Boston United 1-1 Southport FC

It was my birthday weekend, so apologies for the lack of blog content. It was full steam ahead and an action-packed weekend that actually began on Thursday evening. It was a table for two at the much-talked-about Amores Italian restaurant, on Gedling Road, Carlton. It was quite busy for a school night. The Beef Stroganoff was the main event. I washed it down with two glasses of Merlot.

It's Friday tea-time (4th Feb). I hare out of the back door after jumping off a Teams call. I alight the bus at the top of Carlton Hill and slog my way up to the inner-city suburb of Carrington, a stone's throw away from the Goose Fair site. It's HQ to Notts No.1 chippy, The Cod's Scallops. First port of call is  Doctor's Orders micropub, a Magpie Brewery dwelling. Its sister pub, the Crafty Crow, located opposite Nottingham Castle, announced it's permanent closure last week.

Real ale aficionado, Tony Mac, is on board, of course. The next stop-off is the welcoming back street boozer called the Gladstone. The cheery, enthusiastic landlord shares his views on the local beer scene. I have an Oakham Citra and a Gold Star from Shipstones. Plans to spend a couple of hours in Kraftwerks craft ale house are well and truly scuppered when the landlord says that all tables are booked up until 9.30 p.m. The rest of the evening is spent in Nottingham, at the usual haunts such as Junkyard, Jam Cafe and the world-famous Neon Raptor. 

I feel as fresh as a daisy on Saturday morning, the day of my 58th birthday. My two lads have bought me some beer vouchers for the House of Trembling Madness store in York. Ms Moon has very kindly put together a photo album of my past and present. It's lovely to piece together the memories of my two lads growing up before there were such things as camera phones. 

Ms Moon was meant to be on a hen night in Nottingham this evening but was a late withdrawal as she is running a temperature and feeling a bit yuk. I've a day out booked in with the 'Mayor of Keyworth.' Today's match of choice is Notts County v Grimsby Town in the Conference National. 

There's no better feeling than walking to the match. I zip up Carlton Hill; it gets my heart beating ten to the dozen. I cross the 'Gaza Strip' into Sneinton. I turn up London Road, walking adjacent to Nottingham Canal. There's a 'bit of a cock-up on the catering front' as Basil Fawlty used to say. The ticket office have managed to hand me tickets for the Barnet game on Tuesday evening. The issue is soon resolved. Grimsby have sold out their 2,600 ticket allocation.

The game is superb and played at a furious pace. Cal Roberts scores a screamer. The Mariners blow the chance of levelling terms by missing a controversial spot kick. Grimsby turn the game on its head in the second half. They not only deservedly equalise but send the travelling faithful into raptures with a last gasp winner nodded home by ex-Lincoln skipper Luke Waterfall. Sadly, there's no sign of 'Harry the Haddock' inflatables circa 1989.

Post match we have a couple of pints in The Embankment and some chicken at Hooters before heading into town for scoops at Barley Twist, Herbert Kilpin and Six Barrels. The evening is curtailed at midnight. I'm bushed folks.

It's Sunday and another big day out. Lunchtime is spent in the south Notts countryside, at the ivy-cladded Plough at Normanton-on-the-Wolds. Ms Moon's daughter, Becky, has joined us. She is the general manager at the pub. After a mouth-watering Sunday roast accompanied by a pint of real ale and a gin and tonic, Ms Moon drops me off at her mum's on Melton Road, West Bridgford. The weather has turned and the wind has whipped up. I get a soaking from sharp, short, blustery showers.

FA Cup holders Leicester City are in town and so is die-hard fan and blog legend Trumpy Bolton. He is dining (getting spangled) at the Poppy and Pint in Lady Bay. I couldn't get a seat in 'B' Block. I'm housed up on the penultimate row at the top of the Brian Clough Stand. It's a shaky start from Forest as Leicester race out of the traps. The game is out of sight for the Foxes by 32 minutes after a three-goal blitz by the Tricky Trees. On-loan sensation, Djed Spence, scores a goal of beauty as he hammers home the final nail in the coffin. Trumpy's phone was switched off at half-time.

It's Tuesday evening and I'm sat upstairs at Portello Lounge on The Avenue, West Bridgford, with 'The Keyworth Georgie Best' and 'Our Joe.' I enjoy some chicken and a catch-up before saying cheerio. I swing by the Co-op to buy a bag of Fox's glacier mints to suck on during the game. I'm back down Meadow Lane this evening. Barnet, from north London are the visitors.

The Pies are cutting the Bees to ribbons. They are, as Colin Slater used to say, 'three to the good' by the break. The game will be remembered for all the wrong reasons, after a five-minute stoppage in the first half when Barnet's 7 jacket Rob Hall is racially abused as he is about to take a corner. The perpetrator, sat in the Kop, is ejected from the ground and hands himself in to the police the following day.

It's Ms Moon's birthday on Thursday. I'm in good books folks as I've bought her tickets to see James Blunt at Nottingham Arena on Saturday evening. We enjoy a meal at a cool tapas restaurant called Mesa in Hockley. They sell Pomona Island and Track craft ales too. 

Ms Moon has dropped me off in Keyworth. We enjoy a bacon and egg sandwich rustled up by the Big Man at his Keyworth crib. Adrian and Trumpy Bolton rock up too. We hit the road at 11.30 a.m. for the short 60 mile trip to Boston. Trumpy Bolton has already downed three cans of real ale accompanied by two slices of toast smothered in Brussels pate for breakfast.

The Big Man is joshing Trumpy about the aftermath and fallout from Leicester's gutless display on Sunday. Add to that the disgraceful behaviour of chavvy, cowardly Leicestershire-based hooligans in Nottingham city centre. Two pubs (Fat Cat and Cross Keys) had windows put in, prior to the game.

Trumpy has picked out a pub close to the ground called the Hammer and Pincers at Wyberton Fen. London Pride is on draught; it's always a steady pint. The Big Man is as happy as Larry that Man Utd v Southampton is on the pub TV. Well  ....  at least until the game starts  .. lol.

Boston is a market town with a port in the east of Lincolnshire. It has a population of 35,000. Boston's most notable landmark is St Botolph's Church ('The Boston Stump') it can be seen for miles from a far. It's the largest parish church in England. 

Famous people born in Boston include: former chief medical officer Sir Jonathan Van Tam, who brought a glint of light to dreary, depressing COVID press conferences, footballers John Oster and Simon Garner and actor and writer Robert Webb, one half of comedy duo Mitchell and Webb. The producer of the Academy award-winning film The Deer Hunter, Barry Spikings, was also born in the town.

It's a brand spanker out-of-town stadium. The old one, York Street, was a belter. If the food outlets are looking to make a few dollars out of Adrian. then they'll end up disappointed. He's brought his own sandwiches and a flask of coffee. Ms Moon will be gutted she missed the team bus, as Costa coffee is available. Scottish post-punk band Franz Ferdinand's 2004 hit 'Take Me Out' is on the stadium dukey.

It's £16 to sit in the main stand. Paul Cox and John Ramshaw have recently taken over. John is from Keyworth and is a good friend of Trumpy, 'Big Man' and myself. The swirling wind is ruining the game. Southport play the first half with the conditions in their favour. They have a long throw in their locker which creates the first goal of the game. They also hit the woodwork.

I receive a text from Trumpy at 4 pm. He has ejected himself from the ground so he can sample some of the microbrewery ales at Ellender's Bar outside the ground. He doesn't miss much to be honest. Boston don't have a physical presence up top due to injuries to Jordan Burrow and James Hanson. West Bridgford lad Danny Elliott does his best but needs a beast to play off.

The Big Man is warming the car up. I'm not one to leave early. My patience is rewarded with a late equaliser for the Pilgrims. The game hasn't been great. The conditions have beaten us all.

Attendance: 1,552

Man of the Match: Big Man for driving and Bed and Breakfast