I'm walking down London Road, mingling with the travelling Grimsby Town fans, after the Mariners 3-2 defeat to Notts County. There's no complaints from their lot, they accept they've been well beaten. I enjoy a pint of Inti, from the Alpha Delta Brewery, who are based in Newcastle upon Tyne, at the Partizan Tavern in Sneinton. Landlord, Tony Perkins, a die hard Notts County supporter, is a relieved man, now that the Pies are off the mark and running.
I write the blog whilst listening to four hours of Radcliffe and Maconie on 6 Music catch up. They have a feature on the programme called 'The Chain' where they play a song that is loosely connected with a previous song requested by a listener. Today's choice is a belter. 'Miss Sarajevo' is peak Bono and Pavarotti. The song is about a group of women who hold a beauty pageant, as an act of defiance, during the 'Siege of Sarajevo.'
I cook supper, the following evening, for Ms Moon and I, whilst listening to Five Live's Monday Night Club. There's a journalist on there called Rory Smith who proper winds me up. He's 'Chief Soccer Correspondent' for the New York Times. He's dead patronising about any team that's in the bottom half of the Premier League. The matey culture on MNC is annoying and cringeworthy, as the BBC competes with TalkSport for listeners. Ms Moon loves the homemade Doner kebab.
It's Tuesday teatime and I'm enjoying a pint outside at Castle Rock's Fox and Grapes with a mate, Jon, who is giving me some sound financial advice. After a couple of pints I jump on the Arnold 25 bus. I can hear my stomach rumbling as I wander into 'The Plaice' on Westdale Lane - it's the artist formerly known as Phil's Plaice.
Carlton Town have their own fish and chip blogger called Danny Harkin. He writes reviews on Instagram and has his own column in the Northern Premier League's best programme. I stumble upon him outside the Millers clubhouse, as the sun shines like a beacon. I share with him that I've had a chippy tea. 'The Chippy Shakespeare' says 'The Plaice' can be hit or miss. It's a solid 7/10 for me. The curry sauce was a bit lumpy.
Prior to the game, Carlton chairman, Mick Garton (my boss) does a brilliant question and answer session with Danny's wife, Lyndsey Harkin, who is Nottingham Forest Ladies' captain. Lyndsey gives a great insight into the game, as well as about her time with the England squad and Doncaster Belles.
Sheffield FC are tonight's visitors to the Bill Stokeld Stadium. They are recognised by FIFA as the oldest football club in the world, having been founded in 1857. Both sets of fans have an excellent relationship. I'm also a big fan of their manager, Ryan Cresswell, who I stood chatting with at Ponte Carlo last season.
The feel good factor continues for the Millers as they make it two consecutive League wins in a row with goals from Romello Nangle and Alex Howes. A crowd of 229 is something the club should be proud of too, particularly for a midweek fixture in the middle of the holiday season.
On Wednesday I put in a full shift at the newsagents before jumping in a taxi outside The Greyhound, in Arnold. I hop out on Station Street and head up to Platform 6 at Nottingham train station. I've paid a £35 return fare to York. I'm met by my brother, who lives in the village of Upper Poppleton, which lies 4 miles away from the city centre. His wife makes us all some supper before we go to the pub quiz at the Lord Collingwood. We miss out on first prize by a solitary point.
I'm in York to tick a new ground off. Yorkshire CCC are playing Hampshire CCC at York Sports Club, at Clifton Park on Shipton Road. Tickets are £16 for the 50 Over One Day Cup. It's a competition that has been devalued because of 'The Hundred.' I usually boo someone if I see them with a Whackathon Skips Trent Rockets shirt on.
Prior to the game there's a minute's silence following the passing of the great TV interviewer, broadcaster and journalist, Sir Michael Parkinson. He was a colleague of my father's at the Daily Express. My Dad set up a newspaper called 'Nottingham News', in the late 70s, following the sacking of 28 journalists from the Evening Post. Parkinson wrote a column each week free of charge.
Hampshire post a respectable 311-6. Yorkshire are in all sorts of trouble at 36-7. Not many of their fans are singing 'Yarkshire' today. But then again why would you when the Club have been fined £400,000 and docked 48 points following an enquiry by the Cricket Discipline Commission over the handling of racism claims by a former player? We finish up ticking off a couple of CAMRA Heritage Pubs called Golden Ball and The Swan.
I'm dashing around again on Friday evening after another eight hour shift at the shop. I wander past Nottingham Castle and up the steps of the recently reopened Crafty Crow pub. Plenty of folk are sat inside and outside of the pub, as I order up a pint of Endless Summer from the Black Iris stable. I'm joined by Ms Moon's son Jamie.
Pantomime villains Sheffield United are in town tonight. There's a lot of bad blood between the Blades and NFFC, on and off the pitch. Their whinging, bleating Scottish manager, Paul Heckingbottom, lacked any class following a loss at The City Ground in a play-off penalty shootout.
Taiwo Awoniyi scores a brilliant opener after a pinpoint cross from Serge Aurier. Forest allow Sheff Utd back into the game. The equaliser is deserved and overdue when it finally arrives in the 48th minute. It's a stunning strike from new signing Gustavo Hamer, who recently joined from Coventry City.
The Blades cut through the Forest midfield like a knife through butter. Tricky Trees manager Steve Cooper is forced into making changes as NFFC lose their foothold in the game. Sub Ryan Yates has an immediate impact as he drives his side forward.
A few folk behind me moan and groan as New Zealand striker Chris Wood emerges from the substitutes' bench. Little has been said about the second half performance of golden boy Morgan Gibbs-White who has fallen well below the levels expected. His shooting is skew-whiff and mistimed. It explains why he only hit the onion bag twice in open play last season.
Wood is canny and has the last laugh, scoring with a deft header, following another superb delivery from the excellent Aurier. I usually engage in conversation with visiting fans on Lady Bay Bridge, as I walk home. The visiting fans don't like it up 'em, and appear to be in a particularly foul mood on their walk back to the station.
It's FA Cup day and the Millers have a tie against Maltby Main from South Yorkshire. £1,444 is the prize-winning reward. I work a few hours at the paper shop. A baby is bawling its eyes out in a pram. I ask a customer to check on whether it's Sheff Utd manager Paul Heckingbottom still crying a river.
Ms Moon and I make the 30 minute walk down to the ground. It's £22 on the gate which includes £2 for the programme. I've written a 'Real Ale Train Trail' column for the programme of a trip I recently went on with Tony Mac to Matlock.
I visited Maltby Main back in 2009 with The Taxman. It had a huge coal mine there, back in the day. On the night in question, an alehouse clearance, from a home defender, went sailing out of the ground and landed in someone's back garden, in the old pit estate. A guy stood next to us said "You won't see that ball again, it's that rough in there, that even the police Alsation dogs hang around in pairs."
It's a proud moment for Dan, as daughter Lily, aged nearly 7 yrs old, leads the teams out. Barton the dog will have to wait for his turn. Romello Nangle opens the scoring early doors for the Millers. I've had a sportsman's bet with programme editor 'Big Joe' that Nangle will score 20 goals this season. The rest of the half is scrappy, disjointed and without a pattern of play. Carlton's first touch deserts them on several occasions.
'Casually Dan' plays the toon of the day at the break. It's Electronic's 'Getting Away With It" from back in 1989. The band consisted of Bernard Sumner (New Order) Johnny Marr (The Smiths) and Neil Tennant (Pet Shop Boys)
The football is as dull as dishwater in the second half. Ms Moon and Edward have a long conversation about all the serial killers that have appeared in Corrie over the years. I have to pull Ms Moon away as Edward can get somewhat carried away and too involved with Coronation Street at times. I might buy them both a Granada Studios Coronation Street set tour as a Christmas present.
Two late goals from super sub Musa Jawarra puts the Millers into the draw on Monday for the First Round qualifying stage. There's a chance of a quick chat with blog legend Jitz Jani before an exciting teatime trip to Carlton Tesco, where no doubt I'll have the face on again as soon as I walk through the doors.
Attendance: 29,432
Man of the Match: Serge Aurier
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