Entertaining opener at Priory Park
AT the Club this weekend some good results – three of the four senior sides having good wins.
In reverse order the 4th entertained Didsbury Toc H, winning 38-17, in a match where three of the four substitutes were over 50 years old!
The 3rds had a day to forget, they were short handed unfortunately for their trip to Burnage and suffered a heavy defeat.
The 2nds hosted arch rivals Sedgley Park, and we’re delighted with an excellent win, Sedgley, our close neighbours, are always strong through their teams as our thirds will realise next Saturday when they bring their thirds to Priory Park.
And importantly, the first team, in their opening league game of the season, had a hard-fought victory over Morpeth.
What a lovely way to entertain the crowd with five tries scored by Josh Redfern and Peter Milne in the first half, then Will Davies, Myles Hall and James Oliver in the second half.
It’s great to bag our first League points including, a five-point bonus for our tries.
The playing conditions were not easy; the temperature was balmy, making it important to keep up hydration levels.
The supporters on the clubhouse side of the pitch also managed to keep their own intake up thanks to the excellent bar service!
Club members were disappointed two seasons ago when Cheshire East Planning Committee rejected the application for the sale of a parcel of land to Jones Homes for housing developments.
MRUFC is land rich but cash poor, having planned our redevelopment for two years nothing had been spent to keep our facilities pristine.
Last year’s Chairman, Peter Harper, has been a tower of strength, he was chairman for seven, very successful, years during which his energy, commitment, and enthusiasm were infectious.
His company, Clapham Landscapes, sponsored several players, and the sin bin, and he donated the match tankards every week for the man- of- thematch awards.
Peter Harper is now our Club President, he spoke to Clubman recently of his new role where he wants to co-ordinate sponsorship money and organise working parties with James Jennings to improve and decorate the clubhouse.
The first phase, completed last season, was the Spiral Lounge Bar - Spiral Print providing the finance; they also print our match day programmes.
We are very grateful for their ongoing financial assistance.
The Spiral Lounge is autonomous with its own bar and large screen TV. It has become a hub in the Club, and always open Thursday evenings after squad training and walking rugby - allowing everyone to socialise.
The second phase is the installation of a lift, currently under construction.
The names on the honours board for players who have played more than 500 games for Macclesfield bear a very strong allegiance to the Stags Side.
This was a team put together by Martin Flanagan and played throughout the 1980s and 90s. It was a Veterans side, and very successful on and off the field.
The front row: Dave Owens, ex Royal Navy and competitor of the field gun race at the Royal Tournament; John Webster, who also turned out for Wilmslow when they were in their prime and subsequently became President of MRUFC; and John Robinson capped many times for Cheshire.
Fran Cotton when playing for Lancashire could never prop comfortably against Robbo, about 8” shorted than Fran, who eventually said in total frustration at the close of a county match “Robbo you’re a real awkward little ******”.
More about the Stags connection in future weeks, however it’s marvellous seeing Robbo, Webbers, Dave Anderson, Barry Day, Geoff Allen and Alan Evans supporting the club every home match, they’re all still mates, watching and drinking together almost 30 years after their playing careers.