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#Post#: 92992--------------------------------------------------
Back to my first love
By: JCFC Date: June 15, 2025, 4:08 am
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Simeon Quarmby is a splendid name, worthy of a character in a
19th century novel, though not bizarre enough for Dickens. A
mill worker in Shirley, perhaps? A Chartist sympathiser in Mary
Barton? An itinerant Methodist preacher in Adam Bede? Or a
further impoverished curate somewhere in Barsetshire? In fact,
he is none of these, but the young referee for
Saturday 14th June 2025
National Conference League Premier Division
Dewsbury Moor Maroons 16 v 14 Thatto Heath Crusaders
Simeon Quarmby (Huddersfield)
As the crow flies, the ground is under five miles from home, but
being less of a crow than a chicken, JCFC settled for a journey
involving three buses (254, 268 and 250) with a wait of half an
hour in Heckmondwike. The clubhouse is by the roadside, with
access to the field at the bottom of the hill through a
relatively recent-looking housing development. JCFC, however,
wandered down the lane and entered through a side gate, but
being an honest soul did walk over to the main entrance to cough
up his old codger's £2, which included a free programme. There
is a Community Cafe on site, open each day, though it is not
clear what its clientele might be, being out of the way with no
passing traffic. It is, though, well situated (and signed) for
walkers and cyclists on the old railway line.
Rugby League was JCFC'S first love back in the sixties, but
moving to a part of Lancashire where the game was unknown meant
that very few matches have been attended in the past half
century. The game has changed much since then. The referee wore
what seemed to be a headcam; scrums were moved infield to the
centre; penalty kicks for touch moved in the opposite direction,
being taken ten yards from touch; penalty kicks at goal moved
more centrally; all place kicks took an eternity, someone
strolling on with a tee and a bottle or water, from which the
referee gratefully drank; physios, coaches, water carriers and
Old Uncle Tom Cobbleigh wandering onto the field in numbers
whenever there was a break in play - and being in no hurry to
get off after play restarted. All very confusing!
Mr Quarmby was under the watchful eye of Referee Development
Official Steve Addy. He is young and fairly stocky in
appearance. It seems to be the way nowadays that at play the
balls, the referee's next movement is back ready for the next
one. This did have the benefit of allowing Mr Quarmby to be
perfectly positioned as three early Maroons attacks finished in
the left corner, the third resulting in a try to put the home
side 4-0 ahead. This lead was soon extended by a try in a more
central position, with the conversion taking the score to 10-0.
A converted try for the visitors on 26 minutes reduced the lead
to 10-6. A Thatto scrum was changed to a penalty when a home
player kicked the ball away.
The visitors scored a try early in the second half, the
conversion giving them the lead. Maroons soon drew level from a
penalty at a scrum. Scores remained level until the 72nd minute,
when Thatto Heath once more took the lead from a penalty. They
had the chance to extend this with another penalty, but failed
to take it, and Dewsbury Moor turned things around on 78 minutes
with another try, once again in the left corner, and hung on
until the final whistle brought their celebrations.
Understandable - they were promoted to the top Division this
season and this gave them their first win. They remain bottom of
the twelve team table, but two points looks better than zero.
Thatto Heath, from the St Helens area, meanwhile, dropped to
tenth.
Like Whistleblower elsewhere, JCFC is in no position to comment
on technical matters, though it was amusing to see Mr Quarmby
checking with non-existent touch judges before awarding tries.
Oh for the days when referees were immediately pointing to the
spot as soon as the ball was touched down. To this uninitiated
watcher, however, he appeared to have a good game and was
certainly very civilly thanked at the end. What Mr Addy thinks,
we will never know.
The 250 bus is an hourly service, so rather than slog back up
the hill and wait 55 minutes, JCFC chose the gentle stroll along
the cycle Greenway back to Heckmondwike. There a fortunate
happenstance saw him take a 200 bus, which by a different route
dropped him near the New Pack Horse, where there was only five
minutes to wait for a bus back to Brighouse, completing an
enjoyable afternoon - luckily free of the threatened rain.
#Post#: 93010--------------------------------------------------
Re: Back to my first love
By: flipmode Date: June 15, 2025, 9:01 pm
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There's not a day that passes without me thoroughly enjoying one
of your posts, JCFC.
Your writing is a delightful blend of warmth, wit, and charm -
consistently endearing and often laugh-out-loud funny.
May your musings, adventures, and sacred pilgrimages to
Heckmondwike continue to grace this space for a long time to
come.
#Post#: 93027--------------------------------------------------
Re: Back to my first love
By: JCFC Date: June 18, 2025, 5:38 am
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Flipmode's kind remarks are most gratifying. He may be labouring
under the impression that I am Alexander McCall Smith - my bus
pass confirms that this is not the case. The worrying feature
is that it sounds like a funeral eulogy. Am I dead and have gone
to heaven? A quick look through the window reveals only
Brighouse, definitely not heaven. Anyone suggesting the
alternative destination has clearly not been to Clacton, which
has chosen the MP it deserves.
#Post#: 93097--------------------------------------------------
Re: Back to my first love
By: JCFC Date: June 22, 2025, 12:19 pm
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The triangle formed by Bradford, Leeds and Dewsbury contains
several communities of various sizes never yet graced(?) by the
plodding footsteps of JCFC - among others Pudsey, Morley,
Birstall, Gildersome, Gomersal and Birkenshaw. There is now one
fewer, though only the outskirts were traversed on the way from
bus stop to ground for
Saturday 21st June 2025
National Conference League Division 2
Drighlington v Barrow Island
Kristian Silcock
The ground is very basic: a pitch railed along both sides and
for most of one end, with no other facilities, no dug-outs, not
even a bench. The changing accommodation is in the clubhouse,
quite a walk away and unseen from the pitch. The teams were
comfortably mid-table, with Drighlington having two points more.
As explained on the General Discussion thread, it was necessary
to ask the imposing-looking but friendly referee his identity,
with the answer being an amazing coincidence. Unlike when seen
at Colne v Lancaster City in 2017, he did not add the caveat "If
I'm rubbish, I'm someone else."
Drighlington made a dreadful start, with weak defending, poor
options and minor indiscipline helping the visitors to three
converted tries, the third conversion being immaculate from near
the touchline. The home staff attributed this 0-18 deficit after
just 12 minutes not to the features mentioned above, but to Mr
Silcock's decisions. There was a certain incongruity about the
phrase "Your penalties are f...ing killing us, Sir." However,
Drig soon managed a try of their own, but missed the conversion.
There followed a spell of largely self-inflicted pressure as
errors by the home team mounted. There was one good break by
Drig, foiled eventually bly a good tackle. On 25 minutes a long
pass out to the Barrow right drew the defence out of position,
leaving a path to cut inside for a try. This time the kick came
back off the post, but a later penalty took the score to 4-24 at
the break.
Drighlington gave a better account of themselves in the second
half. They were unfortunate in the first minute: had there been
touch judges, the little kick by a Barrow player on his tackler
almost on his own line would surely have been spotted, but
instead it was a minor retaliatory push that was penalised. On
53 minutes Drighlington got in at the corner, but handling
errors saw the try rightly disallowed, rightly at least in
JCFC'S opinion, a home player conceded a penalty for chirruping.
A great break and run by the visitors was stopped by an
excellent tackle, but two further players arrived and flopped on
top, giving away a penalty and one earning a visit to the
sin-bin. He was joined there shortly by a team-mate, leaving
Drig briefly with eleven men, though they did some of their best
work during this period. They were back to their full
complement, however, when they scored a converted try after 78
minutes but Barrow added a try of their own, again failing with
the conversion. And so the final score was 10-28, or was it? The
published result was 10-24. It is to be hoped that the error is
JCFC'S, or the home club's, rather than Mr Silcock's, as he
(like the excellent Joe Manley, referee of the 1965 Challenge
Cup Final) is a Maths teacher.
From my ignorant point of view, I was perhaps a little less
impressed with Mr Silcock than I had been in his football days.
True, it was a dog's dinner of a match, with too many errors and
indiscipline from the players, and Mr Silcock stuck to his guns
throughout. Perhaps the presence of a coach made him a little
more rigorous than he needed to be. He has a loud voice and
considerable presence and kept a tight grip, but for JCFC his
triage could have been more nuanced.
Back at the bus stop, there was a wait of fifteen minutes and
JCFC was soon back in Brighouse, having developed a minor
craving for fish and chips - only to find that as a one-off, the
chippy had closed at 4pm. Still the black pudding with apple
sauce, peas and Jersey Royals proved an enjoyable alternative.
Now, what shall I have for tea today?
#Post#: 93098--------------------------------------------------
Re: Back to my first love
By: JCFC Date: June 22, 2025, 12:51 pm
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The final score has now been corrected, 10-28 it was. JCFC still
has a few marbles left after all.
#Post#: 93151--------------------------------------------------
Re: Back to my first love
By: jad Date: June 25, 2025, 9:14 am
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[quote author=JCFC link=topic=7073.msg93097#msg93097
date=1750612762]
The home staff attributed this 0-18 deficit after just 12
minutes not to the features mentioned above, but to Mr Silcock's
decisions. There was a certain incongruity about the phrase
"Your penalties are f...ing killing us, Sir."
[/quote]
I would like to feel that in his day job Mr Silcock receives the
same appellation, but is otherwise addressed with rather more
decorum. it does, though, remind me of my student days in
Oxford: undergraduates, being gentlemen, had to be addressed
properly, even when their conduct fell short of the gentlemanly
ideal. So if a student trespassed on a well manicured lawn,
they might hear from a member of the college staff: 'Where do
you ***** think you are ***** going, … Sir.' I believe a
similar principle applies in British military academies. Such
is the British class system: provided that your livelihood does
not directly depend on them, you may swear as much you like at
your social superiors, just so long as you address them
correctly.
On a different topic, have you ever thought of putting black
pudding in an omelette?
#Post#: 93152--------------------------------------------------
Re: Back to my first love
By: JCFC Date: June 25, 2025, 9:32 am
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[quote author=jad link=topic=7073.msg93151#msg93151
date=1750860874]
On a different topic, have you ever thought of putting black
pudding in an omelette?
[/quote]
I hadn't, but if you recommend it, I will happily give it a try.
Should I include anything else? I'm not sure that the apple
sauce would work. (That being my cheat version of Boudin aux
pommes or Himmel und Erde.)
#Post#: 93178--------------------------------------------------
Re: Back to my first love
By: JCFC Date: June 27, 2025, 5:49 am
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Following jad's query/suggestion/recommendation(?), I gave it a
try, with tomato and spring onions as well. The result was
perfectly acceptable, but surprisingly a little blander than
expected. Perhaps the inclusions were to blame; further
experimentation will be required.
Once again no referee appointments have been posted for this
weekend's National Conference matches, though the two most
significant Saturday games do have named touch judges.
#Post#: 93200--------------------------------------------------
Re: Back to my first love
By: JCFC Date: June 29, 2025, 10:58 am
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If (which is very unlikely) there are any members who recall
JCFC'S difficulty in obtaining the required information from
Ross Hardie - now a FIFA Referee - they might recognise a
certain similarity in his latest communication problems. The
match in question was
Friday 27th June 2025
National Conference League Division 1
Shaw Cross Sharks 14 v 6 Oulton Raiders
Sam Jenkinson; Lyndsey Trelford, Alexie Hague
When the officials - a strapping dark-haired chap and two young
ladies, one very young - came out to warm up, it was the younger
lady who was stretching against the rail near JCFC. When
approached with the opening line " Excuse me - Sorry, I can't
really call you Sir, can I?" she gave a non-committal shrug of
the sort that suggests "Why do I always get lumbered with the
village idiot?" Such thinking led her to answer the continuation
as to who the officials were with "There's him and us two." The
village idiot persisted with a request for names, receiving only
first names, before she was rescued by her fellow touch judge,
who kindly provided the required details.
Shaw Cross looked the stronger side, their number 10 repeatedly
gaining several yards with powerful runs. Neat passing was
promising, but fell foul of some decent Oulton tackling and
their own handling errors. There was an occasion when Oulton had
possession under their posts, with the home coach , who had
followed down the touchline, shouting " Don't give away a
penalty." The very first tackle was around the head, with
resulting penalty. He merely turned away without a word - few
coaches would have shown such restraint. On 23 minutes, a
Sharks player made a long break, but as he was about to be
tackled, threw the ball in inside. Oulton had the chance to grab
it, but fumbled, leaving Shaw Cross to pick it up and go over
for a try, duly converted. In added time, another break ended
with a well-timed release pass, for a try under the posts,
making the score 12-0 at the break.
Oulton were not done, however, a converted try on 58 minutes
halving the deficit. Shaw Cross sensibly took advantage of a
penalty shortly afterwards to give themselves a two score
cushion and it remained 14-6 till the end. It had been an
engrossing match, which seemed to pass quickly, particularly
with congenial company in the second half. It had been a game
free from controversy, well-handled by the impressive Mr
Jenkinson.
Luckily for JCFC, the bus was a few minutes behind schedule,
sparing him the anticipated walk back down into Dewsbury. Rather
than have an hour to wait at Dewsbury station before the next
train to Brighouse, during which beer might have had to be
consumed, he stayed on the bus to Huddersfield, where a short
wait for the Bradford bus saw him home at ten. A good evening
out.
#Post#: 93206--------------------------------------------------
Re: Back to my first love
By: JCFC Date: June 30, 2025, 2:52 am
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Rather like this thread, Siddal is situated almost at the end of
a road to nowhere, on the quiet left side of the valley of
Hebble Brook, just South of Halifax. As such, it offered good
views of the surrounding hillsides. Unlike this thread, it's
Rugby League club had attracted many visitors, the large
upstairs clubhouse being already busy - in part the residue of
the morning's U-14 Girls match against Culcheth Eagles, but most
in anticipation of
Saturday 28th June 2025
National Conference League Premier Division
Siddal 32 v 16 West Hull
Owen Taylor; Sean Flynn, Alfie Roberts.
West Hull were currently top of the table, but just two points
ahead of Siddal, who had a better points difference and a game
in hand, so the decent crowd was not surprising.
The names of the touch judges had been posted, but not that of
the referee. JCFC'S request for names initially received just
first names, causing puzzlement as the senior touch judge was
listed not as Sean, but as E. Flynn. Referee Taylor is something
of a mystery: he does not appear on the Wikipedia list of
officials and a quick Google search suggests that he is
primarily a Rugby Union referee, with League as a second string
to his bow. He must have impressed to be appointed to such an
important fixture.
In glorious sunshine, Siddal gained possession from the kick-off
and they kicked high and long on the sixth tackle, West Hull
could not take it, allowing the home side to cross for a
converted try after just 2 minutes. Four minutes later, the lead
had been extended to 10-0, with a try in the corner. So it
remained until the 25th minute, when Siddal's tricky number 7
jinked this way and that before sending number 8 in for another
try, easily converted. The visitors responded with a try of
their own, the conversion attempt surprisingly going wide. In
added time, West Hull were attacking, but dropped the ball
almost in the corner; Siddal's number 5 gathered it and won the
race to the opposite end of the field, to score in the corner,
making it 20-4 at the break.
West Hull staged a rally in the third quarter, with converted
tries on 44 and 56 minutes closing the gap to just four points.
A minor contretemps was calmly dealt with, Mr Taylor rightly
deeming that no cards were required and merely having a word
with the captains. Siddal restored their cushion with a
converted try, before a further "free and frank exchange of
views" saw a yellow for each side. The Siddal number 9 went over
for another try, again converted, in the closing stages and
despite another West Hull player being sin-binned, the score
remained unchanged at 32-16. Siddal therefore replaced West Hull
at the top of the table on points difference and still with
their game in hand.
The officials had done well: (very) young Mr Roberts was quietly
efficient, Mr Flynn pleasingly vocal. Mr Taylor, it seems, hopes
to advance in Union, but also looked competent in League. A
couple of thoughts occurred to JCFC: forward passes probably
require input from the touch judges, but they seemed to be
instructed to join the referee on the defensive offside line,
which seems a waste of resources. Secondly, conversions took a
ridiculous amount of time - a more stringent time limit needs to
be imposed.
It had been a very pleasant afternoon, the only minor negative
being the absence of seating. The pitchside perimeter rails are
too low for leaning; they are an ideal height as "misericords"
but that is no good for watching the play. Ideal, though, for
admiring the view at half-time.
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