UNDERBANK UP TO FIFTH WITH BIG WIN OVER MILLOM

UNDERBANK RANGERS 62 V MILLOM 0
NCL LG 1 @ THE CROSS GROUND
23 JULY 2016 --- 2.30PM

Underbank Rangers scored a big win to nil with Richard Pogson starring with a try and 9 conversions to give the Holmfirth based side the 2 points that takes them up to the heady heights of 5th in the table. 
Revisits for the blog often happen to local grounds in both football and cricket and of course Lock Lane in Rugby League, our original introducers to the NCL, but Underbank Rangers had an enchanting pull that after the game 3 weeks ago had both of us lining up a return soon.  Today with the forecast of dry weather on a Saturday, I know, and the chance to leave the coats at home and re visit this glorious part of Yorkshire it was off to the Holme Valley again.  For new viewers the ground was covered three weeks ago for the visit of Ince Rose Bridge so this blog will not cover to much of ground details needless to say its a unique playing surface with a steady little club house but its selling point are the views and its welcoming officials and supporters.
The day from base station was fraught with queues at the ticket desk with one window open so much so that we hopped on the train to Sheffield and decided to purchase there, again confronted by a line of waiting potential passengers we waited and did secure tickets for our full journey just before the Huddersfield train pulled into its platform.

HOLMFIRTH IN VIEW

After Penistone the rolling hills of the Holme Valley and Emley Moor TV mast were looking splendid in the English sunshine and upon departure at Honley station the temperature wwas really hotting up.  Thankfully as mentioned in our previous blog on Underbank the Stotts 911 service was waiting for the journey to the village driven by the same friendly employee as before.

GUIDE LEAFLET ON HAROLD WAGSTAFF

Connection made to Holmfirth we made sharp movement to the library information centre to pick up the Harold Wagstaff walk leaflet.  In the previous blog we mention Wagstaff as The Prince Of Centres who signed for Huddersfield as a 15 year old and played for England at 17.  Before we took in some of the historical points of his life we passed the artist Ashley Jacksons studio and managed to see him while peering through the window and avoiding smeering the window with our noses.  First point of call was to walk the steady inkline to the delightfully named Upperthong and St Johns church were we managed to locate Bill 'Compo' Owen whose final resting place is in the town were he spent so much time in filming the massively successful Last Of The Summer Wine TV series.


NORA BATTY'S BEHIND THE BLUE DOOR

The delightful, now downhill, return saw us cross over the valley road to Nora Batty's house in the series and an quick look around the gift shop which was Compo's house in the long running show.  The most important call of the day fish and chips from the Hallowgate Fisheries which were eaten as part of an endurance test climbing a 1 in 3 up to Cemetery Rd to locate Harold Wagstaff's final resting place as part of the leaflet tour.  A beautiful view back down into Holmfirth was afforded here and the local houses have some fantastic visions in sight of the all seasons that affect this part of Yorkshire.

PUMP OLE WHERE HUDDERSFIELD SIGNED WAGSTAFF

Back down in Holmfirth we started at the bottom of Dunford Rd by the Pump Ole where Wagstaff signed first played for his mates side of the same name.  Moving onto Underbank Rangers before signing near his house in a local hostelry for Huddersfield for 5 gold sovereigns.
 
We decided to climb up the steep road to the ground as half way up we would pass his home on a selection of houses that formed mini terraces that not only side on with houses but also split down the middle and the back sections carry different number with their doors set at a lower floor level.

HAROLD WAGSTAFFS FORMER HOUSE

An amazing look back on old times and the formulation of houses around this mill town.

DANNY BRAVO STORMS THROUGH

We were soon arriving at The Cross Ground on a red hot afternoon and a warm welcome was nice with Neil Farrell helping with teams and a nice greeting for which we thank you.  Admission is very reasonable and the programme as ever a big credit to the club, if this is of importance to you wont be disappointed here.

THE LIMITED EDITION MILLOM SHIRT FOR ISAAK

While in the bar we met a couple of Millom fans who had made the lengthy journey down from the village that lies about 7 miles to the north of Barrow In Furness.  The club are the oldest amateur rugby league club in the world being formed in 1873 and although struggling at second bottom in the league at present have a proud history.  Fellow traveller Mick was taken by the Millom supporters shirts which are a limited edition and aim to educate about autism and we learn a little more about one of the players son Isaak who has a FB page 'Isaak's world living with Autism' set up to tell us more about this young mans achievements.  Great idea and the club have raised money to aid Isaac well done on the shirts a credit to rugby league guys.
We also met before during and after the game Valdi from Halifax who was making his first visit alongside his support of The Pennine League too, good to meet you today.

So with an arrival just over half an hour before the kick off we arrived with little time before the start after last weeks big win over Elland the home side were looking to amass some points to help their push up the league.

REFEREE TOM SCOTT AND HIS TOUCH JUDGE IN CLOSE VIEWING

But after the first 1/4 of an hour non had appeared and Millom were more than holding their own and it looked like it could be a tight game.  Unfortunately for the visitors by half time they were 34-0 down.  On 17 minutes Kris Harrop went over but missed the conversion however the latter was not to be heard again for the rest of the half with 5 kicks successfully completed to add to the tries from Chris Druett, Danny Bravo, Tom Stringer, Dominic Horn and Michael Murphy.

When the scoring started it was proving hard for the visitors to defend their line and after an encouraging start you had to feel a little sorry that they were so far behind after their efforts.
The second half saw Pogson add a try after 65 minutes and a conversion to make it 58-0, before this he had successfully kicked 3 more time previously in the second half.  These adding the 2 points to tries from Courtney Allette, Michael Holmes and Jaydon Cavell Wood.  There was still time for a last minute try from Dominic Horn for his second to make it 62-0.  A couple of sin bins in the last 10 minutes Mitchell Turner for the Rangers and Ethan Kelly for the visitors on the stroke of time.

In the end a one sided game which with a little more luck at times could have seen the visitors get on the board.  A solid effort from Underbank who now rise up the table to 5th and must be bringing a lot of happiness to coach Richard Knight as the team and his players push on in the development of the club.
A non rushed departure from the ground allows us comfort break time before picking up the bus right outside the ground to Honley and after a stop at the Coop for provision we walked the steady incline, its all hills around here, to the station only to discover the train was about 15 minutes late.  Still it was a nice afternoon with some commanding views to take in an time passed very nicely. 
On  train buffs obscure note we entered and left from platform 2 at Barnsley station the normal up departure zone but  were soon in Sheffield for our departure and back at base station just after 7pm courtesy of a XCountry train upon, wait for it, we got a seat!  Does it get any better?
Great day cant wait to go to Underbank again!