Worth their weight in gold
LAST week I reported on the annual meeting of Brighouse Juniors FC (incorrectly headlined as 'Rangers' for which we apologise) and what struck me was the dedication and commitment of those involved with running the club.The hours they and many more involved with grass roots sport put in are incalculable as in and out of season they give their all.
The Sports Council recently said that local amateur rugby league officials and coaches are worth 35 million a year for the amount of unpaid work they put in.
For soccer coaches and officials that figure will pale into insignificance.
So, all I can say to all players and their parents, give your club officials the respect and support they deserve for they are worth their weight in gold.
* IT'S not often I mention horse racing in this column but I do take a daily interest in what is running, where and when, and with the At the Races and UK Racing channels I can now be like Her Majesty and watch what ever race I want if I am in.
I have noticed over the past few weeks particularly, in fact very much so over the hurdles and fences that Irish trainers are coming over to plunder what are fairly moderate races in terms of quality and prize money.
They are coming across to the likes of Perth and to Bangor and Newton Abbot and they even had horses entered at the new racecourse in Wales, Ffos Las last month.
While they have many horses running in the Cheltenham Festival over the sticks and then at many flat courses in the season, the raiding of the smaller national hunt courses hasn't been a regular thing.
At Newton Abbot on Monday Irish trainer Gordon Elliott won two successive races and went home with around 8,000 in prize money, while another trainer, P.J. Rothwell took the feature race and pocketed 6,971.
I heard a head lad being interviewed and he said it was easy to just load a horse box, catch the ferry from either Dun Laoghaire or Cork and then head for the meeting you were entered for via Holyhead, Fishguard or Swansea.
They have an even shorter crossing from Larne or Belfast to Stranraer for Scottish tracks, Carlisle or the likes of Hexham, Newcastle or Sedgefield.
Mark my words, this is just the start of things to come when the Irish trainers realise their horses can take care of ours at these tracks. Not to mention the betting strikes that must be taking place.
* FINALLY, I must have been a little off colour on Sunday teatime for I stuck with the Test Match and the fight England put up to draw with Australia to be level going into the Second Test at Lords today in preference to another Sky Sports channel showing the Northern Rail Final between Barrow and Widnes at Blackpool.
The wife couldn't believe it but judging by half-a-dozen telephone calls that evening after close of play, I wasn't the only one who stuck with the cricket. There's just something about the Ashes series, isn't there?
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Weather for Halifax
Tuesday 22 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 8 C to 16 C
Wind Speed: 24 mph
Wind direction: North
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