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BRIDGWATER & ALBION v

SATURDAY 7 DECEMBER 2024 KICK-OFF 1400

FIRST HALF OF SEASON RUN DOWN WITH BOTH SIDES SEEKING ELUSIVE VICTORY

Today we welcome Cinderford II to College Way for their second visit. Our visitors are in the rather strange position of being bottom of the league after excelling in their two seasons at this level to date when in both 2022/23 and 2023/24 they won the league but of course were unable to be promoted due to the status of their 1st XV.

Cinderford first appeared in this league in 2022/23 and were clearly grateful for the opportunity to play regular fixtures and they excelled with a 20-1 record pipping Longlevens – the only team to have beaten them; in 2023/24 they had a 17-2 record and were adjudged winners of WCN after their last two matches v Clifton II and Clevedon were voided as being outside of the league season. Again they could not be promoted and Longlevens duly went up. During that season they gave two excellent displays against us winning 66-12 here in October 2023 and 59-0 at St Peters School, Gloucester at the end of January.

With Cinderford 1st XV being relegated from National 1 last season, it appears that the toll of that has been felt by this 2nd XV who have won one match at home to Burnham-on-Sea and drawn with Gordon League but gone down in their remaining matches including 0-40 at home to Clifton II last week and 24-36 v Taunton II previously. They have a 1-1-8 record with just one point as they have defaulted two matches at Old Redcliffians II and Cleve – our last opponents. Like ourselves, they will be looking to stir themselves in this last game of the first half of the season to obtain some impetus for the second half which starts immediately next week.

Bridgwater & Albion will also view today’s match as being vital and indeed, over the next four matches, performances could well determine our fate this season. Admittedly these have been improved in recent weeks despite some of the scorelines and at Cleve last week, despite the home sides scoring 68 points, we secured a 4 try bonus point quite commendably. In the first half we had a significant amount of territory forcing the home side to run the ball from deep in their own half which of course they did successfully. There was sufficient spirit to enable us to hit back with our own scores from time to time and the bonus point was well received. That followed another good performance against Chew Valley in the Somerset Cup – Chew had not won a game this season but were of course successful but are some two leagues higher. In that Cup game, Dan Lang finally made his 50th appearance in the 1st XV almost ten years on from his debut in December 2024 and more about him in this programme.

Bridgwater & Albion is quickly back in action next Friday evening against Chard seeking to overturn the narrow 25-26 defeat in the second match of the season – agonisingly conceded in the last seconds of the match. The New Year opens with the visit of Burnham who also struggled this season so this trio of matches straddling the Christmas period will be all important.

UNITED XV LEFT IN THE LURCH

Our buoyant 2nd XV were left kicking their heels last Saturday as scheduled opponents Wellington II cried off, giving us a home walkover. This was a pity as we were looking for the momentum gained from the excellent result at Tor the previous week when in wet and windy conditions we played the elements superbly to win 39-12. Today, the United are at Somerton closing down the first half of a very successful season to date and are away again next Saturday at Hornets before returning to College Way for the pre-Christmas match on 21 December against Crewkerne. They have beaten both of these opponents in the first half and will be seeking to complete the doubles.

DIRTRACKERS READY FOR ACTION AGAIN

After the victory over Morganians on 16 November 26-22, the Dirtrackers have been without matches in the last two weeks and will be anxious to get back in to action on the back pitch against Hornets 4ths today. Next week, they are scheduled to visit Tor II before returning to College Way on 21 December to meet Weston-super-Mare 3rd XV.

WOMEN’S XV AWAIT NEXT FIXTURE

Our Women’s XV fixture against Bideford was cancelled due to adverse weather and the next scheduled match is on Sunday 15 December at Okehampton.

DAN A LANG 17.12.1989

Dan Lang – our long-serving centre/wing three-quarter – finally made his 50th appearance in our 1st XV in the Cup match against Chew Valley on 22 November. Dan came up through our Mini, Junior and Youth Section appearing in our Colts XV and then came in to senior rugby. He has always been a steady and very competent player either in the middle of the field or on the wing and served a long apprenticeship in our 2nd XV before making his 1st XV mark on 1 December 2024. He played four times in the 2013/14 season and there was then another long gap until his next appearances in 2017/18. However in the last two seasons, he has upped his 1st XV appearances with 13 in 2022/23 and 18 last season when he scored his first try. He has appeared in 7 of our 1st XV matches this season scoring a further try.

Dan has been one of those invaluable club players who can be relied upon to be regularly available and to play to a good level and he has done an excellent job as our captain of the 2nd XV over the past few seasons, despite his more frequent appearances up above. His service to the club has been magnificent and his loyalty second to none. He will have relished his 50th appearance and is no doubt looking for more. We look forward to his continuing presence.

JH Hall; Lang W Kerry Basson Webb; Heal Knights; T Buller Dunn Spellisey Blundell Kemmish Bryant Hastie Bussell. Rep Page-Symonds

Dunn (T) Kerry (T) Heal (3PC)

NEXT PLAYER LANDMARKS

James Collings needs 3 more matches to complete 100; Dan Hill requires 3 appearances to make 50; James “Forest” Brakes who has reappeared in our 3rd XV needs 2 for his 50th appearance; Graham Slorance is 7 short of the same 50 mark. All to play for lads.

LONG LOST AUSTRALIAN RETURNS TO BRIDGWATER & ALBION

Last weekend Ashley Goldsborough made a return visit to Bridgwater & Albion (at a different ground to what he was used to) to renew acquaintances with players with whom he appeared in the 1993/94 season.

At the end of the 1980’s, Albion attracted various overseas players with first John Reuben from New Zealand appearing in 1988/89; closely followed by Mike Crawford – again from New Zealand in the 1990/91 season; in the following season 1991/92 we were blessed with three New Zealanders – Glen Maxwell, Jeff Thompson and Ritchie Taylor. Thompson stayed on to serve us for the 1992/93 season. Recruitment turned to Australia for the 1993/94 season with Ashley and Adam Snow appearing for us. Ashley played at scrum-half and Adam in the back row. Ashley made his debut for Albion in the fourth match of the season on 18 September 1993 in a home game against Camborne which we lost 10-15. The Bridgwater & Albion team on his debut was:-

M Stokes; S Edmonds D Buller P Tarr S Smith; M Whittington A Goldsborough; M Tompkins G Gaylard L Steward, G Buller J Colburn R Hayes C Rees, G Whitcombe. Reps: N Bell, GJB Williams.

Tompkins Try and Whittington Penalty and Conversion were our scorers.

Ashley went on to make a further eight appearances in the following games:-

Okehampton W 29-28

Weston-super-Mare W 30-7

Reading L 8-52

Brixham W 16-6

Barnstaple W 11-8

Bath United D 5-5

Clevedon W 27-16

Nuneaton L 21-51

He scored tries in the matches against Clevedon and Nuneaton.

Ashley was also an unused replacement in the Somerset County Cup Final against Clevedon on 21 April 1994 when we won 15-10.

One of his claims to fame would be that he played (as did Adam Snow) in the last match ever on the Broadway (Taunton Road) ground v Hornets on 30 April 1994 in a 24-11 victory. The game and the occasion were celebrated wildly and ironically the club dinner the following week took place in the then new premises at College Way.

Albion were then in SW2 league finishing fourth but the highlight of the season was the club’s Cup run in the Pilkington Cup where we reached the fourth round having beaten Old Mid Whitgiftians 12-8; Camborne 2120; Clifton 24-12 before succumbing to mighty Newcastle/Gosforth 10-53 just before Christmas 1993. All of our matches in this run were away from home.

Ashley and Adam made a great contribution to Bridgwater & Albion play during the season both at 1st XV and United XV levels and clearly have never been forgotten. The club welcomes Ashley back to Bridgwater & Albion and hopes that he will enjoy his stay and his reminiscences.

Yesterday on 6 December our stalwart second row/prop, former President and life member Richard Bell attained the grand old age of 80. The club congratulates him on achieving this age landmark and is extremely grateful for his magnificent service over the years. A full profile of Richard’s career will be contained in our next programme against Chard next week.

NEXT MATCHES ON THIS GROUND

Friday 13 December

1st XV v Chard

Saturday 21 December

United XV v Crewkerne

Dirtrackers v Weston-super-Mare 3rd XV

Saturday 4 January 2025

1st XV v Burnham-on-Sea

Kick-off 1930

Kick-off 1400