Away days - Salford City

I was sat in The Church, Flixton. Reminiscing with Cappy about how we both went to the same high school. Sempie was buzzing after a "really good day" and Matt Brown was developing a new nickname. Trafford FC had just beaten Salford 3-2 away in the Manchester Cup. School the next day was an after thought...

... The night began with me thinking I might not even make the game. It was just over an hour to kick off and The Stephens' had not yet got back in touch with me about the lift they'd offered. Fear not, Tim knocked on my door at 7.00 just I was putting my little girl to bed. 25 minutes later and via picking Mel up, we were outside the ground.

After a little discussion of 'can we get in this way', we soon found we could and we did. After watching Melody trying (and failing) to kick a stray ball in her 24 inch high-heels back onto the pitch and walking past some Trafford FC 1st teamers sat in the stands, I was at the bar ordering a beer. 

I sat down and within 2 minutes had bagged myself a couple of TFCSC jobs to do the next day! Pint transferred into a plastic cup and out to watch the game I went.
Earlier on in the day it had been announced that Trafford had released/sold two players and there was lots of discussion of what team we would put out... it turned out to be a 2nd string/youthful/experienced players coming back from injury sort of selection. There was a pleasant atmosphere although the Salford manager was obsessed with Mini Mason's feet shouting, "Look at his feet, liner" every time he took a throw-in! The first half saw some entertaining football and the Trafford lads very much played like a 1st team. HT and we were 2 up!

I went and got the beers in as Sempie was 'desperate for the bog'. 
Sempie later remarked how beautiful and clean the toilet behind the stand was. He mentioned how you definitely did not have to walk through a swamp of wee to enter it and that it definitely did not resemble a cell out of Alcatraz! 

Anyway, out for the 2nd half and as I walked to the other end of the pitch I could hear the never ending banter of Mark Molyneux giving out some generous portions of stick to anyone and everyone. Something along the lines of singing a Proclaimers song came my way!

The 2nd half saw more Trafford dominance but some poor defending or perhaps a case of taking their foot off the peddle saw Salford twice get back into the game. It should have been out of sight! a quick, yet regrettable visit to the aforementioned toilet (It would have been cleaner to do it in my pants!) and I had been persuaded to go for another pint. Spirits were high and two pints later and one and a half hours after I said I would be, I was home.

Ratings

Game: 8/10   

Ground: 7/10 nice pitch, awful toilet

Food: Sempie said food was awful, so 2/10.

Beer: Crystal lager... lovely. 8/10

Fans: 7/10 friendly enough.

Value for money: 9/10 £6 admission.

Referee: 4/10. If the Salford manager shouted offside, the linesman gave it!

My Man of the Match: Killa Kam!

By

Andy Glinka