It is has been an anus horribilis for some of us – Clem having a leg broken, losing in the Plate Final after a fantarstic start to the game , one having difficult one sided games this season and losing players to battle fatigue and the opposite sex and Clem coming back from his broken leg .

We have also played numerous great games of rugby – involving victory against St Ives , St Neots and St Wisbech . One can look back on these as our halcyon days which no doubt, we will carry on about for many years to come.

There are many players who deserve mention for their efforts in 2014 – I won’t name names as you get enough praise already, but I’d like to applaud those players who turn up every week and never score or get mentioned but without whom we wouldn’t have 15 players or a pack or a set of backs. Every week we have had a team to put on the pitch at the lower end of the sporting world when we all have commitments – families / work / loved ones.

Monday morning is painful enough but when you can’t bend your knee properly or you are still on painkillers and work people ask you ‘Are you alright ?’ - and you proudly say ‘I hurt myself playing rugby’ – it’s that look of awe and envy of their face as you regale the story of the game. I’ve noticed it soon turns to boredom but for that brief moment you are Jonny Wilkinson or Ritchie Macaw or Sam Tovo !!

I would like to leave you all now with a few words of advice – play rugby , play sport , play with the wife but do something every week to prove you’re alive. To prove you are still that the little boy who played football until you couldn’t see the ball and your Mum was shouting for you to come for your tea – bread and dripping if you were lucky.

I recently celebrated my 40th year of playing rugby with a 21 gun salute in Hyde Park – the police are not pressing charges ! and I still get the same pleasure now as I did in 1957 and I hope to be still here next year.

I wish you all a very good and merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.