The latest outbreak of weariness, and possibly the last of the 08/09 campaign, came twenty minutes before the NWCFL title showdown between AFC Fylde and New Mills was due to start.
A light drizzle which had begun just as we'd reached the outskirts of Preston had turned into a heavy downpour by the time we reached junction three of the M55. Three miles into the middle of nowhere later, we were sat parked up in a field with a couple of hundred other cars in conditions not too dissimilar to those you'd expect to experience if you found yourself sat at the bottom of Lake Windermere.
With the ground appearing to offer little in the way of shelter from the conditions, some considerable thought was given to simply heading straight back home. As decision time neared though the clouds in the distance began to turn from dark gray to an off white and, with a whole summer to recover from the effects of pneumonia before the new season began, the choice was made to join the queue at the turnstiles and hope that it was better weather on the horizon. And thankfully it was. In fact the weather turned out to be a whole lot better then the match.
Don't let the score line at the top of this post fool you - it wasn't as one sided as it makes out. Until Fylde took the lead just before the interval with the first real moment of inventive football since the kick-off, New Mills had been the better side. This wasn't through any great skill on their part (hoofing the ball up the pitch doesn't require any) but they seemed more at ease, especially with things seemingly in their favour; the Millers only having to avoid defeat to win the league whle their opponents had to win to leapfrog them at the top of the table and claim the championship for themselves on goal difference.
And they remained the better of the two sides until Fylde added a second from the penalty spot. After that the men from High Peak simply fell apart and the home team added three more in quick succession; the fifth goal in particular being a highlight for Mossley fans with less than complimentary feelings towards Liam Higginbotham following his switch to New Mills.
If we didn't see a good game, we at least got to see what supporters could expect on their visit to Fylde next season and the answer isn't much.
It was said that Fylde simply took over a field to build the ground and it showed. There's a perimeter fence, a small all-seater stand that runs a third of the length of the pitch, a tiny boardroom, a tent that passes for a clubhouse, two dressing rooms that looked like POW huts and that's it.
Seriously, that's all there is at their Birley Arms ground apart from a P.A. announcer who could give the one at Skelmersdale a run for his money in the irritating stakes.
in all honesty, if it's fit for the Unibond North then those clubs in the league who've recently been forced into making improvements, despite having far better facilities, should demand an explanation from the graders.
Oh! I forgot to mention the pitch - a term I use in its loosest sense. Suffice to say that should the hallowed turf at Seel Park receive any uncomplimentary comments next season, the mere mention of the playing surface at Fylde should shut up any critics pretty damn sharpish.
On the plus side their fans were pretty decent though, at least the ones we could find amongst the crowd of 1217 were; the followings from either side dwarfed by the sheer numbers of neutrals in attendance. Besides Mossley fans there were people from Fleetwood, Blackpool, Bamber Bridge, Maine Road, the management from Woodley Sports to name but five of the many clubs represented.
So was it worth the long drive, getting drenched and standing in a biting wind? Probably not, no (even though it was nice when the sun came out) but it was a game of football to watch and with only one to go before a couple of months without any, it was better than nothing.
Besides, at least we know now how to get to Fylde's ground next year without the use of maps or sat navs.
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