Hopping Mad

The NCL has confirmed, via Twitter, Keighley Albion's inclusion for 2025. It tweets: "We'd like to welcome @AlbionRLFC to Division Three of the NCL. They were voted into the league as new members for 2025 at a recent club meeting. We wish them every success as they begin this new chapter." Last season, Albion finished second bottom of the Yorkshire League's Premier Division.

Appreciate the logic. I've been a few times - going back to 1988 - to Spotland since Hornets moved in. Last season was the first visit I can recall when so little of the ground was open (needed to be open).

Poster on another thread says Keighley Albion are back in the NCL.

I went to a game at Rochdale Hornets last season. Shocked to discover only half of one of the stadium's four stands was open. The crowd was 448 (including a coach of away fans). In that context, fifty-odd season tickets sold sounds about right.

They were NCL members between 1998 and 2002. I watched a NCL Division Two game at Keighley Albion (Keighley Albion & Bingley, as they were then) in November 2000. The visitors to the ground at Crossflatts were New Earswick All Blacks.

An enjoyable watch (my parents relocated to the Halifax/Huddersfield area in 1973). Good to see James Mason, a Huddersfield supporter in childhood, includes (33 minutes in) a visit to Fartown, as part of his sentimental journey.

Statement from Seaton Rangers: After a couple of weeks of talks, and soul searching, we’ve made the decision to step back from the NCL to regroup. With a lot of talented young players coming through, we believe short term the best place for ourselves as a club is in the CARL [Cumbria] league, and we look forward to competing in the league and seeing how we fare. Next season [2025] sees the 130th year anniversary of Seaton Rangers, and we plan on doing several things to mark that, including a new retro kit to celebrate a huge milestone and those who’ve gone before us. Thanks to everyone who played their part in making history in the National Conference League: players, coaches, volunteers, sponsors - all of whom made it possible. Rangers secretary Peter Gilmour told cumbriacrack.com: “The last three seasons while part of such a fantastic organisation have been a wonderful period for our club and we are proud of the fact that we were the first side to be admitted, representing the Allerdale catchment area. “We have, however, become somewhat victims of our own success with a large number of players from our initial squad joining the local pro ranks. “That, coupled with long term injuries and issues around commitment to travelling, has led us to this point. “Since the discussion with the NCL management, in which their support for our continuation in the NCL in 2025 was received, we have lost a further two players to the pro game and that has left us with a young and inexperienced squad of players. After consulting them, we have opted to rebuild in the CARL league for 2025. “We have an excellent under 16s that have played and travelled in the North West Counties League and next season our under-16s team will also do the same. “As a club we view this as a short term step and aim to rejoin the ranks of the NCL in the medium term with a young talented and dedicated team."

Not strange, necessarily, but a surprise. Just been doing a few Sunday morning cycling 'reps' up and down the repurposed railway line between York Hospital and New Earswick. Passed, a few times, a muscular bloke walking a couple of equally well-built dogs. Noticed he was wearing a Castleford Tigers T-shirt, so in the end I stopped for a chat. After a conversational pre-amble, he said he wasn't anything to do with Cas. "Did you play - you've got the physique?" I asked. "A bit," he replied. "Who for?" "Oh, Hull Kingston Rovers, York and a few others." Turned out he was former prop Rich Hayes, whom I used to watch play for York, in the 1990s, when I spent five years living and working on Teesside. York were the nearest professional team, so I used to go five or six times a season. Nice bloke. https://www.yorkpress.co.uk/news/7891954.hayes-no-to-coach-role/

A printed programme (£5) was produced for the England versus Samoa international, at Wigan, on October 27. It also covered the October 26 wheelchair international, at Wigan, between England and France. Ditto, for the following weekend's double-header at Leeds: England v Wales (women) and England v Samoa.

An enjoyable watch. If Samoa can play for 80 minutes as they did in the second half, Game Two should be pretty close.

The National League Cup launched last evening - to widespread indifference. Sample attendances Dagenham & Redbridge (versus Spurs U21s) 184 Woking (versus Brighton & HA U21s) 227 FC Halifax Town (versus Newcastle United U21s) 292 Oldham Athletic (versus Stoke City U21s) 455 Boston United (versus Leeds United U21s) 467 Apparently, the smallest crowd ever registered for an Oldham Athletic first team fixture

Scott Taylor, the ex-Hull, Hull KR and Wigan prop, has been unveiled as League 1 newcomers Goole's head coach. First announced signing is former Doncaster wing Tom Halliday. Local lad Ben Hodder, a full-back, makes the jump from Goole's amateur team to the new semi-pro squad.

The football club - so popular, a few years ago it went bust and had to re-form - don't own the ground. In common with the rugby league club, they're merely a tenant of the local authority. What the football people think about their rugby league counterparts is irrelevant. Attendances for Goole AFC's three home league games this season, incidentally, are 226, 186 and 160 (NCEL website).

There was. Remember watching them play at Giant Axe (the football ground). Even did a programme.

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.