ECCLES RFC THE HOME OF HOME GROWN 1897 Reece James scoring against Anselmians Official Match Day Programme Season 2019-20 - Price £2 ECCLES v BOLTON NORTH TWO WEST ECCLES 2XV v KESWICK 2XV DIVISION TWO NORTH SATURDAY 15TH FEBRUARY 2020 K.O. 2.15PM
CLUB INFORMATION
PRESIDENT’S WELCOME Welcome to Eccles Rugby Football Club A warm welcome to all the teams playing at Eccles RFC this weekend. This is officially our 122nd anniversary and although we’ve only played here at Gorton Street for the last 71 years we’ve always had our home in this community. One of the great things about our club is our inclusivity; teams for Mini’s, Juniors, Girls, Colts, Ladies and Men means you can come down to the club Saturday or Sunday and be entertained. The 1XV gained promotion last year playing attacking rugby with renewed conviction, something which we hope cascades down through the club this season. At Eccles RFC we place great importance on developing youth and I’m particularly looking forward to seeing some of our talented Home-Grown colts stepping up to play in the seniors this coming year alongside our new recruits. For the start of the new season the club has installed a new 3G artificial turf floodlit training area which all teams will benefit and the technical area on the edge of the first team pitch has also been replaced and expanded meaning that some players will not even get mud on their boots ! The club would also like to thank all the volunteers for their dedicated effort. We’d not be able to operate without their contributions. I can’t name all them all as I’m limited to one page, but you all know who you are. The club would also like to thank their sponsors as the financial support you contribute greatly helps with maintaining our facilities and activities. We also now offer ‘Walking Rugby’ on Monday night at 7pm which, for those who’d like to give it a try, has no age, gender, or ability limitations. I would also like to thank our volunteers who operate our DofE section which complements the ethos of rugby and offers so much to young people in their future life. Congratulations to the groups who have achieved their Bronze, Silver or Gold award this year. Once again, welcome to the club and please enjoy your day. Our clubhouse bar is CAMRA award-winning and (for those over the age of 18) I’m informed has a fine selection of match refreshments. Mark Dutton, President, Eccles RFC
CHAIRMAN’S WELCOME Welcome to Eccles Rugby Football Club. I would like to offer a warm welcome to Bolton Rugby Union Football Club, who like ourselves are experiencing a mixed season. Bolton, have suffered 5 losses in a row, the latest being De La Salle 19-33 and currently sit 11th in the league with 32 points. Eccles are 13th with 27 points and both teams will no doubt see today's contest as an important winnable fixture. When they last met Eccles began well, only for errors and missed opportunities to hand Bolton a 28-20 victory. Although Eccles have 8 games left, we still have 6 of the top 7 teams to play. Our never say die attitude claimed a bonus point in defeat at Aspull and will need to keep this battling spirit up until the season ends, as a mere 6 points will take us into 10th place and out of the relegation zone. At Eccles we believe in Rugby for all and we take pride in our Home-Grown principles. Our Junior programme regularly produces talented young players and last year we were delighted to see eight Eccles lads wear the red rose of Lancashire. Boys are not the whole story either, as our Men’s and Ladies sections share the same belief and commitment to player propagation. We achieve everything we do in, and for, our community, through the efforts of dedicated volunteers and the generous support of sponsors who share our ambition and passion. Thank you to all our referees, who like players, work during the week and then step out onto the field to officiate. They do their jobs under pressure and I would encourage rugby spectators and staff to understand and be more appreciative of their role in rugby. Without them we would not have the games today. Cheers Thorpey
HEAD COACH NOTES Firstly I would like to extend a warm welcome to Gorton Street from myself and the players to the travelling sides from Bolton and Keswick. The 1XV welcome old rivals Bolton RUFC in the latest chapter in a saga that has seen both teams compete for titles in their pursuit of level 6 rugby. Early in the season, the reverse fixture did not disappoint, with both teams in good form our opponents today ultimately came out on top, fighting back from 3-10 down after 20 mins, to win 28-20. A fiercely contested fixture is always a given when these two sides meet and it is my hope that this time the result again favours the home side. The 1XV are beginning to rise from a midseason slump and with Gavin back on try scoring form and Reece James adding impact in the centres expectation is again high for the Gorton Street faithful. Our 2XV had equal misfortune when making the trip to Keswick early in the year but have also recently found some consistency in availability and an upturn in results. With both senior sides at home we are expecting to see this form translate into results. A consistent pack combining a mixture of experience and youth, feeding a backline steered by the talismanic former 1XV vice captain Freddy Oakey is sure to excite the spectators. The best of luck to all of those wearing the blue and white of Eccles this afternoon. I look forward to greeting you into the clubhouse afterwards where you can enjoy our hospitality and the 6 Nations championship.
The Duke of Eccles - Still the best Bates to play at the club. Ultra Welding Equipment Proud to support Eccles RFC
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MENS LEAGUE TABLES ECCLES MEN 1XV NORTHERN DIVISION NORTH TWO WEST Manchester Rochdale Glossop Leigh Anselmians Southport De la Salle (Salford) Aspull Aspatria Tarleton Bolton Winnington Park Eccles Sefton GAMES RESULTS P W D L POINTS F TOTALS A DIFF PTS TBP LBP ADJ 18 16 0 2 684 223 461 79 14 1 18 15 1 2 511 283 228 73 11 0 17 14 1 2 489 257 232 70 11 1 18 11 2 5 525 395 130 61 11 2 18 11 0 7 511 433 78 56 7 18 18 18 18 18 17 18 18 18 8 1 9 380 481 -101 43 6 9 0 9 334 502 -168 39 2 7 0 11 398 516 -118 39 6 6 0 12 440 437 3 35 4 5 0 1 352 483 -131 33 7 6 1 10 378 447 -69 32 5 5 0 13 397 572 -175 31 6 5 0 13 376 526 -150 27 5 4 0 14 298 518 -220 25 4 5 3 1 5 7 6 1 5 2 5 ECCLES MEN 2XV County Courier Services Division 2 North Orrell 2XV Littleborough 2XV Leigh 2XV Tarleton 2XV Aldwinians 2XV Keswick 2XV Leyland Warriors 1XV West Park (St. Helens) 2XV Southport 2XV De La Salle (Salford) 2XV Eccles 2XV Oldham 2XV GAMES P W D L RESULTS POINTS F TOTALS 15 11 1 3 539 227 312 61 0 15 15 15 15 13 13 15 16 14 14 16 9 0 6 273 291 -18 53 0 9 0 6 404 240 164 52 0 8 0 7 262 250 12 51 0 9 0 6 372 281 91 44 0 7 1 5 309 136 173 42 0 7 0 6 237 216 21 42 0 6 0 9 234 311 -77 41 0 6 0 10 264 438 -174 39 0 5 2 7 297 353 -56 37 0 5 0 9 280 377 -97 34 0 4 0 12 218 569 -351 29 0 A DIFF PTS TBP LBP ADJ 0 2 2 4 0 1 2 2 0 0 0 0
MENS FIXTURES-RESULTS Date Mens 1XV HA Results 31-Aug-19 Aldwinians - CUP A 07-Sep-19 Southport 14-Sep-19 Tarleton 28-Sep-19 Aspatria 05-Oct-19 Anselmians 12-Oct-19 Aspull 19-Oct-19 Bolton 26-Oct-19 De La Salle 02-Nov-19 09-Nov-19 Manchester 16-Nov-19 Glossop 23-Nov-19 Leigh 30-Nov-19 07-Dec-19 Rochdale 14-Dec-19 Sefton 21-Dec-19 28-Dec-18 04-Jan-20 Tarleton 18-Jan-20 Aspatria 25-Jan-20 01-Feb-20 Anselmians 08-Feb-20 Aspull 15-Feb-20 Bolton 22-Feb-20 29-Feb-20 De La Salle 07-Mar-20 Manchester 14-Mar-20 Glossop 21-Mar-20 Leigh 28-Mar-20 Rochdale 04-Apr-20 Sefton 11-Apr-20 18-Apr-20 Southport 25-Apr-20 A 29 - 64W H 37 - 35W 21-Sep-19 Winnington Park A 49 - 25L H 16 - 10W A 29 - 12L H 46 - 22W A 28 - 20L H 15 - 17L H 52 - 22L A 24 - 00L H 22 - 33L A 22 - 10L H 10 - 22L A 17 - 10L 11-Jan-20 Winnington Park H 12 - 37L A 41 - 5L H 24 - 22W A 37 - 26L H A H H A H A H Littleborough 2XV Oldham 2XV De La Salle Orrell 2XV Keswick 2XV Leigh 2XV Aldwinians 2XV Southport 2XV Tarleton 2XV A 15 - 19W H 7 - 38W A P - P A 43 - 0L H A A H A West Park (St. Helens) H Leyland Warriors 1XV A Mens 2XV HA Results Leyland Warriors 1XV H Post Littleborough 2XV Oldham 2XV De La Salle 2XV Orrell 2XV Keswick 2XV Leigh 2XV Aldwinians Southport 2XV Tarleton 2XV H 35 - 29W A 17 - 00L H 12 - 29L H 12 - 38L A 52 - 07L H 6 - 21L H 7 - 17L A 17 - 58W H 26 - 35L West Park (St. Helens) A 21 - 10L
Eccles 1XV Bolton 1XV 1. Sam Simpson # 2. Tom Egerton 3. Mark Greenhalgh 4. Jim Cunningham # 5. Michael Holland 6. Adam Christey # 7. Nick Spooner 8. Glen Cahill # 9. Tim Cullen # 10. Harry Hutton 11. Gav Ackers Johnson 12. James Wright # (Capt) 13. Reece James # 14. Damola Ayanlaja-Lowo # 15. Cammy Oates # 16. Zak Brooker # 17. Keiron Reed # 18. Lee Morris # #Home-Grown at Eccles RFC Coach-Sam Simpson # 1. Tom Crook 2. Niall Murphy (Capt) 3. Gareth Evans 4. Tony McLaughlin 5. Louis Critchlow 6. James Higgins 7. Connor Orrell 8. Ben Cottam 9. James Singleton 10. Louis Lockett 11. Pat O'Brien 12. Will Bate 13. Rhys Pritchard 14. Joe Smith 15. Jack Robinson 16. Paul Leigh 17. Simon Frost 18. Manny Tailor TODAY’S REFEREE: Andrew Lord (MADREFS) TEAM SHEETS
Eccles 2XV Keswick 2XV 1. Jack Robbins 2. John Hibbert 3. Rich Owen 4. Callum Burns 5. Callum Brady 6. Tom Mayo 7. Nathan Ayres 8. Ross Eaton # 9. Freddie Oakey 10. Alex Speakman 11. Tim Balogun # 12. Fin Cox # 13. Javi Manzanares 14. George Mistades-Johnson 15. Will Parkinson # 16. Simon Rodgers # 17. Sean Baines # 18. Jay Christey #Home-Grown at Eccles RFC 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. TBA TODAY’S REFEREE: Alan Woods (MADREFS) TEAM SHEETS
ECCLES SENIOR COLTS The final league position at the end of the senior colts Halbro League saw us finish in 5th place in pool D with a total of 27 points. The pool was won by Birkenhead Park who beat us at the start of the season 16 – 12, close enough to gain a bonus point. The league has proved intriguing as there were surprise defeats for most of the sides. It has been a very competitive league and we have at times struggled to put out a full team of 15, dropping down to 13 at times. Our lads have been playing squads with up to 22 players and under the new RFU rules requiring all players to have a half game Eccles regularly faced nearly half a team with fresh legs. Games in the early part of the season meant we regularly played one man down until the rules changed at half term which meant that both teams had to play equal number of players. We have remained competitive all season in spite of our numbers which is a reflection of the skills and commitment of our players. We have bravely represented Eccles and fulfilled all our fixtures – a credit to the team and the club. We now move on to the cup games and with a bit of good fortune who knows what will happen next! Lancashire U18 Colts Trophy Semi-Final Eccles v Aldwinians Sunday 15th March Kick Off 2.00pm at Eccles RFC • Next season Eccles Senior Colts will compete in the NW Colts League Senior D • We train with the Seniors every Tuesday and Thursday 19:00 - 20:30. • Our fixtures are Sundays KO 14:00. • We are a combined U17/U18 Senior Colts team. • We are the 2018/19 NW Colts League Senior D Division Champions and the 2018/19 Lancashire & Cheshire Senior Colts Plate Winners (We were defeated Finalists in the 2018/19 Lancashire Senior Colts Trophy) • Our pre-season training starts 18th June. • Our commitment this season is to work hard and enjoy our development towards Senior Rugby. As such there will be opportunites throughout the season to play Saturday senior rugby as part of a structured transition into the adult game. • Our fixtures, results and contact details for our coaches and manager can all be found in the drop down tabs above. • Come down and join us. New players, regardless of experience, are always welcome. • To register (as a new player or new club member) please contact the club. • To pay club membership fees for the season click this link Annual Membership • For team news please follow @EcclesRFC and @EcclesColts on Twitter.
ECCLES LADIES Eccles travelled away to Table Leaders Sefton, hoping for a win given such a close game at their last encounter. Although the Eccles defence seemed to be strong from the kick-off, it quickly became apparent why Sefton stand at the top of the table, with a quick try down the right wing. This seemed to become the story of the 1st half, with Sefton exploiting any space down the Eccles wings; with a total of 6 opposition tries scored before the break. However, not all of these were scored with ease, with Rebecca, Mikayla, Jo and Pippa all making superb tackles to slow down the play from Sefton and make life difficult for them to attack. Eccles seemed to have a better mind set going into the 2nd half, with great attacking plays from Mikayla, Jess and Sara in the backs, and from Leah, Karen and Rebecca in the forwards threatening the Sefton defence, giving the hope of several possible try scoring opportunities. For 10 minutes play was firmly in the Sefton half. However, it seemed that Eccles were beginning to tire, with several Sefton tries being scored in quick succession, mainly down the wings, where the opposition quick backs flourished. Great kicking from Sara and Mikayla kept pressure from the Eccles line at bay when required, pushing play further up field. Fantastic footwork from Hannah and Mikayla kept Sefton on their toes, and quite often several opposition players were required to make the tackle. However, the effort from Eccles was unable to be converted to points and only Sefton were able to put points on the board (with 6 2nd half tries being scored). Eccles struggled against the table leaders, never really getting into the game, but did display some periods of excellent play that exhibit their potential. FT: 0-66 Forward of the Match: Pippa Back of the Match: Jo
ECCLES LADIES & COLTS TABLES ECCLES LADIES WOMENS CHAMPIONSHIP NORTH TWO Sefton Ladies Crewe & Nantwich Ladies Manchester Ladies Darlington Ladies Didsbury TOC H Ladies Eccles Ladies Birkenhead Park Ladies Sunderland Ladies GAMES P 11 11 11 9 7 11 8 10 RESULTS W D 1 0 2 0 0 0 0 1 9 8 6 5 3 3 2 1 L 1 3 3 4 4 8 6 8 POINTS F A 379 137 242 295 116 179 299 175 124 182 181 119 137 1 -18 TOTALS DIFF PTS TBP LBP ADJ 47 40 35 24 15 202 387 -185 15 156 272 -116 10 129 356 -227 8 9 8 7 4 3 3 2 2 ECCLES SENIOR COLTS Conference League-Senior D GAMES Senior Colts Senior D (U18's) Birkenhead Park Colts Kendal Colts P Bury Colts Makos Colts Eccles Colts Wigan Colts Preston G/Hoppers Colts 11 11 11 11 12 11 11 RESULTS W D 9 8 7 6 3 4 1 L 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 2 3 3 5 8 7 10 POINTS F A 275 132 143 307 136 171 212 207 228 208 5 20 -1 TOTALS DIFF PTS TBP LBP ADJ 49 45 41 37 176 316 -140 27 187 188 25 159 357 -198 16 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 0 2 2 1 2 -1
ECCLES LADIES & COLTS FIXTURES Date Eccles Ladies 1XV HA Results 31-Aug-19 08-Sep-19 Darlington 15-Sep-19 Didsbury TOC H 22-Sep-19 29-Sep-19 06-Oct-19 Manchester 27-Oct-19 03-Nov-19 Sefton 10-Nov-19 17-Nov-19 Birkenhead Park 24-Nov-19 Sunderland 01-Dec-19 08-Dec-19 Didsbury TOC H 15-Dec-19 22-Dec-19 29-Dec-18 05-Jan-20 Manchester H 12 - 47L 12-Jan-20 Crewe & Nantwich H 5 - 24L 19-Jan-20 26-Jan-20 02-Feb-20 Sefton 09-Feb-20 16-Feb-20 23-Feb-20 Birkenhead Park 30-Feb-20 01-Mar-20 Sunderland 08-Mar-20 15-Mar-20 Darlington 22-Mar-20 29-Mar-20 05-Apr-20 12-Apr-20 19-Apr-20 A 66 - 0L H A H Makos Kendal Tarleton A Preston Grasshoppers H A 34 - 26L 39 - 17L P - P A 39 - 17L WO A Post H 20 - 19W A 43 - 14L 13-Oct-19 Crewe & Nantwich A 86 - 10L 20-Oct-19 H 26 - 36W A 5 - 31W H 79 - 10W A 17 - 0L Preston Grasshoppers A 22 - 29W H Wigan Birkenhead Park Bury HW A 26 - 11L H 5 - 15L Senior Colts Tarleton Wigan Birkenhead Park Colts Cup - Southport Bury Makos Kendal HA Results H Post A 53 - 26L H 12 - 16L H A 28 - 28D H 17 - 22L H 5 - 61L
ECCLES JUNIORS Welcome to Eccles RFC mini and junior section and this week’s ‘grass roots view!’ Today’s first team opponents are Bolton to whom we wish a warm welcome. As the 6 nations is well underway, rivalries amplify with intensity and some good old traditional encounters hand the bragging rights to the victors! In similar contests down the years, the Eccles v Bolton fixture has provided a variety of talking points and this is continued amongst the junior ranks, I’m pleased to say! Such is the nature of this wonderful game, current form swings from one team then back to the other but, rest assured they will both be having a real go at one another! I’ve watched our U14s secure both home and away wins this season against Bolton well as our U16s beating the same opponents in an early cup round. With the exception of the U15s this Sunday, who are playing Clitheroe, the other age groups take on West Lancashire opposition; Liverpool Collegiate and Ormskirk respectively. Both are well established clubs and our fixtures against them have yielded some fine games down the years, and not too dissimilar any Bolton game, current form and bragging rights are all to play for! The most pleasing aspect for all the clubs I’ve mentioned is their continuing ability (and fortune!) to field good sized squads in most age groups at a time when, collectively, we are set to lose players back to RL or sadly, lose players from the game altogether. Regardless of local rivalries, the important thing here is to maintain this position so that we can enjoy our toe-to-toe encounters for many years to come! The minis and juniors train each weds from 6.30pm onwards. All welcome, regardless of ability! So, please enjoy your experience of our club and its hospitality and I thank you for your support! Good luck to all this weekend. Paul Fleming Mini and Junior Section Chair
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GORTON STREET GAZETTE Eccles and Bolton have enjoyed some memorable matches over the years and thanks to this October 1997 Match programme, donated to the archives by Eccles RFC Hon. Treasurer Mike Bateman, we have an insight to the fixture at Gorton Street 22 years ago. Matt Bateman, Mike’s son, played at 13 that day and went on to play Rugby League professionally. For the record, Eccles won 22-7 and went on to win the away fixture 16-20 at Bolton in January too. Eccles played a total of 30 games in 1997/98 season with a tally of W14 D1 L16; the club President was Harry Broomhead and our chairman was a much younger Mark Dutton. Many members will no doubt recognise several familiar names on the sheet, some of whom continue their commitment to the club today as volunteer junior team coaches. Former Eccles Captain Paul Fleming remarked "There’s some interesting selections there!" Former Vice Captain and Eccles Fly-half Martin Ogden recalled “I was sent off in this game for getting whacked. Glen will claim I was knocked out, but that’s because he was replaced by Darren Cunliffe.” And Bolton’s number 10 that day, Mike Ince, who went on to play for Eccles, recollects "this was the game that Glen got me sinned binned!”. Mr Cahill has declined to comment, which is most unlike him.
SPONSORSHIP AND FUNDING Eccles RFC is run by dedicated volunteers. With over 120 years behind us we are a resilient, ambitious, progressive, inclusive, community rugby club and welcome support from businesses who share our ambition and passion. Sponsorship opportunities 2019/20 Community Coaching sponsorship - £15k Platinum Club Sponsorship - £10k Duke of Edinburgh Award Sponsorship - £10k Senior Team Sponsorship - £5k Junior Team Sponsorship - £3k Pitch-side Advertising boards - £500 Programme advertisement - £250 Senior Player Sponsorship - £150 Our sponsorship packages are flexible. For more information please email us at sponsorship@ecclesrfc.org.uk 1897 You can raise money for Eccles RFC every time you shop online by using EasyFundraising.co.uk Just register on the website, name us as your cause and shop as normal. The club receives a donation for the purchases you make. Easy.
CODE OF CONDUCT Eccles Rugby Football Club encourage Spectators to: • Act as a positive role model to all. • Behave with dignity and generosity. • Support your club’s efforts to uphold its reputation. • Respect Rugby’s values. Discipline and Sportsmanship define our game. • Respect the match officials' decisions, even if they appear to make a mistake. Remember, they are volunteers and without them there would be no game. • Encourage all players irrespective of their ability. Never ridicule a player, regardless of the shirt they wear. • Appreciate good performance and achievement from all players, irrespective of their team. • Acknowledge effort and endeavour rather than the desire to 'win at all cost'. • Support the players. Shout ‘for’ them not ‘at’ them. • Never verbally abuse players, coaches, match officials or fellow spectators; such negative behaviour affects the players and referee’s performance and attitude. • Remain behind the barriers. The field is for the competitors. Remember children play rugby for their own enjoyment, not for that of the spectators. 1897
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