The “A” Team

As Calder Valley made their rise up the Pennine League divisions, there was an influx of players from other clubs in addition to lads arriving with no Rugby League experience. In 1990 the club took the decision for form an “A” team making it possible for younger and less experienced players to move up to a competitive level alongside proven team players. Club founder, Billy White, took on the player/coach role leading the “A” team from the front as they embarked on their first season 1990-9 in Division 8. They finished a creditable 6^th with a record of 9 wins from 20 games.

Players on the fringe of first team selection every week now had a guaranteed game every week with the “A” team becoming a tremendous support for the first team. Billy White put in some sterling performances and was Player of the Year. Experienced players Dave Fairbrother and Chris Stead won the Player of the Year Runner up and Players’ Player of the Year, respectively. New players such as Mally Marsden and Shaun Russell and Rick Hoyle added to the player depth at the club.

With the reorganisation of the Pennine League for the 1991-92 season, Calder Valley “A” placed in Alliance Division 3. Once again the “A” team won 9 games and finished the season in 5^th place. A good season. Mally Marsden was the Player’s Player of the Year and Albert Silcox, who had joined the club from Sowerby Spartans, was Player of the Year Runner Up.

Pennine League Alliance 2 was the competition for the 1992-93 season and the “A” team started well with 3 wins from their first four games. They were to stay in the Alliance Division 2 for three seasons.

After several season with just one team, the club took the decision in the summer of 1998 to revive the ”A” team was revived for the 1998-99 season. Eric Wiliams, now back with the club with the club’s longest serving player, Paul Field, took the reigns as the player/coach team. The “A” squad included a number of players new to the game and several who just wanted to play Rugby League without the pressures of the first team. So, the “A” ran out with players such as Andy Fielden, Kev Barrett, Gilbert Cushing (Senior and Junior), Ian Cockcroft with son Dean together with the experienced Mathew Topliss and Darren Grogan. The team often played with a bare thirteen and on several occasions with 11 or 12. But they fulfilled their fixtures and won some memorable games including away at West Bowling “A” with only 11 players. Player of the Year was young scrum half Dean Cockcroft with Gilbert Cushing as runner up. Paul Field took the Players’ Player award.

With the club merger with Sowerby Bridge Robins for 2000-01 season, there were to be three teams at the club for the very first time. The first team in the Premier Division, an “A” team in Division 1 which had taken the Robins place and a “B” team, made up of the existing Calder Valley “A” players plus those from the Robins, playing in Division 6. Sadly, with a host of players not making the move from Robins it was quickly evident that the club would only be able to field two teams.

Despite submissions and pleas from the Calder Valley club that it should be the team in Division 1 that should fold, the Pennine League insisted that it was the lowest team to fold, This resulted in an average “A” team playing in Division 2 against established first teams such as Illingworth. It was a very long punishing season in a division far too high for the players in Valley’s “A.” The team struggled through and had some great fun at times but victories were hard to come by.

At the end of the season awards dinner, it was the veterans who took the prizes. Paul Field won both “A” Player of the Year and “A” team Players’ Player of the Year with Eric Williams taking Player of the Year runner up.

That was, however, to be the end of the “A” team. Play numbers had dwindled and several retires at the end of the season. The Calder Valley “A” had had its day. It had supported the first team, given players the opportunity to regain form and had presented many lads with the chance to play Rugby League for the first time.