Hull City Reserves V Rotherham United Reserves – Central League East Division – At Rapid Solicitors Stadium, Church Road, North Ferriby – Wednesday 28 September 2011

Going to see the stiffs play again so soon?  Yes I know.  I am not it the habit of watching reserve team football but after the Carlos Tevez fiasco the night before I had no stomach for more Champions League football.  One thing is for certain about reserve team football there is going to be no shortage of effort from the participants and there is no chance of a substitute refusing to go on.  Ok thats two things.  So I picked up my Brother in Law (John) and off we went to the Rapid Solicitors Stadium on a barmy night in what is turning out to be something of an Indian Summer.

The line ups...

Hull City		Rotherham United
Joe Cracknell	1	Andy Warrington
Daniel East	2	Troy Brown
Conor Townsend	3	Dale Tonge
Gavan Holohan	4	Jordan Hall
Paul McShane	5	Mark Bradley
Sonny Bradley	6	Luke Foster
Francis McCaffrey	7	Mitchell Rose
Kealan Dillon	8	Olly Banks
Dele Adebola	9	Paul Warne
Martin Pusic	10	Luke Beedham
Daniel Emerton	11	Ben Pringle
Matthew Mainwaring	12	Liam Royles
	21	Jack Leydon
Fraser Papprill	14	Giorgio Williams
Douglas Wilson	15	Laurence McKay
Jonathan Margetts	16	TBC
Jules Gabbiadni	17

Goals:  Hull 1 (Pusic) Rotherham 2 (Pringle, Williams)

Match officials: D England - referee,  N Guest and D McNamara – assistant referees, G Tindall – reserve referee.

We missed the kick off by a couple of minutes and as we walked in a crisp passing move by Rotherham culminated with a nicely taken goal by Ben Pringle who rounded the ‘keeper to slot the ball home; nil one to The Millers.

The early exchanges were scrappy, but it was clear that the Rotherham side were a more formidable and physical side than the Scunthorpe side that were cast aside a couple of weeks previous.  There were a couple of ‘big units’ in the midfield.

The Tigers got back on level terms about ten minutes later.  Keelan Dillon chipped forward and Martin Pusic brought the ball down and slotted it home.  The rest of the half was competitive with Tigers gradually asserting more control but failing to add to the score.  Half Time – Hull City Reserves 1 Rotherham United Reserves 1.

Refreshment time!  Last time I cast some doubt about the provenance of the tea bags used for the half time brew, and being something of a tea connoisseur I wasn’t actually looking forward to it.  There was something of a queue so we gave it a few minutes.  When I did join the queue I was able to peer through the window of the cabin and to my surprise I could see a huge bag of catering tea bags.  The packaging was easy to recognise and my heart gave a little leap; Yorkshire Tea by Taylor of Harrogate.  I take back my previous insults, this week was much better even if a little stewed.  Would be better not in a polystyrene cup but I guess you can’t have everything!

Proof of Yorkshire Tea Bags

The second half was a decidedly scrappy affair.  The Tigers started to lose control and become frustrated banging longer and longer balls with less and less effect.  One ball was pinged into to the allotments so hard it could have found the main road and about half a dozen were hoofed over the main stand.  At one point I was wondering if they were going to run out of balls and the game have to be finished with a tennis ball (just like our school days).  No need for slightly underhand tactics like those adopted by the England Rugby Union team coaches.  The long ball tactic suited The Millers and as the half went on there were only one likely winners.  Sure enough with a couple of minutes to go Bradley puts Williams through on goal and he chips the rushing goalkeeper Cracknell beautifully for the winner.  Final score Hull City Reserves 1 Rotherham United Reserves 2.  Probably about the right result for me; Hull surrendered control in the middle of the park and run out of subtlety and ideas in the end.

So on to the pub for a beer on the way home.  John suggested Darleys at Hessle, a pub I hadn’t been in for years, not since it was The Darleys Arms of the long closed Darleys Brewery in Thorne.  It was now part of a pub chain ‘The Hungry Horse’ which doesn’t exactly sound very promising.  It was actually a pleasant surprise though.  It is converted to a modern design children friendly pub which looks to be fairly popular with young people.  The pub does food, of course, aiming at big platefuls at a fair price; they do a 20oz steak for about £12 which may be worth going back for.  There was a choice of two reasonable cask ales; Green King IPA and Old Speckled Hen.  We opted for a pint of the latter which at £2.40 a pint was a good price and a decent kept pint.

Links

Hull City                          http://www.hullcityafc.net/page/Welcome

North Ferriby United       http://www.northferribyunited.com/

Taylors Yorkshire Tea     http://www.yorkshiretea.co.uk/

Darleys Hessle                http://www.hungryhorse.co.uk/index.php/pub-finder/details/?id=7711

Playing poker with the PG Tips Chimps

No of course I haven’t been!  I don’t play poker; poker is for scammers, sados and people who can’t find late night porn on Sky.  Online poker has been pretty big the last few years but I think it has hit its peak and I have never been bitten by the bug.  It’s the same with casinos, when people find out that I like racing then they seem to jump to a conclusion that I must like casinos.  I have only been once and that will do for me.  Give me a racetrack or dodgy bookie’s shop any day (preferably one without the gaming machines).  Now if I got the opportunity to play poker with the PG Tips chimps then I wouldn’t turn it down; I was a big fan of their adverts in the 1970s.  We live in enlightened times now and so ‘Monkey’ and Johnny Vegas front the adverts; pretty good but not got the same naive charm of the chimps.  Well the next best thing to playing poker with the PG Tips chimps is dealing with the motor trade.

After 25 years of driving and 21 years of having a company car this month it was time to dip my toes into the car ownership pool, and what a murky pool it is.  I guess one of the downsides to self employment is not having a company car but having to buy your own yourself.  I knew that I would have to do this after the three months termination period, so I was prepared for the costs; what I wasn’t prepared for was the sheer bloody frustration of the exercise!  I won’t name or single out any dealers, you may be able to guess some of them if you have been in a similar situation!

What I was looking for was a mid size, mid specification diesel with 3 or more year’s warranty, something I can rely upon while I get established in business.  In the end I bought a Renault Megane, uninspiring I know but it ‘ticked the boxes’ and I got a ‘good deal’ but what a bind it was to get there.

I want to see what I am buying, so in the showroom have one of each model, not just four of the super-mini, a big estate and an off-roader.  Buying a car is expensive so I don’t want to guess how big it is, what it looks like or search for it in some vast second-hand lot only to find that is the old style and the new one is totally different.  That is not helpful.  A seven year warranty is brilliant, but I don’t want to be stuck with the wrong car for seven years!  Waste of time.

Please talk to me!  It can be difficult for a salesperson to pitch the attention level right, but after 15 minutes in a showroom I would expect the salesperson to realise that I haven’t just come in from the rain.  Sitting in cars and looking puzzled is not a hobby of mine; sitting in pubs and looking p***ed is.  That one crossed off the list before we start.

Try to sell me the car I want.  Yes there are always alternatives and from non petrol-heads the descriptions may be a little vague, but do you really think you can sell me a two-seater roadster (which is bloody ugly, bright electric blue and has a stupid name) by telling me you have quite a few of them.  Perhaps the reason you have quite a few of them is no bugger with a modicum of taste wants one.  You can get rid of some complete eyesores if you have the right badge, like Porsche; sadly it won’t be a French badge and Gallic flair and quirkiness only covers some sins.

How much does it cost?  Can you give me a ball park figures for the range?  Yes I know that dealers want to pretend they are selling carpets in the Souk in Tunis, but the Tunisians always you a ridiculously high starting point to work down from, I know I have been there.  As a starting point I want to know if it is in my price range, that’s all, I don’t want to waste time test driving something I can’t afford or discussing extras before I know the base price.  No I don’t want to make commitments and ring for an appointment, you are not my Doctor you are trying (unsuccessfully in my case) to sell cars made in the most boring nation in Europe who put capital B in Bureaucracy.

Know your product, get the specification brochure or get someone who does know; ‘not sure’ is not a good answer to a basic query.  Don’t keep running off to ask the boss to ‘see if he will let me’ when I ask about spare wheels and complementary mats, we know there is always a bit of wriggle room.  Since when did a spare wheel become an extra?  I was labouring under the misconception it was an offense not to have one – shows what I know about cars.

Don’t get it into your head that you are superior to the rest.  Your cars are not hand crafted by experienced craftsmen from precious metals and the finest leather, more likely they are nailed together by Romanian Gypsies in the Czech Republic or by Poles in the former East Germany.  Yes your product is very good and well made, if rather bland,  but is doesn’t justify a 30-40% hike on the competition and the sniffy ‘we don’t negotiate’ attitude.

In the end I did manage to find two find two dealers who I was able to work with and they were a breath of fresh air.  One was the Renault dealer who I bought the Megane off and the other a Toyota dealer who tried hard but was pipped on price.  Why can’t all of them behave this way?

Right rant over.  Now is a full house better than a flush?  Neeyaaahaha oook oook.  Where is Jane Goodall when you need her?

Catterick Bridge Races – Saturday 17 September 2011

My interest in racing goes back many years.  Probably my first real memory is the 1973 Grand National when Red Rum stormed past the gallant but ultimately futile efforts of the front running Crisp in the final 100 yards or so.  I was gutted for Crisp and didn’t appreciate just how special Red Rum was.  It wasn’t until a few years later when Night Nurse and Sea Pigeon came to prominence that really got interested, up to then I was obsessed with football (Hull City and Burnley) and Rugby League (Hull Kingston Rovers).

When I was around 18 I started to go to race courses and ever since I have been bitten by the racing bug, both flat and national hunt.  Throughout the 1980’s it was York, Doncaster and my local track Beverley.  Then in the 1990’s when I got a car we went further afield to Newmarket.  Around 6 years ago I decided it was about time I became a member at a course; but which?  Beverley has a waiting list, York is expensive.  Catterick is the course I decided was the one to join.  It is a basic quite homely course where the people are friendly and whilst lively doesn’t get too unruly.  The thing that I liked most of all though is that I could become a member and get a second badge (which is transferable) to take a guest with me.  This way I can share my passion for racing with friends and family, thank people who have done me a good turn and take newcomers to racing to catch ‘the bug’.  After all who says no to a day out at the races when you are going to a nice enclosure?

Today it was the turn of my friend and former colleague Amy to join me and have a good old gossip about what has been happening since we left our former employer.  Amy is great company and is starting to enjoy occasional visits to the races, so we were bound to have a fun relaxing day.

The racecourse is situated at the end of the village, funnily enough, by the bridge!  Access is easy from the A1 and there is a large, free public carpark opposite the course.  Quite a long way for me to drive but it is so easy to get there.  I was great to catch up with Amy; the drive seemed to fly by and we arrived in good spirits with the weather no way as bad as that predicted.  Time for a quick drink before the racing starts!

The Bridge Hotel is situated right outside the racecourse; it couldn’t be better placed.  It is an old family run hotel/restaurant/bar with a homely feel and it is always buzzing on a race day.  They also serve real ale – Black Sheep Bitter and Theakson Black Bull Bitter which I went for.  I have not eaten there, but after a long drive it is a nice place to settle down for a quiet pint to get you in the mood for an afternoon at the races.

Catterick is an old course and some of the buildings are showing it.  The management is adopting a policy of gradual improvement which seems to be working.  The sad old cafeteria was just been converted into a nice restaurant with a view of the racing or the parade ring.  In the current financial environment I think the approach is a wise one rather than borrowing for a big redevelopment and then having to put prices up to get a return on the investment.  Being clean and tidy, regularly painted and lots of flowers and plants can work wonders.  Big glass and concrete grandstand can provide better facilities but also destroy the atmosphere of a course which is often what small country courses rely upon.

The first race was a triumph for me.  I have recently set up my own management company called Indigo Spot Limited which has produced a bit leg pulling over the name from friends and former colleagues.  With a runner called Indigo Blues, I could hardly not back it because if it won and I was not on it then I would never hear the end of it.  Only a short price (6/4) but I had to back it; it duly obliged with some ease.

2:05 | 4 Indego Blues (P M Quinn, 5-4 fav); 6 Taffe (Frederik Tylicki, 18-1 ); 7 Dubious Escapade (P B Beggy, 8-1 ); 10 ran. 8 Findhornbay (J Fanning, 11-4 2nd-fav); 

Non-runners: Phoenician Blaze; Glamorous Angel; 
Distances: 2½ lengths; 1½ lengths; 2½ lengths; 
Winning trainer: D Nicholls. 

A good start but that was to be the limit of my winnings.  I managed third in the second race but could get no nearer.

Amy’s father asked her to put a little bet of for him and it proved to be sound judgement with a nice priced winner.

3:10 | 7 Rusty Rocket (P McDonald, 11-1 ); 2 Repeater (S Donohoe, 5-4 fav); 5 Fayr Fall (D Fentiman, 5-1 2nd-fav); 9 ran.

Non-runners: Ortea; 
Distances: 1¾ lengths; ½ length; 5 lengths; 
Winning trainer: Paul Green. 

Winners were proving to be elusive so we decided to have a quiet drink in the public bar next door to the owners and trainers bar overlooking the parade ring.  Like most sports venues it wasn’t real ale but John Smiths Smooth which was ok.  Duly refreshed it was back to the action.

We needed a winner, I particularly wanted Amy to get one as she had been unlucky before and deserved a bit of luck.  Lady luck duly obliged for her in the sixth race with a nice priced winner.

4:55 | 12 Miss Ferney (Declan Cannon, 14-1 ); 11 Daytime Dreamer (P McDonald, 22-1 ); 4 Danceintothelight (Kelly Harrison, 4-1 2nd-fav); 13 ran. 9 Simple Jim (S J Craine, 7-2 fav); 

Non-runners: Royal Premier; Penang Cinta; 
Distances: Neck; 4½ lengths; ½ length; 
Winning trainer: A Kirtley. 

I think I was just excited as she was!  When the bookie paid her out he said ‘you know what to do now love, stick it in your pocket and don’t have another bet’.  Sound advice, if a little unusual coming from a bookie!  There were two more races on the card but we decided to head off towards home and stop to have tea on the way.

Neither one of us could decide where to go for tea; in the end Amy said drive to York and see what comes up.  We wandered around York for a while (where a food festival had taken over much of the city centre) rejecting Pizza Hut and the like.  In the end we spotted an Indian down one of the side streets called the  “The Indian Lounge”.  It was only 7pm but there were a few people in and the menu seemed pretty good so we decided to take a chance.  Good choice, we got a table easily but it quickly filled up and was very busy.  It was a modern style of Indian restaurant a world away from the dark, flock wallpaper and twing-twang sitar music in the background.  We both thought the food was very good!

The food          chicken tandoori, chicken chatt, murghi taj, chicken hyderabadi, mushroom pullao rice, peas pullao rice and a pishori naan

An excellent meal to round off a very nice day with a good friend.

Links

The Bridge Hotel                                          http://www.thebridgehousehotelcatterick.co.uk/

Catterick Bridge Racecourse                        http://www.catterickbridge.co.uk/

The Indian Lounge                                       http://www.the-indian-lounge.co.uk/

BBC (for the results – thanks!)                 http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/horse_racing/uk_results

Hull City Reserves V Scunthorpe United Reserves – Central Reserve League Cup – At Church Road, North Ferriby – Wednesday 14 September 2011

After the luxury of the Executive Box at Huddersfield Town and all this fancy Champions League stuff (now in 3D you know) it was high time I went back to grass roots and watched some proper football as it used to be.  Not quite the ‘small boys, in the park, jumpers for goalposts, marvellous, hmm’ of Ron Manager, but pretty damn close.  Reserve team football at North Ferriby United’s ground down Church Road within sight of the ‘world famous’ Humber Bridge. 

My Brother in Law John came with me to share the experience!

Like most non-league grounds it is a compact ground with one main stand which has a roof and some seating but otherwise concrete hard standing or shallow terracing.  Behind one goal allotments, behind the other the magnificent view of the Humber Bridge and behind the main stand the main East Coast Mainline railway line.  A glamorous setting indeed, not quite a match to Hibernians of Malta FC’s ground at Corradino, Paola but more on that another time.   Oh to stand up and lean against a perimeter rail, it takes you back...

There is a portacabin to provide the catering and a clubhouse which houses the bar (I believe, we didn’t venture in).

The line ups...

Hull City		Scunthorpe United
Joe Cracknell	1	Sam Slocombe
Tom Bennett	2	Lewis Akeister
Conor Townsend	3	Ashley Jackson
Gavan Holohan	4	Callum Howe
Dejan Kelhar	5	Ashley Palmer
Sonny Bradley	6	Fabio Snow
Francis McCaffrey	7	Aron Wint
James Harper	8	Josh Greenhoff
Dele Adebola	9	Gary Thompson
Kealan Dillon	10	Jordan Thewlis
Daniel Emerton	11	Scott Matthews
Douglas Wilson	12	Matt Fells
	13	Peter Crook
Paul McElroy	14	Josh Lacey
Jordan Holt	15	Jamie Wootton
Jules Gabbiadni	16	Dalton Harris
Jonathan Margetts	17

Goals:  Hull 8 (McCaffrey 3, Emerton 2, Kelhar, Dillon, own goal) Scunthorpe 0

Match officials: A Greenwood - referee,  A Burgess and C Ward – assistant referees, M Knowles – reserve referee.

Good job we arrived promptly because Hull City scored in the first few minutes.  It quickly became apparent that is was just a case of how many.  Hull bossed the midfield throughout and always looked likely to score, which they did with some regularity.  There was some nice passing play from both sides but the Hull tactic seemed to be to aim for Dele Adebola’s chest; never seen a play chest the ball down so often in one half.  By half time Hull had built up a healthy lead of 4 – 0, the fourth goal was a cracker curled into the top corner giving the goalkeeper no chance.

Time for refreshments!  The portacabin had a typical selection pies, burgers chips drinks etc, but  Oxo instead of Bovril though, so we opted for tea which was £1.  Tea out of a polystyrene cup is never good but my guess would have been bulk catering or Aldi rather than PG Tips or Tescos finest; I guess we all need a bit of mystery in life.

The second half was much like the first, Hull having much of the play and adding another 4 goals making the final score 8 – 0.  To be fair Scunthorpe battled on gamely and, in my opinion got a couple of rough calls with suspicions of offside on two of the Hull second half goals.  Being close to the action and the small crowd meant that what was said on the pitch was easily heard by spectators, with a mini bout of Tourettes being displayed in the second half by some in the Scunthorpe defence, which was understandable.  All in all the match was good natured though and it was refreshing that there was no diving, play acting or, despite some robust tackling, rolling around histrionics – well done lads, helps to restore ones faith in the game.

Sam Slocombe, the Scunthorpe goalkeeper, was clearly gutted, hence this tweet after the match...
 Worst night of my life tonight, to cap a shit week off...hibernate until Sunday...bye bye

...and my response... 

Not your fault chum, your midfield was overrun. Enjoyed the mild case of Tourettes in second half. Chin up!

After the match we decided that a beer was deserved so we headed off to the Beech Tree in Willerby (sorry Kirkella the posh bit of Hull).  It is an Ember Inns pub that does food and serves a number of real ales.  Our first choice was sold out so we had a nice pint of Timothy Taylors Landlord albeit at a pricey £3.10 a pint.  Pity I was driving because there were some interesting ales on offer.

Links

Hull City                                http://www.hullcityafc.net/page/Welcome

North Ferriby United             http://www.northferribyunited.com/

The Beech Tree                     http://www.emberpubanddining.co.uk/thebeechtreekirkella/