Wolford6

My Dad was a fantastic woodworker and he made each of his four children a highly polished hardwood chess table with inlaid squares of dark and light timber. I've ended up with three at my house . . . mine, my late sister's and his own. None of us kids play chess.

Clem Burke, 70. I saw Blondie last year at the Piece Hall. The band, and Clem, still had it in spades.

Old Brodleians was founded as a rugby union club for former students at Hipperholme Grammar School ... a fee-paying school but not a boarding school. I would guess that very few of their players were / are Old Boys of the school. I have played against them dozens of times. Despite having different fixture schedules, Cleckheaton traditionally played them (First xv and Veterans xv) in one-off games every Boxing Day or New Years Day. I played one year against a prop who is now a friend of mine. He had been invited to join after giving up playing soccer . . . he's a plasterer.

On local ITV news this evening . . . Dickie Bird 91 not out

I don't think so. I'm not a great football fan but Manchester United v Leeds next season will be box-office viewing.

Theoretically, if you take money for playing a gig . . . you are already a capitalist.

When I saw him for Newcastle on Sky, he looked pretty good. He's a jack in the box and the NRL is very risk-adverse.

(I think) a spat arose between the teams about a decision not to make a challenging declaration ... in order to engineer a result in a county championship game. This was a standard device when all county games were only 3 days. Next time they played, one side or the other batted for the best part of 2 days. That might have been 1968, when brothers Alan and Eiffion Jones put on 230 for the third wicket. Alan was awarded a belated England cap and, in another era, Eiffion might have got one. He was great keeper.

In county cricket, there is fierce rivalry between the Bears (Warwickshire) and the Pears (Worcestershire). I don't think it exists any more, but, when I was young, there was bad blood between Glamorgan and Sussex

A Bradford author has writen a series of novels where the main character is a rugby league player. To be fair, I haven't read any of these, or any other fiction books for more than twenty years https://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/25016288.chris-berry-pens-crime-thriller-set-rugby-league-world/

This isn't current but I was reminded about it over the weekend: Some tears ago, the local police caught a thug and found he had a pool ball wrapped in a sock as a potential weapon. In court, in addition to the punishment handed out, the magistrates ordered the confiscation of the sock

Sounds like Lancashire.

Former Glamorgan Cricket captain, Ossie Wheatley ... 89 not out. A toff, he was nonetheless loved by the fans.

Can't do with modern guitarists who play in suits. They are trying to copy the original bluesmen who wore suits as a uniform of authenticity in black bars full of poor people. Clapton and Bonamassa just look like accountants on stage.

RFL President Adam Hills was at the game. I wonder if he'll be posting anything on social media?

The Telegraph and Argus reported that Dane Manning had hit Waqa Blake but that is underplaying it. Unless prior verbals were involved, Dane Manning seemingly launched himself at the unexpecting Waqa Blake . . . head-punching him three times. Blake never flinched, did not hit the floor and, as far as I could see at fulltime, was not bleeding. Whatever punishment the Disciplinary Committee gives him, Dane Manning will have suffered lasting damage to his hardman reputation. I love going to Batley and their fans on the terrace were great. Unfortunately, we've got some gobscheidt chanters behind the goal who think swearing is clever. Just support your own team lads; there's no need to denigrate the opposition. Let's face it, 90% of you will never have played a game of open-age rugby. The game itself? The ref tried to keep the game flowing in the first half but the laying-on-in-the tackle became ever more blatant by both sides. As a result, frustration set in and we ended up with a second-half slugfest. The ref had no option but to produce those seven cards . . . both sides lost their cool. The Bulls deserved to win but they should have used its superior class in the backline to make a bigger difference to the score.

Eric Burdon ... 83 B5 on my jukebox

I stand by what I posted. The figures, as stated, are from the BBC. I don't need any virtue signalling from you ... I have personal knowledge of previous issues involving a friend and a family member. 50% of rape complaints don't go to court ... for whatever reason. If you don't like the stats, take it up with the BBC.

The Bulls should have just suspended Kevin Appo. In England and Wales, anyone facing civil or criminal charges is theoretically innocent until proved guilty .. unless the offence has already been admitted. According to this BBC article, 50% of rape cases are dropped by the victims. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-48095118 Poor old Ched Evans was effectively sentenced to five years imprisonment for not commiting rape. Reprehensible behaviour, but not rape.

I/m not the biggest Lorrainre Kelly fan but she didn't deserve to have he painting for the National Gallery of Scotland done by the winner of Sky's Portrait Artist of the Year. I watch the show every week and how he won that I'll never understand.

I've been a big fan of the Chiefs since the days of Christian Okoye and Dante Hall. Their current 12 - 1 record has guaranteed play-off spot., I think their season is falling apart. The team is scrambling for fourth-quarter victories and, if they hadn't signedthe veteran Deandre Hopkins mid season, they'd have lost a few more.

Team Abu Dhabi's opening partnership in today's T10 tournament. Salt and Pepper.

Barbara Taylor Bradford, author, 91

At Odsal, the dressing rooms were at the top of the terrace ... ash inset with railway sleepers. After the game the players and officials walked up the slope accompanied by a few policemen. Didn't stop one incensed gran from attacking Jim Mills with her brolly.

Not seen the Bulls new-design shirt yet. Obviously, it will be well down to the usual standard.