipulated matching boots yet, but watch this space.

Jacob Jomes

The management were kitted out in neat new training kit.

Tony Carrroll and Roy Grundy

Tony Carroll has returned as Injury Assessor, after a couple of years accumulating stories about working with Shaun Reid - which he seems unfortunately reluctant to tell us!

The visitors' goalkeeper was injured after about 20 minutes, and, without a replacement, I think the teams decided it would be good experience for all concerned if we lent them one of ours.

The second half team was composed of a mixture of younger players with First team experience, some from trials, and some who were unable to play many games last season due to long term injuries. This team used the new away kit. Both are available from the new online club shop (and the table in the bar when the season gets under way).

Connor Grainger advertises the new away kit

There was an encouraging performance from both teams, winning 4-1 in the first half and 2-1 in the second.

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