Volume 2. Chapter 4.

The Capital of Mongolia is Ulan Bator.

It’s been a few weeks since I climbed down off the old Presidential Comode and got to it with the old keyboard. But, I’m back.

As I would rather have a bucket full of the positive to splash about on this page, I have remained in a state of interweb silence as, to be completely frank, there has not been a lot to uplift the Bee Nation.

Perhaps the low point was the towelling we received at the hands of Moortown, and as President of the club, it was not the most comfortable of after-match jollifications I have had to endure, as I was flying solo. Everyone else of a Bees’ stripe seemed to have declined the opportunity to have a swift post game half of mild , leaving yours truly, a rather solitary figure. However, all was not lost, as I won their raffle.

So we moved on…and last time out, against table toppers Driffield, things certainly improved out on the paddock and the general consensus was that we were certainly giving as good as we got for most of the second half.

There were some mutterings about the sudden changes to our line up after the Moortown game; The changes in the line-up were largely due to Will Bentley recruiting a handful of players from his barracks to turn out for us…None of those lads were paid imports and if you asked any of the Bees regulars who have been turning out week in week out and getting a spanking, I think they all welcomed a tonic from the troops.

So we turn the page, the wheel rolls on and this week we venture South, to the mangroves of Heath. I have not yet seen a team sheet, so cannot offer any wisdom on playing matters, but whoever pulls on the shirt, will doubtless give their all, as we have witnessed every week, since the start of the season.

On the positive side, we are at least, still here.

We are now consistently hitting our target on selling some swilly brown, and unless we go into another crippling lockdown which throws us into the pit of indigence, it appears we can at least start to plan into next year - in all senses of the term “year” - in simple terms of unwrapping the 2022 Calendar, in financial terms to the Financial Year 2022/23 and in Rugby terms to next season. I will update you as soon as I know anything.

Obviously the biggest money spinner for the Club is the Bingley Weekender, which is scheduled for the first weekend in August. If the festival runs this summer, this should at least mean the club is more than solvent again. However, we are not resting on that single laurel; negotiations are at an early stage to bring another reasonably large event to Wagon Lane next summer. As soon as I have any solid facts to impart they will be shared on here.

In the immediate short term, the club still needs the continued support of its members, guests and sundry other visitors. Let’s start with this Saturday, 4th December 2021. After we return from the Joys of Nether Greetland (Heath) we have a Rockaoke night at the club.

If you have no idea what this might involve, let me explain.

Essentially, at its heart is a live band. These brave musos then invite various souls from the audience to bellow along to a song - hopefully the same song as the band are playing. The guest singer does not need to know the lyrics to the song they are howling, as the band has come prepared with an electronic tablet which scrolls before the eyes of the lusty vocalist, in attempt to give them a strong hint of what it is they are supposed to be pouring forth.

It is a great night out and the money raised will be going to a worthy charitable cause. Ben Grange is your man for further info and tickets. Ben can be harangued on the telling bone: 07811100153. Tickets are £15.

A whole week later and it is our final home game before Crimbo. We entertain Old Brods. Why not break out the Christmas jumper and come down for an afternoon - you can’t buy any more stuff, the kids would rather play with the boxes anyway.

Talking of Christmas Jumpers, the very next day, Sunday 12th December, we are holding the traditional Christmas President’s Lunch. Tickets for this event are £20, unless you happen to have pulled on a shirt to play a game of Rugby for our Senior Sides, where you are invited to pay a concessionary £10, but please bring along a plus one who is not just another player and they can also join in the frolics for £10.

If there is anyone out there who wishes to attend, please email me, Nick Patterson. My email address is nickpatt@icloud.com. The event kicks off at 1pm.

The Saturday after that, 18th December, we (originally) were due to face Pocklington here at Wagon Lane, but because we were unable to raise a side back in September, the game will now be played at Pocklington. This sounds like an excuse for a charabanc trip, but we haven't got one organised…yet.

New vision of how the game is played?

This week the charming folk who run World Rugby announced that a number of variations to the “Laws” of the game are being introduced. The RFU have nicely summarised these changes in the graphic below and sneakily, the suits from HQ have already pre-approved these suggested changes, as part of their “Game On” strategy.

At its most extreme, if both sides agree, we could see games played as 10-a-side ding dong, with uncontested scrums and line outs, with a match length of 40 minutes. I am sure I also read that games could be played on half a pitch, but I can’t see that in the RFU graphic below.

I will leave the traditionalists to froth.

And I will see you there.

All the very best.