Next seasons league

Guys,

Most of you will have read the info I put together regarding possibilities of where we could play next season, please use this forum link to respond so i can get a general opinion. League secretaries will be wanting to know our intentions before long. If you have not seen the info then text info and your email address to my mobile and I'll mail it to you soon as I can.

For what its worth I think we should stay where we are, this way everyone gets a game and we play rugby in close proximity to our club at a level we are comfortable with. We should stay like this until we SIGNIFICANTLY increase our playing numbers.

Richie

Okay Peeps,

Next season from my perspective.

I reckon we have a number of options.

1. Go into a fully competitive Yorkshire League, I believe that the Durham Leagues will not accept us as we're a Yorkshire Club (I know 8 miles isn't that long a way but if you had to crawl that distance naked over broken glass you'd agree that it was long enough!). PRO'S - We would be playing a highly competitive game every week and we would really test ourselves. CON'S - We would only be able to field 3 subs. Total of 18 Players each week in all. We would have a significant number of the squad not getting a game. Some of the games will be a significant distance away, up to 2hrs travelling time each way (total of 4 hrs) on top of playing - Chief Of Staff Domestic Appliances would just love being abandoned ALL day - NOT!

2. Stay exactly where we are. PRO'S - We can play some very competitive games, and some less so. However, our current squad will all get a run out and if we lose the odd game or so, it's no big thing. We know the teams we'll be playing and we can let our squad grow. With a bit of intense recruitment, we can even build towards a successful Second XV - Dare I say it even Train! CON'S - there are some within the club, and without, who believe that we should be realistically playing our rugby in a higher standard league. There may even be some players who believe that they need to move to a more competitive league or they will not get their 'fix' out of the game with us. Staying in this league could be seen as an admission that we have not grown.

3. Move into the next league up from where we are. PRO'S - The teams in the higher league play a more competitive game. Many of them are the firsts and seconds of the teams we currently play anyway. We will still be able to field out entire squad so everyone will get a game AND because there are fewer teams in the higher league there will be more freedom within the fixtures to ensure we can play every league fixture and still have room for the 'friendlies'. Whilst in this league we will still be in a position to recruit more players. CON'S - There are indeed fewer teams in the league, so truly competitive games will be fewer and we may struggle against the 'better' sides. Some may well critique the club for not taking it's rugby too seriously.It places more of a burden on an already hardworked 'Fixtures Secretary' to ensure that the weekends when we don't have a league fixture are filled.


Either way, as the CURRENT Coach, I am more than willing to continue - regardless of which league we play in next season. However, I have to be honest on two counts:

1. I recommend either Option 2 or 3 above. However I place a VERY heavy Caveat on Richie's very valid call that we need desparately to attract more players.

2. I have to say it, TRAINING. To those who do attend, I offer my apology - however, to those who don't I am more than a bit miffed to put it blankly. Whilst I truly enjoy coming down and trying to give back some of the fun and enjoyment I've had out of the game for the last 2 and a half decades I also have to work. Finishing early to come to training when only 4 or 5 turn up is not what I signed on for. I have heard the 'usuals' all say that they will be at training following a game and have yet to see any of them turn up with any real regularity. I fully understand work committments, I have them too and if you don't bother to let me - or any of the other backroom staff know - it's just fecking rude. In short, if you can't bother, then I don't see why I should either. If you think a rescheduling of training is needed then let any of the comittee know, either by E-Mail, this forum or - god forbid use some of your valuable 'Sex-text' Credits and pick up the bloody phone! - Suffice to say, if we do move into a higher league we will definitiely need to have a greater committment to training - OR - get used to having your asses handed to you on a plate week in week out! - Put simply, either numbers improve at training or I will join the ranks of well wishers who only come to watch your home games on a Saturday - if there's an International on the telly in the club house.

Hi all,

In my humble opinion, we need to stay where we are. I can see this could be construed as a lack of ambition or an easy option, but looking at this objectively:

*** Players are less likely to want to travel further - I've heard complaints about going to Boro (45mins), what about a 2hour journey? Each way? This rules out Yorkshire6 and also Durham&Northumberland3 (which we can't really enter anyway) as we'd be travelling a LOT.

*** Players want to play. Entering a 'proper' league would limit the number of players playing, as the match squad is only 18. Without a dedicated 2nd team this will exclude a LOT of players from their Saturdays. This, again, rules out Yorkshire6 and also Durham&Northumberland3.

*** We want to play as many games that 'matter' as possible. The Social League, variable and unfair as fixtures have been, does mean that most weeks we get a competitive game that affects our league standing. This would not happen in the Merit and Candy Leagues, and even the most dedicated fixture secretary will struggle to fill the other weeks, every week, especially as a small club with little fixture 'clout'.

*** Training numbers have been - frankly - gubbins. If we're struggling to get players to training now, how will it be when we enter a 'proper' league and have our collective arse handed to us by teams whose players do train twice a week? I think we have a better chance of attracting players if we can show we're winning...people like to be successful.


So, for me there's not a real choice at the moment. The Social League might be something we're frustrated at but it ticks the boxes for what I believe we currently need as a club, that is: regular games, inclusion for all and a sense of success.

-And

Boys

I think we should stay where we are and try and build on what we have. Last week proved everything to me, players not turing up for the game because it was only a friendly is bullshit and travelling to sunderland was too far, it shizzle you will travel much further in the other leauges. All these people who are saying move up the leauges etc are the one's within the club who turn up play rugby and piss off. It aint good enough. Too many player within the club only want to play they dont want to train, they dont want too bench they dont want to drink as a team and all they do is fooking go on and on at how good they are and how they want to be in another leauge. they should take a turn at captain and find out just how hard it is to get 15 lads out every week who want to play. If you want to play for this team then you have to start reponding to myself or andy down and get your arses training and play hard or do your turn on the bench.
It will be very interesting next as I am not going to be the captain, start think of who you will get to replace me now so we can have a few week where they can get all the information they need off me. I would like to be playing in the current leauge we are in at the minute but in the end I just want to play rugby.
Sorry for not training tuesday but was there last night

G

hi all,

I do agree with the others, the social league is probably the better choose for next yr. I do believe at times we are too strong for the league we're in, and other teams have said so too but while we struggle for numbers we're best of in what we know, until we can support 2 teams each wk.