Geordie Al's Groundhopper Scrapbook: Bury 0-0 Southend United, Tuesday 13th February 2018

Wednesday 14 February 2018

Bury 0-0 Southend United, Tuesday 13th February 2018

Bury 0-0 Southend United (att. 2,795)
‘I didn’t come last week cos I was ill. I came this week cos I’m not ill.’

Welcome to ...

With a week off work, what better way to spend 24 hours than travel up to Greater Manchester and tick off ground #89? Course, not wishing to spend the night, the only option for coming back was an overnite Megabus. Grim. I did manage SOME sleep…inbetween being woken up at Leeds, Sheffield, Loughborough, Leicester, Rugby (Rugby???) and possibly Milton Keynes. Not ideal when I’ve things to achieve today…

Bury FC hoarding on the busy Manchester Road.

So, yeah, a train up from Euston. And I wasn’t the only one catching the 10am (second class) – so were the Southend United team. Who were they playing? Bury. What are the chances? I never saw them on the Megabus back. Premier Inn, Bury, tonite lads? Train in around noon and a chance to visit the National Football Museum and Afflecks Palace. The former, not as good as I remember it being at Preston, but at least free. Is it cos they have ‘National’ in front of it, they have to? Something like that. Still, an interesting floor of old football games machines (not the computer console kind) which are also playable. The Pele exhibition just seemed like an excuse for some artists to sell a few paintings, while god knows why they needed to advertise this week’s Eubanks jnr boxing match by installing a ring. I think the idea was they’d have a couple of blokes sparring in there, but unlike 100 others, I’ve better things to do than stand around waiting for over half an hour. Afflecks Palace wasn’t as I’d remembered it 25 years ago either. Some things you should just leave to memory.

The National Football Museum.

Anyway, it was good to be wandering around Manchester, getting my bearings for next time, before I hopped on a tram to Bury. This was a bit of a mistake too, since the bus (#135 was one of them) goes right past ‘The Energy Check Stadium at Gigg Lane’ (WTF?). But I wanted a go on a tram, and look at Bury town centre. The tram ride in the rush hour was fine (I eventually got a seat), 6pm in Bury less so. I walked along Manchester Road (there’s a clue, re: buses) and came across a pub, The Staff of Life. Didn’t look great, I carried on to the Swan and Cemetery. Apparently this has a good rep locally for food. All I found was a characterful pub on the outside looking characterless in. Why paint everything grey? Spacious enough though and it did San Miguel (the best of a bad bunch). A few Sarfend were in having driven. I didn't sense any home fans. It also looked a bit of a chain pub, but I can’t be bothered to find out if it is. If I come to Gigg Lane again, I’ll problies just drink in Manchester.

Bury's uniquely shaped stadium.

With 15 mins to kick off I was outside the stadium. I wasn’t expecting a queue at the box office, but overhearing fans, I think they were there for Blackburn away tickets - £5 for a friend of a season ticketholder (though full price for the season ticketholder himself). Another interesting offer which doesn’t quite reward the loyal fan. Maybe it’ll boost numbers though, and was maybe a reciprocal arrangement for the home game, where Rovers outnumbered Bury, the programme tells me. (Bradford did the same. Poor Bury.)

One fan makes himseld comfortable. And why not?

A brick hut opposite the ticket office was selling food. ‘Black pudding £2’. Now, I’ve only ever had black pudding as an accompaniment, but I was assured by a home fan inside that the legendary foodstuff is eaten on its own round these parts. Well I never. I settled for a goulash for £3.50, which, while very hot (the temperature was sub zero), and very nice, tasted nothing like goulash. It was closer to Lancashire hotpot, but given I was in Lancashire, I guess they know what doesn’t constitute Lancashire hotpot. Anyway, I was able to take it into the stadium, as I paid my twenty quid on the gate. As I hesitated at the turnstile, I was asked ‘what’s up?’. ‘Sorry, I thought I’d be given a match ticket.’ ‘No, not here, we can’t afford ‘em’.

The Bury FC floodlight avoidance scheme.

I was in the Main Stand, and aside from the ‘reserved’ seats (season ticket holders?) you could sit where you like. I went up high, mainly so I wasn’t in anyone’s way. The old roof hung low, meaning I couldn’t see some of the opposite stand, nor the keeper’s aerial hoofs. No bad thing. I got chatting to a local, who came to the back cos he could stand. No, he doesn’t think they’ll stay up. ‘But you’ve been getting 2 points a game since the new manager came in.’ ‘Eh? You can’t get 2 points a game. You can only get one point or 3 points.’ (They’ve 8 points from the last 4 games.) Bless. He was very passionate though and gave it some mouth towards the pitch.

The away end. 150+, not bad.

In fact, the atmosphere wasn’t too bad given the low numbers and the appalling nature of the game. ‘It promises to be an entertaining game’ claimed the pre-match spiel on Bury’s website. I think they were looking at Sarfend’s 3 wins in a row since Chris Powell came in, as well as their own recent record. Unless they have a different definition of ‘entertaining’ round these parts. They were slating Rochdale’s pitch last week, but their own is in a right state. Players couldn’t run with the ball for tripping up, or the ball bobbling. In fact, while I’m at it, why do s*** teams play on s*** pitches? Shouldn’t it be the other way around? Good players are the ones who should be able to play on any pitch, surely?

Inside the Main Stand. Cosy.

What football there was came from Southend, who bossed the first half without notching, the home keeper making several saves. Second half, they were both as bad as each other. At least I got to see former Barnsley ‘legend’ (my description, nobody else’s) Stephen Dawson jog around for Bury in much the same way he’d done for us in the Championship. And like the Championship, he was always a second behind everyone else, despite the effort. Age is catching up with him. At least he’s used to relegation – cos I can’t see Bury escaping now. 10 points off safety and 14 matches left. Time to bag a tram to Manchester and try not to slip on the icy streets. God it was cold.

The Cemetery End. Lifeless.

The Damage:
£20 Ent
£3 prog
£23 train
£9 Megabus
£4.60 tram
= £59.60

The Tunes:
Stay Gold (First Aid Kit)
brown album (Orbital)
The Digging Remedy (Plaid)
Claustrophobia (Scuba)
Mixmag Jul14 (Scuba)
Mixmag Mar16 (Novelist)
Mixmag Aug15 (Black Coffee)
Screamadelica (Primal Scream)
Drunk (Thundercat)
Silence (Pete Namlook and Dr. Atmo)
Slowdive (Slowdive)