Oh No It's Garforth Again...

This Saturday we welcome Garfoth Town AFC back to Seel Park for the third time in ten months. And after the three occasions when we played them last season we can assume that the A stands for anti.

Watching Town wasn't a particularly pleasant experience. Despite their owner/managers embracing of 'samba football', other than an impressive cameo by Jason St Juste at Seel Park in November, there was little evidence of it on the field. And nothing seems to have changed this year.

After the first game of the season Colwyn Bay fans passed comment on Garforth's unique style of play, as did Clitheroe's following the second match.

Their third game against Curzon inspired Gary Lowe to give the majority of his next programme notes to over to condemning Garforth for their style of play and their gamesmanship which, according to the Blues manager, appeared to involve falling over a lot and pretending they were injured.

Last year we did the hat-trick against Garforth. Not the good one, the middling one – won one, drew one, lost one. That solitary win came in the penultimate match of the campaign when Leon Henry scored what was not only the winner but what turned out to be Goal of the Season as well. Something you can still relive by clicking the M80Tube link in the menu on the right.

In the summer it was announced (where exactly I wish I could remember) that 'friend of the stars' Simon Clifford would be taking a more hands on approach to the management side of the club again after the distractions of business took him away from it.

One of these distractions was choreographing the football in a film based on the book ‘That Damned United’ – a semi-fictionalised account of Brian Clough’s 44 day spell in charge of Leeds.

His role is similar to the one Pele had on Escape to Victory but instead of overhead kicks and back heels, expect to see on a cinema screen near you shortly, someone who vaguely looks like Billy Bremner attempting to kick the ball over the main stand at Elland Road. Still, on the evidence of Mossley’s matches against Garforth last season, the tackling 'dirty Leeds' were renowned for in the 70’s will at least look authentic.

And just like Edison Arantes do Nascimento, Clifford will also be “acting” in the film as well, playing the role of Leeds forward Mick Jones. Rumours that Garforth have asked the league to postpone their fixture due to take place on Oscar weekend - “just in case” - are still to be confirmed.