Next season - new rivals

[CJB1]

The season's not quite over yet, but we already know the identities of some of the new teams in the league.

Coming down from the Championship are our old mates Rotherham, still playing at Clifton Lane. The clubhouse is very traditional with good beer and a nice pie, the stand is small, the pitch a bit undersized and balls occasionally fly out of play into the street below. But the Roth fans are friendly, and I'm sure we will look forward to entertaining them and to visiting their humble abode.

Coming up from National 2 South is Cinderford. One or two of our players have played there, I think. From what I can tell, their ground is close to the town centre, and appears to have a clubhouse, maybe a small stand, and plenty of parking. Has anyone been there before, especially recently, to report on what we may expect?

In National 2 North, it's close between Sedgley Park, who we will remember from level 2 a few years ago, and Sale FC, the club that remained at Heywood Road when Sale Sharks went on their travels to Stockport and ultimately to Peel Green. Sale are currently 1pt ahead of Park with a game in hand, so let's assume that works for them. Heywood Road appears to have stands either side and boxes at one end. Parking appears to be a bit cramped, but it's a short walk from a tram station. No idea about the clubhouse and what facilities there are, again reports from recent visitors would be good.

They will be joined by the winners of a playoff between Sedgley Park and Chinnor RFC. Chinnor are just off the M40 near Princes Risborough, Park are up in Whitefield near Bury. Anyone want to share experiences of these clubs?

[grooveavenue]

Nice one CJB1. Never been to any of the rugga grounds but Cinderford nice trip westwards. Sedgley Park and Sale are my old haunts with old ghosts to meet up with. Chinnor near to old haunt in Berkhamsted ditto ghosts!!

[southernmose]

I've been praying for Chinnor to come up ever since we got relegated. They're the closest club of any standard to me down here and I go and see them a couple of times a season. No stands of any sort, but a good clubhouse, with a balcony which you can watch from, and a separate room for those having the lunch. They're playing good, fast running rugby, marshalled by the evergreen ex-Ealing Phil Chesters, who is this season high in the top N2S point scorers.

Really friendly club, bar in the clubhouse, second shed selling (draught) beer along the touchline, and a similar cabin selling food. Filming done like ours used to be from some frankly precarious looking scaffolding opposite the clubhouse. Tenner to get in, inc car parking, free programme.

Which brings us to.... there is some serious money at and around Chinnor. For an N2S outfit their programme (I've got one in front of me from the match v Redruth the other week) is full colour, runs to 38 pages, and evinces a great deal of sponsorship from local and regional business.

Their ground is celebrated(!) in N2S for being the coldest place in the world, so they should be our unofficial twin....

Worth noting that despite their name, they haven't actually played in Chinnor for donkeys' years, the ground at Kingsey Road is in Thame. Public transport is questionable frankly - train from Moor St to Haddenham and Thame Parkway on the Marylebone line then a tax is probably the best bet.

I think I'm going to the (one legged) playoff, as Chinnor are at home thanks to points scored.

I REALLY want them to come up, and not just because they're local. It's a grass roots rugby club but a good one and well worth a visit. Put it this way, if I didn't support Mose, or Mose went under (God forbid), I'd have no problem supporting them.

Hardcore of 250 or so home fans. More for the big games.

[CJB1]

Just had a gander at Sedgley Park, ground in the middle of nowhere next to a golf club (nowhere near Sedgley Park itself, which is the other side of Prestwich), appears to have a clubhouse with a car park at one end and a stand on the halfway line. Within shouting distance of the M60 but you have to go round the block a bit to reach it, nearest junction being J17, A56 at Besses o'th' Barn. There used to be a famous brass band from there, I wonder if it's still going.

And the answer is Yes!

[rogerhildreth]

The old Sale ground has a great clubhouse IIRC. Lack of stands in recent promoted clubs and potential promotees concerns me. What about supporters not in the first flush of youth. Just saying.

[londonexile]

Apr 23, 2018 14:40:44 GMT southernmose said:

I've been praying for Chinnor to come up ever since we got relegated. They're the closest club of any standard to me down here /quote]
They would be another 'home' game for me too, well 40 minutes drive up the M40!

[kingsheathlad]

Been to Sedgley Park when they were in the Championship with us.Can`t remember much about the ground but we won. I have been to watch a game at Cinderford a few seasons back when Moseley had no game in the Champoinship and went there as nearest ground to where I lived.Nice clubhouse,smallish town.

[southernmose]

Apr 23, 2018 19:17:55 GMT londonexile said:

Apr 23, 2018 14:40:44 GMT southernmose said:

I've been praying for Chinnor to come up ever since we got relegated. They're the closest club of any standard to me down here /quote]
They would be another 'home' game for me too, well 40 minutes drive up the M40!

I can do it in 15 with a following wind...😉

[kimbo]

IIRC (from my last visit many years ago, for a cup game, so that dates it) Sedgley Park's ground is fine, with a grandstand to one side, and a clubhouse set fairly well back and (I think) at an angle to the end of the pitch. Seem to recall a balcony on it too, but memory dims!

[kingsheathlad]

Chinnor beat Sedgley Park 40~31 in play off.

[CJB1]

Some comment from Rolling Maul:

Sedge Tiger writes of Sale FC: "Having visited a great many stadiums in one way or other over many seasons I can say Heywood Road home of Sale is one of the best grounds to visit. A really good traditional rugby ground. In the ground or Little B's outside, or onward to Sale or Altrincham after the game, you cant go wrong. Great day out."

And OldNick says of Cinderford: "Cinderford was one of my favourites to visit.

"Cinderford itself is a rough little town. The club is virtually in the centre, and it's easy to turn into the Co-op supermarket car-park by accident rather than into the club. The the bulk of the car park is behind the clubhouse backing on to the supermarket. They have a decent traditional clubhouse on the left side of the access road, well worth visiting, with a big clubroom at the back as well as a bar at the front - almost more of a standard old WMC than a rugby club. To get to the pitch you cross the access road and go up some steps through an old fashioned cast iron fence to the pitch side. There is some shelter (including a small stand) , and outdoor catering (solid and liquid, hot and cold). The pitch slopes up away from the side you entered on a hillside, with housing above it, and fields beyond. It's all pretty windy and exposed, and can be horrible when it's damp. The stand only protects you from weather coming from the north west. This is not the prevailing wind. Dress up well.

"It's a proper club, with a proper clubhouse, and a muddyd pitch with ankle length grass hiding the roughness. The atmosphere int he ground and the clubhouse afterwards is excellent. Well worth a visit."

Member728 says, also of Cinderford: "Monds seconds have played them every year for a long time. The car parking most belongs to the Supermarket next door the club can use it but not on a Saturday. It can be deceptively cold as it is quite high up. Also not easy to get to by public transport. They have a modern club house with 2 bars and if you like cider ..... They are passionate about rugby and can make the Shed look diplomatic but they are very welcoming worth a visit."

[CJB1]

Just to add that, while it's not finally decided, with Cov having departed our league, Cinderford may end up becoming our Christmas opponents, meaning we'd also meet them in the second game of the season. We're trying to wangle that we get the December game at home. But the fixtures computer (actually a bloke in a shed in Kinver) has yet to resolve all the implications of the movements caused by promotion and relegation, and is probably still using a 1970's AA Reader's Digest Book of the Road to work out the distances between grounds.