SATURDAY 12 OCTOBER 2024 KICK-OFF 1500
FIRST MEETING OF CLUBS WHO BOTH NEED TO KICK START THEIR SEASONS
Today we welcome Chosen Hill Former Pupils to College Way for the clubs’ first encounter at any level so we are both into the unknown. The Gloucester-based club have plied their skills mainly in Gloucestershire Premier and Western Counties North leagues since foundation from 1987. They were relegated from this league at the end of the 2018/19 season but bounced back immediately as champions of Gloucestershire Premier in the 2019/20 Covidaffected season. In the next actual playing season in 2021/22, they finished third in WCN and thereafter the leagues were restructured so Chosen Hill were placed in Regional 2 Severn for 2022/23 where they finished a comfortable 6th. Alas, they were relegated at the end of last season finishing 11th
This season, they made a good start with an away win at newly promoted Gordon League 2119 but have succumbed 11-29 at front runners Cleve and 26-64 at Nailsea & Backwell in their last outing as long ago as 21 September – as their match against Old Redcliffians II the following week was postponed. They have therefore not played for three weeks and will be anxious to get back on trail and pick up points to catch up. They lie in 10th place with a 1-2 record and 5 points. We wish them well today and for the season – they will be passing this way again next week with a visit to Taunton II who will be appearing here in our next home game on 26 October.
Bridgwater & Albion – having made a reasonable performance start to the season at home to Nailsea & Backwell and at Chard – will be looking to pick up the pieces from two heavy defeats at home to Old Redcliffians II and then at Burnham-on-Sea two weeks ago. The unusual early season break last week has no doubt given some opportunity of food for thought and some reappraisal. Today against opponents also feeling their way in a new league – hopefully there is an opportunity to make better progress. Albion have suffered from early season injuries with Lewis Pleece, Kyran Devitt, Harrison Cornish and Jake Knight all ruled out. Conversely Rowan Traynor, Charlie Willcox, Oli Howley and Stef Pierce have all made promising debuts. In the game at Burnham, Jay Owens made his 100th appearance in the 1st XV and all of Dan Lang, Tom Hopkins and Gavin Knight are set to achieve their own personal notable landmarks in the next few games. The return of Jon Hill from Australia has also proved opportune.
It is quite clear that after these early season games that WCN is a much more competitive league this season due to the quality of the teams coming in – Taunton II and Gordon League – and also those coming down namely today’s visitors Chosen Hill, Chard and Burnham-onSea. Without any disrespect to the teams relegated out of this league last season, these new participants are clearly much stronger. What we must remember is that we completed the double over all of the relegated sides last season – Barton Hill who demised part-way through; Chipping Sodbury who did not win a game; and Clevedon and Midsomer Norton who gave stronger opposition but whom we beat quite comfortably on both occasions. Today’s match and next week at Old Bristolians will give us a better gauge of Albion’s potential to get back into the challenging pack before we receive Taunton II in our next home match.
UNITED XV MAINTAIN MOMENTUM
Our United XV made it four wins out of four with a fine 46-38 victory over a game Wyvern XV two weeks ago. Surging into an early lead before Wyvern opened their scoring, whilst Albion always had the game in hand they need to be wary of Wyvern’s significant come-back powers. The visitors pulled back from 0-19 and later from 19-39 to make a game of it but fortunately Albion were able to get the vital score to stay ahead. Last night, the team was at Weston-super-Mare II hoping to make it five on the trot.
DIRTRACKERS JUST MISS OUT
Our resurrected Dirtrackers XV played an entertaining match on the back pitch two weeks ago, going down 21-31 to Yeovil II in a game which swayed back and forth. Yet again the combination of young exuberant aspirants and gnarled veterans produced some enterprising football but sadly not enough to eclipse the more rampant visitors. Today, the DT’s are at Burnham-on-Sea II.
WOMEN’S XV BOUNCE BACK
Our Women’s XV - having suffered a heavy defeat in their first league outing at Devonport Services – bounced back well to defeat Gordano in the Papa John’s Cup 31-19 two weeks ago. This win will have restored spirits and hopefully a good omen for tomorrow’s visit to Helston for their second league outing of the season. As previously indicated, we are in a South West league with a substantial element of travelling to the depths of Devon and Cornwall which will be a test of both endurance and spirit.
COLTS XV GET UNDER WAY
Several of last season’s Colts are already making good headway in our senior sides – their successors have started their season with a win over Minehead Barbarians and a narrow defeat against Chard but they are training hard to emulate the success of the 2023/24 side –it just shows how vital a Colts XV is to other parts of the club with the senior element being refreshed with the new recruits this season.
NEXT MATCHES ON THIS GROUND
Saturday 19 October
United XV v Chard II
Dirtrackers v Martock
Saturday 26 October
1st XV v Taunton II
Sunday 27 October
Women’s XV v Winscombe
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FATHER MICHAEL KITCHENER RALPH DERRICK D’MELLO
Bridgwater & Albion received the sad news of the death of Father Michael Derrick on Friday 20 September. Mike was a popular member of the club on the playing side for a span of approximately 35 years from the early 1960’s through to the mid-1990’s. Even after his professional vocation took him away from the area he still looked in upon us whenever possible, whether at College Way or when the club was visiting various venues around Bristol.
I first knew Mike when he played in the Westover School sides against my school in the early 1960’s and when I joined Bridgwater & Albion Colts in 1965, then Mike was already incumbent. We played together in the 1964/65 and 1965/66 seasons with Mike remaining a further year in 1966/67 when he surprised everyone and perhaps including himself by being selected for the Somerset County Colts XV.
When he left school, he obtained a place at St Luke’s College, Exeter where he trained for his school teaching career. Mike never had any serious aspirations to be a top player – he simply enjoyed playing the game and being involved in it. Hence whilst at College, he rubbed shoulders with the considerable array of rugby football talent which abounded in those days and took his place in the lower sides as well as assisting the local Exeter Saracens club. Of course, during vacations he appeared for Bridgwater & Albion, mainly in the 3rd XV (Athletic XV – later Dirttrackers XV). From time to time he assisted our United XV and became a stalwart member of our Veterans XV. Mike was predominantly a full-back with his own individual style setting him apart from any others in that position. He was an excellent handler and catcher of the ball with a pronounced basket type catch and once he had looked at the ball and propelled it with its lace facing upwards (remember the laces?) then he had a fine boot to put the ball away. Mind you, all this fastidious activity allowed the opposition to perhaps put him under pressure and so the rest of his team covered frantically just in case of any mishaps. If you heard the call “No problem – my ball” then that was a hint for colleagues to dash back to help. He also appeared in the centre and on the wing and later surprisingly at prop!
Mike played and followed the game of rugby football assiduously with an in depth knowledge of teams and players – not only locally but even on the national scene. He was always perceptive and up-to-date with what was happening in the rugby football world and with particular reference to changes in its laws etc. Accordingly, when there was no referee available, Mike willingly took up the whistle and did a fine job as well. I can recall several instances where his humour assisted the flow of the game. After leaving College, Mike taught variously at Priory and Bishop Foxes Schools in Taunton and on one occasion, we were playing a Taunton side with Mike refereeing and he admonished a Taunton player with the words –“What will your mother say when I tell her what you have just done to that player?” – enough said – the words did the trick. Another occasion on an Easter Saturday at Victoria Park, Bridgwater, Mike was refereeing the Dirtrackers against Royal Sun Alliance – a touring side when an almighty hailstorm interrupted the game. Without blowing his whistle, Mike was the first to dash from the field to the protection of the hedgerows around the ground, followed by 29 of the players – one dissented! Many of his other idiosyncrasies kept his teammates fully amused. In his younger days, Mike was a smoker and so he puffed away up until kick-off time; placed his fags and matches in his shorts pocket and played. To his horror and to our laughter, a loose ball caught his shorts in the pocket and temporarily set him alight – it was probably the fastest he had ever moved.
When the club had some difficulty in finding someone to organise our Colts XV – Mike took up the mantle – again willingly – and it was his guidance which brought many young players through the initial stages of their careers with the club. He also wrote programmes for our 1st team matches amplifying his extensive knowledge of the club and its opponents with many tales to tell. He thoroughly enjoyed his time in our Veterans XV – particularly when scoring many tries where his fine positioning and astuteness put him in the right place to accept the last pass. I referred to Mike also playing as a prop and that was an attribute to his bodybuilding/weightlifting attachment to the club at the top of St Johns Street where he also resided. He was certainly always adaptable.
Priest and accordingly took himself off to Rome to train and study for that purpose. He of course succeeded and was duly ordained as the Parish Priest at Christ The King in Knowle West in Bristol – perhaps a somewhat notorious area of the city but Mike had no qualms about that and he certainly appeared to have soothed the minds and the ways of life of his many parishioners who looked fondly upon him for his guidance. Much to our great delight, he often returned to Bridgwater – fully robed – and also appeared at some of our matches when we were playing in the Bristol area. He also returned to bless weddings or to give eulogies at funerals of various Bridgwater & Albion stalwarts; he did me the extreme honour of speaking at my rugby football retirement dinner with considerable insight and above all, humour.
Father Mike - also known as Pope Mike or Bo (Beau) – was a kindly, humorous and knowledgeable man on many fronts. He was a great loyal and caring teammate who thoroughly enjoyed his long attachment to the club.
The club offers its sincere condolences to members of Mike’s family and friends with thanks for his involvement and connections over these last 60 years.
100 UP FOR JAY OWENS AT BURNHAM-ON-SEA
Jay Owens – Bridgwater & Albion’s current 1st XV stand-off – made his 100th 1st XV appearance in the match at Burnham-on-Sea on Friday 27 September.
Jay was awarded his 1st XV badge on his 75th appearance in the last game of the 2022/23 season against Wellington and has now moved speedily on to the 100 mark. He has excellent Albion pedigree as he came up through our Mini and Junior Section and through the Colts XV before making his 1st XV debut in a Somerset Cup match at Taunton in November 2013. Thereafter he took his time in establishing a regular place in the side but he assisted our United XV to an unbeaten Somerset Premier season along the way. He is capable of playing in all of the back positions outside of scrum-half and has mainly appeared in the centre and now at stand-off. Appearing in 21 of our 23 matches in 2023/24, he has expanded his range of kicking and passing skills considerably, making him a much more rounded player and one capable of leading our back division to more sparkling play. He is a more than adequate backup goal-kicker as his record suggests.
Jay has appeared in all four of our matches this season to date, scoring a try and two penalties in the opening match against Nailsea & Backwell and also kicking two conversions at Burnham. At 29 years of age, he has plenty of time for further and considerable involvement – we thank him for his efforts to date and look forward to much more to come.
JAY OWENS 12.05.1995
