I've Been A Busy Little Writer Bee...

Yeah, I know I was planning on going to the cinema but I slightly strained my thigh last night so I am resting and writing and chilling... here is my Swinton report from Sunday!

Swinton Lions gave another glimpse of their potential against top-notch National League One opposition.

They were only 10 points behind last season’s Super League’s bottom team and scored an impressive flurry of tries towards the end of a tough Derby encounter.

Paul Kidd shuffled his pack and gave Safraz Patel, Mike Stout and Keiron Hersnip their first games of the season while experimenting with Martin Moana at stand off.

Leigh threatened to stomp over the smaller Lions pack as Ricky Bibey and Warren Stevens stood out with some bullocking running.

A biting Arctic wind played its’ part and the ball repeatedly went to ground, Stevens and James Taylor dropping the ball in try scoring positions.

Leigh made no mistake though when Karl Forber swung the ball wide for Dean Gaskell to squeeze in at the corner. Forber kicked an excellent conversion. 0-6

Despite the Lions once managing to push Lee Greenwood into touch as he dived for the line, a similar swamping overlap resulted in substitute Danny Speakman crashing through. 0-10

Swinton though were rarely allowed space and had eighteen tackles on the Leigh line but the Centurions managed to shut the door.

The Centurions killed the game early in the second half with some crushing examples of pace. Patel’s wild ball was snapped up by Greenwood and he went the length of the pitch. 0-14

Soon after, Ian Watson’s kick was blocked by Aaron Heremaia, he shuffled the ball to Greenwood who rounded Wayne English, the cover somehow got to him but the ball found Gary Sykes and finally Gaskell who somersaulted under the sticks. 0-20

Swinton kept on going and Watson read Scott Grix’s mind to intercept and burn fifty yards to score with Kris Smith converting. 6-20

Speedy passing created another score for the visitors and dash any slight hopes Swinton had of returning, Gaskell again in at the corner. 6-24

Then former international Paul Rowley showed his class bursting from dummy half, showing the ball to English then scooting under the posts. 6-30

Perhaps Leigh took their foot off the gas or maybe the half backs finally clicked but the Lions scored three late unanswered tries, first Moana fended off Taylor and Gaskell to score. 10-30

Then strong Swinton running saw Dave Ashton tackled just short, his winger Stuart Oldham then burrowed over from the play the ball before Watson performed a trick on the Leigh defence and handed Moana a stroll over for his second. 20-30

Swinton: Wayne English, Stuart Oldham, Dave Ashton, Dave Llewellyn, Marlon Billy, Martin Moana, Ian Watson, Rob Whittaker, Andy Crabtree, Dave Newton, Kris Smith, Ian Sinfield, Craig Farrimond.
SUBS: Safraz Patel, Mike Stout, Keiron Hersnip, Ian Parry

Leigh: Scott Grix, Dean Gaskell, Tommy Grundy, Adam Hughes, Lee Greenwood, Carl Forber, Aaron Heremaia, Ricky Bibey, Paul Rowley, Warren Stevens, James Taylor, Tere Glassie, Robert Roberts
SUBS: Gary Sykes, Danny Speakman, John Cookson, Liam Coleman.

Attendance: 1,045

Referee: Robert Hicks (Dewsbury)

MOTM: Swinton: Ian Watson Leigh: Ricky Bibey

Based On Earlier Experiences...

Gig tickets, eh?! I am about to send this to Didsburyvillage.com. What does everyone think about this...

At roughly 5.35PM this afternoon, I entered the Piccadilly Box Office in St Anne’s Square and tried to purchase three tickets for the Yeah Yeah Yeahs for me and a couple of mates…

Which of course, I wasn’t able to do.

The gig, despite the tickets being available for less than a week was completely sold out - this is a problem.

A couple of years ago, I could have seen a band that although not a massive fan of, I could check out live and make a better judgement. Those days it seems are gone.

Which is a very worrying sign, since one of the main ways bands could get to the hallowed mainstream was by touring heavily to a wide ranging audience, with this less possible, it means we rely heavily on the music magazines and the internet.

Again, you may think, so what? As you probably have the Internet if you are reading this, well unbelievably to you, some people still don’t have it. These unfortunate folks are unwittingly massively limited by the media they can view.

Considering they may have to rely on radio and the music magazines such as NME who tout the vastly overrated Strokes as world beaters, that can only be bad news.

In fact, it is the narrow choice provided by NME and the other major music rags that causes this, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs are one of a select few heavily touted whereas bands that used to be supported by them such as Six by Seven I saw last year along with 100 or so other hardcore followers in a desolate Hop and Grape. This was despite positive reviews of their last album throughout the wider media.

Whatever the few large music mags remaining say, goes. All their rivals are gone, bought up and gobbled away by this monolith; it is now up to someone else to create some kind of competition.

Another aspect that is rarely looked at is the influence of E-Bay on the gig scene, yes the gig is sold out so why are there already 17 separate auctions of tickets for the Manchester gig?

They can’t ALL have friends who dropped out or other work commitments, already?!

Touting has been allowed to run rampant for too long, anyone who has gone to a gig at the Apollo and had their taxi door opened for them by a tout with handfuls of tickets in his/her greedy fingers will testify.

The time has come to print names on stubs and if need be, limit them to one per person. The current situation is ridiculous – the top price for YYY tickets is £62 compared to face value of £30. Somehow this is almost universally accepted…

It worked at Glastonbury in reducing touting and crime and who is to argue that the venerable creator of Glasto Michael Eavis doesn’t have much foresight.

Yes, it will increase entrance prices again but just look at the inflation already, my first Academy 1 gig in 1999 cost me £8 (including booking fee) and that was one of the costlier ones! Now it averages at £15.

Sadly this idea will also prevent many kids experiencing live music till much later, hopefully parents could arrange to go along and buy them. but there must be change soon.

Gigs aren’t too popular, it is just touting is.