Onwards and upwards ... you can bet on that
LAST Saturday I opted for a day to see both codes of rugby – and I wasn't disappointed.
In the afternoon I went with daughter Emily and her partner Darren Anderson for what now appears to be my annual sojourn to the rural home of the Old Brodleians and then a little later in the day I nipped to the Galpharm Stadium.
We arrived early at the attractive Woodhead ground but already the fans were pouring in.
We parked behind the conifers by my old mate of many a decade, Michael Hey, now long term fixture secretary for the Brods.
We joined well over 200 already there at 2.30 watching the last few minutes of the curtain raiser matches between Brods juniors and the visitors from Cheshire club Caldy.
After a chat with family friend Mandy Oates who was there to watch son Sam play while brother Josh was at Elland Road with his dad, David we went into the packed bar lounge and then dressing room area to get the teams for the main event – Brods versus York.
By the time we took our places up on the top side of the ground a fair guess on the crowd was upwards of 500 basking in brilliant sunshine though there was a brisk cold east wind.
I received a few nods from the 15-a-side boys wondering what a 13-a-side afficionado was doing there. On the referee's whistle I settled down to enjoy the game.
Chairman Richard Turner, resplendent in a colourful rugby jersey and with notepad in hand, made his way along the top touchline to take up his place behind his coaching team. The shirt would have not have been out of place later in the evening for his Hawaiian musical extravaganza in the clubhouse.
However, as someone who likes to see the ball given some air, I did feel that the Brods once they had mixed and matched and got the measure of the visitors could have thrown the ball more out to the left or right flanks to run in more tries. They tended, to the frustrations of their own supporters, to turn it back inside when they clearly had the pace wide out to blitz the visitors' defence.
York, in fifth position before the off, only had their occasional mom-ents, a portly prop running 60 metres uphill after 20 minutes being the most memorable. Had the Brods handling, especially in the first half, been more tidy, then I reckon we could have been looking at a 50-plus scoreline.
Great to see the players in a huddle after the game with the coaching staff and their popular chairman and singing some chant with only the words "We are the Brods" being audible.
They have plenty to look forward to during the close season and with this coaching team and the current crop of players it is definitely onwards and upwards for these boys – you can put your money on that.
* WITH Huddersfield Giants winning six on the trot I thought they were worth a visit but they let me and some 10,000 others in a crowd of almost 12,000 down.
They had no answer to Leeds Rhinos who defensively stubbed them out.
The highlight for the Giants faithful was seeing former Hipperholme and Lightcliffe High School student Luke Robinson breaking in midfield shortly into the second half and then putting Michael Lawrence away to the line.
I can see where Lee Cark the Huddersfield Town manager is coming from when he says the pitch is too hard and therefore there is too much bounce on the ball. They always say in rugby league coaching circles do not let a ball bounce. Well, some of the Giants and Rhinos hadn't been listening and as the ball landed sometimes on the point it bounced and created havoc.
Clark wants something done about the pitch which has a superb, we were told at the time of laying, drainage system. For even bounce a pitch needs to retain some moisture.
The Town manager has called for a meeting of all top executives at the Galpharm to sort it out so his boys next season can play carpet football.
* FINALLY, my boys at Doncaster Rovers are safe in their first season in the Championship and we could end up around 11th place of the 24 clubs. They have done really well in the second half of the season in what is a tough league and with plenty of travelling.
We are now wanting Leeds Utd to make it for the derby games again, which were so good last term, and obviously for the attendances we do not want Barnsley, Nott-ingham Forest or Derby County to drop in to League One.
It's the final day this Sunday in the Blue Square Premier Division – the Conference – and guess who will be playing in there next season?
The answer – Blue Square South champions AFC Wimbledon, formed only a few years ago when their old Premier League club Wimbledon was broken up and taken north to Milton Keynes, and now playing out of the Kingstonian ground, near Richmond.
Their real ardent fans have stuck with them and they will be one of the better supported clubs in the Conference.
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Weather for Halifax
Tuesday 07 February 2012
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: -2 C to 3 C
Wind Speed: 16 mph
Wind direction: South west
Tomorrow
Sunny spells
Temperature: -4 C to 3 C
Wind Speed: 15 mph
Wind direction: South east
