When I began my career in journalism at age 36 thirty long years ago I was paired up with a flamboyant character at the Chorley Guardian named John Downes. John was a striking looking lad, always immaculately dressed in blazer with a lush mane of red hair, a charismatic and convivial confrere whose ebullient company I so enjoyed I would lend him a few quid towards the end of each month end, knowing full well I'd also end up with punitive overdraft charges, just to enjoy his company and listen to his mad rants in the pub an hour longer.
One time he approached Chorley FC manager Dave Sutton for a post-match only for the lanky blonde Tarleton-born former Bolton and Rochdale defender to launch a preemptive strike.
"You write the same rubbish every week, Downesy," he sneered.
John politely and ever so slightly condescendingly pointed out that as The Magpies had just that minute lost a fifth consecutive home game by the same 0-1 margin, four of them to goals conceded in the last 15 minutes, he might just be short of any fresh material to impart any variety in his reports about.
Watching Accrington these days is reminding me a bit of those weeks. Groundhog days. Or maybe here in East Lancashire, whippet weekends.
At the cricket at Chorley, Downesy, never one to shy from pushing his luck if an opportunity to seek a bonus beer voucher arose, would conclude an intense dressing room debrief with successful skipper Roland Horridge by wrapping up with: "Well done, Roland. Err, you couldn't lend me a tenner till payday could you?"
At least Graeme Sneddon hasn't yet had to endure that slight indignity from me, and while this column is returning me (unpaid) to the Accrington Observer pages, I'd happily forego a week's scoring fee to buy the lads a celebratory round if they could somehow break the losing habit.
With pressing family matters, I couldn't even bring myself to offer a conciliatory platitude after a crushing Sunday defeat by Crompton which not even the most extraordinary innings by home professional Jurie Snyman could turn into a winning platform.
I've seen the likes of Allan Border and Mark Higgs score more on a Lancashire League field and we saw Bacup's pro score a double ton earlier this season, but I don't think I've ever seen such a sustained effort of concentration, intelligence and good cricketing sense as Jurie produced before unleashing an awe-inspiring barrage of clean hitting to set a target which may have become competitive if our amateur bowling wasn't currently struggling as much as our top-order batsmen are.
Only Emile Haratbar looks in any kind of form and from 31 for two when Jurie strode out, two more wickets fell before he got off the mark to further emphasise the current weekly truth that if the South African gets out, we may as well get set for an early finish.
Snyman and Emile added 56 for the fifth wicket but Crompton were holding their catches and when Haratbar perished for a fine 28 the familiar procession of partnerships totalling 8, 13, 0 and 12 - 33 added for wickets 6 to 9 out of which Jurie had scored 32 to advance to 51- saw 55 year old last man Damien Clarke walk out (at the other end of the scale 13-year-old Noah Cronshaw debuted and did well) with 13 overs left but little prospect, it seemed, of a half-decent score.
What followed was truly astonishing and a scarcely believable exercise in resistance, self control, biding time and finally picking the moment to unleash the unbridled power and precision hitting Jurie bottles in his locker until the right moment. It had to be timed precisely when there was no further mileage simply in occupying the crease but how it unfolded was astounding.
After 41 overs the score was still a modest 140.
From 5 of three remaining overs the innings lasted we scored 13, 24, 19, 18 and 17. The two other overs were a maiden and one off as Clarkey dutifully held guard.
We know that Damien scored just 1 of a 10th wicket stand of 107 - memories of Stokes and Leach at Headingley - Jurie in fact scored 134 out 140 added by the last six wickets with thirteen fours and thirteen immense sixes most of which cleared the iMEP Arena's far from short boundaries by a considerable distance.
What an eye he has. Bowlers who hitherto looked supremely controlled and confident were flayed to all and sundry points of the compass as Jurie did his "Jurie in the zone" thing. It deserved a bigger audience. My dad asked after "what collection did he get?" as though the gates were still at 1975 levels. Nowhere near as much as he deserved I had to reply with a sigh.
It was only the second 100 partnership for the 10th wicket scored in Lancashire League history, the first also by Accrington in 1895 when for some bizarre reason after reaching a Haslingden total of 103 for a one-wicket win, Accy batted on and made 207 for nine in 56 (eight-ball?) overs. History does not record if the bar steward hadn't turned up - and welcome to Accrington present-day incumbent Edson Beck whose dad Paul was pretty popular across the road at the Crown Ground- or if he had and half of the fielders just walked off for a pint like anybody I ever met from Hasy would.
When he was out from the first ball of the 49th over, mistiming a towering skier for the first time, Jurie had passed 1000 runs for the club in all competitions this season.
It was exhilarating to watch and document but even as he walked off bat aloft I suspected that his fifth century of the season for us (he also got one subbing in the GMCL) would end up in a losing cause like four of the others.
Nice to get an interval visit from former work colleague and League Exec stalwart Brian Prickett, now 90, looking grand even though he was clad in Clarets shirt and hat.
Even a bit of good fortune on resumption could only offer a brief moment of hope. Crompton opener Jackson was bowled off what both scorers agreed was the seventh ball of an eventful second Oliver Lowe over. Before anyone asks why we didn't get on the walk-in talkies we are now compelled to use, I'm assured the protocol is not to tell the umpires their job unless specifically asked.
Thereafter it was pretty much a canter as our attack lacked penetration or economy. Crompton slowed down a touch after passing halfway before the 19-over mark but there was never any hint that they wouldn't cakewalk home. All over with eight overs to spare, three down, one outstanding catch in the deep by Jon Hayhurst the briefest highlight.
My Saturday game was even more of a run-fest at fast-scoring Cherry Tree, the home side falling nine short of Ribblesdale Wanderers 271 for seven. At least Ziyad Bhada, the player I forewent two T20 game payments to sponsor, continued his fine form since I did so with 52. He'd hardly scored a run before I sponsored him but has hit a rich streak since.
Sneds might decide if I have a few quid to buy the lads a beer, he'd sooner I sponsor one of Accy's out-of-form batters. It may bring a flurry of runs.
Incidentally if anyone wants to sponsor this column we could do with a Scorelink adapter for the box at the iMEP. Cost you about £200 and I'll pay the rest and maybe get your logo in the Observer all season.
Ribb Wanderers scorer Jo Worthy is one of the loveliest people on the circuit. With four lads she has been a cricket and rugby mum for some time and is a mine of info on young players! I'd no idea Cherry Tree's Arran Dignan, whose previous club was Littleborough, was a local lad but sounds like he's one of many who's pitched up at their house or one of their school games and needed a post-match lift home to Blackburn.
Back to my journalistic endeavours you may have noted the column is back in the paper where my old Rovers Blue Eyed Boy column used to go. That came about via a happy accident with email addresses in the 'send" box and I thank my old pal Richard Partington on the Sports Desk for his enthusiasm to use it.
Another ex-boss, Margaret Cheesbrough of the Great Harwood cricketing dynasty, contacted me to say it was published and she too had some lovely encouraging words. To be honest the Rovers column eventually became a bit of a burden but people in cricket are so nice I can't ever see myself getting fed up of writing about it.
*For this week's quiz, a little poser from my early days combining cricket scoring and journalism.
I once (1995) went to watch Leyland for a paper and ended up scoring because the 15-year-old regular scorer hadn't turned up after a partying Friday night. The lad in question, an author too, played professional sport (not cricket) for ten clubs and has also appeared on Countdown. Can you name him?
Last week's answer - Shaun Young, namesake of Nathaniel played one game for Accrington, v Bacup in 1994. Later in the season he sub'd for Burnley, also against Bacup, who he joined in 2001 for three seasons. He scored 50s in both "sub" appearances but took just one wicket. He took 277 for Sunday's opponents - see you all at Lanehead!
Hopefully Accrington can take 10 wickets there.
We certainly need some points after East Lancs won for the first time on Sunday. I have to say I'm delighted for their overseas amateur and perhaps reluctant skipper Harrison Walshaw who did the 'two collections' double of five wickets and 50 and for my long-suffering pal Joe Timmis who is as wedded to Alexandra Meadows fortunes as my dad, grandad and I were.
Saturday will see me at Cherry Tree where another of our Hyndburn sides with many Accrington connections, Baxenden are the visitors.
That's all dependent on me getting through an umpiring gig on Wednesday in the Preston Boddingtons midweek League without getting injured, which I managed to do last year by wearing a fierce straight drive on the shin. Guy's Thatched Hamlet v Preston Royals is my fixture. Wish me luck!
