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Post by gazz on Jun 5, 2020 22:36:26 GMT
hatter_in_macc Listening to the Luis interview earlier got me thinking about that season, with one of my prominent memories being that pre-season friendly that we played on Offerton at Half Moon lane, against Offerton United or Offerton Green? My question is, do you know how that bizarre choice of friendly came about? I remember walking across the disused all-weather Hockey pitch towards the grass pitch that was down the grass bank, with Dave Jones and our players all around me - it was totally surreal. Any information you can provide or find out would be greatly appreciated, mate.
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Post by hatter_in_macc on Jun 5, 2020 22:52:33 GMT
The hosts were Grove United, matey.
I was at the game, which we won by the odd goal in three, I think - although I have no idea how it came about in the first place! Will see what I can find out...
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Post by gazz on Jun 5, 2020 23:05:43 GMT
The hosts were Grove United, matey. I was at the game, which we won by the odd goal in three, I think - although I have no idea how it came about in the first place! Will see what I can find out... Thanks, matey! Ah, Grove United, cheers! I remember lads playing for them that I used to go to school with, particularly the two Cunningham brothers who were well-known in the local leagues at the time. I know Aidy Mike and Jeff Eckhardt played for us, but I couldn't name the whole team that played that day - many were fringe players, if I remember correctly? I actually sat on the grass bank behind the goal and watched the game from there.
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Post by hatter_in_macc on Jun 5, 2020 23:24:18 GMT
Richard Landon definitely played and scored. Pretty sure that Eckhardt got our other goal. And, yes, there were several fringe players on show that day. Think it might have been classified as a Reserve, as opposed to a First-team, friendly. I might have been on the grass bank for part of the afternoon, too! Can't recall hugging any strangers, when the winner went in, mind...
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Post by hatter_in_macc on Jun 6, 2020 11:39:57 GMT
Talking of 'Lando', he has an obsession - perhaps understandably for a former striker - about grounds where he scored. As you probably know, I travel to a good many away matches with him in the kit-minibus, and whenever we pass a stadium, or are in its vicinity, en route, he inevitably pipes up about the goal(s) he bagged there. Lost count of the number of times he has gone into raptures as we get up close to Walsall's on the M6! Anyway, on one occasion - travelling cross-country to either Boston or Gainsborough, I think - he took the road through Offerton out of Stockport. And, sure enough, off he went about putting the winner past Grove United in '96! He looked crestfallen to be then mocked mercilessly by the media team members on board for bigging up the achievement, although I did tell him as we got off the bus that I had been at the game and applauded his effort at the time. He let me sit in the front seat on the way home for that!
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Post by gazz on Jun 6, 2020 11:51:15 GMT
Talking of 'Lando', he has an obsession - perhaps understandably for a former striker - about grounds where he scored. As you probably know, I travel to a good many away matches with him in the kit-minibus, and whenever we pass a stadium, or are in its vicinity, en route, he inevitably pipes up about the goal(s) he bagged there. Lost count of the number of times he has gone into raptures as we get up close to Walsall's on the M6! Anyway, on one occasion - travelling cross-country to either Boston or Gainsborough, I think - he took the road through Offerton out of Stockport. And, sure enough, off he went about putting the winner past Grove United in '96! He looked crestfallen to be then mocked mercilessly by the media team members on board for bigging up the achievement, although I did tell him as we got off the bus that I had been at the game and applauded his effort at the time. He let me sit in the front seat on the way home for that! That's brilliant, mate. I reckon all Strikers are the same, I know I was - even when playing 5-a-side games, or that overhead kick I fluked once as a kid when we had jumpers for goalposts! That's a great story, Maccy!
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Post by hatter_in_macc on Jun 6, 2020 12:31:49 GMT
Cheers, Gazz - and thanks for prompting the memory. I was asked to write a piece for Lando's testimonial match programme a few years back (before I started reporting for County), and only wish I had known him better at the time. There would have been some quite good anecdotal 'on the road' material to share! Instead, I ended up recounting when he was outside Colchester's new stadium, and gave me (as well as a few other diehards) a free ticket to get in there, on a Tuesday night - which, to be fair, was very nice of him - followed up with some trippy-like nonsense about how, on returning to Macc Towers at stupid o'clock, I found rabbits eating up my front lawn!
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Post by gazz on Jun 6, 2020 12:33:48 GMT
Cheers, Gazz - and thanks for prompting the memory. I was asked to write a piece for Lando's testimonial match programme a few years back (before I started reporting for County), and only wish I had known him better at the time. There would have been some quite good anecdotal 'on the road' material to share! Instead, I ended up recounting when he was outside Colchester's new stadium, and gave me (as well as a few other diehards) a free ticket to get in there, on a Tuesday night - which, to be fair, was very nice of him - followed up with some trippy-like nonsense about how, on returning to Macc Towers at stupid o'clock, I found rabbits eating up my front lawn! Never mind Lando, I reckon a collection of your own stories would make for a cracking read, matey!
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Post by hatter_in_macc on Jun 6, 2020 12:37:26 GMT
Now, THAT'S my next lockdown project sorted - once I'm off duty from Music Association policing!
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Post by another_ruined_saturday on Jun 6, 2020 20:37:18 GMT
look, i said i'd come quietly...
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Post by another_ruined_saturday on Jun 6, 2020 20:46:07 GMT
That's brilliant, mate. I reckon all Strikers are the same, I know I was - even when playing 5-a-side games, or that overhead kick I fluked once as a kid when we had jumpers for goalposts! funny isn't it how we still have memories of those moments of doing something as though you were possessed by an international footballer when you were sh*t most of the time, even though those memories might be thirty or forty years old.
never managed to score an overhead kick, but somebody crossed behind me once when we were just having a kickabout and i turned away from goal, jumped and spun and caught it on the volley to score. unfortunately, we'd had a dry spell (they even had them in buxton) so the ground was rock hard, and i winded myself pretty badly when gravity caught up with me. no flash posing goes unpunished. a lesson i didn't learn when again, turning and running away from goal, i tried to sort of cruyff turn it on the volley and ended up having to retreat to A&E with a sprained lateral ligament to the sound of old person laughter as there were a few of them sitting on park benches watching. i bet it made their day.
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Post by gazz on Jun 6, 2020 22:13:18 GMT
i tried to sort of cruyff turn it on the volley and ended up having to retreat to A&E with a sprained lateral ligament to the sound of old person laughter as there were a few of them sitting on park benches watching. i bet it made their day. Ouch!
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Post by gazz on Jul 4, 2020 7:58:03 GMT
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Post by hatter_in_macc on Jul 4, 2020 11:31:24 GMT
Hmm... interesting. Mark Lockyear (with whom I had a fair bit to do around match data for the National League) was doing a decent job, so far as I could tell. Salary looks very modest for what the Club is expecting his replacement to do...
I hear that Simon Dawson and Lordy have left EP, too.
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Post by gazz on Jul 4, 2020 13:02:33 GMT
I hear that Simon Dawson and Lordy have left EP, too. Not exactly over the moon if that's true, Maccy. I know Mark Stott will want his best men on the job and I totally understand that, but Alan's been a great servant to County.
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