Pre-season friendly: Matlock (A)

[Pete Brooksbank]

Big game this! Well, it is for me personally as it'll be the first live game of football I've attended since the win over York in February 2020! Which is absolutely surreal.

Anyone else making the trip across for it? If so, bear in mind EMR recently stopped the Nottingham-Matlock through service so you'll need to change in Derby.

[Prof]

My first live game too since the Tuesday after York. Too long. Will be there. If enough of us go we can make it like a league away game!

Any suggestions on a BUFC pub before the game for socially distanced outdoor beer?

[noughtyforties]

Hoping to get over, finishing work an hour early all being well.

Lovely ground is Causeway Lane, hard to believe in the 70's Matlock were beating the likes of Wigan and ourselves on a regular basis and were enjoying good Cup runs and Trophy wins in front of regular 2000+ gates. Not joining the APL because of the travelling really cost them, all the better Sheffield/South Yorkshire based players went to Frickley and Boston for the better money and Matlock gradually drifted off the radar. 

[Pete Brooksbank]

Hoping to get over, finishing work an hour early all being well.

Lovely ground is Causeway Lane, hard to believe in the 70's Matlock were beating the likes of Wigan and ourselves on a regular basis and were enjoying good Cup runs and Trophy wins in front of regular 2000+ gates. Not joining the APL because of the travelling really cost them, all the better Sheffield/South Yorkshire based players went to Frickley and Boston for the better money and Matlock gradually drifted off the radar.

Yeah, it's a corking ground. Not been there since 2008! Hopefully the weather picks up....

[joshb]

Going, although might need a lift to belper/chesterfield/derby afterwards given that the bus back to belper (where I can get a train back to Derby in time to get the last one to brum) leaves at 9.40 which is cutting it fine.
Looking forwards to it,first one since Gainsborough

[joshb]

My first live game too since the Tuesday after York. Too long. Will be there. If enough of us go we can make it like a league away game!

Any suggestions on a BUFC pub before the game for socially distanced outdoor beer?

There'd the remarkable hare that looks good
Also the red lion microbrewery close to the ground as well as a place called twenty ten. Both seem alright

[Prof]

As always hard to judge with so many revolving door substitutions. Opinions on last night's game so far:

Solid/ooze quality: Leesley, Rollins (looks to be on fire), Burrow, Dimaio, Shiels, Garner, F Preston, Byrne

OK: J Preston, Duxbury.

Unsure about remainder or not enough data yet. Looked to me like Hawkridge did his hammy late on.

Welcome views of others esp. the inimitable Oxo.