Tag Archives: play-off

Apr 12 2026
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Daily Post, Sport

Play-off semi-final

Saturday 11th April 2026, 4.35pm (day 5,343)

Beverley Town crowd, 11/4/26

Some leagues get themselves wrapped up early, like the Northern Counties East League, which has already reached its play-offs. These are fans of Beverley Town, the home team. There are about 10 minutes to go on the clock at this point (though what they don’t yet know is that the ref is going to keep things going for about 20) and the 1-0 lead is going to be retained, don’t worry folks — although if you ask me most of them are looking at their phones at this point.

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Apr 30 2023
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Daily Post, Portrait, Sport, Stranger

The final moment

Saturday 29th April 2023, 4.50pm (day 4,265)

Ashington celebrations, 29/4/23

It’s all over. In the rain that came down for most of the second half, the players of Ashington celebrate with their travelling fans, having won the play-off match 3-0. They get promoted, while hosts Glossop North End are relegated. Number 12 feels the pain.

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Jun 01 2021
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Daily Post, Sport

Let’s have another celebration

Monday 31st May 2021, 5.40pm (day 3,567)

Morecambe at Wembley, 31/5/21

No apologies today for adding the second football-related celebration of the weekend. At the start of this ravaged season — just one aspect of our emptied recent lives — there were many reasons to not anticipate that it would end at Wembley stadium, but here we are. The final whistle has just gone and those fans of Morecambe FC that were permitted to enter, as part of an attendance of 9,083, still greatly below the capacity of this fine ground, celebrate the 1-0 win (with thanks to an admittedly outrageous penalty) over Newport County that takes them up to the third level of English football for the first time in their history. And thanks to Clare (who was also present, of course) — I could be there. A poor game, yes, but a great day out.

And this is also the 100th London pic to appear on the blog, meaning the capital turns up about once every five weeks, on average.

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May 24 2021
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Daily Post, Family Member, Portrait

There, in spirit

Sunday 23rd May 2021, 12.25pm (day 3,559)

Watching the play-offs, 23/5/21

Morecambe FC’s impressive season continues but even though fans have been graciously allowed to return to grounds thanks to the decrees of Our Glorious Leaders, this is in arbitrarily low numbers, so no chance of getting tickets for the play-off semi-final this lunchtime. A hunt around the local hostelries ended up with Clare (the real MFC fan) and I (the hanger-on) watching it in Halifax. The effort was worth it; they will be at Wembley on the 31st. Go Shrimps…!

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May 13 2017
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Daily Post, Sport

Blue flare

Saturday 13th May 2017, 4.35pm (day 2,088)

Halifax flare, 13/5/17

After last weekend’s semi-final victory over Salford, Halifax Town duly beat Chorley 2-1 (after extra time) to get promoted back to the fifth tier of English professional football. 7,920 people were there to see it, an amazing crowd for the level of football (and a record for the National League North apparently). Sam Johnson, Halifax keeper, here clears a flare off the pitch. I’m telling you it was all happening at The Shay this afternoon….

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