Boxing Day

[Sir Jekyll Stocking]

I thought Luke Blake had retired?

[bromleybulldog]

11 hours ago, Sir Jekyll Stocking said:

I thought Luke Blake had retired?

You may be right but as long as communications from the club remain so poor we'll never know. If he has retired it would have been nice of the club to thank him for his service

[Keep The Faith]

3 minutes ago, bromleybulldog said:

You may be right but as long as communications from the club remain so poor we'll never know. If he has retired it would have been nice of the club to thank him for his service

He hasn’t retired it was Ben kaye that called it a day 

[bromleybulldog]

48 minutes ago, Keep The Faith said:

He hasn’t retired it was Ben kaye that called it a day 

But he  (Blake) hasn't been announced as signing on again for another year either

[Keep The Faith]

1 hour ago, bromleybulldog said:

But he  (Blake) hasn't been announced as signing on again for another year either

He may not have agreed or he might have to prove his fitness for a deal 

[phildog]

Not disrespecting anyone of a certain age, who is or isn't re-signing, but the fact that a man has any doubt as to his ability to fulfil a contract, then we might as well take 2 or 3 amateurs with good rep and mould them around the remaining experience that we have.

[il cattivo]

I really really wish I could muster some enthusiasm for the fixture this year,but I think a combination of total apathy from the club regarding signings/re-signings and knowing the fact that we are most certainly going to struggle by looking at the team (and we all know it)....it reminds me so much of the year after we lost the grand final to Sheffield and the mass exodus......scratching around for players.

The game as a whole is getting rather superleague obsessed...then the new rules surrounding the tackle area etc....its hard to try and get that excitement going this year....I'm really not bothered anymore.

First time I'll have missed the boxing day/xmas fixture since the mid eighties or something like that.

 

[9' oller]

The days of 3k minimum. Proper bash up with genuine heavy woolen lads with rivalries and scores to settle. Families from both sides of the trenches wanted bragging rights! Anxiously watching weather forecasts to allow fixture going ahead.

Family, church, festivities completed boxing day allowed fresh undies adorned, board games and a manic lounge of spoilt kids side stepped and pungent scent gifted lathered on!

Memories.

Oh I wish I was bobbing up to the taverners for a fizzy pop after a family visit to carlinghow wmc. Boxing day 1988. First experience of live sport peering over 9 hole rusty iron railings down perilous concrete 3x4 flagging!

[Dogs Bawls]

Thanks Il Cattivo

Christmas Eve and having read your post I feel like cutting my own throat

Don't volunteer for The Samaritan's

[Keep The Faith]

8 minutes ago, Dogs Bawls said:

Thanks Il Cattivo

Christmas Eve and having read your post I feel like cutting my own throat

Don't volunteer for The Samaritan's

Why? I know lots of people actually not going this year I think they’ve realised they can spend time with family or the money elsewhere 

rugby league is all about the super league - I was saying today the championship season should of started around Xmas and finish in august - the pre season games are meanless apart from bragging rights and the roy Powell trophy 

I’ll go Batley 22-18 
 

1,800 

half time draw £80

 

[Batley Bob]

 

Edited December 24, 2023 by Batley Bob

[il cattivo]

1 hour ago, Dogs Bawls said:

Thanks Il Cattivo

Christmas Eve and having read your post I feel like cutting my own throat

Don't volunteer for The Samaritan's

don't worry.

no Intention of that.

I've been told I have a rather callous and indifferent attitude to life....maybe i'm of a generation who are just fed up of the general snowflakes who can't 'deal' with 'life' and everything that 'does their head in'....

Good job me and my mates didn't feel like that after P company.

 

 

[il cattivo]

Just now, il cattivo said:

don't worry.

no Intention of that.

I've been told I have a rather callous and indifferent attitude to life....maybe i'm of a generation who are just fed up of the general snowflakes who can't 'deal' with 'life' and everything that 'does their head in'....

Good job me and my mates didn't feel like that after P company.

but I digress.

my humour isn't for everyone and I apologise for de-railing the thread.

 

 

 

[phildog]

Blake in the squad as is Johnson....heaven knows what numbers players will be wearing. You're right Il Cattivo about the deafening silence but it doesn't appear as though much is going to change. A few years back we were getting news at half to three quarter season of re-signings, now it's 'we don't know our funding'. Has the money and procedure changed do dramatically? What was the point of putting big effort into a semi-final, Grand Ginal and a Wembley Final if there's nothing in it financially, and we come out actually 60k down? I know there'll be those who say change the record, but I have to say what more than myself are privately thinking. This season (as it seems at this moment at any rate) is going to be a struggle, even stragglers of the last few seasons have picked up more appealing signings, these lads who've come in here, even lads on trial, are going to find themselves thrown in, sink or swim. Good luck to 'em all.

 

[LINNERS]

11 hours ago, phildog said:

Blake in the squad as is Johnson....heaven knows what numbers players will be wearing. You're right Il Cattivo about the deafening silence but it doesn't appear as though much is going to change. A few years back we were getting news at half to three quarter season of re-signings, now it's 'we don't know our funding'. Has the money and procedure changed do dramatically? What was the point of putting big effort into a semi-final, Grand Ginal and a Wembley Final if there's nothing in it financially, and we come out actually 60k down? I know there'll be those who say change the record, but I have to say what more than myself are privately thinking. This season (as it seems at this moment at any rate) is going to be a struggle, even stragglers of the last few seasons have picked up more appealing signings, these lads who've come in here, even lads on trial, are going to find themselves thrown in, sink or swim. Good luck to 'em all.

 

The point was there was a chance,  albeit a very slim chance, of promotion,  plus an opportunity to win a cup final at a prestigious venue. You could argue that this year there is less at stake so a transitional year may not be that bad of a thing. Let's see how these young recruits get on. 

[phildog]

Can a transitional year be afforded? Can you, currently at any rate, point to the 2 clubs who are going to be worse than us? Only maybe Swinton haven't strengthened any more effectively than us and have lost a number of players. Don't give me money as an excuse, why, after massive success for this 'nobody' club, will nobody come and play here?

[Dogs Bawls]

After the Prophet of Doom comes the Grim Reaper.

we’re all doomed

[RogerT]

I know it just makes me glad I won't be there.

[Batley Bob]

 

[distantdog]

An interesting run out and a chance to see some of our new signings. Of those, Butterworth, Joe Burton and Joe Gibbons looked OK. Gledhill, Ward and Cooper were the best of our forwards. The starting team were alright but we struggled for strength in depth. Our weakest period of the game was either side of half time when we were playing the trialists. 

Anyway, it was good to blow the cobwebs away.

[phildog]

Agree DD, I thought Dave Gibbons was way above anyone else on the field and Butterworth not far behind (I assume he picked up a knock as he didn't return). Joe Burton was good, Joe Gibbons put a shift it. Chitta and Rhodes need a bit more game time but signs were there. I'm a little less unhappy than in ny last post as long as we can pick up a strike player in the next month as we need a locksmith.

[LINNERS]

23 hours ago, phildog said:

Can a transitional year be afforded? 

Rightly or wrongly, I don't think there is that much jeopardy for us this season,  unless I'm mistaken, so the simple answer to your question would be yes. 

[BullyXL]

What today showed was that we are light in the middle. For me, Butterworth was the best of the new signings. With a couple key players missing not a bad hit out. Our discipline was far better than theirs, that said still too many errors.

[Ovenden Grunt]

On 21/11/2023 at 14:45, Blind side johnny said:

No, it isn't. KO 12:12.

 

Why?

[frank]

What was the score yesterday?