ON YOUR BIKE LES

Les Ferdinand was fortunate enough to be in the Southall side to play Halesowen Town in the FA Vase Final at wembley in 1984. His manager Gordon Bartlett gave the players the old favourite of some of you may never have the opportunity to play here again so enjoy the occasion! Les was 18 and sure enough he did have the opportunity to play more times than once at the home of football.

He moved to local Hayes FC and then was spotted by League club QPR, from there it was  Newcastle Utd, Spurs, The Hammers, Bolton and of course during these years England. Les started his career at Southall at 17 and now he is going to add another milestone to his successful and varied career by getting on his bike next year and cycling from London to Amsterdam on behalf of Prostate Cancer UK.

Hayes gained £30,000 at first from his transfer and then netted another £600,000 when he moved to Tyneside for £6m. There is a Hospitality Suite named after Les at the Hayes home ground Church Road.

Even after joining QPR and initially only getting into the Reserves, Les was holding onto his home decorator's job and had to beg for time off to play in some away games. Now having scored 149 Premier League goals he is 8th in the all time list and a director at QPR.

Les has known Prostate Cancer in his family and one in eight men get it. In the UK black community it is more like 1 in 4.
http://prostatecanceruk.org/get-involved/football-to-amsterdam-2017

Read the link to see who else is joining in this big ride. The Non League paper is also signing up to Men United.

A SUNDAY TO REMEMBER

I shall remember today (30th October) because our U13 team won a league game with a brilliant performance against Battyeford U13s at their ground 4-1. Nothing special about this then? Well it was because the young boys and girls put in their best game since I joined them three years ago. It was team work and being disciplined that helped. They battled at Battyeford who had not lost this season and got a result. So the U13 team lies mid-table, nothing exceptional but you know... there were moments when we thought; it's working!

It was working for Everton FC too as they hosted West Ham in a league game (recently mentioned in the news for other kinds of battles).

The Toffees show continued support for the British Armed Forces and before the match this afternoon, the two teams and crowd impeccably honoured the war veterans, alive, wounded and killed, before the club's closest fixture to Remembrance Sunday.

Various "war" groups were represented on the pitch along with the Knowsley Veterans' Hub manager, a veteran himself, and they laid poppy wreaths on the pitch before the game and held the Silence. An actor dressed in WW1 uniform represented James Alex Thomas, an Evertonian, who at 15 years old signed up was the youngest "Liverpool Pal", sadly he was soon killed in July 1916. The "Everton In the Community Veterans' Hub" supports war veterans and their families living in Merseyside. The Everton team wore  poppies embroidered on their team shirts.

Established in 2009, the club's scheme, "Tickets for Troops", enables service personnel and friends discharged from the forces since 2001 to acquire free tickets to matches and other entertainment.

Club captain Phil Jagielka launched the Community's Knowsley Veterans' Hub that encourages around 150 former military personnel to engage in social and physical excercise. This initiative builds on Everton FC Community award winning "Inside Right" project which already guides local veterans and their families into new lives.

There was also a moving minute's applause remembering Howard Kendall's passing a year ago (October 30th 2015).

BTW Everton won 2-0. A day to remember.

ITS BLACK AND WHITE

I am not sure how well this would go down today but when Len Cantello of West Bromwich Albion, held his testimonial match at the Hawthorns on May 15th 1979. It was played between the All Blacks versus the the Cantello XI (which happened to be all white). Ron Atkinson oversaw the match and was happy to have such a controversial divide because this is how he often ran his practice matches at the Albion, giving them an edge on a drab Brummy morning.

It was a sort of gentle demonstration on behalf of an early "Kick It Out" organisation though this match was held well before the scheme had been dreamed up. This match came at a time when black players were being openly abused on any pitch and in many ways they were still a bit of a novelty. Here is Len making his entrance before his money making match. Which might have been won 3-2! by one team or the other. Len is now 65 and played for the Baggies 301 times, went to Bolton, Dallas, Hereford United, Bury and played briefly in Holland around 1986.

Of course it was Arthur Wharton who was the first black player to become a professional footballer. Born in Jamestown on the Gold Coast, West Africa, his father was half Grenadian and half Scottish, his mother "from an African royal family". See this previous blog:
http://baileyfootballblog.blogspot.co.uk/2014/10/footballs-first-black-footballer.html

He arrived in England to join the "ministry" at 19 years old and soon excelled in sports, holding for a while a World sprint record. in 1885 he joined Darlington FC as a goalkeeper, then went to Preston NE in 1886, won a contract with Rotherham and later at Sheffield United, winding up with Stalybridge Rovers in 1902, Ashton North End, Stockport and sadly dying a pauper in 1930.

His grave eventually gained a headstone in 2003, in the same year as him being named in the English Football Hall of Fame.

Can you name many of these from the Black XI?





Get many?

ANOTHER QUALIFYING ROUND

Vase last week, Trophy this, Cup next. Buildbase very kindly support the two "amateur" competitions as they were known in my day. These competitions are now known as "Non-League" now of course and this weekend the Trophy throws up some great games, if you dont want to queue up to get into a all seater stadium, pay vast amounts of money for tickets and vittels, not afford a programme that is a bit like Esquire magazine and get coins thrown at you. Oh and at Non-League grounds you can stand up and not feel guilty.

This week is the First Qualifying of the FA Trophy and for 64 winners it is worth £2700. The First Round proper of the Trophy is worth £5,000 to the next 72 winners and the Semi-Final, £16,000, so it is worth persevering. FC Halifax Town are the present holders and after 46 finals, 40 have been played at Wembley-a great attraction if nothing else.

The first final in 1969 when Macclesfield Town beat Telford United 2-0, raised a 28,000 crowd, this time the number should be doubled.

Scarborough, Telford and Woking have won it three times each. Wycombe Wanderers have won it twice with Martin O'Neil in charge. The last Trophy final at the old Wembley saw Geoff Chapple's Kingstonian win a five goal thriller against Kettering and Geoff oversaw 5 victories with Woking and the Ks in this competition. 

Throw in Darlington, Kidderminster Harriers, York City, Cheltenham and a few other old FL clubs who have got to the final, then there is definitely life and a purpose after relegation. Wrexham beat Grimsby on penalties in 2013 and this weekend Buxton (playing at the highest ground in the country) take on local rivals Glossop NE in what is the Peak District challenge. Did you know Glossop North End was a Football League club onceTaunton Town take on Swindon Supermarine, hoping to make waves into the next round while Ashton United may need to use their subs playing Marine.

Two of my old clubs play on Sunday-Horsham (the Hornets) host Romford and Lewes (the Rooks) are away at Kingstonian. They dream of winning the final and getting £50,000 into the coffers, but it's not the money is it?

FROM HODD TO PODD

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wdwesPS0vgg

Click on the above link and you will find yourself in dreamworld. It is Glen Hoddle's birthday today and he is celebrating his 59th year. This little snippet shows you what a genius he was (on the pitch), not so off it and you will notice that you do not need sound to enjoy his passing and scoring.
He is a tall lad (6') and has long legs and whilst on some human beings they might get tangled up like Crouch, Glen was able to use the long levers to pass a ball over great distances and from a short backlift.

We all know his career path through Watford as a schoolboy, scouted by a bloke passing his local school match while taking a dog for a walkies.
Then Spurs (377 times-88 goals)), AC Monaco (69-27 goals)), Swindon (67-2) and Chelsea (31-1). His international record was 53 games and 8 goals.
Glen was player manager at Swindon (introducing the sweeper to their ranks) and Chelsea, he also managed Southampton, Tottenham and Wolves and of course England between 1996-9.

He never stayed long at any post and finished up at Wolves in 2006. Hoddle was inducted into the National Football Museum Hall of Fame in 2007. He now runs the Glen Hoddle Academy in Spain, hoping to find young stars from the English leagues who have been ditched and hoping to revitalise their careers.

We won't mention any of the funny stuff that marred his career, though he survived and is now a TV pundit; always perceptive.

Not quite a slender as in his playing days; Happy Birthday Glen!
He shares the day with David Bryant, the multiple Bowls World Champion and John Cleese, who also had long legs.

THE HIGHS AND LOWS OF TRAIN JOURNEYS

Travelling from the deep south today, the travellers were given about 3 minutes to get from the gates at St Pancras onto the inter-city train and to find their seats and sit down comfy like. Once the whistle went we were on our way with elderly ladies with sticks still trying to sit down. It wasn't very safe!

I was alright of course, despite my ageing years I was settled and found myself sitting next to a delightful young man, Tom, with whom I quickly got into a conversation about football. I suppose we could have discussed the Trainline failings, the flat landscape between London and Leicester but he mentioned Coventry FC and off we went. For the rest of the journey, it was football, football, football.

He was well informed, especially about more modern football but he was not party to this blog, so I suggest he has a look at this link which covers the Jimmy Hill experience.
http://baileyfootballblog.blogspot.co.uk/2015/11/jimmy-hill-very-much-chinned-wonder.html

Although we did digress when the train approach the Sheffield area, wondering if the Steel City was the highest city in altitude in the country. Try Wikipaedia we agreed and it gave us Flash in Staffordshire. Flash is a village at best at 463 m a.s.l.

Working on the principle that the Hawthorns is the highest professional football ground in the country, then there might be the highest point in the West Bromwich area of the Birmingham conurbation.

Buxton is the highest "Non-League" pitch by all accounts but it is not a city by any means.

I still have not solved the problem and whilst hunting through the Sheffield OS Map, I got bored looking at contours and spot heights. Sheffield does range from 29m to 548 metres a.s.l. But the high point is pretty much in the Peak District and not really in the city. BORED NOW!

Actually Sheffield does has more trees per person in the urban area, a European record (4:1). There are more "types of habitat" in the city than anywhere in the UK.

The journey went quickly, Tom got off at Sheffield visiting friends, so did I but I have half an hour to wait for my next train to Penistone, so I nipped into the TAP for a pint of real ale, always served on Platform 1, one of the best stations in the "highest" city in the country.

WHEN IRISH EYES ARE SMILING

Today is the birthday of the Brain of Burnley, Jimmy McIlroy. He was born on the 25th October 1931 and today lives in retirement having spent a lifetime serving football. Jimmy shares the date with John Connelly, born in 1938 and who played alongside McIlroy for Burnley in their fabulous First division championship side in 1959-60.

McIlroy was born in Northern Ireland and played for Glentoran until he was snapped by Burnley where he played 497 times scoring 131 goals from inside forward.

The Burnley side, master minded by Harry Potts and owned by Lancashire butcher Bob Lord also got to the FA Cup final in 1962, unfortunately meeting the famous Spurs in their pomp at Wembley, losing 3-1.

Jimmy went on to Stoke where he joined the Potters along with Stanley Matthews, Jackie Mudie, Dennis Violet and several other seasoned pros. The club won the Second division title in 1962-3 and the League Cup in 1964.

McIlroy turned out 98 times for Stoke and then went to Oldham totalling 655 games in his career and scoring 151 goals. At Oldham he managed the side in 1966-8, then went to Bolton to work with Nat Lofthouse in 1970.

Jimmy was awarded the MBE for services to football, especially that of Northern Ireland for whom he played 55 times amassing 10 goals. This team won its way to the 1958 World Cup finals in Sweden and in April 2015 at the Belfast Film festival a film called the Spirit of 58 followed the team in their success and other players starring were Billy Bingham, Peter McParland and Harry Gregg. Peter Doherty managed this side and he was an Irish legend himself. 

You may know that McParland ruined Manchester United's chances of winning the FACup final in 1957 when he barged the United goalkeeper Ray Wood, into the net and reduced the United side to 10 men. Lofthouse, of Bolton Wanderers, of course, another sturdy forward put pay to the Busby babes chances of winning the 1958 FACup when he smashed into Harry Gregg and reduced the young "Babes" to ten men again.

Turf Moor has a stand named after Jimmy, christened in the 1990s.

BIRTHDAYS FOR WAYNE AND THE OLDEST

Sheffield FC celebrates its 159th birthday today. You can read more about the great club by hunting back through my blogs. It is the oldest club! By the way Wayne has a birthday too. Bless. I'm going to let you enjoy a few images. Without Sheffield FC who knows where we would be?

FOOTBALL'S SUPERSPY

Tony Collins, born in March 1926, was the first black manager in the Football League working in the early 1960s. Many used to think Keith Alexander held that honour when he bossed Lincoln City in 1993. By now we would expect to see more minority coaches fronting clubs but there are few. It may be prejudice?

Collins managed Rochdale for five seasons, earning £1500 a year. He led his team to the League Cup Final in 1962, at a time when that cup was not regarded as important to many top teams. Collins' fourth tier team lost 0-4 to Norwich over two legs, a rare occurence for such a lowly club.

Having worked with some of the greatest managers in football history, Atkinson, Revie,Stein, they all gave him work and there was no prejudice.

Born in 1926 in Kensington his mother was 17 years old and there was no father registered. Living with his mother's parents, he was a quick and skilful winger whose career was interrupted by the war. Playing for Sheffield Wednesday after the war (1947), York City, Watford, Norwich, Torquay and Crystal Palace his playing career eventually ended at Rochdale where he took over at short notice "team affairs".

His daughter revealed that he had made over a dozen applications to clubs for a coaching job and had received no replies. The evidence is now in the National Football Museum in Manchester.

Leaving Rochdale in 1967, after "banging his head against a brick wall", he became assistant manager at Bristol City and briefly manager in 1980, then chief scout at Leeds for Don Revie, where he found talented stars and compiled dossiers on the opposition. One of his dossiers for Revie when he was England manager was found before an international against Scotland and leaked to the Daily Record, so Collins became dubbed the "Superspy".

His reputation led him to be employed by Ron Atkinson at Manchester United. Collins "found" Ruud Gullit in Holland, Lee Sharpe, Mark Hughes, Norman Whiteside, Paul McGrath, his list was long and impressive. When Alex Ferguson took over at United, Collins was eased on the basis that "the scouting system was rubbish".

He then had a part time scouting job at Leeds United, employed at the tender age of 77. That was 13 years ago. At 90 years old he is still going strong.

MERRY MEN FROM SHERWOOD

I watched Hepworth United Juniors Under 6s practice today with our very good coaches led by Russ (a well qualified teacher and coach). The children were very good and had fun. And so have I today!

I watched the Sky match, Bournemouth hold Spurs 0-0 on the south coast and then headed to Penistone Church FC for an FA Vase First Round tie. The opposition were Sherwood Colliery FC who play in the Central Midlands League South (Mansfield area) and are regarded at the moment to play at a lower level than Church.

But there has been much needed investment from a local lucky Lottery Winner and therefore the club, founded in 2008 has been successful recently and is "crowing" and growing.

There was a Sherwood Colliery FC playing and being heavily beaten in the FA Cup way back in 1948-9 through to 1950-1 but no record of league matches. So in their Crystal Palace red and blue stripes they came and saw and conquered Church, probably fairly based on the number of chances created in the game.

The opposition crowd jovially join the Penistone "Firm".
They brought two coaches of supporters who will have swollen the coffers on the turnstile and in the bar. I bought my customary £3 concession entrance, a programme and a copy of the Northern Counties East League Magazine "The BootifulGame". They bought lots of ale in plastic cups and got quite lively. Heavens knows what the bar would be like now as the floodlights are switched off!

So I could have written about the foundation of FC Barcelona which happened today in 1899, but have decided to stay Non-League. A good time was had by all although I wouldn't want to be the two coach drivers heading south.

RIP GARY SPRAKE

Gary Sprake died on October 18th this year and he has been remembered for three main reasons, mainly his brilliance as a goalkeeper for Leeds United (and for Birmingham City a bit) playing 504 times, winning a Second Division title (1963-4), the First Division Championship in 1968-9 (as it was in those days), the League Cup (1968) and the Inter Cities Fairs Cup (1968 and 1971).

He would also be remembered for some howlers (and punches) as shown in these various clips and for his involvement in Don Revie's bribing exposure and his downfall, also documented below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHUmQqA8ZTk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fsni_46VDGY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJDBL1xs2Uo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wS-lLLjUIbg

Gary played 37 times for Wales over 12 years beginning in 1963 when he became the youngest goalkeeper to play in a Welsh shirt.

When he retired he worked as a salesman and for the local authority, as well as writing a book titled "Careless Hands".

THE OLDEST PROGRAMME

Soon the oldest known football programme will be up for auction, unfortunately the programme is from an American match between Yale College and a touring Eton College side in December 1873. The programme is simply a folded card with details of the game and players and a back page where details of the match can be recorded. It was found in a personal scrapbook ten years ago. Yale played a sort of mob football at the time with 25 players per side and no time limit. The match was decided by which side scored 6 goals first. So this fixture change history in the USA.

Of course this could also mark the oldest match recorded by an English team on foreign soil. The Eton team included the 5th Earl of Rosebery (name spelt wrongly in the programme), who eventually became Prime Minister of Britain in the 1890s. The auction is on November 7th at Graham Budd.

A previously ancient programme, of the March 25th 1882 FA Cup Final, between the Old Etonians and Blackburn Rovers sold for over £35,000. The OEs won the match 1-0 and the programme was found in a box of scrapbooks owned by Sir Thomas Berry Cusack-Smith, an Old Etonian who in his later life lived in Nuthurst, Horsham. There was a diary entry of his on the day of the match remarking on the excitement of the game and the crowd of 5,000 at the Kennington Oval. The Old Etonians Club bought the programme and it now is on show in the Eton College "Museum of Eton Life".

The Eton team included Arthur Dunn who founded the Arthur Dunn Cup competition which entertained old boys' sides from 1903 after the FA Cup and the FA Amateur Cups had been "professionalised". The Dunn Cup is still played for today, by old boys from "public schools".

A programme in a single sheet marking the match between Queen's Park (from Scotland) and the Wanderers was the previously oldest programme dated 1875.

My oldest programme is from the 1948 FA Cup Final....name the two teams.

BARROW MAY NEED SUBS

The replays of the 4th Qualifying ties of the FA Cup started last night and I am pleased to say that my good friend from Cider County will be able to pirchase his "concessions' ticket" for the First Round Proper as Taunton Town took Hemel Hempstead to the cleaners 1-0. By all accounts they were a bit fortunate, but the cup is the cup and on they go.

Who are they facing next? It is a plum home tie against Barrow! The journey is nearly 300 miles and I don't think the boys from Cumbria will hire a plane (or maybe a lift in one of our nuclear subs?). Barrow are presently 4th in the National league table, but will not enjoy the journey south.

Founded in 1901, Barrow AFC, the Bluebirds (or the Ziggers??) are based at Holker Street not a long way from the very famous Vickers Shipyards where nuclear subs are constructed (under cover away from the spies) . Note the badge!
Holker Street was previously a dump for the local railway and pieces of rubbish were often emerging form the pitch,

I have been to the shipyards with Geography students on many occasions, very kindly hosted by the company who would show us around the works.
Elected to Division three North in 1921, the club stayed there living on the edge until 1972 when they were replaced by Hereford United. Presently the club is owned by a Dallas based business.

Lincoln City won their replay against Guiseley (Yorkshire!) and are at home next, facing Altrincham. Torquay lost to Woking who play Stockport away, whilst Wrexham were beaten 2-3 by Stamford who now meet Hartlepool in the north-east. So there is still a flavour of ex Football League clubs in the draw, Northampton meet Harrow Borough who beat Margate. Another ex FL club, Gateshead, take on Alfreton Town tonight hoping to reach some of that prize money.

BALLS OUT THE BAG

A dilemma last night, "the Archers" or the First Round Proper of the FA Cup draw. The black velvet bag and red balls used to come out traditionally on a Monday lunchtime, the draw made on BBC radio from the FA HQ at Lancaster Gate. It used to give an edge to the school meal. In fact I wonder if the 1st Round draw was ever broadcast in those days, the third round was and it always held much interest?
These days the earlier rounds are increasingly important to the public as "Non-league" football grows in popularity.

So last night I was enjoying neither treat. I was in our local football club AGM, to which 11 people turned up and momentous decisions were made. Our village club, Hepworth United FC, was not in the draw and indeed is not yet elevated to a league that would invite them into the FA Vase, but we live in hope.

The draw has given Merstham FC, a village team from Surrey, playing in the Isthmian Premier (7th tier) a plum tie at home against Oxford United. Local fan, Timmy Mallett, the well known entertainer sent his warmest wishes to his home club on hearing the news of the tie against the professionals. Perhaps Timmy will make an appearance and cheer everyone up.

Merstham officials offered free drinks in their club bar until their name (ball no.79) was drawn out of the bag. Ball 79 was pulled out as the 4th tie, so there was a sigh of relief for the bar manager since there are 40 ties played at this stage.
39 non-league clubs join 48 from League One and Two, with 7 replay clubs still in the hat.

Chesham in the Southern League, also a 7th tier club, play Peterborough United. So it is the posh from the posh part of the home counties playing the Posh.

9th tier Westfields, from hereford, the lowest ranked side in the competition, play in the Midlands Premier and were founded in 1966 (appropriately as a result of the World Cup triumph). They hope to upset Curzon Ashton who knocked out York City in the last round. The club started as a friendly one, with a bunch of lads playing local teams such as the Oxford Arms and the Post Office. They entered the Herefordshire Sunday league and the rest is history.

If Taunton win their replay over Hemel, they entertain Barrow, a long haul for the Cumbrians. Fleetwood supporters have a short journey to Southport, a proper local derby, whilst Southend travel from the seaside to the "Lions' Den" at Millwall.

The ties are to be played on the first weekend in November (the 5th is the Saturday) and the winners' prize money is £18,000 per team, thanks to Emirates.

 Sorry Roy!

TYRESOME RUBBER

I thought I was feeling a bit queezy after my latest bout of Walking Football at Penistone Church FC astro. Dizzy, dehydrated, dodgey groin, stiff muscles, aching jaw from laughing and too much banter. Nothing new then, although when I read the papers over the weekend I was put into a different frame of mind. "3G pitches are being ripped up in Holland over health fears".

The Ajax Academy, De Toekomst, one of the "hot beds" of European Youth Football sent letters to club members' parents to reassure them that all the Ajax 3G pitches with rubber crumb infill are being removed. The children will not be playing on the artificial turf for the foreseeable future.

A Dutch TV production, Zemla, in 2006 revealed serious short comings in a government led research project on the safety of 3G pitches. The report stated that the pitches may not be healthy!

There are 2,000 or so pitches of this kind in the country, each pitch is worth 120 metric tons of shredded tyres, that help cushion the ball bounce.
http://www.sportandplay.co.uk/3g-pitches.php

I find them in all over after a game of walking football and they get dragged into the house on socks, boots and so on. They could get caught in cuts, under nails or accidently swallowed. Well, some would say that would be bad luck??

Some studies say that the rubber pellets might include carcinogens, with children being most vulnerable. What about childrens' playground surfaces then?

The issue had been discovered in the USA and raised further when a teenage goalkeeper, who had played at Darlington and Leeds United academies, developed Hodgkin's lymphoma and is in remission for the second time after a relapse. Studies in Norway as far back as 2006 have been referred to since the Scandinavians rely heavily on artificial pitches, especially indoors. Having attended the Gothia Cup in Gothenburg, annually since 1999 we have found the rubber bits in our socks daily. Many pitches are artificial and the evolution of Icelandic football has been caused by the development of Football Houses.

There is other evidence of young footballers suffering cancer in a study carried out by the University of Washington in the USA, with a number of footballing cancer patients (158), 60% being goalkeepers. One University of Miami goalkeeper, Austen Everett, died from non-Hodgkins lymphoma in 2012.  A study in Michigan in 2008 revealed the content of sampled rubber bits-arsenic, chromium and lead. Another company in Holland, Chemosphere in 2013 flagged up similar conclusions.
How big a sample do we need to worry about this development?
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/men/health/are-artificial-sports-pitches-causing-cancer/

The English FA is proud to be opening a number of new 4G pitches at some considerable investment (£260 million) which will act as  "City Hubs" in 30 or more regions through the country where football's future is being developed.

It is the type of tyre used that is important and the FA is unequivocal that its rubber crumbs are safe and meet European Standards. The Dutch ones did not, as they were laid down a decade ago, having been shredded from rubber pipes used in the petro-chemical industry.

How can I tell that the various 3G pitches that I have played on over the past ten or more years are not from a similar source?

The Dutch research study was extraordinarily inadequate, using a small sample size which paved the way for pitches to be installed. The Dutch FA and the Cruyff Foundation now have to consider ripping up the present artificial play areas (the famous Cruyff Courts) that have generated successful footballers in the country.

The answer may be to replace the rubber with pellets made from cork and coconut fibres, but the costs would be 15,000 Euros per pitch. Of course the tyre and rubber lobby also have to recycle their products annually to be used somewhere. The Trans-Pennine Trail in South Yorkshire has a rubberoid surface, worryingly, as does the local childrens' playground and the PCFC Practice area!
https://www.sundaypost.com/inside-the-sunday-edition/can-five-a-sides-cause-cancer-grieving-mum-urges-uk-authorities-to-stop-using-artificial-pitches/

And then there is rugby!

DINING WITH THE STARS

I have made mention of the Bobby Moore Fund before and a very worthwhile charity it is too. This morning on TalkSport, Chef Tom Sellers was being chatted to, as they do, about his support of this Fund and his interest in football. Worth seeing the event website for the last money raising evening and its future event in 2017. The last gig earned over £200,000.

http://www.tomsellers.co.uk/2016/02/dining-with-the-stars-bobby-moore-fund/
http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/support-us/find-an-event/dining-with-the-stars

I remind you that this year is the 50th anniversary of the 1966 World Cup win and I know that Tom Sellers, in 2014, owned a local pub/restaurant that my other half and I used to frequent called the Lickfold Arms, a delightful hostelry in deepest West Sussex. It was once owned by TV and radio star Chris Evans.

Tom would not have been in charge of the kitchen in those days, but the food was still very good and pub with its "sort of" baronial hall upstairs, a warm and atmospheric place to eat in.

Working in a pub at 16 he gradually realised that he had a talent for cooking. He then worked with some of the top chefs in London and abroad. He began to make a name for himself at the age of 21. As he took over the pub, he had his influence and in 2015 the Lickfold Inn was ranked 6th in the Good Food Guide (Pubs). His book "A Kind of Love Story" has just been published.

By the way, as Mrs Bailey prepares my Sunday dinner, I am still reeling from our U13s defeat 5-10 this morning. Last season they played in "small goals" (6ft x 12). Suddenly they are playing in full size, as per rules! Bonkers for a 4'6" goalie. Still, plenty of goals and therefore rewards.

BOARING PIGS MIGHT FLY

I received two comments from "viewers" yesterday, so I am delighted to know that this blog is being noted out there.

I could have gone to an FA Cup tie (4th Qualifying round) today but the distances were a little too far to justify; Alfreton Town, Harrogate, Stockport, York were my nearest venues. I gave in and went to watch AFC Penistone (Penistone Church FC Reserves) at their Memorial ground play our village club, Hepworth United First team, in a cup tie.

AFC play in the Pete Pattiserie's Sheffield and Hallamshire County League Premier. Hepworth are in the Second Division North, so two steps below. The home team won 2-1 in a very lively game where the minnows held their own for the middle part of the game. The start of the game, when AFC got going quickly, did not allow HUFC to settle and then the end of the cup tie proved too much for the Hepworth lads, who were gradually tiring.
After going 0-1 down, then scoring a screamer of a free kick Hepworth were well in the tie, but towards the end the home team's pace out did a tiring defence and a sending off didn't help.

It was mainly a good advert  for the game, apart from "boaring" language from the home team's dug out, which obviously was used to help celebrate the anniversary of the Battle of Hastings. To think we inherited all that stuff. Shame.

The FA Cup threw up some interesting ties with Eastleigh playing North Leigh (6-0), Harrogate Town v FC Halifax Town (0-2), both Lincoln City (0-0) and Lincoln United (0-3) representing the world of Imps, Sutton United surprising the well endowed Forest Green Rovers (2-1) and Taunton Town Tieing with the Town team from Hemel Hempsted (0-0). The prize fund for this round is £12,500 per winner.

Nothing else got in the way of the crowd's enjoyment, unlike at Charlton where....well this happened.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4HgDooTkGI

Both Charlton and Coventry fans were protesting about their club ownership! Charlton won 3-0.

SAINTS' DAY

It's almost my son's birthday. They say that babies born in October, mature for their year group at school, have an advantage by way of their maturity. Hmmmm! I agree of course.

Another birthday boy is another Matt, Matt le Tissier and he is celebrated by his club quite rightly. here are some moments of his that you cannot expect to see from the "all round" professional footballer. What makes a genius?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YB9HjYmYwpk

Now a SKY pundit he is also Honorary president of his home  island Guernsey FC where one of his brothers is secretary. From 1985 through to 2002 Matt played at Southampton FC and was involved in the investment in the club when times were not so lucrative. He played 443 times for them scoring over 160 goals and was a penalty king, missing once out of 47 spot kicks in the Premier League. He also scored over 100 PL goals from midfield, only Mick Channon scored more goals than him for the Saints.

He was voted PFA Young Player of the Year in 1990 and was the inspiration for XAVI! Indeed!

As expected he was too flambouyant to play for England (although he could have chosen any of the UK nations as an islander). he earned 8 caps and was awarded 27 other appearances for England B and U21s.

After Southampton he went to Eastleigh (17 times) and turned out once for Guernsey when they were "short".

Born in 1968 he will have a happy birthday I bet.    

http://mattletissier.co.uk/ try this if bored.

It is "Saints'" Day today because Mick Channon has had a book written about him by his son, Mick Jnr and it is called "How's Your Dad?" It's a bit of an exposure and follows Mick Snr's path in football and horse racing. By all accounts it is a good read!

WHO'S THE GUVNOR? HE WEARS THE HAT.

Watching Premier Legends this morning while striding out some of my daily 10,000 steps on a gym treadmill, my earphones were locked into SkyBox3 as I was watching a documentary on Paul Ince. It was a long time ago that Paul was "the Guv'nor", a name he carried with him to Old Trafford where he played alongside Roy Keane and Eric Cantona and Gary Neville.

Paul Emerson Carlyle Ince, an East Londoner, played for West Ham from 1986, joined United in 1989 until 1995, playing 206 times for the Red Devils. He then bravely included Internazionale (54), survived a trip to play for Liverpool (65), thenMiddlesbrough (93), Wolves (115 times), Swindon and Macclesfield were his last teams.

He turned out for England 53 times from 1993-2000. He was a legend and finished his career managing Swindon, Macclesfield, MK Dons, Blackburn Rovers, Notts County and Blackpool. Nowadays he is a pundit of course.

Gary Neville was at United from 1992 until 2011 playing over 400 matches and 85 for England (from 1995-2007).Gary's career has been very successful, we all know that and he is rarely out of the news. In 2010 his wedding would have been the most Eco friendly, zero-carbon event held in North-west England! His house is designed with the environment in mind. That may have been a reason why he got his Honorary Doctorate from the University of Salford. Bolton Uni annointed him too.
Here is a Podcast about Gary from TalkSport today (it is lengthy but will entertain you):
http://talksport.com/football/gary-neville-my-manchester-hosted-guillem-balague-podcast-161012213234

IT'S ME GROIN REF.

It was only meant to be a bit of fun but suddenly there is a bank advert on the television suggesting the prolonging of life and now headlines in the Times about RULES. That's all we old people need. "Prolonging life and rules".

As we pass into our golden years, that is over 50, we all want to keep as active as possible, to burn a few calories to equal out the odd pork pie consumed with a pint of foaming ale and of most importance to meet up with a few lads of a similar age and have a laugh.

So "Walking Football" has been advertised by the FA to give us momentum and if the FA is involved then there have to be RULES.

So many people are playing WF that tournaments are being established and indeed my mottley crew from Penistone Church FC have been to some distant venues in South Yorkshire and been humiliated by teams made up from 50 year old and one day, ex-professionals who all sport a Iberian tan and wear team shirts with sponsors' names and club badges. There have also been some ladies present in these semi-pro teams and good luck to them.

There are now more than 800 registered clubs playing the game (you have to be registered so that you can get a copy of the RULES) and with the ageing population and WF keeping us all fit, then there will be more clubs in the future, so we have to have EVEN MORE RULES.

Of course Manchester City is the first serious club to launch its own squad, which is put through its paces by the club's coaches. Our warm ups usually put pay to one or two of the gathered group before the footy starts and then when the walking begins, we have all discovered that a different set of muscles are used in walking fast (with one foot always in contact with the ground) compared to running, so the groins go! A number of the willing chaps from Penistone leave the astro pitch and aim for the clubhouse walking like John Wayne in his prime.

In tournaments each team comes with its own rules, made up by the bloke who applied to the local FA to get funding. Funding from the FA means standardisation, so RULES have to be made as the FA did in 1863 at that first meeting of the Association.

We are expecting a new WF rule book in the new year. Maybe even a stocking filler?

This game had humble beginnings, apparently in Chesterfield in 2011, but some of us ageing coaches have used WF for decades, adding a bit of light entertainment during normal able bodied practices! Try a bit of netball, three-legged football or football with a rugby ball or all fours football; it goes on. I expect somebody will pinch one of these ideas off me and make a fortune from it.

This week the national WF championships take place in Cirencester and the winners are reckoned to be "Leggy Mambos" from BARNSLEY and whoever wins they will take on the Scottish and the Welsh champions and before you know they will going into Europe.

What can be rest assured is that whatever our oldies achieve in the international field, they can't put on any worse a display than our full bodied, senior side has done in the past week.

Now where the Elliman's Liniment?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCFf9omZNv4

STATUE?

I have been to Crosby Lancashire, today to watch an Independent Schools' FA Cup tie between Charterhouse from Surrey and Merchant Taylors' School, Crosby. It is a second round tie. The last time I brought a team to the Blundell's coastline we visited the Anthony Gormley sculptures on the local beach. At high tide the sea immerses them, some entirely.

There are 100 statues, cast in Halifax and West Bromwich. 

Today the boys were treated to a visit to the Liverpool FC training grounds, where the Charterhouse ex head groundsman, David Roberts, now plies his trade.

Statues or not, the schoolboys won 5-3 today and they go into the hat for Thursday's draw. Exciting.

So talking about statues, where is this England team going? So in terms of motivation, did the statues help? Did the LFC thrill get the adrenaline going? We hope so.

Chris Coleman, the Welsh international manager has even more challenging ideas. He took his squad to visit the site of the Aberfan colliery spoil tip disaster. It is the 50th anniversary of the event that killed 116 primary school children from Pantglas Junior School. I remember it being reported on the news and indeed have taught the tradegy as an example of a geographical hazard. Aberfan was a shocking occasion and will put football into perspective for many.

Two years ago his team visited Welsh poet's Hedd Wynn's war memorial in Belgium as part of their international break. He is making his squad more aware of their national history.

ROMFORD CLINK CHONGQING

I am writing this through gritted teeth, you can imagine how hard that is. Tony Adams is 50 today and he is arguably one of the best centre backs to play for England and maybe even Arsenal (1-0). Here are some more challengers for best CB (ever?)
http://metro.co.uk/2016/10/10/from-sebastien-squillaci-to-shkodran-mustafi-every-arsenal-centre-back-since-tony-adams-retired-ranked-best-to-worst-6183316/

With a statue outside the Emirates, Adams is a legend and he served his club from the 1980s through to the 90s and just beyond. He was revitalised when Arsene Wenger appeared in 1996 and some how or the other managed to keep in line with the Frenchman's new style. This was a turning point in his life having been drifting down a path of bad addiction habits. wenger to his credit never gave up on his "Mr Arsenal".

So successful was the Adams and Wenger duo that Tony was able to keep his career going with England up to 2000, winning 66 caps. He first made his appearance for his country in 1987 and his debut for Arsenal was as a 17 year old (just by 4 weeks) in 1983 when the Gunners lost to Sunderland 1-2 in a league match.

How well do you know Tony Adams?
http://metro.co.uk/2016/10/10/how-well-do-you-know-arsenal-legend-tony-adams-6182937/

In his retirement, Adams started up the Sporting Chance Clinic which helps sportsmen and women with addiction issues. Based in Liphook, Hampshire the clinic started life when Adams raised £500,000 through his testimonial.
Kate Hoey and Elton John are two patrons and the clinic is supported by the PFA.

As well as his charity, Adams tried management at Wycombe Wanderers, Portsmouth and briefly at Gabala in Azerbaijan!
In 2015 Adams had heart surgery, which it was claimed saved his life. Sources tell me that he is Youth development coach at Chongqing Lifan in China.

DOING THE LEICESTERSHIIRE ROUND-WHY NOT?

I did travel to the Leicestershire Round yesterday and walked part of it this morning. What? Well it's a long story but I know that I had to miss watching an FA Trophy fixture over the weekend the nearest I got to was Loughborough Dynamo v Leek town. Matters were too demanding, so I was not allowed to indulge in non-league matters.

I ended up in Oady and whilst surrounded by Tigers and rugby, I did pass the Oadby Town FC ground at Freeway Park on the outskirts of the Premier League champions' city. The Poachers, as they are known, play in the United Counties Premier (Div One champions in 2012-13) and were at home to Huntington Town FC, clearly having been dispatched from any cup involvement. They won 7-0.

Founded in 1937 as Oadby Imperial, Freeway Park holds 3,000 (average attendance is more like 155) and is named after a sponsor, Freeway hire. Who?

The club changed its name in 1951 as it worked its way through the Leicestershire Senior Leagues and then moved onto the Midland Alliance by 2000 and were semi-finalists in the FA Vase in 2003,losing to Brigg Town.

In 2011-12 Oadby had another decent run in the Vase and were the only team from below Step 5 to reach the 5th Round losing to Staveley Miners Welfare, a town you may have seen off the M1.

Famous players on the club's books at any stage in history are few and far between but Julian Joachim comes into the frame, very briefly, having played for Leicester, Villa, Coventry, Leeds, Walsall, Boston, Darlington la, la, la etc. He is presently plying his trade at Newark Town. Not sure if that is a crazy haircut on Julian or the bloke's behind him? Good on you Julian.

MALTESERS "MELLT" IN OUR MOUTHS

Today is the day. England at Wembley with a full house, remarkbly, it's on the tele and I shall be parked in front of some screen in Market Harborough waiting for the phoenix to arise.
I have mentioned the Maltese a few times before and the latest entry has made reference to the upcoming World Cup qualifying draw.
http://baileyfootballblog.blogspot.co.uk/2016/09/how-to-make-maltese-cross.html

So let's wish Gareth all the very best in his latest quest and let's hope our boys respond to his experience and to Sammy Lee's wise words. I wonder where Roy and Sam are?

The Republic of Malta, named after it's delicious "honey" "mell", is one of a Mediterranean archipelago of 7 islands (gathering of islands or "fish swimming" in the sea). Three of these are inhabited including Malta itself of course, Gozo and Comino. The rest are not, but they do remind us of the historic rising sea level in the Mediterranean basin since the last Ice Age. We think that Malta will not continue to be inundated though the islands mark what was once a "land bridge" between Sicily and North Africa, so there is evidence that the Med has been "filled up" and even may still be.

With a population of about 450,000, Malta is the 8th most densely populated country in the World. It holds a place in the Guiness Book of Records for the greatest gathering of story book characters, 453. (presumably in costume). It also has no rivers and forests on the island and has given England more points in the Eurovision Song Contest than any other country.

As far as football records go, England has played Malta on three occasions. In February 1971 (won 1-0 away-Martin Peters scored), in May '71 (5-0 at Wembley) and in June 2000 (2-1 away). Goal scorers in the 5-0 win included Chivers 3, Lee and Clarke.
Gareth Southgate played against them in 2000 and was a sub taking over for Martin Keown (who had scored) in a friendly. Heskey got the other goal. Richard Wright (gk) scored their goal.

Scotland beat them 5-1 in the Ta'Qali Stadium in September in our group. One of the Maltese squad was Luke Gamblin, 23,  who plays for Barnet. The first ever international played by the Maltese was in 1957 against Austria which they lost 2-3. They are ranked 179th in FIFA at the moment.

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YOU ARE NEVER TOO YOUNG TO GET A KICKING

There has been some considerable press about the young Karamoko Dembele who has turned out for Celtic U20s development squad recently in a tournament at the ripe old age of 13 years old. He looks quite a prospect, but remember he is playing in Scotland and the film footage was of a match against Hearts. Well you know they might be quite good?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FarMXoDFvKM
But he won the Player of the Tournament performing for the Celtic U15s at St Kevin's Boys Academy in Ireland playing against the likes of Barcelona, West Brom and Lyon, so he may have a bit going for him! His turn of pace reminds of Jerry in his prime.
http://www.glasgowlive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/karamoko-dembele-next-celtic-star-11708412

Below is an article about Mauricio Baldiveso who played for Aurova in the Bolivian league, a team run by his father Julio Cesar. Always a good parent he launched his son's career three days before his 13th birthday against La Paz and the film shows him getting a right old kicking. His father was quoted in the press as saying "I am very proud of him, he has got a lot of talent."

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2009/jul/22/knowledge-youngest-footballers

There was a young man called Fredua Koranteng Adu (b June 1989) who made the news in 2004 when he became the youngest athlete to sign a professional contract in the USA (not  just in soccer). In April 2004 he played for DC United against San Jose Earthquakes in an MLS match aged 14 and a bit. Two weeks later he scored a league goal and that made history too. Referred to as the "next Pele", Freddy sunk into a journeyman's life and played in seven different countries including Finland! he did trial in England but failed to impress the Blackpool staff. In June 2014 he was found in Norway trialling with Staebek managed by USA coach Bob Bradley. Freddy is presently with Tampa Bay Rowdies, presumably avoiding earthquakes. He has 17 international capps though and that is an achievement at any age. Here is Freddy who has put on a bit of weight in his maturity.

NEWS FROM THE MIDDLE EAST

A former Syrian international football captain has reportedly been tortured to death whilst in custody, according to news. Jihad Qassab, 41, was a team leader in the 1990s and is a Sunni Muslim from Baba Amr. When protests against the Assad regime started he was taken into custody during the Civil War in 2014 as he was regarded as an anti-regime activist. He has not been seen or heard of since and news is that he had been tortured. Reports from the Homs Media Centre, an activist network, posted a page of mourning in the General Authority for Sport and Youth. His body has not been released but friends have assumed the worst.

Jihad led his club Al-Karamah SC to runners up in the Asian Champions League in 2006 a time when the club was dominating Syrian football.

More news from the Middle East is that Iranian clerics have asked football authorities to forfeit the country's upcoming World Cup qualifying tie against South Korea for fear that any success would cause the crowd to openly celebrate and offend Allah.

The game against South Korea in Tehran falls within Shia Muslims most emotionally charged religious festival and even the visiting spectators have been asked not to cheer or make any undue noise in the stadium. The two teams are level on points in their group trying to qualify for the 2018 Finals in Russia.

The two day Festival of Tasoo'a Ashura is when Shia Muslims pour on to the streets to express their grief, often through self-flagellation, over the death of prophet Muhammad's grandson Iman Hussein, on October 10th in 680AD. This lies at the heart of the sectarianism between Sunnis and Shias.

Syria, Iraq and the Yemen also respect this date. A change of date for the fixture was requested by the Iran authorities but this did not give South Korea enough time to recover from their game tonight against Qatar. Another complication is that the South Koreans wear red as do many of their fans. Red was the colour worn by the warrior who beheaded Iman Hussein-not good.

On top of this Iran football is football mad but leaders do not like massive celebraions in the streets, women going to matches or men wearing shorts. Panini Stickers, likely to be marketed, are also regarded as "iconography" and this goes against the religion.

Iran first played "internationally" in 1926. The development of the national football really started in August 1941 when a team played against "British India" and a few days later against Afghanistan.

What do you remember about Iran when the country has qualified for a World Cup? Scotland come to mind?

ENJOY YOU TUBE OR PICK YOUR PLAYERS

You will have heard of FC United of Manchester and how the club formed. If not, then go do some research. 

Do you read the Daily Telegraph? If you happen to, then the Sports' Section today devotes a page and a half to Hashtag United, a team dreamt up by Spencer Owen who had hooked nearly 4 million online views of his team performing on You Tube. 

http://spencerfc.wikia.com/wiki/Hashtag_United_FC

Ed Balls on Strictly got only 79,000 viewers. To find out what this is all about tap in Spencer and FC into the You Tube search bar and see what he and his mates are up to.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUykdNO-YkA

I have written previously about football clubs "employing" computer nerds to play on their club's behalf in inter club computer football competitions, so nothing surprises me when I heard of United London FC and club that has formed on the Hackney Marshes and plays in the Essex Alliance Premier League where the members of the club, that is those who subscribe to join the club on the internet, PICK THE TEAM!

Players statistics, heat maps of games and all the paraphernalia of computer based assessment is being put to good use in order to give the punters the opportunity fo picking out the best players

Based on the success of Jamie Vardy (remember him?), the brains behind the club is Mark North reckoned it would be a good idea to encourage anyone to come along to trials and get voted onto the team. His squad is 33 strong and will give players a chance of being picked out as they play each week.

The Football Careers Centre (yes there is one) aims to pluck stars from relative obscurity and give them a chance of making it.

Have a look at the video from Sky.

http://www.skysports.com/football/news/11095/10318572/new-club-united-london-fc-has-no-traditional-manager

GODZONE SPORTING MECCA

As if it wasn't enough having the Tour de France (The Grand Depart) sweeping through the county, the County Cricket Team stuffing most people and the Brownlee Brothers winning the hearts of everyone in Brazil (even Huddersfield Town FC having a revival), we now have the West Yorkshire Amateur Football League representative side making a mark in a European competition.

The "non-professional" representative squad has earned a place in the UEFA Regions Cup by winning the FA Inter League Tournament back in May. The rep. team from STEP 7 on the Pyramid are playing in Romania against other European regions in Bucharest. The competition began for them on the 20th September and they have just competed their qualifying matches. This competition has been played every two years since 1999.

Guernsey FA won the FA Inter League in 2010 and headed off to play in European and based on their experience have survived successfully in the National League pyramid, since joining shortly afterwards.

The latest FA tournament enabled winners, the West Yorkshire League amateurs to beat hosts Romania 2-1 in their opening game. They then sneaked a 1-1 draw with Serbians before fighting hard to get a 2-2 draw with the Russian representatives, drawn from an area in the south-east of the country. This points total was not enough to get the English representatives to the top of the group and thereby go on in the tournament. The Russians are reported to have tried every trick in the book to waste valuable time as the game and the points drifted away. Shame on you.

Having beaten the Teesside League to earn their trip into Europe, the Yorkshire lads were looked after by the official England C back room staff. The FA is proud to encourage football at all levels and despite the disappointment, these players have had a magnificent experience and were fantastic ambassadors for the English game.

The Republic of Ireland squad (present holders of the trophy won in Dublin in 2015) have earned 7 points out of 9 so far this time, beating Lombardia and NE Macedonia and go on to fight another day, East-West Central Scotland and Northern Ireland play later in the Autumn.

NOT PROGRAMMED

We shall leaving our Tower Villa in a few hours and typically by a process of elimination we got internet back. Well about time too! Some said it Monday and the operatives are back working, we think that pressing the correct button on the router by chance,may have led to connection. So I have missed the next qualifying round of the FA Cup but did get to the local derby of Modica v Scicli in southern Sicily, Gironde H we think. Probably no higher than Step 7 in our pyramid. Hard to judge since the skill level was high and this must be helped by having an artificial pitch.

A drive to the Sicilian town eventually led us to the ancient town centre and up on the hill was the ground. At first we thought it was a school play area because it was surrounded by flats with some substantial municipal blocks that had netting in front of them to stop wayward balls. It cost nothing to get in although posters in Scicly suggested 5€. My friend thought that might have been the charge for getting on the supporters' bus. There seemed to be no facilities.

The ref was neatly turned out in Italian jeans and black shirt with a jacket as he inspected the pitch. It was an Astro surface and had no deviations but understandably he was mentally preparing himself for an emotional 90 minutes. He also had little help from the "linos" who were there just to do in and outs, indeed one of them furthest away from the crowd sat in the dug out! The ref had a word at half time.

The teams came out to a huge welcome from the Ultras, the home fans. There were maybe thirty or so, standing on concrete steps behind the 12 foot wire netting. The youngest of the party, some probably in single figures, no doubt dragged along by their fathers or older brothers, were allowed to stand at the back of the "choir" whilst the seniors were leading from the font. The choir master saw little of the game with his back to play as he led his "troops" with a megaphone and arm gestures.

There appeared to be no visiting fans prepared to stand up and make themselves public. A few did applaud one of Scicli's goal which deserved congratulations. Modica were big and direct, Scicly small and neat with no forwards. Modica had a free kick expert, or the opposing goalie was a tad "heavy" and there were two screamers scored by each team which made the day. Modica won 4-2, deservedly, and when we eventually got back to Scicly, after a post match analysis, we saw the losing team's minibus dropping off players in their home town. They live to fight another day.

You have to love non-league football because it is so personal. The Ultras clearly enjoy doing what they are doing, it was harmless fun and since our party of four is made up from grandfathers, we would want to initiate the youngsters in the world of Calcio as the Italians call it, though we could do with out the lung burning flares let off as the teams came out.

By including the interesting hair pin journey, a lemon soda in a smart boutique cafe and the smiling faces of our loved ones when we got back with the pizzas, then it was day well spent. But no programme!

NETS CAST

YDon't panic. The wifi in Brexit stricken Deep South Sicily is pants and we have not had a signal for two days now. I am sitting in a cafe in the old town of Scicly (pronounced Sickgly) hoping to catch up with calcio news. Unfortunately I also lose all my typing if a press he space bar at the wrong time so it is. It not going terribly well.

This will be short and I hope to resume normal blogging next week.

Today sees the big local derby between Modica and Scicly. That is all I am going to write because the time is running out on the parking ticket and my patience is running thinner than my hot chocolate.

Next time I try to blog maybe I can tell you more about the wonderful world of Prima Categoria Girone F Oggi 15.30. Groundsman is getting his nets ready.