Chip Wrappers: 03/11/2006

Where else to start this week but on the backpage of The Reporter where the Ashton United chairman John Milne is giving his backing to manager Scott Green. 'Milne angrily dismissed suggestions the Robins manager is under pressure' says the paper without mentioning anywhere in the article that those suggestions came from somebody at The Reporter.

In fact the whole reason for the piece is because the Ashton chairman rang up the paper to complain about comments added anonymously to a match report last week that were critical of the manager. This led to numerous angry postings on the Ashton forum slating the paper and their Stalybridge Celtic bias, which may be one of the reasons why this small section entitled 'Comment' is on the backpage:

Dave Pace's impressive Droylsden have flown the flag for Tameside football this season. Leading the way in the Nationwide Conference North thanks to a super home record and exciting football, they deserve promotion this time. Forget the 5-1 defeat in the FA Cup at Kidderminster Harriers - they were still the only Tameside team to get that far.

Despite it being an exercise in stating the blindingly obvious, if Droylsden's progress in the FA Cup was such an achievement (which it was) why not give them a bit of coverage on the back page rather than this? Even though they lost, surely they deserve more prominence than the news that Stalybridge have signed yet another player, along with a preview of their Cheshire Senior cup tie? Anyway it's good to see that the paper has finally realised that the Bloods were playing Kidderminster and not Kettering as they'd have you believe throughout the entirity of last week's preview of the match.

And speaking of previews of cup matches, there's absolutely no mention of our or Ashton United's FA Trophy games this weekend - well done to all concerned! Yes, I am being sarcastic though it's my fault for expecting anything from a paper that can't even print a Unibond Premier Division league table that isn't woefully inaccurate even before going to press.

The back of the Advertiser is given over to Dave Pace's musings on his sides capitulation to Kidderminster in the FA Cup. As well as the expected comments ("One of those games that didn't go right for us") he says:

"I just want to apologise to the fans because they were fantastic. A few harsh words will be said at training because the players were getting paid to be there on Saturday while the fans paid 50 or 60 quid."

Dave Pace may have an unerring ability at times to engage his mouth before thinking but it really is a refreshing change to see a manager apologising to the fans for his sides non-performance in a defeat to a Midlands team in the FA Cup which saw them four down at half-time. Admirable indeed.

A few pages in and just above a report on the Stalybridge - Marine game (a match in which Celtic were actually playing Vauxhall), the Mossley manager is reflecting on the defeat to Ossett, ".After a tongue lashing at half-time, I got the reaction I wanted and we were very good in the second half."

We were better than in the first half (which admittedly wouldn't have taken much to achieve) but "very good"? I think that's over egging it somewhat.

Ignoring the MEN's attempts to turn the FCUB-Maine Road game into something it isn't (Ramsbottom being the Bury sides 'derby' game) I'll finish with the news that 'Pavs Patch' is back! Unfortunately it isn't in The Reporter and it's not about non-league football but I'm sure that sooner or later Mike Pavasovic's new column in the Oldham Chronicle is bound to mention the semi-pro game sooner or later

Till next week.