WELCOME It is a great pleasure to welcome you all back to Acklam Park for the start of another season. And the good news is that at 3pm today we top the league – well, we are top equal to be exact, equal with 14 other teams – long may it continue!! Although the league isn’t the one we’d hoped to be, after last season’s relegation we will meet a lot of old friends along the way. They include Northern, Sheffield and Percy Park (although Park are extremely unlucky to be still in N1E, finishing second last season with 103 points - three behind West Hartlepool, an incredible 23 ahead of third-placed Cleckheaton - and then losing the promotion play-off to Burnage in the last minute of the game). An added bonus is that in addition to meeting old friends we also have the opportunity to make new acquaintances.

Today we meet another group of our old friends from Durham City, and we offer them a very warm welcome back to Middlesbrough. Incidentally, this is not their first competitive game; they already have one under their belt, unfortunately losing 21-29 at home to Billingham in the Durham Cup. We last met five years ago, in N2E, when we won 24-18 at home and 17-3 at Hollow Drift. Our previous meeting to that was in 1996-97, that historic ‘Paul Hodder’ season when he led the team to promotion from the old North Two with a points-scored total of 1,145. It was the first season of home and away league games, and we scored 17 tries in our two games against City, winning 34-15 at Hollow Drift and 63-10 in the return. Although generally welcomed by players and most supporters as a step forward, the down-side of leagues is that many games against traditional opponents are lost. It’s certainly true in the case of City, who before leagues were introduced were a permanent feature in our fixture list. Last season our visitors finished mid table in seventh position with 65 points, winning 12, drawing one and losing 13 of their games, ending with 15 bonus points and a negative points difference of 77. I have included last year’s N1E table so you can get an idea of the relative strengths of the teams we face this campaign.

City have a long and illustrious record; they were formed in 1872, as were we, only a year after the Rugby Union. Three English Captains have graced City's strip – that most favourite son of City Michael Weston (who was capped 29 times for England, twice toured with the British Lions and played for the Barbarians), plus Will Carling and Phil de Glanville. That other relatively recent City stalwart was hooker Stan Hodgson, whose 44 year playing career began 1945. He played 88 County Games, won 11 England caps, toured with the British Lions and played for the Barbarians. After originally hanging up his boots, at least for the 1st XV, he re-emerged here in 1978 to face a Boro team which included Mike Wright, now our Chairman, Bernie Coyne, an Honorary Life Member and Coaching Coordinator, and Past President and Honorary Life Member Peter Riley.

CLUB NEWS Our pre-season matches turned out to be a mixed bag. Stockton were cup-tied, we scored 5 tries against Darlington before ringing the changes and eventually lost, and with a whole clutch of first-teamers not available last week we came second at West. And now the playing news, starting with some 1st XV news. The captain this season is last year’s vice captain, Richie Barker, supported as his second-in-command Rob “The Rock” Bellerby, who will provide his usual style of ‘Iron Curtain’ defence in mid field. Martin Dixon is also suitably repaired and itching for action. Three of our very successful young bucks have gone on to new pastures, Pete Homan and Carl Kirwan to Rotherham Titans and Rory Duff to Westoe. In addition Neil Young has joined his brother at Mowden Park. We wish them every success at their new clubs, whilst hoping to see them back in our colours one day. Brothers Benn and Chris Horton have retired whilst Tom Symon has been advised his poorly knee could take 6 to 8 months to mend. However back to join us is Jack Aldus, a very talented Colt several years ago who did turn out for the 1st XV before taking up weekend employment whilst at York University, but is now champing at the bit. Other new signings include Danny Bishop, Ollie Heslehurst and Alex Hopkin, all of whom have played here previously (in Alex’s case as a Junior before going off to Barnard Castle School).

The Wasps have a new captain in Ash Kearney, an all-action hooker who will undoubtedly lead by example (incidentally his brother William (‘Charlie’ to you and me) Kearney is expecting to be called into the Royal Navy at any time). Robbie Small and Danny Ellershaw will continue their fruitful partnership at the helm of the ‘A’ XV, whilst a new dynamic duo, Johnny Simpson and Jordan Stansfield, take over the reins for the Lions. Two more tit bits whilst I’m on the subject of players – first the one and only Paul Sills is home, and has paid his subs! – and did you know that one of our Colts, Alex Chevasse-Hatfield (or ‘Scouse’ as he is affectionately known) is a descendent of a much decorated WW1 war hero, Noel Godfrey Chevasse. His is a truly inspirational story, which I will feature in a future edition.

ROLLING SUBS It certainly looks as though rolling replacements are slowing creeping into rugby. Having already been tried out in the County Championship the have been introduced this season at Levels 9 and below in league games. Up to a maximum of 5 players may be named as replacements and players will be allowed to “roll on and roll off” on an unlimited basis, hopefully to maintain 15 players a side on the field of play at all times, “other than when the game has moved to uncontested scrums when the side causing the uncontested scrums plays with 1 player fewer.”

SPONSORS This afternoon I am also pleased to welcome back to Acklam Park His Worshipful the Mayor of Thornaby, Councillor Ian Dalgarno. As before, he is not here in his civic capacity but representing our sponsors, Hertel UK Ltd. In fact he is the boss of, and is accompanied by our very own local celebrity, that other well known Ian…Horton that is. In a bid to retain his prominence and status in the bar…er, sorry, I mean community…Ian H has pleaded that if I can’t say anything nice about him I shouldn’t say anything at all. Anyway I am delighted to welcome back to Acklam Park the two Ians, and their guests from Conoco Phillips at Seal Sands. Hertel UK Ltd, a worldwide organisation founded by Alexander C.L. Hertel in 1895 in Amsterdam, has UK headquarters on the East Middlesbrough Industrial Estate. The company has become a substantial international enterprise in industrial maintenance and support services and production and trade, growing to become a full service provider, working for blue-chip clients throughout the world.

REFEREE’S CORNER To celebrate the new season we have a second-time visitor to Acklam Park, David Patterson; although not previously in charge of the 1st XV he has experienced our facilities when taking the Wasps. David is a Scot, has lived in Hampshire and is now domiciled in North Yorkshire. He is an RAF Policeman who has been refereeing eight years. I offer him a warm welcome and hope he enjoys his time with us this afternoon.

THOUGHT FOR T0DAY Confucius he say “Before you criticise someone, walk a mile in his shoes. That way, if he gets angry, he’ll be a mile away…and barefoot.”