Catch-Up #3 - Rishworth Moor Walk - 04Jan2015

Good time of year for "ice sculpture"

Rishworth Moor Walk 04Jan15

Catch-Up #2 - OLdham Boro v Atherton Colls - 03Jan2015

 Getting a shot in ...

Saturday - back at work and wondering where to go for football afterwards - my aim was Curzon Ashton v Ramsbottom United ... but found out that had been called off quite early.  Ashton United v  FC United ?? To be honest I just don't like the big games that much - I knew AUFC would have a couple of snappers (and FC would have about ten !!!!!!).  Got home about 1345hrs and checked out the North West Counties website - and to my amazement the Oldham Boro v Atherton Colls game had been called ON - obviously Oldham Boro groundshare at Mossley - I was just amazed that the pitch was declared playable after the "New Year Mudbath" !!! Hey ho - let's go - and of course it's only up the road from Chez Smiffy - which helps !!!

Atherton Colls - 2nd in the league ... Oldham Boro - propping up the table ... so which end does the snapper go to ??? No contest - support our groundshare team !!!!!

'Twas a touch quiet at "that end" however (!) ........ pics at 

Oldham Boro 0 Atherton Collieries 5

Seems every time I watch Oldham Boro something happens - red cards etc and they end up on damage limitation - a shame because they're NOT THAT BAD !  They play some good football - they've some skilful players front and back .. OK I don't see that many games, but the ones I do see - they just don't seem to get the breaks.  It's going to be a struggle obviously - but if they hang in there ... who knows ??
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Catch-Up #1 - Mossley v Padiham - 01 Jan 2015

Nice day for a bit of football ...

Now that WAS a wet one !!!!

New Years Day - playing the team at the bottom - fingers were crossed for a few goals ... however the majority of the hardy 115 souls who turned up were not actually expecting Padiham to lead the way ... but they did - thanks to ex-Blackpool star Brett Ormerod. Not satisfied with 0-1 at half-time they even had the cheek to go 2-0 up not long after - against the wind/rain etc (and yes the snapper was loving the weather - if Hyde v 'Bridge was grim weather-wise on Boxing Day - this was much worse !!!)

However ... something kicked in Mossley-wise ... and all of a sudden it was 2-2 - and then Padiham got a penalty ... Ormerod up for his hat-trick - FAIL !!!  Finally Mossley turned it round with Sam Robinson grabbing the winner.   I guess form counts for nowt in weather like that anyway - you can tell by the pretty grim set of photos below !!!

Mossley 3 Padiham 2

Ah well - at least it was a day off work !! And Mossley got the three points in the end ....
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Hyde FC v Stalybridge Celtic - New Years Eve Update

Dream debut for Celtic - scoring sensation Dominic Calvert-Lewin

Catching up ... and it's a big "THANKS" to Colin and Charlie Bond who enabled me to get to Hyde for the game ... and the game .. first half was definitely a case of "smash and grab" by Celtic as Hyde looked much the better team - even had one disallowed for offside -  and some great work by Celtic 'keeper Lewis King ...and then a couple of minutes before half-time Celtic took the lead after Dominic Calvert-Lewin put one in that Hyde 'keeper Connor Hunt did well to block .... but Kev Holsgrove was there to poke it in.

Second half - again Hyde started the stronger ... and got their equaliser ... but then DCL (it's easier !) scored two in two, which basically killed off Hyde.  A fourth goal from Charlie Ennis was followed by one red card for  Celtic's Matty Hughes (in the words of Arsene "Couldn't see it") and a second for Hyde.  However the team that wanted it, got it ... pics from game at

Hyde FC 2 Stalybridge Celtic 4

Yo Ho Ho - Merry Christmas etc- spoiled rather when I found out that my Dad had been rushed into hospital on Christmas Day evening - heart attack - as I'm updating this on 31DEC14 I can safely say that all is not bad - in fact he may be home today (need to check with me Mum) - I do have a day off work not only tomorrow (New Years Day) but also Friday (my weekly "day off" which they normally ask me to work - but this week ?? no.... work it out next week my "day off" will be a Saturday - and you can guarantee they won;t be ringing up to say "your day off is covered" !!!!).

I digress - obviously too much work = too little play ... but we did have a visitor on the 28th ... so I grabbed camera and shot with what I'd got ... the Christmas Squirrel ...

Christmas Squirrel 28Dec14

Tomorrow - New Years Day - I'll aim for the Mossley v Padiham game (cus I've not seen Mossley for ages !!!) - I know the temperature is UP tomorrow but the rain is similar ... so there are many options (the Ashton derby, the Stalybridge/Hyde return, Droylsden v Salford) - we'll see what the weather gives us.

And finally "HAPPY NEW YEAR" to all my readers - I know since the 'demise' of "Six Tame Sides" in it's purest sense, we've gone downhill a bit - but like everyone can realise ... time is not infinite - so you do what you can - and I'm trying to keep something going if nowt else !!!

Have a good night everyone ... best wishes for 2015 !!
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Ashton United v Belper Town

Glynn Cotton pursued by Lee Rick - note the "interesting shirt clash" !!

... the second of three opportunities to see Belper Town "on my doorstep" (having already seen their creditable draw against FC United of Manchester).  A bit of a mad dash at work to ensure I got up to Hurst Cross before kick-off - but we made it !!  An unusual start to the game - the visitors team strip had not turned up (stuck in motorway traffic apparently) - so Belper took the field wearing Ashton United's change strip !!

A good start for the underdogs as well, taking the lead after only 12 minutes - however it did not last very long (approx 120 seconds !!), and by half-time it looked all over with the Nailers 1-3 down.  All credit to them however - getting it back to 3-3 before losing to a late goal.  The 4-3 win keeps Ashton United firmly in the "promotion pack", while poor old Belper remain rooted to the bottom of the table.  Even so, there were many positives for the visitors - they just need to sort that bloomin' defence out !!

Pics from the game at

Ashton United 4 Belper Town 3

Home - and then out on the "Postie's Christmas Bash" - some food and some drink (and one karaoke by yours truly - mudering "Addicted to Love" by Robert Palmer for the umpteenth time !!).  Somehow found my own way home (!!), before sleep ... and this ...  next job(s) - wrap some pressies - and nip out and buy some more (+ sellotape !!)
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Hibernation Now Over

It's been a grim couple of weeks ... no football since 02Dec14 ... shifting hell on earth at the mail/parcel face thanks to Black Friday/Cyber Monday/Sprendthrift Tuesday etc etc ... and spent most of last week severely under the weather health-wise (while still staggering in for work !!).

Only three more get-ups now ...
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Stalybridge Celtic v Chorley (Trophy Replay)

 Kevin Holsgrove on the move ...

Obviously didn't go to the first game at Victory Park - so how Celtic came within two minutes of victory up there is beyond me. Sanity/Normality restored in the replay with Chorley running out comfortable winners.  Pics at

Stalybridge 0 Chorley 2

Apologies for the delay - it's been a long hard week at the mail-face - even finished late today (Saturday) - however I knew the Mossley/Spennymoor game was off.  I thought I might just get a good chunk of the Curzon Ashton/Frickley game - however was let down by Northern Rail (the 1436 train from Greenfield to Mossley was a princely 31 minutes late - so "Sod it" was the order of the day - spent the time sorting out tomorrow night's Quiz at the Britannia instead !).

Time to continue rest and recuperation ... before heading out for some Christmas shopping tomorrow ... before heading back into work on Monday at 0645hrs for another fun-packed week no doubt !!
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