27th October  2007 - Hull Ionians  17  Morley  10  - National 3 North - Programme Notes

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Editors Notes:

·      Welcome to Morley on a day when we can enjoy another Yorkshire fixture, hopefully with fixtures between the two clubs for all three of our teams, a rare event these days. Morley has had a mixed start to the season winning 2, drawing at Macclesfield and loosing 4. Their victories have been at home to Bradford & Bingley and West Park while they picked up loosing bonus points at Darlington and last week at promotion candidates Preston. Like most matches in our league predicting the winner is proving difficult, it seems to depend which team turns up!

·      Those of you who use the Internet may have noticed that the Hull Sports Mail is now a web site, not a newspaper, and we have our own pages on it. I have editorial control on them except the entry page, the news & reports page and the forum. The pages include an Ionians Forum page where you may register and add your own comments. The Hawks are using this page to communicate their team selection, while several more are also adding comments. Please feel free to join them – but please remember you are on a public domain.

·      While talking about the Hawks, those who saw last weeks match certainly enjoyed an action packed game with 13 tries scored with the Hawks scoring on the final whistle to claim a 40-37 victory. With our injury situation improving and our Hull University players now with us they are starting to play some good rugby and provide excellent entertainment value. So if you don’t travel to the away matches come down and watch and support them, next week they are at home to Huddersfield, kick-off 2.15.

·      The two months before Christmas creates an opportunity for you all to support and enjoy many social events at the club. Tonight the Rugby Social Committee have organised a Cowboys and Indians night, which is sure to be lively and entertaining. Fireworks night is Monday November 5^th when we have one of the best displays in the area, be here by 7pm. The Mini Junior section has organised a Live Band & Supper Evening on Saturday November 10^th, advance booking essential via the office or Richard Palmer. Friday December 14^th & 21^st we have our Christmas party Nights which are booking up well, so a good night is guaranteed, why not bring your group of friends or office party here too. Then we close the year with a New Years Eve Dinner and disco, which is also an excellent night. See the web site www.hull-ionians.com, notice boards or contact the office for more details.

·        With the clocks going back tonight we now move to winter kick-off times. Next week at Preston it is still 3pm, while on Sunday week at Beverley it is 2.15. Our next home match is on November 17^th with Altrincham Kersal in the Cup, kick-off will be at 2.00pm. The other fixtures in the cup of interest are Leigh v Preston Grasshoppers; Macclesfield v Beverley; Morley v Caldy; Morpeth v Hull; Tynedale v Darlington Mowden Park & Westoe v Fylde.

·      Our referee today is David Sainsbury. David started refereeing in 1980 and joined the RFU Panel of Referees in 1991. He still finds time to teach at the Weald School, a large comprehensive in his hometown of Billinghurst, Sussex, where he lives with his family. His refereeing career has taken him to all parts of the UK, and to Canada, France, Holland, Denmark and Spain. He has continued to coach his school teams and has recently started working as a referee coach as well. Once a keen cricketer, golf seems to be occupying more of his summer leisure nowadays.

·      Our Touch Judges today are Rhys Davies and Peter Brudenell. Rhys comes up from Leicestershire and we have already met in September as well as in previous years when he was refereeing, while Peter, from Warwickshire, we met last year at home to Macclesfield and at Preston.

Brian Norman
Programme Editor

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