Sedgley v Fylde: something has to give!

It’s 2nd v 1st in N2N when Fylde travel to Park Lane on Saturday (ko 14.30) to face their toughest challenge to date in the 2022-23 season, friends and Lancashire rivals Sedgley Park (or the Tigers, as they are known). Both have 100% records to date so something has to give on Saturday. Each have won 8 out of 8 games so far but Fylde lead the Tigers by 4 points due to their maximum bonus points haul.

The memory of two heavy defeats at the hands of the Tigers last season will still be fresh in Fylde players’ minds, especially the 0-38 hiding they received at the Woodlands in mid-February. The home side were never at the party on a waterlogged pitch facing a totally focussed Sedgley squad who played the conditions to perfection. In the earlier game at Park Lane in October, Sedgley pounded the Fylde defence and built up a 37-3 lead just after half-time. A late 2nd half resurgence by the visitors restored some pride with a final 37-22 score line.

The season is panning out in a very similar fashion to the last two campaigns, with Fylde & Sedge pretty much in the top four all season and vying with a few other clubs for the promotion honours.

In recent seasons the two clubs have been Lancashire’s highest ranked in the RFU league system. They have a close relationship built on mutual respect and in their joint commitment to Lancashire county rugby. A number of players in the current squads have played for both clubs. Sedgley’s Steve Collins, Mark Goodman, Cameron Crampton, Tane Bentley and Danny Maher have, collectively, made many appearances for Fylde. Fylde’s Chris Briers, Greg Smith, Adam Lewis and Olli Parkinson have spent seasons at Park Lane. Many of the other players know each other very well from Lancashire U’20s and senior squad duties.

Rather surprisingly, there have only been thirteen previous league games between the clubs. These fixtures began in 2001 and the first four games up to 2003 were all won by Sedgley. The clubs then went their different ways, with Sedgley eventually elevated to the Championship (level 2) between 2004 – 2009 as Fylde slipped to level 4. Sedgley’s relegation to National One, and Fylde’s promotion to that division in 2011, brought the clubs together again in the period 2011 – 2013. The four games in this sequence were all won by Fylde but Sedgley’s relegation in April 2013 separated the clubs once more.

Fylde’s return to National Two (North) for the 2018-19 campaign brought them back together. Wins by each club that season, both away from home, was followed by Fylde’s tense 17-10 home victory in Dec 2019 before the abandonment of the league wiped out the Park Lane encounter. Fylde’s two defeats last season means that the Tigers shade the bragging rights with 7 victories to Fylde’s 6.

The rise of the Tigers from the Northern regional leagues to the heights of the Championship where they survived for five heady seasons was a kind of fairy tale. Quality recruitment and coaching plus astute management off the field was the basis of this success. They achieved this without over stretching their financial resources, no mean achievement for a club which struggled to attract big crowds in football dominated Manchester.

The Tigers have been pushing for promotion from National Two (North) in the last seven seasons, on three occasions finishing runners up but losing two play-off games.

This season started in a very promising way for Sedgley with home wins against Otley (38-15), Preston Grasshoppers (50-8), Hull Ionians (18-10) and Rotherham Titans (25-17). Away victories have been at Chester (19-20), Harrogate (10-41), Blaydon (15-42) and last Saturday at Wharfedale (6-15). It is noticeable from these results that they have a winning spirit in close matches. They are a resourceful and well trained squad of coaches and players. Whilst they haven’t quite matched the free scoring Fylde (52 tries to date), they have scored when it’s been most important (37 tries).

Their Director of Rugby is former Fylde favourite Scott Barrow and he’s assisted by Head Coach Steve Hazzleby and other coaches including another former Fylde player, Jonny Rodham.

The Sedgley squad is characterised by loyalty and a deep commitment to the Club. This is summed up by the extraordinary service provided by, for instance, the so called ‘Sedgley Truck’, Matt Riley. The powerful centre has made over 400 1st XV appearances for the club since 2005. From 2012 he has been accompanied in the Sedgley backline by full back or winger, brother Andrew, who himself has run up more almost 220 appearances.

The playmaker and principal goal kicker is former Fylde favourite, the mercurial and evergreen fly-half Steve Collins who has also made more than 200 appearances for the Club. Local Fylde resident, Lytham High School maths teacher and former flanker/no 8 at the Woodlands, Mark Goodman, has become a very influential member of the Sedg pack.

The Tigers pack is traditionally powerful, with notable contributors such as props John Blanchard, Ben Black and Alex Brooks, the outstanding Lancashire County lock Bob Birtwell, often partnered with Connor James in the 2nd row, and flanker Tane Bentley. Influential no 8 is Tom Ailes, who moved to Park Lane in 2019 from Sale FC. Hooker Danny Maher missed all last season through injury but came back with a bang in the opening game of the season against Otley when he grabbed a hat trick of tries.

The dangerous backline includes speedy wingers (and currently the leading try scorer in the division) Rhys Henderson and Jamie Harrison, major young talent, centre Ollie Glasse, who shares the goal kicking responsibilities with fly-half ‘Piggy’ Collins, and the versatile Rob Holloway. The scrum-half berth this season has been shared between the experienced Sam Stelmaszek and the younger Cameron Crampton and Jacob Tansey.

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Fylde have one or two injury concerns but one thing is sure. All the players in the extended squad will be hoping to be named in the match day 20 for such an important game in front of a no doubt big crowd.

Photos below by Chris Farrow of Fylde v Sedgley Park at the Woodlands, Feb 2022.