Shortly before 12.30pm today @TruroCityTweet declared 'ALL CLEAR FOR CITY -TAX BILL PAID IN FULL' (their capitals not mine but worthy of shouting nonetheless) and it seemed in light of the current cloud of doom hanging over parts of non-league that the sun has broken through over Cornwall at least.

Photo: Earl Gardner

The Philadelphia Union announced on Tuesday that 21-year-old English defender Joe Tait has been signed.

Tait has featured in two reserve team matches, registering an assist in the 2–0 win over New England reserves. Tait also scored in the friendly against Harrisburg City Islanders on August 24 and joins the team from USL PRO club Dayton Dutch Lions.

Despite a tweet being taken down, most likely after a talking to from Philadelphia Union brass, Joe Tait is set to sign with the team based on a second confirmatory tweet from the defender's current coach.

Tait originally tweeted that he was "gutted papers weren't done in time. Fly back to NOLA today to get stuff moved to Philly!

The Philadelphia Union have brought in former Player Development League (PDL), part of the United Soccer Leagues (USL), Defender of the Year Joe Tait on trial.

Tait, revealed as a Union trialist during the team's 5-3 friendly win over the USL's Harrisburg Islanders, is a 20-year-old defender with the Dayton Dutch Lions of the USL PRO division.

A pre-season friendly.

Substantial team changes for the starting 11. Even more substantial changes at half time and subsequently.

Young, up-and-coming Arsenal players like Bartley and Afobe getting a run out.

Nobody wanting to get injured before the serious stuff starts in a couple of weeks.

Regardless of where played, a proper derby stokes supporters' passions, incites vitriol to be spewed irrationally, and at times can pluck raw nerves to a bleeding point. If today's player, often unattached or deeply affiliated with a club enough to identify with a rivalry match, actually buys in to this emotion and puts it into his play on the pitch, the results can run the gamut from being something of legend to looking brutish and petty.

Residents of the American South live alongside the spirits of their past, both good and bad. With a history tempered by a Laissez les bon temps rouler approach to life yet pockmarked by the ills of slavery, a civil war, segregation, poverty, and colourful but corrupt public officials who let their good times roll a bit too big, today's inhabitants always find themselves rubbing elbows with spectres which refuse to be parted from them.

To put things bluntly, Baton Rouge have stumbled mightily at the start of this summer's Premier Development League campaign. Although the capital club is not alone, with 2010 champions Portland U-23 finding themselves nine points off the pace in a rather competitive Northwest Division and beaten finalists Thunder Bay second from bottom in the Heartland Division (having only played two matches thus far), Baton Rouge coach Stuart Hayers must surely be getting nervous as the Capitals still sit twelve points adrift of reaching a playoff position.