The game on the 17th August 2013

This turned out to be a fantastic day for many reasons (one being the surprise 40^th birthday party that was thrown for me when I got home)!

I have tried to assemble a team of experts to help me with our blog, so my unofficial photographer/driver for the day was Beverley Rogerson @bmrogerson (photos due to come at a later date). She arrived and we set off on our journey to the game which was 24 miles away and 37 minutes from my house (according to my phone’s Navigation system). We went via a Booths store in which we had tea and sandwiches, whilst looking out of the window and contemplating how wet we were going to get at the match – it was raining quite heavily. I felt nervous slightly, as I didn’t know what the ground or the atmosphere would be like. 

As we got into the car the radio played a top ten countdown from 1989, and as we listened to Bobby Brown’s ‘Own our own’ (from the soundtrack of Ghostbusters 2) the rain battered Bev’s massive sunroof. This is before we were greeted by a tight twisty country road which only had room for one car - the approach to Brocstedes Park. I hoped that no other cars would be coming in the other direction and my anxiety cleared as I saw the sign.

I felt an instant excitement and sensed a welcoming atmosphere. It cost £5 at the turnstile to enter a nice little ground. It cost £2.40 for my pint of bitter (which was placed into a plastic wobbly glass) and £1 for Bev’s cup of tea (Styrofoam cup).   The crowd was small, friendly and quiet – there was no singing so I could hear the conversations. One 13 year old girl asked her friend ‘Why does nobody use kettles nowadays?’ and I heard a kids joke - ‘why is 8 afraid of 7? Because 7 ate 9.’

It was a small crowd of 71 fans and the Mayor of St Helens, Councillor Andy Bowden was in attendance.

One player complained that the grass on the pitch was too long, but to me it seemed like a nice, early season surface.  The game itself was very even, in very difficult conditions (driving rain at times and windy – temp 17 degrees) but I think Ashton Athletic edged the tie as they hit the post a couple of times and produced a good save from the St Helen’s keeper.   A draw was a disappointing result for me and our blog – this meant a reply and when I committed to attend as many games as possible I didn’t rake replays into account – especially when this reply was set for Tuesday the 20^th August – 3 days is very short notice.

I could not attend the reply because I was in Newcastle on a pre-paid City break with my girlfriend, which means that 2 games into the blog, I’ve already missed 1 game!   On a positive note, both teams share the same ground, so I did not miss out on seeing another ground or visiting another town.

The Giant Killing Adventure Leading Goal Scorers - 17^th August 2013

Adam Gilchrist  2 (Ashton Athletic) 

Neil Weaver     1 (St Helens Town)

Greg Harrison   1 (St Helens Town)

The Giant Killing Adventure League table – 17^th August 2013

Team	Won	Drawn	Goals For	Goals Against	GD	Points
Ashton Athletic	0	1	2	2	0	1
St Helens Town	0	1	2	2	0	1

So far we have witnessed 90 minutes of football, £10 on the turnstiles, 4 goals, 1 pint of bitter, 3 cups of tea, 71 fans and the journey has travelled 4.2 miles from the FA Cup’s current home in Wigan.

Sunday 18^th August 2013

On Sunday 18^th August 2013, Wigan Robin Park was knocked out of the competition by AFC Emley. The score was 3-2 and Wigan Robin Park’s run in the competition has been a bitter sweet symphony, but that’s life! 

Tuesday 20^th August 2013

The replay on Tuesday 20^th August 2013 between Ashton Athletic and St Helens Town was won by Ashton Athletic 1-0. Goal scorer Nathan Ward. 

I can’t comment on the match but it was attended by 58 fans. All I can tell you is that Newcastle has 2-4-1 cocktails (around £6 for two Long Island Ice teas) nearly everywhere,  it costs £4.30 to ride the whole Metro all day (including a ferry from North to South Shields), and Greggs the bakers sell ham and pease pudding stotties. Pease Pudding is savoury, similar in texture to hummus and is made with split yellow or Carlin peas, water, salt and spices. A stottie is a flat and round loaf, baked at the bottom of an oven – it has a heavy and dough-like texture.

Whilst Ashton Athletic was knocking St Helens Town out of the  FA Cup I was eating a whole lobster at Puccini that cost £16.50 (that’s a whole Lobster) – brilliant! 

The photo above is the Angel of the North near Newcastle.

The Giant Killing Adventure Leading Goal Scorers – 22^nd August 2013

Adam Gilchrist  2 (Ashton Athletic) 

Neil Weaver     1 (St Helens Town)

Greg Harrison   1 (St Helens Town)

Nathan Ward    1 (Ashton Athletic)

The Giant Killing Adventure League table – 22^nd August 2013

Team	Won	Drawn	Goals For	Goals Against	GD	Points
Ashton Athletic	1	1	3	2	1	4
St Helens Town	0	1	2	3	-1	1

So far the Giant Killing Adventure has reported on 180 minutes of football, £10 on the turnstiles, 129 fans, 5 goals, 1 £2.40 pint of bitter, 3 £1 cups of tea, 1 ham and pease pudding stottie, 2 £16.50 Lobsters, 4 2-4-1 cocktails, 1 City Break and the journey has travelled 4.2 miles from the FA Cup’s current home in Wigan.

Ashton Athletic has drawn an away tie at Curzon Ashton in the Preliminary Round of the 2013/14 FA Cup.  Join me again to learn more about the next round and more about Curzon Ashton.  The match is currently due to be played on Saturday 31^st August 2013...