UPPERTHONG GET KNICKERS IN A TWIST

I have had the pleasure of standing on touchlines all over the World for various reasons. Sometimes, when I got lost in a fog, or  just looking at an empty pitch in Majorca because we drove past it, or watching fruit bats return to their roost during an evening U15 training session in Townsville, Queensland or exotically witnessing the local derby on Easter Island-well there are only enough people for two teams on the island. Watching football and especially being strategically involved with a game gives me a real buzz. Today I was able to watch the Hepworth Junior U11s (only team) play a 9v9 match in the Huddersfield Junior District league against local village, Upperthong, on the banks of the River Holme; a river that flows through "Last of the Summer Wine country". There was no Compo floating down hill in a bath or Howard and Marina getting their knickers in a twist over some minor affair. There was however, a first victory for the youngsters of Hepworth and it has been a long time coming. The boys and girls beat Upperthong, yes Upperthong, 7-1 in a wind affected game, on a flat, dampish pitch, so all credit to both teams for putting up a great show for the doting parents. My fellow Hepworth coaches, David (the organ grinder), James (a man with his finger on the switch) and Martin (a lover of local cyder) saw their boys play in a terrific performance that lifted the team from root bottom to 8th in the 6th Division of the Under 11 league. 3 points were added to their total. In other matches this week scores were 5-2, 1-16, 0-11 and 10-1, so you can see it is a bit of a lottery who does what. A school trip, a birthday party or a random child who has joined his local club and is put in the Div 6 team, when actually he has had trials for Halifax, means that scores have to be taken with a pinch of salt. However, this match against Upperthong B was a genuine contest although one of the opposition had played with Hepworth last season and had moved to finer pastures! Na, Na, Niyana.
Hepworth U11s have now Played 4 Won 1 Lost 3 Goals for 17 Against 22 Points 3.
Apologies to those missing from the photo.