AFC report

We fear this will be the last football report from Ralph for some time – perhaps until next year. So thank you, Ralph, for brightening the pages of AudlemOnline with your reports, and may they soon return!

Listening to radio 4 , which airs Farming Today on a Saturday morning at 0630.

And after the lambing article, they moved on to a farm in Staffordshire where the landowner has adopted true good practice with his fields. And wonder of wonder, a team of bird ringers has done so on his farm -- with Skylarks! That wonderful songster that hovers overhead as it sings so beautifully . Brought back a lovely memory of 1957 when my then girl friend , Joan , and I cycled to the country side near to an ancient church in Ince Blundell, Lancashire . We had no car, no phone . Just our rickety bikes and of course each other. I recall us lying on our backs in a meadow awash with summer flowers. A warm sun . And overhead this gorgeous skylark singing away. The buzz of so many insects as they fed on the wealth of blooms. Joan -- I can see in my mind , was wearing a calico full circle skirt in a cinnamon colour. Of the style seen in the Grease Movie.(funny how some pictures remain in one's memory). And there we were, so innocent and so happy in the early days of courtship .

Now. I hear no skylarks here. I see no meadows awash with flowers . Not much in the way of the buzz of insects . All gone and yes, Joan has gone too.

Such sweet sweet memories and if only the future can bring back what we have lost from our fields for the benefit of our children and grand children. A dream which I hope will become fact one day .

To the game .

Sadly we were beaten -- and beaten hollow .

Result – Coronavirus 100. Audlem 0 . Felt that the referee was biased in favour of a careful approach to the game.

And Now A total wipeout for some weeks to come as we all hunker down .after having been beaten so heavily .

Ralph Warburton
Audlem Football Club