WELCOME with apologies for this temporary programme (hopefully normal service will be resumed next edition) let me wish a Happy New Year to everyone! I hope you all had an enjoyable Festive Season, that Santa was kind to you, and you keep all your Resolutions. These good wishes also apply to our visitors this afternoon, and it gives me great pleasure to welcome our friends and quite near neighbours from up the road at Northern, another club we used to meet every season in the days before leagues. Not so now. It is eight years since we last met, in N2E, when we won both games in a season we went on to gain promotion whilst Northern went down. We met regularly in the late 90s, with the stand-out games being our 90-17 win at Northern in 2000/1, and our 39-29 victory in the Intermediate Cup QF in 1997 – a win which ‘prevented’ us from reaching Twickenham for the final, after drawing with Doncaster in the SF.

This season Northern are lying 11th in the league with five wins and five bonus points, having had their last two matches postponed. They lost six of their first seven matches, but have won four of their last six games. Only one of their wins has been away from home, at Gateshead in their last outing, having already lost at bottom club Team Northumbria (the Uni’s only victory to date). I’m sure they will be looking to improve that away record today.

LEAGUE NEWS Not many weeks ago we identified early December as the pivotal time in our season, with games against Wheatley Hills and Billingham defining our prospects for promotion. That was before consecutive defeats against Sheffield and Cleckheaton gave us a reality check. Those defeats cranked up the pressure on the team even more as we faced the daunting possibility of four back-to-back reversals. However, we need not have worried; even without one or two regulars the boys did good! The forwards deserve special mention. They enjoyed an awesome second half at Doncaster (even preventing our hosts from getting a losing bonus point) and carried through that dominance against Billingham. They were magnificent, even winning scrums against the head, something unheard of in these days of second row feeds. Our trio of tries clearly demonstrated their superiority – one for each of the props, Craig and Frenchy, with the other from No 8 Jack Aldus; in fact Peter Wright scored what should have been a bonus point fourth try, readily acknowledged by the Billingham players but disallowed by the referee as ‘held up.’ Jack Bircham added two penalties and again we prevented the opposition from getting a losing bonus point.

And so to Morpeth. The omens weren’t good. Heavy overnight frost caused doubts about the game and then two late changes as Paul and Ross weren’t available. We arrived to find a frozen pitch resulting in a two-mile journey to alternative facilities, then Mighty Wrighty was injured in the first half and Craig in the second. Still we scored first with a penalty from Jack B, and then a try from Frenchy, converted by Jack to take a 10-3 half time lead. Jack added a second penalty to put us 13-3 ahead and apparently in control of the game with 10 minutes remaining. But no; our hosts stepped up a gear and added a penalty and a converted try to tie the scores, before crossing the line with a minute on the clock to run out 18-13 winners. We did, however, retain second spot in the table as Wheatley Hills only managed a last gasp draw against Sheffield.

OUR OTHER TEAMS In our last programme I congratulated Toby Tremlett on being included in the Yorkshire U20s squad for 2012; let me add more congratulations for the fine try he scored against Stockton in the Alan Todd Memorial Match. Unfortunately the game was marred by an injury to Matthew Todd, Alan’s grandson, deep in the second half, which caused the referee to stop procedures as we waited for an ambulance. I am delighted to confirm that fortunately Matty suffered nothing serious and is up and about again. The game itself was a keenly contested affair which finished all square at 19-19. Hats off to Stockton who enjoyed by far the majority of possession and territorial advantage but were never able to take the lead. Jack B scored our first try on 15 minutes; it was only our third touch of the ball! Toby added the second after a good passage of fluid play and Matty Helm burst through for the third, with Matty Todd and Jack B each adding a conversion to give us a lead of 19 points before our visitors crossed the line for a half time score of 19-5. We didn’t manage to access Stockton’s 22 after the break as they fought back to snatch the draw with what turned out to be the last play of the game. We fielded a strong side which included Andrew Enevoldson, still at Sheffield Uni.

Just before Christmas the Colts met Yarnbury in a key match for sides first and second in the league. It was a clash of styles, Boro’s powerful pack against Yarnbury’s backs. We took the lead with a penalty from Charlie, but Yarnbury then scored under the posts. The Boro team fought back and were awarded a penalty try when Yarnbury collapsed a maul as we marched towards the line, duly converted by Charlie. 10-7 at half-time. The second half was more of the same. Dom scored under the posts, with Charlie again adding the extras to make it 17-7. But the tide started to turn. Boro gave away far too many penalties and had a player yellow carded under pressure from Yarnbury, who scored two tries in the last 15 minutes to tie the scores at 17-17.

JUNIORS We enjoyed a ‘Super Sunday’ of Yorkshire Cup quarter final matches here just before Christmas. The U16s were hosts to Huddersfield, the U15s to Old Leodensians (in the Plate) and the U14s to Harrogate. Unfortunately the 14s lost narrowly to Harrogate but our 16s won their match 41-0 whilst the 15s won 36-5. Summary reports of the latter two games appear in this issue with fuller versions on the website. Incidentally, the U16s were hosts to Wensleydale the following Sunday. Our lads carried on their winning ways (by 36-18) but one of the highlights was seeing Jim Chapman back here again, watching his son play for Dale.

CLUB NEWS First let me commend the efforts of Mark ‘Pieman Cowell’ and his cronies at the Pie Baking Contest – a detailed report will appear in our next normal issue - raising £300 on the night (from entry fees, a raffle, pie and peas suppers and donations), doubled up to £600 by the kind offices of BP, all of which was presented to the air ambulance. Great work guys. Next there is another new arrival to celebrate– many congratulations to Leanne (daughter of co-relief steward Sue and a member of staff herself) proud mother of baby Freddie Michael.

What a great fun-packed diary of special events we’ve enjoyed these past few weeks. We started with the Christmas Lunch, followed by the Lizard run, the General Knowledge Quiz and the children’s party. Next, on a bracing frosty Sunday afternoon there was Stu Richardson’s 60th birthday match between the Richardson Raiders and the Boro Legends. There were some strange sights – and shapes. We saw the athletic figures of John ‘Santa’ Westwood, Andy Murray and the gasping Dave Hawkins, joined by the long lost Derek Laidlaw, down (briefly) from the land of mists and myths. The match was played with an intensity not previously experienced by some of the players, and ended in an honourable draw. Stu proudly played alongside his three sons, Lee, David and Shaun. That evening we held the Members’ Christmas Draw and then on Tuesday we celebrated the aforementioned 3rd Annual Acklam Park Pie Baking Contest, and what a cracking evening it was. On Wednesday there was the Academy Dinner in the Club and on Thursday our Christmas Carol sing-along, led by Santa, who, despite having a bruised or cracked rib picked up in some unseemly activity for a man with such a long white beard, did a marvellous job. And then it was Christmas! But we didn’t rest on our laurels, oh no. There was the Alan Todd Memorial Match (see above) and the Annual Ball at the Thistle Hotel (with thanks to Simon for his efforts) before the year ended with a bang at our New Year’s Eve Party. Phew!

REFEREE’S CORNER I am delighted to welcome John Wolstenholme to Acklam Park this afternoon. John, who is in the motor trade, has been here before but it was some years ago, when we played Aspatria, I think. He remembers sitting outside enjoying a quiet drink with John Moore. I hope the weather is as kind to us today, and that he has a pleasant afternoon with us.