Hopping Mad

I say that only because one or both of the clubs taking over the running of the Shay is supposed to be one of the council's options. Most likely, the white elephant (the defunct speedway club's former logo!) Shay will become housing (Halifax probably has sufficient supermarkets and retail park-style facilities now). Why would any third party purchaser, in their right mind, want to continue to use it as a sports stadium, with two skint sitting tenants? Goodness knows, though, given Calderdale's unhelpful topography, where either the football or the rugby league club would end up playing. Maybe time to revive that Halifax-Huddersfield merger.

Three figure attendance incoming.

Wales rugby league legend Jim Mills tweets: Great News - the Cardiff Bay Rugby Codebreakers statue of Billy Boston, Clive Sullivan and Gus Risman has won the ‘Celebrating Black Sporting Heritage Award’ category at the Sporting Heritage Awards last night.

Halifax, the forgotten club - who cannot remember to pay their rent. Calderdale Council should kick (or lock) them out of the Shay. I take it, then, when the council offloads (albeit, most likely, to a third party) the loss-making Shay, Halifax aren't seriously thinking about running it, with FC Halifax Town as secondary partners. Mind-boggling! The football club would be foolish to enter into any sort of Shay-operating partnership with Halifax.

No wonder so many FC Halifax Town supporters who, going back to the Thrum Hall days, used also to watch the rugby league club, now refuse to set foot in the Shay when fellow tenants Fax are playing.

Watched a feisty Kirklees derby between Yorkshire League Division Two rivals Moldgreen and Emley Moor Cougars this evening (10/5/24). Decent turnout - say, 235 spectators - at the DRAM (acronym: Dalton, Rawthorpe and Moldgreen) Sports & Community Centre, high above the John Smith's Stadium. Moldgreen won 40-14 after leading 16-10 at half-time. The hosts started and finished the game strongly. Moldgreen, who scored eight tries to three, were 16-0 up after just 12 minutes. To my surprise, Scissett-based Emley Moor then made a real contest of it, trailing 14-22 by the 63rd minute, only for Moldgreen, between the 67th and 79th minutes, to run in four more tries. I suspected, after their early chasing, the visitors might run out of steam. Four conversions for Moldgreen, one for Emley Moor. Excellent facilities: fully railed pitch, permanent dugouts and a large, two-storey clubhouse. Easily good enough for the National Conference League. On a sunny evening, lofty location catching a breeze, there were great views of two Kirklees landmarks: the Emley Moor telecoms mast and the Victoria Tower, topping Castle Hill.

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.