Quote Corner

Next Committee Meeting

The next committee meeting is at 8.00 pm on Wednesday 25^th August 2010.

HAWCOAT PARK RUFC TRAINING SEASON 2010-2011

Training has now commenced for the forthcoming season at Hawcoat Park, Hawcoat Lane Barrow

Open Age Wednesday 6.30.pm

U17/U16 Wednesday 6.15pm

U12/13/14/15 Monday 6- 7.30pm

All old and new players all welcome to come up and use the best facilities in town.

If you haven’t played rugby Union before, give it a go, you might enjoy yourself.

We cater for all shapes, sizes and fitness levels.!!

Currently running 2 open age teams, competing in North Lancs Division 1 and Miller Homes Division 4 leagues with the U17 Junior Colts playing in the Raging Bull Lancs/Cheshire Colts Leagues.

The photo above was sent to us by Peter Docker, ICT and Resources Manager, Furness Academy who thought the grounds looked in great condition. Many thanks to our great team of grounds staff for all their hard work. Thanks also to the photographer for this aerial shot - (Fitz will be climbing Thorncliffe Tower to get one soon - just kidding I hope!)

More good reasons to support your favourite Sports Club!!!!

The first piece of good news is that Sky have retained 26 Live Premiership games (different ones to the 43 ESPN Live Games) making a grand total of 69 Premiership games being broadcast each year till May 2013. As well as the Premiership games Sky have also retained the Heineken Cup matches and Englands Autumn Internationals (Six Nations on BBC).

The second piece of good news is that the sports club subscribe to ESPN and have just recently (last week) upgraded the TV package we have to SKY HD+ and now have 3 screens in the bar. So there shouldn't be any excuse for anyone to miss any sporting action.

Jeff enlists Ciaran's assistance in trying to recruit a new coach!

A Team Presentations

Some of the A team went to the Miller Homes League presentation night on 7th May 2010. There are some photos of the evening to view at http://www.colmacphotos.com/portfolio96605.html The guys are at the bottom of page 2, top of page 3 and Jason can be spotted at the bottom of page 5 receiving their award. (This is the closest Skelts will get to being a page 3 model now he's heading for 50!!)

From Andy Woods - some great captions for the A team awards night photos!

http://www.colmacphotos.com/photo4954527.html,- Eddie give us a smile!!
http://www.colmacphotos.com/photo4954528.html,- Was the food that good Jason? (Eddie nearly smiles!)
http://www.colmacphotos.com/photo4954529.html,- Muzza couldn't attend so they took a card board cut out instead
http://www.colmacphotos.com/photo4954530.html,- It's like a scene from Goodfellas!!

A Big Thank You

The Youth Section would like to say a big "Thank You" to James Brayshaw for the donation he made to them on Twickenham weekend. James met up with the lads on the Friday but flew out to South Africa and was unable to go to the game. He made a generous donation of 'roughly what he would have spent on alcohol over the weekend!'.

Congratulations

Congratulations to Andy Graham and Josh Vial who are both selected for the Cumbria Under 17's squad. The team play Friday 16th April in the North East & Cumbria Finals at Barnard Castle. Good Luck to you both from all at Hawcoat Park Rugby Section.

MESSAGE FROM YOUR FRIENDLY REF, CIARAN

Click on the link below, there are useful explainations of law interpretations backed up by clips.

http://www.sareferees.co.za/laws/laws_explained/clips/

You've all got no excuse for when I ref you over the next 2 weeks!!

LIFE MEMBERS

At the Committee meeting earlier this week in recognition of their continued commitment and years of dedicated service to our Club in various capacities Mike (Nobby) Clarke and Terry Burns were elected as Life Members of our Rugby Club.

I am sure you will join me in congratulating both lads on this tremendous achievement.

This is an urgent call out for ex-players, current players, parents or anyone who wants to get involved in coaching to help out with the Junior Section training/coaching.

We had in the region of 50 kids this week spread over 5 different age groups. We don’t have enough coaching staff to work with them in separate groups for their age. Whilst we are delighted to have the player numbers increasing, we feel that we need to increase the number of coaching staff to be able to cope with these numbers. We are at a very important stage of Junior rugby section development which is the life blood of the Open Age section.

If you can give an hour of your time once a week it would be greatly appreciated. We can arrange for you to take coaching qualifications if you wish to help on a regular basis. If you can only help out a couple of times a season please let us know. Why not turn up for training earlier than usual and give the kids some of your playing experience?

If you can help please see Jason Meadows or contact him on either meadows_j@sky.com or via the website on cafbaeb@tesco.net

All, Many thanks to all who volunteered for duty last night.

Without doubt the best one we've ever had, and without the stewards and backroom staff it would not have been possible.

Honourable mentions to

The Counting House Quintet (future Cabaret turn!!)

Grant Willetts, Andy Murray, Bill Strickland, Tony Skelton and John Edmond

Easily the hardest workers on the night.

Fitzy for keeping us legal and the airwaves clean

(did the Astute get that butt weld finished)

Bommie Master Meadows and the dubious accelerant supplier!!

Andy and Bob Woods, Colin Dalton and their teams for keeping everyone fed and watered.

And finally Frank Ratcliffe whose devotion to duty in the face of his colleague's dereliction of duty to the club in it's hour of need.

His refusal to sod off to warmer climates like his mates will long be remembered!!

Never in the course of Bommie night history have the bowling green lights been controlled so professionally...........eventually

Hawcoat Park Bonfire Building Team 2009

Message from Chairman

This forthcoming season will, in my view, be the most important for our club for many years. We have been given the opportunity and set the tough challenge of both our senior teams operating in well run and certainly competitive Lancashire leagues.

Do we want to kick on and return the club to those good old days that Wilf and Frank regularly remind us about? We certainly now have the chance, but it really is up to us all to grasp this opportunity.

The first team, after their enjoyable first campaign in the North Lancs. Div 2, have a further step up in class and in a restructure are 'promoted' into the tough looking North Lancs. Div 1.

I would be happy for anyone to tell me what they see as a 'banker' two points within the fixture list included within Carole's excellent website.

Probably more important is that the 2nd team have been accepted into the Miller Homes league set up. After last years complete 'wash out' where we got very few games in the Cumbria Shield we now have a full fixture list of alternate home/away games with reliable Lancashire clubs every week of the season. Anything less than 100% commitment to the cause from all involved will result in the A Team disbanding and we just cannot allow that to happen.

I recently attended a meeting where head coach Jeff Simm and his hard working back up team planned the structure for both pre-season and what will be needed for the new seasons campaign.

Pre-season starts on Wednesday 1st July and I cannot stress enough how important it is for us to collectively work hard in preparation for the tough season ahead, otherwise there is nothing surer than the exciting opportunity will rapidly become an embarrassing disappointment. Did we enjoy Clitheroe away and the pre Christmas period or the undefeated run in to the end of the season more? I know the answer is obvious but this success was only achieved through hard work and commitment, with Jeff and the coaching team.

We desperately need a club squad made up of as many players as possible to cover injuries and genuine non availabilities. In this regard it is vital every single one of us involved at our proud club look to recruit new and any old players who have drifted away at every single opportunity with a view to encouraging them to enjoy pre season.

New A Team skipper Jas Trundle with Andy Murray's support are working hard but the onus is on us to get as many contact details as possible into his mobile.

One final point, it is interesting to see how Ian McGeechan has retained the team ethos with his Lions squad. From afar those not selected for the Test squad, whilst obviously disappointed, have knuckled down and done whatever is needed to support those in the 'first team'.

To be successful and survive we really need to have the same attitude from every single player next season.

Any perceived first team player who is coming back from injury or non availability or is not playing to the best of their ability has to accept selections decision and play for the 'dirt trackers' A team to prove they are a first team player. Anything less than a 'one club' attitude and the skippers and Jeff may as well give in now.

Best wishes to everyone for the new season.

Kind regards

John Horne

A copy of RFU Insurance Policy from Marsh Insurance, will be available from tomorrow night (Wed 17th August) for anyone to read in the large changing room, (rooms 2&3 which have been knocked into one large room).

This includes Compulsory Cover (the club pay this) and Voluntary Cover details (players pay this if they wish to top up cover).