WELCOME It gives me great pleasure to welcome into the world the splendidly noisy Olive Pierce, first-born of Jack and Amy. The proud parents have been on tenterhooks these past two weeks until Olive was born in the early hours of a week past Friday, weighing in at 9lbs 5ozs. I am pleased to report that mother and daughter are doing fine, although I can't speak for Jack!

I am also delighted to welcome back to Acklam Park our visitors Malton & Norton. Would you believe it's a mere ten years since we first joined in battle on the rugby field. Our first outing, in 2003, was at Malton where we won 27-24 in the National Intermediate Cup. We were ahead 27-3 with 10 minutes to go and sitting pretty – or so we thought! However our opponents had other ideas and proceeded to score three goals before no-side. With Brad in the sin bin it was a nail-biting last few minutes. Our meeting two years later was also in the Intermediate Cup but wasn’t nearly as exciting. We won 8-0.

We've met these past two years in the league, games in which the home team has always won. Last year we won 36-25 before losing 12-20 at Malton. The previous year we won 33-13 here but lost an agonisingly close match at Malton, when we were never behind until the last minute. We led 24-3 at half time but ten minutes into the second half the speedy home backs enjoyed a purple patch with three converted tries in eight minutes to draw level. We got back on top, and a penalty put us back in front with two minutes left. But we had what would have been the last kick of the game charged down and Malton’s flanker raced 55m to score. Final whistle, we lost 27-29.

This season Malton have won four games, but only one away from home, 20-17 at Alnwick. Their other three away matches were at West, Pocklington and Northern. At home they've lost to Cleckheaton and YMCA but have beaten Wheatley Hills, O Crossleyans and then on Saturday Morpeth by 15-10. I hope their away form doesn't improve just yet!

LEAGUE RUGBY Didn't the Bircham Boys do well last week! Drafted into the 1st team at short notice Jack scored a try, two penalties and a conversion against Sheffield, whilst Charlie scored a hat trick of tries as the 'A' team continued their unbeaten run in the Tees Valley Merit League by beating Billingham. We knew as the bottom team in the league Sheffield were one of the sides we really had to beat if we were to progress up the table. Although the final score of 23-12 looks reasonably comfortable we were all on tenterhooks for much of the match. Playing into the wind, the sun, the occasional rain storm and up the slope, we still opened the scoring after five minutes when Jack made a scintillating break from our own half and ran half the length of the pitch before interchanging passes with Bellers, who dumped the ball behind the line. It was great work, but it was the highlight of a pretty drab first 40 minutes. Unfortunately ten minutes later Sheffield broke through the centre to take a 7-5 lead, which they held until half time. The second half continued in much the same disjointed way, with several of us hoping for a successful penalty; at this stage we would have settled for a one point win. We got our penalty, converted by Jack. This seemed to unleash the team to use the elements to the full advantage and as the game entered its final quarter Jack crossed for our second try before Brad disrupted a Sheffield lineout in their 22 and the ever-alert Ash dashed through to snaffle the ball and crash over the line. Jack added the extra points and closed the game with his second penalty. In between his kicks Sheffield scored a try on what was only their second encroachment into our half of the field. With Alnwick and Driffield losing we moved out of the bottom three places.

OTHER GAMES Unfortunately the Wasps lost the opportunity of extending their unbeaten start to the season last week when Hartlepool Rovers cried of on Saturday lunchtime, 12.10 pm to be precise. Of course the referee, Paul Garbutt, was already here and elected to stay to run touch for the Sheffield game. However the 'A' team did get the opportunity to continue their 100 per cent record this campaign, running out 27-12 victors against Billingham. Billingham came with the bare 15 players and unfortunately the bane of my life – uncontested scrums – applied from the start. A report on the match appears on page 9. The Lions game against Seaton Carew was postponed. And here let me congratulate our U13s who started the season with four defeats but didn't let their heads drop and went on to win their next six matches, culminating in a superb 49-7 victory over Yarm on Sunday. The U14s continued their impressive run of victories by also beating Yarm, but by such a margin - 32-26. Mention of our young 'uns reminds me that there is an U11s feature on page 19.

COLTS RUGBY Wow - we enjoyed the luxury of two home games last weekend, and both turned out to be truly exciting affairs. The Senior Colts entertained Wigton on Saturday, and although the Cumbrians arrived short of players, they arrived! Well done to them. (I thought I spotted a couple of green shirts sporting maroon socks when the game got underway.) The match finished 29-26 in our favour, although after a first half in which each team scored two tries we looked as though we might ease away from Wigton when we scored a couple of early tries after the break. But no. It was nip and tuck throughout the game and we just managed to grab the victory. Oh, and by the way, the referee was quite outstanding. The man in charge was Jonno, whose performance had the assessor, one P Johnson, agreeing that he gave a masterful performance.

On Sunday the Junior Colts faced Darlington. It was a bright sunny day but there was a strong gusting wind blowing from the south west, adding a third advantage to the sun and the slope. And in the end it proved crucial. Darlo had the elements in their favour in the first half and used them to take a 12-0 lead into the break. However within 30 seconds of the re-start we crossed for the first of our two tries, and the game ended 12-12. despite some heroic work from both teams.

CLUB NEWS On Tuesday morning I feared the worst. With a huge bonfire all ready and waiting between the rugby pitches and a packet of sparklers at the ready Guy Fawkes day started grey and decidedly wet. However Keith's forecast was spot on and by the afternoon the sun was shining as the forerunner to another wonderful display of pyrotechnics. Yet again we welcomed a massive crowd and did our very best to keep them well fed and watered. On behalf of the Club can I thank Keith and the great many of you who helped, not only on the night but on Wednesday with the clearing up operation. It is an important event in our social calendar and your assistance is much appreciated.
And now get out your diaries and make a note of the following dates. In December there will be a Heaviest Hair weigh-in, to be judged in the function room on Friday 5th when all shaven facial hair will be dumped on the scales, in aid of the U16s tour; our Christmas Lunch will take place before the Wheatley Hills match on 14th, with the humongous Grand Draw the following evening; the 5th Annual Acklam Park Pie Baking Competition will be held on Tuesday the following week, the 17th, with our sometimes haunting, sometimes raucous Carol Sing-a-long two nights later. And before we finish off the year with a real bang on New Year's Eve there is our Annual Ball on Saturday 28 December. It really is a night – in fact a month – to remember! And congratulations to Lol Kendrick; despite living in sunny Devon he was drawn out the hat to win the £1,000 in our latest 250 Club Draw.

REFEREE'S CORNER I am delighted that Peter Ashman so enjoys his visits to Middlesbrough that he cut short his holiday in France so he dash back to officiate at Acklam Park again today, a mere three weeks since taking charge of the Northern game. Always a welcome visitor it is a pity we don't have another home game for Helen (Mrs Ashman) to take.