WELCOME...I am pleased to welcome the players, supporters and officials from Keighley back to Acklam Park this afternoon. Last season an away match against them in the Yorkshire Shield meant that we met three times; we won all three games but oddly the closest was the first one here at Acklam Park. We won 29-23 but it took a late penalty from Baggy to guarantee the points. The following week we won the Shield QF tie 22-5 and then the other league encounter 21-3. Talking of the Shield, two years earlier we entertained Keighley in a real ding-dong of a much-delayed Yorkshire Shield match that ended in a 31-all draw but which we had already forfeited because we had no front row replacement when Craig Chapman received an early yellow card.

Our visitors haven't enjoyed the best of starts this season. They lost two pre-season games at home to O Otliensians and N Ribblesdale, but more importantly they lost their opening three league games, against Bradford Salem (H), Dinnington (A) and O Crossleyans (H). But then last week they hosted our neighbours Guisborough for their third home match. In an exciting encounter Keighley established a 22-10 half time lead but Guisborough clawed their way back into a nail-biting second half before the final whistle brought a 29-22 victory for Keighley. (Incidentally, despite not winning any of their four games, Guisborough have seven points, four losing and three try-scoring bonuses; no-one else comes close with bonus points,)

LEAGUE RUGBY Our previous home game was against first-time visitors Dinnington. Celebrating his 300th 1st XV appearance against them Andy Micklewright led the team out. Close to another milestone – his 40th birthday – he provided guile and experience on one wing, in contrast to, but complementing the energetic and fearless youthfulness of Harry Bryce on the other wing. That was the first of Andy's triple crown; he went on to score our third try, and then immediately went to hospital to have his ear sewn back on. But, as hard as ever, he expects to be around today.

What a big unit are Dinnington! Dinnington with probably the biggest pack in the league were intent on using their forward strength to full advantage. The pressure allowed them time on the ball and outside half Jonny West was able to kick into the corners allowing the big boys chance to play their direct style of rugby. Sound familiar? In fact it is taken from Keighley's match report of their game against Dinnington. They certainly came with one plan in mind – to batter us into submission. The vast majority of the first period was spent with us defending our line. We not only did this magnificently, we ended the half 14-7 ahead, with tries from Harry and Euan. The second half was a different affair. As our visitors tired from their exertions we ran in six more tries to win 52-14. It emphasised yet again the vital importance of defence, as it provides the bedrock from which to launch that sparkling fast-paced rugby we all enjoy watching (and playing!).

And then paradoxically, it all went wrong at O Crossleyans. We are used to growing stronger as matches progress and our fitness levels come into play, but last week everything was reversed. It's true there were several key players unavailable for various reasons, and that during the game we lost influential centre Jack McPhillips with a huge open head wound, but absentees will always be a feature of our amateur game. That said Crocs are not top of the table by chance; they are a very useful outfit and would have given our strongest XV a run for their money. We were 8-7 down at the quarter point (a try/conversion by Jack/Baggy) and 15-7 down at half time. In most games we would not see this as a problem. This was not one of those games. We were outscored 30-12 in the second period, with our tries coming from Myles and a late effort finished by Brendan/Baggy.

The Wasps were unfortunate to lose their 100 per cent record to Novocastrians last week, despite outscoring them seven tries to six. Strangely, they were the only team at home but started with just the bare 15 players, although the team did include the Bros Seymour, Sam and Will, in the same team together for the first time, and an on-leave Craig Chapman at No8. Fairly comfortably ahead at the break at 29-12, things started to go awry in the second half. Injury reduced them to 14 men, and, right at the end, a yellow card to 13 players. Winning 39-33 with two minutes on the clock they lost 39-40.

However the 'A' team do continue their perfect record. Last week the boys reversed their fixture with Sedgefield and went to their place. Paul Sills is side-lined for the moment and is acting as 'A' team touch judge-in-chief, compiling mental match reports to keep him focused on the task in hand. You can read his accounts of this and the Richmondshire victory in this issue.

The Colts were certainly more cheerful on Sunday. They were a little dispirited at losing to Malton & Norton the week previous, but played their part in a thoroughly entertaining 10-all draw with Sandal. Tom Seymour, ever the gentleman, though it was a fair result, but even the Sandal coach conceded his boys were a trifle fortunate to split the points. Incidentally there has been a lot of action on the sponsorship front of late; Tom, along with the rest of the Club, wishes to place on record his gratitude to Acklam Car Centre and IIC Technologies Ltd for their generous assistance with kit for the Colts.

CLUB NEWS The good news is that Richard Ward is continuing to improve following his heart attack at Salem – he even hopes to be at the game today...The latest news from Lee Featherstone is that 28 of the 30 tables available for our new and exciting Mid-Summer Ball next June have already been reserved. Tables sit 8 or 10, but unless you get in touch with him soon you'll be left high and dry (m 07305 536027 or lnfezza@sky.com). It has all the makings of being a terrific evening...And the mention of Lee reminds me that following his discussions with 'Ageing Better Middlesbrough' (on the lookout for male activities for the O50s) there will be a taster session of walking rugby for O50s at the club from 1pm to 3pm on 10 October. If successful it could then become a weekly event next spring, leading up to the RWC in Japan.

SPONSORS This afternoon we are proud to welcome as sponsor Gary Dawson, MD, the third generation Dawson to take the helm of one of Middlesbough's burgeoning family-founded and run businesses, AV Dawson Ltd. The company was created in 1938 when 18 year-old Arthur Vernon Dawson started the company with his wife Eleanor, £50 and a horse called Dina, selling coal from a small yard in Emmerson Street. The company made great strides forward with Vernon's son, Gary's father, Maurice in charge and then with Gary in control. The company has completed a £12.6m investment which includes the construction of a new rail-linked steel coil store, a new deepwater quay and intermodal rail terminal.

From those early horse-and-cart days the company is now a multimodal logistics provider offering services including road transport; rail freight; quayside loading and unloading as well as warehousing and storage, all from its Teesside Hub. With a dynamic road fleet, a choice of rail terminals and shipping berths it provides solutions for the transportation of a variety of conventional and project cargoes. It's some story!

REFEREE'S CORNER This afternoon I am delighted to welcome Jeff Hudson back to Acklam Park. His last visit was last December when we met Bradford Salem, although his visit previous to that was 16 years ago, when we were in North 1! He did spend 10 years refereeing at national level. Jeff was a centre three quarter at Wheatley Hills and is (partially!) retired as CEO of his own oil-related company.