Brighouse Town celebrate winning the West Riding County Cup — and against Leeds United, no less. The need for a penalty shootout was just an additional hurdle of no consequence. They look happy about it, and rightly so; as was I, this being the first time I have ever actually seen a club I follow win a Cup of any description. There are worse ways to spend a Thursday evening in south-west Leeds.
A substitution at, but not for, Crowborough Athletic FC; however, the guys in the retro black-and-white hoops are the visitors, Deal Town. This was an early substitution due to injury but it didn’t matter, as they went on to win 3-0.
This was a nostalgia trip in one way — the 6-hour journey from Yorkshire being explained by the fact that Crowborough is the town where I grew up, and lived until 1988 (as I have noted on this blog before). But until today I had never seen their principal football team, Athletic, play a game. So this is both familiar and brand new at the same time. And I liked it, though always, whenever I come back here, I am reminded how high up in the air it is (the ground is 550 feet above sea level) and thus how cold, even on a sunny February day. The south-east of England is by no means semi-tropical — northerners take note.
OK, it’s a picture taken at the football again but it’s not of the football, this is a portrait of the gentleman on the right. With his shirt and tie, shooting stick, bag filled with something mysterious and impressive head of white hair, I guess I sort of aspire to be him in, say, twenty-five more years. Will this blog still be going in 2047? Will I? We don’t know either way, and I suppose that’s the point of life.
Half-time in yet another football match. An opportunity to notice that the bar manager at Brighouse Town has great hair, well lit. That’s all.
Forty or more years ago, in the background of this image would once have been a colliery. Not any more, but the name and very existence of Kiveton Miners Welfare FC pays homage to the vanished industry. A cold day in South Yorkshire, but the sun came out in the second half and washed everything in gold, so I forgave it.
A far more pleasant afternoon than has been the case recently. The sun is on its way down on 2021 in football terms, with the venue for my last match of the year — Silsden FC — doused in sunshine as everyone prepared for the game. (Not that visitors Knaresborough can have prepared very well, as Silsden won 8-1.)
Fifteen or so minutes to go in the Brighouse v Sunderland game, in the Women’s FA Cup Third Round. Sunderland make a change. Sadly, despite valiant efforts our team Brighouse lost this one to the visitors from the division above. Good effort, but not quite enough.
This was supposed to be my last full day here before travelling, but bad weather has meant my flight being postponed 24 hours. That probably means bad weather in St Helena, but my experience outdoors in Yorkshire today suggests the conditions might spread up the whole of the Atlantic, frankly — this afternoon was dreadful, with rain and high winds.
None of which stopped 23 (including the referee) madmen in shorts competing this afternoon in division 2 of the Halifax and District Football League — or me (and about five other people) choosing to watch them. Here at Warley Rangers you are only fifteen promotions, and a few ground improvements, from the Premier League, so it still matters.
This is Wainhouse Tower‘s second appearance on the blog — the world’s tallest folly, dontcha know.
The boys watch the real thing, being played outside (Wakefield Trinity LFC v Hull Utd LFC, as it happens). The man watches the TV version. I watch them all.
This sculpture stands outside the Tameside Stadium in Ashton-under-Lyne, east of Manchester. It commemorates the three men born in the town who have World Cup winners’ medals. The trick being that only two of them — Jimmy Armfield (left) and Geoff Hurst (right) — won them with England. In the middle is Simone Perrotta, who was born in Ashton but whose parents moved back to Italy when he was young. This is a decent sculpture; it looks dynamic, and different from each side.
Being 42 