Hopping Mad

Footballer Viv Busby, 74. A striker, Slough-born Busby is best known for his time at Fulham. He was in the Cottagers side beaten, at Wembley, by West Ham, in the final of the 1975 FA Cup. In 2022, Busby was inducted into the Forever Fulham hall of fame. During a career spanning 1966 to 1983, Busby played also for Wycombe, Luton, Newcastle, Norwich, Stoke, Tulsa, Blackburn and York. He coached at York, Sunderland and Fulham, and managed Hartlepool and York. Before emigrating to Spain, Busby was involved with Gretna (academy manager) and Workington (assistant manager).

The video highlights, shot from the west stand, of yesterday’s game at a sparsely attended LNER, suggest York’s crowds have dropped into three figures. Nobody there!

FT York 16-36 Haven.

York 16-36 Haven. Blimey. A sleeping giant stirs.

York 6-36 Haven.

York 0-36 Haven. York's 'Barnstoneworth United' moment.

York 0-30 Haven.

I did consider getting along to the LNER this afternoon. Figured York-Haven would be a close game - a decent watch for a neutral. Thank goodness I didn't waste twenty quid on that. At this rate, it won't be long before York's crowds are back into the hundreds. Super League?

Moortown Mambas have an open age side in this year's Yorkshire League. Based at the RU ground.

Plenty of Yorkshire where rugby league is an alien game.

Watched an exciting Yorkshire League Trophy quarter-final this afternoon (4/5/24) at Quarry Lane, where Dodworth Miners edged, 20-18, Division Three rivals and hosts Upton. Shorthanded after a 53rd-minute red card, Dodworth clung on for a memorable victory. Upton's fans only too obviously felt the dismissal, with the visitors just 8-6 ahead, would guarantee victory for their team. But a determined Dodworth had other ideas. After a 77th-minute converted try saw Upton close the gap to two points, Miners dug deep and held out bravely to secure deservedly a last-four spot. Upton were well on top during the opening 15 minutes of each half. The hosts went over, for a converted try, in the third minute. Dodworth struggled to get a foothold in the contest. Out of nothing, however, the visitors crossed in the 21st minute. Their quicksilver right wing touched down, with half-a-yard to spare, a beautifully judged high kick to the right corner. A confident touchline conversion tied the score. A minute before break, an Upton infringement, right in front of the posts, gifted Dodworth a gratefully accepted penalty opportunity to claim a half-time lead. As in the first half, Dodworth weathered a storm, before engineering a 58th-minute try, close enough to the posts for the conversion to ease them 14-6 ahead. Upton responded in kind, four minutes later, to reduce the deficit, again, to two points. In the 72nd minute, Dodworth's full-back broke away from a scrum in front of his own posts. With his opposite number up in the line, he was able, in thrilling fashion, to outpace his pursuers over almost the length of the pitch. The conversion was a formality. Still, Upton weren't finished. Dodworth's under-pressure right wing spilled a high kick, and the hosts surged over from 20 metres. The extras set up a tense finale. It wasn't clear, from my position, why the red card was shown. Home fans suggested the match referee had warned the offending player, "three times", after various transgressions. Clearly, the whistler simply lost patience. Free admission (raffle tickets on sale for a quid), no programme. My headcount put the attendance at about 210. Decent set-up, I thought, in a former quarry: two pitches (one floodlit), a tidy corner clubhouse and plenty of on-site parking. In places, the rock face of the disused quarry is visible.

Silsden Storm (and Stormettes), four miles outside Keighley, seem to be doing OK, although they don't yet have an open age team. https://www.facebook.com/SilsdenStormRL/?locale=en_GB Nowhere near as many RL clubs in Allerdale and Copeland as there were in the 1980s. But both still doing pretty well.

Good time (before the A64 becomes a high season car park) of the season, I figured, to get across to Scarborough Pirates. This afternoon (27/4), I saw Pirates beat Yorkshire League rivals Farnley Falcons, 42-16, in the teams' Division Five bow. More to the game, scrappy and littered with handling errors, than the score suggests. Farnley, who opened the scoring, in the fifth minute, led 10-6 until late in the first half. Then, in the 38th minute and in the second minute of stoppage time, Scarborough went over for converted tries, securing an 18-10 half-time advantage. Leading only 24-16, Pirates, who conceded a pile of penalties in the second half, eased clear during the last quarter, crossing for tries, all converted, in the 68th, 71st and 76th minutes. Tough on Farnley, who by the final whistle had lost three players to obviously painful injuries. Too much whistle from the referee, keen to apply the latest RFL clampdowns on high tackles and incorrect play-the-balls. Circa 130 watching at Cayton Playing Fields. Game played on a pitch shared with the Scarborough & District Sunday League's Cayton Corinthians FC. No admission charge. Two quid for a go on the 'rugby card'.

Heworth confirm they'll have a programme (£1) on sale at this afternoon's rearranged NCL game with Premier Division rivals Kells.

To collate what I think we know, as of 27/4 (any help filling the blanks and/or corrections appreciated): Super League/Challenge Cup Printed programme: Leeds (48pp, £4, 250 for sale on matchday, £75 season subscription and £4+P&P individual match copies through Ignition Sports Media), Leigh (68pp, £3.50, individual match copies through MatchDayCreative), Warrington (32pp, £70 season subscription and £3+P&P individual match copies through Ignition Sports Media), Wigan (76pp, £4, individual match copies through MatchDayCreative). Digital programme: Leeds (48pp, free, available only to 2024 club members), Leigh (through MatchDayCreative), London (scan a barcode at the stadium), St Helens ('Saints and Proud', free to download via zeeon.co.uk), Warrington (32pp, free), Wigan (76pp, £3, PDF, through MatchDayCreative). Printed magazine: Castleford ('Roar', £2, monthly, in-season only). Printed teamsheet: Salford (available from the stadium's main reception). Nothing: Huddersfield, Hull FC, Hull KR. To be confirmed: Catalans. Championship/1895 Cup/Challenge Cup Printed programme: Barrow (£2), Sheffield (£3), Swinton (£3), York (40pp, £3, Championship games only, with a 100-copy print run). Digital programme: Bradford (26pp, free to download, from the club's socials), York (Championship and 1895 Cup, free to download, via QR codes at the stadium). Printed teamsheet: Bradford (free, available from the stadium bars), Dewsbury (free, from the club office), Doncaster (free, available, from 2pm, in the stadium restaurant and on the concourse), Featherstone (free). Nothing: Batley (possibly a printed teamsheet available), Halifax, Wakefield, Widnes. To be confirmed: Toulouse, Whitehaven. League One/1895 Cup/Challenge Cup Printed programme: Midlands ('The Eye of the Storm', £3, free with a 2024 Storm Card). Printed magazine: North Wales ('The Crusader', £2, monthly, available from the stadium fanzone). Printed teamsheet: Hunslet (free), Keighley (free, available from the club shop), Rochdale (available only in 'hospitality'). Digital magazine: Keighley ('Pride', monthly, 26pp, free), North Wales ('The Crusader', £2, monthly). Nothing: Cornwall, Newcastle, Oldham, Workington. Note: for the 17/3 League One game with Cornwall, Keighley printed 40 copies of their monthly magazine (a digital version was offered also), but they were available only in 'hospitality'. It seems printed copies of 'Pride' can be reserved, for non-'hospitality' attendees, by emailing the club. Note: for the 24/3 League One game with Hunslet, Rochdale Hornets issued a one-off printed programme (32pp, £3) in memory of their late player, director and chairman, Peter Rush. World Club Challenge @ Wigan Printed programme: £8 (copies through MatchDayCreative). Pre-Season Friendlies Printed programme: Leeds (32pp, £3, copies through Ignition Sports Media). Printed teamsheet: Bradford (free, available from club shop and tea bars), Doncaster (free, available, from 2pm, in stadium restaurant and on the concourse), Featherstone (free). Testimonials Printed programme: James Donaldson, Leeds v Hull KR, 4/2/24 (32pp, £3, through Ignition Sports Media). Printed brochure: Scott Taylor, Hull FC (£5). Amateurs Challenge Cup Printed programme: Clock Face (24pp, £1), Doncaster Toll Bar (8pp, £3, w/a), Fryston (4pp, £1), Leigh MR (£3, w/a), Lock Lane (8pp, 50p), Lowca (4pp, £3, w/a), Orrell St James (8pp, £1), Royal Air Force (4pp, free). Printed teamsheet: Stanningley (£4, w/a), Thatto Heath (free, colour). Digital programme: Royal Navy (7pp, free), Thatto Heath (16pp, free). National Conference League Printed programme: Clock Face (24pp, £1), Dewsbury Celtic, Dewsbury Moor (24pp, £2.50, w/a), Distington (8pp, £3, w/a), Egremont (12pp, £3, w/a), Ellenborough (£3, w/a), Hensingham (£3, w/a), Heworth (£1), Hunslet (26pp, £2), Leigh Miners (£3, w/a), Lock Lane (8pp, 50p), Millom, Pilkington (£3, w/a), Seaton (£3, w/a), Skirlaugh, Stanningley (£1), Thornhill (16pp, £2), Wath Brow (£4, w/a), York Acorn (12pp, £3, w/a). Digital programme: Egremont (free to download, post-match, from the club's socials), Hunslet (available, free, via the club's socials, usually the day before the game), Normanton (20pp, free to download, from the club's socials), Oulton (39pp, free to download, from the club's socials), Thatto Heath (16pp, free to download, from the club's socials), West Bowling (9pp, downloadable, free, via the club's socials or from QR codes at the Horsfall Stadium turnstiles or in the clubhouse), Woolston (33pp, free to download, from the club's socials). Nothing: Barrow Island, Bentley, Beverley, Crosfields, Drighlington, East Leeds, Featherstone Lions, Hull Dockers, Kells, Leigh East, Milford, Myton, Oldham SA, Shaw Cross, Siddal, Wigan St Judes. To be confirmed: Ince, Rochdale Mayfield, Saddleworth, Waterhead, West Hull, Wigan St Patricks. Note: a printed programme was issued, at Boundary Park, Oldham, for the 30/3 final of the Standard Cup. Regional Leagues Printed programme: Bramley (28pp, £2), Lowca (4pp). Women Super League Digital programme: York (free to download, via QR codes, at the stadium). To be confirmed: Barrow, Featherstone, Huddersfield, Leeds, St Helens, Warrington, Wigan.