Luxury Hyde Away

A Hoppy New Year to all my readers.  2011 starts with a few cosmetic tweaks to the blog format which hopefully will give me more scope both for telling the story of each game, and for entertaining those readers not so obsessed with the lower-league game.  Thanks to the many people who have encouraged me to keep going with comments, retweets and follows.  Although I am starting a new job on Tuesday, I still plan to keep going through Step 3 and beyond with at least one hop per week. Hopefully I can cross paths with you during the year.


As you have seen up to now, I enjoy my travels with good humour and try to stay positive about people doing their best, sometimes in difficult conditions.  I enjoy my neutrality.  I don't think that refs and linos are evil personified, but I worry about why anyone would want to do the job.  I hate poor sportsmanship and low personal standards with a passion, and I hate seeing bad adult examples being set to young people. Pies, I like.  Especially with peas and gravy.

Hopperational details
Date & Venue	Bower Fold, Saturday 1 January 2011
Result	Stalybridge Celtic 1 Hyde 2
Competition	Conference North (Step 2)
Hopping	Venue #361.  I am here because this was one of three remaining Step 2 grounds on my list, leaving Harrogate Town and Workington for later this season.
This match in one sentence
A smash-and-grab away win for Hyde, who took two second-half chances and then defended as if their lives depended on it.
This match summed up in the style of: Les Dawson
Bower Fold sits like the Koh-i-Noor diamond in a stripper’s cleavage, and the heavy aroma of Chanel Reject Number 55 Pies-in-Gravy pervades the air as 700 locals enquire repeatedly about the lino’s parentage.  Hyde’s defence was as tight as the mother-in-law’s biscuit tin and Stalybridge had the finishing prowess of a piece of blunt sandpaper.
So what?
These sides are 13th and 18th respectively in the table.  Stalybridge looked too good to get caught up in the relegation battle but this loss to local rivals will hurt.  Hyde really do need the points.
The drama unfolds
Stalybridge dominated possession for the first half and created half-chance after half-chance without really ever testing the visiting keeper.  Hyde showed a glimpse of what was to come with two good chances – one brought a good save from home keeper Jan Budtz and the other rattled the woodwork.  Nevertheless, the home fans would have been content with the overall display and looking forward to a win as the teams went in at 0-0 for half-time. The turning point was a goal for Hyde early in the second half.  Tom Manship reacted first as the ball came back off the post and smacked the ball into the top right-hand corner.  0-1. As Stalybridge pressed forward, they were vulnerable to the classic away break and Shaun Whalley got a second goal with 15 minutes left.  0-2. The video clips give a flavour of the second half.  Wave after wave of Stalybridge attacks, with only one goal to show as Phil Marsh scored after 81 minutes while I was putting new batteries in the camera, dammit.  1-2. They also had one good shout for a penalty turned down by a linesman much closer to the incident than me. Hyde captain Steve Halford ensured that the back line remained disciplined during the final siege.  At times his shouts were heard clearly as the home fans gradually realised this was not their day and local bragging rights were headed to Hyde.
Alternative activity of equal excitement for tourists in Stalybridge
Stand naked on the towpath of the Huddersfield Narrow Canal and sing “It’s a Long Way to Tipperary” to passing narrowboats.  The former goes through Stalybridge and the latter was written there.  Arrest normally takes place after about 30 minutes.
A snippet from the programme
What programme? Only a 50p teamsheet today, which is disappointing.
What I learned today
I am still not sure whether Stalybridge’s fans’ apparent resentment of Hyde’s relationship with Manchester City (see my post from their loss to Redditch United earlier this season) is due to democratic principles (as per Manchester United and FC United of Manchester) or just jealousy.  This performance by Hyde was immeasurably better than their capitulation to Redditch.
What Next?
A double-hop to Hampshire on Monday to Andover and Alresford Town.

Hyde Tanned by Redditch United

Aristocrats get no special treatment in the Northern leagues

Hyde skipper McNiven explains the importance of discipline in the pre-match huddle

McNiven (4) winds up the referee just before his yellow cards

Redditch supporters react with growing amazement as Hyde fail to score

Hopperational details

Saturday 18 September 2010 at Ewen Fields: Hyde 1  Redditch United 4 in the Conference North (Step 2).

This match in one sentence

Hyde, controversially going down to 10 men at 0-1 down, hand Redditch their first win of the season thanks largely to a hat-trick by Matt Smith.

So what?

Hyde go bottom of the table and swap places with their visitors.

Who caught the eye on the pitch?

Hyde skipper Scott McNiven picked up two yellow cards in a minute for lunging tackles and his dismissal gave Redditch the space to extend their lead.  This was arguably the turning point of the game.  In the first half, Redditch striker Matt Smith had a looping header cleared off the line before he was given space at the far post to head the game’s first goal.  He completed his hat-trick with two calm finishes.  However, while Smith will make the headlines, I want to mention a notable captain’s performance by United’s Andy Jones.  He never stopped encouraging and organising his team, and his exhortations had a bit more variation and sense than the usual screaming that you hear from the denizens of the back four. Andy Jones takes motivational yelling to a new level

This match had the same effect on my pulse rate as …

… that irritating time-dilated minute at the end of an hour’s tumble drying that Zanussi insist on making you wait before the door on their infernal machine will open.  Listen Zanussi, I know your machines get a bit warm.  That’s why I put damp clothes in the bloody thing to get them dry.  I have better things to do with my time than hang around for health and safety reasons, so trust me to make my own temperature-related laundry handling decisions in future like the sentient human being that I am.  So there.

A snippet from the programme

Scott McNiven is among several Hyde players still available for whole- or part-sponsorship at a total of £100 (Shirt £40, Shorts £20, Socks £20 and Boots £20).  If your sponsored player is transferred during the season, you can transfer the items to another available one of your choosing.  I have been unable to find out what it would cost to sponsor Carlos Tevez, but I bet it’s rather more.

What I learned today

Ewen Fields is also the home to Manchester City’s Elite Development Squad, who play in the Barclays Premier Reserve League.  The ground is very smart, with upgraded floodlights for live online streaming of those EDS games.  Indeed, the MCFC and Hyde logos seem to share stadium billing, and the logos of City’s sponsors are very prominent.  The attendance for today’s Saturday afternoon Conference North fixture was 340.  The attendance last week for Manchester City EDS v Arsenal on a wet midweek Tuesday-when-there-is-Champions-League-on-TV was 801.  I guess the advantages of the partnership outweigh the disadvantages for Hyde.  Their nominal sponsors are citc, or City in The Community.  The playing surface is excellent and spectator facilities very good.  However, one could not help but notice that the average age of the Hyde faithful seemed to be above 50.

Modus Hopper Random Talking Point

The president of Hyde FC is Sir Geoff Hurst, which reminds me … In the early 90s I was deputy headteacher at Rainsford High School in Chelmsford, where Geoff had been a pupil.  By all accounts, RHS had been a bit of a tough place during his schooldays, and it took a bit of gentle persuasion on my part before he would agree to make his first visit back to the school, as guest speaker at our annual prizegiving.  Often, guest speakers at such events make worthy points about “being the best you can be” and urging youngsters to “make the most of your opportunities”.  (I might well have been guilty of that myself on several occasions!)  Sir Geoff was brilliant.  He judged the audience perfectly and explained that there was really only one thing about which people wanted to hear his views. “Was it a goal?” He then shared with us his memories of THAT moment in THAT match in 1966 which still has such great importance in this nation’s football history.  He was utterly convinced and convincing, especially in asserting that Roger Hunt wheeled away in celebration rather than poaching a World Cup Final goal for himself.  Parents listened intently, and pupils who were born in the 70s shared in belated celebration of an event not yet repeated despite a four-year cycle of boom and bust.  At the end of the evening he stayed awhile and chatted to awestruck parents and signed autographs.  Sir Geoff, we presented you with our grateful thanks and a decent bottle of wine at the end, and that’s all you asked for that particular personal appearance.  We appreciated it hugely, and thanks again.