Caldy – That Friday Feeling 7th Nov ’25

19 hours of coach travel which bookended the 36 hours of elapsed time of the Ravers’ Penzance weekend provided a lot of time for discussion, and reflection. Caldy Grandees Andy Blackstock and Caldy President Graham Armitage indulged in the warm nostalgic musings of yester year. Rainy days and playing away at Aspull, ferocious battles with Stockport, and many memorable local derbies against the iconic Wirral clubs Birkenhead Park and New Brighton. Level 7 in the rugby pyramid to the Champ how on earth had it happened ?  At only 31 years of age Lewis Barker couldn’t comment on the journey of a small village club up through the various regional and northern leagues but he had a clear perspective on the Ravers’ success over the last 5 or 6 years. 

“It is always about the people in the club and their character. The players who come to Caldy aren’t just good players they are top characters as well. Gaz Davies will see hundreds of player profiles and cv’s which come into his inbox, but the player’s character is always his number one priority. Fitting into and embracing the Ravers’ culture is key to everything we do as a senior squad and as a rugby club.”

The Ravers will need all the character they can muster on and off the pitch this weekend as one of the Champ’s really Big Dogs visit Paton Field for the very first time. Caldy have never played Worcester Warriors at senior level and tomorrow’s challenge will be formidable. They will come to Paton Field stacked with talent and purpose and they know what they are coming to.

The Worcester Warriors fans forum has a description of the Ravers and Paton Field. Apart from mistakenly believing that Paton Field is situated on the banks of the Mersey it is a brilliant depiction of what Caldy RFC and Paton Field is all about. Some excerpts

“For most of its early life, Caldy was a typical northern rugby club: strong local rivalries, muddy pitches, and Saturday nights that lasted long after the final whistle. They lifted county cups, built youth sections, and became a fixture in the Wirral’s sporting identity.

Then came ambition. Through the late 1990s and early 2000s, Caldy began to climb. Promotion after promotion brought them through the national leagues, powered not by big money but by big hearts — players who worked nine-to-five jobs before training under floodlights.

That persistence paid off. In 2017, they won National League 2 North. In 2020, they did it again. And in 2022, something extraordinary happened. Paton Field was heaving — 3,000 fans lining the banks, wrapped in scarves, shouting into the wind. Sale FC were the visitors, and the prize was the National League 1 title — and with it, promotion to the RFU Championship. The match was brutal, cagey, unforgettable. Caldy defended like men possessed and edged home 13–9. The crowd surged. The final whistle blew.

Caldy, the tiny club from Thurstaston, had reached the second tier of English rugby.

Paton Field is no modern stadium. It’s a patch of turf hemmed by trees, with a small stand, a bar that doubles as a family room, and changing rooms that have seen generations of Ravers come and go. Yet it’s exactly that intimacy that makes it special. When big teams roll in — Bedford, Ealing, Doncaster — they find themselves in a place that feels more village fair than professional fixture. But as soon as the whistle goes, Caldy’s ferocity erases any sense of quaintness.

Every season, fans and journalists alike call Paton Field “the most atmospheric ground in the Championship.” They’re not wrong.

No story like this happens by accident. Behind Caldy’s rise is a network of coaches, administrators, volunteers, and families. From youth coaches nurturing u6s on frosty mornings to sponsors helping keep the lights on, the Ravers’ community is it’s greatest strength.

The club has produced and supported players who’ve gone on to play for professional teams and representative sides. Yet many return — coaching juniors, pulling pints, lending hands on matchday. The sense of belonging is magnetic.”

We don’t know who wrote this but hats off to the author and the supporters from Worcester Warriors who have captured Caldy’s raison d’etre in a few paragraphs. Lewis Barker is so right it is all about the character and tomorrow the Ravers and all their supporters will need it like never before !

Let’s Fill JJ’s Bank !

Image – Barry Quatermass

Gates open 11.00 am, match starts 2.00 pm but get to Paton Field early it’s going to be awesome !
Match Tickets are available to buy via our club website go to : https://caldyrugbyclub.com/buy-tickets-membership/

Matt Cairns has selected the following squad for Saturday’s Champ fixture at Paton Field against Worcester Warriors.
The match kicks off at 2.00 pm.

1. M Weatherby
2. O Hearn
3. N Rushton
4. M Loboda
5. T Sanders
6. R Logan
7. D Owen
8. JJ Dickinson (c)
9. O Wynn
10. K Wilkinson
11. W Robinson
12. M Barlow
13. C Wilkinson
14. R Tudor
15. C Hyde

Replacements :
M Gallagher, J Sproston, R Higginson, M Gerrard ( 200th Caldy appearance ),
J Jones, T Akehurst, L Barker, J Mitchell

Image – Lewis Barker

Entry on gate tomorrow – Adults £20, Juniors 17s-18s £5, Children u16s free
Gates open at 11.00 am & Match Tickets are available to buy via our club website
go to : https://caldyrugbyclub.com/buy-tickets-membership/

Caldy Clubhouse Bar, ‘President’s Bar’ & Marquee Bar open from 11.00am
Outside Trailer Bar, Poretti Stand & Scoreboard Bar all open from 1.00pm
Dough Bros, Ginger Cat Coffee, Burrito Shack, Smokehouse Supplies outside catering all open from 1.00pm


Image – Lewis Barker

We’re set for one of the biggest crowds in our Champ Rugby history.
Let’s pack JJ’s bank & the Ravers party stand and make it one to remember.

We need every voice, every cheer, every bit of Raver spirit behind the lads.

Let’s hear that Paton Field ROAR !

Plus after the game live music in the marquee from 4.00pm – 6.00pm – “Connor Farrell” 

Image – Lewis Barker

Thanks also to our u18s Senior Colts players, parents & coaches for organising the raffle tomorrow, plus volunteering to help with car parking.
Please buy your raffle tickets from u18s players on the day to win fabulous prizes !

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NOWIRUL Premier League – Saturday 8th November 
Sedgley Park 2nd xv v Caldy 2nd xv kick off 2.00pm at Park Lane, Manchester M45 7DZ

Caldy 2nd xv squad for tomorrow’s away game : 
 
1. M Rabbette
2. I Hardisty
3. T Williams
4. P Lewis
5. H Lightfoot
6. C Ridgway
7. J Wilson
8. T Parry
9. J Pickering
10. D Rabbette (c)
11. L Denn
12. C Brown
13. E Banks
14. D Carroll
15. F McGrath

Replacements : Oosthuyzen, Bywater, Evans, Mault, Clarke, Wiggins, Roberts, Manuel

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Caldy Rav3rs have a rest week but will be back in Div 3 West League action on Saturday 22nd November 

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Community Rugby – Sunday 9th November 

We will mark Remembrance Sunday with 2 minutes silence at 11.00 am

We have a block book fixture with Chester, with evens travelling to Chester and odds at home at Paton Field.
Good luck to the u12s who are off to the Land Rover Cup at Manchester RUFC !
After a well-deserved rest at half term, the Senior Colts are back in Cheshire Cup Round 1 action with a tough assignment away at previous winners Wilmslow.
The Junior Colts have a bye in Round 1 of their Cheshire Cup, so have a home friendly with Bowdon – kick off at 12.30 pm.
Minis
u6s training at home
u7s, u9s, u11s at home v Chester
u8s, u10s away at Chester
u12s away at Manchester RUFC, Land Rover Cup 
Juniors
u13s, u15s at home v Chester
u14s, u16s away at Chester
Girls  
u12s, u14s, u16s, u18s training at home 
Junior Colts
u17s at home v Bowdon kick off 12.30pm
Senior Colts
Cheshire Junior Cup round 1
u18s away at Wilmslow RUFC, King’s Rd, SK9 5PZ kick off 2.00pm  

Caldy u18 Senior Colts squad ;
Forwards ; Alexander Clark, Kyle Cooper, Cameron Harper,
Louis Hayes-Green, Tom Hazelton, Theo Hendry, Will Hollis,
Luke MacDonald (c), Joe Murphy, Matthieu Sangare, Oscar Song,
Isaac Waldron, Oliver Wilson
Backs : Harry Jemmett-Stone, Frankie Johnstone, Dylan Jones,
Jamie Lewis, Fin McDonnell, Luka Mulhall, Sylvain Pennington,
Jack Phythian, Ruben Smith, Luis Thomason, Drew Woodward

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Good luck to everyone & enjoy your rugby this weekend !

But please remember “No referees, No games” – disrespect or verbal abuse of rugby match officials is totally unacceptable & has no place in rugby.

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Rugby coming up next weekend
Friday 14th November – Champ Rugby round 7
Bedford Blues v Caldy kick off 7.45pm at Goldington Road, Bedford, MK40 3NF

Saturday 15th November – NOWIRUL Premier League
Macclesfield 2nd xv v Caldy 2nd xv kick off 2.00pm at Priory Park, Priory Lane, Macclesfield SK10 4AF

Sunday 16th November – NW Colts Senior A Conference League
Caldy u18s v Lymm u18s – kick off 2.00pm at Paton Field

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Date for your diary 
Thursday 13th November – Caldy Sports Club AGM
7.30pm start in the clubhouse, Memorial Hall, Paton Field
Please note the AGM agenda includes proposals to allow Oxton Hockey Club to join as full members of CSCL