CHAIRMAN’S WELCOME A warm welcome to all our supporters and visitors at Gorton Street today. As I write this message with the new 2022/23 season in front of us, I do so with a full appreciation of the enormous effort that has been put in behind the scenes this summer, on and off the pitch, to prepare the club for its 125th year of rugby. Following our Men’s success in winning the Lancashire Plate Trophy in May, there has been no break in activities, with Marquee and Junior events, Ladies and Girls tournaments, visitors from Rotterdam, the 3-day Festival, pitch maintenance and several essential facilities projects to occupy the Eccles devotees. A club is defined by the commitment and ambition of its members and we have no shortage of that at Eccles. For a club to survive 125 years it needs determined players, enthusiastic volunteers and a community of loyal supporters - it needs an association of people dedicated to a shared goal who come together to contribute their combined efforts and resources, sticking at it, season after season, through the hard times and the good. For a club to continue to thrive and grow it needs far more than income to cover its costs, it needs sustained hard work over a long period and I’d like to pay tribute to all the people who have put in countless hours over the summer and the years, in support of Eccles RFC and Rugby Union in our region. We would not be gathered here today to enjoy a game without you. An increase in operating costs, brought about through external factors such as inflation and exorbitant energy price increases mean the club will face financial challenges this coming season. As our membership fees remain fixed, it is essential we grow our revenue whilst keeping strict control of our expenditure to put the club in a long-term sustainable position, so we can invest in capital projects for our future. As members you can help us face these challenges by renewing your membership and treating yourself to a pint and a pie throughout the season and encouraging your friends along to games. Our senior fixtures will continue to be free entry this season and all we ask for is a small donation towards the cost of producing this programme. To improve the Saturday match day experience, the club will be looking to make full use of its new kitchen facilities by hosting lunches in the conference room once that refurbishment work is completed, so please support this and our other social events when you can. On a rugby front, despite the national decline in adult participation, our Men's section is aiming for growth this season with 1XV, 2XV, 3XV, Vets and Senior Colts teams all having a full programme of fixtures to look forward to. Consistency of team line up and performance was a problem for our Seniors last season but there’s been good commitment to preseason training and with the addition of a few new arrivals and former colts stepping up we're anticipating the exciting prospect of reinvigorated attacking and defensive vitality as the season progresses. Our rejuvenated Ladies section are also rebuilding at a promising pace assisted by a productive relationship with Salford University, and our burgeoning Minis and Juniors section continues to pack out our pitches on a Sunday morning. The club's website and social media updates will keep you informed on the progress of your favourite team. Please do join our 5,000 followers to keep up with the news during the week and join us in the clubhouse at the weekend.
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