Hopping Mad

While looking for details of an MCC cricket fixture in County Durham, I discovered Park View Academy of Sport, Chester-le-Street, has a rugby league team. They're playing Scotland U19s, at Winlaton Vulcans RUFC, on August 31 (2.0 kick-off), in what the academy describes as a showcase game.

Since 1948? Always seems like a wing and a prayer operation, at the Recre.

Former football player, coach and manager Alan Little, 69. Midfielder Little made more than 400 appearances as a player with Aston Villa, Southend, Barnsley, Doncaster, Torquay, Halifax and Hartlepool, before retiring in 1986. He then moved into coaching at Hartlepool, before joining York as assistant manager to John Bird. He became the club's first team manager in 1993. After he left York, in 1999, managerial spells with Southend and Halifax followed between 1999 and 2002. Little was the brother of Brian Little, a former Premier League manager with Aston Villa (for whom he also played, as a forward) and Leicester.

A Bramley rep told me Buffaloes pulled out because Farsley Celtic FC showed no interest in opening talks about sharing Throstle Nest. Without Celtic's Throstle Nest, Bramley didn't have any chance of meeting the ground requirements. The rep wasn't too upset. Felt, for the time being, Bramley are better off where they are. Said joining League One would be a huge financial gamble. According to the same source, Anglian Vipers is the least favoured option amongst League One clubs - because Wymondham isn't easy to get to (as anyone who has visited the town will testify).

3/8 update (any help filling the blanks and/or corrections appreciated): Super League/Challenge Cup Printed programme: Catalans (8pp, price n/k, unofficial, supporter-produced), 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: London (free, available from the club shop), Salford (available from the stadium's main reception). Printed fanzine: London Broncos (looks as though one was available, free, at the 12/7 on-the-road Super League game, at Stonebridge Road, Northfleet, against Castleford). Nothing: Huddersfield, Hull FC, Hull KR. Note: a £5 printed programme was produced, by Curtis Sport, to cover both the Challenge Cup semi-final double-headers at Doncaster (18/5) and at St Helens (19/5). Available via curtis-sport.com. Note: a £10 printed programme was produced, by Curtis Sport, to cover the three main games at the 8/6 Wembley Stadium Challenge Cup and 1895 Cup Finals Day. Available via curtis-sport.com. Championship/1895 Cup/Challenge Cup Printed programme: Barrow (£2), Sheffield (£3), Swinton (£3), Toulouse (24pp, free), 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: Batley (available only in hospitality), 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), Halifax (available from the south stand bar), Widnes (free), Wakefield (free). Digital teamsheet: Sheffield (free). To be confirmed: Whitehaven. League One/1895 Cup/Challenge Cup Printed programme: Midlands ('The Eye of the Storm', 32pp, included with £10 admission, available also via curtis-sport.com). Printed magazine: North Wales ('The Crusader', £2, issued erratically, available from the stadium fanzone [after a few early season issues, this has ceased]). Printed teamsheet: Hunslet (free), Keighley (free, available from the club shop), North Wales (free), Oldham (free), Rochdale (available only in hospitality), Workington (free, irregular). Digital magazine: Keighley ('Pride', monthly, 26pp, free), North Wales ('The Crusader', £2, issued erratically [after a few early season issues, this has ceased]). Nothing: Cornwall, Newcastle. 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 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, Hunslet (26pp, £2), Leigh East (12pp, £3, w/a), Leigh Miners (£3, w/a), Lock Lane (8pp, 50p), Milford (8pp, donation), Millom, Pilkington (£3, w/a), Seaton (4pp, £3, w/a), Stanningley (£1), Thornhill (16pp, £2), Wath Brow (16pp, £3, w/a), Wigan St Patrick's (£3, w/a), York Acorn (12pp, £3, w/a). Printed teamsheet: Skirlaugh (A4, £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, Ince, Kells, Myton, Oldham SA, Rochdale Mayfield, Saddleworth, Shaw Cross, Siddal, Waterhead, West Hull, Wigan St Judes. Note: a printed programme was issued, at Boundary Park, Oldham, for the 30/3 final of the Standard Cup. Regional Leagues Printed programme: Askam (8pp), Bramley (28pp, £2), Lowca (4pp). Digital programme: Anglian Vipers (27pp, free to download). Nothing (confirmed, will apply to almost all): Birmingham, Doncaster Toll Bar, Dudley Hill, Eastern Rhinos, Edinburgh, Forth Valley, Glasgow, Haresfinch, Hindpool, Limehurst, Mirfield, Moldgreen, Moortown, Ossett, Scarborough, Scunthorpe, South Wales, Torfaen, Upton, West Craven, Westhoughton, Wyke, York Barbarians. Women Super League Digital programme: York (free to download, via QR codes, at the stadium). Nothing: Warrington. To be confirmed: Barrow, Featherstone, Huddersfield, Leeds, St Helens, Wigan.

Watched a quality game, this afternoon (20/7), at Brisbane Park, Barrow, where Hindpool Tigers beat, 22-18, West Bank Bears, in a first-versus-second fixture in the North West League's Division Two. Puts Tigers five points clear of Bears, with a game in hand. Hindpool's last home game of 2024, mind. Now, they face six away trips. Widnes's West Bank led twice, 8-4 and 18-16, before Tigers kicked a penalty to level then crossed, in the 67th minute, for an unconverted try. Circa 185 present. Admission was £2. No programme or teamsheet available.

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Yes, Wimbledon and Watford.

And yet it really wasn't like that. Did you actually watch any football in the 70s and 80s?

"We're not creative enough, we're not positive enough." Sounds familiar, eh?

Spain the better team for 90 per cent of that game. Can't complain. Could have been a much wider margin than 1-2.

Christ, this is dull.

Almost went (as a neutral) to the game. But thought 'no, Sheffield will walk it'. How wrong can you be?

There is a balance to be struck - as we saw, in Britain, during the 60s, 70s and 80s. With the odd exception, that style of play wasn't hoof ball.

Headed to Wyke Recreation Ground, this afternoon (13/7), to watch a Yorkshire League fixture between Division Three rivals Wyke and Bramley Buffaloes. A stroll for the visitors - the divisional leaders - who ran in 11 tries (six in the first half, five in the second) and kicked nine conversions (four in the first, five in the second) in a 62-6 victory. A ninth win from 10. Some well-worked tries, some 'soft' ones. Credit to Wyke, who didn't give up, and crossed for a consolation try, converted, in the 69th minute. About 135 (including 30 or so away fans) watching. Despite a forecast indicating showers, it stayed dry.