Friday Feeling – 7th January 2022

A Happy New Year to all Caldy Rugby Club members and supporters! 

Since the last Friday Feeling the big news is that a planning application has been submitted for a New Clubhouse. Details are on the Caldy website caldyrugbyclub.com

Please take some time and look at the plans and drawings. Whilst we have carried out work since the first lockdown on our club house it has been more a case of carrying out essential maintenance and improvements. It doesn’t alter the fact that we need to replace the building to bring it up to modern standards and to improve the facilities for both players and members. Improving energy efficiency, having showers attached to changing rooms to allow ladies rugby, improving noise escapes for the benefit of neighbours, having a proper car park as well as replacing a structure that in places is nearly 100 years old and was only built as a timber pavilion, necessitate us building a new club building. 

A lot of effort has been put in to get us to this position and we should thank Bob Cooke, Jon Bagley, Tim Kilpatrick, Charlie Pearson, Mark Loughran and David Brewster as well architects Cass Associates

When you have looked at the planning submission if you support the application you can comment on the Wirral Borough Council Portal 

https://planning.wirral.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?keyVal=_WIRRA_DCAPR_112568&activeTab=summary

 We have spoken about the need to replace the club house for many, many years and this is our opportunity to do so. The desire is to leave a legacy that is sustainable and will benefit the youth and those playing sport at Caldy for the next 100 years. To achieve it will need the support of the whole membership – so please look at the plans and, if you support them, comment on the WBC Portal.

The last game before Christmas saw Caldy win a very tough derby against local rivals Sale FC. The match was made even tastier with both Sale FC and Caldy being the form teams of the league, and both in the top 4. It was a tough game played at a high level of intensity by two very well coached teams but in the 2^nd half Caldy’s passion and team spirit saw the victory going to us. With 2 teams to be promoted to the Championship there was an extra edge to what was always going to be a very competitive match. The support for Caldy was magnificent away at Sale and the players were very pleased with the applause and acclaim they got at the end of the match.

This week’s visitors are 2^nd place Cinderford. Our Director of Rugby, Gareth Davies, told me he still wakes up at night in a cold sweat remembering the last time we played Cinderford at Paton Fields. 31 to 0 points up after 36 minutes and a try for Cinderford just before half time had us all going in for our refreshments feeling confident. The final score was 31 – 38 in what must have been one of the biggest swings ever seen at Paton Fields. This time the game won’t be considered over till the final whistle blows and with Cinderford the winners in all the games played to date against Caldy in National One there will be an extra incentive for the boys to gain a win. Cinderford are tough Forest of Dean men and are in 2^nd place in a hard league so we can be sure it will be a mighty challenge for our boys.

A warm welcome to all Cinderford players and officials. When you travel down there you are sure of a very warm welcome from their passionate officials and supporters and it is a pleasure for us to host them. 

Christmas and New Year saw a lot of the Caldy players down with Covid but self-isolation is now over for all of them. With injuries improving, other than our long term absentees, the squad is getting stronger again and the coaches have the hard job of selecting a team from a very strong squad. 

The Caldy 1^st XV to play Cinderford is:  Adam Aigbokhae, Ollie Hearn,  Nathan Rushton, Sam Dickinson,  Tom Sanders, Harrison Crowe, Callum Ridgway,  JJ Dickinson,  Joe Murray,  Ezra Hinchliffe, Ben Jones, Mike Barlow, Lucas Titherington, Nick Royle, Elliott Gourlay Subs:  Joe Sanders,  Jack Parker, Dave Jones, Martin Gerrard,  Mike Cartmill

Our 2^nd XV are away at Macclesfield and let’s hope they can go through 2022 unbeaten as they did in 2021. 

If you are attending the match please follow all relevant Covid protocols