Tag Archives: football

Stromness and Ward Hill: a combination of pleasures

Tuesday 29th July 2025, 7.05pm (day 5,087)

Stromness FC and Ward Hill, 29/7/25

The first part of my day was spent up the hill in the background, Ward Hill: not an easy lump of sandstone to get up or down, thanks to its steep sides (evident in this shot), but worth the bother. The second part of my day was spent at the easier-to-reach environs of Stromness FC, members of the Orkney ‘A’ League, and their match against Dounby (here in blue). I couldn’t decide which one was worth making Pic of the Day so let’s just choose one that accommdates both these pleasures.

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Pleasureland…

Saturday 12th July 2025, 2.40pm (day 5,070)

Arbroath Pleasureland, 11/7/25

Great Britain is the only place which tries to do seaside resorts at around 57ºN, and in a location which, as it proved today, is prone to being covered in sea mist (here they call it haar) when the whole rest of the country bathes in sunshine. But Arbroath perseveres. Get a ticket for Arbroath FC — part of one stand of it is in the background, with visiting St Mirren fans — and you can get £12.50 worth of credit at Pleasureland for just £10. Or so we were told.

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Busting the photographer

Saturday 5th July 2025, 3.40pm (day 5,063)

Busted at Hanley Town, 5/7/25

I was taking a shot of the dog, when the guy turned around as well to finish it off. Yes, the 2025-26 football season — at least, some its ‘pre-season friendly stage’ — is up and running…

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Pre-match atmosphere

Wednesday 14th May 2025, 7.45pm (day 5,011)

Halifax fans, 14/5/25

Two minutes to go before kick-off and someone, somewhere lets off a flare to add to the atmosphere. The two guys in the centre look pretty tense about it all. And considering their team are about to concede three soft goals in the first 12 minutes of the game that is to come, they were justified — not that they knew that at this point. Final score, Oldham Athletic 4, Halifax Town 0. This lot all go home now and wait for next season.

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No. 11’s celebration

Friday 9th May 2025, 8.00pm (day 5,006)

Celebratory kiss, 9/5/25

Half an hour into the Yorkshire Amateur League Cup Final in Bradford (well, how do you spend pleasant, sunny Friday evenings towards the end of a season?) and Berry Brow’s no. 11, Kyle Walton, dinks the ball over the Ryburn Utd keeper for a 1-0 lead. Having spotted my camera, this was his chosen means of celebration. And it was kind of amusing, so I’ll let him off the need to wipe the lens clean afterwards. They went on to win 2-0. (Clare insisted I use this picture today, and who am I to argue.)

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Watching the game

Monday 5th May 2025, 4.20pm (day 5,002)

Fan portrait, 5/5/25

I pick this one today because I think it’s a nice portrait, though I don’t know these gentlemen and so can’t be sure it captures some kind of essential quality about them. But I see a lot of football these days — the game mentioned in the post title was my 80th of the season and I intend to do a few more yet before it’s over — and I see a lot of people like these, as we’re all in it together.

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Marsden FC

Wednesday 30th April 2025, 7.40pm (day 4,997)

Marsden football landscape, 30/4/25

Sometimes there is no better place to spend a glorious evening than somewhere like Marsden FC. Not quite perfection — there were too many insects buzzing around for that — but not bad, not bad at all.

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View obscured by flags

Thursday 17th April 2025, 7.50pm (day 4,984)

Bradford City flags, 17/4/25

When buying tickets for football grounds with which one is not wholly acquainted, it might help if warnings were issued to the casual fan: “You are entering an area occupied entirely by people who want to stand up throughout the game and wave flags.” I mean, I admire their enthusiasm and respect their support — but after a few minutes, I moved, somewhere right up the top.

This is Bradford City’s ground; their game against Notts County attracted over 20,000 people to see a fourth-tier game — so someone, somewhere is doing something right…

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Watching the match (2)

Sunday 23rd March 2025, 12 noon (day 4,959)

Liverpool Sunday League, 23/3/25

The theme continues into Sunday morning, but this time with more action. Also with less regard for clashes of kit or the integrity of the pitch boundaries. The result was the same though: 1-0, this time to the blacks, if you can tell the difference. But it mattered to them.

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Watching the match (1)

Saturday 22nd March 2025, 4.30pm (day 4,958)

Back of Rhyl FC, 22/3/25

A double-bill to fill out the weekend, because I saw a lot of football, and not much else. This one is taken about half an hour before kick-off at the second match of the weekend, at Rhyl FC, where the Wales Under-19 team were playing Portugal in front of quite a big crowd, at least for the size of the ground. (A seagull crashes the shot for the second day in a row.) They were to see defeat, however: Portugal won 1-0.

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