I want to run, I went to Hyde

Woop woop! Football’s back! Innit brilliant!

OK the game at Hyde wasn’t anything to get excited about. It was a preseason training exercise, and it looked like it. But we all got to have a pint on the terrace watching it. In fact, there were probably thousands of pints drunk, and not an ounce of bother. Just saying.

There’s not much to say about the game itself. We looked shaky at the back first half. Kofi Moore looked impressive on the right wing, and best of luck to him in his loan spell, even if Workington are a bunch of Tories. We looked more solid at the back in the second half when Hogan and Raglan came on, and Raglan looked decent at playing long balls forward. I’m not sure what playing Will Sutton in midfield was all about.

Lundstram was MOTM and looked to be bossing it in midfield, and I have all the time in the world for him saying he was pleased to keep a clean sheet in the post-match interview. Top bantz, well played, son. He also said that the style of play here is more aggressive and more ‘on the front foot’ than he’s used to, which may have raised some eyebrows among Unsworth’s more vocal critics.

It wasn’t an entertaining game, neither of the XIs is likely to be the starting line up at Southend (and best wishes to their fans who are anxiously waiting to see whether that game actually goes ahead). It was a day out and a chance to have a nosey at the new players. And for certain retired members of the Rebel Alliance, it was a chance to spend the afternoon having a chat with Rothwells. If you see a bitter weirdo claiming on social media that Frank ‘won’t have anything to do with Push The Boundary’, treat it with the contempt it deserves.

The highlight of last Saturday was England winning the U21 Euros. I didn’t think I had much more than a passing interest in the final (which England were expected to win, having clearly been the best team in the tournament), but it was on in the clubhouse and we were so incensed by Spain being dirty diving bastards than we were on our feet bellowing at the screen. James Trafford’s brilliant double save from Spain’s soft-as-fuck injury time penalty was exactly what everyone involved in the game deserved. Well done, kids.

Have a great day if you’re off to the seaside/coastal retirement village today. Merseyside Police, who clearly aren’t used to dealing with fans of big clubs, have hilariously told Southport to not sell any alcohol in the ground. It’s a shame for Southport, it doesn’t look like it was their decision and it’ll cost them thousands, but clearly the police think we're gonna get shitfaced and storm the home end taunting them about once beating them 11-0 at Boundary Park. Stay safe, enjoy yourselves and don’t get too hung up on the result of the match. To echo Mick Rathbone’s message to the world via Mike Fondop’s Instagram, “just relax, we’re all gonna die”. Stay zen. KTMFF.

Written by Arlene Finnigan. Photos © Luke Reynolds.