Canaries and Robins Are Shot Down

Hopperational details
Dates & Venues	Monday 18 February at Top Field & Wednesday 20 February at The AlderSmith Stadium
Results	Hitchin Town 0 Leamington 1 Frome Town 0 St Albans City 3
Competition	Southern League Premier Division (Step 3)
Hopping	Half-term week so a chance for some midweek action.  Have been to (and blogged from) Top Field many times, but this is a first trip to Frome which becomes ground 508 on the lifetime list and leaves me with 9 more to complete every current stadium from Premier League to “non-league” step 3.  I hate the term “non-league” and will only use it in ironic quote marks.
Pre-match preparation
Monday: Hitchin are low in the table but in good form and John Frendo has successive hat-tricks to his name. Leamington are league leaders. Wednesday: Frome had two players sent off on Saturday and are in lower-mid table.  St Albans are under caretaker management and still aspire to the playoffs. Other than this, a nice sunset over Wiltshire on the A303 as I headed way out west.
These matches in one sentence each
A smash-and-grab road win for Leamington who withstood plenty of worthy Hitchin pressure and nicked a stoppage-time goal. A comedy third made the scoreline at Frome rather unflattering for the hosts, but the St Albans win had already been secured with two splendid goals.
So what?
Leamington cement their place at the top of the division.  Frome and Hitchin still have some work to do to ensure Southern Premier status for another season, but should be confident.  The St Albans promotion dream is still alive.
The dramas unfold
Hitchin started brightly and had plenty of possession, causing the Leamington keeper to work.  They had several half-chances and they played with confidence that belied the league table gap.  Leamington, however, are top for a reason and they coped with it pretty well, and on the half-hour cut Hitchin open down the left.  The ball flashed low and at speed across the goal but no-one got a touch.  No goals, but a thoroughly entertaining and competitive game so far.  0-0 at half-time It was more of the same in the second half.  The first clip, from 65 minutes, starts with the Moon and Jupiter high in the clear night sky as the temperature dropped.  I took two more (77 mins & 86 mins) as Hitchin continued to threaten.  Hitchin are in yellow. The smash-and-grab goal came in stoppage time – a real sickener for Hitchin but credit must go to a resilent and streetwise Leamington team.  Ricky Johnson was the scorer.  Final score 0-1 -------------------------------------------------------------------------- On Wednesday, I watched the game in the affable and knowledgeable company of Twitter friend @Yasser11 and, although at risk of hypothermia on a bitter night, we put the world to rights while the teams set about the game.  Right on schedule just before kickoff, the International Space Station appeared from the west and disappeared from view as it arrived in the same section of the sky as Jupiter and the Moon (still there!).  Sadly, I have to report user incompetence as my video clip is unusable.  Never mind, Yasser was there, and he witnessed it and tweeted it. Frome dominated the early stages.  My scene setter clip (Frome are in red) is from fifteen minutes into the game.  A new stand is under construction but we were happy to stand where the seats will be fitted in due course. As so often seems to happen when one team is in control, the other team scores.  The ball dropped nicely for right-back Chris Seeby on the edge of the box and he cracked a belting left-footer into the corner.  0-1 after 32 minutes St Albans almost gifted Frome an equaliser when the ball was initially given away by Joe Bruce, but the defender did enough to hold up Ricky Hulbert so defensive reinforcement could arrive and the chance evaporated.  St Albans were also incensed by a handball incident – Josh Brigham appeared to trip and stumble into the ball but it was handball nonetheless and it cut out a through ball that would have given Chris Henry a one-on-one.  0-1 at half-time The second goal came early in the second half and ensured that St Albans could be comfortable.  It was an excellent finish with a rising right-foot shot from the edge of the area by Henry.  0-2 after 50 minutes My second-half clip is after 75 minutes. Either because Frome were getting desperate or St Albans were getting sloppy, or maybe both, the home side had two good chances in the last few minutes.  A header (Brigham I think) went wide from a great and unchallenged position and then Nick Jupp made a super low one-handed save to protect his clean sheet.  We could have had a very interesting end to the game if either or both had gone in.  Instead what happened is that James Comley pinched the ball from between defender and keeper and had the Freedom of Frome and enough time to write his autobiography and make a speech before walking the ball into the net.  That was a bit harsh, but I know of no-one in Hertfordshire who cares.  Final score 0-3 I trust that Yasser’s body temperature has returned to normal and that his train was on time – nice to meet you at last, and hope you get to some more Wild West grounds in the next few months.
The Frome Town programme
Something random
A quick and self-indulgent hello to any former students or colleagues from St Albans who might stumble across this.  (For other readers: I was headteacher of Beaumont School from 1994-2004.)  Here’s a quick update on what I have been doing in recent years.  I worked for the county council as a secondary school adviser (and even took the exam to nominally qualify as an Ofsted inspector!) for three years but missed the cut-and-thrust of school life and got the job as head of Bushey Hall School in 2007.  I knew that the school was in difficulty, and “Special Measures” duly arrived, but I had two successful years before stepping aside so that the school could convert (as had always been planned) to academy status and the sponsors could make a new appointment.  My groundhopping really took off at that point, I discovered Twitter and a few months later I started this eclectic blog which was never meant to be totally serious.  I came out of retirement to take a part-time admin position at a small village primary school in 2011, and was in the right place at the right time to do some magnificent groundhopping in the Faroe Islands which still attracts a lot of interest from readers.  I would love some more sponsors for Hopping for Moorfields (see below) which will cost you less than the price of a St Albans pint by the end of the season.
Hopping for Moorfields Update
47 games have given us 154 goals at an average of just over three a game, so those penny-a-goal pledges will be worth about £2.50 come June.  We have had two instances of visible farm animals, 10 three-goal games, 1 eight-goal game and three goalless draws.  Sadly, no scoring keepers, bicycle kick goals or snow abandonments.  It looks like the final total will be over £500 but my target remains £1000. Email me on headyapp (at) hotmail (dot) com or contact me through Twitter if you want to jump on board.
Mars Bar Watch 2013
The Hitchin Town club shop sells them for 70p, but the second most expensive (so far) standard 58g Mars Bar in the country came into my possession on the way home in WH Smith at M3 Fleet Services Eastbound.  85p.  Shocker.
What Next?
I hope to get to another one of my Step 3 priority grounds on Saturday.  Watch @GrahamYapp on Twitter for details.

Wolves Bite Lions in the BBL

Hopperational details
Date & Venue	Saturday 16 February 2013 at the University of Worcester Sports Centre
Result	Worcester Wolves 98 London Lions 91 (2OT)
Competition	British Basketball League
Hopping	Court #15 on my hoopshopping list – am here because I was a few miles away in Stourbridge for the football earlier today.
Pre-match preparation
Two mid-table sides, albeit with the hosts in a better position on games played.  Both sides will be hoping to be in the top eight play-off positions but neither have any realistic hope of challenging for the title.  Wolves had a thumping win over bottom team Mersey Tigers last night.
This match in one sentence
Wolves made hard work of beating the Lions, who clawed back deficits in the last seconds of both regulation time and the first period of overtime.
So what?
With Sunday’s results still to come, Wolves are in sixth place with a decent gap, and Lions are edged out of the playoff positions after Cheshire Phoenix nicked a surprise win at league leaders Newcastle Eagles in this round of games.
The drama unfolds
It was an even and fast-paced first quarter.  Lions led at 4-6 with a Mike Martin double and then at 8-9, but there were spectacular blocks from both teams.  Wolves got into foul trouble, but three-pointers kept them just in front.  They opened up a 7pt lead at 18-11 before being pegged back, and it was 20-17 before Arturus Masiulis, who’d had an impressive start to the game, popped in a three on the buzzer.  23-17 at the end of the 1st quarter My scene-setter clip (the lighting isn’t great) has the score going out to 26-17 and Lions getting into foulcount trouble this time.  Wolves are in white. Wolves gradually got on top and had leads of 28-22 and 32-24.  They just executed their plays more efficiently – I imagine their percentages were just a bit higher all-round.  At 42-33, Wolves called a timeout with only 1s left on the clock, only for Lions to steal the ball and Orlan Jackman got an outrageous three-pointer to keep the gap at six.  42-36 at half time A three from Adrien Sturt and a 2+1 from Mike Martin helped to get the Lions back to 44-22 and the next clip ends with the scores level at 49-49 with another Sturt triple. However, Wolves opened the gap to five and then nine again very quickly – a three from Arnas Kaslauskas only just beat the shot clock.  Lions were still not down and out, though, and Tayo Ogedengbe added two on the buzzer to a three so that we had the same gap for the third time in a row.  67-61 at the end of the 3rd quarter The next clip ends at 72-63. Wolves pulled out a gap of 11 and it was still 9 with 6m20s left.  It was down to 7 at 74-67 with 4m24s to go, and then Sturt scored another three to get it back to 74-70.  However, with Lions in foul trouble again the game was still firmly in Wolves’ control – or should have been.  Timeout was called at 77-73 with 46 seconds on the clock.  Ogedengbe hit one from two free-throws and Wolves called a timeout after their next attack left them with only 3s on the shot-clock and 19.6s on the gameclock.  Here are the clips: From the restart, a controversial offensive foul call against Kazlauskas put Wolves in foulcount trouble and we had further TOs at 17.3s and 11.4s after Sturt had been called for a travelling violation. Alexi Owumi hit one of two free-throws to take Wolves to 78-74 with 9s to go. A big three from Ogedengbe led to a TO call with 6.6s and a one-point margin.  A Lions tactical foul on the restart sent Owumi to the line again but once again he only scored the second – and there was just enough time for Lions' Perry Lawson to burst through the middle for a two-point layup to level the scores. I only just catch the moment in Clip 8.  Technical and absorbing.  79-79 at the end of the 4th quarter Overtime is five more minutes.  Ogedengbe was the first player to sit down for the duration has he reached the personal foul limit of five.  Wolves led again at 82-79, but here’s a clip which has the scores levelling at 86-86 with a home timeout called at 2.4s on the clock.  Nothing came of it, so we went into a second spell of overtime.  86-86 at the end of the first period of overtime Wolves had now lost Kaslauskas, and Lions lost Martin.  Two free throws gave a six-point lead to Wolves at 93-87 as other players reached the five-foul limit.  The game ended in last-ditch timeout ploys as finally the Lions ran out of resilience.  Final score 98-91
The programme
What Next?
Half-term week, so could be some last-minute decisions depending on weather and other commitments, so follow @GrahamYapp for details.

Glassboys Too Brittle as Tudors WIn Away

The ground rules are clearly listed (you see what I did there?)

 

Hopperational details
Date & Venue	Saturday 16 February 2013 at the War Memorial Athletic Ground
Result	Stourbridge 2 Hemel Hempstead Town 3
Competition	Southern Premier League
Hopping	507 on the lifetime list – here because of the chance to combine with a British Basketball League fixture at Worcester (see next post) and because it is one of my step 3 priority hopping grounds.  10 to go at this level now!
Pre-match preparation
3rd plays 2nd in the division – the visitors have the most prolific attack in the league and the hosts have the meanest defence.  A draw would suit leaders Leamington who are opening a bit of a gap – a win for either side keeps a title challenge alive.
This match in one sentence
Not as close as the scoreline suggests – the Stourbridge goals were very late in the game and Hemel ought to have seen it out more comfortably after they did the hard work in the first half.
So what?
Hemel are now six points clear of Stourbridge but will be between five and eleven behind Leamington (who also won today) once the fixtures have caught up.
The drama unfolds
This is a ground full of character and characters and I took up a position behind the goal being attacked by Stourbridge as they made the early running.  They are in red and white stripes, and who knows what would have happened if the chance from my scene-setter clip had gone in instead of rattling the bar.  Sean Geddes with the shot, says today's NLP. That was after 11 minutes, and they had two more half-chances while Hemel resorted to “route one”.  Both sides had penalty appeals turned down.  It was Hemel, however, who got the vital first goal – they broke through with Alex Campana down their left and it looked from the other end to be an easy finish for Dave Pearce as the ball was turned across the middle.  0-1 after 26 minutes The second was scored by Moussa Diarra only 10 minutes later.  Again, from the other end of the ground it looked to be a very straightforward goal.  0-2 after 36 minutes Diarra went off injured before half-time but there was no further incident of note.  0-2 at half-time I moved to the other end of the ground for the second-half.  Stourbridge were certainly fired-up and started strongly, forcing two early corners, one of which needed Ashley Timms to be alert in the visitors’ goal.  Here are a couple of clips from this stage of the game, the first of which also pans across to the cricket field and pavilion that explains why this is a distinctive three-sided ground. However, it was Hemel who got the killer third goal just before the hour.  From the other end it looked like the defensive line had been broken in a central position after a poor clearance and it was an easy rolled finish for Ryan Charles as the keeper came out.  0-3 after 58 minutes Stourbridge wasted a set-piece, given for a foul on the far side, as shown here. Then their number 9, Luke Benbow, was crowded out from a good position and it was not until 79 minutes that substitute  Drew Canavan was given space to be able to curl in a neat right-footer from just outside the box.  This felt like a consolation goal.  1-3 after 79 minutes It then became a bit tense – there was an off-the-ball incident that sent a Stourbridge player into incandescent rage.  I can’t comment any further as I was too far away to see exactly what happened.  It then got tenser for a few moments as a low driven cross-cum-shot from the right was deflected just inside the post.  Ben Billingham has been given the goal credit.  2-3 after 90 minutes There was time for a couple of “Oooooh!” moments from Stourbridge set pieces before the final whistle, and for the lino to send the ref to have a word with the home dugout.  This is still a good result for Hemel.  These sides may yet have to face up to each other again in the end of season playoffs.  Final score 2-3
The programme
Hopping for Moorfields Update
Five goals for the season takes us up to 150, so the penny-a-goal pledges stand at £1.50 each, and they should be worth about £2.40-£2.50 at the end of the season.  Still about the same as the price of a pint, and to be fair very slightly more than the pre-match Banks’s sampled in the excellent clubhouse so I could top up my Midlands heritage.
Mars Bar Watch 2013
A standard 58g bar served from the fridge for 60p.  Standard.
What Next?
A short hop to the University of Worcester where Worcester Wolves are hosting London Lions in the British Basketball League in about two hours time... post to follow!  After that, well it is half-term so anything could happen.  Follow @GrahamYapp on Twitter and be among the first to know.

Allen the Key as Guernsey Unlock Spalding Defences

 

Hopperational details
Date & Venue	Saturday 9 February 2013 at the Sir Halley Stewart Playing Field
Result	Spalding United 1 Guernsey 3
Competition	FA Vase Round 5.  These clubs both play at step 5, in the Premier Divisions of the United Counties and Combined Counties Leagues respectively.
Hopping	Ground 506 on the lifetime list – here because it is the nearest “unvisited” ground in the FA Vase for me today.
Pre-match preparation
Both teams are going reasonably well in their respective divisions.  Guernsey have had two seasons in the English league system and this is their first at step 5.  Their FA Vase results in the previous rounds are: ExP: Bye / Crowborough Ath 2 Guernsey 3 P: Lutterworth 0 Spalding Utd 2 / Guernsey 2 Farnham T 0 1: Spalding Utd 3 Retford United 2 / Whyteleafe 2 Guernsey 3 2: Oadby Town 2 Spalding Utd 3 / Erith Town 3 Guernsey 4 aet 3: Sutton Town 1 Spalding Utd 5 / Guernsey 4 Erith & Belvedere 0 4: Ely City 1 Spalding Utd 2 / Rye Utd 5 Guernsey 6 aet
This match in one sentence
Spalding had the lead but conceded an equaliser just before the break, and then Guernsey opened up a two-goal margin and were able to defend it for the last half-hour.
So what?
The draw for the quarter-finals is on Monday, and Guernsey join Shildon, Spennymoor, Hadleigh United and Gornal Athletic as teams already definitely through.  One fifth-round tie was postponed, one fourth-round tie was completed (holders Dunston were knocked out by Tunbridge Wells) and one fourth-round tie was also postponed - so there may be Vase action for a few consecutive Saturdays yet!
The drama unfolds
Although Guernsey attacked within seconds of the kickoff, Spalding settled quicker and had the better of the early play.  It needed a good punch from Chris Tardie to deal with this particular cross. My scene-setter clop is timed at 14 minutes – Spalding are in blue, and the distinctive concrete construction beyond the ground on the far side is a water tower. As I was making a note of the time, Spalding took the lead with a splendid goal.  Tony Battersby nodded the ball down neatly to Gary King, and it sat up nicely for him to hit a superb first time shot across Tardie and into the far corner.  1-0 after 16 minutes The rest of the half was keenly contested but with no real goalmouth action until just before the interval.  Spalding looked slightly more dangerous, but their keeper Lee Drury made the most notable save with a block from Ross Allen.  This clip is from 40 minutes and Battersby has dropped deep again to create the space for a shooting chance.  Guernsey’s equaliser came at a really good time for them – a knockdown fell to Allen whose low shot hit the back of the net.  1-1 after 43 minutes and at half-time Spalding made two half-time substitutions in defence but found themselves a goal down soon after.  Here’s the goal, credited to Matt Loaring, and it will be a defensive disappointment for Spalding that Allen (Number 10) got through from that angle.  1-2 after 54 minutes The visitors earned their two-goal cushion just after the hour.  A through ball and good control gave Allen time and space – he was cool and composed in scoring the goal.  1-3 after 62 minutes It could have been 1-4 moments later – this time Allen was provider with a flick to put Loaring clean through, but Lee Drury made the block.  Spalding had to press forward, and they went to three up front.  Guernsey had a few scary moments in their own area – Tardie was confident and assertive, but occasionally came out and missed. The next clip is from the 75 minute mark.  Spalding are getting plenty of the ball now but are becoming increasingly desperate.  I took a few more clips of the closing stages – Tardie made a splendid one-handed reflex save (clip 7) with ten minutes to go which made sure the ending was not too frantic.  Guernsey held on reasonably comfortably in the end – Allen’s finishing and skill in the box was the main difference between the two sides.  Final score 1-3
The programme
Hopping for Moorfields Update
Four goals and the total is on track, as always planned, for the penny-a-goal pledges to cost about £2.50 each in June.
Mars Bar Watch 2013
A standard 58g bar cost 60p, very much in line with the current non-league teahut England average.
What Next?
Who knows?  Follow @GrahamYapp on Twitter for hopping announcements alongside other puns and occasional pontification on the wild and wacky world of the English education system.

FC United Flying at High Altitude in Buxton

Hopperational details
Date & Venue	Saturday 3 February 2013 at The Silverlands
Result	Buxton 0 FC United of Manchester 3
Competition	Northern Premier League (Step 3)
Hopping	Ground 505 on the lifetime list.  This is an “unfinished business” trip – I was headed for Buxton (because England beat San Marino 5-0, do keep up*) back in October for Non-League Day.  On that occasion, a major holdup on the M1 meant that I was forced to divert to Rugby Town.  This is the first home fixture since then that has worked logistically for me. *New readers catch up here: http://modushopperrandom.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/let-nation-decide-again.html
Pre-match preparation
The season is very much alive for both sides.  They sit just outside the playoff positions but a combination of cup runs and bad weather means that they have games in hand.  Buxton’s goalkeeper Ian Deakins is out with a knee injury and a loan of Craig Dootson from Kendal Town has been rushed through.  This will be a rarity at step 3 – a segregated game for spectators.
This match in one sentence
FC United took their chances and Buxton’s challenge, though it looked good for much of the first half, faded away after the second goal.
So what?
FC United are now indeed in the playoff places.  Five games in hand (after their Cup exploits) mean that on paper they still have a championship challenge too.  Buxton drop to 8th and although their season is still alive, they can’t afford too many days like this.
The drama unfolds
Buxton so nearly took the lead in the 4th minute.  They had started really brightly and Lee Morris headed a fraction wide with keeper James Spencer watching anxiously.  Then Spencer had to be alert to tip over Scott Maxfield’s shot from a neatly-worked free-kick that had been given for an off-the-ball trip.  Buxton were looking settled and confident, and so it was that FC United took the lead with their first real attack.  It was a crisp finish from Matthew Wolfenden from right to left across the keeper.  0-1 after 9 minutes I took a scene-setter clip midway through the first half, and another one on the half-hour.  Buxton are in blue. Although Buxton were pressing and looking dangerous, FC United were also threatening on the break and it took a brilliant save from the debutant Dootson to keep out Tom Greaves.  In first-half stoppage time, a low driven cross from the Buxton left went straight through the six-yard box.  It all happened so fast, but I think then a shot came in from the right, hit the angle of post and bar and then bounced clear off United’s Kyle Jacobs.  It would turn out to be another “if only” moment for Buxton.  0-1 at half-time Wolfenden so nearly ran all the way through the Buxton defence straight after the restart, but United had their second within a few minutes anyway.  Dootson made a reflex save to push out a ricochet but it only bounced back off someone else to give Michael Norton a tap-in.  0-2 after 51 minutes The tide turned and United now looked the more likely to score and they did so midway through the half.  Dootson got a hand to Norton’s close-range header but it went in to remove all doubts about the result.  0-3 after 65 minutes It should have been 0-4 immediately afterwards.  As the temperatures dropped even lower the United connections increased as Rhodri Giggs, brother of Ryan, came on as a sub for the visitors.  The tabloid tales of last year gave the home fans something to sing about as their team tried for a consolation goal.  To be fair, they deserved to get on the scoresheet.  My nominal second half clip is from the touchline after about 84 minutes, and it could have been a goal-of-the-month contender if Wolfenden's volley had gone in.  There were no more goals, and this is a very, very good result for FC United.  Final score 0-3
The programme
Something random
Today's hop has made me reflect on how I got here.  The story of the formation of FC United has been well documented and the fans have an impressive array of banners as you will have seen from the clips.  The links to Manchester United are obvious, starting with the red-and-white, and the feelings for the current state of the fans’ first love come through in the yellow-and-green (the colours of protest against the owners) and slogans such as “Pies Not Prawns”, “Traffordable Football” and “Two Clubs, One Soul”. I am used to unsegregated football these days and I’ve been in similar-sized unsegregated crowds at King’s Lynn, at Stocksbridge (for the visit of Chester) and at Whitley Bay in the FA Vase.  I was wondering why a visit of FC United is seen as a bigger risk, and then the flares came out after the first goal.  Don’t get me wrong, I have a degree in chemistry and I love fireworks and pyrotechnics, but in some ways their presence today was incongruous.  I’m not sure that it helps the developing club’s image and their bridge-building with the residents of Moston (see below), to be honest.  The police moved in on the first occasion but seemed less concerned for the second and third. FC United are fighting the planning rules and regulations in their quest to build a home of their own in Moston – the very latest news is positive, though some local residents are contesting their plans.  This supporter-owned club is almost universally regarded as a “good thing” and their website is clear about their vision and the need to build bridges with the local community.  They are clear that football needs to find a different way, and on this I agree with them completely. In case there are any doubts about my position on this for the casual reader:  I am a fan of sport and of the game of football.  I was born in West Bromwich and the Albion result is always the one I will look for first, but they have priced me out of The Hawthorns, and they let me down badly with their cynicism the last time I went to see them live.  I'm not bitter as such - they are generally regarded as a beacon of excellence in the professional game.  The market forces pushed me out, and I was replaced by someone else making different spending choices.  That's fine.  I don't watch TV and wouldn't recognise most of the players if they knocked on my door.  Except Peter Odemwingie, of course, but he turns up where he likes, or where his agent tells him to, anyway.  I do, however, watch a lot of football.  Live. I am less misty-eyed about "old grounds of character" than most groundhoppers - I quite like to wash my hands after going to the toilet, for example.  However, the complex balances of media influence, advertising and economics are making a lot of people rich through football, and the supporters are paying, through their TV bills, the merchandising and the ticket prices.  We must be mad.  Imagine spending all of that on our health or on our children's education.  I can't bear listening to 6-0-6 where week after week supporters criticise their board for not spending or "investing", taking risks that no-one would take with the finances of their house, job or family.  "Gloryhunter" supporters are a pet peeve too.   Mr C Samba of Shepherd's Bush will apparently earn more in a week than I did as the headteacher of a secondary school in a year, and some (not all) of the behaviour and examples set by some (not all) of his even-richer counterparts were unwelcome on our playgrounds and playing fields.  It's unfair to single him out.  There is too big a gap between the PL and the rest.  Ask anyone in Portsmouth.  There is even too big a gap between the "top four" and the rest, and in my view the Champions League has been an astonishing own goal in the long-term context of the sport.  It has set 90% of the status quo in stone and undermined our own FA Cup and League Cup.  Too many clubs have become "rich men's toys" and the discussion about Financial Fair Play is as much about finding ways round it as about agreeing with the spirit of it. I sincerely hope FC United find their niche, make friends with Moston and set a good example for the rest of the game.  I look forward to being among the early visitors when they get a new home.
Hopping for Moorfields Update
The 42nd hop of the season was the ninth three-goal game and means the average is 3.36 goals per game.  Nothing else to report today.
Mars Bar Watch 2013
The murky world of chocolate retail was laid bare today at The Silverlands, with standard 58g Mars Bars on sale at two different prices within the space of 25 metres.  The pre-match 70p purchase from the refreshment hut was by way of dessert to an excellent main course northern pie, peas and gravy combo.  This had a brittle but pleasant external chocolate casing whose mechanical properties could be due to the low ambient temperature.  This stadium is said to be at the highest altitude in England, and is also said to be *&%#! parky.  I agree.  I am quite used to this, though, as a West Brom fan by birth.  At half-time, whilst in the clubhouse for 15 minutes of warmth, I secured a 60p Mars Bar in the interests of research.  The warmer outer casing did indeed maintain some characteristics of plastic flow, an advantage in the drinking context as it means that you are less likely to drop specks of chocolate thus compromising the visual qualities of the foaming head on your beer. This experience proves how important it is to “shop around” and either exposes the cutthroat world of microeconomics in the harsh reality of Mars Bar supply, or that I need to get a life.
What Next?
A telling-off from my dentist.  Football-wise, no idea. Watch this space and @GrahamYapp on Twitter.  No rant next week, I promise.