The 1990’s
The guard was really changing at Elland.
There was an influx of new, younger players such as Adam Olroyd who came into the team and helped along by some of the older, experienced players. Adam recalls playing as a junior at Elland and going to watch the first team in the 1980’s.
“ I enjoyed watching the first team with the Fairbanks playing, especially Dave and Karl. I remember if Elland were struggling Dave would get the ball score a 70 yard try handing off would-be tacklers!”
“The games against Mayfield were great to watch: they were brutal!”
Adam was going to be part of the transition team later in the nineties who took the club into the future.
Elland continued in the Pennine League Premier Division for the 1990-91 season. The season saw the return of coach, Les Coulter, from his time at Keighley. Les was instrumental in a number of New Zealand players, who had not been able to secure a professional contract, joining the club. These included Bobby Shaw, Shane Hutchinson and Riwi Hiko although by the final stage of the season all but two had departed. The league season was very average by Elland’s very high standards as they finished 6th in the Premier Division winning half of their 18 league games. In Halifax, Elland were very much back at the top of the tree! They were triumphant in both the Halifax Cup and the Halifax Championship with finals victories over their fierce rivals, Park Amateurs, by 26-14 and 14-8, respectively.
The Halifax Cup final is well remembered as one where Park Amateurs were favourites. The conditions were awful and
described as a mud bath: conditions rarely seen in today’s Summer Rugby! The game was reported as a brutal and at one point descended into a mass brawl!
The season’s success was completed by winning the Greetland 7’s tournament. Off the field, Elland were recognised once again as Dave Stephenson won the Pennine League Premier Division Clubman of the Year Award.
Further off the field, fifteen and lads decided on a 1991 summer holiday to Greece. Not a particularly well-planned trip as they arrived late in Athens with no hotel pre-booked! Vaughn Uttley and Adam Olroyd went in search of hotel and returned with ferry tickets to the island of Ios for the following morning. Needless to say, the lads had to sleep on the beach! On Ios, they met up with an international bunch of lads from Australia and New Zealand. Of course, the only thing to do was to arrange a GB v Anzac beach game – they also roped in a South African and a very confused American! – and enjoy a “tough game” and several beers! As a team building exercise the trip was a success and I am reliably told by Adam Olroyd it was the best “warm weather training ever!” The memories remain as do some remnants of the tour t-shirt. The original artwork is, in my opinion, far superior to the commercial final version!
Back on the subject of Rugby League, coaches were the main subject of the Elland story in 1991-92. Les Coulter continued at the beginning of the season after the successes of the previous season before moving back to the professional game. The coaching role was handed to Mel Wibberley who relinquished the position and was superseded by Dave Fairbank. The Premier Division campaign for the second season running saw Elland finish in a mid-table position winning 7 of their 16 games to finish in 5th position. However, there was a positive conclusion to the season as Elland were again at Thrum Hall in the Halifax Championship final this time defeating Ovenden. Adam Olroyd remembers the Championship final very clearly despite having his jaw broken after 20 minutes.
“I threw a pass and was hit off the ball and had my jaw broken. I had to play on to the final whistle as I was the only recognised kicker!”
The Pennine League once again recognised work done at Elland with Simon Mackrill awarded the Premier Division Clubman of the Year Trophy.
Dave Fairbanks handed the coaching reigns over to brother, Mark, whose first season in charge took Elland up the Premier Division table and after a season of hard toil they eventually finished 1992-93 in second place. However, for the first time, Elland’s trophy cabinet was bare, save for the Greetland 7’s plate trophy.
However, Elland had qualified for the RFL Challenge Cup draw and played a first-round tie against Chorley Borough at their Grundy Hill ground (Horwich) on 5th December 1993. The team included some well-known Elland names including J. Burns at stand-off, Dave Stead, who had returned from his stint at Calder Valley, at full back and Vaughn Uttley in the second row. Elland put up strong resistance but eventually were defeated by 30 points to 2.
New open age players were emerging from the Elland junior set up including one Junaid Malik, who would go on to be a star player, club coach and GB BARLA international. Junaid had started playing Rugby League with the U12’s a year after his younger brothers Jerry and Raza had played for the U10’s. After making his open age debut in Elland “B” against Sowerby Spartans “A” as 14-year-old, he progressed quickly through the “A” team to make his first team debut in 1995 at the age of 16 against Queensbury.
The mid-1990’s were generally disappointing seasons by Elland previous high standards. For the first time there was a relegation from the Premier Division down into Division 1 and Halifax Cup nor Halifax Championship victory celebrations. But the club was continually producing and attracting players to strength the future teams. Adam and Aiden Perrett joined in the mid-1990’s.
One bright spot was winning the Blackpool 7’s tournament in 1995. The team went with little expectation and at the end of the day were the surprise winners of the trophy. Captain on the day was Adam Olroyd.
The 1996-97 season in Division 1 was a real struggle but at the end of the season Elland survived the threat of relegation despite winning only 4 of their 18 games. . With John and Karl Fairbank at the coaching tiller, the team performances in improved significantly the following season. Elland were just pipped to the Division 1 title by Sowerby Bridge Robins but were promoted as runners-up.
The 1999 saw a real resurgence of the Elland team as they began a record run of five Pennine League Premier Division titles. The year also so the club reach the final of the Pennine Cup. They faced Queensbury at Dudley Hill’s ground. With a player sent off, Elland fought their way to victory. Junaid Malik taking the Man of the Match Award with Terry Manning and Jonny Moore making significant contributions.
Junaid Malik recalls many the players alongside whom he played in these years. Flyer, Oliver Fairbank was one who Junaid remembers scoring a shed load of tries, Kiwi hooker, Simon Bowler, played many games and Junaid says:
“Simon would set off from the play the ball and all I had to do was follow him and I got a lot of tries.”
Junaid also paid tribute to Adam Holroyd and the Shickells, Andy and Mark.
“Mark was an 80-minute player, He was just awesome on that pitch”
During the late 1990’s the clubs headquarters moved from the Dyers public house to the Goldfields for the 1997-98 season before returning to the Dyers venue now re-titled Elland Supporters Club. The matches were still played at Goldfields and at Hammerstones.