Perhaps Walter might be persuaded to write up a brief report for the website ?

www.northwalescrusaders.co.uk/ma ... lves-u19s/

www.northwalescrusaders.co.uk/ma ... lves-u19s/

Did Alex Thompson used to be on the books for Wire?

I don't know if it is the same Alex Thompson as I didn't go to the match, but yes we did. He left in 2009 after playing just one senior game and was playing ( and captain ?) for Oxford last year.

Looking at the players in Mark's report I think there were another couple of ex Warrington players in the Crusaders team - Scott Turner who left in 2013 and Ryan Duffy ( ex Leigh) who left the year before in 2012. Scott was playing wing and Ryan at prop.

and yet it's only just over an hour's drive with plenty of free parking, were you on a public transport mission?

I thought the game was decent enough and Wire defended really well in spells, our 'young shavers' stood up well to what seemed like an older team in not quite summer conditions and we were in the game throughout with Crusaders starting brighter, but, limited to one try.

A couple or three individual errors were responsible for Crusaders scores, but, you could not fault anyone's effort. Harvey scored with a ball steal and our last try came off a cheeky grubber, the winger on the far side, Johnson? had a great free play mazey run. For them their no 1 also called Johnson (TJ) I think looked decent as did their winger on the near side despite being tackled out when he should have gone over in corner, top defence.

All in all I hope the lads got a lot out of it and I was heartened to see that there seems to be an appetite for RL in N Wales

Enjoyed the trip, and an excellent steak pie made up for a lack of Werthers...you know who you are

warringtonwolves.com/u19s-step-u ... tions-7659

warringtonwolves.com/u19s-step-u ... tions-7659

Where is your sense of adventure man! Nice journey with a few pub stops along the way. Home and asleep by 9.30!

It made me realise how I miss my epic rail journeys to away games as a student!

Now your talking, as someone who went on the 'Ale Trail' to our Hudd's semi V Hull FC (the return journey did dull the pain) I can confirm that my sense of adventure is in tact and now appreciate your Portilo-esque journey.

From your original post I envisaged you standing on a platform shivering in Shotton for two hours waiting for a connection having run out of Bovril and sandwiches by Flint.

NTW

I would gladly have offered to pick you both up in my mobility scooter. Alas !, my kidney dialysis unit was on the blink that day, and in any case there was an afternoon of ' Midsummer Murders' on channel 4 that I obviously didn't want to miss.

The Portllo reference made me smile after a stressful day, then post on the 'heritage round' VT thread has just topped it off! Cheers Uncle R.

We stopped off for a quick pint between trains in Rhyl. The less said about that place the better!

I have often contemplated writing a rugby league pub guide. Sadly one of my favourites, the Pump Room in Halifax has been bulldozed to make way for an enlarged roundabout!