Apprentice with experience aplenty
diversity in personality, ability and individual journeys each player takes, culminating in all hopefully delivering a competitive game with respect, integrity, passion, sportsmanship and discipline. The squad has certainly developed in ability, enthusiasm, and numbers and has genuinely come together both on and off the pitch. There is a real team spirit growing within the squad and as a Coach I feel that is more than half the battle.
The make-up of the coaching team, in particular the support of Dominic McCarthy, has brought a different dimension to training and the help of Tony, Russ, Hayden and Ozzy have kept a great balance of development and fun throughout. The buzz and excitement of being involved with such a great squad has attracted another rugby family pedigree to the coaching team, Nathan Thomas, son of Justin.
Unfortunately we have all been disrupted and effected by the pandemic; with sport taking the unprecedented steps in suspending all activity, and with us still not understanding the impact it has had physically and emotionally. So it is with much anticipation I look forward to returning to coaching as soon as restrictions are lifted, and the green light is given - to keep making fewer mistakes but still learning from them!”
After a few false-starts in the past, Ladies Rugby is here to stay at Macclesfield Rugby Club; it is wholly part of our ‘One Club’ ethos.
The sport is one of the fastest growing around the world; and Chairman of World Rugby, Billy Beaumont, had this to say about it last year: “We firmly believe that the development of women in rugby is the greatest single opportunity for our sport to grow in the next decade”.
Whilst it will probably be some weeks before any kind of activity resumes, if you know of anyone that might want to get involved, or if you would like to sponsor the team, check out the Club website or the Macclesfield Ladies RUFC Facebook page.
Priory Park is currently in complete lockdown but there are a few things happening online. A silent auction is taking place via the website with 28 lots of memorabilia on offer, most of which are unique plus a ’Botham’s Ashes’ limited edition.
THE Manchester and District Golf Alliance is the biggest voluntary golf organisation of its kind in the UK providing golf competitions for its 112 affiliated clubs within a 35-mile radius of Manchester Town
Hall throughout the calendar year.
It organises competitions for professionals and amateurs and relies on a small band of dedicated volunteers to run its activities.
Joining the team in the past few months has been Jim Cunliffe, a member of Bolton Old Links GC, and he has affectionately been dubbed the ‘Alliance Apprentice’ by his committee colleagues.
But his vast experience in golf enhances the skills he has brought to his role where he has made a quick and positive impact.
Jim outlined his time in golf and new ideas in the Alliance that he will be involved in: “I started playing golf at Gathurst Golf Club as a sixteen year old 51 years ago and I won the Wigan and District Victory Trophy in 1977.
“From 1975 - 1989 I was involved with the Lancashire Schools Golf Association in the capacity of Team Manager initially and then as Chairman. Notable names coming through the ranks at the time were Nick Dougherty and Phil Kenyon (putting guru) plus many of the pros playing in the Alliance today. In 1989 I joined Bolton Old Links Golf Club and was Junior Organiser from 1995 – 2006 and became Club Captain in 2012.
“Among my playing highlights were winning the Senior’s Club Championship in 2013 and have also won the MDGA Seniors Handicap Trophy at Knutsford Golf Club shooting a career best 67 (3 under par) and the following year I won the MDGA Seniors Gross Trophy at Horwich Golf Club.
“I started playing in the Alliance events on retiring from teaching in 2011. In recent years I have been asked to help occasionally on the desk when either of the Ian’s (Brooks and Hales) were unavailable. With Ian Hales spending more time in France and Ian Brooks taking over as MDGA President I was asked if I would be willing to help on the desk on a permanent basis. I have now been christened “The Apprentice” by the two of them!
“I really enjoy the work on the desk as I get to meet lots of people with similar interests on a regular basis and enjoy the camaraderie it offers. I am hoping to move the recording of results etc. forwards by using modern technology to make us more efficient.
“To this end I am helping our secretary
Ian Hales to prepare the new website which we hope will go live soon.
“Although new to Social Media, Twitter and Instagram Accounts are being set up to go along side the Facebook account managed by Stamford GC professional Mark
Smith. Hopefully this will help raise the profile of the Alliance with the next generation of golf club members.
“It is my aim to continue to develop the interest in all aspects of Alliance Golf, whether it is the Summer team knock-outs or the
Winter season of competitions.
“It is hoped that we can reach out to more members of clubs by providing an online booking system for our winter competitions in the near future.
“The restrictions placed on us by the Government during the Covid pandemic has meant that we have had to move away from our traditional shotgun starts to timed starts and whilst this has meant there isn’t the same opportunity to share stories and tales at the nineteenth, it has given the opportunity for more competitors to play in the events.
“Unfortunately it has also meant that we have to sit outside for eight hours to administer them!
Alliance President Ian Brooks added: “I have known Jim for 32 years and he is a quiet person who gets on with the job in hand very efficiently.
“He has brought a lot of new ideas to the Alliance and he has already proved to be a great asset and long may it continue to bring great benefit to the Alliance. His Apprenticeship has been passed with flying colours!
Some pre-Covid results.The sixth Winter Pairs qualifier at Shrigley Hall had some impressive scores led by J Henshaw and M
Knight with 49 points ahead of G Robinson and E Easson 48, P
Booth and R Park and E McGeady and G Nimmo, both 46 and A Downing and P Eccles and P Duffy and H Unwin,S Holroyd and B Smith and S
Marsh and D Chesters, all 45.