Another year propping up the EFL

Desperate times down in the basement of pro football at what the die-hards call Cuckoo Farm. It had come down to the last game and just one point needed to avoid the drop into the oblivion of the National League where many frequent visitors to the old Layer Road slowly rot to death. Not a sell out as it was against Wrexham, you'd have thought Cowling would have done a kids for a quid to get the place rocking but then again. The South Stand was full though and it was a wall of Essex Boi sound, gilets, caps and Stone Island all the way.

The U's played what was probably the best game of the season. Sutton were one down on 14 mins and it was party time on 35 minutes when Chilvers (one of our own apparently went on a mazy run down the left before cutting back in on his right foot to fire one low to the keeper's right and his near post. Sutton gave it a good go over at MK Dons getting to 4-4 in the 91st minute. The only time our drummer fell silent was on the 92nd minute when Crewe dribbled one in lamely down the far (North) end to send the Crew fans scatty as it was the point they'd need to secure a play off spot. From the kick off we more or less passed the ball to Crewe for what seemed a pre-planned two minute keep ball ole fest whilst Col U watched from the safety of their half.  Sutton fans would have been foomin. Final whistle and celebrations all round the ground. Funny old game football

Little 'Un is now another member of the BureBoi Col U tribe (we do have two Canaries, a Gooner and a Scouser for balance).

Double bubble

Quick stop on  the Munter Pit on the way home from work. Bloody freezing, bib and braces and the big coat but still felt cold.  More wood smoke, pop guns this time  and "you're not getting any bloody sausages now". A few twitches then the bobbins were away at the same time. Unhooked both in the net to save smegging up the mat. A  pair of male bream, both with spawning bumps, one on the yellow pineapple  wafter and one on the shocking pink tuna wafter. Time to get home, so cold the slimy wet net never got a stink on  in the back of the charabanc.

Everything has gone green

Love early spring. The still low sun backlighting fresh verdant reed, iris and alder leaves. Froths of blossom, even the conker trees are breaking into flower. Shame about the rain, wind and it is so cold this year though. The garden can sod off and fishing is a bit of a chore. Not much to write home about really.

The wood smoke almost autumnal, the shotgun a bit worrying (the mutant water).

I detest this mallard pair who've been about for a few years now on Golden Pond. The male is a nervous bugger, always waiting to be told to do, rather like a Prem linesman. The female is constantly diving on any bait I put in. Hateful things.

Sought solace on a pea green mud pig puddle for a change, this little thing at least put up a little resistance.

Still struggling with the krill and squid, think they've changed the recipe but the cheaper carp pellets seem stickier and hold better in the mould.

 

Made one decent feeder full to fool this lovely hybrid from a different, clearer pond the next day.

 

Munterama. or a face only a mother could love

Given the warmer, drier conditions I thought I'd check out one of my daily commute waters for the odd early finish raid. Small urbanish gravel pit not far from my brownie river.  Still quite boggy and thus a  little uncomfortable to fish but as it was shorts weather things always seem a little better. I had bought the method rods still set up from last year  and some frozen and several times refrozen Krill and Squid method pellets from last year too. Which was probably why they wouldn't mould properly and the wafters were left dangling rather than being buried  in a nice mound of pellet on top of the feeder. I suppose I could have opened a new packet but I didn't. Stingy bugger me. I need to retackle and clean the rods and reels too. Maybe.

Anyway, the pit threw up a couple or three of it's mutant inhabitants. Not a club  to pursue a rigorous and vetted stocking policy. Quite of few of the grass carp they stocked to clear one of the smaller, weedier pits on the ticket seemed to have transformed  into chub.  

This one looked very strangely coloured in the water, but jagged around nicely.  I've just seen that they have stocked a good number of crucians from  a local growing on water. I'm itching to grass then up to the Crucian Association just for LOLs  on Facebook. A page for one eyed swivelling loons if I ever clicked on.one.

And this bream was a shocker. Tiny mouth, and thin as a razor blade

This one was bream shaped but with a very raggedy tail.. Getting ready to spawn more mutants too.

Bits

I've had to come to terms with some unexpected changes and as ever I'm best in my own uncomplicated self-found comfort zone so mulling over what next or at the very least what different? Some warmer drier days will probably cast a more favourable light and maybe new rewards.

In the meantime I'll treasure the more mundane and these little jewels aren't that bad as it goes.

Glimmer of hope

Thought I'd give Little 'Un a taste of the pro-football high life whilst Col U are still clinging on to their EFL status by the skin of their teeth..again. 3 fifths of the Elders joined us for a tour round North East Essex to take in White City, the Barracks, Layer Pits and Abberton before a misty eyed drive down Layer Road past  the old ground and the Drury Arms.

Parking a formality with ANPR we fought our way through the massed ranks of Essex John Boys and Taffs from the Valleys to slake our thirst with a pre match pint of standard footie lager.

Our out of town sterile concrete bowl was built on clay and has always been beset with drainage problems  but this season three games have been postponed  due to a waterlogged pitch and the sight as we took to our favoured S3 Row M seats was shocking. The club have had to apply to EFL to alter the dimensions of the pitch and the new playing area looked to be about the size of the pitches Little 'Un is playing on. The old Layer Road pitch was like a billiard table. This  was a disgrace. The games in hand may prove handy though as it's very tight down in the basement with the U's, Grimsby, Sutton United and the Footballing Vegans all there and there abouts for the two drop to non EFL oblivion slots.

Newport County, resplendent in what I think is the only acceptable away kit (black) set out to spoil and time waste from the first minute with constant giggly fouls, collapsing to the ground (at one point 4 players were down) and probably the longest goal kick preparations ever. The referee, Sunny Gill had been subbed down from the Premier League for signing autographs at half time and on this showing wouldn't be fit to ref Lille 'Uns games. Grimsby and the Vegans  conceded early doors but Sutton had taken the lead and when Newport  scored the softest goal ever before the break things were looking glum, sending a pair of the Elders off in search of a concourse pint. 

Col U stated the second half in a much brighter manner, and despite  not getting two of the most  blatant penalty decisions found an equaliser to send the Newport keeper deeper in to time wasting mode . How we laughed when he slipped when taking a kick after changing which side he took it from.

Sutton had conceded and then taken a lead and we were second from bottom. Gill awarded a very conservative 8 minutes extra time and the siege of Timewaster's goal continued. A surging run down the right and Mingi blasted one over the short keeper at his near post into the roof of the net and the South Stand erupted.  Think Little 'Un enjoyed it. Best fan ever someone said outside. 2-1 and our first home win under the  Cowley brothers.

Queues post game at the ticket office for the next home game against promotion likelies Wrexham. We are going to the last game against Crewe Alexandra. Our fate maybe decided  then but what a relief if we do survive. Might be a good sized crowd too.