Mossley v Burscough - FA Cup Replay

New signing Ollie Devenney caught my eye ...

Sadly a fail for Mossley - if chances had been taken - and we'd have had a more consistent set of officials (as in handball given at one end because it was outside the box whereas a very similar handball at t'other end was not given ... probably because it was inside the box !  Just one example from Tuesday night - I could give more ...).  Wembley dream over (although there's always the FA Trophy !).  Some pics from the night at

Mossley 1 Burscough 2 (FA Cup Replay)

Next stop - Lancaster at home on Saturday ...
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Nice Moon Tonight ...

If you're looking for Mossley/Burscough pics ... you'll have to wait ... but I CAN confirm ... the referee was "poor" ...
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The Weekend after ....

 

Bradley Robinson and Nathan Fox ...

Another working Saturday in Paradise (viz. Greenfield !!) followed by a dash up to Hurst Cross to see Ashton United take on Stamford (as in 4 wins out of 4 - top of the table).  A good tight game that was eventually decided with 5 minutes to go ... can't comment on the penalty ("wrong end" etc etc), but 'twas a shame to see the "wrong side" of Paul Philips show itself again.  Maybe the Stamford players DID over-egg it a bit ... but no excuse at the end of the day.  Pics from the game at  


Ashton United 0 Stamford 1 

 Don't you just LOVE strange rock formations !!!

Sunday - a trip out to Derbyshire for a bit of a walk and also to check out some stone circles- good walk (just wish people would stay out of my bloody pictures !!!) apart from a few "road bits"... pics at

Nine Ladies Walk 31Aug14

Busy couple of days at work since (hence delay here) - the so-called "summer lull" is well and truly over.  Hey ho - football tonight - the FA Cup replay 'twixt Mossley and Burscough (after the 1-1 draw at Burscough on Saturday) - not only is there £1,925 up for grabs for the winners - but also a home tie against Curzon Ashton in the next round.

Fingers crossed .....
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Bank Holiday Weekend ....

Belper postie celebrates Belper's equaliser !

Interesting and varied weekend !!! Finished work and headed off to Stalybridge Celtic to watch the "tenants"(viz FC United of Manchester) play Belper Town - a crowd of 1849 (approx 98.5% FC United fans !!) saw Belper fight a heroic rearguard action in the first half - helped by a superb performance by their 'keeper James Martin - before United took the lead.  What happened next ?? Belper not only equalised, but they took the lead ... and it was only a last gasp equaliser that saw the points shared.  Pics at 

FC United 2 Belper Town 2

After the game - a beer or two in the Stalybridge "posh bar" before heading back to Belper on their team/supporters bus - arriving a touch late for a 2000hrs rendevous for food @ the Duke of Devonshire.  Fine effort considering the recent fire at the pub (well reduced menu etc) before sleep.  

 Heather looking very purple at this time ...


Sunday ... off to Eyam for a 10 mile walk - some pretty rough pics (!) at

Eyam Walk 24Aug14

We were staying over in Eyam on Sunday night at the Miners Arms - when the room was booked we were warned "There is a Beer Festival on Sunday night - it might be busy" ... we coped (Kelham Island "Wild Rider" was my pick of the bunch) !!!!!

Weather a bit grim on Monday so we went to the Museum in Eyam and learned the full story about the 1665/66 plague - a really good museum - well recommended - and only £2-50 in !  

Home - via supermarket - so too late for Bank Holiday football - hey ho.  Sort out stuff (like you do - I cooked a cracking chicken, chorizo and black pudding effort for Monday evening !!).  Back to work today - probably like the couple of Belper posties I met on Saturday - and then home for another interesting food effort - a mince and vegetable "thing" - no red wine so used beer - it worked (!) - topped with layered spuds and sprinkled with a mustard cheese ... and as I missed footie yesterday I got out to watch the MK Dons v Manchester United game on Pub Sky - hmmm ...
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Music ... Now and Then - Kongos

Young boy has just played me (on his phone so quality poor) a track by Kongos called "Come With Me Now" released in UK 4 days ago  ... here's a Youtube of same ...

 I was impressed - impressed enough to delve further - a South African band ... and the accordion-style - my first thoughts were Cajun - oh no - apparently it's "Kwaito" (a la Paul Simon "Graceland" I guess) ...

But then ... "Old Git Mode" kicked in ... Kongos ...  my mind went back to the early 70's ... John Kongos who had a hit with "He's Gonna Step on You Again" ... back to Youtube (innit wonderful !!!)

... and hence to Wikipedia

... he has four sons  - - - - and it all fits together ...
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Mossley v Northwich Vics

Ali v Foster - 01APR1974

 





Ali v Foster 19AUG2014


... and we were all expecting a feast of goals after the 5-5 draw on Saturday ...

... it didn't happen ...

A 7th minute goal sealed the points for the visitors - it was a fairly tight game but all the best chances went to Northwich to be honest - they looked just that little bit quicker on the ball and quicker to break.  Early days yet though ... some pics from the game at

Mossley 0 Northwich Victoria 1

(and a quick word about the Northwich number 3 - the beautifully named Mohamud Ali - I may have been a bit hard on him in the picture captions - whinge ... oh yes ... but the fact that he keeps cropping in the the pictures implies to me he WAS well involved in the game - and Mossley didn't score - so fair play to him !).
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Lenses and Cameras ...

GIMME GIMME GIMME !!!!!

... the be-all and end-all of DSLR snapping ... and some of the (better/required) buggers cost as much (if not more) as the bloomin' camera body. I started - naturally - with second hand stuff allied with cheap lenses ... but then after a while you realise that the 70-300mm f4-5.6 lens is totally useless for night games/day games during the winter period.

Maybe the phrase "totally useless" is a bit over the top - you make do with what you've got and push it to the absolute extreme at times (I look at some of the early stuff I think "hmm" - 1/160th at F5.6 on an EOS 20D at ISO 3200 - some of them were actually passable - albeit with some "serious post processing" !!!).

But then the drug kicks in ... you realise that you need a better lens for the night games - so I went for a second hand Sigma 70-200mm f2.8 (Ebay - £330) - and then you realise that for some stuff ... it's too big (especially for penalty shoot-outs/behind the net etc etc) ... so next stop a Sigma 24-60mm f2.8 (brand new - another £300+) ... meanwhile you're looking for landscape/non-football type lenses - grabbed a Canon 50mm f1.8 cheap off Ebay plus a Canon 28-105 ... very cheap and cheerful.

The EOS 20D was a wonderful starter - but a little short of pixels - so back to Ebay to pick up a second-hand EOS 50D - and it's always nice to have a back-up camera so the 20D was sold, the 50D became the back-up to the first brand new body I've bought ... an EOS 7D.

And don't forget - at non-league level - some of the floodlights will push even an f2.8 lens ... so (just in case !) why not a Canon prime 85mm f1.8 ??  Duly purchased !!!

But still the drug kicks in ... the Sigma 70-200 is good (still got it now) ... but a little slow in focusing - so you go the whole hog and get the Canon 70-200mm f2.8 (nearly a grand - the Image Stabilisation model was twice as much !!) - and then you look at your walking options ... the 28-105 is a good 'un - but not quite long enough - so a cheap 70-300 was purchased --- but then you end up thinking "Carry two lenses while walking ??" - why not a super-zoom ?? So I did (an 18-200 Tamron - but this WAS paid for by my postie Christmas tips).

I've since spent time at PA (Photographers' Anonymous) ... so far it's working ...