groundhopper

Staffs of Origin There was some great thinking behind this from a great club. Staffordshire Quantums are in their third season and are based primarily in Rugeley. So far this season they have travelled to Nottinghamshire twice and Warwickshire but have been let down by clubs not travelling to them. There ethos includes playing games at other local grounds to increase participation and they were due to play Chesterfield Forgers at Stone RU but this was called off on the Friday. They obviously wanted a game and opposition at this level is difficult to find a short notice so they rang everyone they could and managed to get over 30 to turn up and play with players playing for either North or South Staffs depending on which side of a line of latitude they lived. This is a brilliant number for a club at the lowest level of the game. The scheduled match referee was willing to attend and by making Staffs of origin, not Stone v Rugeley there were no issues with registering players and insurance. I have the score as 38 34 to Yellows who I believe were north but this was of little importance. With some players new to the game there was a mixture of standards but some good tackling as well as poor defensive play. Unsure what to expect, it was glad to see a competitive match rather than little more than a training session. The numbers in an area with no RL history shows what can be done and the plan is for Quantums to use other venues to spread the word. There as always few volunteers but it does show what can be done but as always what is needed is the developments officers. there are no youth sides as far as I no. ,The financial issue is understood but the opportunity missed in this regard had led to the complete absence of RL in areas where it existed 20 years ago.

Two games again and always great when matches are close in this case 17 16 at Ulverston V Chorley and 12 13 for Hurricanes v Goole. I am as much a RL fan as a Hurricanes supporter so if they are going to dominate play and lose to a drop goal to anyone I am happy it was Goole. Hard fought would be the best description. I would like to thank the RU person brought in for the day to count the crowd but it was somewhat higher than my estimate. Ulverston was a venue I had been looking forward to and apart from the fare an ok journey by train. The fare of £103 was out of my reach but a third off for being old and split tickets brought the cost down to £60. Delays are standard on this line and on the way back a connection was missed at Stafford with the explanation being announced as due to children's balloons caught in the overhead wires. there are probably reasons I don't understand as to why this caused such delays but I accept such things and should get £30 back under the delay repay scheme and I was inconvenienced to the extent I had to walk through the park and spend £7 on a pint and a ham salad roll. Anyway £30 return to Ulverston is a bargain. The ground is under a mile from the station but away from the town which was buzy as it was on the route of Dave's day was used by c30000 bikers heading to Barrow the home town of one of the hairy bikers. I believe I am one of the few who would not have recognised him as I barely watch tv. Anyway on to the ground and match. This is a large field with a sports centre and Ulverston have enclosed the pitch with a rail and use a covered area hidden from the pitch for after match entertainment including a portable beer storage unit which dispenses a local lager. They have made the most of the limited facilities on offer and in a typical Cumbrian way, hospitality was off the scale. One attraction for me was temperatures of 23 rather than 31 and when rain came, they found an umbrella for my travelling companion. The club have been playing RL since the days of the split and Ulverston Rugby refers to the one club in town. The club are long term members of the Barrow League but the 8 clubs are split with four in the North West Counties, two in the NCL and Askam travelling north in the Cumbria League. Chorley arrived in good time, despite possible travel problems from Dave's Day traffic with the bikers convoy having started in Lindon, travelling by coach. The lead changed hands a few times before being settled by a drop goal. For me almost any new ground in enjoyable but apart from the distance, this would be one of my favourite clubs and the town is easy to spend time. I recommend a day locally with good views from the train, a museum to it's favourite son Stan Laurel although I was told in the pub near the ground he left when 3. You don't need my devotion to basic fields and sometimes dull place to enjoy this one.

Two matches this weekend Firstly on Friday night Chesterfield Forgers 26 Nottingham Outlaws a 28 Sheffield Forgers were traditionally a south Sheffield club with Hawks to the North of the city, Both have struggled with both playing numbers and a venue. Forgers retain youth development in the city, but the first team have moved to Chesterfield RU about three miles north of that town and no more than 10 miles from their traditional base. I believe there has been briefly a Chesterfield team before and North Derbyshire Chargers also covered the area. The RU sold their ground nearer to the town centre and moved to this site maybe 10 to 20 years ago and now have a 4 pitch location and invested money in facilities with three pitches floodlit. This is a facility most NCL teams would love yet the RU team languish very low in the league structure. Forgers are playing in the midlands merit table which is a wonderful competition. I am not sure if clubs make their own fixtures but basically if a club plays host and then wont travel you don't arrange for the following year. There are some long distances involved but almost all matches take place, certainly a much higher percentage than the North West and Yorkshire shields and trophy taking place at the moment. This was I think the first 80 minute game for Forgers and the teams were evenly matched. so much so that the last move resulted in a converted try to give Outlaws the victory. It was clear some people were playing their first RL especially the lad who caught the ball near his own try line and ran 30 yards and on being caught kicked the ball as far downfield as possible rather than going to ground. There were some good quality players on display and the more people we can introduce to RL however briefly the better Attendance was about 50 The following day was another visit to Goole to watch their Yorkshire League side Goole Vikings 26 West Bowling a 36 There was some uncertainty over the exact score and it is taken me until today to find the result with nothing on either club's social media. RL Express shows this as no result which is overall fairly poor. I accept the paper has a deadline and the fault is with the clubs and I believe the reporting system Vikings have played at the Pleasure Grounds since formation and I saw their first home match. With the ground being redeveloped they have had to also find a temporary venue and their is little within the town. They are therefore using York Road Playing Fields half a mile plus from the main venue and this is little more than an open field with changing rooms that may have been adequate for eleven a side football but not for 18 man squads. A marquee was put up to assist and a food and soft drinks were available from a trailer. Overall very basic but also a really good effort considering the difficulties. On the field, the visitors who were a division higher showed this, the match was in I think the trophy which seems to operate on a mini league basis. There seems few if any places for a casual fan to ascertain but a league table for eight teams is on the RFL website. Attendance was about 45 at the start but 70 later on. possibly not all were aware of the 1pm start. The match was watched in the company of the always enthusiastic Martin from Sheffield and walking to meet him at the station, I walked past the main ground. Just looking through a gap in the maim gate, I feel a return in 5 weeks may be optimistic but even with full access, I doubt I could tell. Off field facilities are not yet under construction as far as I could see. The first team don't want delays as the temporary venue they use is out of town and they need to build momentum to match a steady on field start. On a personal level I missed the one match they played at the RU and would welcome a chance to add to the number of grounds visited.

Derby Elks 24 Dearne Valley Bulldogs 28 Still talking to myself on here but the above was my alternative to Wembley. I have a lot of respect for both clubs, Derby have been in existence for at least 25 years whilst Dearne Valley whilst not that far from Wakefield is not an RL area. Their pre match facebook indicated 6 of the team playing had been developed by the club and I noticed they run at junior levels. They arrived by coach with significant support, although some were unimpressed by a lack of a bar on the ground although the Gallows Inn is across the road. Derby initially played in the city, first on basic pitches before moving in with Derby. I may be wrong but I think the laying of an artificial pitch, at least partly paid for by the RU led to problems. This is the 5th venue I have seen them use. The home side moved up to the Yorkshire League a few years ago along with Nottingham and Sherwood but are now the only club in the league from the Midlands They now play about 8 miles away in Ilkeston, initially at the Shute. a former works ground taken over by the local RU when the non league occupants folded. This season matches take place at the former RU ground which may still be used by lower elevens or juniors. This a public park laid out mostly as playing fields. The most enjoyable aspect of the game was that almost every score resulted in the lead changing hands and I have to admit I prefer a crowd of 70 to 60,000 and especially being able to park adjacent to the field.

Coventry Bears 20 Nottingham Outlaws 26 Apart from Fulham in the 80's i never had a team to follow before Bears came along and it would be between the two as to which I have seen at home the most. As everyone knows Bears became Hurricanes and due to the well run nature of the club over the years have been slow but steady progress. I try and see them at least once a year Bears were reset as an amateur team but obviously economics precluded staying at Butts stadium and they returned to their roots at Old Coventrians but also played behind a leisure centre This year they are playing at Earlsdon a basic but typical RU set up with clubhouse and railed off pitch. The games against Nottingham and Birmingham were traditionally the bigger games and most years one or other was in the same league. Going into the game Notts were two wins from two and Bears two defeats. Mot had been close games although Bears were outplayed last week at Sherwood. Nottingham took the lead and at half time it was six all. To be honest the half was mostly one up football with little adventure or flair but no shortage of commitment. Bears went 12 6 up and then kicked a penalty before Nottingham scored 24 points unanswered with Bears scoring the last try for a final 20 28 score What I have noticed over recent games is the high percentage of kicks scored, probably at about 90% which is better than Super League although far more are close to the posts. The Midlands league is the only league outside the heartlands and the South East in England and lost Swindon last year and Oxford the beginning of this season but the remaining teams hopefully remain strong and there are clubs in a merit league below. The attendance was about 60

Sherwood Wolf Hunt 44 Coventry Bears 28 according to SWH facebook although I had 46 30 Wolf Hunt play near Mansfield, another Maryport type place in RL terms in that it has the potential. There was a well supported semi pro side that may have flourished but the football ground was the only location and loss of this began a decline. The locality had supported BARLA teams including Garibaldi from a pub in nearby Clipstone who beat many heartland amateur teams. There was nothing played in the locality for many years until Wolf Hunt began, initially in the Midlands League until they, Nottingham and Derby tried the Yorkshire League. As winners of the Midland League and then the regional play offs they entered the Challenge Cup and I saw them play one of the London sides and I think they also played West Bowling. Moving on to today, they are back in the Midlands League, a six team competition after Swindon last year and Oxford this year withdrew. This was my third visit and is always a pleasure, the pitch was immaculate and marked for RL which is not always the case in this area. the ground has a cricket pitch, a football one, Sherwood Colliery FC and the Rugby one. The club appear to be an equal tenant with there name and badge on the sideboard rather than being gusts of an RU club. Coventry Bears are obviously known to most people and although there is continuity of playing, any remaining links are tenuous. Facilities comprise a clubhouse and teabar and changing rooms with an uphill walk to the pitch which has a steep bank for a good view on the far side. The standard was much lower than at Glasson but probably many players were only playing there second game. The attendance was 100 plus.

I always try and do a rough headcount but accuracy is questionable. Families were there in a way that would not happen with worse weather and including them about 200. assuming the two sides of the pitch only contained fans from each side then about half and half. This is for a team struggling on the field. This is similar to my experiences at Seaton, Maryport, Lowca and Flimby in recent seasons. When people talk about possible locations for a league 1 side, Maryport could be put forward. It is far more of a league town than Workington and fewer competitors for support. Sponsorship may be hard and there is no venue. There is however no way that the area could supply the players for a third side at this level. The amateur clubs are raided more in this area than elsewhere. The friendliness of locals makes this as good a place as any to watch amateur RL.

May 11 2025 Glasson Rangers 30 Flimby Vikings 54 I really enjoy the matches in Cumbria and whilst this completed the top division of the league, I still have three to visit, plus the cliff top pitch at Kells. The distance is one reason I have not been to the others, but counting up this was ground 26 visited within the present county boundaries. Games in this area rarely disappoint. Maryport is a true RL town, the population is 8500 yet three teams exist plus the visitors are less than 2 miles away. Grounds can be basic and this is simply a pitch surrounded by security fencing. At Flimby earlier this year I knew where the pitch was but struggled to find the changing rooms, here the satnav took me to the changing rooms but a satellite map view was required to locate the pitch. The distance is about 200 metres between the two. A folded sheet programme was included in the £2 admission and the limited text indicted that injuries and suspensions were affecting a small squad, whilst Flimby were doing well in the table. The match followed this pattern with the number 15 for Flimby looking very good for the level and whilst Glasson scored 30 there were too many clean breaks and the visitors scored 54. Facilities are just a partly railed pitch and a storage portacabin apart from the social club and changing rooms elsewhere

Managed to get to this yesterday. Firstly the match a 24 22 home win after Tigers went 16 0 ahead. When you are only a paying spectator and you do not know what Bedford wanted from the match, it can be difficult to ascertain if things were a success but vary many positives. Firstly the crows was 386 and this may well not only be a record for the league but considerably higher than any previous gate. With clubs not generally charging it would be hard to know. In any event, if looking to join the semi pro ranks it is a good start. The local football club had a large gate for a promotion decider but RU fans would be the target audience. As far as I could see the day was handled well with no visible glitches. The ground itself is surprisingly small in respect of terracing etc for a club that average over 2000 and half the stand out of action. the main feature is the number of bars, I am not sure I have seen as many outlets in one ground. I am struggling to think of a similar ground in RL maybe Penryn was the nearest. Could Bedford make it is semi pro, on one hand they are a great club with a ladies and wheelchair side and sometimes a second thirteen. I would say they are the best club off the field in the South. They will have learnt form last years application and the issues remain over playing strength and income. The question would have to be what could they do that Hemel could not. Overall a great day out.

I see Bedford are playing a league game at Goldington Road, the union ground. Admission is £5 in advance and £7 on the day which is sensible rather than charging a minimal cost and devaluing the event. I think this is Saturday 26 April and hopefully a few on here especially now there is little to watch in the South East will attend, ground walkable from station with decent real ale pub on the way. Whilst Goole were almost certainly the right choice, few details were released about Bedford and Vipers submissions and the question was not were the bids good enough but could they match Goole's. There is now another vacancy and with both clubs being aware of what they need to achieve and with good people behind them I wish them well, whilst accepting crowds and players will be bigger issues then ever after Cornwall folding. Would love to meet anyone attending

April 5 2025 Harrogate Hawks 72 Sheffield Hawks 4 Yorkshire division 6 I saw these two meet only a month ago in Sheffield and a comfortable home win resulted. The tables were fully reversed today and in a match possibly more one sided then the score. On the field Sheffield were torn apart and on multiple occasions a home player broke through the defensive line and there was no cover, resulting in four players running towards the posts totally unopposed. This is division 6 and the visitors had new players and also suffered a number if injuries which was a factor. Off the field SH remain strong, most of the crowd were with them, many including kids in replica shirts and I think they must rum more junior, ladies and girls teams than anyone outside the heartlands and hopefully this was just a bad day for the open age. They remain one of my favourite clubs at this level. By contrast, Harrogate seem to be only a team. This was the first game at their new home of Knaresborough RU and there was no off field presence, the few people there were running the team not anything else but things need to be built up and Harrogate Knaresborough does not seem promising RL territory. In addition Harrogate RU play at National 2 and had a vital home game which cannot have helped. Good luck to both

Chester Gladiators 24 Higginshaw 38 Chester, in those days the Wolves, were almost the first amateur RL team I watched after reading about a game between them and Worcester in c1998 at Droitwich. Chester were I think Widnes based players and travelled by coach, took one look at the pitch and decided the ruts were dangerous and refused to play. My knowledge of the game was even less than now, but the decision was clearly correct. I think they won the summer conference that year. I have seen then three times at home since, first at the RU ground, also used by North Wales Crusaders and later at the county council ground and a one off game where they played Wigan Bulldogs as a curtain raiser to Crusaders v Wigan played at Wrexham RU. The club have therefore been going for over 25 years with I think a couple of years out. At this stage of the season I frequently review facebook to see who has moved and saw that they had lost use of the council ground and after playing at the Ru for their first game they were at Blacon Hub. On arrival at the ground the hub seemed to be a Chester FC run facility with no signs of any rugby posts. A kids game had finished and I found someone locking up who sent me across a field and through a hedge to the Pavilion ground where players were warming up. Early thoughts on the venue were not over positive with only changing rooms open and very few people around. The hosts at this stage only had 14 players. Higginshaw were always ahead and the result was a fair reflection. At the start the crowd barely reached 20 with half with the visitors. There were some positive signs. seeing I was noting the score a couple of people approached me assuming I was a club official and by the end there were 5 of us, the others all lived close to the ground and had either seen the posts up or heard the players. One thought it was touch RU because of the play the ball. All loved it and said they would come back for the next game. Blacon is a huge estate and the potential must exist. I think youth would thrive here but the club dont have the resources for youth teams. It really is an area where a development officer could bring huge results but those days appear to be permanently finished.

Sat 22 March Flimby 42 Cockermouth 18 If I ever manage to visit all the RL grounds in England and Wales, it will require more visits to Cumbria than the bank balance allows, especially as i am no longer willing to drive 400 plus miles in a day, but trying to do two a year. Unfortunately fixtures make this difficult but three were home yesterday and settled on the above. I had driven past the ground before which looked to be a field with no facilities at all. On arrival there were few people around and no sign of dressing rooms but I was able to confirm the game was on, The changing rooms are in the village social club which cannot be seen from the pitch. The ground was roped on one three sides Flimby had dropped out of the league I think three years ago and returned last season. There are possibly too many clubs for the amount of players with Glasson 2 miles in Maryport dropping out last year but have returned. Considering Maryport has 11000 people and Flimby barely 2000, this remains a real heartland Scoring went 12 0 then 12 12 at half time before the hosts pulled away. With some local players unable to commit to long distances and I think 5 teams in the NCL, there were some good players involved and two tries from accurately kicks chased well, were the highlights of the game. Two other excellent features. firstly the crowd exceeded 200 with a good number with the visitors. The other was a single page team sheet albeit with nothing more than the club matches and teams. This was a nice addition to my collection until my six year old knocked a kettle of water over it in the hotel.

I visited Manchester twice, the first time at the athletics stadium next to Man City. There USP was the game was on a Friday night and this led to great crowds for MWC 2 or 3. There was however no foundations, they were playing at the right level for what they had and the ground was unsuitable for any fundraising. I dont think they managed promotion. The second time was across the road at the Basketball and Speedway stadium on an almost hidden 4g pitch. We struggled to find the way in and there was less than 10 people watching. The only thing that said pro club was what I read on here, not what I saw and the only evidence of money being spent was on the prospectus. They may have become a success but the attendances at long established local clubs does nothing to indicate there were the potential crowds. I accept they have been good at obtaining sponsorship but I cannot see that we actually missed much when they folded any more than any other local side. Using the name Manchester is not sufficient in itself.