Old Crossleyans will shout about huge success in open day event

For many recent years Old Crossleyans first XV had over-achieved.

Formed in August 1923 by a group of old-boys from the Crossley and Porter School and enthusiastic headteacher Mr GB Newport, Old Crossleyans Rugby Club has had some notable success over the years.

Aside from Halifax it is the only other Calderdale club to have won the Yorkshire Cup, doing so in 1960 under the captaincy of the late Johnny Andrew.

This followed on from the success of 1956 and 1958 when the club won the Yorkshire Shield and was before league structures began.

In 1988-89 the team registered a club record 24 straight victories and in the 1990-91 season they were crowned champions of North One East Division One, with a squad that featured club president Howard Cooper, chairman Tony Crossley as well as Andy Day, who racked up more than 800 first XV appearances.

That Championship winning squad contained former Newcastle Falcon Jim Naylor, who along with Jim Mallinder and former World Player of the Year (England and Lions hooker) Brian Moore, are perhaps the most famous of Old Crossleyans.

The club boasted a successful colts section for many years under the tutelage of Ian Yates and John Helliwell and this was the lifeblood of the club, but as other clubs introduced junior sections, that supply line of players dried up.

The senior section continued to punch above it’s weight but began to find life difficult when in 2015 and 2016, they suffered successive relegations down to Yorkshire Two.

The shining light at this time was the advent of girls rugby at the club, the successful section being founded by John Theodoulou. Former player Jeremy Stott brought through a successful boys junior side, with support again from Ian Yates, a side that has supplied seven players to the first team in recent years.

Gareth Greenwood and the mercurial Ryan Hammond were now at the helm as coaches, and they achieved promotion back to Yorkshire One before Covid struck and the club shut its doors.

This proved to be both a difficult and sad time, suffering the inevitable loss of many members, most notably it’s driving force for so many years, honorary patron Harry Wolstenholme.

Post Covid, it’s clear from the pitches around Calderdale that local sport has suffered, there are few villages and pubs that can boast a senior football side and the appetite for senior sport seems to be wavering.

However, as the fastest growing club in Calderdale, Old Crossleyans has plenty to boast in the last 12 months.

Under a team of coaches, a mini section has started from nothing, with girls and boys from Year 1 to Year 5 now plying their trade in the famous blue and gold.

John Adams had led the section for the last two seasons having moved to the area from Stafford. He said: “I played rugby for Stoke and Eccleshall and wanted to find the best club for myself and Izaak my son.

"From day one I fell in love with the club, it has a really nice history and atmosphere, and we want to continue that by creating a safe welcoming environment for all the kids.

"We just want them to have fun and make friends and as well as teaching them the skills they need to play the game safely. We emphasise the core values of teamwork, respect, enjoyment, discipline and safety.”

Veteran player Jack Hammond has started an U12s boys’ side that is more than a match for any team and he hopes to start a team in the year below next season, while the girls section continues to be a source of good news.

Post Covid, it has been a real challenge for many teams getting sides out on the pitch, but the club is bucking the trend across the county.

In March the U18s girls team became champions of the north, beating Houghton 19-10 and the section is proud to boast record numbers of county representatives this season.

Belinda Pattison, who has been the section chair for the past 10 months, said: “It is a great honour to be the first female chair of the girls’ section and to represent the section on the senior committee.

"Over the last 10 months the section has gone from strength to strength with success at all ages groups from the U14s, U16s and U18s.

"The introduction of the new U12s gives a good platform to build our current success in many years to come. It is great to see these opportunities for girls in this sport, something that wasn’t available to me when I was a child.”

Underpinning all this great work is a committee that is proactive and increasingly diverse, working hard to meet the demands of a forward-thinking rugby club.

In August 2023, the club enters its centenary season and aims to celebrate with a number of events planned.

Club chairman Tony Crossley said: “I am delighted to see the work put in by all sections of Crossleyans come to fruition and provide us with a strong base to build on.

"As the current season closes, I am already excited by the prospect of the progress we can make next season in the club’s centenary year and I look forward to us working more closely with the local community to attract more members to the club.”

The club is hosting an open day on Sunday (April 16) from noon until late. There will be mini rugby games, junior girls games as well as a barbecue, entertainment and a disco and the aim is to showcase the club and celebrate the success of the past 12 months, as the club opens its doors to prospective new members.