24th March 2015 - West Auckland (h)

Will the pot of gold be in Hillheads once more?

It was a low key visit to Hillheads for the visit of West Auckland. Our record against them hadn't been great so when the Boy Mark picked me up we weren't too optimistic. However the performance the previous Saturday suggested we would not be humiliated. There was hope of a new phase beginning for the Once-Mighty-Soon-to-be-Again Bay when a full rainbow could be seen the day before the match above Whitley. It had to be a sign! There was more excitement for the fans entering the ground (well me) as the usual fare of 60s hits blaring out of the musical soul-destroying tannoy had been replaced by eighties hits: namely my favourite Smiths track Big Mouth Strikes Again followed by a more mellower Bob Dylan. It was also nice to see the referee and linesmen had coordinated their hairstyles: all three bald as a coot! Don't try that one Lucy!

Yet again the modest crowd looked just over 200, which was a shame, given the improved form and standard of play. There was a surprise change in goal, with McCafferty replacing Flynn (a response to Saturday's flap-gate?). Also Robinson returned to the starting line-up for the first time since being injured: a reward for his part in a late fightback against Guisborough? Despite the error for the Guisborough winner, Flynn had performed heroics at times to keep the Bay in the game so it looked a bit harsh if that was the reason he found himself on the bench.

Bob and the Boy Mark go crazy after Robo's wonder strike!

The Bay took the game straight to the visitors right from the start and there were the trademark quick passes out of defence and with Birdie and Kempster causing problems on the wings, things were looking good. A shot was cleared off the line and the West keeper had to be on his metal to keep a number of great shots out. There was joy amongst the 255 crowd when Robo made a nifty turn before spectacularly finding the top corner of the net! The Whitley workrate was phenomenal but it was hard to see how they could keep that up in the second half. Also hard to fathom was the new craze that was beginning to appear at Hillheads of men wearing shorts in the cold evening. These were not athletes who had just popped in on the way home from their run, practice or match. No! These were deliberate attempts to pretend that Summer was here and could only end in hypothermia and manflu! Never mind the fact that they were, on the whole, the most horrendous collection of faded 70s fashion wear. No! Men of Whitley don't be tempted again! Not even if it is Summer: not with those legs!

Take it like a man and
drink your bovril!

As if to prove their disapproval of the whole fashion shorts situation West scored. The ball was slotted through to their number nine, Matthew Moffat, to score against the run of play. Please not a Guisborough repeat show we cried at half time.
It was cold comfort that our brave group had avoided the shorts rebellion by wearing multiple layers as we supped our purchases from Tommy's Tavern. We were still freezing and West had been let back into the match. We were joined for the second half by Newly Neal, who I hadn't seen since our excursion to Blyth: hopefully a last minute opposition goal wouldn't by signalled by his arrival.
The second half looked ominous as West pushed forward with renewed energy but Whitley held firm and soaked up the pressure. McBride could have put us back into the lead when Robo played him in but his effort flashed over. It was at this point that the need for a new set of strips became obvious as Bob pointed out the size of Birdie's shorts in relation to the rest of his body. The drag factor alone was enough to stop him scoring and a new set of strips would mean an end to the legacy hanging over the club since visiting Wembley: four long years ago!
Food for the Big Coat Crew there?

And Farrell scores!

West were now turning up the screw and it was all hands to the pump for the Bay. However when we needed a hero, up stepped the Bald Bandido, Farrell: still not sporting a moustache. The hairless wonder took a pass from Robo on the edge of the West box before launching a sublime effort into the top corner (yes again) and in so doing avoided the outstretched hand of the West keeper Lowson: a bit too Low he was. (sorry best I can do).
This was still plenty of heart-in-mouth stuff, including McCafferty clearing the ball straight at a visiting striker without him capitalising but Andy Farrell personified the new spirit with his tackling and was rewarded with a friendly punch from a blue striped shirt after typically battling to retain the ball deep into injury time.
 The final whistle was welcomed and there was a warm fuzzy feeling around NE25 as the Paddy revolution gained momentum!
Getting home and tucked up in bed reading the programme with a cup of hot chocolate and a slice of cake, it was sad to read that the loyal face of Whitley David Hall would not be a feature of any more Bay games as he is moving to Malta. A big fan of everything Whitley and not a fan of my own past with Newcastle's Ice Hockey scene, it is sad to see such a loyal fan leaving. It must have been a good way to end his supporting career. He bid everyone farewell standing by the car park gate and I am sure we all wish  him a safe journey and good luck in his new life: it will certainly be warmer!

Well done Shields....

Well done North Shields for reaching the 2015 FA Vase final.....

.....there done it, but it hurt.

21st March - Guisborough Town

Bouyant boy!

The Paddy revolution had stalled slightly when the lads lost 3-2 at Morpeth. Today was another challenge for the Bay when second placed Guisborough arrived. The competition from the Big Toon people meant the crowd was down but 228 people still turned up and I was in a buoyant mood on the way to Hillheads. Things were on the up, I felt. Even better, the boys had managed to win the away game 2-1 in October. so a revitalised Whitley stood a great chance of getting a result at home. A quick check of the programme informed us that there would not be many bookings as we had our favourite, tolerant referess (thanks for that Paul Statto) Lucy May: who often preferred a good talking to: a little too often, maybe?
The first fifteen minutes of the game it looked like the Bay were the top two side and not the other way. With Andy Ferrell and new arrival (another? )Jake Richardson  marshalling the midfield and Blandford and Laws looking solid in defence we were sure this was to be our day. At this point the Boy Mark arrived, having just finished buying a new washer and tumble dryer....white ones apparently: nice! Watling and Bird had gelled up front and when Watters was put through on goal, he slotted majestically past the visiting keeper. Cue celebrations!

Go on... book someone Lucy for
breaking Alex's nose...

Not long after though there was drama as Kempster, who had been causing no end of problems received a blow to the face and had to receive treatment. He was soon substituted with a suspected broken nose, to be replaced by Mrs Norris's son: Sam. This seemed to blunt the Bay attack and Guisborough equalised from a great cross and header with half time approaching.

Moira - so incensed she decides to
 invade the pitch, slightly.

The second half started and I was showing more interest in my marvellous cup of tea purchased from Tommy's Tiny Tea Tavern when Guisborough were ahead. Apparently, the impressive Flynn had been caught in two minds. Catch? Punch? I'll wave at it instead he decided and we were behind. From this point on Guisborough did their best to slow things down and I earned  disapproval from the blue-coated Whitley Elders by telling him to "Get on with it!" No swearing, no derogatory terms...but not accepted Bay Behaviour, apparently!  People get a bit cross, especially when someone dressed as a radioactive lemon takes forever to release the ball...how about a card Lucy? No, best just encourage them to go a bit faster....of course... good idea.

Take your time lemon head!

After that the game drifted a bit as Whitley mounted occasional attacks with some great play but the final ball just wasn't there. As Town packed their defence, Paddy decided it was time to introduce Robo for his first appearance since....a long time: time for a Robo pinpoint pass!

The loyal Bellenders!

Guisborough still looked dangerous on the break and Flynn had to be on his toes to spectacularly save on a number of occasions and more than made up for his earlier error: including a spectacular 1 on 1 effort, saved with his feet.
It was also good to see the return of the Bay bell - chiming each attack: a little throwback to the good old days and sorely missed when it isn't there!
With the arrival of Robo, it was also a chance to judge the increasingly competitive Bay Beard competition with Craig Mc still leading the way in both bushiness and style...of course it would be great to see the fiercely competitive Andy Ferrell join in the competition and so become the Bay's own Tim Howard...just a thought but the competition is still running so keep those beards growing!

The final word almost belonged to the bearded maestro McFarlane when he exchanged passes with Robbie the Birdman and his effort was just deflected over the bar and onto the top of the net.
There was even time for a fracas of handbags towards the end, after which Lucy decided to pull out the cards: no wonder she finished the game soon after: obviously needed a lie down!

 A valiant effort but it was not to be. However we had played the team with the best away record in the league and been unlucky. There had been fight, determination and good football so things look extremely positive. The Paddy revolution rolls on!

Craig does the Matrix

Energetic lino

Birdie on the ball!

Beard envy from the boy Mark?

7.3.15 Whitley bay will be rocking tonight...sort of.

Dunston (h) Paddy gets his first home win. 

The game started in such a low-key manner. For the first home game since 2007, Paul Chow was not a member of the squad and it was a sad statistic that his last goal for the Bay had been the penalty he had scored in the FA Vase. A veritable legend had left the Bay...and not in the manner that a legend would have deserved. The man who had scored the fastest ever goal at Wembley and been Whitley's top scorer every season since he had arrived deserved better, however these are dark days at the Bay. So thanks Chowie for the memories of which there are many. It really was a blast. 

Meanwhile, the present day Whitley team, minus Chow, had won in Durham 4-3 but today we were up against sixth-placed Dunston, a team who had already beaten us 5-1 and 5-0 the previous season and twice this season - 1-0 in the league and 2-1 in the FA vase. This was a result that had proved to be a turning point in the club's management and personnel as Leon decided enough was enough and put his family first. Now we had enough new players to field 3 teams (almost...thanks for that idea, Neil). The day before kick off we had another three players signing Tom Flynn arriving from Consett, Andy Ferrell from Ashington and Sam Norris from Team North.

In the first ten minutes there wasn't much for Whitley fans to get excited about, with an offside against Robbie Bird being the only positive forward play. Therefore concern was focussed on the new Whitley keeper, Tom Flynn wearing a GREEN jersey rather than the mucky and depressing grey one we had been subjected to. He even had a 'comfortable save' to make to start his Whitley career from a backpass. 

There were two other concerns. The first was Paul the Statto's worry that the wind would turn out to be the MOM and as the ball swirled about in the stratosphere above Hillheads, it seemed that this concern would come true. The second was that the boy Mark was standing too close to the edge of the yellow line as he precariously rocked away on the paving slabs. Luckily, disaster was averted when he stepped back from the yellow line after realising the precariousness of his situation.

Too close to the yellow line!

Keeping a safe distance:
 Paul Statto and Claire

On the pitch newbie Sam Norris (was he related to Mrs Norris, Fitch the caretaker's cat in Harry Potter?) was taking every opportunity to shoot down the wing like a gazelle. Unfortunately just like a gazelle, his final pass into the penalty box was lacking as he either lost control or his pass was intercepted. The potential is there though...Unfortunately Watling still seemed to be stomping around the pitch, and was lucky not to booked when his disappointment at a handball in the Dunston penalty area led to him blasting the ball out of playing, narrowly missing the linesman in the process. To add to this, he had previously missed a one on one with the keeper. His effort being easily pushed wide by the Dunston number 1. He wasn't a happy budgie although his partnership with Birdie Bird up front seemed to be continuing to progress, despite the fact that Robbie, the smallest man out of the two and maybe on the pitch, seemed to be trying flick the balls on for the much larger Watling. Maybe a rethink is in order there, Paddy. Chris McD seemed to be enjoying a certain renaissance however and had a great first half until I mentioned the fact to the Boy Mark and he immediately messed up a pass. The half time whistle blew but I thought it was a bit pre-emptive for the tannoy to begin playing Thin Lizzy's Boys are Back in Town for the first time even though the Bay had managed to avoid falling behind in the first half.

The second half still featured the strong wind, as witnessed by the pigeon that tried to bank over the new stand and ended up being carried back across the pitch...it made me laugh anyway. The Boy Mark, however was getting increasingly frustrated by Norris' final balls, despite his great approach play, and had to be warned to keep away from the yellow line. It was a relief for him that the new boy was replaced by Michael Williamson, one of the earlier wave of newbies who had recently impressed. In fact Whitley, for once, were playing much better against top half opposition. The sight of a man walking his dog past us failed to distract us from the action...something I couldn't have said in previous matches. There was an upsurge in delight as Dunston's number 2 (Stephen Harrison - sorry for naming you) slipped in the 81st minute, leaving Williamson through on goal. The substitute had obviously learned from his team-mate Watling , and slotted the ball easily into the visiting net to begin the celebrations amongst most of the 307 fans in the ground. There was even time for a comedy moment as the Dunston keeper attempted to head the ball clear only for the wind to pick the ball up, along with the pigeon that had still failed to escape Hillheads, and send it back towards his own goal-line where Birdie was waiting to head it, the ball not the pigeon, goalwards. Once again Robbie ended up giving another virtual piggyback to a six-foot plus player as the jostled to head the ball. The ball eventually drifted wide and within a minute the match was over. The Bay had won at home for the first time since early January and in two consecutive matches for the first time since the end of November. 

Compared to what we had had to endure at Hillheads, this match was certainly a great improvement on the previous affair and for us That was Entertainment....from Easily Satisfied from Whitley Bay. Take that you Dunston miseries who gave me the idea for the musical video.

21st February....why did we bother?

Newton Aycliffe.

I really don't know where to start with this one. I set off from feeling so optimistic, having full confidence that the team would move on from their superb performance against Blyth to win against fourth from bottom Newton Aycliffe. I actually felt like the Readybrek kid with a warm glow around myself as I thought of the prospect of at last seeing the Bay play well and win. The sun even seemed to be shining...all was well with the world.
There were the happy pairing of Melanie and Fred, who every week welcome me to the ground, selling their raffle tickets and programmes. If I am one of the first to buy a programme, I am rewarded with a photocopied team sheet. What more could you ask for? Also there was Barrie in his programme shop? Whitley programmes dating back to the Jurassic era when programmes were written on slates using tyrannosaurus teeth? Barrie's got them there...somewhere.

Barrie meets the Turtles...but who is more famous?

There was more excitement to add to the bonheur surrounding the ground: the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle had come to watch the Bay! Desperate to meet his heroes Barrie raced over to get in a picture with them. It was going to be a good day to be a Bay fan...

There was more excitement as my two bearded buddies arrived: Small Paul and Paddy Galore. Escaping from family responsibilities was what keeps some of us supporting the Bay during the dark times, along with all the loyalty and devotion stuff. These two are fine followers of this religion. Unfortunately, as the game progressed, their decision to abandon their loved ones looked to have backfired again as Newton Aycliffe's number 8, Martin Young  blasted in two long range screamers within what seemed like the first twenty minutes. Just like the Billingham Game, Whitley hadn't really looked like scoring before they were behind. Once again the game drifted along and interest wavered. Paddy took to translating the Bay logo "Ludus est Omnis" using all the skills gleaned from his C in GCSE Latin, translating it as "Play is everything". I must admit I hadn't thought of it all these years so felt enlightened by this discussion and a bit ashamed. Unfortunately they then carried on discussing whether Italian footballers should wear Roman numerals on their backs instead of numbers...that is where they lost me.

My attention turned to the group of visiting fans to our left: three ladies, one obviously a mother and another a grandmother while the third sat on the floor - a young girl who began waving frantically at one of the visiting players without attracting his attention. The thing about this girl was that under her arm was a tiny dog wrapped in a blanket. Snow began to fall and the ladies beat a retreat to the safety of the bar (I assumed) and the next thing I saw was a similar looking dog under a young man's arm. Had I missed the "Bring Your Dog to the Match" memo? This train of thought was interrupted by Aycliffe's third goal after Whitley had once again failed to clear a ball on the edge of their penalty box.

Here's comes the snow...where is the lady with the dog?

 The other highlight from the game was Barrie sprinting past informing everyone that the first two goals were offside...wishful thinking I thought from the programmed one since all their goals had been from just inside their own half (sort of). 

Half time arrived and the highlight of the game was the penalty shootout that the Turtles had asked to hold...it certainly had sunk to that level that a bunch of lads visiting Tyneside for a 30th birthday could overshadow the skill...or lack of it from the home side...on the pitch either side of half time.

Thanks for entertaining us lads...

The second half looked to be a great improvement on the first as Chow was introduced and was winning headers, setting up attacks. Even Robbie B and MacFarlane seemed to be on the same wavelength and were finally passing to each other but Watling still didn't seem happy with the constant stream of aerial balls. Finally Birdie picked up a clearance on the edge of the penalty box and drilled home to give us hope. A 3-3 draw looked on the cards until a clearance in the home penalty box ended up being drilled past McCafferty who hadn't looked as confident as he had in the previous two games. That proved to be too much for a lot of the home fans and by the time the final whistle blew there were very few fans still in the ground.

I left, depressed and frustrated. The style of play Paddy had brought with him certainly wasn't gaining many fans. The crowd of 270 odd for a home Saturday game, when Newcastle were playing half an hour after the final whistle, was a really depressing sight. Ever since the last win at Wembley this club has been steadily dropping down the league and now we are struggling to beat anyone. The long ball out of defence was supposed to be going to get results but we are now three games into the new regime's reign and yet it is the worst. The football is unattractive and the team seem to lack shape. When will the sun rise again for Whitley fans? Next week we are away to Durham City...what will Chan think of the team that has replaced his all conquering Vase teams of 2009-11? Dread to think but I hope I am proved wrong. 

February 17th 2015 Blyth Spartans (a)

Trepidation was the word to describe my feeling as I set off to pick up new member of the crew (who I have decided to call Neily New (I know it's lame but until he comes up with a better nickname it stays...the challenge has been thrown down, mate). With the last Whitley Bay victory over a month and a half ago added to the fact that eleven goals had been conceded for a solitary reply and that tonight's Northumberland Senior Cup Semi final was against a team from a couple of leagues above us...a hammering seemed the only outcome.
For driving Neil to the game he very kindly insisted on paying me in, which was cost him the princely sum of five of your English pounds. There was also the shock of being asked the equally royal sum of two English pounds for their programme, however, and this is no slur on the Whitley programme which is probably produced on a shoestring budget and I always enjoy buying from our lovely programme sellers, it had shiny paper throughout and a number of articles from fans, colour photos and also...most importantly a fixtures double page that told you who played in which game and how many goals they scored etc...like we used to have. Suppose that is what you expect in Evostick Premierland but it was nice: the difference between leagues..even though their attendances are not all together different: last Blyth game attracted 346 with 503 for a Saturday game. With the Bay in the doldrums, yep we are, most definitely, our last crowd was 242 and that is a bad one for us. There isn't that much difference between the two clubs (obviously we are better normally - they just happen to be higher up than us!)
 Just like Whitley there was a photocopy of the team sheet that was donated for photographic purposes by Doug from the club shop as he wandered around the ground. I still had to refer to it on numerous occasions to answer the question:
"Who he....?"
Neil and I stood in the large terraced shed-like stand opposite the main stand and there seemed to be a distinct lack of away supporters there, probably preferring to stay at home and watch the equally dislikeable Paris St Germain and Chelsea in the Champo League.

1-0 to the mighty Bay!

After an initial (although expected) shock of Blyth almost scoring there was an even bigger shock as Watling managed to slip the ball through to Birdie: a Blyth defender deciding that it was hardly worth bothering to stop him. Robbie then produced a sublime chip that flew over the Blyth keeper and nestled delightfully in the Blyth net. If anyone had any doubts that Neil and I were supporting the Bay our cheers ended them. In fact it downright annoyed the young ginger Blyth fan to our left who was disgusted we were allowed to stand near him. "They should be over there...not here!" he told his dad who replied by telling him to shut up. He then spent the rest of the half complaining to his dad every time, on rare occasions, he heard us using inappropriate or colourful language. I did feel remorse and decided that I must remember not to say the words "damn, blast, bloody or even Norah"at the match. Luckily his stomach took hold after a while so he bombarded his poor dad with requests for hot chocolate, chips, hot dogs instead....

The studious Neil....
but where's the ball?

The Bay players impressed Neil so much that he commented that they had "obviously had their Weetabix that morning". In fact there was concern for Blyth's number 2 as he succumbed to the sheer brute force that is the man mountain Alex Kempster. He came away from one altercation with a bloody nose and wobbling head.
Our young friend however let himself down when Kempster went down by shouting "Get up you pussy" then spent the next few minutes as Alex limped about making miaowing noises and calling him "Kitty Cat".
As the half time approached Blyth besieged the away goal but their shooting was extremely wayward...even comical at times. There was even a chance for Watling to put us 2-0 up but his 'pace' failed him and under pressure managed only to shoot weakly. One more chance for Robbie to score but he was closed down instantly and we were delighted to still be 1-0 up.
At the beginning of the second half ex Whitley golden boy Jarrett Rivers was brought on and then proceeded to tumble at every opportunity. Surely he didn't do that for us did he? Course not.
The Whitley goal continued to live a charmed life with McAfferty proving to be a great acquisition in the Bay goal as he commanded his area. Whitley almost sealed the win when Kempster drifted in on goal before the ball ended up at Robbie's feet, who tried to find himself more space instead of hitting it first time with the goal at his mercy. This allowed Blyth to recover and the best chance of the half for Whitley had gone.
By now Robbie Dale and Rivers were showing all the tricks we had learnt to love them for at Hillheads and it was no surprise that in the 89th minute Blyth equalised. However it was extremely sickening.
In extra time Whitley managed to hold onto more of the play but Blyth were still creating the better chances. It was no surprise when Blyth's Maguire scored and then added a second. Despite the fact that Chow sidefooted wide straight after, there was no denying Blyth deserved their win, although the Bay deserved a result for their battling performance. Whisper it but Paddy's boys could be getting their act together.
One last piece of advise is that when your football match goes to extra time, don't forget to tell your wife that you will be late back....or even forget to look at your phone: otherwise you will be sleeping in the shed! Oops!

Billingham Synthonia (h) 14th February 2015

Lost and abandoned....
supermarket trolleys
have feelings too!

Surely there would be a present for the Bay fans tonight after three postponed games. With six new faces in the starting line-up and more waiting to come in there was the sense that Paddy had had his own spree at the non-league supermarket, which seemed prophetic as I walked past the back of Marden Bridge Middle school and found an abandoned shopping trolley. Going for my good deed of the day I decided to take it back to its home in Morrisons car park with his friends: surely this act of selfless community spirit that would be rewarded on the footie field!

Who he....?
And he.....? He.....?

The start of the game was more solid than spectacular and both teams seemed to be happy to kick lumps out of each under the watchful eyes of our least-favourite referee Mr Keogh from Blyth. Having said that there wasn't anything controversial from the white-haired one...in fact there wasn't anything to speak of. A dull, but very physical confrontation had occasional moments as Whitley tended to do most of the pressing. Stanger and Williamson looked to have settled in well however it was obvious that Birdie and MacFarland were still managing to ignore each other on the pitch, refusing to pass to each other, preferring to take on three or four players and lose the ball. The sooner someone knocks their heads together, metaphorically, the better. They both have to be the most skilful players on the team and if they could play together then what a devastating right hand side we would have. Today was not to be that day as they barely seemed to know the other existed.
The game continued to be a aerial battle with the ball being lumped backwards and forwards and our concentration wavered slightly as Bob went on about how much he had enjoyed Shields' FA vase victory the previous weekend. Whenever Bob goes on like this The Boy Mark and I tend to switch off from the legend that is the man that is our friend Bob. All we tend to hear is "North Shields, blah blah, blah...." as our ears tend to turn off to his praise of our nearest and dearest. I'm sorry to say this about such a knowledgeable friend but it is all a bit too hard to take at the moment. In fact my first ever football match was North Shields FA Cup tie in the early 1980s against Wallsall: a 3-0 defeat. All I remember was the riot that accompanied and being disappointed when, as a naive 12-year-old, I had found a great spot, with acres of space, to watch the game on the Appleby Park 'Kop' only to be dragged away by my mate seconds before Wallsall and Shields fans charged at each other, swamping 'my space' in the process. I would occasionally visit Appleby Park when I wasn't watching that lot in the big toon yet when I moved to Whitley Bay in 1996 that became part of my past. I wish them well in the FA Vase but wouldn't go to watch them unless the Bay were playing. They were devastating at Hillheads and I would always applaud good play, from either side but that is where it stops. Whitley are my home town more than the big toon team ever were and as a result I have that special connection that can't be replaced...no matter how bad we play.
Smoke engulfing the ground from someone's bonfire in the allotments behind the Billingham goal stopped Bob in his tracks and I wondered whether it was an attempt by some over-zealous fan to generate a continental-style atmosphere. However when its noxious fumes forced everyone into coughing fits, decided that it was the debris of winter burning that was making us smart. The first half had got that bad!
 Our attention then turned to the ever-wandering Barry's protracted discussions about buying a Blue Star badge from the bloke standing in front of us which we had hoped to be something more interesting. When Bob turned his attention back to the Bay our ears pricked up as he told us about all the clubs sniffing around Chris Reid (Blyth....again) and Birdie's transport problems getting from Seaham for each game...he certainly is a mine of information. By the time the conversation had turned to the bargains of working men's clubs and the great view from the upstairs bar of the Cullercoats Crescent Club out onto Cullercoats bay, the first half had ended with the scores locked at 0-0. Not a thriller but at least we were not behind.
It was good to see Tommy back in his little hut after being ill for our last visit to the ground. A welcome cup of tea and Bovril later we set to discussing why the sun had disappeared the moment Tommy and had pointed it out to us.
Unfortunately the second half was a great anti-climax as a Billingham goal seemed to knock the stuffing out of the lads. I even took to recording freekicks and corners in a vain attempt to catch a golden moment on camera....but it didn't work. Just to prove that we were not destined to win Paddy brought the strangely anonymous Kempster off to put another defender on in the form of Chris MacDonald...3-0 was not a true reflection of the play but Whitley had hardly created much.

 Apart from the top banter (you had to have been there...imho...honestly: all welcome!) there was nothing much to say about the football. Here are the excuses that we could think of:
1. So many new players take time to bed in.
2. The long lay-off has left the players rusty.
3. It will take time for Paddy's tactical genius to take hold (we only seem to have mastered the big boot at the moment. Next step is big boot to a Whitley player).
4. I didn't wear my big green coat.
Bob decided not to venture off to see the big clash with Blyth on Tuesday and The Boy will be at his brother-in-law's wedding in London so I will be looking forward to a cracking performance from the Bay. It says something when he said he was gutted to be missing the Bay game...even after that performance. A true fan and his suggestion for the blog's song of the day is genius! Cheers mate.