A different type of match report

A couple of weeks ago I entered a competition to win a day out with Cavalier Studios on the gantry and with the press for a Stockport County match, well I ended up winning one of the four games and my game was the first one to take place which was against Accrington Stanley.

Instead of the usual match report, I`m going to take you through a “timeline” of the day kind of giving you an insight as to what goes on elsewhere around Edgeley Park on a match day.

12:00pm – At the last home league game (can`t remember which) my father had a chat with Norman (club chairman) about the situation regarding the posters around Edgeley Park on a County match day. Norman said he would investigate what we were allowed to do, and anyway my Dad volunteered us to put posters up in the Cheadle End in the men`s toilets. The ground is empty and Gareth Owen is doing laps around the stands of EP, as are a few of the youth players.

1:30pm – Finish and get to the pub after some lunch at the chippy, didn`t even have time for a drink as I make my way over to the ground.

2:00pm – Meet Pete Wilson (Aka DJ Best) at reception and pick up my press pass, walk round to the main entrance at the front of Edgeley Park.

2:05pm – Go down into the press office, pick up a programme and wait for the team sheets to be printed off. The camera man is John Murray.

2:15pm – Having met a few other “journos” from the Manchester Evening News, Stockport Express and local radio stations the team sheets come into the office. Jimmy McNulty and Leon McSweeney are given their home debuts, Jason Taylor is in at right back. Paul Turnbull partners Gary Dicker in midfield and Adam Griffin is on the left wing.

2:20pm – Make our way over to the Vernon Stand around the edge of the pitch, walk past the Accrington fans and there isn`t a lot there. Mind you it is forty minutes before kick off.

2:30pm – Stand at the bottom of the gantry and look up and down the ladder. Its pretty high! Stand talking for a bit and go to the toilet, its going to be over two hours till we can come back down!! John assures me it is nothing and tells me there is many more in the country that are much higher than EP!

2:35pm – Climb up the ladders. Scary. Well it doesn`t seem like that now but it took me a while to get up! It`s quite high to say the least.

2:45pm – Shown around the gantry, its quite spacious. Do a little interview with Pete.

2:50pm – Take our seats and get ready for the players to come out. Look over the team sheets again to familiarise ourselves with the names.

2:55pm – The players come out, Pete goes through the teams and I add my thoughts on the County team.
3:00pm – Kick off gets the game underway. County are shooting towards the Cheadle End in the first half and that is usually bad.

3:03pm – It isn`t bad today though. Liam Dickinson is fouled on the edge of the area and County have a free kick. Michael Rose beautifully curls it round the wall and puts it in the bottom corner. Cracking free kick and its 1-0 to County after just three minutes.

3:20pm – Accrington have come back into the game pretty well I have to say. Andy Todd has two chances, D`Sane also has a chance but hits wide. Accrington should be level here.

3:45pm – Accrington`s good work is all thrown away on the stroke of half time. They would have took going into half time at 1-0 and hoped to get a point in the second half. County get a corner in injury time and Dunbavin commits and doesn`t get the ball. Anthony Elding has a free header into an open net and its 2-0 to County.

4:00pm – Second half starts. Pitch is a bit of a mess, rugby was played on Friday night and it looks like we`re just playing in mud. Don`t think there is any alive grass in midfield.

4:45pm – It was a fairly uneventful second half. County repelled Accrington`s attacks well and didn`t really create many chances. The ball was bobbling all over the place and it was hard to control. Bad second half really but County will take the three points. We give the gantry MOTM to Jimmy McNulty for a fantastic debut.

5:00pm – Taking all the camera equipment apart and then we`ve got to get them down the ladders.

5:05pm – The players are doing their warm downs and I climb down the ladder. It`s a bit quicker because I know I`ll be back on the ground level!

5:10pm – We attach the bags to rope and pass them down as I take them down.

5:15pm – We`ve got about £50,000 of camera equipment and I`m left with two of the six bags to carry across the turf of EP. Its hard to walk straight on the grass its so uneven.

5:20pm – Go down into the press office again and wait for Jim Gannon to come and do his interviews. Jim brings his baby in with him while being interviewed by Pure FM. Tells us he will be with us in a few minutes.

5:25pm – Whilst we`re waiting we interview Anthony Elding. He talks about how the team effort got us the win today and that it was a really good team effort.

5:30pm – Jim comes out to speak to us and again talks about the fantastic team effort. Praises several performances, Michael Raynes, Jimmy McNulty, Gary Dicker, Anthony Elding. Cracking day he says.

5:40pm – Walk with the bags out to the front and that`s it. Thank John and Pete for a great day and then walk off to meet my Dad and brother. It`s a different experience and a good one. Thanks to John and Pete for a great day and Cavalier Studios, I hope the other three winners have as good a time as I did!