Rob your right the fixture list is a joke. I mean who in the right mind has a Wakefield junior team playing against a Castleford junior team on the same day that Wakefield are playing Castleford in one of the RFL'S flagship events down the road in Manchester(8 under 12's from Crigg were there). Also that weekend is a favorite if people are planning a two week holiday involving taking the kids out of school as its cheaper and means that the kids only miss one week. It should in my opinion have been a free weekend.
During the week Its ok if a rearanged match coincides with normal training times at your own club but apart from that it's a struggle for some parents and coaches/helpers to accomadate these fixtures into there busy lives.

Would it be so hard to have a quick consultation with the clubs after this season ends and address any problems and try and iron them out for next season? But that's probably too simple a soloution.

lets hope so or i can see the league losing some teams back to winter rugby which would be a shame,i know of 1 club "not ours" who have decided it will be entering its junior teams in the winter league next season has the fixtures are a joke.

i also think the leagues should be bigger with the league deciding who plays in what division has there was far too much picking and choosing this time around and the full fixtures should be put out before the season starts and any problems should be ironed out before it starts.

not too much to ask is it?

don't know the ins and outs but i just know where struggling to get rearranged games at the moment.
This summertime as backfired on us

Easter bunnies don't lay eggs



to be fair , its very hard to cut grass if its wet . it may be a vicious circle that lock lane can not get out off .

been some sunny days this week so hopefully should be done

i too know of this club , unless of course it be another

then that's at least 2 . and that ain't crigg neither

Just come back from Crigg . I realise what you're saying about pitches , but the way the weather has been lately , the grass is obviously loving it . Our pitches got cut a couple of weeks ago ( council- not cheap either ) - but weren't done very well to say the least & so 3 of us have spent about 3 hours cutting the half way line, touch line etc. grass and then marking out the pitch . It's not ideal by any means , but at least the game will be on ok .

they do

the chocolate ones



joking aside been up tonight at Stanley while the lads been training I try to help out with anything that may require my skills in making equipment that can get the ground in better condition, just a simple regular cut of the grass does help to keep it in line but we are now going to take it a little further.
having made a sweeper that helps agitate and puts lines on the pitch we are now looking at a weed killer and later a hollow tyner that will improve it even better.
the benefits of the recent down pour has helped the grass no end but if it hasn't been cut you end up with a over growth and you could say stubble when it is cut.
Bar for the slope I have never seen a amateur club have such a lush pitch

that's the problem with the council, not that they don't do a good job but more of the back log that they have to continue with and I far bet did a brisk up and down job so will look poor and leave stalks standing everywhere, been there and done that with my lawn so I do understand as the reason I cut when I can now and its far easier

ever thought of taking your responsibility to cutting the pitch at your own club?

Get down to Spartan HQ - it's like a bowling green!

Benefits of having a professional groundsman I suppose - a luxury that I know many amateur clubs don't have.

I know the full ground as I played there as a kid with some friends back in the mid seventies in the evenings, we used to play football, rugby, cricket and even used the tennis courts if its still there, the club house was out of bounds


must say that they are fantastic facilities when I was a lad and I bet they haven't changed.

brings back many a memory being ferried up and down from Walton on my mates honda 90

Think that they're on about changing to someone else and let them do it to be honest . It needs doing pretty much every week at the moment , if it gets left too long then it looks a right mess when they've done, and they don't look like they're right bothered about doing a good job either tbh .
We live opposite the cemetary & it used to get cut every other week with the hedges being done probably once a month .Can't remember the last time that the hedges were done & it must be a month or so since the grass was cut - looks a mess nowerdays .I know the councils got to make cuts , but it's bad to let it go like they do .