Clubs > Whitehall Warriors > Pennine League Years

Pennine League Years

With promotion to Division 4, the Warriors had an influx of new players. Richard Darks remained in the coaching role and the future was looking rosy for the Whitehall Warriors.

The team was known for giving opportunities to youngsters such as Kieran Nalton, Dave Skinner, Alan Francis, Danny Goulding-Smith, Josh Hopkinson, Lee Squires and David Spivey’s younger brother, James, and his friend Mike Hogg.

Back at the Whitehall public house, landlady, Margaret, had a two-pint stein glass behind the bar and a Man of the Match challenge was introduced to down it in one. Lots had tried and failed. Post match boat races with opponents also became a tradition.

The following 7 seasons were a continuation of the set up that we had started. Players came and went. The fortune’s of the team, now we had got promoted, was up and down. The running of the team continued as before except for a change of management. Paul Johnson and Stuart Syme took the reins when Richard Darkes stood down.

A large input of players arrived when Alex Scargill joined the club. He lived at Shelf and wanted to play for a team nearer home so he left Undercliffe. This group of players was the foundation of a very successful team of players who played together for many seasons.

The Warriors played in Division 3, Division 4 and Division 5 of the Pennine League throughout their existence.

They consolidated their position in Division 3 in their second season 2006-07 and remained in that Division in 2007-08. That season they did some travelling around in the league and travelled to Brayton College, the home of York Groves. They faced a stiff test but came out on top with a 25-18 victory. Once again the Warriors kept their place in Division 3.

The Division in the 2008-09 season was not as far spread with just a day trip out to Hoyland in the schedule. The home game against the Vikings in September 2008 was a disappointment for the Warriors as they went down by 6-26.

The Warriors were back in Division 4 again for the 2009-10 season and flying high in the early part of the season. They were in fourth place when they travelled to Littleborough in April 2010 but faded at the end of the game to chalk up a loss by 26-9.

Division 5 of the Pennine league was the Warriors’ home for the 2010-11 season which included some notable victories. They defeated a lively Hollingwood side at Hipperholme by 38-22 in April 2011.

The work done at the Warriors was recognised in 2011 by the Pennine League. Paul Johnson was award Division 5 Clubman of the Year at the end of season presentation evening.

Still in Pennine League Division 5, the Warriors continued to enter knockout competitions and in 2011-2012 they played in the east of the Pennine League in the Supplementary Cup when they were drawn against Sherburn Bears. The day trip out was sadly not successful and they were well beaten 32-12 by 12-man Bears.

Dave Bomber Beaumont was always a tough opponent on the field in both attack and defence but always a fair opponent. He received Pennine League recognition of this when he received the Sportsman of the Year Award in 2012.

The Warriors final season was in 2012-13. The started well and were flying high until their first defeat of the season in November when they went down 16-19 to Driglington “A”.

Sadly, Dave Beaumont’s stroke put an end to it all in 2013. He has fond memories of the Warriors:
“A friendly team, just good lads loving playing Rugby League”.