A WARM WELCOME TO NORTH WALSHAM RFC
We welcome back everyone involved with North Walsham Rugby Club, one of our fellow basement dwellers from last season. We both survived the cut last April and it looks like it might just be a case of dejas vu come Spring 2024.
Our opponents will have travelled 150 miles to get here, but they will be used to extended coach journeys as they are the northernmost club in our division. Knowing what is at stake no doubt the coach party from Norfolk will have set off early to avoid delays en route.
Nicknamed The Vikings, presumably due to overseas visitors coming ashore many centuries ago, our guests started life as late as 1962 under the guidance of a local headmaster, Ken Marshall and the resident policeman John Mansfield. The plan was to tickle the interest of the Walsham youth in rugby. History relates that several families were somewhat daunted by John, in full uniform, knocking on doors on a Friday night asking if any lads were at home.
Starting off on school pitches, presumably courtesy of Ken, the club soon moved to Scottow their present home. The early fixture lists comprised all the local Norfolk teams and the club thrived. Pre leagues success was capped in 1984 by lifting both the Norfolk and Eastern Counties Cups.
The advent of leagues in 87/88 gave The Vikings the impetus to move rapidly skywards, eventually involving 18 consecutive seasons in the National Leagues. That run came to an end in 10/11 and for the next eight terms they oscillated mainly between Levels 5 and 6. However, a stellar but Covid induced and abbreviated 19/20 campaign saw the Vikings gallop away with London 1 North. The 21/22 London & South East Premier promotion contest was epic and both our clubs prevailed, so for 22/23 it was inevitable that they would be finding their feet in elevated surroundings.
Both of us have had difficult starts to this season so the points on offer today will be keenly contested and most welcome for whoever prevails. No matter the outcome today our two clubs will continue to serve the community and retain our integrity by operating within our own defined financial and moral guidelines.
Howard Pearl
Other National 2 East matches being played today:
Bury St Edmunds v Esher Canterbury v Dorking
Guernsey v Worthing Henley v Tonbridge Juddian
Old Albanian v Wimbledon Westcombe Park v Barnes