The One Where The Magic Of The FA Cup Meets Award-Winning Pies

Walking Down Wembley Way

Without inviting anyone to share unduly in my own private hell, I have, in recent times, become very familiar with the Woodhead Pass. For those lacking an encyclopaedic knowledge of the Notts/ Yorkshire road network, the Woodhead is the shortest route from Sheffield to Manchester, winding it's merry way as it does across the Peak District. So it was perhaps unnecessary for me to repeat the journey one more time in order to expedite a visit to Glossop.

Unnecessary, that is, until you learn that Glossop North End recently won an award for the Best Pies in all of football. Which is no little boast. And a man of my stature cannot let such things pass him by. So, the onset of this season's FA Cup, and a visit from Wigan Robin Park (no, me neither) brought the plan together quite majestically.

Surrey Street is a funny little ground. Clearly it was once on the outskirts of town, but now it seems to be in entirely the wrong place. My contacts advised me it was the land that time forgot, but truth be told, it is a lovely little place. It doesn't look too inviting from the outside, but once you pass through the turnstiles, it has everything you need. Namely a pitch, enough cover, a clubhouse. And pies.

But before we launch in to the usual half-arsed report, a quick mention of the pre-match drinking hole, The Friendship. Uninspiring northern pub-by-numbers to the untrained eye, I was given the heads up on Twitter by @GlossopNorthEnd and what a lovely place it was. From the old boys playing dominoes, to the Lords-like reverence for cricket, it really was my idea of pub heaven.

Pete. The First Man. See?

And so, the game. Er, yes, the game. It ended 2-2, and the second half was much better than the first. The mood after the match seemed to be that it was a below-par performance from both sides, and certainly no one seemed to have a good, or for that matter horrendous, game. No one really stood out. There were no fat blokes or man mountains to pour scorn upon. The home fans weren't overly enamoured of the visiting bench. And that was pretty much that. GNE probably just shaded things, but WRP took the few chances they created, and deserved the replay on that basis alone.

An Award-Winning Chicken Balti Pie

As for the pies... Well, after all the hype, I was expecting something sensational. What I got was a better than average pie, which was let down by the pastry. To this connoisseur, it runs a distant second to Goole.

Kind regards, the chubby one off Masterchef.