WELCOME It gives me great pleasure to welcome our visitors from Cleckheaton. In recent years we’ve seen quite a bit of one another, but I think our first meeting was on a wet and windy afternoon in 1957, when Keith Schellenberg was captain. We won that match 10-3. During the next 50 years we met only once, in 1994 in the Yorkshire Cup, when we won another tight game 15-6; however, since then, in the past five years we’ve met nine times. Last season in our two league outings, just to change the sequence of recent results, we each lost our home game – a pattern I hope is reversed this afternoon! Cleckheaton won here in November 26-19, whilst we won our away match 22-12.

This season our visitors are lying in the top half of the table with four wins and four bonus points from their eight matches. They lost their opening fixtures against Wheatley Hills and Sheffield before breaking their duck in a close game at O Crossleyans; OC were ahead by four penalties to three when an OC lineout 5m from their line was thrown into the arms of Cleckheaton’s hooker, who gratefully flopped over the line to make the final score 12-14. Since then at home they’ve beaten Morpeth, Malton & Norton and, last week, Morley – ooh aah, all the ‘M’s! However loses at Pocklington and Beverley mean that they’ve won only once on their travels, a record I hope doesn’t improve today. We’ll soon see.

TEAM NEWS To quote from the Morley programme “I wouldn’t be disappointed if today’s game is close, provided we finish ahead, even by one point!” And what happened? It was close – there was never more than four points between the sides – and we won by one point! What a
game; the team certainly deserved their win in a spell-binding and nail-bitingly nervous match. We took an immediate 3-0 lead, then led 6-3, courtesy of penalties by Simo, before conceding a goal from nothing to find ourselves 6-10 down at the break. We took back the lead when,
following a touch line break by Simo, Lewis Macsween crossed the line within minutes of taking the field. (Lewis is from Glasgow, coming south to study Sports Therapy.) We missed the conversion but popped over a penalty to make it 14-10. Although we spent the vast majority of the second period in our opponents’ half they twice broke our stranglehold and on each occasion scored a penalty to take a two-point lead. Having missed one penalty to edge back in front and with no-side almost upon us we were staring at a 14-16 defeat. But another penalty to us…I couldn’t watch but from the cheer I knew that Jack had slotted it between the posts. Phew! And let me add that the 21 players I said were not available did not include Peter Wright, injured in mid-week training. In his absence up stepped Connor Foley, originally selected for the Wasps trip to Blaydon but considering withdrawing to save himself for the Yorkshire U20 trials at Pontefract the following day. We’re pleased he decided to play, as was he; in the event, not only
did he have a splendid match, but at the County trials, replying to a question from the selectors that he was a scrum half, he was given just 15 minutes – on the wing.

Following last week’s results we remain fourth from the bottom after losing 25-10 at Sheffield, where we were on the wrong end of some strange refereeing decisions. It was all penalties in the first half as the hosts built a 9- 3 lead and they added a fourth straight after the break before grabbing two tries in quick succession. Back row replacement James Wardle scored for us, with Jack adding the conversion to his penalty before Sheffield landed their fifth kick.

And words of congratulations to the ‘A’ team and the Lions. A report of the ‘A’ team’s successful endeavours at Stockton last Saturday is on page 9, courtesy of Joanne Chilver, who, I’m delighted to say, has undertaken to provide regular reports on the team (although it could be a clever way to keep her eyes on boyfriend Paul ‘Wee Man’ Wrathmall); their victory keeps them top of the Tees Valley Merit League with five wins from five games. Today they take a break from league rugby to play Billingham in the Tees Valley Merit league Cup. Meanwhile the Lions go from strength to strength, beating Darlington 41-19 last week to register their sixth win from seven games. And this at a time when we have had over two dozen players unavailable. Great stuff! They are hosts to Horden this afternoon.

A combination of factors, including Joe Secret’s wedding in Inverness, means that the Wasps are without a game today. Although beaten twice since we last met, both performances were heartening, against first a big strong Blaydon side, losing 20-15, and then last week going down 37-27 to Westoe. Despite losing Brad Harrison (see below) our Colts beat Wath two weeks ago but lost at Selby last Sunday. Reports on both matches appear on page 16.

JUNIORS John O’Boyle was understandably jumping for joy when he reported that in week 6 the Juniors scored a memorable full house – wins for all teams, and all sides are still in the Yorkshire Cup. Wonderful stuff! A week tomorrow, Sunday 4 November, our U14s have drawn Doncaster away in the Yorkshire Cup.

Incidentally in the last issue I reported that the local Fire Service had come to our rescue when, with no sign of an ambulance, they attended to and then took to hospital an injured Billingham U16 player. Would you believe it happened again two weeks later, when our Colt Brad Harrison badly dislocated his shoulder in a match against Wath. After repeated calls for an ambulance we were eventually told that none would be forthcoming. Our gratitude is due to Mike Tremlett, who not for the first time stepped into the breach and took it upon himself to take Brad to hospital. To quote the indomitable Budgie, Mike has assisted in a number of situations and is just a great bloke to have around in a crisis. Thanks Mike.

CLUB NEWS I’m pleased to report that there has been a sighting of Vaughan Stone – in the Club of course! Obviously on the mend he’s as chirpy as ever. And now get out your diary and get prepared for…our fantastic Fireworks and Bonfire Night on 5 November…the judging of the Pumpkin Growing Contest at Halloween…Christmas Lunch on 15 December (when Mike Wright has promised to repeat his unique ‘wiggly-waggly’ dance perfected at the Wine and Cheese Evening)…the world-famous 4th Annual Acklam Park Pie Baking Competition on Wednesday 19 December, when Jonesy is going all out to top last year’s phenomenal night… followed by the Carol sing-a-long the following evening… the children's Christmas Party on Saturday 22 December (from 4pm - 6pm; enjoy a 'MAGIC MAYHEM' of games, refreshments & Santa Claus - tickets are £3 per person (age limit 10 & under) and are limited so buy in advance from the Ladies Committee or ring Glenis on 275759 or 07825 795952)…and the Annual Ball, to be held on Saturday 29 December at the Thistle Hotel in the town centre.

Congratulations to Zach Kibirige, one of our former Juniors (and not yet 18 years old) who made his debut for Newcastle Falcons first team in their 52-5 victory over Cross Keys in the British and Irish Cup a fortnight ago – and scored a try. Dean Richards said afterwards “Every time he touched the ball he looked as though he was going to do something with it. I think he’ll be an outstanding player.”
Don’t forget that Yorkshire U20s meet Northumberland here at 2.15 on Sunday 11 November, and that Newcastle Falcons play Leicester Tigers in an U18 league match here on 13 January.

SPONSORS Today we are delighted to welcome a new match sponsor in Peter Robinson, area manager of Heineken, one of the two suppliers of fantastic ales to Acklam Park. We thank Peter for his support, which is very much appreciated. Peter is a real rugby man, captaining West Hartlepool in their heyday. We hope he enjoys his afternoon with us.

REFEREE’S CORNER I am delighted to welcome Revis Phillips back to Acklam Park, a referee who is not only well known to us and also very well respected. He has left the national panel of referees and is now firmly concentrating on his links with Yorkshire. Revis is a police officer involved in the crucial area of child protection.
DON’T FORGET TO PUT BACK YOUR CLOCKS AND WATCHES BY ONE HOUR TONIGHT. FROM NEXT WEEK SATURDAY GAMES WILL KICK-OFF AT 2.15.