Gate Post No.116 November 2020
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Gate Post Harrogate Rugby Union Football Club Founded 1871 Gate Post No. 116 November 2020 This newsletter is sent to all the supporters, current and past members of Harrogate Rugby Club for whom we have an email address. Your contributions would be most welcome along with your feedback. Queen's Birthday Honours List - MBE for Colin Gibbs, President of Tewit Youth Band in Harrogate. Colin Gibbs, President of Tewit Youth Band and long time supporter of Harrogate Rugby Club was awarded a British Empire Medal in this year’s Queen’s Honours List. He dedicated the award to all the members of Tewit Youth Band, past and present, plus all the musical directors. He paid tribute to all the parents, sponsors and patrons who have supported the band through thick and thin over many years. Colin has done so much to support and encourage young musical talent in Harrogate and steered the Tewit Youth Band to success in the National Brass Band Championships. He has been involved with the band for 39 years and President for 29 years. On Saturday 12th December 2015 at the HRUFC Touchline Internationals annual Christmas Lunch a very special part of the proceedings was the presentation to Colin Gibbs of a medal for his army service during the Suez Crisis in 1956. Colin was one of many service men whose contribution to this incident was not officially recognised at the time. No League Rugby in 2020/2021 Due to Coronavirus The following announcement appeared on the club website in October 2020: ‘Following the ballot of all clubs, which was against a 15-match league season (the vote was 11-5 against in National One alone), the NCA executive met on Monday 19th October 2020 and agreed that due to potential local lockdowns, player infection and travel restrictions, it would be difficult to operate a meaningful season. One option being considered, as has been reported, is a cup competition specifically for the National League clubs, with finals at prestige locations. “This would give players and spectators incentives, but also encourage commercial partners to remain involved throughout the second half of the season,” said Inverdale. Full details can be found on the NCA website. Xmas Raffle The March 2020 lockdown ended the income we used to make from the Saturday Raffles at 1st Team home games. This makes the 2020 Christmas Hamper Raffle even more important than normal to raise much needed funds for the club. There will be five £1 tickets in a book so it only needs each member to sell two books @ £10 to boost our funds by £4,000. The Prize Hampers will be on display at the club from early December when tickets will also be available. Lucy Barnett has already started to put her fabulous hampers together and we’ll be really grateful for any donated items to make them even better than normal. Please bring your donations to the club on any weekday or Sunday morning. Thanks very much for your help. Jo Finnegan 1 Who’s Who Elford, John. Yorkshire Colts U17’s, 1997. Elgey, Eric, V. (Died in 1971) Eric Elgey was a wing threequarter in his playing days. He first appears on a team photograph for the 1938/1939 season. He was the Treasurer of HRUFC from 1949 to 1953. Ellis, J.N. First appears on a team photograph for the 1924/1925 season. Secretary HRUFC 1945/1946 and 1st XV Vice Captain in the same season. He proposed a vote of ‘no confidence’ in the committee in 1946 and his membership was revoked. Ellis, Kevin. Kevin managed the club website for the 2009/2010 season and operated the club shop until 2011. Elshaw, Heather. Heather became the club’s first female physiotherapist at the beginning of the 1981/1982 season and continued until 1986. Elshaw, John. (Born 1940 - died 6/9/2009) John was Officer in Charge of the Ground at the rugby club in the 1985/1986 season. From 1989 to 1991 he was the Secretary for the Colts and Junior section of the club. From 1991 until 1993 he was Harrogate Rugby Club's representative on the North Yorkshire Committee. He took on one of the least glamorous jobs in the club from 1993 until 2002 when he was responsible for looking after the club's shirts, keeping them laundered, repaired and ready for use every Saturday. John will be remembered by many for his comments from the touchline on match days, which were not always complimentary. He was also a founder member of the Touchline Internationals and was voted TI of the year for 2000/2001. His funeral was held at the West Park United Reformed Church on Tuesday 15th September 2009 with club member Sue Langley as minister for the service. Emmerson, Matthew. First team Coach 2006/2007. Englefield, John. John was Chairman of Selectors 1975/1976 and Chairman of HRUFC 1979/1980, President from 1988 to 1994 and Chairman of Selectors. In the 1996/1997 season he was the membership secretary. He was a founder member of the Touchline Internationals. Played for Blackheath, the Army, Waterloo and Lancashire. John died on 30th September 2001. His initials; J.A.E. are engraved on one of the bricks which helped to fund the extension to the Claro Road clubhouse in 1972. Enston, Andrew. (Date of birth: 01/01/1984) Flanker. Played his first game for Harrogate against Halifax in September 2005, lost 8-9. For the 2006/2007 season he was appointed as Club Captain. He was also assistant coach. Previously he had played for Leeds Tykes (2002-2004) and London Welsh (2004-2005). He also played for England U18’s and Yorkshire U20’s. One of the highlights of his rugby career was playing in a winning Yorkshire U20’s team at Twickenham. The low point was spending nearly 3 seasons out of rugby with an injury. Erven, Mark. Joined HRUFC in 2001/2002. Position: Hooker. He made 147 appearances for the First XV. He played in the Yorkshire Cup winning team against Wharfedale 15/4/2002 and against Doncaster 14/5/2003. In the 2002/2003 and 2003/2004 seasons he appeared in every match. League points scored: 70 (14 tries). Highest number of tries in a match: 4 v Dudley Kingswinford in the Powergen Cup 20/9/2003. He played his final game for Harrogate in 2008. Everson, Alan. Back row forward. Alan began playing for Harrogate in the 1970/71 season and was 1st XV Captain 1974 - 1976. For the 1984/1985 season he captained the Panthers. Farrar, Mark. (D.O.B. 27/7/1968) Scrum half. Born in Leeds in 1968 he was educated at Allerton High School and Leeds College of Building where he qualified as a plumber. He played for Yorkshire Colts from 1985 to 1987. In 1988 he played for Moortown but moved to Otley in that season and stayed until 1993 when he converted to rugby league with Doncaster. He transferred to Dewsbury in 1995 before arriving at Harrogate in 1996. His first game for Harrogate 1st XV was against Lydney 19/10/1996. He prefered to play scrum half but was equally capable at wing or full back. Whilst playing for Otley he once scored 4 tries in a game against Askeans and repeated the feat for Harrogate in the game against Preston Grasshoppers on 6th April 2002 which was a club 2 record in National League games. He made 142 appearances for Harrogate and finished playing for the club at the end of the 2003/2004 season. Faulkner, Robert, William. (D.O.B. 4/4/1977) Loose head prop. In his junior rugby days he played at Plymouth Albion and at the age of 17 moved to Bath where he played for the Bath Colts 1st XV for two seasons. He graduated to the Bath 2nd XV. He played for Devon at U16, U18 and South West U18. The highlights of his rugby career included training with Bath 1st XV, playing in the Devon Colts Cup Final and playing for the North U21s against New Zealand U21s. Following a few games with Nottingham he moved to Harrogate at the end of the 1996/1997 season. Played for the North of England U21’s and Yorkshire in 1997 and again for Yorkshire in 1999. He moved to Henley in 1998 and for the 2004/2005 season he was Captain of Newbury. Fawcett, Frank. Appears on the team photo for 1875. Fawcett, Frederick. Played for Yorkshire v Durham in 1873 and 1874. He appears on the Harrogate FC team photograph for 1874/1875 season. Ten years Ago 2010/2011 Club Officials: President: Mike Cowling, Hon. Vice President: Jon Callard, Chairman: Paul Barnard, Secretary: Bill Barrack, Treasurer: David Wheat, Chair of Rugby: Graham Siswick, Chair of Junior Rugby: Des Cullen, Commercial Chair: David Belward, Fixture Secretary: Bill Barrack, Membership Secretary: Clive Wright, Ground Secretary: Frank Carter, Bar and Clubhouse Secretary: Donna Stevenson, Club Doctor: Dr. Jim Woods, Head Coach: Mike Aspinall, Forwards Coach: Ryan Peacey, First XV Captain: Ed Smithies, Georgians Captain: Nick Beaumont, Head of Academy: Peter Lancaster, Club Historian and programmes: Brian Forshaw, Yorkshire RFU representative: Trevor Kent-Jones, Security Officer and Jerseys: Stuart Young, Administrator: Sandra Tinker, Webmaster: Peter Kitching, Fourth Official: Bill Lowe. Harrogate Pythons Officials: Chairman: Jon Godfrey, Secretary: Neil Summersall, Treasurer: Jim Saynor, Commercial: Simon Rodham, Pythons Manager: Jon Ford, Pirates Manager: John Monaghan, Panthers Manager: Mark Dawson. Change of 1st XV Players for 2010/2011 Players leaving: Ben Sowrey -prop - Wharfedale. Danny McGee - centre - Keighley Richard Boyle - lock - Tynedale Jonathan McMillan - prop - Rotherham Titans Maxwell Lewis - No.