Barnton (31-10-2015)

Barnton 2-0 Bacup Borough (NWCFL), Saturday 31 October 2015

Train £10-30 (Stockport-Northwich)
Programme £1-50
Entry £5
Tea £1
Total £17-80

Today was my final October game, and the 12th new ground of the season (excluding South Melbourne FC). October has been a slightly crazy month, with a few double-header weekends, an England game and some insanely late journeys back home. Northwich is one of the slightly easier places to reach by public transport, so Barnton vs Bacup today was a perfect one to conclude the month. Northwich is served by an hourly service from Stockport, and I arrived nice and early today at 13:13. I have visited the town once before - just over 2 years ago, when Kings Lynn lost to Witton Albion. I didn't see much of the town that day so was pleased to be able to explore a bit more on the walk out to Barnton. The area was scenic and involved crossing over the River Weaver. I even managed to wander up to the Anderton Boat Lift. After a walk alongside the canal, I found a bridge across and a path up to the village. Like last week the brown and golden Autumn colours looked beautiful and crisp. Barnton's Townfield ground was next to a doctors, with the entrance bounded off by a builders' fence. There was a delightfully named 'Pay Box' where I parted with £5 entrance and £1-50 for a programme. The club have only recently joined the NWCFL, and the ground reflected this. There was one small stand of seating, consisting of 3-4 rows of seats, with a covered terrace opposite on the halfway line. The toilets were portakabins which had clearly been used on a building site previously with several signs about health & safety.

Barnton, in black and white stripes, started today top of the league. The away side Bacup were on the fringes of the playoff positions so today would be a good indicator of success over the season. The first 20 minutes was a closely fought affair, with few chances and a midfield battle taking place. Kayde Coppin's rifled shot was well saved by Peter Montteth, and then Micheal Gervin's free header flew over. Gradually Barnton began to dominate, winning the physical battles in the middle and squeezing Bacup as tight as they could. There were then a catalogue of chances for the home side - Malone's curler evaded everyone and went just wide. Then a smart move on the left resulted in a shot which cannoned off the angle of post and bar. Coppin was busy and proactive up front, heading and then firing wide with his right foot. The breakthrough came almost bang on the interval, when Jason McShane headed in to make it 1-0.

The Villagers continued as they were from the first period, with Towey, Coppin and Malone showing excellent pace and aggression. Malone charged in the the left at one point, playing a 1-2 and very nearly scoring a superb goal. The Lancashire side looked completely overrun, and frustrations began to show when Adrian Bellamy and Gareth Wager were booked in quick succession. The only bright spot was Yves Zama, who managed to carve a couple of shots on target from their occasional attack. It was no surprise when Coppin made it 2-0 after being put clean through.

This was one game I've seen so far this year where tempers didn't fray or boil over. The referee was a particularly calm and authoritative figure, who had a rapport with the players but didn't take any nonsense. At times his instructions were rather like orders to train a dog - but it actually worked!

I now feel obliged to report on the trip back as so many have been eventful. Today was fine - I made the 17:28 from Northwich, and made the next train across t' Pennines. As usual I'd managed to synchronize with other football fans travelling across, and stood up on a crowded train with Sheffield United and Man City fans.

Liverpool (25-10-2015)

Liverpool 1-1 Southampton (Premier League), Sunday 25th October 2015

Tea £1-70
Mint tea £2-20
Baguette £3-99
Ticket £44
Train £14-50
Programme £3
Bus £2
Water £1
Pasta £3-75
Banana 40p
Parking (14.50/2) £7-25
Total £83-79

So to Anfield for our second Liverpool game of the year. Today felt like a turning point, with Jurgen Klopp's first PL home game at the helm, and with the clocks having changed the night before. For some bizarre reason the game was a 4:15 kick off which would mean a later than usual return. Journey across was fine, and we headed to the Walker Gallery for tea pre-match - I sound like an old man now!

There was something of a buzz around Anfield today, which made a welcome change. We headed around the back of the Centenary Stand, and to the cramped Anfield Road end, where our seats were restricted view due to the low roof. Remember the slit we had to see the West Ham game? The game was not a bad one and the Red men gradually edged their way in charge, building up some of the heavy metal football Klopp has promised. Milner was excellent as ever, creating the odd chance, and Clyne continues to be a consistent performer on the flank. Origi was poor and was replaced by Benteke on the interval. Still it remained goalless and it seemed de ja vu with Liverpool having plenty of the ball in midfield.

Suddenly they managed a breakthrough. Milner curled a fantastic cross into the box and Benteke connected with it brilliantly to make it 1-0. But this is Liverpool, and they seemed determined to make things as complicated as possible. Mane equalised when a simple cross was badly defended and Mignolet was again caught out of position. Southampton didn't perhaps deserve the draw but Liverpool had not capitalised on their possession and chances once again. We headed away from the ground in darkness and ended up walking all the way to Lime Street. Autumn is firmly upon us.

Leek Town (24-10-2015)

Leek Town 3 - 3 Kidsgrove Athletic (Evostik Division 1 South), Saturday 24th October 2015

Entry £8
Lunch £8
Prog £1-50
Teas £3-85
Petrol £15(ish)
Total £36-35

Leek Town is one of 8 clubs I have still to see across the 3 Evostik Northern set ups, so after some difficult recent trips this one held great appeal. I had originally planned to train it to Stoke and catch a bus from there but decided to drive for once. The town is only a 90 minute drive from Sheffield, so I could be home in time for tea! I was pleased to be joined on this trip by a friend visiting from London - after meeting at Sheffield station we headed off down Abbeydale Road. As expected the route took us up winding roads, through Bakewell and then across the far end of the Peak District. As we descended towards Longnor there were several hair pin bends which made the drive interesting! Leek is a Staffordshire market town, with several distinctive buildings and the River Churnet - and my friend also told me there is a narrow gauge railway nearby (Churnet Valley Railway).

After a pub lunch, we headed to Harrison Park. This was a big ground for the level, with long sweeping terraces on three sides with a large seated stand, and a caged gate separating the terraced areas. I believe it has hosted U17 England games in the past and I could see why. This is a tidy ground and well worth the £8 entrance fee.

We'd picked quite a game today - this was a derby with local rivals Kidsgrove and turned into a real humdinger. Inside 14 minutes, Leek were 3-0 up! They opened the scoring after a couple of minutes when Tim Grice back-heeled in, and doubled the lead when Niall Maguire rifled superbly into the top corner after a neat one-two. Then just when it looked like things might calm down Grice ran clear again, slotting coolly past the away keeper.

There was a definite response from the away side, whose kit was an inverted version of the Peruvian national kit - red kit with a white sash. Nicholas Wellecomme's shot was saved and then Jordan Johnson's effort flew over. A key turning point of the game came when Malbon ran through, only to be brought down by Chris Martin in the away goal. Martin was sent off for his efforts, and Malbon slotted in the resulting penalty. We had a game on now. With Kidsgrove starting to dominate, it was their turn to have a man sent off after Dan Skelton's high challenge in the centre circle. Even more bizarrely Malbon then made it 3-2 when he rounded the full back in a move reminiscent of Redondo vs Manchester United in 2000.

The second half was a little less crazy than the first but still utterly unpredictable. Kidsgrove's Johnson made it 3-3 early on, setting up an aggressive and pacey second period. They actually looked like they might take the lead when Malbon's shot was saved shortly afterwards. Leek then had a big shout for handball which was waved away by the referee. There were not many chances to speak of, but the midfield battle was fierce and uncompromising. Leek's Will Booth and Ashley Hodgkinson looked most likely to score, but couldn't quite forge many clear cut chances. The fiery midfield battle then resulted in a melee involving almost every player. The referee handed out a few yellows as a result, and red-carded Kidsgrove's right-back Ross Davidson. So they'd gone from 3-0 down to having a man advantage, got it back to 3-3 and were now down to 9 men! What a crazy game of football!

The journey back was reasonable for once. The first half was somewhat dramatic as we headed across the moors with the sun setting. Although the sat nav seemed to take us the long way back to Sheffield, I dropped my friend off at Dore station just after 7, then was through the door at half past. Autumn is definitely upon us now, so I was delighted to have seen my 11th new ground of the season.

Whitchurch (17-10-2015)

Whitchurch Alport 1 - 0 Ashton Town (NWCFL Division 1), Saturday 17 October 2015

Train (Stockport-Whitchurch) = £17-30
Tea at Crewe = £2-15
Paper = 50p
Entry = £5
Tea at ground = £1
Post match provisions = £3-50
Tea at Stockport = 99p
Total = £30-44

After some tricky recent trips, I was certainly feeling the effects today. I'm hitting the usual Autumn "ground-hopper fatigue", now with 9 new grounds for the season.

Today's visit to Whitchurch would be my tenth new ground, and I was looking forward to it. The club were only accepted into the NWCFL very late on, and are to my knowledge the only Shropshire club in the league. The town sits roughly halfway between Wrexham and Stoke, barely a few miles from the Welsh border, so held added intrigue today. Unlike Barnoldswick and Eccleshall, Whitchurch has a train station, with services up to Crewe and Manchester and down to Shrewsbury and South Wales.

After 3 trains from Sheffield I arrived in the town at about 1:45. I had a desire to see the border with Wales so strolled through the town out to the A525. Unfortunately the pavement ran out and given that it was approaching 2:30 I headed back towards the ground at Yockings Park.

This was not a bad set up at all. The bonus on entry was that the programme was included in the price, which makes a refreshing change. The ground had an impressive white and red stand with wooden seats and a corrugated iron roof on the near side, with the 'tunnel' emerging in the middle. There was a slither of covered area opposite, and I was surprised to see that the far end had no hard standing walkway, so was cordoned off.

Ashton Town came here as favourites, and Whitchurch were still looking for their first win at this level. The chances in the first half largely fell to the Wigan side, with a shot from 9 and a header from 4 saved in quick succession. The most noticeable home player was number 8, who seemed intent on whinging at the referee (and anyone who would listen!) for every decision. The away side continued to forge opportunities - 4's left footed free kick flew inches over the bar, and no one would capitalise when a parry from 7's effort resulted in a loose ball in the box. 11's inswinging curler was then tipped around thepost by the home keeper. At the other end, Whitchurch's best chance fell to 9, who sprinted through on the right and couldn't find the target from a tight angle.

The second half began with Ashton looking fired up, but Whitchurch looking resilient. Whitchurch's second chance came when 2's shot was tipped/ onto the post by an alert away keeper. Ashton's wave of away attacks were only broken by a pause when some dog mess was removed from the pitch! 11 was the most active, teeing up 9 for a volley which went over and then hitting the side netting. In midfield, I was particularly impressed with Ashton's 10, who juggled the ball like a Brazilian at times. The away side's 8 then slotted in after being adjudged offside, and you had a feeling this might not be their day.

Whitchurch then began to look more confident in attack. 4 hit a shot wide, before 9 was nearly put through by a long clearance downfield. 4 was then caught in a painful area with the ball and lay in agony for a while. Then the home side's 9, who had chalk on his boots on the left wing, screamed for the ball. When he received it he took it down superbly and quickly saw off 3-4 defenders before slotting in to the keeper's right. The crowd were delighted and at 4:45 were asking for full time! At this point I was disappointed that I had to leave to try and make the 16:52 train, but was pleased to see that Whitchurch held on for a historic first win.

The journey back was another disaster story. I missed the aforementioned train from Whitchurch, and had to wait 1hrs 15 for the next one. When I got to Stockport the next train to Sheffield had been cancelled, and the next train was delayed by 15 minutes. The train ride across the Pennines was punctuated by some Sheffield United fans giving renditions of 'The lion sleeps tonight' and songs from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory!

Anyway, well done Whitchurch for your first NWCFL win. Based on the ground, spirit of the team, and excellent value for money you'll be a welcome addition to this league.

Barnoldswick (10-10-2015)

Barnoldswick 1 - 1 AFC Liverpool (NWCFL Premier), Saturday 10th October 2015

Train (Sheffield-Skipton) = £22-60
Entry = £5
Programme = £1
Apples = 80p
Sausage butty & tea = £2-20
Bus ticket = £8-70
Pasty = £5-29
Total = £45-59

Barnoldswick - or Barlick for short - has to be one of the hardest to reach outposts of the NWCFL. I'd chosen to do this and Eccleshall back-to-back as I wanted to get through the harder trips before winter. It proved to be even worse than I'd expected!

To reach Skipton would usually be two trains from Sheffield. but today engineering works meant a bus ride to Shipley first. After arriving in Skipton at about 1.30, I managed to locate the bus station, and the 28 bus (across to Colne and Nelson). The fare of £8-70 seemed a little steep but it was too far to walk (8.4 miles apparently).

Barlick is a small market town, and is lined with beautiful stone houses up and down windy streets. After the usual perambulation - past the Bancroft engine - I headed up to the ground at West Close Road. I entered the ground via a cluster of football pitches with games in full swing, and crowds of people armed with cameras for an aeroplane display overhead!

After initially struggling to find the turnstile (located down a winding grassy path), I finally entered. I couldn't quite believe I'd made it to such an out-of-the-way ground, and the day after an England game too. The ground was nicely laid-out, with two covered areas behind the near goal, in front of the dressing rooms and the clubhouse. To the right running alongside the pitch was a stand constructed from grey stone - very Lancastrian.

In the away corner for today's game were AFC Liverpool, who I'd seen last year at Nelson. The club had Hillsborough flames and the '96' emblazoned on their shirts, and were supported by a passionate group of fans. They were only actually 4 points behind Barlick, but dominated the game for the first 20 minutes, with 9 looking most dangerous, and then 11 opening the scoring on xxx minutes when played clean through. The home side found a foothold in the game, with Mark Threlfall curling wide and Ben Gorman rattling the post with a left-footed strike. Shaun Airey and Joseph Gaughan then both had shots which were easily saved by the keeper. All during the half, a burly man in the Liverpool dug-out was shouting encouragement, and barely stopped for breath. I thought he was the manager, but he was apparently the physio, which became clear when he ran on to help an injured player! The coach/manager was actually a quieter character on the bench, who vaguely resembled Saddam Hussein when he had a beard.

Barlick came out looking determined to over-turn the deficit. From about 45-70 minutes the game was fought out in midfield, with not many chances of note. Barlick's Ellerton, Ridehalgh and Gaughan were particular dynamos, driving the team forward against a resilient opposition. Despite their control of the game, the best chance nearly fell to the Reds when the home keeper made a hash of a clearance and only just cleared at the second opportunity.

Then Barlick's Airey made it 1-1 when he calmly slotted it into the net from a well-worked corner. They began to lay siege to the away goal at the 'Sewer End', and Gaughan fired straight into the keeper's body, while Thomas Henderson - with an apparent tap-in - was foiled by a brave block by the away keeper Ryan Jones. Passions, as ever, began to get the better of the players. Liverpool's Michael Williams was booked for an over-exuberant challenge on Ellerton, and narrowly avoided a second yellow when he booted the ball away later on. Liverpool still had a final chance to win it when Cox headed across goal, only for it to be slightly too far for Matthew Williams to reach. 1-1 was a fair result, and well-worth the journey.

The trip back was disastrous. As I was about to get on the bus, the driver said 'that's it', waving his arms across. It transpired there had been an accident on the main road into Skipton, and all buses were being sent back. When I asked about alternatives, he said 'catch a plane', before giving the real option of going down to Colne and across to Keighley. At this point, foolishly or not, I decided to walk it cross the country. Needless to say that after trekking across fields, graveyards and country lanes for 8 miles (some of it in the dark), I arrived in Skipton at about 7.30, just in time for the 7.47 train. Only 2 hours later than planned! I really do get myself into some situations.

England (09-10-2015)

England 2 - 0 Estonia (European Championship Qualifier), Friday 10th October 2015

Match ticket = £32-50
Coach = £37
Tea at Sheffield = £1
Bus = £1-80
Snacks = £1-86
Tea at Asda = 90p
Programme = £6
Taxi = £10
Total = £91-06

Back at Wembley again! For the third time this year I was heading to the arch, for a 'dead rubber' against the Estonians. We've breezed through the group thus far, and although the media seem to think its been straightforward, I think back to that game in Basle where Switzerland had us on the ropes for a short period. The 2-0 win there has I think helped us gather the momentum this campaign, which is surely something to be praised rather than complained about.

As usual, I was on the coach down to the stadium straight from Sheffield. It is the first time I've had a vaguely bad experience with other passengers. Two blokes behind me were clearly drunk already, kicking the seats, and further down the bus another chap was coughing loudly and incessantly. There were only 18 passengers on board from Chesterfield & Sheffield today, so maybe that made it seem OK to behave in an anti-social way!

Upon arrival at the stadium, I decided to stretch my legs, and found the nearby Asda for fruit, snacks and a cup of tea in the cafe. The tea revitalised me after the long journey, and I recovered my bounce as I headed back to the ground. I was in block 508 (entrance E) today, on the dizzying heights of the fifth tier, and had a nice 'dinner' of some tuna rolls in the practically empty ground.

The game was better than I expected. England were playing a 4-3-3 system, with Lallana, Kane and Sterling spearheading an attack ahead of Barkley, Milner and Walcott. Not a bad front 6 on paper. Walcott's early volley forced a two-handed palm away by the Estonian keeper, before Sterling and Barkley fired wide. Barkley is growing into his role, and despite not always finishing well, he's one for the future. A fantastic move between Milner and Walcott then resulted in another close shave, before Walcott made it 1-0 almost on the stroke of half-time. The goal looked offside, but that didn't matter.

The second half was not a bad contest, although we barely got out of 2nd/3rd gear. Barkley was particularly dominant in midfield, but couldn't quite get a goal for his endeavours. Estonia's midfield actually played some half-decent football, with Ats Purje and Sergei Zenjov looking particularly handy with passing, movement and attacking. In particular, Estonia's Konstantin Vassiljev was a real engine of the team, picking up loose balls, distributing quality balls, and looking a threat when in possession. While they didn't have the quality to create chances or finish, they deserve some credit for the way they set out. England always looked in control, and made it 2-0 when Jamie Vardy sprinted free on the left, and unselfishly slid it to Sterling, who fired home. It was somewhat ironic that a selfish player like Sterling had profited from unselfish team play from a colleague!

So, the last home qualifier. I'm not sure when I'll be back here again. Roll on Euro 2016. Let's hope (a) we can do well, and (b) I manage to get a ticket!

Eccleshall (03-10-2015)

Eccleshall 0 - 0 Haughmond (FA Vase 2nd Qualifying Round), Saturday 3 October 2015
[Haughmond won 4-1 after penalties & AET]

Train (Stockport-Stoke) = £13
Entry = £4
Programme = £1
Tea = £1
Bus = £5
Total = £24

Eccy, as it is affectionately known by locals, is one of the trickiest outposts of the NWCFL to reach by public transport. The town is about 7 miles from Stafford, but lies in the 'nether region' not far from the Welsh border, with Market Drayton nearby. I had carefully planned the trip, and arrived at Stoke in time to catch the 12.42 bus. When I asked for a return to 'Eccles-hall', the driver looked confused and said 'Eccle-shall?' in response - clearly the correct pronunciation was one including the 'sh'. For a fiver, I managed to reach the town/village, about an hour's ride from outside Stoke station.

After exploring a couple of streets, and finding a variety of independent shops and bars (including a Belgian bar!) I headed to the ground. As the footpath ran out, I decided to trek through some fields, only to discover that I seemed to be on a cattle path, which headed down to the River Sow (and which seemed to be on private land). I sucked it up, and made it back to the road, using the slim grass verge for a while, and crossing over when I reached Pershall Park.

The chap at the gate-cum-table gave me a friendly welcome, and I parted with £5 for entry and a programme. The ground was what I had expected (in a good way). To the right of the entrance was a blue club-house, with what looked like breeze blocks, and to the left was a covered area with 3 'church hall' chairs. The dug-outs were on the far side opposite the club-house, with a blue roof covering a bench behind the away dug-out.

After the obligatory cup of tea from the intimate club-house, I took up my place behind the far goal. By virtue of my position and the lack of spectators I became a default ball-boy for most of the first half! In a white kit resembling Spurs, Haughmond came here as underdogs. From Shrewsbury, they were plying their trade in the West Midlands Regional League, one of the weaker leagues in the Midlands. They began positively, with 6 forcing a save to the keeper's right early on. Eccleshall looked threatening when they attacked, with a corner flying agonisingly across the face of goal. Their 8 and 9 then both screwed shots wide. I was particularly interested in the away side's formation, as they had clearly set out to stifle their slightly superior opponents - playing with 3 at the back with 8 acting as a kind of sweeper. Haughmond had the best chance of the first half, when 9's overhead kick volley rattled the cross-bar (think Benteke at Old Trafford). The home side were clearly frustrated, and an altercation in midfield resulted in bookings for the home side's 6 and Haughmond's 11. Haughmond's unfortunate 9 then rounded the keeper, only to fire into the side netting.

The away side had been much better in the first half, but the game became more even in the second period. Eccleshall's right-back was booked early on for a nasty late tackle on the Haughmond winger, before the home side's number 8 hit just over with his second touch. Haughmond's excellent 8 then had a rasping shot which the home keeper nearly spilt. The home keeper looked particularly at sea and lacking authority when the ball came in the box. The challenges continued to fly in, and Eccy's 7 was booked for a late tackle on 10, who shortly after fired wide with his left foot. 7's free kick was then saved, which proved to be their best chance of the second half. At the far end (where I had resigned as ball-boy!) Haughmond's 14 then rattled the bar (this time from close range), and then 9 could only snatch a shot wide.

So, like the Ashton-Atherton game, extra time beckoned. Unfortunately this time I had to leave early, as I had to make the 17.14 bus back to Stoke, so could only stay for 5 minutes of it. I felt sure that if this match went off for another 90 minutes, neither team would score. This was confirmed when I checked the result on 'The Cloud' at Stoke station. Haughmond had won 4-1 on penalties, and (based on the 95 minutes I saw) they deserved the victory, particularly for setting out so well tactically. Eccy is a nice ground worth a visit, but go in a car - it's a nightmare to reach by bus!

FC United (02-10-2015)

FC United of Manchester 0 - 2 Worcester City (National League North), Friday 2nd October 2015

Fish & chips = £5-40
Entry = £9
Programme = £2
Bus £1-50
Tea = £1-20
Fruit = £1-10
Total = £20-20

So I finally managed to get to FC United's new ground at Broadhurst Park, which is becoming something of a well-trodden route for hoppers and fans alike. The club's history is well-documented, having been formed in 2005 as a reaction to the Glazers' takeover of Manchester United. They have to be fair flown through the leagues, having risen from the NWCFL Division 2 to today's heights of the National North. At present they seem to have found their level in this league.

Broadhurst Park is in Moston, about 4 miles from Manchester city centre, so after some dinner I ambled up there, arriving at the ground at about 7. There was just enough time to get a couple of photos in the light! The ground is full of character, with two sides covered in club flags and slogans referring to their origins and history. The sweeping terraces behind the goal contrasted nicely with the modern stand. I particularly liked that the ground didn't feel plastic or 'breeze-block'-esque, with a great atmosphere gradually building on the terraces.

For tonight's game, Worcester City were the visitors, below FC in the league, but more established at this level. Since my visit to St George's Lane in April 2013, they still haven't found a permanent home, and now ground-share with Kidderminster Harriers.

For the first 10-15 minutes, it seemed the sides were sizing each other up, with hardly any chances to speak of. Then FC's Sam Madeley hit a left-foot effort wide, and Lee Hughes did the same at the other end. Hughes then made it 1-0 when he attempted a rifled shot from outside the box, and beat the FC keeper (who looked like he'd been caught flat-footed). This briefly silenced the home crowd, before the chants started to build again. The most bizarre moment came when Worcester City had a free kick from the right-wing. Two players stood over the ball, one ran over it  and then the second did the same. In complete bewilderment, the first player then crossed it in - it clearly hadn't been part of the routine! FC's Wolfenden was then foiled at the far end by Nathan Vaughan in the Worcester goal. As if to set the game up for the second period, Lee Hughes was dismissed for the away side after raising his hands to an FC player.

FC came out looking hungry, and began in positive fashion with some neat interchanges between Sean Cook and Wolfenden. Cook seemed to be at the centre of many attacks, rifling wide, and orchestrating a purposeful home attack. The pace of the game was excellent, and they had Worcester pinned back in their own half for long periods. Worcester were relying on some pretty Route 1 attacking, dropping balls in the box and hoofing it when they had the opportunity. Madeley was again foiled by the away keeper, before Wolfenden's rocket (heading for the top corner) was tipped over. Admittedly, Vaughan was then booked for time-wasting, but he had been excellent in the sticks throughout.

As it was announced that Dean Stott was FC's man of the match, it seemed like they might just nick something, but Madeley then missed an absolute sitter with the goal gaping. The Midlands side then struck a hopeful ball into the centre circle. Deon Burton picked it up and somehow curled a terrific pass down the left wing for Dunkley to latch onto it. This kid had some pace on him, and took the ball with consumate ease, before sliding it in to make it 2-0. The away fans were understandably ecstatic.

This had been a decent game of football, and showed that even the great FCUM don't always have it their own way. I was about to sprint to the nearest tram stop when I noticed an express bus for Manchester city centre, and for £1-50, this sped down to Stevenson Square in plenty of time for the 22.22 train. That's miles better than the bus farce at Anfield, and much cheaper too. For just over £20, I'd seen a National North game, had dinner, a cuppa, and a bus ride back into town. Who can say fairer than that?