An hour with Joe Skarz

One of the regular accusations from the 21^st century football fan is that the players don’t care, and that they don’t feel it like we do. The poor unfortunates with the life sentence supporting the club, ten, twenty, thirty plus years of service; we feel it, we live it, they just dip in and out.

This week I had the pleasure of spending an hour with Joe Skarz, virtually ever present at left back for the past three seasons and another victim of the cash flow problems that have taken over the Shakers season.

We started by talking through events that had led up to his move away from Gigg on deadline day. Joe explained that he had had discussions with Stevenage but as there was no manager in place, and a long distance away. He didn’t fancy such a long distance move and wanted to stay at the club to try to salvage the season. However word had gone around and Rotherham tested the water and the move came about to get him off the wage bill.

Talking to Joe you got a sense of the frustration with how the season has gone at Bury FC. “Pre season was really good, everyone was settled and we were going into it in a really positive mood wanting to improve on what we did last year. The side was full of plenty of lads with things to prove; Marshy, Lenny and others. We played Bradford and battered them, then Richie left and it hit the lads really hard. We’d had every day with him over pre season and Shirty and Futch got thrown in at the deep end.”

The early season obviously still grates on Joe; “we had no luck at all, Notts County was a perfect example, it was the most one sided game I ever played in but they scored in first and last minutes and we lost 2-0. Unfortunately the run of 8 games set in and it felt like a really long time, runs like that feel like a long time.” (I agreed it felt equally as long from our perspective too.)

The arrival of Kevin Blackwell changed the focus of the club, Joe explained:

“the run of 8 games showed something wasn’t working and the gaffer tried to change it. He knew what he wanted and brought in some more experienced players who’d been there and done it a bit. Dom Poleon did really well, Tom Soares was a great signing, Matt Docherty is now in the Wolves team but everything we tried to do, something else popped up to stop us. The Bournemouth game was a killer, we’d gone on a run and the last minute goal that saved Eddie Howe’s record for the draw stopped us from getting out of the bottom four, and from then there was always another hurdle that stopped us doing it. There was always something.”

I really felt for Joe, and the lads, when he tried to express his thoughts on the latter stages of the season “I know some people will be angry at what’s gone on, but he did his best with what he could do. Tom Soares did everything he could to help us out. It feels like the club fought so hard to get out of league 2 and it’s just been thrown away.”

I moved Joe onto his arrival at Gigg Lane, Shrewsbury had shown an interest and a few other clubs but once he’d met Alan Knill and heard what he wanted to do he wanted to play for him. 

“He’s the best manager I’ve played for in my career so far. He got my career going again, I was low in confidence and my career was going downhill, but he picked me up and got it going again. Everything he had us set up to do was right, and worked. Some good lads brought in, people with things to prove and the loan lads and the experienced core of Lowey, Sodje, Sweens and Schuey. Everything about it was enjoyable, we started slowly and were mid table but from November on we were playing teams off the park, passing them to death, especially away. I enjoyed every minute of the first two years, it couldn’t have been more perfect really.”

Alan Knill’s departure was obviously a blow and I was curious how it had impacted on the team. “I was really sad, he’d brought me and many of the lads in and first training afterwards was a shambles with Sodje, Schuey and Lowey. We realised we’d need someone in charge quick and we’d been told to expect to see Iain Dowey the following morning. But the experienced lads suggested we needed some continuity and it’d be better if Richie (Barker) did it til the end of the season keeping it going and just tinkering with a few things.”

Joe obviously took as much pleasure from the final 8 games as we all did and was animated as he described the process of how the momentum built from Nicky Ajose’s first minute goal v Oxford “I’ve never heard Gigg Lane so loud, it was like a release and we just kept winning, the lads were flying out of the traps Tuesday, Saturday, Tuesday, Saturday for 3 weeks we just kept winning, suddenly we were at Chesterfield and it was my best day in Football.”

For some of the Shakers I mentioned at the beginning, this was their first season supporting Bury where something positive came from it, for others it had been 14 years since the champion team of Lucketti, Butler, Johnson and Carter so that emotion was equally shared.

The way the side that year played and their togetherness is a marked contrast from the revolving door of players this year. Joe waxed lyrical about his friend Tom Lees and the part he played in that side

“He’s the best player I’ve played with for sure, the best with everything he had. We travelled in together every day for a season and I see him regularly still for something to eat and a catch up.  Look at him now, 150 league games for Leeds by 22 and England U21 international. He’d win games for us on his own, popping up with a header, just class. I’ve played with a few though, Peter Sweeney can manoeuvre his way out of a situation no one else can and then pick you out on the other wing with a 70 yard pass, Schuey, Jonah (Mike Jones), Nicky, Lowey were all class players. If we’d been able to have kept all those players we’d have gone up again.”

The delight in talking about this side and the players had us both talking with beaming smiles reminiscing. “The whole side went out after, you sometimes get players wanting to do their own thing but everyone was there, celebrating together.”

Joe returned to the managers he’s worked for at Bury, I asked him about the differences between them all.

“Alan Knill was a quiet guy, a lot calmer, got things set up right and if you didn’t follow it through he’d just tell you he was disappointed, you don’t need a DVD to know if you’ve made a mistake. He had Brassy who would be the one to give out the bollockings or pick up everybodies spirits if we’d lost, then Knilly would come down and it was time to work again.

Richie Barker was similar to Knilly, quite calm training was really good and he makes it enjoyable. At times you could tell it was his first job sometimes things would get on top of him, especially when we went on that run (after Christmas) and people getting on his back, but I think he learned a lot from it and made him a stronger manager and person. He lets you go out and enjoy yourself on the pitch.

Under Kevin (Blackwell); one to one when you talk to him he’s so knowledgeable and he likes high tempo training and wants you to work really hard, like I do. He’s been at big clubs and has high expectations which he’s had to pull back through no fault of his own with circumstances this year, he came in and decided we weren’t fit enough and changed the training. I can tell you this, Bury aren’t going down because they weren’t fit or training hard.”

I suggested that the training may have led to some of the injuries which have plagued the season, Joe was honest “some people need different things, it did me no harm but others may need a rest, it may do, who knows?” Later we mused if Kevin’s high standards would allow him to manage in league two, and agreed that it was going to be interesting to see what happened next.”

I suggested he was still a front runner for player of the season, Joe laughed and told me “Schuey is player of the season, 10 goals from midfield in a struggling side is great, a top side would take that, it’s just a shame we could never get a striker in form to go with him and knock in the chances we creating. We drew too many we might as well win one lose one than all those draws, conceded as many as last year but couldn’t score enough.”

Joe’s memories from Gigg are all positive; “from the day I joined to the day I left its all positive. There’s been some downers obviously, losing home and away at Rochdale, that’s not good getting some Twitter abuse etc but that’s part of it taking the lows and the highs, but then you balance that with what happened at Chesterfield I don’t think anything will beat that, the way it happened, and staying up the next year, first day at Huddersfield showing we were ready for league one was brilliant. The whole three years I’ve not a missed a game through injury, just one suspended, never missed a day training, its just been a great experience for me. Travelling over, some of those car shares with Leesy, then Giles (Coke), Nathan (Clarke), Grella. We had a spell of tyre blow outs and could never change them, but good laughs too.”

Reflecting on the year he commented “I just hope Bury can come back stronger, as long as the club is still there that’s the most important thing. It’s been a tough year but as long as the club survives is the main thing, doing it somehow without stretching themselves. Yes it’s league two but it’s still a good league with a few decent grounds. The fans have been always been brilliant with me, when I left I got lots of lovely messages on twitter and wishing me well and sending their thanks, really touching. Its really sad to leave but I’ve really enjoyed it.”

As we went our separate ways on the car park I reflected on our hour, chatting about a club that we both love from different perspectives. Mine from the fan angle of hopes and dreams for my team, Joe’s from the impact on his career, lifelong friendships made and personal development.  Thanks to Joe for his time in chatting to me, and for his service to the club especially as part of that special 2010/11 team.

Good luck, come back soon.

We need to talk about Kevin

Firstly, I should acknowledge the lack of posts over the last month as the Good Ship Shaker listed from one crisis to the next. I'll be honest, I'm sick of talking about this season and wish it was due to end tomorrow, not the end of next month. Like many Shakers I've long since resigned myself to our fate and recognise that whatever happens results wise between now and then is only going to be the fore runner to a summer that offers as yet uncertain dramas.

Another reason for my lack of vocal musings on the situation is a reluctance to join in with the negativity that seems to be enveloping Bury FC like a dementor's gaze (one for the Harry Potter fans out there) and is sucking away the life blood of the club. Having said that I have been pondering this post for a couple of weeks, during which my respect for our manager fell to new, and I thought, previously unreachable depths.

I have already discussed the handling of some of the younger players in the new years revolution post, but since that was published it would appear that Kevin Blackwell is doing his best to rip the heart out of everything that Bury FC stands for. I cannot understand what goes through the man's head any more, when he comes out with statements about how much players earn, how the entire club needs restructuring, how no one has told him about what is happening, signing on players to dismiss them the next day paints the worst possible picture of our club, and he is allowed to do it over and over again. It's easy to buy into the attitude that the club is tinpot, if every message from the manager says this is case.

Bury FC over the last few years has been seen as a supportive place where good young players come, develop and move on in the company of a few experienced pros. Take away the manner of departure from Alan Knill and Richie Barker's stewardship and underneath was a culture of improvement and guidance where good youngsters were encouraged. Surely this has now been consigned to the dustbin with the treatment of the 2012/13 vintage, who having been welcomed in July by one manager were just as quickly told they were unwanted and substandard by the next in September. No nurturing, no development, no plans for improvement, just a quick undignified exit.

The tactics have been baffling, Blackwell's stubborn refusal to fill the bench, to use players who were able to fill the roles required and use that point to try to reinforce his own position and score points has made turning up for games a misery. I salute those supporters who travel long distances paying good money in difficult times. I once heard a quote that said the opposite of love isn't hate, because hate still shows an attachment. The real opposite of love is indifference, and I fear that under the current regime many Shakers fans are becoming indifferent to what is going on, in the hope that this will ease the pain. I saw several messages following the announcement of the postponement of the recent Scunthorpe game along the lines of 'thank Goodness, couldn't be bothered' etc showing a worrying lack of enthusiasm for the club just now.
I don't think that this is just the fact that relegation is looming, but a real sense of disappointment with how everything seems to be rapidly unraveling after several years of hard work to get the club back on a stable footing

I recognise the financial constraints can't be easy to work under and it must be frustrating, but to show that frustration over and over, and blame everyone but yourself is putting an unmovable wedge between the manager and supporters. Some (but a dwindling number I observe) applaud KB's honesty in his media work in identifying the situation he is working under. What I resent is the dishonesty liberally sprinkled through his comments. The painting of himself in a better light than has ever been the case (we were 14 points adrift when I came in etc) and the constant down grading of the club surely wouldn't be accepted anywhere else and, if he has been challenged about it and briefed about how to handle such questions, a blatant disregard for the club who's family, nurturing environment is being rapidly destroyed.

With hindsight, maybe a manager who was prepared to buy into the club's ethos would've been a better idea than one so keen on his own reputation and stats (real or believed). One who recognised that a long serving player may have had a few final cameos to make, that a young player may have stepped up to make a bid for a regular spot or one who wasn't going to cause years of damage to the whole collective being that is Bury FC.

It's now over ten years since we had to Save our Shakers. This time we need to save the soul of the club before everything that makes our little club special disappears.

Mid winter break, the way forward?

It was almost a relief to return to Gigg Lane on Saturday, not just for the very welcome 3 points and the little trip out of the relegation zone for the first time in months, but the actual opportunity to take in a home game, something we'd been unable to do for a full month.

The weather had imposed a very continental full on mid winter break on the majority of the Shakers faithful, and had caused me to reflect on would this be a sensible move going forward, especially in the lower leagues. Of course there are many pros and cons but this season has thrown up in stark reality how the weather can impact on a club, causing damage to revenue streams and imposing unforeseen costs - from policing and away travel, to sponsors, catering and programmes.

The British weather is inconsistent, but a mid winter break in England from 3rd Round FA Cup day on January's first Saturday through to the 4th Round on it's last weekend could be a sensible window The opportunity to plan budgets knowing where their expenditure would be in the most unpredictable of months would surely be a welcome benefit? Opponents suggest that the break disrupts form and slams the brakes onto much needed momentum, the clubs in continental Europe who have had a scheduled break for years view their season in two distinct parts - the Germans even have a name for it, Herbstmeister is the Winter Champion in their leagues, the team top of the league at the onset of the winter break, and are able to plan for it. As a Shakers fan I think the opportunity to reverse momentum and catch our collective breaths has been a positive this January.

Another bonus of a winter break would be to allow the wheeling and dealing of the transfer window to go on without it affecting the onfield action. I remember arriving at Lincoln just prior to David Nugent's sale to Preston. The imminent sale was common knowledge and to see him playing, knowing the importance of the transfer money to the Shakers finances, was like watching someone juggle a priceless Ming vase, every tackle and challenge was a heart stopper.

Mid winter training is always a problem, especially at Gigg. Lower Gigg and Goshen are often under water or frozen solid, there are only so many favours that can be called in to share facilities in Carrington by one or the other of our money bag big city neighbours, and it can't be pleasant to be rubbing shoulders with the proletariat at Trafford Centre's Soccer Dome. Last season the club were able to hurriedly arrange a warm weather training camp and match in Gibraltar with our scheduled opponents still in the FA Cup, a planned midwinter break would allow such plans to be made and budgetted for at the start of the year.

The transfer merry go round has been much more active at Gigg Lane this year than in many previous seasons. It was like the start of the season again on Saturday as we got used to a redesigned defense, and returning favourites settling back in. Obviously some of the Shakers hand was forced by the transfer embargo but even the away games played in January featured markedly different personnel to Saturdays side. The loanees and signed on trialists gelled immediately and produced a superb battling win, surely a midwinter lay off would have given a more comfortable trial window and allow the manager to make a decision without the pressing need to select a side for Saturday hanging over him.

The traditionalist in me loves the cold deep winter matches, but the risk factor of setting off to those away games (especially in a national 3rd division, but that's another discussion) when the almost certain outcome is that you'll get a call at 11am saying it's off is surely too much for cash strapped fans, for whom no one gets a refund from the hosting club. I remember several trips to Walsall in the 90's when games were called off late, and on one famous occasion was called off on the radio incorrectly, and then reinstated, but not before many Shakers had turned around and were heading home.

There are as many arguments against the Mid Winter break as there are for it. However events at Gigg Lane this January suggest that the lower down the divisions you look, there are less reasons why a January 3 week shut down might not be the way forward.

Les Miserables? They've got nothing on us.

Occasionally our hardy band of contributors would turn to adapting the lyrics of popular tunes in the feature 'Gigg Lane Rock Lyrics'. Included in these were 'Gigg Oddity', 'A Town called Bolton' and a Beatles inspired tune called 'Tony Rigby'.

As the musical Les Miserables hits the big screen this weekend, it seemed appropriate to mix an old favourite with latest events and borrow the best tune from that show.

(If you don't know the song, here's a link to the original http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LwM8fSDsgLI )

Do you hear the Shakers sing?

(With apologies to Claude- Michael Schoenberg)

FOLK OF GIGG

Do you hear the Shakers sing?

Singing a song of angry men?

It is the music of a people

Who’ve been asked for cash again!

When the sinking of your heart

Echoes the cemmy ender’s drum

There is a crisis about to start

When tomorrow comes!

BOARD

Will you join in our crusade?

Who will buy next season's ticket now?

Beyond the embargo

Is there a player you long to see?

Then join in the fight

That will give us some funds for a free!

ALL

Do you hear the Kevin sing?

Singing a song of angry bloke?

It is the music the only guy

Who didn't know we're broke!

When the bleating of his voice

Tells you the same stuff every time.

There’d be a season about to start

If the swear box was full.

KEVIN

Will you give all you can give

So that my win rate may advance,

We were 14 points adrift you know

Who cares about the facts?

We can’t fill a bench

But the fault lies with everyone else.

ALL

Do you hear the Shakers sing?

Singing the songs we always will?

It is the music of a people

Who love Lucketti, Farrell and Hill.

When the beating of your heart

stirs as you walk up Manny Road

There is a game that's about to start

When a matchday comes!

Up the Shakers

New Years Revolution

140 Characters is not much when you want to have a moan is it? However my tweet from New Years Day evening summed it up quite succinctly for once I felt:
[Excuse the lack of punctuation] "Dismal times at Gigg Lane Sick of excuses from manager blaming everyone but himself & hoping for a leader to inspire my club"
As those of you who were present for the game v Tranmere on New Years Day there was much to give credit for from the inexperienced Shakers, who inevitably conceded just once and slid to another dispiriting defeat, however the growing mood of gloom and disenchantment seems to be taking over the entire club and one wonders what can be done to stop a slide back to the basement and a return to the misery of the real 4th division.

In my eyes there are several reasons for the situation.

On the playing front Richie Barker had had a decent first full season in charge and had added to the squad with development and nurturing in mind to coax some above potential performances from the kids he'd brought in. Loans have become the way forward for teams at all levels and I'm sure would have supplemented the squad as the early months progressed. We all know what happened in early August and RB's decision was inevitable, even if his timing as bad as his predecessor's.
The impact on the players was more marked this time around. When Knill left they banded together to ride out the crisis to a glorious conclusion, the 8 games remaining had a clear purpose - to end what we started, all for one and one for all etc. However the departure of Barker must have left them with a horrible feeling of deja vu just 15 months on and a full season of uncertainty to aim at.

In the boardroom there was a dual problem, the loss of Mark Catlin was a big blow. He spoke the fans language, knew what needed saying and how to say it. Shakers supporters liked and trusted him and he felt like a big part of the previous 2 year progression. Without him the conduit of information disappeared just when we needed it most. Secondly the decision to give Peter Shirtliff an extended run in charge backfired spectacularly as the team licked it's wounds and retreated, leaderless to the bottom of the table.

On the pitch, as I mentioned above, the team was flat and unable to raise itself. Several players went missing and some have yet to return to anything like the displays they are capable of. Young lads with 2 or 3 seasons experience were now to be leading the side. Recruitment of new players caused occasional sparks of life but little more, returning players raised more questions about wages than contribution, loanees were sometimes inspired, more often shots in the dark.

The appointment of Kevin Blackwell appeared to have steadied the listing ship. A first victory, a run of results to raise us from last place to the dizzy heights of 3rd bottom indicated progress before the PFA loan/ transfer embargo ripped morale to pieces once again. The weather and poor crowds had brought about short term financial problems yet the manager has chosen to use this as a reason to create a them v us mentality within the club, his constant whining about 'you'd better ask them', 'nobody told me' (as if the board can plan the weather) and cursing through post match interviews sounds too much like a man preparing his exit strategy with reputation intact than a motivational tool.

Speaking of motivation, the players brought in by RB needing an arm around and a bit of gentle persuasion were dealt the iron blow of 'mistakes were made preseason', 'I can't even fill a bench' and the latest gem 'what you'd get for their wage wouldn't buy a hat'. Any chance of the young lads getting a game and progressing were torn to pieces as he made clear his views that they wouldn't play under him and it's all someone elses fault.

So where does my hoped for 'New Years Revolution' come from?

Ideally it will come from within. The team need to develop a siege mentality and a few seniors step up, just like they did during the final throws of promotion. They need to become a unit (which is tough when half the team is made of loanees). I would love to see Steve Schumacher, Andy Bishop & Efe Sodje take the lead in this, just like Ryan Lowe did.

I'd love to see the manager backing this action and supporting it, and recognising that sometimes motivation can happen in positive ways rather than simply telling someone they're crap. Moaning through press conferences isn't inspirational for supporters who deserve better. Hopefully the 'them v us' message being portrayed is just a clever way of trying to stimulate some dressing room cohesion, who knows?

The fans have done their bit, dipping into pockets once again to buy into the emergency funding offers, so keep us in the loop. Let us know how it's going, are we close to paying it off and getting back to normal or are we lurching into another financial crisis?
We are going to have to pull together once again. A revolution in thinking at Gigg Lane means getting off the backs of the young kids who have carried the team to where it currently lies. I know that frustration is at simmering point and the expectation of disappointment seems to have replaced the anticipation of hope, however crucifying every mistake will not save the season, no matter how regularly they happen or damaging it is.

Generating some atmosphere in the ground also needs a revolution in thinking, can we please put out own feelings aside and shut the Manchester road end, put visitors in the Cemmy and get closer to the away fans. The recent match v PNE had good banter and increased volume levels to way above the recent norm despite the smaller crowd. Surely this would help the players (both established and loanee) and may encourage the occasional visitor to return to the ground?

Any or all of these requires some leadership. It may salvage the season, it may not. But as even the most committed begin to question their sanity once again it must be time for something to happen? Come on Bury, let's not end the season wishing someone had tried something.

Please Bury FC - Make our new year resolution be to start the revolution. Up the Shakers.

Do you ever have one of those days?

If you are amongst the 95 souls who follow me on twitter you'll be aware I'm not in good form.

I'm at a fairly low ebb with football, like many Shakers you could say I'm reeling from a combination of blows that would make, if not Sugar Ray Leonard but maybe Darren Bullock, very proud indeed.

It all started on Saturday, which was grim. Attendance wise it was grim, performance wise it was grim, Mum was bleating about her favourite wind up Andy Bishop, which darkened my mood and by the end of the game it was freezing and raining which meant it was a grim ride back over the pennines.
I sulked and planned a blog post which I quickly abandoned as too miserable and unnecessarily negative. I put it down to one of those days.

Sunday by mid afternoon was suddenly another one of those days. I felt like I'd stepped back in time 10 years. Transfer embargoes, financial peril, bucket collections and clamour for information screamed from the places where virtual shakers hang out. Had the curse of Brian Fenton's holidays had struck again (surely the answer is to confiscate the man's passport?) It's easy to say 'let the board deal with these situations' but when news is leaked out by the local paper, and fans have been so instrumental in the efforts to keep the club going not so long ago it's not surprising there is a panicked reaction. Particularly when it coincides with the quickest turn around in players I can remember.
Martin Dobson's promotion team used just 15 players (thanks James Bentley) yet I reckon KB has already signed more than that in his brief tenure at the top, I had already mused to myself it must be impacting on finances somewhere.
So I shared the information I had with the people who asked it, and went to bed with a heavy heart fearing the worst but hoping for the best from the official announcement as to what exactly was going on.

Monday's announcement allayed the fears somewhat, a quick PFA loan, being paid back in a month to ease the pain caused by called off games was the diagnosis of the embargo. The team set off to Southend mid morning with it's full complement of loanees still intact, and proceeded to get stuck in a huge accident on the M6. Having had 2 days from hell the club must've felt like someone was sticking pins into them.

Tuesday's cup tie and subsequent penalty shoot out loss was horribly depressing listening. The importance of the revenue from the cup overtook everyone, and the pressure was too severe. What made it worse was the juxtaposition of the Bradford v Arsenal shoot out happening virtually simultaneously, with the miraculous giant killing and £1 million pay out. For a brief moment it seemed like the Shakers had got it under control but the lead lasted a subliminal advertisers target time and the prize pot disappeared.

Surely Wednesday would be better?
Being awoken by my radio alarm singing the praise of Bradford's miracle by a lady DJ who doesn't quite have the terminology at her finger tips set me off in a bad mood. From twitter I gauged that several Shakers were having equally poor starts to their days. It wasn't until the FA's announcement of Bradford's reinstatement into the FA Cup that my blood began to boil again, the exact same circumstances had resulted in our explusion from the cup in 2006 yet City were off with a fine. The cynic in me can see that City were feeding at the FA's top table as recently as 1999, and as such still be part of that club. Only yesterday they got everyone talking about football in a positive way causing a huge cup upset. It wouldn't do to spoil the feel good by kicking them out would it?
Local radio tried to make a difference where there wasn't one - Bradford had spotted the problem and alerted the FA, other clubs had waited to be found out. Not true of course, Bury had flagged it up in 2006 as soon as the oversight was discovered but why let the truth hide a story. I hope Bury take legal advice based on what happened with this case, as there is now clear difference in treatment of the same case. It may solve the short term financial issues if the 2006 prize money for reaching round 3 is correctly reallocated (minus the fine of course).

So I remained cross, having had 5 days in a row. Let down by the governing body who had failed to keep to their own precedent, unsure about the financial stability of my beloved club, amazed at the never ceasing bad luck that seems to have enveloped the club like a blanket again and desperate for those players pulling on the shirt to feel it like we do. Maybe just once?

There was I at the Shay.

With the Shakers far, far away in deepest Essex or somewhere similar I took the chance to accept an invitation to take a nostalgic visit to the Shay, home of FC Halifax Town and the source of the name of this esteemed blog and it's paper based predecessor.

I wasn't there at the Shay on the Friday evening that named a Fanzine in May 1985, I was camping with my mates in the 10th Radcliffe Scouts at Giants Seat.I was aware of the importance of the game of course and had smuggled my trusty transistor radio to ensure I knew exactly what was going to be needed when my Dad picked me up to go to Gigg the following day. Frustratingly neither Radio Manchester or Piccadilly Radio told me anything other than 'Bury could gain promotion tomorrow...' and it wasn't until the following morning that I found out that Dobson's boys had been promoted without kicking a ball.

Many things had changed since my last visit to Halifax, the club had gone belly up, and been revived by swapping the FC to the front of the name (a useful trick, worth remembering), the old clubhouse had been wiped out and a fancy stand finally completed. The ground itself has been subtly renamed Shay Stadium, maybe since the New York Mets didn’t need the name anymore Calderdale council put in a cheeky bid and acquired the rights? The Shay hotel has been erased from the local pub scene but the art deco charm of the three pigeons and it’s excellent beers from the Ossett brewery remain firmly in place.

I didn’t visit the Shay until 1989, as a Yorkshire based student in my first year I got all the local grounds in that season. One of my firmest memories is the train backing out of Bradford station, an unexpected sensation. I stood in the chicken shed facing the main stand and took it all in, a familiar yet unfamiliar mix of souls whose lives, like mine were destined to follow their team in a roller coaster life sentence.

On the field at Shay stadium it was a bit scrappy, despite Droylsden’s relatively low position defences were on top. Ex Shakers Gaz Seddon and Jason Jarrett weren’t getting much of a look in, and when Seds finally tucked one in at the far stick he was flagged offside for the umpteenth time in the game. Seeing Seddon again sent me all nostalgic for a time when it wasn’t much fun being a Shaker, similarly Jarrett huffed and puffed and when he was eventually subbed off mid 2^nd half he threw a lovely diva strop and launched his jacket just wide of the dugout and just into the stand.

I didn’t visit the Shay as a Shakers fan until 92/3 season. It was the coldest I have ever been on a football ground. Colder than Ice Station Boundary Park, colder than Carlisle, colder than Boxing day when we cleared the pitch of snow for a game that never happened. Someone had daubed BFC on the tarmac mound that housed the away fans, and similarly painted our initials onto the pitch too. Danny Sonner scored to send the freezing hoards home happy but Halifax struggled all season and fell out of the league on the last day, watched by a huge crowd of ghoulish day trippers and programme collectors (all buying in multiple!!) A few days later, while selling the WWYATS? play off issue prior to the York game, one away fan told me ‘have some respect, the team from the Shay just went down.’ He mustn’t have got a programme.

Suddenly I was raised from my nostalgia, I’d been only 44 people off in the guess the crowd sweepstake amongst my friend’s regulars in the stand. Much tutting was going on and accusing glances came my way, fortunately someone a couple of rows in front was 22 closer. It wouldn’t do to win on your first attempt. Thankfully the game was looking up too. Seddon had been involved in a sublime move for the first goal, and a well taken 2^nd had given Town a cushion when Droylsden were woken from their slumbers with a training ground free kick. With 15 mins to go I was enjoying the game.

Non league football doesn’t suit the Shay, it’s a far better ground than that. The chicken shed stand was closed, but the now seated enclosure was ready and waiting for better times. This couldn’t be said for the away end where I’d last visited for a disastrous JPT game in the mid 2000’s when we had our keeper sent off and conceded a pan full. I was amazed to discover that the end had been condemned, the builders had used cheap materials that had rendered it unsafe, so there it stood with adverts hanging from it’s crush barriers, like a grumpy teacher reminding the class, ’if it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing properly’.

A 3^rd Halifax goal prompted Droylsden to bring on a 3^rd ex Shaker. Joe O’Neill didn’t set any pulses racing during a loan spell at Gigg and he didn’t really on Saturday either. My mate was amazed at the amount of Shakers references I’d been able to get into one game, I was a bit concerned he’d laid it all on for me. The 4^th made it a bit one sided in the end but by that stage I was reminiscing again about visits past. Hopefully it won’t be too long before we can all ask where were you at the Shay again.