“Are you coming still? Graham says we should go without you!” I texted. There’s no reply, in desperation Graham rings his number but it goes directly to answer phone. Soon the Greetland Shayman appeared, “Is Tesco Pete with you?” he asked, “I gave him until the 9.00 am news but he didn’t show up.” Just after we’d voted unanimously to leave him behind my phone rattled. “Ah sorry! Just woke up thought we were leaving at 9:45. I’ll be there in five minutes.”
Starsky and Hutch had nothing on us. With the scent of a Cheshire breakfast stop still in the air we returned to pick up Tesco Pete in record time. Even his loyal cats had followed him to the meeting point to wave him off. Luck was on our side too, we passed the Sowerby Bridge Rush Bearing hoards only moments before they pulled out of the wharf to stop the traffic for the day. Then our luck ran out, the M6 was at a standstill and someone remembered he’d not fed those loyal cats in the rush to meet us!
Round and round we went, every level of the Telford shopping centre multi-story car park was jam packed. Thanks to you know who sleeping in, we ended up with a second rate lunch in amongst hundreds of shoppers in the driving rain. Welcome to Telford! Did I mention Tesco Pete slept in?
The New Buck’s Head is an impressive football ground for National League North. Opened in 2003 with a capacity of over 6000 including 2200 seats in a main stand that runs the full length of the pitch. Terraces behind each goal provided plenty of space for the home fans at one end and the travelling Shaymen at the other, an open terrace down the far side completes a very tidy ground.
The first half was a slow start for the Shaymen; Tom Denton had a good chance before Telford took the lead. A cracking equaliser from Richard Peniket left the scores level at half time. With the Shaymen kicking towards the 170 or so travelling fans in the second half it was soon looking good. Hotte put the Shaymen in the lead but with 20 minutes to go the Brighton Shayman was still expecting a Telford equaliser. Life in this league seems far more competitive than many thought before the season started.
Driving back and with three points in the bag things all seems so much brighter than last week. Not everyone saw the game in the same way but everyone was happy with the result, there’s no such thing as a bad win away from home.
Next up we’re heading to one of those grounds we last visited a few years ago, things have changed a little since then and perhaps it’ll be more challenging than our last visit there. At least this time our trip to Salford is an evening kick off so plenty of time for people to get some extra sleep and perhaps remember to feed those cats!
Total miles on the road this season 692, total Goals 8
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