Harden v Cleckheaton 6 October 2018

Adjudicators:  AB, PL, JK

Timing: 09:45 and 11:40

Prices: 1.25 and 1.30

First, a little piece of nostalgia……. Two Adjudicators had to pop into Bradford on their way to the match, and passing the Talbot Hotel, remembered the stone Talbot Dog, which once stood guard over the entrance. Internet investigations confirmed that there had been two dogs, one over each entrance…….but they were stolen in 1975, after the hotel had closed down in 1974. Even now………they are sorely missed.

The match itself began with an excellent pie from Harden, still warm, with the solidifying jelly melting in the mouth after every bite. The crust was firm and tasty, without being too hard or overdone…….and the meat content was well seasoned, without any hint of over-salting, and deemed vary tasty. The consensus was that this was a very good pie, presented in near perfect conditions.

Half-time drinks were taken in The Richard Oastler, a Wetherspoons establishment in Brighouse, sited in an ex-Methodist chapel, and retaining many of the original features…….including an impressive organ situated above the bar.

Cleckheaton had been undefeated so far in the PLS, seemingly always able to raise their game just enough to overcome the opposition……..but this was the best pie they had faced this season……and the Adjudicators had doubts about their ability to match this opponent. But match them they did…..providing hot pies straight from the back room. The crust was at least as good as the opposition, and the meat content was probably slightly more substantial, and if anything, slightly more seasoned……again, without any hint of being over-salted. The jelly was still more liquid than solid…..but once the Adjudicators noticed leakage, they were able to adapt, and with careful manoeuvring, to ensure that the juices were consumed in a manner which added succulence to the meat, and gently softened the crust.

The Adjudicators were agreed that this was probably the best match so far, across both PLN and PLS……….with both teams pretty much right at the top of their game.

After a short deliberation, over a post-match drink in The Pear Tree, the Adjudicators decided that a draw would be the fairest result. For Cleckheaton it was enough to gain them the PLS title………..but unfortunately for Harden, it meant they finished third…….and Birkenshaw took the runners-up spot, together with a place in the PL Championship Semi-Final……..away at Pateley Bridge.

And one final piece of information. Examples of both pies were taken back for assessment by the technicians in the Grub Village Labs. Their verdict was “in a cold, side by side test, Cleckheaton was the clear and unanimous winner”.