When blog entries begin with ... "or tales of", it means that Mr. Steve "Retired Bank Manager" Reading was present at pitchside.
An obscure Notts Senior League Division One game - both teams mid-table and neither team breaking any pots ....yet Steve made his way from Spireite land to join me, Kev and over 30 others at the Hucknall Rolls Sports ground.
We have not seen Boots so far this season....they dropped down a division at the end of last season despite winning the Senior Division by a clear 8 points. I seem to remember the local rag going on about finances and sponsorship etc. but to go from Senior Division champs to mid table in Division 1, there must have been very good reasons for Boots to take the action they did.
Boots' keeper was christened Al Murray by Mr. Reading - the resemblance was remarkable... but more remarkable was the introduction by Villa late in the second half of a real veteran (old bloke) who was promptly likened (although by looks and appearance only) to former Arsenal player George Eastham ...
Unusually for me, I didn't know one single player on the pitch - Referee Steve Sears was about the only person whose identity I can be 100% sure about.
Boots went ahead on 21, a penalty buried by their no. 9 " BROWNY" after Mr. Sears spotted a handball in the area. H-T 1-0. Boots then hit the bar within 10 minutes of the restart, but they did go further ahead 60 seconds later when a shot from NEIL "MIDO" HAMED was deflected into the net off the leg of the visiting no. 6.
The best move of the game saw the home team increase their lead in the 67th minute - full back Craig Jones raced forward ( and he's a big lad!), swapping passes with "Mido" before the ball found "BROWNY" who fired home from the edge of the box.
"Mido"
MIDO fired in the home teams fourth with a minute to play -- a ball in from the right sailed straight across the face of the goal the no. 8 smashed it past the Villa keeper who had to be pleased he got nothing on it .....it was a ferocious rocket shot that would have took him into the net as well !!! F-T 4-0
Admission -- my favourite entry fee £0
No programme
Attendance - counted 40 at one stage ... but that's not bad for NSL Div One !
