Holker Away-Day Video

For the away-day to Holker at the beginning of last month I took the camcorder in the hope of eventually creating a masterpiece containing lots of background and lead-up to the match, interviews with the players at the Whitewater Hotel stop-off, topped off with loads of match footage from a pulsating game containing a hatful of Cheadle goals.

I was, of course, to be ultimately disappointed on the goals and interviews front. Rather than let the footage I had go to waste I dumped it all into Final Cut Express, did a bit of messing about, swore a bit because I haven't used FCE before and it was doing things I didn't want it to do and eventually came up with this.

It's not much in terms of content, but you'll only lose seven minutes of your life watching it. Enjoy.

Just In Case You Don't Know What You're Doing

I know I did one a while back and fully appreciate that most of you are loyal regulars who probably know their way around this website, but I've done another "show and tell" guide to remind people of a few of the extra features that are sort-of hidden away. If you're a newbie then, of course, this will be a real help.

Apologies for the loss of detail in the picture but whenever you upload anything to YouTube it gets compressed to within an inch of its online life, resulting in a loss of quality. You should get the gist of it anyway....

"Mary Bradley waits at home, in the nuclear fallout zone..."

As I blew the dust from my 'Now That's What I Call Christmas' CD the other night, a question occurred to me...one that perhaps our faithful blog readers may be able to answer.

On the track listing of this CD - and indeed on the track listing of every Christmas compilation out there - is Jona Lewie's 'Stop The Cavalry'. Apart from some jaunty, slightly festive-sounding brass, could somebody please tell me the link between this song and Christmas? Good luck....

Wanted: Equity Card at Park Road

Barry Cotterill: Cheadle Town defender and now star of one of ASDA's latest christmas adverts.

He's the bloke at the end of the advert getting a hug from Julie Walters...

Fouls n' Fights

To fill the midweek gap, here's another video. This time it's a compilation of football's top fights and fouls.

Not as good as what you'd see at Park Road(!)

Three Of The Best

Here's where this season's FA Cup exploits all started: that 3-0 home victory over Ashton Town back at the start of the month. The next chapter of our cup saga takes place at Dinnington Town a week on Saturday.

I've cobbled together a short video of the three (excellent) goals that saw us through that day: Arron's deft flick over the 'keeper, Andy Lindon's daisy cutter and Johnny Hussain's early contender for Goal of the Season. Even if you're not a fan of the Cheadle, I'm sure you'll still enjoy the liquid football on offer

A Mars a Day

It was refreshing to see the Mars Bar back at its best.

After a sickly Mac came to the touchline saying he felt queasy it was left to Deano on his prodigal return to offer up the "Mars a day" solution. Still digesting the wonder bar that was handed to him by Trevor, Mac hit a beauty. In the end it was enough to knock out former winners of the FA Vase St Helens Town.

I have to say there seemed to be a lot of Crook Town [who we knocked out of the FA Cup last season] in this team; I felt for them having had team management turmoil in midweek apparently and a bit of rancour on the pitch.

It was a sad sight at the end when their goalie disappeared and missed the team warm down and post-match inquest. I am sure St Helens are a better team than this and I wish them well but take nothing away from our display.

We were great again on Saturday. "Put the champange on ice, we're going to Wembley twice". I hope we avoid the cliches and don't become a "cup team" to the detriment of our league form. But for now victory is sweet.

I thought our passing was exemplary and our work rate fantastic as ever. Disciplinewise, this season is a revelation; despite the late challenges and headlocks our team didn't respond other than pass the ball better and score another wonder goal.

Can't wait to see the DVD evidence.

In the meantime here's a classic 70s advert for the chocolate bar that helped us onto victory on Saturday....

Reporter vs Religious Nutcase

Some say that the football match of Boca Juniors v River Plate is the mother of all clashes, but after trawling through YouTube during my lunch-hour at work the other day I came across this video that I'm about to share with you.

From the good ol' U.S of A - where it's "anything goes" on television, it would seem - comes this verbal tear-up between a Fox news reporter and somebody of religious persuasion.

You'd never see the BBC's Fiona Bruce laying into somebody like this....

No Comment,Just Watch

How To Be A Footballer's Wife

With no sign of the NWCFL2 fixtures (probably not until mid-July), no whiff of pre-season friendlies for our very own Cheadle Town or anything to rant about, I'm left with no choice but to drum my fingers with indifference and continue to arse about in an online manner.

Hence another video to share with you. Just in case any of the players' better halves are watching, here's some handy advice courtesy of VideoJug....(click on the video to get it started)

VideoJug: How To Be A Footballer's Wife

Things That Football Players Shouldn't Be Doing

Appearing in television adverts. For anything.

I'm using this as a lame excuse to test-drive Blogger's new video uploading thing but I hope I make my point. Mr Keegan ought to be ashamed of himself.

Somehow I can't see Cheadle's very own Johnny Hussain appearing in something as darkly homoerotic as this.....

Counting on the Pollen Count

Every June - and only in June - I become a miserable, stuffed-up, itchy-eyeballed, sneezing wreck as hayfever claims another victim, cast aside on the pavement on life, high as a kite on anti-histamine.

Therefore it is with mild humour, a wry smile and no expectation of sympathy that I share this video with you. It's a Public Information Film taken from the 1950s starring Richard Massingham who was a regular in these films at the time and was one of a set accompanying the "Coughs and Sneezes Spread Diseases" campaign. I can only assume that people really didn't know what to do with a hankerchief back then....

Enjoy.

FC United 3-3 Cheadle Town: Video

Look what I've found on YouTube.

All the goals from the 3-3 draw with FC United during the 2005-2006 season, taken from Channel M's coverage of the game. There's no sound to it which is a shame because there's a brief interview with Trevor at the end. Look out for a great diving header - albeit from a yard out - for Cheadle's first....

Hairdryer

When I first saw this on YouTube the first thing that came into my head was "I wonder if Trevor is like this during a half-time team-talk when Cheadle are two-nil down?"

The footage is of a BBC journalist - forget his name now - who was doing a documentary on Scientology and who, let us say, "lost it a bit" with semi-hilarious results. Watch for the way he suddenly cools down...before flying off the handle again!

Making Our Minds Up

Whilst the CTFC presentation evening was unfolding, Europe was embracing its geographical politics and getting nasty. Don't you just love the Eurovision Song Contest?

In case you haven't caught the latest entertainment news, the United Kingdom had four teeny-boppers dressed up as airline staff - Scooch - literally "flying the flag" (that was the name of their song). If you're fiercely patriotic and were hoping for a Union Jack-clad victory, then you were to be disappointed. The UK came second-from-bottom.

However, it could have been a lot worse. May I rewind you back to Eurovision 1983 - the disputed 'heydays' of the competition - and Spain's entry that, unsurprisingly (you'll see why), didn't fair so well. Questions to ask yourself whilst you watch it: Who or what does she keep pointing at? Who told her she could sing? Where was Julio Iglesias when Spain needed him? Enjoy, if you can....

CTFC Presentation Evening

It was the presentation evening at Park Road on Friday night with a handful of awards being dished out to various members of the first and reserve teams.

The 'Players' Player of the Season' was defender Barry Cotterill, who sadly wasn't able to attend the ceremony to pick up his prize. The 'Manager's Player of the Season' went to midfielder Andy Lindon; here he is picking up his prize after a few kind words from Trevor:

There were awards for the reserve team and all. It was good to see first team occasionals Stuart Kay and Andy Street picking up awards.

Thanks to all involved for a great evening and extra thanks to chairman Chris Davies and Trevor Howard for giving us a mention during the proceedings!! That's that now for the season just gone - this blog is going to close the book on it and move on....

The Pole & Polardin On The Road!

Another video for you.

It's one of life's greatest unanswered questions: "what is it like for the Pole & Polardin when they go on the road following Cheadle Town FC?". Great readers and regulars of this website, I present to you the answer in video format. The footage was taken during the away day to Norton United a couple of weeks ago.

Granted it's probably not that exciting for 99.9% of you and it'll hardly be knocking on the doors of the Oscars, but hopefully it captures the essence of what following a NWCFL2 team away from home is like. Apologies for not getting any footage of the match itself as the battery died on me; said hopeless battery has now been given its P45 and superceded by a much fitter model that should last longer if I decide to do this sort of thing again.

Enjoy, if you can. Warning: don't be showing this to the kiddies - there's some bad language (mainly from me). Sorry.

Cheadle v Winsford: The Goals

Unfortunately the footage you're about to see doesn't contain any Cheadle goals, but useful footage it is nonetheless. Trevor - Cheadle Town's very own Brian Clough - might want to look away now.

The film is courtesy of Aaron Flanagan - you might have seen some of the comments left by a 'Winsford Boy' on here...that's him. Thanks for the footage, Aaron, but no thanks for managing to include Polardin on it; he'll be wanting his appearance fee from Equity!

Before that, though, an update on the race for that third spot in Div 2. New Mills beat Bootle 5-3 last night, meaning that they are now just three points behind third-placed Padiham with a game-in-hand, with those two to play each other at the Arbories tomorrow night! A win for New Mills will bring Cheadle right into the spotlight as we face Padiham ourselves at Park Road this Saturday. More of our possible role as masters of chaos later on this week.

Anyhow, onto the footage.....

Personally I'd have chosen a Gabriel-era Genesis track to accompany this. Something dark and moody like 'Watcher Of The Skies' or 'Return Of The Giant Hogweed'.....

Bollards To That

To herald the coming of new, tougher laws for drivers who are caught using a mobile phone whilst driving, here's a little video of some of Manchester's people-behind-the-wheel committing something that should be regarded as a motoring offence: crass stupidity.

Meet The Mellotron!

For those of you who are like me and have some musical tastes in the prog-rock camp, you'll know about the musical instrument called the Mellotron. I was digging around YouTube the other day and found this absolute classic piece of "home demo" footage, created by Pathe News.

Even if you're not into prog-rock, the hokey nature of the presenters is worth a look. They don't make them like this anymore. Enjoy.