Post by Deleted on Feb 7, 2010 11:23:18 GMT
Yesterday's adventure intended to take in the game at Tow Law against Bishop Auckland. At around 950 feet, Tow Law is one of the highest grounds in the country so a check on the weather was needed before we left Newcastle.
The club secretary was full of good news - a lovely sunny day and they were itching to play after not having a game for eight weeks. And, as we drove through Stanley and Annfield Plain, we left the lowland fog behind to arrive at Tow Law in bright sunshine. Game on!
Pretty basic facilities and rather open to the elements but a friendly welcome in a small, isolated community that owes its origins to the iron industry. And a club with quite a history, most famously a 5-1 FA Cup win over Mansfield in 1967 (which was followed by a draw against Shrewsbury and an appearance in the draw for the 3rd round: Tow Law or Shrewsbury v Arsenal. Alas it wasn't to be....).
So, with time to kill, we nipped into the clubhouse only to re-emerge at 2.45 to....thick fog. Well, we'd been warned about Tow Law's micro-climate. Yes, you could see the far end and the far side but not clearly enough to see what was happening. They kicked-off at three and by 3.04 the linesmen were struggling. We then had a suspension - with blue sky in places, the sun shining through and all-round good humour - before they tried again half an hour later. Another four or five minutes; game abandoned. Sod's Law at Tow Law. The managers were happy to play - and said they'd accept mistakes being made - but it was impossible.
3.50 - fog on the A68 - but time to catch the last thirty-five minutes at West Auckland where we saw three goals before a brief visit to the club to gaze at the displays about the Sir Thomas Lipton trophy and receive the news from Hereford.
Saturday afternoon at the football. You can't beat it...
Pictures at myweb.tiscali.co.uk/coweyhome/100206towlaw.htm
The club secretary was full of good news - a lovely sunny day and they were itching to play after not having a game for eight weeks. And, as we drove through Stanley and Annfield Plain, we left the lowland fog behind to arrive at Tow Law in bright sunshine. Game on!
Pretty basic facilities and rather open to the elements but a friendly welcome in a small, isolated community that owes its origins to the iron industry. And a club with quite a history, most famously a 5-1 FA Cup win over Mansfield in 1967 (which was followed by a draw against Shrewsbury and an appearance in the draw for the 3rd round: Tow Law or Shrewsbury v Arsenal. Alas it wasn't to be....).
So, with time to kill, we nipped into the clubhouse only to re-emerge at 2.45 to....thick fog. Well, we'd been warned about Tow Law's micro-climate. Yes, you could see the far end and the far side but not clearly enough to see what was happening. They kicked-off at three and by 3.04 the linesmen were struggling. We then had a suspension - with blue sky in places, the sun shining through and all-round good humour - before they tried again half an hour later. Another four or five minutes; game abandoned. Sod's Law at Tow Law. The managers were happy to play - and said they'd accept mistakes being made - but it was impossible.
3.50 - fog on the A68 - but time to catch the last thirty-five minutes at West Auckland where we saw three goals before a brief visit to the club to gaze at the displays about the Sir Thomas Lipton trophy and receive the news from Hereford.
Saturday afternoon at the football. You can't beat it...
Pictures at myweb.tiscali.co.uk/coweyhome/100206towlaw.htm