BUDDY can you spare a drain?
DONALD Robinson doesn’t understand the phrase ‘quiet life’, and his rugby club, Durham and Northumberland League 2 side Novocastrians are glad he doesn't. Based in the suburb of Benton in Newcastle
upon Tyne, ‘Novos’ boast four men’s senior teams, a Ladies’ team and the latest addition to the club’s assets, a gay side known as the Ravens, joining another eight similar sides around the country such as Edinburgh, Manchester and Bristol. The club has also diversified into having an Aussie rules side playing at the Novos, possibly one of the furthest northern outposts of the game? Previous luminaries at Novocastrians include Dave ‘Thumper’ Thompson, current owner of Newcastle Falcons, who first moved on from Novos to Gosforth in the city before buying the Falcons from the original owner Sir John Hall. The honours board also boasts Catherine Lane, a Scottish Ladies international from 2001-4 and Sara Munter, England U19 player in 2004 and ‘A’ representative in 2006. A family man living ‘just around the corner’, Donald was involved in the mini/junior set up at Novos when his son Glen was also learning the game, but found his son’s involvements becoming less as, first of all, Glen took up refereeing, and then graduated to ‘treading the boards’ with the stage name Glen Joseph. Glen has recently
been appearing in a nationwide run of the musical ‘Buddy’ playing the eponymous singer.
None of the smell of greasepaint (or roar of
the crowd!) for Donald, however, he’s more a man of the soil for his beloved club. For the last four seasons he has continued his involvement with ‘Novos’ by taking over the
maintenance of the two pitches and training area at the club armed only with his trusty
National Triple 84 which he uses to keep them in trim.
As well as his SISIS slitter, Don uses two
rollers to try to keep levels as true as possible but has been struggling with chronic drainage problems, especially during the 08/09 autumn/winter period, with soil based pitches and compaction combining to give him regular headaches in trying to keep fixtures playable. His only other aeration comes from regular vertidraining exercises by the local City Council, when finances allow the
expenditure. His poor Iseki tractor is having to be nursed through the inclement weather, but Donald remains ever the optimist. With the help of RFU grants Donald hopes the club will be able to overcome these problems by the provision of a new drainage system, but constraints and red tape will have to be
overcome for him to be able to meet his goals. You might say that “Every Day It’s a Getting Closer”?
At least if the RFU comes up with the funding then the doubting Thomases can stop saying “That'll be The Day”! Let’s wish Donald Robinson and Novocastrians RUFC all the success he and his club deserve. He’s yet another ‘unsung hero’ we need to praise from the rooftops.
An environmental nematicide for protecting grass
• Reduces Nematode populations in sports grounds and golf courses
• Quick, clean and easy to apply • Economical - 5 litres treats up to 9 greens • Improves the look and quality of the grass • Natural product - safe to use in public areas
Grange Farm, Hilborough Norfolk IP26 5B
Tel: 01760 756100 / 07810 305605 Email:
ecospray@ecospray.com
eco
www.ecospray.com 99
spray
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 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132