where did you go

[groundhopper]

April 21

Moortown Mambas 20 Keighley Albion A 16

Moortown are an established RU team in the northern suburbs of Leeds and whilst the city has more RL teams than any other borough, none are particularly near to here.

In fact this area is dominated by the other code.

The Mambas do appear to be mostly players from the host club, but in this area will be very familiar with the game. it would be nice to encourage a junior RL team for the summer but the reasons why this will not happen are obvious  

Keighley now only have one amateur team in the town so good to see they are running an A team and could travel with a squad of 20 plus.

Mambas went into the game with 2 wins from 2, the visitors had not yet played. They went 10 0 up in a game that was always equal in possession but then scoring went to 20 10 and 20 16.

Two minutes from the end Keighley had a try disallowed for a forward pass 

 

    

  

   

 

[del capo]

10 hours ago, groundhopper said:

April 21

Moortown Mambas 20 Keighley Albion A 16

Moortown are an established RU team in the northern suburbs of Leeds and whilst the city has more RL teams than any other borough, none are particularly near to here.

In fact this area is dominated by the other code.

The Mambas do appear to be mostly players from the host club, but in this area will be very familiar with the game. it would be nice to encourage a junior RL team for the summer but the reasons why this will not happen are obvious  

Keighley now only have one amateur team in the town so good to see they are running an A team and could travel with a squad of 20 plus.

Mambas went into the game with 2 wins from 2, the visitors had not yet played. They went 10 0 up in a game that was always equal in possession but then scoring went to 20 10 and 20 16.

Two minutes from the end Keighley had a try disallowed for a forward pass 

 

    

  

   

 

Wigan might have an argument there with you Grasshopper as to which Borough has the most RL sides. Nine ' bricks and mortar ' clubhouses in a local population of 107k......

That said not much Open Age this weekend as NCL were on catch up this saturday so I have to confess to strolling down on sunday  to watch my  8 year old grandson in his first  RL game instead to see how things worked at the kids end of our game.

And what a delight ! St Pats entertained this morning 5 different clubs at various age groups - Hindley, Blackpool Scorpions,  Shevington  , Accrington and Portico from St Helens. No hassle, no pressure, total enthusiasm and a response from players and spectators alike that was exemplary in every respect.

From one used to the competitive war zone that is top Community RL  football this was a refreshing morning out and I recommend it to all true followers of TGG . Have a watch...

Oh and by the way spotted 2 or 3 future stars in the making. Well done to all concerned.

[JM2010]

4 minutes ago, del capo said:

Wigan might have an argument there with you Grasshopper as to which Borough has the most RL sides. Nine ' bricks and mortar ' clubhouses in a local population of 107k......

Would be interesting to know which towns/cities do have the most RL clubs. I suppose there’s towns and the wider borough which can include more than 1 town. For example Kirklees includes Huddersfield, Dewsbury and Batley. 
 

I think Leeds would have the most but if relative to population then it’s probably Wigan

[del capo]

11 minutes ago, JM2010 said:

Would be interesting to know which towns/cities do have the most RL clubs. I suppose there’s towns and the wider borough which can include more than 1 town. For example Kirklees includes Huddersfield, Dewsbury and Batley. 
 

I think Leeds would have the most but if relative to population then it’s probably Wigan

I referenced just the old Wigan Boro.

The Metro Boro is huge  ( 330 k ) but still nowhere Leeds size. Throw in the Leigh clubs though and   Wigan I believe remain the centre of rugby anywhere. Once had a debate on the cross code with an RU colleague who thought Gloucester had the most concentration of oval ball participants in a town ( great figures  by the way ) but he backed off...

[JM2010]

1 minute ago, del capo said:

I referenced just the old Wigan Boro.

The Metro Boro is huge  ( 330 k ) but still nowhere Leeds size. Throw in the Leigh clubs though and   Wigan I believe remain the centre of rugby anywhere. Once had a debate on the cross code with an RU colleague who thought Gloucester had the most concentration of oval ball participants in a town ( great figures  by the way ) but he backed off...

It would be interesting to see the numbers. Wigan/Leigh, Leeds, Hull, Wakefield/Castleford would probably have the most I think 

[Hopping Mad]

12 hours ago, groundhopper said:

April 21

Moortown Mambas 20 Keighley Albion A 16

Moortown are an established RU team in the northern suburbs of Leeds and whilst the city has more RL teams than any other borough, none are particularly near to here.

In fact this area is dominated by the other code.

The Mambas do appear to be mostly players from the host club, but in this area will be very familiar with the game. it would be nice to encourage a junior RL team for the summer but the reasons why this will not happen are obvious  

Keighley now only have one amateur team in the town so good to see they are running an A team and could travel with a squad of 20 plus.

Mambas went into the game with 2 wins from 2, the visitors had not yet played. They went 10 0 up in a game that was always equal in possession but then scoring went to 20 10 and 20 16.

Two minutes from the end Keighley had a try disallowed for a forward pass.

Silsden Storm (and Stormettes), four miles outside Keighley, seem to be doing OK, although they don't yet have an open age team.

https://www.facebook.com/SilsdenStormRL/?locale=en_GB

1 hour ago, JM2010 said:

It would be interesting to see the numbers. Wigan/Leigh, Leeds, Hull, Wakefield/Castleford would probably have the most I think 

Nowhere near as many RL clubs in Allerdale and Copeland as there were in the 1980s. But both still doing pretty well.

[Hopping Mad]

Watched an exciting Yorkshire League Trophy quarter-final this afternoon (4/5/24) at Quarry Lane, where Dodworth Miners edged, 20-18, Division Three rivals and hosts Upton. 

Shorthanded after a 53rd-minute red card, Dodworth clung on for a memorable victory. Upton's fans only too obviously felt the dismissal, with the visitors just 8-6 ahead, would guarantee victory for their team. But a determined Dodworth had other ideas. After a 77th-minute converted try saw Upton close the gap to two points, Miners dug deep and held out bravely to secure deservedly a last-four spot.

Upton were well on top during the opening 15 minutes of each half. The hosts went over, for a converted try, in the third minute. Dodworth struggled to get a foothold in the contest. Out of nothing, however, the visitors crossed in the 21st minute. Their quicksilver right wing touched down, with half-a-yard to spare, a beautifully judged high kick to the right corner. A confident touchline conversion tied the score. A minute before break, an Upton infringement, right in front of the posts, gifted Dodworth a gratefully accepted penalty opportunity to claim a half-time lead.

As in the first half, Dodworth weathered a storm, before engineering a 58th-minute try, close enough to the posts for the conversion to ease them 14-6 ahead. Upton responded in kind, four minutes later, to reduce the deficit, again, to two points. In the 72nd minute, Dodworth's full-back broke away from a scrum in front of his own posts. With his opposite number up in the line, he was able, in thrilling fashion, to outpace his pursuers over almost the length of the pitch. The conversion was a formality. Still, Upton weren't finished. Dodworth's under-pressure right wing spilled a high kick, and the hosts surged over from 20 metres. The extras set up a tense finale.

It wasn't clear, from my position, why the red card was shown. Home fans suggested the match referee had warned the offending player, "three times", after various transgressions. Clearly, the whistler simply lost patience.

Free admission (raffle tickets on sale for a quid), no programme. My headcount put the attendance at about 210.

Decent set-up, I thought, in a former quarry: two pitches (one floodlit), a tidy corner clubhouse and plenty of on-site parking. In places, the rock face of the disused quarry is visible.

Edited May 4 by Hopping Mad

[groundhopper]

Saturday May 4

Took in the first Scunthorpe Steel game and the first in the town for 13 years

Match played at a college which seems to be sports orientated so if this is the permanent home, as I had a different address until the day before, there could be long term potential for some development.

For now just good to see another area with a team. To an outsider it seems odd that Hull is an RL city but south of the Humber had nothing, it was explained to be me one that before the bridge there was minimal contact in terms of sport, shopping or social mobility between the two sides and only an infrequent ferry.

The RL aside are based socially out of the RU ground and were heading back there after the match.

I was told about half the team are from Scunthorpe RU but certainly not all and that many other players and members attended.

They have not opted for an easy route, there are now 3 teams in Lincolnshire but Boston are over 60 miles away on bad roads. They have therefore opted for league games not a merit table and apart from visitors Cottingham, the others in the Hull Division of the Yorkshire league are A teams. I would guess the standard would be about Yorkshire 2 so it could be a steep learning curve.

As for the game, the score of 34 46 to the visitors was about right and whilst I suspect these may be the bottom two, there was some excellent play especially in attack.

A crowd of about 130 by the end was another good sign.

[Hopping Mad]

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.

Edited May 10 by Hopping Mad

[groundhopper]

May 11 

Askam 28 Aspatria 20

With a preference for a new venue for my RL fix, generally I am visiting new clubs or those that have moved at this stage of the season and there are few in Lancs or Yorks I have not visited.

Cumbria is however too far for the drive to be enjoyable but when the effort is made, it is probably the best place for a friendly welcome and competitive matches.

Despite being in the NCL for years, Askam is one I missed so lovely to visit a propert club. On the field they are going through a difficult spell and there is no obvious league for them to play in. There are 8 amateur clubs in what came under the Barrow League, 2 play NCL, the others North West Men’s whilst the local league is mostly A teams. Askam had these options but being on the road north decided to join Cumbria this season after a year rebuilding in the A team league.

Going into the game they were played 4 lost 4 but defeats had been mostly close.

Despite this, the club is in good shape off the field, a nice clubhouse, railed off pitch, floodlights and today a crowd of nearly 200, helped by good support for the visitors despite a near 70 mile journey, the longest in the league.

The club produced an 8 page programme, given away free in the club entrance. Just the teams, results grid and tables but still nice to see the effort being made.

On the field the first half was dominated by the visitors but swung in the second half.

Overall a great day out, made by train at huge expense as my 5 year son came for the journey. For once train delays on the way back were not a concern as Northern failed to make a connection at Barrow and the result was a one hour delay and hopefully half the cost back under delay replay. 
 

To anyone who likes amateur RL make the journey to one of the Cumbria teams, a great day is almost guarantied .

 

 

[del capo]

On 10/05/2024 at 22:50, Hopping Mad said:

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.

Moldgreen are former members of the NCL

[Marauder]

On 06/05/2024 at 09:24, groundhopper said:

Saturday May 4

Took in the first Scunthorpe Steel game and the first in the town for 13 years

Match played at a college which seems to be sports orientated so if this is the permanent home, as I had a different address until the day before, there could be long term potential for some development.

For now just good to see another area with a team. To an outsider it seems odd that Hull is an RL city but south of the Humber had nothing, it was explained to be me one that before the bridge there was minimal contact in terms of sport, shopping or social mobility between the two sides and only an infrequent ferry.

The RL aside are based socially out of the RU ground and were heading back there after the match.

I was told about half the team are from Scunthorpe RU but certainly not all and that many other players and members attended.

They have not opted for an easy route, there are now 3 teams in Lincolnshire but Boston are over 60 miles away on bad roads. They have therefore opted for league games not a merit table and apart from visitors Cottingham, the others in the Hull Division of the Yorkshire league are A teams. I would guess the standard would be about Yorkshire 2 so it could be a steep learning curve.

As for the game, the score of 34 46 to the visitors was about right and whilst I suspect these may be the bottom two, there was some excellent play especially in attack.

A crowd of about 130 by the end was another good sign.

Moorends/Thorne is only 15 to 20 minutes from Scunny and probably their closest neighbours, I'm assuming the college you speak of is the John Leggett, many kids from Moorends and Thorne attended there. The most successful venture into rugby league will be when Joe Walsh ran the team from his Talbat pub in the town, great set of lads back then.

[Hopping Mad]

Open, entertaining game last evening (14/6) at Frank Middleton Park, where Sharlston Rovers beat Mirfield, 38-18, to deny their hosts an opportunity to go top of the Yorkshire League's First Division.

Helped by a Mirfield sin-binning, for dissent, between the 44th and 54th minutes, a strong second half from Rovers, who eased away, to win comfortably, after a 12-12 half-time deadlock. Mirfield came back from 0-12 down to level with two superbly-worked tries, each from distance. Sharlston scored seven tries to Mirfield's three. About 135 watching, including a good turnout from the visitors.

Thankfully, the rain kept away until the last few minutes, and then it was merely a few drops.

Chaos on the M62, between junctions 23 and 26, because of an accident. I reached Mirfield via the M621 and a bumper-to-bumper A62. What should have been a 50-minute drive took two hours!

Edited June 15 by Hopping Mad

[Hopping Mad]

Ceaseless rain swept across Barnoldswick's Victory Park, where I watched (15/6) West Craven Warriors beat, 30-12, Yorkshire League, Division Four rivals Underbank Rangers. Five tries to one in the first half as Warriors built up a 26-4 half-time lead. Better from Underbank (celebrating in 2024 their 140th anniversary year) after the break. Rangers 'won' the second half, 8-4. A remarkable intervention - think John Pendlebury on Mark Elia at Wembley in 1987 - denied Warriors a try from the last play of the game. Forty-two hardy spectators present.

Edited June 15 by Hopping Mad

[Hopping Mad]

Drive down the M1 this afternoon (6/7) to watch Ossett Trinity Tigers beat, 14-6, Yorkshire League, Division One rivals Bradford Dudley Hill. Physical, close contest marred by too many handling errors. 

The only score in the first half was an 18th-minute Ossett (sixth in the table) try in Hill's left corner. Hill's left wing was found isolated by a high kick, and Ossett, up in numbers, were able to gather and touch down. A superb touchline conversion, from the scrum-half, made it 6-0.

Hill (placed fourth) drew level in the 53rd minute. A line break on halfway led to an inside pass and run to the line, for a well-worked try, close enough to the posts for the extras to be added. In the 66th minute, Ossett made a spell of pressure pay with a close-range try. Ossett's scrum-half landed the conversion before, in the 72nd minute, sending across the posts a 45-metre penalty.

After a 79th-minute red card - dissent, I think - for Hill's stand-off, Ossett's scrum-half put the outcome beyond doubt with a penalty, awarded in front of the posts, in the second minute of stoppage time.

About 145 watching on what was a designated Family Fun Day. I imagine Ossett were pleased the forecast heavy showers stayed away. Sunny throughout.

Tidy set-up in the public Ossett Park: railed pitch, clubhouse at the north end, and floodlights. I was told Ossett hope to raise the money to build a larger clubhouse. In the last couple of years, Tigers have added, to their open-age XIII, an 'A' team, a women's team and four junior teams. The existing clubhouse can no longer cope!

Edited July 6 by Hopping Mad

[Hopping Mad]

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.

Edited July 13 by Hopping Mad

[Hopping Mad]

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.

Edited July 20 by Hopping Mad

[Marauder]

Toddled along to watch the Hull scholarship derby last night, an healthy crowd of two to two and half thousands turned up to watch an excellent and entertaining game from start to finish, FC looked the sharper of the two side especially in the first half and Rovers always looked slightly the physically stronger side, HT 6 – 10 to FC, FT 22 – 20 to KR to give the Robins the bragging rights.

 

Taking in Moorends-Thorne Marauders U15s v Farnley U15s tonight, 7pm kick off on the Moorends recreation ground DN8 4NA, should be a stiff test for the Marauders against a team from the division above, this is a return fixture from pre-season friendly that saw Farnley comfortable winners. 

[Marauder]

21 hours ago, Marauder said:

Toddled along to watch the Hull scholarship derby last night, an healthy crowd of two to two and half thousands turned up to watch an excellent and entertaining game from start to finish, FC looked the sharper of the two side especially in the first half and Rovers always looked slightly the physically stronger side, HT 6 – 10 to FC, FT 22 – 20 to KR to give the Robins the bragging rights.

 

Taking in Moorends-Thorne Marauders U15s v Farnley U15s tonight, 7pm kick off on the Moorends recreation ground DN8 4NA, should be a stiff test for the Marauders against a team from the division above, this is a return fixture from pre-season friendly that saw Farnley comfortable winners. 

Excellent game last night saw Farnley snatching the winner with minutes to go 18 v 20, I'm really enjoying how a bunch of kids came together last season with only a couple knowing anything about rugby league, I can not praise them enough on how they have developed into a decent rugby league team, praise also has to go to their coaching team and backroom staff.