“As our playing facilities have improved we have been asked to host numerous representative matches!”
playing against the likes of Harlequins, Leeds, Bristol, Coventry and London Welsh in recent seasons. We continued to invest in equipment and I now have the use of a New Holland 27D with mid mounted mowing deck and loading bucket, a Richard Long 1501 Scarifier/Collector, an Allett Regal 36”, a Ransomes Mastiff, a 2.5m three point link turf brush, Proseed seeder/top dresser, Blec 2m overseeder with hydraulic brush, Greentek Aeroquik slitter/aerator with hydraulic top link and a towed Toro 1800 Topdresser. We recently purchased an AFT Sandbander and were awarded a Deutz Fahr 60 HP tractor and Southern Green Soil Reliever from the RFU. All groundcare functions are now
carried out in-house, with the exception of spraying. Richard Rainford of Amenity Contract Services, in St. Helens, provides an excellent and economical spraying service.
As the pitches have been improved so, too, have the club’s other facilities. A 400 seat covered stand has been built, match quality floodlights on the main and training pitches have been installed and
improvements to the club’s three bars and dining facilities including air conditioning and, with the help of one of our partners, the gym has been enlarged and fully equipped. Plans have been submitted, and passed, for a floodlit all- weather training area. This will be our next major project. Sedgley Park run four senior sides and minis and juniors from U9s to Senior Colts U19s. It’s not unusual for us to have three senior games on a Saturday and 400 kids of various ages turning up on a Sunday morning. Training takes place most evenings, Tuesdays and Thursdays for seniors and Wednesday for juniors but, invariably there’ll be someone doing a bit of extra work on Mondays and Fridays.
As our playing surfaces and facilities have improved we have been asked to host numerous representative matches, including two England Student Internationals, several
Lancashire County Championship games, Lancashire Cup, Trophy and Plate finals and many more prestigious games, including the local BARLA age group finals. Yes, I know that’s Rugby League, but I'll come to that a little later! We are also the training base for
current County champions, Lancashire. I’ve had a couple of memorable trips with the Lancashire side, seeing them beat Cornwall at Redruth in front of 6,000 Cornishmen - Lancashire supporters just about made double figures. In recent seasons they’ve lifted the County Championship trophy twice at Twickenham.
Our links with Rugby League are entering their fourth season, initially we were approached by Swinton Lions RLFC a National League Two side about a groundsharing arrangement. A suitable, and beneficial to both clubs, agreement was drawn up and The Lions now rent our facilities for all their home games. The down side of the agreement is that they play most of their games during the Union close season, so a suitable ‘no play’ window of four to five weeks in May and June has to be drawn up for pitch renovation. This has worked reasonably well but with good cup runs and home draws the window has been
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100