Once a Blood, always a Blood
An update of Stalybridge’s season before this weekend’s huge derby…
It’s been a couple of months since the last post about Stalybridge, so will try to keep it brief. Since the shocking start to the season which left me pretty despondent about the months ahead it’s turned out that manager Steve Burr is a Paperback Mitre reader and stuck with some of the players I was imploring him to. Well done Steve, well done me, and well done Bridge – the league record since that post stands at P 11 W 7 D 4 L 0, so cop for that Blue Square North.
This run took Celtic briefly to the top of the league – since which we haven’t played a game (opponents playing in the FA Cup etc) and Southport have won 3 on the spin. This weekend sees a big title/promotion 6 pointer against local rivals Droylsden, and it’s going to be a humdinger. In my 4 years of re-following Celtic since university ended we’ve not managed a win against them, and recent events with the loathesome Droylsden chairman/manager/drug baron Dave Pace and his former goalkeeper have added an extra spice that wasn’t really needed in the first place…
Paul Phillips. Mr Droylsden. Goalkeeper that spits on young Stalybridge fans (what a twat) who stole his towel (brilliant) but then signed for Celtic at the start of last season after a fairly messy split from his horrible manager Pace. It took a long while for most Celtic fans to warm to him, and there was always a bit of an awkwardness to supporting him as far as I was concerned, but he’s a great keeper and had probably done enough to turn it round before going back to Droylsden a couple of weeks back in another messy affair involving him slagging off Celtic all over Facebook in an illiterate rage. Stay classy Paul. You absolute prick.
On a more positive note, the past two months have seen a couple of great away days – experienced by several members of the Mitre clan. Farsley away was a brilliant, unbelievable-levels-of-alcohol day with legal terrace boozing and an on-off saga throughout the week as Farsley were wound up and then revived less than 24 hours before kick off. Celtic won 2-1, lots of pissed chat to players in the social club and a night in Stalybridge – though mercifully I don’t remember much of that bit.
The FA Cup saw Bridge drawn against FC United away. Pete and Paul Mitre were again in attendance (an attendance of 2819, no less) to witness a really good 3-3 draw, bringing a nice money-spinning replay two days later. This wasn’t so good, despite the best atmosphere I’ve witnessed at Bower Fold for ages – I left my laptop on the train and spent the first half trying to get it back (I did, sick) and the second watching Celtic try to get back in the game after going a goal down (they didn’t, rubbish). Shit game and result, but positive mentions to them letting off a flare after scoring and a mass on-field brawl at the end of the game, a classic mixture of comedy and brutality giving a good tie (overall) a nice send-off.
Who’s up for Droylsden on Saturday?
