WELCOME...to you all, particularly to those of you returning to Acklam Park for the first time this season, or indeed visiting us for the first time ever. The excitement has been building up as the season approached and here we are, still in Yorkshire 1. The difference is that this season it's through choice – our choice! – as we have volunteered to remain in Y1, foregoing our right to return to DN1. It's fair to say that last year we were transferred into Y1 a little reluctantly and some of our supporters will be surprised that we have given up the supposedly easier route to promotion via DN1. However 'easier' is not the driving factor, we value the quality of rugby served up each week, the enjoyment and satisfaction of playing a high standard of rugby, and the challenge of testing ourselves against the best possible teams. That Y1 is currently stronger than DN1 is illustrated by the fact that in N1E, the league above us comprising Y1 and D/N1 clubs, there are eleven Yorkshire teams against only three from Durham/Northumberland.

Despite our reluctance to join Y1 last year we had a cracking season, meeting some very good teams and seeing some terrific, exciting and competitive rugby. We just missed out on the promotion play-off spot, and compared to our previous season in D/N1 we won more games, scoring more points, more bonus points and more tries, whilst conceding fewer points to finish three places higher in the final table. Hopefully we can serve up more of the same exhilarating fare for your pleasure.

And to kick off our campaign I am pleased to offer a warm welcome to everyone from Heath (Halifax) for our opening league match. A year ago to the day Heath were again our first league visitors; we stood here full of anticipation after an impressive unbeaten pre-season with high hopes of continuing our winning streak. Unfortunately Heath hadn't read the script – they beat us 31-43. With 74 points scored it was a pulsating game which included 12 tries. We did achieve some measure of revenge in our very last league match of the season, scoring five tries at Heath to finish 35-15 ahead. Our two clubs were two of the five top teams with only a gnat's whisker separating us all and who finished well clear of the rest of the table.

PRE-SEASON Such is the enthusiasm in our players that they trained throughout the summer, dragging their aching limbs up and down the sand dunes at Redcar, even before pre-season training. We then had five games in August, during which we scored more than 200 points. We began with mid-week matches at Redcar and then Acklam, both of which we won pretty comfortably, before consecutive home games against Blaydon, Whitecraigs and finally Driffield. Blaydon were really fired up for their match and at half time they'd posted 31 points without reply. However after the break we tore into them and in a spirited performance it looked as though we would out-score them in the second period. We took the score to 14-31 deep into the game but Blaydon added 17 points to wrap up the result.
Whitecraigs are a strong physical side from Glasgow who gave us a fright on their initial visit two years ago, when a late converted try gave us a 28-22 victory in a real humdinger of a match. We were prepared for more of the same, and sure enough it was a competitive first half with our third try taking us into a 15-14 lead at half time. However fitness levels began to tell as we slowly took control after the break. After exchanging tries (22-19) we added a further five to two more from our visitors, making the final score 55-31. (Did anyone else think that in the absence of Conner we had Rhys at scrum-half? In fact it was young Colt Lewis Mace, who kept play moving very skilfully.) We also knew what to expect when the game finished – we were again entertained to some good old-fashioned traditional rugby drinking games. As before the Scots were staying overnight in Newcastle; I hope their journey left them refreshed for a night on the town!
The last of our warm-up games was against Driffield, a team we last played five years ago. Not only are Driffield a league higher than us in N1E, last year they finished second to Alnwick to qualify for a home game in a promotion play-off against Wilmslow. They lost that game by the narrow margin of 21-24. We were expecting a tough match, and they certainly looked a big chunky team. But inside five minutes we were on the score board, when Euan broke through their defence and threw the most wildly outrageous of dummies to race under the posts. Then in a bruising 15-20 minutes we were under the cosh but defended heroically, not just holding them but beating them in the scrum. The pack was magnificent - and let me pay tribute to Brandon Jordan, just turned 18 and last season's 'A' team Player of the Year, playing at loose head, and Helmy, playing at No 2 as though it was his natural position. We not only held them but scored again just before the break when Pete bulldozed his way over the line to make it 12-0. We turned around and waited for a ferocious reaction, and sure enough Driffield soon made it 12-7. But as the half progressed they found it difficult to keep pace with our mobile pack and backs who played with blistering speed. In a terrific display of attacking rugby we ran in another five tries to triumph 41-7.
And so, three weeks, five games, four wins, game-time for over 40 players, and some exciting rugby – truly wonderful! (It's actually five wins from six games when the 'A' team's impressive 42-38 win at Guisborough on Saturday is taken into account.)
ROLL OF HONOUR We contributed a very impressive six players to the Durham County side which beat Warwickshire at Twickenham in the final of the County Championship Division 2, a victory which promotes Durham into the top tier alongside Yorkshire! Many congratulations to Kieran Clark, Conner Foley, Pete Homan, Jack McPhillips, Sean Moloney and Euan Tremlett; they would have been joined by Andy Baggett but for his end-of-season injury. Congratulations too to Brendan Hill and Sam Seymour who played for Yorkshire U19s, and to our Colts Rohan Brown, who played for Northern Lambs, Joe Sawdon and Ben Blythe who played for Durham U17s and Will Seymour and Harry Bryce who played international rugby for Yorkshire Carnegie U17s against Sweden.
CLUB NEWS I am pleased to report that our 5th Annual BeerFest at the end of July was another great success; the Exotic Gin Bar had to be re-stocked several times and the Prosecco Bar and exotic cocktails, both new features this year, did a roaring trade, A huge 'thank you' to everyone who came along and joined us over the two days, and to the hard-working Hawaiian Beach Boys behind the bar who made sure we were all served promptly.
Next summer, in addition to BEERFEST on 19/20 July, we have our very first SUMMER BALL Dinner Dance here at Acklam Park, to be held on Saturday 22 June. If you want to dance the night away at this exciting major event then book your place (or table, they seat ten people), or for more details, see Lee Featherstone or email him on lnfezza@sky.com.

REFEREE'S CORNER It gives me great pleasure to welcome Tony Smith for his very first visit to Acklam Park. He was a winger who played both codes of rugby, the 15-man game for Otley and Newcastle Gosforth and professionally for Leeds, Keighley and Bradford. Tony is a PE teacher at Bingley Grammar School; he is also coaches his son and the rest of Ilkley U10s. He has been a referee these past seven years.