Sheffield FC 1 - 1 Belper Town

Good game Tuesday night despite the state of the pitch! It was so bad that when two players came running toward the touchline close to where we were standing, we could actually hear a squelching noise as they tried to run through the mud.

Anyway, a draw was the result -

and as usual, the rest of Tim Harrison's photos are here:-

http://www.timharrisonphotography.com/NailersAction/ShffldA0809/album1.html

A bit disappointing that we didn't get three points especially with matches against Retford (who are top of the division) on Saturday and Stocksbridge (third) next Tuesday. The Retford game will be very hard. Because of suspension and injury, we probably won't have the strongest team out on the day.

Still - an away point is better than nothing and Belper are still second in the division having only lost 2 league games all season. (Hope it isn't "lost 3" after Saturday!)

I've got me angry 'at on again!!!!

I know that the Ronnie Biggs robbed a mail train in 1963 and with his gang, stole around £2 million and at the time it was the Crime of the Century but what kind of sense does it make to keep him locked up in jail when he is 79 years old and seriously ill.?

It's an even bigger joke when you read that some low life bitch who fed a 12-week old baby whilst her retard boyfriend raped the child has been let out after serving 14 months!! Both of them should never be free!

British Justice?! It was thrown out the window years ago!!

Belper 4 - 0 Gresley Rovers

Enjoyed another Belper win on Saturday!

There was some doubt about the match starting because of a frozen strip in front of the main stand but after a committee meeting with managers, coaches, referee and linesmen it was decided the game would start on time.
The opposition were a club in disarray to be honest. Having endured a difficult period financially, Gresley have reverted to totally amateur status. They have done well to keep going and gave Belper a good game, especially in the first half, but heads dropped when Belper scored the second in the last quarter of the match and then it became something of a stroll for the home side.

A good crowd of 316 (2nd biggest of the season at the Meadow) watched the performance and amongst us as ever was Snapper Harrison - see his pictures here:-

http://www.timharrisonphotography.com/NailersAction/GrslyH0809/album1.html

Next match is Sheffield FC away on Tuesday Feb 17th but a lot depends on if their pitch will be fit after all the snow melts. We'll have to wait and see!

My Week....

...has just flown by! (That's my excuse for not posting anyway!)

Monday afternoon - at the doc's because of a swollen and painful left knee. Had it for a couple of weeks but it isn't an emergency so appointment not urgent (apparently!) Diagnosis - "Fluid on the knee and there might also be a bit of grit floating round in there." Treatment - "Can't do anything really. It will probably get better on it's own. Take 3 Ibuprofen a day and one of these other tablets a day." "What's the other tablet for?" I asked. "Cos Ibuprofen, taken regularly, can make your stomach bleed. The 'other' pill will stop that." Well that's alright then!!

Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday/Friday - not sure where they went but a lot of time was spent trying to drum up some work for the company who employ me. Sad news is 4 guys from the shop floor were made redundant on Thursday and more might follow unless work picks up soon.

As a manufacturing company, making steel bar for mining and construction tools, we have been warning of the dangers of reducing the country's manufacturing base for some 10 or 15 years. Sadly, an economy based on service industries is bound to find itself in the mire at some point - surprised it's taken this long actually.

Sunday evening and it's snowing ... AGAIN!

The snow started about 4:30 pm -ish and we now (8:30 pm) have a new covering of about half an inch on top of the rest of the snow we've had this week..... and it's still coming.

Aside from the snow, it's been an interesting weekend. The Owls beat SUFC at Bramall Lane yesterday with a goal worthy of winning any game. Interesting to see Mr Blackwell came up with an excuse in time for the Sunday papers - "We were tired, having been stuck in Southampton not knowing if the game would be on, then the M1 was closed on the journey home! We didn't get back until 3:30 am." He makes it sound like they got back at 3:30 am Saturday morning when in fact the Southampton game took place last Tuesday night! Whatever Mr B!!

My other main passion is cricket and it was a massive disappointment to see the England team humbled by the West Indies. All out for 51 is not acceptable and the problems need sorting. This all began with a major disagreement between head coach Peter Moores and captain Kevin Pietersen resulting in both being relieved of their duties. I don't know the answers but the thought did occur that the team has a batting coach, bowling coach, fielding coach and no doubt a wicketkeeping coach, so what exactly does a head coach do? Answers on a postcard to the ECCB!

And we had some more this morning!!

View from the office window this morning - this lot started at about 7:15 and by 10, buses were cancelled or diverted, schools were closed etc etc!
Snow is now at a depth of about 8 or 10 inches on parts of my garden!

We 'ad a bit o' snow Monday night....

Well, actually, we had a LOT of snow Monday night!!
My back garden at 8 a.m.;

(I hate the snow but have to accept that when it's covered like this - it's the only time my garden looks as good as next door's!)

The bins by our kitchen window - again at 8:00 a.m.

The street where I live - mid-morning,

My car stayed where it was onTuesday! Neighbours on either side damaged their cars trying to get them up the small slope onto their respective drives. I did some paperwork from home after calling work and finding only a couple of people had made it into the office.

Puts it into perspective though when I tell you I talked to a customer in Sudbury Ontario this afternoon (Wednesday) and he laughed when I told him we'd had around 6 inches of snow. They can get as much as 3 to 5 inches per day at this time of year and at Christmas he had about 2.1/2 to 3 feet of the stuff on his front garden. Oh - and the temperatures been well below minus 20 C (daytime!!) for the last week or two!