fearnowt

Nadolig LLawen🎅

Club shop opened today in Ty Pawb (formerly the peoples market) in Wrexham town centre. A bit basic at the moment, but they only got the keys this morning. Plenty of new replica shirts, hoodies and training tops, including children's sizes. Season tickets available for collection tomorrow (21st Dec) 12:00 to 17:00. https://northwalescrusaders.com/news/crusaders-open-ty-pawb-store/

Just like everyone else, I've been waiting patiently for news of the new shirts arriving. Now we have the announcement, not only are the shirts in, the club is opening a shop in Ty Pawb (formerly the people's market) in Wrexham town centre. Opens today at 12:00. Fantastic news! https://northwalescrusaders.com/news/crusaders-open-ty-pawb-store/

Well spotted! I don't know the story behind the EV2 on the original kit announcement, perhaps they supply the same design? Anyway, last year we had Steeden for our kit suppliers. For every shirt sold, I understand we had to pay Steeden £1 for EVERY sponsor logo on the shirt. With 1095 sports we don't have to pay this levy, so for every shirt sold at the same price as last year, the club will be £8 better off. The best thing is they will be ready for Christmas, something we are starting to get used to here. That might not sound like much to ask for, but it's just one example of how far the club has progressed since we had the embarrassment of not seeing the team wearing the new shirts until half way through the season.

North Wales Crusaders have announced their kit suppliers for 2019 are the appropriately named 1895 Sports. Talking to our CEO after the Wales v Scotland game, it's a very good deal for the club and very good quality. 😊 http://northwalescrusaders.com/news/1895-sports-become-official-kit-suppliers/

The Scotland v Wales game is available to watch for 25 days (from 2nd November) on BBC iplayer, so presumably the same will apply to the Wales v Ireland game. https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p06pzt9k/rugby-league-2018-european-championship-scotland-v-wales

Very saddened by this news but not surprised. When Hemel beat us at Penine Way in front of over 400 fans in 2013, it was one of only 2 games we lost that season, and the place was buzzing. This year we had the majority of the crowd and the supporters bus was only half full. It really is a shame, but the RFL just don't seem to be interested in League 1. There are some really good clubs in this league, with Newcastle and Coventry often mentioned as examples of well run expansion clubs. Here at Crusaders, we are recovering from some dreadful miss-management from our previous CEO, who managed to con the RFL into giving him what was effectively a personal loan, and which we are still liable for. At a fans forum last week, it was announced that this debt will be cleared in time for the 2019 season, so we should be looking to a very bright future. I'm not worried about the club folding anymore, but have to wonder how long it will be before we don't have a league to play in.

That is a very nice shirt, and very appropriate at this time. For those of you interested in following the events from 100 years ago, there is a blog which has been running for the last four years, listing all the dead from the British Empire in the First World War. The list is updated at 11:00 daily, on the 100th anniversary of their deaths. https://firstworldwaronthisday.blogspot.com/ There is also a website remembering the 7,500 men from Hull who died in the First World War. http://www.ww1hull.org.uk/

North Wales Crusaders home shirt for 2019 And the away shirt

BBC Wales reporting that former Wales Rugby League and North Wales Crusaders coach Clive Griffiths has suffered a suspected heart attack. Thankfully, he is expected to make a full recovery. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/45470873 Get well soon Clive.

There are no National League games on 10th November because of the first round of the FA Cup. I expect the date is reserved in case Wrexham are drawn at home, should they qualify for the first round.

I thought we played well today and like yourself thought we could have scored with a bit more luck. In the game at Odsal, Bradford lost a bit of concentration in the last 10 minutes which allowed us to score a couple of tries. No such luck today, they had their eyes on the points difference and weren't going to let that go. I believe the crowd was 886, which is a new record for rugby at Queensway. When I left, they were waiting for an ambulance to take James Dandy to hospital after he was carried off. Hope he's OK.

We now have four local welsh players in the squad, and with games against Hemel and West Wales in the next few weeks, it's likely that we will see them making their first team debuts. https://northwalescrusaders.co.uk/crusaders-sign-trio-reserves/ https://northwalescrusaders.co.uk/crusaders-sign-davies-reserves/ https://northwalescrusaders.co.uk/youth-structure-update/ As I have said before, the lads from Widnes, Warrington and St Helens who play for this club are proud to wear the shirt and proud to be bringing their sport to a new area. They might not be Welsh but they are local, and helping to inspire the local Welsh lads who hope to take their place one day. You're right about the Racecourse though. I can't see us ever playing there again, and maybe not Wales either. Today's crowd of 886 would have made a loss at the Racecourse and all the food and drink money would have gone to the football club. Instead, the club is making a small profit (after taking account of debt repayment) on crowds of less than 400 and should be out of debt, and back up to full central funding by this time next year.

Car park directions added. http://www.totalrl.com/forums/index.php?/topic/330027-north-wales-crusaders-1282018/

Just to add to the descriptions above, and since we are expecting a larger than usual crowd, here are some directions to car parks near the ground. First of all, not everyone has satnav, so assuming you are travelling from the north, leave the A483 at junction 6 (signposted Nantwich) and then the second exit from the roundabout onto the A5156 (Wrexham Industrial Estate). Stay on this road until the second roundabout, turning right for Wexham A534. Continue along this road towards the town centre, if you want to try your luck for a parking space at the ground, after about a mile there is a brown sign for Queensway (left turn). Otherwise continue to the roundabout near Tesco. Take the second exit off the roundabout (sign Whitchurch) so you pass Tesco on your left. There are three car parks here, the cheapest is Crescent Road (£2 all day). Turn left (opposite Debenhams) into Crescent Road, the car park is about 200 yards on the right. To get to the ground from here, walk back along Crescent Road and take the first left into Manley Road. At the end of Manley Road turn left again onto Smithfield Road, the ground is on the other side of the roundabout at the end of this road, about 10 minutes walk from the car park. For satnav, the post code is LL13 8BG. The second car park is in the Eagles Meadow shopping centre on the right (£3.50 up to 4 hours, £5.50 up to 6 hours). The entrance is straight off the roundabout after Debenhams. To get to the ground from here, cross the road to Mecca Bingo and turn right, walk along the road with Mecca on your left and turn into Smithfield Road (Anise Indian restaurant is on the corner). The ground is at the other end of Smithfield Road across the roundabout, again about 10 mins from the car park. The third car park is Saint Georges Crescent, but this is 3 hours maximum stay.