A week is a long time in football

This time last week I was contemplating a trip to Sutton Coldfield and the pressure that was building on the management team due to the poor start to the season. Now we have a new management team in place and people are starting to seem a bit more optimistic although there is no doubt that it will take a few games for the side to find it's feet. I think a draw tomorrow would be a very acceptable result.

Reports are starting to come out that players are leaving, Tommy Hannigan has already left (returned to Rainworth), Mark Camm has also gone back to Rainworth - which is interesting as we have a re-scheduled game at Rainworth coming up next Saturday.

The new management team is made up of Peter Duffield and Mick Godber - a combination that won the UniBond League Division 1 title two years running with Retford (they were not allowed to go up the first time as the ground was not up to standard - many people would say it wasn't a lot better when they won it the 2nd time but they were allowed to go up at the 2nd attempt).

Peter Duffield's history is here: Peter Duffield

On the cycle front I finally got a track pump that worked after returning the 2nd one to Decathlon. I was amazed when I attached it to the bike and the gauge only went up to about 70 psi when it should be about 120. I could only get it to 70 with the hand pump. I went out on the bike (with it's now rock hard tyres) and clocked up my first 20 miles since returning to the bike. I decided to avoid the previous route to Little Eaton so as to miss the road debris that caused  last weeks puncture. This time I went through Holbrook to Little eaton, then Eaton Bank, Duffield, Milford, The Chevin and back to Belper. I then turned left at the Mill and went along the A6, up Cemetery Road and back home (via a quick trip round the block to make it up to the 20 miles)

I am still spending hours on ebay tracking down that bargain bike but they are either too expensive or they are just too far away (as they are all collection only). We'll keep at it and eventually one will appear.