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Hooker - Jonny MathewsBroadstreet RFC open their second National League 2 North Fixtures with a repeat of the opening season fixture 2014 -2015. The opening game ended Sedgley Park 24 Broadstreet 15 with tries from Tigers tries coming from scrum half - Callum McShane and Full Back - Andy Riley. Broadstreet welcomed Sedgley Park for the final game of 2014 -2015 reversing their opening day result with a 35 -26 Victory in a nine try thriller, try scorers for Sedgley Park this time were Matthew Riley with a brace,Callum McShane and tight head prop forward Ben Black, Stephen Collins Providing the extras
Sedgley have recruited over the close season and former Rotherham Hooker Jonny Mathews will hope to influence with players to watch Matt Lamprey, Coaches player of the year loose head prop forward Max Ashcroft, Seconf Row, Players Player and captain Juan Crous and Richard Wainwright could also be players to watch if selected.
Their top try scorers from last season were The Rugby Papers Dream team member Full back - Andrew Riley with 16 tries and 2 conversions, Inside Centre - Matt Riley scoring 15 tries 31 conversions, 9 penalties and the single drop goal. Number 8 - Mathew Lamprey crossed the whitewash 12 times as did Scrum Half - Callum McShane. Fly Half - Steve Collins also influencing highly from the boot with 42 Conversions and 26 Penalties.
Sedgley's recruitment over the close season has been biased towards forwards so there will be players looking to make their mark.
Sedgley Park Tigers History
Sedgley Park is a district of Manchester about two miles north of the city centre (go past Strangeways!) and here, in 1932 at a public meeting in a temperance bar, of all places, the club began. The very first ground was a farmer’s field in Whitefield, and they have never actually played in Sedgley Park itself.
Despite the primitive conditions - cowshed for changing, farmyard pump for washing - the new club thrived. A clubhouse had already been built and three regular teams theyre being fielded before war broke out in 1939.
They survived the war years, and also a difficult period afterwards when they lost their rented ground. For two years all games they played away, with barely enough playing members for two teams, until in 1955 they moved to their present site, with an immediate and spectacular improvement in playing standards.
During the next twenty years Sedgley Park became a successful and respected junior club but, in the years before league rugby, advancement was practically impossible, especially for a club notorious for its muddy pitches; ‘Sludgley Park’, they theyre called!
The decision to build a large, two-storey clubhouse was arguably the most significant one in their history.
Building began in 1978 at a time when the club was enjoying great success on the field, and was completed in time for the 1982 Golden Jubilee season; it had been a risky venture at the time, but it set them apart from the other local junior clubs.
When the Courage Leagues began in 1987 they had progressed far enough to be placed in North West 2 [level 8], from which they gained promotion at the first attempt.
They remained in North West 1 for seven years; meanwhile, the club was expanding in other directions with a huge increase in quantity and quality at the age-group level of the game. When the game then ‘open’ in the middle nineties, Sedgley Park was ready for the next leap forward.
Promotion was achieved three years in succession; the clubhouse was extended; the two pitches became one, now in excellent condition, with floodlights and terracing. A newly purchased field, just across the road, provided three more much needed pitches and floodlit training.
Another promotion, in 2001, took them to National League Two, level 3 of the English game. they now had a stand from which to watch their heroes and they responded by attaining League One status in 2004, the 6th promotion since 1987.
The little Lancashire club that had once played Old Salfordians and De La Salle Training College now had league fixtures against Bristol, Coventry and London Welsh.
They survived at level 2 for several years, enjoying fixtures against the likes of Harlequins and Northampton, but they were always hanging on to compete on the field with clubs whose playing budgets were much larger than theirs could ever hope to be.
It came as a relief, though tinged with disappointment, when a league reorganisation took them down to level 3 again for the 2009-10 season.
Head Coach Dean SchofieldSedgley Park Tigers having been awarded the Lancashire senior club of the year title were busy in the close season once their County players had finished off with a small loss against Cornwall, with the recruitment of 36 year old New Head Coach Dean Schofield announced and tough pre-season encounters arranged against old adversaries and players of expansive rugby Fylde and Championship side Doncaster Knights. They reclaimed 22 year old hooker Jonny Mathews and pursuaded Second Row Ollie Parkinson from Rotherham Titans, Welsh championship fly half Rhodri Carlton Jones, Harri Grenville - prop forward, Ben Lloyd - Second Row, Bob Birtwell - Second Row, Jimmy Lloyd - Utility Forward, Danny Waddy - Back Row, Andy Howarth - Back Row, Sean Manley - Back Row, Tom Bedlow - Centre and Sam Lowthion - Centre. They also welcome back Mike Waywell from a season out last year.
Schofield has an impressive rugby CV, starting his career at North Lancs/Cumbria side Aldwinians RUFC having previously played profesionally for Sale Sharks, Toulon, Worcestor Warriors, London Welsh, England and Yorkshire Carnegie and has brought back his attitude and profesionalism with some 'Hard Yards' over the pre-season training.
For their first fixture of the Pre-season Tigers entertained National League 1 side Fylde at their Park Lane Ground, with an old friends reunion, Fylde dominating the final 2 quarters with a final score of Sedgley Park 38 Fylde 63. Both sides looking to play strong running rugby.
Sedgley Park travelled to Castle Park and Doncaster Knights for a Tough Second pre-season fixture where Championship side Doncaster had too much precision and power for them with the result Doncaster Knights 59 Sedgley Park 7, however this does show the aspirations of Tigers who will be looking to improve on season 2014-15's 3rd placed finishing position.