WIDNES 3 DUNSTON BAD BLUE BOYS 0 *** NORTH WEST COONTIES LEEGUE

Posted '10:50am bells' Sunday 15th March 2020

Because NUFCs game v The Blade Runners of Sheffeeeld woz caalled off on Friday, like the rest of Leegue futbaall, a quick phone caall to Dunston FC got me on their team/supporters bus to Widnes, so I cud get mee Saturday 'fix'!

We left the Dunston groond (2  miles across the Tyne from SJP) at '10:15 bells' and arrived at wor destination at '1:30 bells' and heeded straight for the nearest drinkin den just ootside the groond!
Bizzarly it woz caalled 'The Cricketers Arms' in this Rugby Leegue mad town? but the gargels were under £3 a pint in this rough and ready pub with peeling paint and shabby carpets--- but the beer woz 'spot on', which woz the most important thing! (of course!)

*The bar's nickname woz 'Leggies' and after a few pints it woz time to 'leg it' to the one and anly turnstile open in this 17,000 capacity stadium, which iz aalso the home of Widnes Vikings RLFC and Liverpoool and Evaatin Ladies teams! 

*Amazingly, 'little ol' me' had been here 20 years before with 'The NUFC mad-sad groundhoppers' for a NUFC resorve game v Evaatin resorves, so it WASN'T a new groond, which woz a bit disappointin' on my part! (we foond oot later that they plan to move to a smaaller groond alang the road next season!---typical!)

!st HALF ACTION AZ DUNSTON ATTACK THE LEFT HAND GOAL

The groond iz far to big for a club at this level and az the game kicked off there woz a sparse crowd in attendance ! (I counted 105 later on!)

It woz a 'drastic plastic' pitch, which meeenz that multiple teams can play here (az mentioned above) and The Bad Blue Boys of Dunston (who were playin in aall RED?) foond it hard to adapt to the pitch!

VIEW FROM ROW 20, SEAT 52, IN THE MAIN STAND (2nd half)

Widnes (who play in white shirts and black shorts) took advantage of this and put pressure on the Dunston defence and an own goal for the home side came late on in the forst half when Dunston defender Craig Scott attempted to clear off the line, but ended up putting the baall into hiz own net!
Half time 1-0 to Widnes!

The second period wasn't much better for 'The Bad Blue (Red) Boys' and Widnes double their lead with an excellent strike from one of their forwards!
It woz soon 3-0 when the Dunston goalie unintentionally gave the baall to a Widnes forward, who had the simple task of tappin the baall ower the goal line!---There woz nee way back and the game ended soon after!

Attendance: 105 (est) includin' 30 Dunston fans and committee men!

We 'legged it' back to 'Leggies' on the final whistle, to 'shovel doon' a couple of pints before catchin the coach yem!
In the bar woz a lad playin pool who had a Toon crest tattoo on hiz leg (he woz wearin' shorts)---he wasn't with us and I pointed oot to him that we were aall Toon fans az well az Dunston fans!

"I live here!" he said, suprized to see us--(he didn't naa there woz a game on 'next door' involving a Tyneside team!)  and we shook hands (NOT elbows!) before departin for the coach back!

*It looks very likely that nee NUFC games will be played for the foreseeable future and so 'The Geordie Times' will gan to games like this---or doon to 'grass roots' futbaall in the Northern Alliance, shud Dunston's leegue shut doon (very likely, accordin to the committee men on the coach back to Tyneside)

WE WILL NOT! BE BEATEN FOR WOR SATURDAY 'FIX'!