I've enjoyed the summer break under the calm, crystal clear blue skies and sweltering conditions. I've spent most of my time either crouched under the air conditioning unit (set at 16 degrees) at MSR Newsagents, in Arnold, where the Monster energy drinks have been flying out of the door, or sat in the garden, downing craft ales, planning trips, reading books and planning the book I'll finally write.
I've made more memories with journeys to Edinburgh, Dundee, Aberdeen, London, Southport, New Brighton, Accrington, Blackburn, Burnley, Colne, Clitheroe, Darwen, the Peak District, Sheffield, London and Louth. The trip to East Lancashire with Tony Mac was a belter - I loved the mural of Vincent Kompany, and of course we swung by the Royal Dyche, a watering hole close to Burnley's Turf Moor ground.
Attention has turned to football, after another cricket season has been spent slouched in my seat behind the bowler's arm in the Lower Radcliffe Road End, at Trent Bridge, home to Super Notts.
I've already watched a couple of games up at Gedling Miners Welfare's Plains Road ground - they were given a reprieve and remain in the United Counties League after a miserable second half to the season. I travelled over to the old mining village of Cotgrave last Saturday to watch Gedling exit the FA Vase following a 4-1 defeat to a West Bridgford side who caught my eye with their pace and clinical finishing. I enjoyed a couple of pints of cider in the Welfare after the game with my good friend Jon Gilbert.
It's Sunday morning and Jenko is waiting for me outside my house in Carlton. We cross over the water towards the south of the county. We head through the villages of Edwalton and Tollerton - my two lads play Sunday morning football for the latter. Jenko turns off the A606 Melton Road into the upmarket village of Normanton-on-the-Wolds. It has a population of just over 250.
Seventeen lads, mainly from Keyworth, where we all grew up, are gathered in an upstairs room of the award-winning Plough Inn. In 1992, my mate Ackers and I set up the Keyworth Dream League (in new money a fantasy football league). We stopped doing it when we all got busy with work and bringing up our children. Like a phoenix from the flames it rose from the ashes, back in 2024.
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I've worked on an A-Z list of over 600 players from England, Scotland, France, Germany, Spain and Italy, complete with a three year goalscoring record. The auction lasts for three hours. It's ferocious, aggressive and good fun. We share a few pints afterwards before I finish up basking in the afternoon sunshine outside the Brew Cavern in Sneinton Market.
Faggsy and I stroll down Burton Road on Tuesday evening as we head towards Stoke Lane. Carlton Town are playing Coleshill Town in the Northern Premier Midlands League. The Millers did a 'Devon Loch' at the fag end of last season, falling on the final straight with the winning post in sight. Not gaining promotion after accumulating 90 points was a bitter pill to swallow. I was gutted for the die hard fans.
It all began to unravel on a stormy, windswept night in late March, when a 12 goal swing was gifted to title rivals Anstey. They never recovered from that dreadful horror show; finally losing out in the play-offs on penalties to Racing Club Warwick. A lad, drafted in, who missed a penalty, had never even kicked a ball for the club all season. A penny for the thoughts of those players sat on the bench that evening.
Key personnel have left for pastures new. The one that hurts and saddens me the most is the departure of club legend Dan Brown, who has signed for Barwell. I'll miss his dad too; we all will! Player of the season Ewan Robson has penned a contract with Alfreton Town. Rumours are rife that crowd favourite Lamin Manneh will be plying his trade in the National League North. Add to that a 5-0 drubbing in the West Midlands last Tuesday and a 2-0 reverse to Nuneaton at home last Saturday. No wonder there's a nervousness about the place as I greet a few folk I've not seen for a while.
We stroll over to the far side of the ground to view the game from 'The Malc Brown Stand. Not much is happening in the first half. Coleshill are quite direct, whilst at least the Millers try and get it down and play.
Former Stag, Jason Law, settles the uneasy feeling of the crowd with a fine strike to put the Millers ahead on 48 minutes. A flurry of chances arrive but are spurned and wasted. Coleshill, themselves, will wonder how they didn't equalise as the Carlton defence lives a charmed life. They are in debt to 'keeper Dan Jezeph in the nets who makes a series of saves and blocks. There's a crazy end to the game when the Coleshill stopper is caught high up the pitch. He commits a professional foul and is shown a straight Red. He loses his head. Another Red is brandished with further disciplinary action bound to be taken.
The Daily Mail readers in the shop are apocalyptic with rage on Wednesday morning when I point out to each customer at the counter that the artist formerly known as Prince Harry is to return to the U.K. I love it when Harry tips up in St Ann's, (an inner city part of Nottingham, that has its social problems) to see how the projects he has funded are progressing; just like his mum, Princess Diana, used to, back in the 1980's, when she visited our city.
It's Friday morning and I'm on the train to Lincoln. I noticed the glass recycling bin hadn't been emptied by Gedling Borough Council AGAIN. I keep my voice down as I have a whinge and a moan to a dippy customer service representative. Can I wait until the next collection? No, I can't. She clearly hasn't seen how many bottles of Prosecco Ms Moon and her daughter Becky can pot on a sesh.
I wander down Dixon Street to the birthplace of my father, it always cheers me up. I sup a couple of pints before returning to Nottingham. I sink a pint of Quiet Heartbeat, a hazy pale cask ale, from the Pentrich stable, at the Cock and Hoop on High Pavement.
I'm worn out folks, as up to yesterday I'd worked 13 out of the last 14 days, including a 9 day stretch of 3 a.m. alarm calls - stop moaning Sticky. MSR legend 'Chippy Fryer' is on long-term sick following a complex ankle fusion operation - get well soon pal. I wake to the sound of glass being emptied by GBC,
I fancy some Football League action. Tickets for Lincoln will be tricky to come by this season. Derby v Cardiff catches my eye. Should be a good game, and Derby is a piece of cake to get to; well so I thought. Those buffoons at EMR announce a platform change for the 12.50 train to Derby. Minutes before the train arrives, it's cancelled. They have a list of excuses as long as my arm. Even their CEO has had enough and stood down. He arrived home to a burnt tea that night, as his train was delayed.
I'm now in the hands of the train gods - even worse than that I'm relying on bottom of the performance table perennial strugglers Cross Country Trains. It's a 20 minute stroll to Pride Park. I've paid £39 for my ticket in the West Stand Upper. I grab a Twix duo and a bottle of Coke Zero for £7.10 - half the price at MSR folks.
The DJ is obviously playing what he wants to. Saturn 5 by Inspiral Carpets is the pick of the toons - it's quite random how he plays Squeeze and Scissor Sisters. I like Derby as a city and the folk are usually dead friendly, but I have the misfortune to be sitting next to a right miserable sod. He berates the referee, moans at the players and isn't too chuffed when I point out that the Rams should have been 3-0 up in the first six minutes.
The Bluebirds hit the bar after a shot is tipped onto the woodwork by their 'keeper. They take the lead shortly after with a close range finish from Ashford. Carlton Morris bundles his way through the visiting defence to restore parity. Ironically it's Morris who loses possession 70 yards up the pitch. Cardiff are like lightning on the break. Rubin Colwill sets up Salech for a simple finish. The travelling support are in fine voice and are winding up the Rams fans.
At the break I point out to misery guts sitting next to me that Rubin Colwill is running the show and Derby need to man mark him. The mardy sod turns his back on me and puts his headphones in. Ironically Special Brew by Bad Manners is blasting out of the PA system. I thought my man was going to bust a blood vessel when Salech scored Cardiff's second goal ..lol. The DJ plays an 80s classic, Dolce Vita by Ryan Paris. It's certainly an eclectic set.
Derby's best player, Bobby Clark, equalises early in the second half. It should set up a grandstand finish but Cardiff have to settle for a point following the substitutions of captain Colwill and 'Super Jack Moylan, their two most creative players; a key factor.
Attendance: 28,926
Man of the Match: Rubin Colwill
Best Beer: Year 6, Vault City, at Brew Cavern
Favourite Song on the Wireless: Hercules and Love Affair, My Journey
Credit Slacky and Steve Mac for the photos. Thanks Lads.
