Pitch Side

PARK v ROCKCLIFF - BOXING DAY

The annual Park Rockcliff game takes place at Percy Park this season KO 2.15 pm – Admission £3.00 for adults, with free entry for children and anyone over age 90 accompanied by both parents. Let’s keep our fingers crossed for some decent weather to bring out a large crowd. Judging by the respective league positions, Park will be relishing the encounter a little more than our Whitley Bay neighbours, but Rockcliff always manage to raise their game against the “auld enemy”. Park has had the upper hand for the last few years but let’s not take anything for granted, eh!

Results since 2000

2008	Rockcliff	0	v	29	Park
2007	Park	24	v	16	Rockcliff
2006	Rockcliff	5	v	58	Park
2005	Park	25	v	12	Rockcliff
2004	Rockcliff	5	v	43	Park
2003	Park	64	v	0	Rockcliff
2002	Rockcliff	17	v	24	Park
2001	Park	C*	v	C*	Rockcliff
2000	Rockcliff	7	v	0	Park

* Game cancelled due to frozen pitches
Before the match there will be a buffet and reception for former Percy Park and Rockcliff players to renew old acquaintances from 12.30 pm onwards. That brings to mind that old phrase “The older I get the better I was”……….

MARAUDERS MARCH ON

For the regular visitor to the club website it won’t have escaped your notice that the Marauders are doing rather well.  In fact they are unbeaten in the league this season and sit proudly at the top of Northumberland County League 3c. Since the retirement of “Da Management” – John Ornsby and Jimmy Jefferson, a couple of season’s ago the fortunes of our IVth XV slumped a little, but this season, skipper Paul Hardcastle has transformed the side with the influx of several former players returning to the club, and some new one too. There are also one or two old hands such as Seamus McCallion who is marshalling the back line, and they are playing some entertaining rugby, and scoring loads of points.
The Marauders not only have their sites firmly on winning the league but fancy their chances in the Northumberland Cup. The first round is at home on 20th February 2010 where they meet Alnwick IV who they recently defeated 95 – 5 in the league. Best of luck!

PARK WELL REPRESENTED IN THE COUNTY DEVELOPMENT SQUAD

It is a few years since Park had any representation in the full county squad, with the County drawing players from Tynedale, Blaydon and the University sides. Nevertheless the County Development side is chock full of Park players for the game against South of Scotland at Hawick on Wednesday 30th December 2009. In the forwards there is Chris Reekie, Andy Dunn, Craig Fidler, Anthony Dunn, Michael Langlands and Brett Sylph, and in the backs John Scott, Marcus Turner and Marcus Rutter. James Ponton is coaching the forwards and Brett will captain the side. Look out for details of the kick off time nearer the date.

The Lighter Side

PERCY PARK PENGUINS

Before the advent of mini rugby, there was a tradition at Park to play the odd Sunday game, when veterans would get together , then spend the rest of the week wishing they hadn’t, when the effects of the alcohol had worn off. Well the Percy Park Penguins played for the first time in many years on 14th November, and won! A rare feat indeed.

At the start of the season, clubs were asked to keep four dates in the season free, where second, third and fourth teams, instead of playing league games, could play either in Development sides ie younger players or veteran sides, to try and bring more players back to club rugby. The idea was very laudable, although hardly any clubs bought into the idea. Park sent a Development team, with the younger players from the seconds and thirds combining to play a Ponteland Development side, and they won 10 – 6. There were no takers for a veterans game however, so the Marauders agreed to play them.

Most of the Penguins team were 1st XV players of yesteryear, and in fact there were no fewer than five ex -Northumberland County players harking back to days when the full County squad wasn’t solely made up of Tynedale, Blaydon and University players. Tries by Jobson, Singleton, Giles, Rowley, Carr and Baskerville, were too much for the young Marauders team, who were without several key players on the day. The score was Percy Park Penguins 38 -19 Percy Park Marauders, and all concerned seemed to enjoy themselves.

Watch out for further games before the end of the season. There is already a game pencilled in against Blyth Veterans on 27th March 2010, and there may be the occasional mid-week event with Consett and Stockton showing an interest.

PERCY PARK AWARDED A SPORTSMATCH GRANT

We are delighted to tell you all that Percy Park has been awarded a Sportsmatch Grant by Sport England. The grant along with grants from Northumberland Rugby Union, the Rugby Football Foundation, and sponsorship from Holme Dodsworth Metals Ltd, Jopling and Turnbull and Micky Dunn have enabled us to purchase a tractor and ground equipment necessary to maintain our own pitches. The equipment arrived at the end of October and is now in use, which means we can now cut, mark and maintain our own pitches with volunteer labour.
 The Ground Committee are always on the look out for more helpers, but if you want to drive the tractor you’ll have to join a long queue! We would like to take this opportunity to thank Paul Jackson and Tynemouth Cricket Club for all they have done for us in the past.

VALUING OUR VOLUNTEERS

An amateur sports club cannot run without the help of volunteers, and by way of a thank you, the President and the Management Committee have decided to hold a buffet lunch on Saturday 5th December 2009 to thank our band of volunteers, which at the last count numbered almost 100. The event kicks off at 1pm before the 1st XV play Darlington at 2.15pm. Invitations have been sent out by post and email, and it is hoped that everyone who gives up their time in one form or another to help run Percy Park, will be able to attend with their spouses/partners to enjoy the day.

Pirates Presentation Evening

With Touch Rugby being more of a summer sport, Percy Park Pirates had their end of season bash a few weeks ago, to present awards and have a good time dressing up, walking the plank, and other such pirate shenanigans. There was a fine array of fancy dress, but I would love to know where the parrot got the Seamus costume from.

News

RFU GRAND DRAW 09/10

This is Percy Park’s biggest fund raising opportunity of the season and with the help of members we are aiming to raise much needed money towards our club funds, by taking part in the RFU Grand Draw 09/10.

The first prize is £10000 and there are a further 39 prizes (see tickets for details).  The draw will take place on 30th March 2010 and a full list of the prize winners will be posted on the RFU web site www.rfu.com  and this will also be displayed in the Club House as soon as possible after the draw.

Ticket stubs and cheques, or any unsold tickets should be returned to the Club as soon as possible but no later than 14th February 2010, to give us plenty of time to package up the tickets to return to the RFU in good time. Please do not send cash in the post, this can be handed to Brian Scorer at the club.

As a further incentive to sell tickets we have decided to run our own Christmas Draw in conjunction with the RFU Grand Draw. All tickets returned with money by Sunday 20th December 2009 will be included in our own raffle with a first prize of £100 and 20 other prizes (see below for details) The Percy Park Christmas Raffle will be drawn on Wednesday 23rd December 2009, before sending the tickets on to the RFU, so you will be entered in both draws.

And there’s more......

The vice patron/non playing member that sells most tickets will receive a case of wine. The team selling the most tickets (1st XV, Lions, Pumas, Marauders, Academy and Pirates)will receive a keg of beer and the mini/junior team selling the most tickets will be invited to play a curtain raiser game on the 1st XV pitch before the last league game of the season on Saturday 10th April 2010..

Please get involved and help the club. If you require more tickets you can get them from the club house or email granddraw@percyparkrfc.co.uk for more books.

1st £100 CASH
2nd £50 CASH
3rd £20 CASH
4th 6 Bottles of wine
5th 4 Bottles of wine
6th 3 Bottles of wine
7th XL Percy Park Hoodie
8th XL Nike polo shirt
9th M Nike polo shirt
10th Large Percy Park Polo shirt
11th XXL Nike top
12th XXL Nike Black T shirt
13th 1 Bottle of Jack Daniels
14th 1 Bottle of Vodka
15th 2 Bottles of wine
16th 2 Bottles of wine
17th 1 Bottle of wine
18th 1 Bottle of wine
19th 1 Bottle of wine
20th Rugby Ball Size 5
21st Percy Park hat

CHRISTMAS LUNCH UPDATE 19th DECEMBER 2009

We had a fair idea that the Christmas lunch would be popular, but in fact it sold out within a couple of weeks. Brian has been out with his tape measure and slide rule and managed to squeeze in a couple more tables to increase the capacity to 145 in an effort to accommodate as many people as possible, but we have to draw the line somewhere. So if you haven’t already booked a place I’m afraid it’s too late.
On the day we intend raffling a couple of Christmas Hampers to raise funds for the club. If you have any items of food or drink which you can donate towards a hamper can you contact Eileen Shepherd on 07821859700 or email her on eileen@percyparkrfc.co.uk

GREAT NORTH AIR AMBULANCE

Some of the older club members will recall that Park and Rockcliff competed for the Moore Cup, and played on Boxing Day and New Year’s Day each season. Sadly the New Year’s Day game has bitten the dust, as has the Moore Cup. Traditionally we always took a collection which was given to the Tynemouth Jubilee Infirmary, which again no longer exists. This year we felt that we should support a similar worthy cause, and have decided to donate 50% of the net gate receipts to the Great North Air Ambulance Service. You may have seen recently in the press that the service has gone from three to two helicopters, and for a short time both ambulances were grounded for repairs.

The Air Ambulance Service is no stranger to Percy Park or Rockcliff, and has been used on several occasions to air lift badly injured rugby players to hospital, but thankfully not for the last couple of seasons. For more information please visit www.greatnorthairambulance.co.uk

RFU PRESIDENT'S APPEAL

25 November 2009
RUGBY Football Union President John Owen has appealed to rugby union clubs across the country to take a bucket collection at their games this weekend in aid of the victims of the flooding in Cumbria.
The Chairman of the Cumbria RFU as well as the President of the Union who lives on the higher ground at Shap, Owen is still close to the devastation that has been visited upon communities like Cockermouth and Workington and in his role as the figurehead of one of England’s major sports, he has urged clubs to back his appeal. (The full article can be seen here)

Percy Park 1st XV was due to play Carlisle at Warwick Road on Saturday 28th November 2009, but the game was switched to Preston Avenue as Carlisle’s pitches were waterlogged. It was quite fitting that on a day we played a side from Cumbria we support the RFU appeal and took a bucket collection ourselves. Percy Park President Albi Duhrin was seen around the ground rattling a collection bucket and cajoling people to donate to a worthy cause which in the end raised £198.63 which will be sent to the Cumbria Flood Recovery Fund.
If anyone wishes to make further contributions donations/cheques made payable to the ‘Cumbria Community Foundation’, with ‘Cumbria Flood Recovery Fund’ written on the reverse side, should be sent to:The Cumbria Community Foundation, Dovenby Hall, Cockermouth CA13 0PN.