.

Registered under the Industrial and Provident Societies Act 1965

(Register No. 29666R)

Trustees: J.D.L. Robinson and D.F. Hamilton

President: J. M. D. Coulson

Management Committee:-

 Chief Executive: D.F.Hamilton  Hon. Secretary: W.D.Stewart  Hon. Treasurer: D.F.Hamilton  Chairman of Rugby: A.Kerr  Property: A.C.Curtis  Communications: I.Lewis  Marketting: G.Dodd  Fund Raising: M.Fieldhouse  Volunter Coordinator: N.McPherson

ANNUAL REPORT FOR SEASON 2004/2005.

CHIEF EXECUTIVE'S REPORT

SEASON 2004/2005.

Our season at Tynedale RFC has been dominated by two events, the injury to Alistair Johnson in September 2004 and the flooding of the clubhouse and pitches in January 2005. The former was an absolute tragedy for all connected with the club; the latter, by comparison, a mere inconvenience.

The club's response to Ali's accident was to take legal advice, then set up a trust fund and form an Appeals committee under the chairmanship of Edward Robson. A report from Edward is included on page 6 of this report. We were delighted to see Alistair at the recent Northumberland v Lancashire county match at Tynedale Park on 14th May, assisted by the Johnson family. We look forward to seeing him at Tynedale matches next season, and in the meantime send him all our best wishes.

FLOODING - 8 JANUARY 2005.

There were a number of ironies associated with the river Tyne floodings which inundated Tynedale Park and the clubhouse. Firstly, a Flood Risk Assessment had been commissioned by the club from JBA Consulting, North Yorkshire in November 2004, and it arrived shortly before the floods! The report recommended that any new developments should be set at 26.66m AOD, approximately 1m above the 1995 flood level, to match the existing clubhouse. It also commented that the existing defences known as the Dilston Haugh embankment, extending from Devil's Water downstream to Corbridge bridge, had been improved following the 1995 breach "by importing clay fill to restore the bank profile", and "The risk of a future breach has been reduced by routine maintenance and vermin control."

The second irony was that the Tynedale Park embankment - the flood defence which extends eastwards from the reinforced Little Croft concrete wall - along the length of our land, actually acted as a dam once the Dilston Haugh embankment was breached, and turned the whole of Tynedale Park into a 35-acre reservoir. The flood embankment saved our three containers, one of which had just been installed, from floating downriver and becoming a hazard to shipping!

Wallace Cousin was able to put dramatic pictures of the flooding, and the subsequent mess, on the club's web-site almost immediately - and these photographs were featured in newspapers, magazines and new items for some time after the event.

The clearance work concentrated, in the first instance, on removing fallen trees to provide access to the clubhouse, then removing photographs, memorabilia, plaques, cups and trophies off-site to a dry location.

Thereafter, the priority was to get the dressing-rooms, toilets and showers cleaned down, disinfected and back in order to enable training and matches to take place. In fact, the pitches and changing-room areas were available for use by the first weekend.

Drying-out was helped by the absence of any plastered walls - so that dehumidifiers could be used straight away, as the carpets, curtains, and furniture were being dumped.

Three portakabins were brought on to the site, and with electrics, a sink unit and cooker installed, these acted as the club's kitchen and catering areas until the end of the season. The drying-out of the clubhouse was completed by 25 February when the dehumidifiers were removed and the bar and kitchen fittings were demolished and removed. New skirtings were installed, the sprung maple dance floor was reinstated and non-slip coverings were installed in the bar service area and kitchen on self-levelling screed.

Bar and kitchen fittings which had been fabricated off-site were installed, and by the beginning of May carpets, soft furnishings and furniture were in place in the Bar and Function room and refurbishment was complete.

The Honours Board, shields, International shirts and memorabilia will be gradually returned to adorn the clubhouse walls. In some cases small remedial work needs to be carried out before they are reinstated.

Throughout the sixteen week period that the clubhouse was closed a number of members helped with reinstatement work on the grounds and in the clubhouse, and we are grateful for their assistance, but a special word of thanks needs to be directed towards Tony Curtis who acted on the club's behalf almost as Works Manager on site, and without his input and supervision the work couldn't have been completed so quickly and efficiently. Tony has gone to the U.S. for six weeks - to recover, I presume!

MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE

During the season Gordaon Dodd was co-opted on to the committee to assist with Marketing, and he, Ian Lewis and Mike Fieldhouse are in the process of drafting a comprehensive and radical marketing plan to enable Tynedale Rugby Football Club to optimise the asset potential of the club facilities, ground and location.

The committee held eleven meetings. Attendances were very patchy. Last year in my report I grumbled about the failure of sub-committee Chairmen to produce minutes of their meetings in time to enable them to be circularised by the Hon. Secretary with the agenda papers to ensure that the business was conducted more efficiently. The problem still persists with older members, but newer (and younger) committee members have responded much better in producing a record of their activities and intentions.

ATTENDANCE AT MANAGEMENT MEETINGS (11)

 J.M.D. Coulson. Smith (President) 10  D.F. Hamilton (Chief Executive) 11  W.D. Stewart (Hon. Secretary) 11  Briggs (Hon. Treasurer 7  Kerr (Chairman of Rugby) 5  N. McPherson (Volunteer Coordinator) 5  M. Fieldhouse (Fund-raising) 7  A.C. Curtis (Property) 5 (Poss. 8)  M. Hastie (Property) 2 (Poss 3)  Lewis (Communications) 10  G. Dodd (Marketing) 5 (Poss 9)

PLAYING RESULTS 2004/2005.

There are detailed reports on all of the teams in the club throughout this report. They are all important - minis, juniors, girls, colts, Veterans, Hadrians, Grasshoppers, Raiders and the first team squad - and as a community club it is vital that all playing sections of the club remain vibrant, and important that participating at Tynedale remains fun for all concerned.

However, a club is mainly judged by outsiders, sometimes wrongly, by the results of its first team. As a National Leagues side this is even more the case at Tynedale, with greater regional and national coverage, and more pressure to succeed. I would like to dwell, therefore, on the 1st XV's performances last season, in more detail, and then deal a bit with the Raiders' future.

Some of the previous season's regulars left the first team squad for 2004/2005. Dick Parker and Jimmy Cartmell retired; Guy Beaumont (Harrogate), Paul Boston (Edinburgh) and Shane Auld (Alnwick) moved away; others went to pastures new - Paul Mooney (Otley), Chris Irving (Northern), Jamie Murray (Melrose), Stephen Turnbull (Northern) and Tom Wilkinson (Morpeth).

New players were added to the squad, many making a significant impact; Gavin Beasley (fly-half), Ali Gray (back), Will Massey (full-back), Jason Wright (lock), Adam Matheson (front-row), Paul Scott (lock), Rupert Neville (back), and Simon Dick (back). Barry Hills returned, whilst many others were promoted into the first-team squad - Jack Harrison (back), Matthew McLoughlin (back), Jonathan Williams (prop), Mark Clark (back-row), Alistair Day (wing), Stephen Lumley (back-row), Douglas Jupp (loose-head prop) and Dan Herdman (No.3) amongst them.

John Shotton's Senior Rugby report highlights the problems the first team suffered, especially from injuries. At the top professional levels in England, rugby union, which used to be described as a contact sport, is better described now as an impact sport - and we are seeing the effects even at level 4 in National League Division 3 (North). The loss of pivotal payers such as Phil Belgian, Ed Holmes and Grant Rastall for most of the season affected us badly, quite apart from the loss of Alistair Johnson and his brother Keith in September and the psychological impact of Ali's accident on the team. Great credit is due to the remaining players, and especially to Tom Borthwick and his coaching team of Dick Parker and Alan Gledson for the excellent result in managing to finish fifth in a very tough league, and managing to play some very exciting rugby in doing so.

NATIONAL LEAGUE DIVISION 3 NORTH - 2004/2005.

P W D L F A W D L F A LB TB DIFF PTS

HALIFAX 25 12 0 1 517 214 11 1 0 361 185 1 17 479 112

MACCLESFIELD 26 11 0 2 352 188 8 1 4 255 214 2 8 205 88

BRADFORD & BINGLEY 26 10 0 3 398 231 7 1 5 282 220 4 9 229 83

FYLDE 26 10 1 2 349 174 3 1 9 250 332 2 7 93 65

TYNEDALE 26 8 1 4 291 289 5 0 8 221 309 5 4 -86 63

NEW BRIGHTON 26 6 3 4 252 197 5 0 8 278 326 6 6 7 62

DARLINGTON MOWDEN PK 26 8 0 5 302 263 4 1 8 203 268 4 7 -26 61

DARLINGTON 26 8 1 4 325 266 2 1 10 207 376 6 5 -110 55

KENDAL 26 8 0 5 274 207 2 1 10 232 377 6 6 -78 54

BLAYDON 25 6 0 6 257 247 5 0 8 182 261 3 4 -69 51

CLECKHEATON 26 7 0 6 249 274 3 0 10 209 372 5 6 -188 51

RUGBY LIONS 26 5 1 7 255 216 4 1 8 277 307 7 7 9 49

DUDLEY KINGSWINFORD 26 4 2 7 238 300 4 1 8 209 383 5 1 -236 44

BEDFORD ATHLETIC 26 6 0 7 272 293 0 0 13 196 394 3 3 -219 30 Halifax were promoted. The bottom three clubs were relegated. The final match between Blaydon and Halifax was cancelled with no score awarded.

Having twice finished in seventh position in the last two seasons, this year saw an improvement in our position - despite our worst 'Points Against' record (598) for some time.

Looking at the last four post-Foot & Mouth seasons, and adjusting 2004/05 to the scoring systems used then, we can compare those four seasons:-

Season League P W D L F A Diff Pts Pos

2001-02 N3N 26 14 0 12 530 528 2 28 5

2002-03 N3N 26 12 1 13 561 582 -21 25 7

2003-04 N3N 26 12 1 13 472 406 66 25 7

2004-05 N3N 26 13 1 12 512 598 -86 27 5

One aspect of the season which was pleasing was the discipline record of the team - which again reflects good coaching and good playing habits. The final Discipline table for National 3 North shows that Tynedale, with no red cards and only one yellow for foul play led the division:-

Team Sin Bin Foul Play P Foul Red Card

Bedford Ath 12 5 7 1

Blaydon 17 4 13 1

Bradford & Bing 21 8 13 -

Cleckheaton 18 4 14 -

Darlington 11 6 5 1

Darlington MP 22 3 19 2

Dudley K 10 4 6 -

Fylde 8 2 6 -

Halifax 12 7 5 -

Kendal 10 3 7 1

Macclesfield 14 4 10 -

New Brighton 18 6 12 1 Rugby Lions 15 9 6 1

Tynedale 8 1 7 -

Totals 196 67 129 8

Next season we welcome back Preston Grasshoppers and Hull Ionians who were relegated from the National Leagues in the last two seasons, and Nuneaton who were promoted in 2003, finishing third in National 2 last season. The newcomers will be Leicester Lions, who are promoted from Midland I. I can foresee another tough season ahead for the 1st XV.

John Shotton mentions the RAIDERS, our second string, who again had another successful season. However, they only played 23 matches, scoring 675 points; almost 30 points in each game. Many of the fixtures were not a real test, nor were they good for equipping Raiders to move easily into the 1st XV. After three years in the Border District League we have reluctantly withdrawn, despite finishing third, first and second. The Rugby committee believes that too many games have been cancelled and in many cases the opposition was too weak. The Raiders need to play every week, in closely contested matches.

John Shotton and Craig Johnston have been instrumental in trying to establish a league for 2nd XV's in the North of England. Ten clubs have agreed to support such a league - Alnwick, Blaydon, Carlisle, Darlington, Darlington MP, Morpeth, Middlesbrough, Penrith, Tynedale and Westoe. We believe that regular fixtures within a League formed from these teams will provide the Raiders with more consistent and testing fixtures than the current arrangements, all within a reasonable travelling distance of Corbridge.

EVENTS

Numerous rugby, social and fund-raising ventures were held, including:

Rugby events

 International Schools Tournament 5 September 2004.

 Derek Stephenson memorial match 13 October 2004.

 Northumberland U16's v Lancashire U16's 14 November 2004.

 Northumberland U20's v Durham U20's 6 March 2005.

 County Regional 10's tournament 31 March 2005.

 Tynedale mini-festival 24 April 2005.

 County Colt 7's tournament April 2005.

 Northumberland County 7's tournament 4 May 2005.

 Northumberland v Lancashire county match 14 May

Social events  Beer Festival 17/18/19 June 2004.

 Oxford v Cambridge lunch 7 December 2004.

 Christmas Party 11 December 2004.

 Mini Christmas Party 19 December 2004.

 Club Dinner Dance 22 January 2005.

 Tynedale Mini/Junior End of Season Ball 29 April 2005.

 Club Ceilidh 30 April 2005.

 Club Dinner 3 June 2005.

 Because of the flooding we were not able to hold our usual Past Players' lunch in the later part of the season.

 The grounds were also used for outside events:-

 Northumberland County Show 31 May 2005.

 Steam Traction Rally 12/13 June 2004.

CONGRATULATIONS TO:

 Dick Parker named North East Player of the Year for season 2003/04.

 Ben Duncan who was in the Scotland squad for the U21 World Championships in June 2004.

 Peter Telfer on his appointment as Rugby Coach (Community Sports Coaches Scheme) for Tynedale District.

 Queen Elizabeth High School for winning the Northumberland U18 Schools Cup.

 Graeme Dunn who represented England U16 squads after playing for Northumberland, and the North of England, in matches v Wales, France East and France West.

 Ten Tynedale girls from the Panthers in the North East Squad in the regional tournament - Elizabeth Kaiser, Ruth Todd, Chloe Graham, Amy Livesy, Sarah Hogg, Charlotte Telfer, Nicola Jameson, Sarah Graham, Sarah Williams and Juliet Short.

 Oliver Tomaszczyk from Hexham, who played for England U18 as a tight-head prop.

SPONSORS

We are grateful to all those companies and individuals who are generous in their support for the club. In particular I should like to mention:-

Troynorth Ltd. - our main club sponsor. Jim Little and his company continue to offer the main club and the Colts section the financial help which is vital to support rugby in this area. Patterson Ford who, through Ashley Winter, have continued to sponsor mini/junior rugby at the club.

Members who sponsored individual players in the first team squad.

Newcastle Breweries whose continued support is very much appreciated.

UBS Laing & Cruikshank Ltd. New sponsors who funded club shirts, board advertising and will sponsor the new 2nd XV league next season.

Northumberland Rugby Union whose grants for capital projects, deferral of capital repayments during our clubhouse closure, and support through their Conditional Funding scheme have been fundamental in keeping the club on an even keel during this difficult financial season.

OBITUARIES

Carol Herdman on 14 August 2004. Carol was a dedicated supporter of mini, junior and then senior rugby for many years. She continued to help the club in an efficient and cheerful manner long after her son Angus had ceased playing.

Angus Hunter on 28 December 2004, aged 73 years. An ex-player, Hon. Secretary and committee man for sixty years, Angus was a shrewd observer of a game, serving on the Selection committee for many years. His dry but ready sense of humour made him an excellent companion and ideal club man.

Walter Rutherford on 2 January 2005 in Canada, aged 91 years. With his two late brothers Will and Hector, Walter played for the club both during and after the 1939-45 War. He captained the club in 1950-51 and was, without doubt, as an uncompromising prop, one of Tynedale's all-time great players.

Rodney Mann on 8 January 2005. Rodney was for many years the club's most generous sponsor - both directly as a player and supporter, and indirectly as an enlightened employer with a continuing interest in rugby. His rugged, no-nonsense style of play as a second-row forward, playing for four seasons for Tynedale, was carried over into his business and social life. A huge larger-than-life character, much mourned in rugby circles and the region.

GENERAL

We were indebted, after the floods, to receive gifts of sports equipment from Barclay Spaces for Sports/Football Foundation to assist in our recovery.

Negotiations have been taking place between representatives of Tynedale RFC's Management committee, Corbridge United, Leisure Tynedale and the Football Association to look at the possibility of entering into an Agreement to develop the changing-room facilities and pitches to accommodate junior football teams at Tynedale Park. The rugby club is also struggling to raise funds to provide disabled access and toilet facilities at our clubhouse. Discussions are ongoing to see if the two schemes might be combined, for the benefit of all parties. Any Agreement would be presented to a full meeting of members of Tynedale RFC Ltd. for their approval before any actions were taken. Such a meeting may be convened as a Special General Meeting, or linked to the AGM (Part 2) at which resolutions could be proposed. In either case members would be given 14 days' notice.

Meetings of the National Clubs Association have been attended during the year to represent the club's interest.

James Johnson and Andrew Neal were instrumental in organising Raider and Grasshopper teams, especially whilst Ian Dodds was moving house. We are indebted to both of them for throwing themselves so willingly into this arduous task.

"In September 2004 Jimmy Bell intimated his intention to retire as Chairman of the Ground committee at the next AGM, after almost 25 years in the post. It is impossible to evaluate the enormous amount of time and the commitment which Jimmy has devoted to the club over those years. All we can say is thank you to him, for all that dedicated service and for his generosity as a benefactor to both Colts rugby and the main club by way of regular gifts. We hope he will continue to be involved as an adviser on all matters connected with the dressing-room facilities and the grounds.

This season those facilities have been improved by the installation of new boilers, new posts on the 1st XV pitch and the Dyvel's training pitch and by the provision of a new storage container.

The grounds are now starting to look smarter - and we have much to thank Jimmy Bell, John Lee the groundsman, and the working parties of Ed Holmes, Dick Parker, Peter Southern and Edward Parker who have worked to tidy up Tynedale Park.

In concluding this report I should like to thank all the club's officers, employees and the Chairmen of sub-committees who have supported me this season. I should particularly like to commend Mike Coulson for so ably combining his roles as President, Membership Secretary and 4th Official, and Bill Stewart for his work as Hon. Secretary of the club and Secretary for the Appeals Committee.

My special thanks, though, go to John Shotton, whose enthusiasm, humour and meticulous attention to detail really make the senior club work efficiently, and make my life as Chief Executive so much easier.

Douglas Hamilton.

THE ALI JOHNSON APPEAL

Following the horrendous accident at Fylde last September, and the disabling effects inflicted on Ali Johnson, Tynedale RFC formed a committee to raise funds to help with his rehabilitation and future quality of life. A broad cross section of the club members were asked to serve, and as expected, fellow team members and Young Farmers have, and are, responding magnificently. On the rugby front the Committee wrote to 1092 clubs asking for help and to date only 7 have declined although 889 have failed to respond.

214 clubs have sent donations and heartfelt good wishes, almost all including "there but for the grace of God". Most revealing is the fact that of 214 donations, 206 are from clubs in and below North 3; several from Scottish clubs and even non-league clubs. The brotherhood of "real rugby" is alive in the broad base of the pyramid from Orkney to Penzance. As expected, the agricultural community and the Young Farmers' Federation have made substantial contributions as have corporate friends of Tynedale RFC.

The Ladies Committee, the mini-junior section, the Ladies RFC and the players have had, and are having, several functions in support of The Ali Johnson Appeal, details of which are on the website created by Wallace Cousin at www.tynedalerfc.co.uk.

Special mention must be made of Tynedale Agricultural Society, London Irish Injuries Trust. London Welsh Voyagers Supporters Trust and Newcastle Falcons RFC who allowed our Ladies RFC to make a valuable collection at the recent fixture against London Irish.

The appeal will run until the end of May 2006 and all funds are being administered on Ali's behalf by the Trustees of the Ali Johnson Trust. We hope to raise in excess of £100,000 and the fund now stands at £54,971.

Edward Robson.

Chairman.

SENIOR RUGBY REPORT

Despite the very difficult season that we have had with injuries, having to use forty-five players in the 1st XV league programme and spending half the season without a clubhouse after the flooding on 8th January, the senior club has had the most successful season in the club's history.

The 1st XV finished in their highest position in the National Leagues, in fifth position, and retained the Northumberland Senior Cup for the third successive year. The team also won the Northumberland Senior Sevens competition and the Persimmon Homes Charity Sevens.

The Raiders won the Northumberland Senior Shield, and also the Journal Pattinson 2nd XV League and were runners-up in the Borders 2nd XV League.

The Grasshoppers retained the Northumberland Junior Cup.

The Hadrian team was a disappointment, due to shortage of numbers. Trying to run a fourth team proved difficult, but the club managed to run a Veterans team which got to the final of the Northumberland Junior Shield.

Records Played Won Drawn Lost For Against

1st XV 30 16 1 13 666 653

Raiders 23 19 1 3 675 188

Grasshoppers 19 15 1 3 843 242

Hadrians 11 3 0 8 194 383

County Honours

W. Massey, B. Duncan, J. White, E. Holmes, J. Williams, P. Southern, E. Parker, G. Smith, A. Murray, A. Robson, B. Neville, A. Gray were all in the Northumberland Senior County squad for County Championship and Gavin Beasley in the Cumbria squad.

R. Sedgewick, M. McLoughlin, M. Woodhouse, A. Gradwell, A. Irons, M. Smith, S. Riddell, P. Cawthorne, M. Murray, J. Scott were in the Northumberland Under 20 squad for the County Championship.

John Shotton

Senior Rugby Chairman

MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY'S REPORT

Membership numbers declined slightly in the season. The figures for the different categories were as follows:-

2003-04 2004-05

Life 7 7

Full 113 110

Social 57 50

Lady 53 49

Patron 12 11

TOTAL 242 227

These figures do not include playing members, whose subscriptions are collected through the weekly match fee system.

J.M.D. Coulson.

COUNTY REPRESENTATIVE'S REPORT

County Championship 2005.

The first game of the season concluded with a defeat for Northumberland against Yorkshire by 18 points to 13. The game was played in a gale and heavy rain which in the first half kept Northumberland pinned in their own territory. Unbelievably, the wind and rain abated in the second half, allowing Yorkshire to maintain their lead and finish as winners. Thereafter the County lost to Lancashire, but beat Cheshire 15-13 at Macclesfield, to retain their status in the top division. A full report of the game will be available in the annual report of the Northumberland Rugby Union.

Tynedale players and those with Tynedale connections were prominent in the squad of twenty-two. The players selected included: Will Massey, Ben Duncan, Jake White, Jonathan Williams, Ed Parker, Andrew Murray, Rupert Neville, Andrew Robson, Ed Holmes, Graeme Smith and Peter Southern.

Those with Tynedale connections were Paul Mooney and Ed Thorpe (Captain), now at Otley, Paul Winter (Blaydon) and James Ponton (Sedgley Park).

County ties, awarded for a first appearance in the County Championship, were presented to Jonathan Williams, Rupert Neville and Graeme Smith.

Administration

The bureaucratic burden inflicted on the administrators increases remorselessly. The demands of the Rugby Football Union upon its volunteer workers grow no less. There is an unremitting demand for information, reviews and research often requested at very short notice. The paradox is that the RFU, when it suits, are prepared to drop the clubs and the Constituency Bodies from the information loop and instruct their regional employees direct on subjects which affect the clubs, but without consultation with these stakeholders.

Rugby Development Partnership

This concept has been advanced to strengthen and progress community rugby, playing development, player development, coaching and referee development and the improvement and development of volunteer activities and administrative skills in the clubs. The model also has a primary aim of keeping the fun in playing rugby.

Opportunity for obtaining facilities funding may depend upon the successful utilisation of such development plans.

Child Protection

The child protection legislation is a major area of activity and a number of welfare issues remain.

Coaches and Referees

The need remains for more coaches and referees to come forward for training, particularly for the younger age groups. John Saunders

County Representative.