Presidents Welcome – Saturday 18th February 2023

On Saturday we welcome our Cheshire neighbours Macclesfield and perhaps just as importantly, many of our Past (should that be old!) Players who will be reminiscing over a pint or two in the clubhouse throughout the day.  Welcome to one and all.

As we welcome ‘Macc’ on the back of their 58-17 victory over the struggling Kirkby Lonsdale, Lymm continue to sit on top of the table with yet another impressive performance against a competitive Wirral team, where we eventually ran out comfortable winners 51-26. Just for the record I was approached by a certain hooker (who shall not be named) in the bar before the game seeking permission as to ‘whether it was okay to score a couple today’.  In view of the need for us to keep on winning with maximum points I reluctantly agreed to the request and the cocky b@~:@{ went and did it!  Bez be warned, he is closing in, but so is the Annual Dinner!!!

Last week saw 14 out 18 of our match day squad being home grown from the M&J section and for the few that weren’t, they have amassed many hundreds of appearances between them. This is great testimony to our club and its philosophy of being true to our amateur principles whilst striving for the highest standards of professionalism in everything we do.  I have been asked by several visiting guests if we really want to be promoted? My answer is a categoric yes!  The squad of players we have thoroughly deserve to play at the highest possible level they can, and as an Executive committee we wholeheartedly support them especially because of the way they have set about trying to achieve it. Their commitment and quality of Rugby is a joy to watch.  One supporter, who recently made his first visit to Lymm for 30 years (though a season ticket holder at Warrington Wolves RLFC) commented the game was the best entertainment he had seen in years and that we should put up the admission price!

How fantastic to see our former player Alex Mitchell come off the bench for his first 6 Nations cap and have such a positive influence on the game and receive very upbeat comments from all the pundits. On behalf of the club, I sent him our congratulations to which his magnanimous reply was ‘how great it is to see Lymm top of the league and Team of the Month for January’! Let’s hope he gets more opportunities to prove himself at the highest level.

I am sure you are wondering about our response to the recent apology by the RFU on how the consultation (or lack of it) concerning the introduction of a reduction in tackle height was handled. Whilst as a club we will always fully support any attempt to improve player safety and wellbeing, we believe that the current proposals could have a damaging impact on the current players, club footfall and the number of people wishing to play and watch the game we all know and love. We have given our feedback to Cheshire and asked them to pass on our concerns and thoughts to the RFU and to be involved in any ongoing consultation that may occur. As an Executive team we believe this is the right channel to register our concerns in the correct diplomatic and hopefully productive manner.  We shall of course keep you informed as and when we hear more updates.

See you in the bar with the ‘Old Boys’.

Neil Kelly, President