Moseley Matters
Transcription
Moseley Matters
…...EDF Energy Trophy holders: Carpe Diem! …… "MOSELEY MATTERS” eEdition No: 387 Thursday 15th March 2012 th ***Thurs 15 March*** In The Clubhouse @ 8.00pm “Q & A – TONIGHT!” In the hot seats: Messrs Maggs & West All welcome – free entry……bar & catering open ***Sat 17th March*** Live In The Clubhouse on the Big Screen…….. “Italy v Scotland” KO 12.30 pm The Grand Slam Decider…….. “Wales v France” KO 2.45 pm “England v Ireland” KO 5.00 pm ***Sun 18th March*** The RFU Championship play offs - Round 2 “London Scottish v Moseley” KO 3.00pm @ Richmond Athletic Ground And At Billesley……… National Shield “Moseley Colts U17 v Vipers” KO 11.00 am @ Billesley FIXTURES THIS WEEK……………… Date Sun 18th Mar Sun 19th Mar Sun 11th Mar Sun 11th Mar Sun 11th Mar Sun 11th Mar Sun 11th Mar Sun 11th Mar Sun 11th Mar Sun 11th Mar Sun 11th Mar Sun 11th Mar Team 1st XV Colts U17 Under 16 Under 15 Under 14 Under 13 Under 12 Under 11 Under 10 Under 9 Under 8 Under 7 Competition Championship National Shield Opposition London Scottish Vipers (Leicester) Bromsgrove Market Bosworth Market Bosworth Bromsgrove Training Sutton Coldfield Training Sutton Coldfield Training Training Venue Away Billesley Away Billesley Billesley Billesley Away Away Kick Off 3.00pm 11.00am 11.00am 11.00am 11.00am 11.00am 10.00am 11.00am 10.00am 11.00am 10.00am 10.00am 1st XV – updates on Message Board/website. All other teams - contact your team manager or coach if in any doubt. RESULTS……………… Date Fri 9th Mar Sat 10th Mar Sat 10th Mar Sun 11th Mar Sun 11th Mar Team 1st XV Oak Colts U19 Under 16 U12 – U7 Competition Championship Midlands 2 Opposition Plymouth Albion Tamworth Birmingham Uni Barkers Butts Various B’ham S’hull Fest Result Won 25 - 17 Drew 29 - 29 Cancelled Won 45 - 12 See M&J EVENTS COMING SOON TO BILLESLEY............ Date Every Wed Thurs 15th Mar Sat 17th Mar Sat 17th Mar Sun 17th Mar Sat 24th Mar Sat 14th April Sat 14th April Event All Welcome Q&A Session 6 Nations 6 Nations 6 Nations 1st XV - Playoffs 1st XV - Playoffs MPA Event Details Quiz Night Ask: Kevin Maggs & Craig West Italy v Scotland Wales v France England v Ireland Esher London Scottish AGM & Annual Reunion Venue Clubhouse Clubhouse Clubhouse Clubhouse Clubhouse Billesley Billesley Billesley Kick Off 8.00pm 7.30pm 12.30pm 2.45pm 5.00pm 3.00pm 3.00pm 12.00pm Moseley Matters is issued every week during the playing season. Please keep sending all info, news, bits and pieces or any ideas on what you would like to see. Please contact us at [email protected] . “IN THIS WEEK’S EDITION!” “The £300,000 question: ‘How many points are needed to stay up?’” – See Editorial “Your chance to ask Kevin & Craig” – See Q&A with the Coaches “It’s Revenge time at Richmond” – See Big Match Preview “Moseley looks to Cover Front Row” – See 1st XV News “Kevin Calls for Ambition” – See 1st XV News “Maggs Words Bring Focus – See 1st XV News “The Grand Slam Decider” - See 6 Nations in the Clubhouse “Change to Scottish Away Day Kick-off” – see 1st XV News “Hospitality Box Offers for the Playoffs” – See Special Offers “Moseley & Sport England in major community project” – See 36 schools & 12 clubs helped “R.S.Challoner – Part 1” - See Know Your Moseley History “All the Playoff Games” – See a Guide to the Pool C Playoffs “Moseley in Second Half Comeback” – See 1st XV Last Week “Moseley Rob Plymouth of Bonus point – See What the Papers Say “Week 1 Playoff Stats” – See Anoraks Corner “Oak in Thrilling Draw” – See Moseley Oak “Can you help the Maltese Authorities?” – See MPA “Player of the Season – Have You Voted?” – See MSA “Ladies looking for a sponsor” – See MWRFC “Minis: All the fun of the festival” – See M&J “U16s in fine win over Barkers Butts” - see M&J EDITORIAL An Anorak’s Corner Special! The £300,000 question “How many points are needed to stay in the Championship?” Our ‘Canadian correspondent’, Bill Greenhalgh, has asked the above question (and provided his opinion) which we are sure all Moseley people would like to know. Well we feel a bit nervous trying to provide a definitive answer as the only thing you can guarantee is that we will be proved wrong! But here goes…………………...concentrate hard! Firstly – where we are now? Let’s look at the original gap between Moseley and bottom placed Esher at the start of Pool C Moseley London Scottish Plymouth Esher 6 Points 6 Points 6 Points 4 Points At that stage a win by Esher and a loss by another team could have eliminated the difference. However with completion of the first round, a five point “game in hand” has now materialised. This is because, if points are level, the number of wins over the whole season is taken into account and Esher has a worse record in that respect than the other three teams. So at this stage Esher would need to win at least one more game and get at least one more bonus point than Moseley and Scottish to overtake our two clubs. Current position is: Moseley 10 Points London Scottish 10 Points Plymouth 6 Points Esher 5 Points One way to avoid the drop therefore would be that we score at least as many bonus points as Esher while ensuring that we win at least only one less game than Esher. (If Esher had a good run and we achieved this, one of the other teams would go down). Still with us? Not much more now………….. Points now available? There are a maximum of 70 points still to play for (ten Bonus Point (“BP”) wins and ten losing BPs + ten try BP’s for the losers). If we assume a fairly even spread of points by the end of the playoffs, the following position emerges: London Moseley Scottish Plymouth Esher 10 10 6 5 16 15 19 20 26 25 25 70 25 And assume Moseley accumulates 16 points in its remaining five games, any combination of the remaining 54 points between the three other teams will leave someone with less than 25. So 26 seems to be the number that would guarantee it. That said it is highly unlikely that the maximum 70 points will be taken (although it would be a pretty spectacular end to the season if that were the case!) and the number could be a lot less. We would be quite happy if Moseley just got 16 points from the next four matches though! Projections based upon regular season Bill has also considered the potential scenarios based on the statistics from the regular season: “In the regular season, the average game led to just under four points being awarded (amazingly, a lot of bonus points were gained either from four tries, or losing bonuses) There are ten games left in the playoffs, so say 49 points will be awarded – if the regular season is a predictor – which means the total points available would be 80 (including those on hand to date) So 21 may be the minimum to survive. Likely, the playoff games will be more tense, tighter than regular season, so let's say 4.3 points per game. So a total of 74 - that is my fearless prediction for the end of playoff total - so 19 points will do it. In practice, one team will probably do well, one badly, so maybe one more win and a couple of bonus points, say 16 total, could be sufficient for Mose (but don't let the players hear that!)” ……and the answer is…’Keep Calm and Carry on’…or The answer is somewhere between 16 and 26 points! However the only thing we will predict with confidence is that it will become clearer over the next few weeks. Meanwhile we just think that the team should go out and win every game and prove to everyone what we already know – Moseley is a valuable, suitable and respected member of the Championship and deserves to be competing in it. (Our thanks to Bill Greenhalgh for his contribution. He is now standing for President of the ever popular Anoraks Corner!) . How you can help this weekend! The MSA have arranged coaches to both London Scottish and Esher. The team do appreciate the vocal support both home and away, so why not contact the MSA! London Scottish vs Moseley Sunday 18th March - Coach leaving at 10.30am MSA Members - £18; Non Members - £21; Under 16s - £10 The more people on the coach, the cheaper the travel. So please let us know if you are interested in joining us ASAP! Please note that prices are estimates and may change (for better or worse) before travel, don't worry we will keep you up to date. If you are interested then please contact Neil our coach organiser on 07739039876 or email [email protected] and see MSA section further down for more info. TONIGHT” QUESTION & ANSWERS WITH THE COACHES – “ Your Chance To Quiz Kevin & Craig Kevin Maggs & Craig West will be in the clubhouse to answer supporters questions following training on Thursday 15th March 2012 from 8.00pm (Please note revised date, was 6th March) Why not come down and find out the thoughts of Kevin & Craig as the team prepares for the challenges of the playoffs! Do you have a question regarding how the team is progressing? Now’s your chance to pose it to the coaches………….. Enjoy an evening in the clubhouse with fellow fans of Moseley All supporters welcome Free entry; Bar & Catering open 1ST XV NEWS Moseley to seek permission to sign front row replacement Kevin Maggs will ask the Rugby Football Union for special dispensation to register a front-row replacement after Moseley lost prop Craig Voisey for the rest of the season. Voisey, for most of the campaign Moseley’s starting tight head, lasted just ten minutes of Friday’s 25-17 victory over Plymouth before he was forced off with a suspected broken arm. Subsequent scans revealed the Bridgendborn forward had fractured a bone in his forearm, an injury that requires surgery and will put him out for 12 weeks. With first-choice loose head Tom Warren already ruled out for the remainder of the campaign with a back problem, Moseley have just three fit props, one of whom, Colin Quigley, is also back-up hooker. So Maggs is working on gathering the evidence to convince the governing body to allow Mose to sign a replacement outside of the transfer window. “We are struggling,” the head coach admitted. “To lose Tom and Voisey is a blow for us with them having played so much rugby for us. “Voisey has been outstanding in the last couple of months and although Colin came on and did very well, to lose him is really bad news. Craig is absolutely devastated, he was going really well and is a key part of us going forward. It’s really hard on him. “The process to ask for dispensation has already started and we’ll keep that on-going but it’s not just a question of saying ‘can we have this’? It takes a lot of sorting out, there’s medical reports and lots of information that needs submitting.” Moseley will also be able to point to the precedent set a couple of years ago when they were allowed to register ex-Worcester prop Jack Gilding ahead of a relegation play-off match with Rotherham. That same year Coventry were allowed to sign hooker James Merrigan in the postseason but both cases were fraught with controversy after Birmingham & Solihull Bees made a complaint. Both Mose and Coventry were cleared after an investigation in which the RFU asked for more information about the circumstances. Significantly, that process also codified the concept that loosehead and tighthead are specialist positions. However, there is clearly nothing Mose could have done in this instance and as well as Quigley, who can play on both sides of the scrum, they have only Marshall Gadd and Anthony O’Donnell on whom to call. - by Brian Dick, Birmingham Mail THE BIG MATCH PREVIEW – By Glyn Barlow London Scottish v Moseley Sunday 18th March 2012 3.00 KO @ Richmond Athletic Ground Moseley will go into Round 2 of the playoffs this Sunday from the rather unusual position of having won a first game in any relegation play off! Over the last two seasons the players have normally given the Moseley Faithfull, and we are sure the management, an early scare before turning it around and securing a place in the Championship. What came across clearly during last Friday’s victory over Plymouth Albion was a determination that this was not going to be the case again. Admittedly it took fifty minutes for the team to realise this, but let’s be honest that’s a lot better than after three or four games! After a slow and somewhat frustrating first half when Plymouth had been allowed to build a steady lead, a number of players, not least Neil Mason and Chevvy Pennycook, decided to take the game by the scruff of the neck and turn it around. The stepping up of the pace and intensity of play clearly suited Moseley as an impressive comeback was staged through some direct running and astute tactical play which put Albion under pressure. A faultless kicking performance from Ollie Thomas also capitalised on this approach. London Scottish also got off to a winning start in the playoff campaign with a hard fought 16 – 20 away win at Esher. In a performance based on a strong defensive effort fly half Dan Mugford proved his worth with five penalties. As a result Moseley and Scottish share the top spot in Pool C with ten points each. During the season proper the two teams met twice in the league with Scottish winning on both occasions. The Moseley players will be looking to gain revenge over the only team in Pool C to have achieved the double over them during the season; a playoff double for Moseley would be rather good! Sun 2nd October Mon 26th December London Scottish Moseley 37 – 21 16 - 29 Moseley London Scottish That both games were relatively high scoring is not something we can assume will be the case on Sunday when playoff pressures will come into play. If, however, Moseley can secure good position and revert to an open style of play a few more tries could be scored. The London Scottish hierarchy will be viewing the potential of relegation as a serious threat to the club’s stated plans of challenging for a place in the Premiership within three years. Having gone professional two years ago on the back of some significant sponsorship, the club will be focussed on consolidating its position rather than having to step backwards and build again from National Division 1 next season. It is reported that the Championship has much more competitive environment than the Scottish first thought. The Scottish squad was bolstered with further signings in the run up to the play offs. Winger Gerard Mullen made the short journey from London Welsh, Hooker Ollie Hayes joined under duel registration with Worcester and back row Zane Winslade flew in from New Zealand. For Moseley the key on Sunday will be containing the impressive London Scottish pack in the set piece. Since the two teams met in January the Moseley pack has improved considerably, a fact demonstrated last week as each forward stood toe to toe with a hard, aggressive Plymouth pack. If Moseley can gain parity up front and put pressure on Scottish’s livewire Simon Amor at scrum half then we may see mistakes creep into the game which Ollie Thomas should be quick to punish. You can be sure that this week Moseley’s backs will be keen to have a greater say in the outcome of the match and will be looking to play the more expansive game that has delivered 49 tries this season. In the last Plymouth game, Moseley failed to exploit this potential. On Sunday Moseley will need to move play away from taking the opposition up front with a variety from pre-set moves. If the Moseley players start the game at the same level of intensity and with the same tactical awareness that they ended last Friday’s match then a vital win on the road is within their grasp THE RFU’s VIEW The RFU’s Preview of Pool C – Week 2 Plymouth will hope to carry their regular season home form into the relegation play- offs when they take on Esher at Brickfields on Friday night. All six of Albion’s total number of wins in the regular season came in front of their own supporters, while Esher won just once on their travels in the first 22 rounds of action. Both sides were beaten on the opening weekend, Plymouth surrendering a 17-6 lead at Billesley Common to go down to a 25-17 defeat against Moseley. Esher closed the gap Between themselves and Plymouth at the bottom of the Pool C table courtesy of the losing bonus point they picked up in a 16-20 defeat against London Scottish. The home side won the two head- to- heads in the regular season. London Scottish and Moseley, who meet at the Athletic Ground on Sunday, both boast ten points after the first round of the play- offs. Five penalties from Dan Mugford and a try from Gerard Mullen provided Championship newcomers Scottish with all 20 of their points at Esher. Meanwhile, Moseley had kicker Ollie Thomas to thank for their victory after the winger booted six penalties and a conversion for a 20- point haul. Adam Caves added a try. London Scottish had the Indian sign over Moseley during the regular season, recording a double over the Birmingham- based side. Mugford was instrumental in both victories having scored 24 points in the 37-21 win at home and another 19 in the 29-16 win on Moseley soil. 1st XV NEWS Kevin Maggs insists ambition is key in Championship play offs Now is not the time for Moseley to curtail their tactical ambition, insists head coach Kevin Maggs. In his first year in charge the Bristolian has overseen a welcome and overdue transition in style as Mose have become one of the most attractive sides in the Championship. However, that has not kept them out of the relegation play-offs and they are now embroiled in a six-game sprint up the beach to secure their second tier status. The temptation would be to play more conservatively but Maggs is adamant that is not the way forward. “I think we are at our most comfortable when we play a wider game,” he said. “If you look at the amount of tries we have scored we are in the top six in the league so we have got to keep believing in what we are doing and the boys must continue to buy into it. “We will play according to the conditions and our opponents but we know we need to score tries to win matches.” With kicker Glyn Hughes out with a hamstring problem, Ollie Thomas’s chances of playing improve, particularly with two recent starts under his belt. - by Brian Dick, Birmingham Mail HOSPITALITY BOX & TICKET OFFERS Don’t Miss Out Boxes – from £367 + VAT - 2 games for £735; 1 game £399 (all + VAT) Why not consider taking a box for either your friends or work colleagues/clients. This works out (including VAT) at as little as just £32 per person………..the price provides 12 people with match day entry, hot lunch, programme, preferred parking, waiter service at clubhouse prices for drinks…….and a fantastic (and warm!) view of the game. Contact Alan Potter as soon as possible on 07530 105289 or at [email protected] Advanced Adult Tickets – from £10 Minimum purchase 3 – must be bought in advance of the fixture (not available on the gate). Available from club in advance on 0121-443-3631 1st XV NEWS Adam Caves reveals half time dressing down inspired victory Adam Caves identified his team’s improved ball retention as the decisive factor in Moseley’s thrilling comeback on Friday night. Moseley trailed 17-6 early in the second half having conceded four James Love penalties and a sloppy try. But they responded with 19 unanswered points, through Caves’ second try in three games and Ollie Thomas’ peerless boot, to start the play-offs with a victory and deny Plymouth a losing bonus point And Caves revealed it was a half-time telling-off from head coach Kevin Maggs which focused Moseley’s minds on keeping possession. “Maggsy was going a bit mad about the line-kicking in the first half, which was a little bit poor, but we made up for it in the second half,” Caves admitted. “There were a couple of decisions but once we spoke at half-time about keeping our composure and not chasing lost causes, we didn’t really give them a sniff. “We played down the hill better than they did, we kicked the corners well but the main thing is we kept possession, which they didn’t in the first half. They were quite happy to kick it back to us.” - by Brian Dick, Birmingham Mail WATCH THE 6 NATIONS IN THE CLUBHOUSE All 6 Nations games live on the big screen in the clubhouse Forthcoming Fixtures Sat 17th Mar Sat 17th Mar Sat 17th Mar 12:30 14:45 17:00 MOSELEY TRAINING GAME Match Fitness – 1st XV Squad Italy Wales England v v v Scotland France Ireland Stadio Olimpico Millennium Stadium Twickenham On Monday night a training match was put together for the 1st XV squad that either didn’t play last weekend against Plymouth or had little game time during the fixture. Also included were 1st team squad members currently out on loan at clubs such as Stourbridge and Coventry. The ‘match’ wasn’t ‘advertised’ as it was part of the planned training sessions for this week allowing the coaching team to assess the entire squad with the 5 remaining play-off games in mind. For the same reason the traditional inclusion of promising local players in Moseley Development teams were also largely absent. Our thanks to the North Mids RFU for putting out an U21 side (largely involving the Under 20s side that played in the U20 County Championship plus a few more senior players) to ensure a good work out. Whilst the gaining of match fitness was more important than the result it was actually won by Moseley 36-7 with tries from James Tyas, Billy Robinson, Anton O’Donnell, Craig Lee, Mathew Lowcock and Callum Macburnie (3 converted by Jamie Hearn). In addition to the points scorers the following 1st XV squad members also took part Mike Gillick, Jack Adams, Ryan De La Harpe, Richard Stott, Dan Sanderson, Mike Maltman, Ben Pons, Colin Quigley. COMMUNITY WORK – “36 local schools: 12 local rugby clubs helped” Moseley & Sport England in Community Sports Project Moseley Rugby Community Foundation (“MRCF”)’s latest project involves our highly qualified coaches working in 36 Birmingham primary & secondary schools and with 12 local rugby clubs, each school being linked with a club. Our thanks to Sport England which match funded MRCF sponsorship by four local firms: Nolan Associates, DBK, One Creative Environments and PD Architects This has enabled rugby coaching and encouragement for pupils to join their local rugby clubs: Camp Hill, Dixonians, Bournville, Five Ways OE’s, Kings Norton, Barbarians, Sutton Coldfield, Spartans, Aston OE’s, Edwardians, Birmingham Exiles, Old Saltleians. - 5 winners: The schools: encourages motivation, discipline, team work and fitness The school children: personal development across the range from mainstream to learning difficulties to young offenders The local rugby clubs: more children want to play at their local club The local communities: channelling of youthful exuberance Rugby: getting more playing our great sport What MRCF does MRCF’s experienced and highly qualified coaches work in most educational establishments; mainstream primary and secondary schools, schools for children with learning difficulties, young offenders’ institutions and pupils’ referral units. Multi skill and multi-sport coaches teach fundamental skills like running, jumping, catching, evasion, passing, agility, balance and coordination, as well as rugby, within the QCA framework for key stages 1 and 2 of the National Curriculum. Where schools do not wish to or cannot afford to fund full time positions to provide sports and lifestyle activities, MRCF can provide the highest quality sports coaching and lifestyle support. The core values of respect, discipline, enjoyment and sportsmanship are promoted through everything that is undertaken . Particular focus is placed on individuals who need these facilities by reason of their age, disability, financial hardship or social circumstances. These services really do improve their life and future prospects, while the channelling of youthful over exuberance has a massive social benefit to the community as well. Recommendations Professor Tony Bertram a Director of the Centre for Research in Early Childhood (Charitable Trust Reg No:1121861) says … “As the Director of an educational charity located in Attwood Green (B15) I have a particular interest in educational achievement of underperforming boys. We study their emotional wellbeing and health, their self-efficacy, self-image and self-esteem, and how this can be ameliorated by the challenges and disciplines of organised sport. For these and other reasons, not least of which is the tremendous effort this prestigious rugby club puts into its city-wide community development work, I would strongly urge you to support the Moseley Rugby Community Foundation. I believe that the success of the programmes is vital for the children of Birmingham”. The benefits of this are plain to see: “At Bordesley Village School we have used coaches from Moseley to assist at lunchtimes. They have been successful in training and organising lunch time supervisors, so that structured play is now taking place every lunch time. Many different activities are organised to suit all children throughout the school. The children respond positively to the coaches, who are reliable and hard-working. The coaches have worked alongside children with a number of issues, which has been significantly beneficial to the children involved. The impact of the coaches has meant that we have seen a big improvement in behaviour and concentration levels in the afternoons”. – Bordesley Village School. MRCF welcomes enquiries from: Funders/Sponsors: Schools: Individuals: Cut backs means we need more private sector assistance Primary & Secondary throughout Birmingham and beyond Sponsorship Scheme being launched later this season A quick Reminder about MRCF’s work: • MRCF coaches are all experienced and highly qualified coaches. • All schools covered - mainstream primary and secondary schools, learning difficulties, young offenders’ institutions and pupils’ referral units. • Multi skill and multi-sport coaches teach fundamental skills as well as rugby • Work within the QCA framework for key stages 1 and 2 of the National Curriculum. • Focus is placed on individuals who need these facilities by reason of their age, disability, financial hardship or social circumstances. • Improvement in life expectations and future prospects • Channelling of youthful over exuberance has a massive social benefit to the community. • Core values of respect, discipline, enjoyment and sportsmanship Together MRCF and Sport England can make a difference to young people’s lives For an information pack and how we can help each other please contact MRCF: Nick Avgousti on 07762 011131, Craig Voisey on 0121-443-3631 or Dan Protherough on 07779 294543 or email [email protected] “Creating sporting opportunities in every community” KNOW YOUR MOSELEY HISTORY - By Ewart Patrick R.S. Challoner-Part One-Early Promise Robert Louis Challoner was born in 1872 in Wellesbourne near Stratford upon Avon to a Scottish father and a Swiss mother. Although he was given the same forenames as the famous Scottish writer, R.L. Stevenson, it is unlikely that he was named after him as the latter only came to prominence in the late 1870s and 1880s. He attended Warwick School where he played for the school first XV for five seasons from 1886/87 to 1890/91 and captained the side in both 1888/89 and 1890/91. While at school he was a strong running three quarter of ‘pace and strength’ who was able to break tackles. He was also a good place and drop kicker and was a good defender. He was described as a ‘tower of strength in the team’ and one who ‘could be a first rate man when older.’ Challoner also played for Warwick’s cricket first XI for four seasons and won the Challenge Cup for athletics. Soon after leaving school he joined Moseley and was soon turning out for the club’s second team. While at Moseley Challoner moved from the three quarters and began to play in the forwards. Towards the end of the 1891/92 season he was given a chance in the first XV and he played in the second round tie of the Midland Counties Challenge Cup against Coventry Excelsior which Moseley won by eight tries to nil. He seems to have made a favourable impression as he kept his place for the third round victory over Burton and for the semi-final win against Old Edwardians. He also played in the final in which Moseley were defeated by Coventry. By the following season Challoner’s talents were being appreciated outside the Moseley club and in October 1892 he was selected, along with four club colleagues, to represent the Midland Counties against Cheshire. The Midland Counties again selected him in November when the side played Surrey at Coventry. Later in the month he played twice more for Midland Counties, against Kent at Blackheath and against Middlesex at Richmond. Also in November 1892 Challoner kicked one conversion in a match in which Moseley defeated Rugby by the remarkable score of 13 goals and three tries to nil. In the following month Moseley again inflicted a heavy defeat on Midland rivals, this time defeating Nottingham by three goals and six tries to nil, three of the tries being scored by Challoner. In January 1893 the strong Newport club visited The Reddings and won easily by a score of three goals, one dropped goal and three tries to one try. The Moseley try was scored by Challoner a few minutes from time and was greeted with ‘great cheering’. Although Challoner was usually a forward he sometimes also appeared as a three-quarter and try scoring seems to have been something of a speciality. In March 1893 he scored two of Moseley’s 11 tries in a Midland Counties Challenge Cup victory over Leicester Crusaders. Midland Counties again selected Challoner for the victory over Cheshire, at Rugby, in October 1893. He seems to have had a quiet game as he was not mentioned in the newspaper reports of the match and he was not selected for Midland Counties’ next fixture against Western Counties. Interestingly the match was divided into four quarters rather than the normal two halves because of the windy conditions. Despite having already played a number of games for the Midland Counties Challoner was, in October 1894, selected for the Whites in ‘a preliminary trial match, arranged with the object of affording promising players in the Midland Counties an opportunity of displaying their form.’ Challoner obviously took his chance because he was one of six Moseley players who played for the Midland Counties in their defeat at the hands of Western Counties, at Exeter, in the following month. Despite the defeat he retained his place for the Counties’ next three fixtures, a defeat by Middlesex being followed by victories over Kent and Surrey. In March 1895 Moseley reached the semi-final of the Midland Counties Challenge Cup and were drawn at home to Leicester, who had already beaten them twice during the season. Early in the match one of the Leicester forwards fractured his collar bone and in a remarkably sporting gesture considering this was a cup semi-final Moseley withdrew Challoner from most the scrums to even up the contest! In the event Moseley still won the game and progressed to the final. In the final, in which Moseley defeated Coventry, Challoner once more played at forward. CLUB SHOP – SOME GREAT PRODUCE IN STORE! New Style Moseley T-Shirts Formal Shirts Drawstring bags & Caps Replica Shirts in All Sizes A new range of Babywear Price List ITEM SIZE Base layer Adult ITEM SIZE £29.00 Air Freshener N/A £2.50 Child £24.00 Balls N/A £12.00 Beanie One Size £10.00 Boot Bag N/A £10.00 Body Protection Adult £39.00 Bottles N/A £5.00 Child £39.00 Car Sticker N/A £1.50 Cap One Size £10.00 Cuff Links N/A £12.00 Dress Shirt Adult £22.00 Drawstring Bag N/A £6.00 Fleece Adult £45.00 DVD N/A £10.00 Gloves All Sizes £10.00 Key Ring N/A £2.50 Head Gear Adult £39.00 Mouse Mat N/A £4.75 Child £39.00 Mouth Guard All Sizes £4.00 Adult £39.00 Mug N/A £7.00 Child £29.00 Pen N/A £1.50 Polo Shirt Adult £22.50 Pin Badge N/A £3.00 Replica Shirt Adult £49.00 Print N/A £10.00 Child £39.00 Tees N/A £5.00 Hoodie PRICE PRICE Scarf One Size £10.00 Umbrella N/A £22.50 Shorts Adult £15.00 Tankard N/A £3.00 Child £12.00 Vouchers N/A Adult £9.00 Babygro All £10.00 Child £7.00 Bib N/A £7.50 Adult £39.00 Baby Tee Shirt All £9.50 Child £32.00 Baby Beanie N/A £9.00 Stadium Jacket Adult £70.00 Poncho All £14.50 Sweatshirts Adult £22.00 Jumper All £45.00 Child £22.00 T-Shirt Adult £17.00 Track Suit Bottoms Adult £29.00 Child £14.00 £22.00 £60.00 One Size £12.00 Designer Hoodie Child All Socks Splash Top Tie Various New Shop opening times All 1st XV home games: 12.30 pm - 5.15 pm (closed during the game open at half time) Mid-week games: open at 6.30 pm Sunday mornings: 9.30 am - 1.00 pm Credit or debit cards welcome *Please call the club in advance on 0121-443-3631 and speak with Bill, Club General Manager, if you want to drop by the shop on a weekday to make your purchases ; please go to the club office (rear of clubhouse) if the shop is temporarily un-manned. 1st XV LAST WEEK Moseley v Plymouth Albion Friday 9th March 2012 Match Details Venue Billesley Attendance 783 Weather Dry Kick Off 19:30 Team List Moseley PPPPPPC Anthony Carter Oliver Thomas Greg King Andy Reay Bradley Hunt Bradley Davies Samuel Brown Marshall Gadd 25 - 17 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 1 Plymouth Albion Sione Tuipulotu James Love Paul Bailey Bevon Armitage Jack Arnott Paul Roberts Ruairi Cushion David Morton PPPP T T Adam Caves Craig Voisey David Lyons Paul Spivey Neil Mason Michael Ellery Chevvy Pennycook 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Jonathan Vickers Ryan Hopkins Tyler Hotson Sean-Michael Stephen Michael Stupple Wayne Sprangle Aaron Carpenter Anthony O'Donnell Colin Quigley Daniel Sanderson James Tyas Michael Maltman Ryan De La Harpe William Robinson 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 Tyson Lewis Steven Johns Jack Andrew Robert Dugard Rupert Freestone Addison Lockley Sam Hocking Y Replacements Match Officials Referee Matthew Carley Home Official - Away Official - Touch Judge 1 - Touch Judge 2 - Match Statistics Min Score 02 0 - 3 Pen James Love Pen Oliver Thomas 04 3 - 3 Rep Colin Quigley For Craig Voisey 10 3 - 3 (Injury) 17 3 - 6 Pen James Love Pen Oliver Thomas 25 6 - 6 30 6 - 9 Pen James Love 35 6 - 12 Pen James Love 44 6 - 17 Try Ruairi Cushion 44 6 - 17 Miss Con James Love Pen Oliver Thomas 47 9 - 17 Pen Oliver Thomas 53 12 - 17 55 12 - 17 Yellow Card Wayne Sprangle Try Adam Caves 64 17 - 17 Con Oliver Thomas 64 19 - 17 Rep Sam Hocking For Wayne Sprangle 66 19 - 17 (Tactical) Rep Daniel Sanderson For David Lyons 67 19 - 17 (Tactical) Pen Oliver Thomas 73 22 - 17 Pen Oliver Thomas 80 25 - 17 Rep Jack Andrew For Ryan Hopkins 85 25 - 17 (Tactical) Match Report By Brian Dick – Birmingham Post The problem is when the wind doesn't blow down the Billesley Common pitch, it takes a while for the tactical mist to clear. Indeed it took the worst part of 50 flaccid minutes on a breezeless spring evening for Moseley to see a clear way past Plymouth. Once they did though, it was strangely simple. Work hard to win the ball, even harder to keep it and wait for opponents short on confidence to implode. And so it came to pass. Which was perhaps a little more pragmatic than the romantics among us had hoped, those who had believed the pre-match propaganda about flinging the ball around and winning matches with a hailstorm of tries. More fool us. If the last two years have taught us anything it is that first round play-off matches are not occasions for flash Harry antics. Neither are they occasions for the primacy of performances over results. The winning of home matches is imperative, no matter how heinously ugly the victories, and Moseley will look at the ten points they now have on the board and feel considerable satisfaction. And they should be lauded for managing what was a difficult situation extremely well - in the end. After all it would have been easy to have unravelled when Craig Voisey, their first choice tighthead prop was forced off with a suspected broken arm after just ten minutes. With Plymouth flying up at them, their ball carriers impotent and their discipline letting them down they did well to maintain a foothold in the game, although at 17-6 down with 44 minutes gone it was really more of a toenail hold. By the time Albion's Ruairi Cushion had finished off an incongruously slick blindside counterattack, though, the tide had already turned. Moseley were already starting to act with more conviction and their important players had started to have an impact. Ollie Thomas ate up huge tracts of real estate as he kicked down the slope and the Moseley kick chase made it count. Back rowers Chevvy Pennycook and Neil Mason started to shed tacklers and scrum half Sam Brown began to inject more tempo into his side's attacking. And as they retained possession the visitors' belief wilted. Buoyed by their 12-6 interval lead, through four James Love penalties compared to two from Thomas, the Devonians became less and less able to protect their glass jaw as Pennycook and Mason thudded into them. Thomas picked away at the 11-point lead with a couple more penalties and then on the hour, after a well-executed catch and drive lineout Adam Caves bashed his way over the line to level the scores. Thomas's imperious conversion gave Moseley their first lead and as Plymouth chased the game, their handling and discipline went to pot. Moseley's remarkable kicker landed a couple more penalties, the last one on the final play of the game, to deny Albion even a loss bonus, which was probably a little cruel on Nat Saumi's game side. But it had taken just half-an-hour of composed and calculated play from Moseley to unsettle the men from Brickfields, something that will cause considerable consternation down the M5. And for Moseley, they have won their opening play-off match for the first time. Wouldn't it be nice if they used that springboard to embark on a composed and ultimately enjoyable end to the season. Maybe, even, with a few tries but most importantly with three or four more wins. WHAT THE PAPERS SAID “Plymouth Albion let vital lead slip in opening defeat in play-offs” Plymouth Herald Plymouth Albion blew a golden chance to claim a vital win in their opening Championship relegation play-off match at Moseley last night. Nat Saumi's team, keen to prove a point after their 41-17 hammering at Esher in their final regular league match, played really well for 50 minutes at Billesley Common last night and were leading 17-6. But then indiscipline and belief cost them and they allowed their hosts to score 19 unanswered points in the last 28 minutes to send Albion back to Devon without so much as a bonus point. Albion's odds on going down will certainly have shortened after last night. They were already many people's tip for the drop after winning just two matches in the second half of the season since sacking long-serving coach Graham Dawe and suffering that hammering at Esher. They will now be under immense pressure to win their forthcoming back-to-back home games against Esher and London Scottish. Losing the first match of the play-offs is not the end of the world, Moseley and Esher proved that last season, but Saumi and fellow coach John Roberts certainly have some work to do now to lift the team's spirit after this blow. Albion welcomed back experienced forwards Ryan Hopkins, Sean-Michael Stephen and Wayne Sprangle to their starting line-up. But the big surprise in Albion's team was the inclusion of Jon Vickers at hooker. The dual-registered Exeter Chiefs forward had not played a competitive first team game since September due to a neck injury, but was deemed fit enough to play last night. He got the nod over Rupert Freestone and Gareth Evans, who has not been training with Albion for a number of weeks as he has been on a course with the Royal Marines. Fellow hooker Davy McGregor was not considered after suffering concussion in the club's last match at Esher. There was also something of a surprise in the backs where 18-year-old schoolboy Jack Arnott got the call over the more experienced Tyson Lewis, Steve Johns and Cameron Mitchell. Albion also switched their back division around with Paul Bailey moving from wing to centre, Sione Tu'ipulotu switching from centre to full-back and top scorer James Love moving from 15 to 14. Moseley went for experience, but they did include former Albion player James Tyas on their bench. Bath flanker Tyas, who featured in Albion's first 12 matches, moved to Moseley on loan in January after Plymouth opted not to take up the option to re-sign him after he spent Christmas back at The Rec. Moseley had beaten Albion 9-3 at Billesley Common at the end of January. The conditions were terrible for that match, but they were a lot better last night, with no real wind or rain. Albion, keen to make up for that disaster at Esher in their last outing, made the start they wanted, taking the lead in the first minute with Love kicking a penalty. But that lead did not last long as they messed up a line-out on their own 22 from the restart and then gave away a penalty that Ollie Thomas kicked to make it 3-3. Albion were trying to force Moseley deep into their half with some good kicking and that plan nearly secured them the first try. Under pressure following a lineout Moseley could only find touch 22 metres out. Albion attacked from the set play and Tu'ipulotu nearly put Love away to score in the corner. However, the Albion winger was just pushed into touch 10 metres out. Love did put the visitors back in front minutes later when he kicked a long range penalty from the right. With so much at stake, both teams were playing it quite safe, kicking it away and trying to force the other side into mistakes. Moseley came close to scoring on 23 minutes. From a penalty they went for a line-out on the right. After a good drive they switched it and were close to going over in the left corner. They did get a penalty close to the line. They had a little debate about whether to go for a scrum or line-out before Thomas insisted he could kick it, which he duly did to level the match. Albion were certainly up for the game. They were aggressive in the tackle and fought for everything. And on 30 minutes they went back in front when Love kicked a penalty after more good pressure by the visitors. Moseley's kicking was poor and the home crowd were growing restless. And the mood of the Birmingham club's fans did not improve when their team were penalised for holding on just inside their half and Love stepped up to kick another three points from 47 metres out to make it 12-6, which was how it stayed until half-time. Albion nearly got away early in the second half but Aaron Carpenter was adjudged to have passed forward to his Canadian team-mate Stephen, whose presence back in the team was a big plus. The big breakthrough for Albion came from that move. The visitors pushed Moseley off the scrum and eventually Carpenter put David Morton away. The prop got into the home side's 22 before off-loading well to the supporting Cushion, who ran in to score in the right corner. Love could not convert the try but Albion were 17-6 up. Moseley cut the gap to eight points with another Thomas penalty before Love missed one at the other end. The game had really come to life. Albion had been the better team but they allowed Moseley back into the match with more indiscipline on 52 minutes that allowed Thomas to kick a penalty and make it 17-12. Suddenly the home crowd found their voice and their team nearly scored from a line-out on 56 minutes. Moseley drove brilliantly and the only way Albion could stop them scoring was to illegally pull down the maul. The home team duly got a penalty and Sprangle was sin-binned for the visitors. Moseley went for the line-out from the penalty but eventually knocked on and wasted a great chance. But the momentum was with the home side and it was no surprise when they did score. After a good break by Andy Reay, Moseley got a penalty. They went for the line-out and they got a great drive on. Albion tried to stop them illegally but Moseley kept going and eventually hooker Adam Caves sneaked over on the left. Thomas brilliantly converted to put his side in front for the first time in the match on 66 minutes. And he added another three minutes from the end of normal time to make it 22-17 after the visitors were penalised for crossing. Then, with the last move of the game, Moseley robbed Albion of even a bonus point when Thomas kicked another penalty before a mass brawl broke out on the final whistle. Birmingham Mail By Brian Dick – Moseley hero Adam Caves paid tribute to his team’s mental fortitude after they came from behind to start their play-off campaign with a win. Caves’ second-half try and 20 points from the exceptional boot of Ollie Thomas ensured Mose recovered from a flaccid first-half performance to record a vital victory. And just to make the evening even more perfect the Billesley outfit denied Plymouth a loss bonus as Thomas landed his seventh successful kick on the final play of the game. But that looked a long way off at half-time as Mose trailed 12-6 having turned in a petrified performance that betrayed the pressure of the occasion. Brainless penalties allowed Albion kicker James Love to build a useful interval lead and prompted Mose head coach Kevin Maggs to issue a half-time rollicking. Even that didn’t seem to work as Mose came out and conceded a soft 44th-minute score to the ebullient Plymouth scrum-half Rhuari Cushion. However, that stunned Mose into action and they whisked off 19 points in the final half-hour, with Caves, Neil Mason and Chevvy Pennycook leading the way. And the hooker praised his colleagues’ efforts. “I felt confident going in at half-time six points down,” Caves said. “I knew we were going to play down the hill and even though there wasn’t much wind, if we kept the ball we were going to put them under pressure.’’ FIXTURES, RESULTS & TABLE Fixtures This week Pool A Sunday, 18 March 2012 Bristol Rugby Vs. London Welsh Nottingham Vs. Doncaster Knights 15:00 Memorial Stadium 15:00 Meadow Lane Pool B Friday, 16 March 2012 Bedford Blues Vs. Cornish Pirates Sunday, 18 March 2012 19:45 Goldington Road Leeds Carnegie Vs. Rotherham Titans 12:15 Headingley Pool C Friday, 16 March 2012 Plymouth Albion Vs. Esher 19:45 Brickfields Sunday, 18 March 2012 London Scottish Vs. Moseley 15:00 Athletic Ground Results Pool A Friday, 09 March 2012 Doncaster Knights 3 - 65 Bristol Rugby Saturday, 10 March 2012 London Welsh 32 - 21 Nottingham Pool B Saturday, 10 March 2012 Rotherham Titans 19 - 32 Bedford Blues Saturday, 10 March 2012 Cornish Pirates 14 - 14 Leeds Carnegie Pool C Friday, 09 March 2012 Moseley 25 - 17 Plymouth Albion Saturday, 10 March 2012 Esher 16 - 20 London Scottish Pools Pool A Team Bristol Rugby London Welsh Nottingham Doncaster Knights P W D 1 1 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 L 0 0 1 1 F 65 32 21 3 A 3 21 32 65 Diff B Pts 62 1 11 1 -11 0 -62 0 Pts 8 7 1 0 Adjust 3 2 1 0 P W D L 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 1 F 32 14 14 19 A 19 14 14 32 Diff 13 0 0 -13 Pts 8 4 3 0 Adjust 3 2 1 0 Pool B Team Bedford Blues Cornish Pirates Leeds Carnegie Rotherham Titans B Pts 1 0 0 0 Pool C Team Moseley London Scottish Plymouth Albion Esher P 1 1 1 1 W D 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 L 0 0 1 1 F 25 20 17 16 A 17 16 25 20 Diff 8 4 -8 -4 B Pts 0 0 0 1 Pts 10 10 6 5 Adjust 6 6 6 4 ANORAKS’ CORNER Championship Statistics Top Points Scorers Player Team Oliver Thomas Moseley Tristan Roberts Bristol Rugby Daniel Mugford London Scottish Garry Law Rotherham Titans Alex Davies London Welsh James Love Plymouth Albion James Arlidge Nottingham Rugby Peter Synnott Esher Rugby Jack Tovey Bristol Rugby James Lewis London Welsh Ross Johnston Bristol Rugby James Pritchard Bedford Blues Joseph Ford Leeds Carnegie Matthew Jones Bristol Rugby Top Try Scorers Player Jack Tovey James Lewis Ross Johnston Adam Brown Adam Caves Ben Prescott Benjamin Glynn Darryl Veenendaal Don Barrell Fautua Otto Gerard Mullen Conversions Penalties Drop Goals Tries Points 1 6 0 0 20 4 2 0 1 19 0 5 0 0 15 1 4 0 0 14 3 2 0 0 12 0 4 0 0 12 1 3 0 0 11 1 3 0 0 11 0 0 0 2 10 0 0 0 2 10 0 0 0 2 10 3 1 0 0 9 0 3 0 0 9 3 0 0 0 6 Team Bristol Rugby London Welsh Bristol Rugby London Welsh Moseley Nottingham Rugby Bristol Rugby Bedford Blues Bedford Blues Bristol Rugby London Scottish Tries 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 Points 10 10 10 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 Grant Pointer Josh Bassett Luke Daniels Luke Eves Nicholas Scott Oliver Dodge Ruairi Cushion Shane Monahan Sione Kalamponi Stephen McColl Tristan Roberts Cornish Pirates Bedford Blues Esher Rugby Bristol Rugby London Welsh Bedford Blues Plymouth Albion Rotherham Titans Nottingham Rugby Leeds Carnegie Bristol Rugby 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 Team Points Breakdown Team Conversions Penalties Drop Goals Tries Penalty Tries Points Bristol Rugby 7 2 0 8 1 65 Bedford Blues 3 2 0 4 0 32 London Welsh 3 2 0 4 0 32 Moseley 1 6 0 1 0 25 Nottingham Rugby 1 3 0 2 0 21 London Scottish 0 5 0 1 0 20 Rotherham Titans 1 4 0 1 0 19 Plymouth Albion 0 4 0 1 0 17 Esher Rugby 1 3 0 1 0 16 Cornish Pirates 2 0 0 1 1 14 Leeds Carnegie 0 3 0 1 0 14 Doncaster Knights 0 1 0 0 0 3 Statistics courtesy of Rugby Roundup http://www.rugbyroundup.com MOSELEY OAK (THE SENIOR AMATEUR TEAM @ BILLESLEY) The recommended route for progression Moseley Oak RFC has the full backing of Moseley Rugby Club evidenced in the clear statement from Moseley’s new Chairman of Playing, John Richards, and from Moseley’s President, John Beale, that Oak is the designated route in the career progression of Moseley players leaving the Under 19 Colts as well as former players who wish to return to rugby at Billesley. Oak players of the right standard will get priority to play in Moseley Development matches. Playing the 2011-12 season in Midlands League 2, new players are welcome – please visit either the Moseley club website or the Oak website for contact details or Call Jack Richards on 07970 868 039. Midlands 2 West (North) Match report Moseley Oak 29 – 29 Tamworth “Moseley Oak In Thrilling Draw” Somehow from having victory in the bag Moseley Oak allowed Tamworth to grab a deserved draw. Both sides could have nicked it at the death but it wasn’t to be. The result was an honourable 29-29 outcome at Billesley Common. Moseley Oak had a somewhat depleted team, missing their best inside centre, a prop and two back row starters. But Tamworth are a dogged side, worked hard for each other and refused to give an inch. On the 1st XV pitch, Moseley Oak started the brighter, quickly taking the lead. Good forward work by Duncan White and Nyasha Maphosa turned the ball over, it was swept down the line, and centre Jack Richards got in at the corner flag. Dan Pons converted. Despite a lengthy warm up it took Tamworth some 20 minutes to get their rhythm. Their tactics weren’t right either – they never figured out that down slope and down wind you kick for position and go from there. But actually it didn’t matter much. Every time they really asked Moseley Oak a question someone on the home team fell off a tackle and by half time Tamworth had scored three tries. First classy full back Danny Norton weaved his way over, converting his own score. Then Dave Goodwin did the same and the last play of the half saw South African No. 8 Euisabius Saayman punch through. That made it 7-19. Moseley Oak opened the second half sloppily, influential second row Duncan White went off with an injury, but then good interplay between forwards and backs saw Antonio Solomon in – Pons failed with the conversion. More quick hands got Solomon over for a second, with Pons adding the extras. Pons notched a penalty and then Solomon, the star performer on the day, cantered over from 30 yards out for a third after picking up a Tamworth knock forward – something of a gift. And that was the bonus point. At 29-19 the game should have been over, but Tamworth had other ideas. First they got Joe Madden in for five points and then after further pressure on the Moseley Oak line Chris Lakin sauntered in at the corner. That equalised the scores and Norton’s conversion attempt – from a Tamworth point of view – dropped agonisingly under the cross bar. Moseley Oak could have pinched it with the last play of the game as Luke Hickey broke clear, but his offload tipped off a hand with the line beckoning … and it was all over. Results Saturday, 10 March 2012 Burntwood 15 - 27 Bridgnorth Lordswood Dixonians 12 - 68 Stoke on Trent Moseley Oak 29 - 29 Tamworth Old Saltleians 14 - 5 Aston Old Edwardians Shrewsbury 14 - 32 Leek Stafford 10 - 10 Spartans (Midlands) Fixtures Saturday, 17 March 2012 Stafford Vs. Shrewsbury League Table Team Stoke on Trent Old Saltleians Bridgnorth Moseley Oak Leek Tamworth Stafford Aston Old Edwardians Lordswood Dixonians Spartans (Midlands) Burntwood Shrewsbury P 17 18 18 18 18 18 17 17 18 18 18 17 W 17 15 10 10 10 8 8 7 7 5 5 1 D 0 0 0 1 0 2 1 0 0 2 0 0 L 0 3 8 7 8 8 8 10 11 11 13 16 F 852 395 417 387 385 355 336 252 258 248 240 207 A 124 258 328 405 295 387 325 323 491 344 418 634 Diff 728 137 89 -18 90 -32 11 -71 -233 -96 -178 -427 BP 15 6 10 8 7 8 5 8 6 8 6 4 Pts 83 66 50 50 47 44 39 36 34 32 26 3 Adjust 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 -5 Website Visit http://moseleyoakrugby.co.uk/ to see all that is happening at the club including player profiles, match reports and much more. For more information on Oak please contact John Richards, Ben Jowett or Jack Richards on 07970-868039. Moseley Oak are sponsored by: MOSELEY PLAYERS ASSOCIATION Past and Present Players of Moseley Rugby Club “Keeping the spirit alive” Membership of Moseley Players Association (MPA) is open to anyone who has played for ANY Moseley team, including MWRFC and Moseley Oak. This includes anyone who has had a significant involvement with managing, coaching or providing on-field care to the players and was therefore an essential part of the playing team. The MPA plays a key role in keeping former players in touch with each other and involved in the Club and assisting the Club in any ways it can. Please contact the Membership Secretary Roy Kerr (contact details are at the end of this section) for details and a membership application form. We are always pleased to receive any snippets of information about any old players from any of your eras. Please email Moseley Matters at [email protected]. AGM & Annual Reunion Lunch – Saturday 14th April The AGM of the Moseley Players Association will take place in the clubhouse at 12.30 pm on Saturday 14th April and will be followed by the traditional Reunion Lunch in the marquee. This, in turn, will be followed by the crucial Pool C match against London Scottish. Application forms for the Reunion Lunch, with all relevant details, will be posted to MPA members shortly so, in the meantime, please keep this important date free. Do we have your present address? The MPA sometimes gets forgotten when a member moves house and advises all his important contacts of his new address apart from the most important of all – us! So, if you have moved during the last 18 months or so, please contact Membership Secretary Roy Kerr (see below) immediately and let him have all the details, including your email address and telephone number. 300 Club March Draw The March draw of the 300 Club will be held after the Esher match on 24th March. The Moseley Mole: Puts you in the Picture on Past Players As a result of my contribution in last week’s issue – for which I am still awaiting assistance from you, dear readers – I have received the following note purporting to come from the Malta Police Cold Case Division. I duly passed it to the editorial team, which felt bound to publish it in case any of our readers could help in this matter and because we know that there were Moseley Junior Tours to Malta in the late 1970s. However, I am sure that any Moseley Touring Team members would have been on their best behaviour and could not possibly have committed gross misdemeanours of the type described. The photo seems to be of some drunken hippies who are probably detained at Her Majesty's Pleasure for unspeakable alcohol fuelled offences! Dear Mole Your photo of a barefaced rogue of 1978 in a recent edition reminds me that our Police Dept is still looking for information about the three ne’er-do-wells, above, wanted for underwater cycle races in a swimming pool, numerous traffic violations and terrifying Entebbe-style raids. We would be grateful for any information on their whereabouts. Yours sincerely Supt. Dom Claytoff Malta Police, Cold Case Division Bits and Pieces MPA Ties & Bow Ties – three designs of MPA ties and one bow tie are available for purchase at £10.00 each including postage. Please contact Bryan Skeeles for details and orders. Moving house or changing e-mail addresses Please remember to let us know if you have changed your address - either home or e-mail; and if you haven't provided us with an e-mail address, please let us have the details - it is quicker, cheaper and we only send out a few messages each year, so we won't be filling your inboxes! Roy’s contact details will be found at the end. The Gift of the gab: Nolan racks up the speeches From http://www.duckersanddiving.co.uk/ John Nolan, chairman of Birmingham-based structural and civil engineering consultancy Nolan Associates, and recently installed as president of the Institution of Structural Engineers [and even more importantly former Chairman of the MPA…Ed], tells me he recently completed the UK arm of his world tour racking up 40 speeches in six weeks. Onto the Middle East …highlight was Birmingham Airport security failing to pick up on a coat covered in shotgun residue from a clay pigeon event. And then there was the Irish branch chairman of the ISE giving him some tips on delivery. “You’re not going to be talking about any of this head office stuff, are you now?” “No.” “And you’re not going to be talking for long?” “No.” And you are going to make it light.” “Yes.” Nolan took the hint, told a handful of jokes and sat down.Cue applause. Did manage to squeeze into the itinerary a visit to Twickenham though. Corporate hospitality where the gathering was about 80 per cent English and 20 per cent Welsh. So host Matt Dawson, the former England scrum half, decides to wind up the Welsh. Are there any real Welshmen in the room? Bloke puts his hand up and is challenged by Dawson to sing the Welsh national anthem. “This guy starts singing, is about opera standard, and destroys Dawson. He couldn’t get the mike back.” Contact Details Peter Veitch (Chairman) – [email protected], home – 0121 449 3710, office – 0121 616 5108, mobile – 07801 800201 Roy Kerr (Membership Secretary) – [email protected], home – 01675 464648, mobile – 07889 175377 Bryan Skeeles (Hon. Secretary) – home – 0121 472 0744 George Walters (Hon. Treasurer) – [email protected] , home – 0121 355 1283 MOSELEY SUPPORTERS ASSOCIATION Moseley Supporters Player of the Season 2010/2011 VOTING NOW OPEN! Now that we know the date of our last home game of the season we have set the timescale for voting for the Moseley Supporters Player of the season. The award, The Lionel Moriaty Golden Boot, shall be awarded to the winning player after the final home game of the season against London Scottish on Saturday 14th April. Voting shall begin this Friday (9th March) to coincide with our first playoff game, Home to Plymouth Albion. Voting will then end at midday on Thursday 12th April. The main vote will be available from the MSA website, find the link on our homepage. For all those without an Internet connection, a ballot box will be available in the clubhouse, on the MSA table, for the first two home playoff fixtures (Plymouth Albion - 9th March & Esher - 24th March). There are, of course, a few rules. - One vote per person only. - Voters must have seen Moseley 1st XV play more than once this season. - Non Internet users can vote at the first two home playoff fixtures against Plymouth Albion and Esher using ballot papers provided (please help your friends by ensuring that any supporter you know, who is not an Internet user, is aware of this) - Eligible players are those who have played for the 1st XV in the 2011/12 season up to and including 12th April 2011. These can be found online and next to the ballot box on the MSA table in the clubhouse on match days. - Closing date is Thursday 12th April at midday. Any votes received after this time shall not be counted. Happy voting! Supporters Coaches The MSA are arranging coaches to two of the three away fixtures in the playoffs. Unfortunately a coach to Plymouth has been deemed to expensive to run but don't worry travel to London Scottish and Esher has been arranged. London Scottish vs Moseley Sunday 18th March - Coach leaving at 10.30am MSA Members - £18; Non Members - £21; Under 16s - £10 Esher vs Moseley Saturday 31st March - Coach leaving at 10:30am MSA Members - £18; Non Members - £21; Under 16s - £10 Please note that prices are estimates and may change (for better or worse) before travel, don't worry we will keep you up to date If you are interested then please contact Neil our coach organiser on 07739039876 or email [email protected] The more people on the coach, the cheaper the travel. So please let us know if you are interested in joining us ASAP! Q&A Night with Kevin Maggs & Craig West There has been a slight change of plan with the Q&A evening. We have had to change the date to Thursday 15th March and should be starting around 8pm. Sorry for the inconvenience this may cause. If you know of other people attending that may not read this could you please let them know. If you are unable to attend but still have a question, then please email it to us with you name and we'd be more than happy to ask on your behalf. Guess The Score - And The Winners Keep Coming! The Moseley Supporters Association would like to say a huge congratulations to Ian Leach who correctly guessed the score against Plymouth Albion on 9th March. Ian bagged himself £69! Ian is now the fifth person to correctly Guess the Score since the MSA's revival, so make sure you’re playing. It’s easy to play, just simply guess the score for the game you are at, come over to the Moseley Supporters Association table in the corner of the clubhouse or look out for our sellers around the ground, pay £1 and let us know your score. It’s that simple! Guess The Score prize fund currently stands at £50! Man of the Match - Moseley vs Plymouth Albion Congratulations to Adam Caves who was voted Man of the Match against Plymouth Albion by club president John Beale. Moseley vs Plymouth Albion Man of the Match was sponsored by the Moseley Supporters Association. Player of the Month - February Congratulations to Greg King who was voted Player of the Month for February by club president John Beale. February's Player of the Month Award was sponsored by Freehandz Guitar School. If you would like to sponsor a Man of the Match or Player of the Month Award or would like to know more about the sponsorship offers then please email [email protected] We offer great packages for both individuals and businesses. MSA Website www.moseleysupporters.co.uk Don't forget to keep checking the MSA website for updates. For all those that can't make home or away games, the MSA can help. Check out the Score Centre for live score updates. We try to make this feature available for every Moseley game, although sometimes this is not possible. If you have any ideas or suggestions for our website then please let us know. The Moseley Supporters Association Committee Hon. President - John Beale Chairman - Graham Male - [email protected] Treasurer - Steve Evans - [email protected] Secretary - Louise Bailey - [email protected] Comms & Coach Organiser - Neil Marklew - [email protected] If you would like to get in touch with any of the above committee members then please use the contact information provided. For any general enquiries/information please contact [email protected] . Don't forget to keep checking the MSA website for updates on events, info and fun & games. The website can be found at www.moseleysupporters.co.uk . Please be sure to let us know if you change any contact details so we can keep our records up to date. All money raised by the Moseley Supporters Association goes towards you, the fans, and Moseley Rugby Club. If you have any suggestions how our money can benefit either then email us with your ideas. However please bear in mind we do not have the bank balance of a Saudi Prince. MOSELEY WOMEN’S TEAM RFU Championship Midlands Division Success breeds success…….. Moseley’s highly successful women’s team enjoyed consecutive promotions to the RFU Championship Midlands Division last season where the side finished mid table. Training The women's team meet Tuesdays (8:00 - 9:30pm) and Thursdays (7:30 - 8:30pm) at Billesley. New players always welcome. Come and try a taster session or watch us play. Sponsorship On the topic of funding for next season the Ladies are looking for potential sponsors for next season. You can become the teams official sponsor for the very reasonable sum of £3,000. Don’t be put off if this is too much for you, packages for player / match ball sponsorship is also available. Contact Steph Warner to discuss ([email protected] ,07815578769) All funds raised will be used to support kit, coaching and transport costs. Fixtures Sunday, 25 March 2012 Lakenham Hewett Ladies Vs. Shelford Ladies Nottingham BC Ladies Vs. Moseley Ladies Olney Ladies Vs. Lichfield Ladies II Results Sunday, 11 March 2012 Stoneygate Ladies 22 - 5 Cambridge Select Ladies League table Team Nottingham BC Ladies Lakenham Hewett Ladies Shelford Ladies P 12 11 12 W 11 10 5 D 0 0 0 L F 1 354 1 482 7 256 A 108 80 278 Diff 246 402 -22 BP 8 9 7 Pts 52 49 27 Adjust 0 0 0 Lichfield Ladies II Olney Ladies Cambridge Select Ladies Moseley Ladies Stoneygate Ladies 9 11 11 12 12 5 4 4 3 2 0 0 0 1 1 4 7 7 8 9 130 193 191 167 120 85 264 279 378 421 45 -71 -88 -211 -301 5 5 4 4 3 25 21 20 18 13 0 0 0 0 0 MOSELEY COLTS “A PROUD TRADITION” (Under 17 through to Under 19) New Players – Under 19s and Under 17s We warmly welcome aspiring rugby players who wish to raise their game and enjoy a season with one of the top Colts squads in the country. The 2011—12 season will see the Colts defending their title in the North Midlands Colts league, participating in the prestigious National Colts Cup (Semi Finalists last season) and include fixtures this season with the Academies of Nottingham, Bedford and (new for this year) Northampton Saints. A refreshing of the coaching team at both levels including the appointment of a former Moseley Colt and England Youth International, Paul Bailey-Green, as U19 Back coach, Rob Di Leva as our Sports Therapist and the retention of last year’s successful U16 coaching team Geoff Cadogan and Mark Saunders to work with the U17 group. Your help is Needed We have received confirmation that the touring team from California, Dixon RFC will be arriving in Birmingham on Monday 2nd April and staying for 2 nights. We (probably as an U18 game) will be hosting them for a match on Tuesday 3 rd April. To date, I have had three offers of billets as a result of earlier posts. Clearly this is not enough to accommodate a tour party of 23 players (coaches and accompanying adults are staying in local hotels). Consequently, I would like to reinforce my earlier request for volunteers to provide somewhere for these young players to stay on the nights of Monday 2 nd and Tuesday 3rd? We will be providing a post-match meal on the Tuesday night but the players will need to be fed at the billets for dinner/ supper on Monday and for breakfast on Tuesday and Wednesday. They will also need to be collected from (Monday/ Tuesday evening) and dropped to (Tuesday/ Wednesday morning) the rugby club. I am assured by the tour organisers and by people associated with Moseley Rugby who have contacts with them, that these are well-behaved youngsters who will not discredit themselves, or their club in any way. I appreciate that this is a lot to ask of the volunteer helpers but if we cannot provide the players with this assistance it will seriously affect their ability to undertake this leg of their tour. In fact, I would go so far as to say that if we cannot find enough billets, the Moseley section of their trip will not take place. Most of these players are not from privileged backgrounds and hotel accommodation is beyond their financial capabilities. This tour has the full support of our club executive and as such does not simply rely on the capabilities of youth and junior sections to host overseas visitors. This request goes out, therefore, to the Moseley Rugby community in its entirety. If you are able to offer two nights’ accommodation as described, please contact me directly via [email protected] (preferred) or through the club office [email protected] An early response would be appreciated. Thanks in anticipation. – Simon Bartlett Under 19 Colts North Midlands Colts LeagueTable # 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Team Worcester Moseley Lichfield Whitchurch Stourbridge Old Halesonians Telford Hornets Pd 12 12 11 12 11 11 11 Home W D L 5 0 1 5 0 1 4 0 2 3 0 3 3 0 2 1 0 4 0 0 6 Away W D 6 0 6 0 2 0 2 0 2 0 1 0 0 0 L 0 0 2 3 4 5 5 All W D L 11 0 1 11 0 1 6 0 5 5 0 7 5 0 6 2 0 9 0 0 11 Points F A 340 86 353 108 223 142 182 187 215 268 153 280 65 460 Diff 254 245 81 -5 -53 -127 -395 Pts Adj 51 7 50 6 25 1 25 5 25 5 9 1 1 1 Last weekend the deciding fixture (Worcester v Whitchurch) was scheduled to take place. Three points adrift from Moseley at the time, Worcester had to win to ensure they ended top. Unfortunately Whitchurch were unable to fulfil the fixture and thus Worcester were awarded the points – making them North Midlands Colts League winners for 2011/12. Our congratulations to them. We’re sure they would have preferred to have been crowned winners by way of a victory as opposed to a walk over in the final game, but as can be seen in the table it has been a close tussle right the way through! Too old for the Under 19 Colts? Take a look at Moseley Oak Rugby Club our sister club which is also based at Billesley Common (details on the above website) - the natural progression to development and representative rugby. Further information on both Colts and club rugby including directions and contact details can be found at www.moseleyrugby.co.uk. - Simon Bartlett, Chairman of Youth Rugby, Any promising young players aged between 16 and 18 years who have aspirations of playing a good level of rugby are invited to attend training which takes place every Tuesday and Thursday (both 6.30pm starts). For more information please visit www.moseleyrugby.co.uk and click on ‘Colts’ or contact Simon Bartlett, Chairman of Youth Rugby whose details are below. Can you help? "Moseley have been asked to host a youth team from California USA, Dixon RFC, who are undertaking a short tour of this country in April. In order to make the trip affordable to all participants, Dixon have asked if their players (about 20 in number and aged between 16 and 18) could be hosted by families connected with Moseley for two nights. The most likely dates are Monday 2nd April and Tuesday 3rd April, which would allow a Colts XV comprising of players in the current U16 - U18 age bands to play a match against the touring team on the Tuesday evening. We are therefore appealing to any of the Moseley family who have the capacity at home and are willing to 'billet' a young player for those two nights, to contact us so that we can gauge the feasibility of this approach. Obviously this is most relevant families with players in the current Mini, Junior and Youth arms of our club but it would be extremely helpful if families from the wider spectrum of our organisation could also assist. If you feel that you can help please contact Simon Bartlett, who is initially coordinating this from our end, at [email protected] or through the club office 0121 443 3631. Many thanks in advance for your help!" For further information on any Colts activities please contact Simon Bartlett, colts’ manager, Email: [email protected] ; Mobile: 07590 424785 GET YOUR BOOTS ON! New range in the club shop We now have Mizuno rugby boots available to purchase from the Club Shop. We will be stocking junior and senior sizes in a price range from £30 to £60. http://www.mizuno.eu/en/ INTERNATIONAL PROPERTY AND INVESTMENTS A Marketing Partnership between Moseley Rugby Club and Investabroad Properties Sponsors of the National Colts Cup Introduce a buyer – we get paid, you get paid, Moseley gets paid – simple! New & resale properties in over 40 countries, plus a wide variety of ‘Alternative Investments’ Egypt market back in favour and Brazil just goes on and on! Egypt, Sharm El Sheikh – highly rated project completing December, 5 mins walk to Nabq Bay beaches, 20 mins to Naama Bay & all facilities; 1, 2 & 3 bed furnished, air conditioned apts, on site pools, spa, health club, kids’ play area, gardens & rental services; access to hotel facilities & golf course, 3 year interest free non status payment plan or 7.5% off for cash; from £33,629. Brazil, Natal – Phases 3 & 4 of successful project at Rio Grande do Norte; beach front position, sea views; apts & town houses @ pre-launch prices, fully managed international resort with all facilities on site, non-status interest free 40 month payment plan; great tourist spot – 1 million a year, so huge investment potential; 131% ROI over 5 years is forecast; 2 bed apts from £95,040. UK, Bolton – student accommodation now reported as 'UK's best sector' in property & recent Knight Frank report quotes total returns last year reaching 14.65%; former hotel in period building now converting to student accom in heart of town centre; 10% net guaranteed return, year 1, rental company in place – 25% let in 2 weeks, furniture pack & TV included; £37,500. UK, Sheffield – purpose built student development of 71 en-suite units in one of UK’s major university cities; communal kitchens & lounges on each floor; fully furnished, TV & internet connection; 10 mins walk from Sheffield Uni, 20 mins from Sheffield Hallam; 51 week tenancies, 10% net guaranteed return, year1; 125 year lease, professional management; £45,000, 4 left. USA, Illinois, Chicago – we now operate in our twin city of Chicago! This has 2 units, each with 6 rooms, both rented; total gross annual rent $25,548; US government guaranteed return of 15%, actual return of 18% - 22% expected; good medium term capital growth prospects; fully refurbished; 100% protection by UK trustee & escrow facility; price $60,000 (£37,813 today). USA, Florida, Orlando – 1 & 2 bed furnished condos, exacting spec, balconies overlook large private lake, (range of water sports); under 1 mile to Disney World, 3 to SeaWorld; on site – indoor & outdoor pools, fitness room, meeting rooms and more; rental profit $500 pm or mix short term rental & own use; from $99,900 – 80% below peak! Deposit from £4800, only 12 left. Note – all prices, availability and financial offers are subject to alteration without notice. Details and images of the above are available from Investabroad Properties. Remember – Every sale benefits Moseley Rugby Club financially So tell all your friends, relations, colleagues and other contacts Personal Payments from £100 to £1000 for every successful Introduction Investabroad Properties Ltd. Lonsdale House, 52 Blucher Street, Birmingham B1 1QU 0121 616 5108 or 07801 800201. [email protected] www.investabroadproperties.com REPRESENTATIVE Moseley Boys in Greater Birmingham Team Congratulations to the boys who represented GB in their first game of the season on Wednesday 7th March at Yardley and District RFC. The game was against Worcestershire, unfortunately Greater Birmingham lost 24-5. It was a great game and there is plenty to build on for the future. Moseley’s representatives:Adam Boot; Archie Clay; Brandon Lea; Cavan Tierney; Greg Naptin – Captain; Jack Lester; John Byrne; Ollie Brown. All players were presented with County ties post match by President of GB RFU, John Corr. MINI AND JUNIOR SECTIONUnder 7 to Under 16 “Proud Holders of the RFU Club Mark Award” Match Reports - Please! Readers do value the reports from the M&Js. If you can help your hard pressed coaches and age group managers, please volunteer your services for the odd match report. No previous experience needed – just ability to type (ish!) Parking on Sunday mornings Could we please remind everyone that parking is not permitted around the clubhouse (except for disabled drivers displaying valid blue badge disabled stickers and for short term deliveries). There’s plenty of parking in either the inner car park (off Yardley Wood Road) or the large outer car park which are both open on Sunday mornings. Under 16 Moseley 45 - 12 Barkers Butts The Billesley microclimate treated us to a rare burst of sunshine which would illuminate the Under 16’s Solar Storm on the Barkers Butts defensive line and hopefully light up the winning path towards the end of the season. As we basked in the spring sun the boys started sluggishly allowing a combative Butts pack to bulldoze their way down field. Iuean managed to get a paw over the ball and Ollie relieved pressure with firm boot up the touchline. Time to wake up. The pack sharpened up quickly and a gritty steal by Callum gave Ollie the opportunity to open up a mazy run and show the Butts defence where their concentration needed to be directed. Joe was flying high putting pressure on the opposing throw and Tom who was alert at the rear scooped up a loose tap and headed up field. Great support from Nic Baldwin kept the move alive until another technical offence thwarted the play. On a perfect day for moving the ball wide the backline began to show its potency. Dan Millar coming in looking for action found Will on hand driving through the 10 channel. Ollie was now directing operations for the second wave and quick service put Tom through a gap with Reece as an extra man behind the defence. Only one result here. 7-0. One could sense that the boys were just revving up and crisp rucking without overcommitting numbers meant the hungry hands were lined up waiting for a pass. And so it was delivered to Nick Baldwin who drew two defenders and passed out the backdoor to Ed who was screeching towards the back three defences. A dinky chip over the fullback was gathered sweetly and rewarded with a run in under the sticks. Converted by Reece. 14-0. Mose were making full use of the purple patch with Spud and Paddy driving the hard yards. More tidy passing through Danny Moore and Callum sent Nick Boddington through to rack up another score. 19-0. Praise must go to Iuean who took ownership of every kick off and made yards to boot. No chance of me moaning about letting the ball bounce this week! Conrad was in the face of every Butts attack and never gave them an inch to move. As we know Butts are a physical and capable side and when they did get close they showed real patience and methodically went through the phases until a gap opened up for a score.19-7. The boys got straight back into the game and continued with quick ball theme that will take apart many a side. Butts feeling the pressure began to kick position away but Nick was so on his positional game that it seemed like the ball was on a wire into his arms. He was also right on his counter attacking game and brought the ball back in from deep. A chip and gather combined with an offload to Ollie set up the next score. 24-7. Butts played to their strengths and spearheaded a perfect rolling maul of 30 metres resulting in a break off and well deserved try. 24-12. The second half saw the lads take pride in their defence and big tackles from Callum and Reece kept the defensive line intact. Con was working the fringes and Lewis was repelling breaks down the narrow side. This was encouraging as Butts play an effective pod system and once this was contained we looked in control of the game. The Mose scrum was as solid as ever and the reshuffled backline was moving the ball around and tiring the opposition defenders. Andy at scrum half was offering a nicely varied game of passing and breaking and a superbly timed pass brought Nick through the defence and over for a try to round off a fine performance. 31-12. Butts were losing concentration and Will, ever alert tapped a quick penalty to find himself in a world of open space and time to brew a cuppa before crossing the white line. 31-12. Dan Millar benevolently helping out the opposition used his inside knowledge to pull one back for Butts. 31-17.The feast was finished with another slick backs move and I could have told the last defender that Tom was never going to pass that close to the line as he ran in the final try. An exceptional kicking display by Reece as ever finished the scoring at 45-12. Will Murphy Birmingham Solihull ‘Bees’ festival Under 10 With it gloriously sunny, the under 10s assembled at Bees’ Portway ground. We found ourselves drawn in a League with Lichfield, Bees and Bromsgrove ‘B’. Squad: Stan, Archie, Alfie, Callum, Hector, Adam, Max, Ollie, Cameron, Joe, Jamie, Kyron, Tom and Ed. Game 1 Moseley 25 – 5 Bromsgrove Tries: Kyron, Alfie, Ollie x2, Stan Game 2 Moseley 5 – 5 Bees 5 Try: Hector Game 3 Moseley 5 – 0 Lichfield Try: Kyron By virtue of having won two and drawn one, Moseley topped their League and were drawn against Sutton in the semi-finals. Semis: Moseley 0 – 10 Sutton This was a much tighter game than the two try defeat suggested. Moseley spent in fact much of the first half camped in the Sutton half, but were unable to break down their stubborn defence. The Sutton try arose from a lucky break out. Second half, Moseley seemed to be on the receiving end of the ref’s whistle which dulled the momentum. A Sutton try settled matters in the final minute. There was no disgrace in Moseley’s defeat. It had been an all-round team performance. Those who scored did so because their team mates created opportunities for them. The coaches were particularly satisfied that every boy had played their part, and in many cases significantly upped their game. Nick Crowson Under 8 Beautiful day, everyone played really really well ..... Game One V Sutton Coldfield Moseley won 5 - 2 Tries - Elliott x 2, Sion x 2, Rufus x 1 Game Two V Stratford Moseley lost 7 - 3 Tries - Elliott x 2, Rufus x 1 Game 3 V Bromsgrove Moseley lost 5 - 2 Tries - Elliott x 1, Seb x 1 Game 4 V Silhillians Moseley lost 5 - 2 Tries Elliott x 1, Will x 1 All the boys tried really really hard; best I have seen most of them play. Really good tagging and support play - the boys should be proud of themselves. See you next week Rich.... Under 7 Lichfield 4 Moseley 2 Bromsgrove 6 Moseley 2 Sills 7 Moseley 4 2011/12 FIXTURES . Season 2011/12 Fixture List Sat Sat Sat Sat Sat Wed Sat Sun Sat Wed Sun Sat Fri Sat Sat Sat Sun Sat Sat Sat Mon Sat Sat Sat Sat Fri Sun Sat Sat Sat Fri 20th August 27th August 3rd September 10th September 17th September 21st September 24th September 2nd October 8th October 12th October 16th October 22nd October 28th October 5th November 12th November 19th November 27th November 3rd December 10th December 17th December 26th December 31st December 7th January 14th January 21st January 27th January th 11 February 18th February 25th February 3rd March th 9 March Sun th 4.30pm 3.00pm 3.00pm 3.00pm 2.30pm 7.30pm 3.00pm 2.00pm 3.00pm 7.45pm 3.00pm 3.00pm 7.45pm 3.00pm 3.00pm 3.00pm 3.00pm 3.00pm 3.00pm 2.00pm 3.00pm 2.00pm 3.00pm 1.00pm 7.30pm 3.00pm 3.00pm 2.00pm 7.30pm 18 March 3.00pm 24th March 3.00pm 31st March 7th April 3.00pm 14th April 3.00pm 21st April 28th April 3.00pm Sat Sat Sat Sat Sat Sat Sat 5th May Sat Sat Sat 12th May 19th May 26th May Pre-Season Pre-Season Championship Championship Championship B&I Cup Championship Championship Championship B&I Cup Championship Championship Championship Championship B&I Cup Championship Championship Championship Championship B&I Cup Championship Championship Championship Championship B&I Cup Championship Championship Championship Championship Championship Play offs Championship Play offs Championship Play offs Championship Play offs B&I Cup Championship Play offs Championship Play offs B&I Cup Championship SemiFinal Championship SemiFinal Championship Final Championship Final Home Aberavon Moseley Moseley Moseley Doncaster Moseley Moseley London Scottish Moseley Bristol Leeds Moseley Plymouth Albion Moseley Cross Keys Bedford Nottingham Moseley Esher Moseley Moseley London Welsh Moseley Rotherham Quarter Final Moseley Bristol Moseley Cornish Pirates Blank Weekend v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v Away Moseley Bedwas Cornish Pirates Nottingham Moseley Plymouth Albion Esher Moseley London Welsh Moseley Moseley Rotherham Moseley Bristol Moseley Moseley Moseley Doncaster Moseley Munster London Scottish Moseley Leeds Moseley v v v v Plymouth Albion Moseley Bedford Moseley Moseley v Plymouth Albion London Scottish v Moseley Moseley v Esher Esher Semi Final v Moseley Moseley v London Scottish Plymouth Albion Final v Moseley 1st Leg 2nd leg 1st Leg 2nd leg CONTACTS AND LINKS MOSELEY RUGBY CLUB, Billesley Common, Yardley Wood Road, Billesley, Birmingham B13 0TP Tel: 0121-443-3631 Fax: 0121-443-3631 All contact details for all sections of the club can be found on the club website. www.moseleyrugby.co.uk . If in any doubt about who to contact, email [email protected] or ring the club office on 0121 443 3631 Clubhouse bookings and enquiries: All bookings and enquiries should be made to Bill Redwood, Club Manager. Sponsorship and Commercial Club Commercial Manager: Alan Potter on 07530 105289 or 0121 443 3631 or email [email protected] or [email protected] . Further details on packages available are on the club website. Click on ‘commercial’ In the highly unlikely event that anyone wants to unsubscribe to Moseley Matters , simply email [email protected] with ‘unsubscribe’ as the subject heading.