Unkown territory

RUGBY:

A NEW season and a fresh challenge for Hollinwood ARLFC.

The team from Fields New Road, Chadderton, are playing in the North-West Counties League for the first time in their history and open up with a home against Wigan St Cuthberts on Saturday (2.30pm).

Hollinwood joined the Pennine League on their inception almost 30 years ago.

However, the club decided to move on after an incident at Stainland Stags last December when spectators ran on to the pitch and started fighting with players.

Visiting player Alan Dalton was allegedly kicked in the head and poked in the eyes as he lay on the ground. The referee abandoned the match and the police were called.

Both sides were due to meet in the same division again, but Hollinwood did not want to face the West Yorkshire outfit and so reluctantly switched leagues.

“We wanted out of it because there was still a lot of bad feeling,” said committee man Fred Halliwell.

“It’s sad because I made a lot of good friends over the years in the Pennine League.

“We’re now entering unknown territory. We play a lot of ‘A’ teams, which means we could be up against first-team players who are coming back from injury and need a game or are looking to regain a bit of form.”

Coach Lee Bayliss will continue to be assisted by Chris Gorey as Hollinwood, who are in Division Three, look to build on their exploits of last season with possibly a couple of new faces in the ranks.

They finished in the top half of the Fifth Division in the Pennine League, and Halliwell is confident of another decent campaign.

“I think we’ll do well and surprise a few people,” he added.

“The lads have been training for a long time — they only had three or four weeks off — and are reasonably fit after running at Strinesdale reservoir.

“They are now back on the pitch doing ball work and looking forward to the start of the season.”




Hollinwood are holding an old boys’ reunion on Saturday. Former players are welcome to attend.