A WARM WELCOME TO NORTH WALSHAM RFC
Ooh…er! It’s definitely squeaky bum time as we approach the end of this our first season in the National Leagues. We are in a contest to remain in Level 4 and today we play one of our fellow battlers for what amounts to, borrowing a hackneyed football phrase, a “six-pointer”. The winner will take a minimum of 4 but probably 5 points and the loser a maximum of 2.
So we welcome back everyone involved with North Walsham Rugby Club, one of our fellow promoted clubs from last season. 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. As we know last season’s scrap for promotion places in London & South East Premier went down to the final weekend with both our clubs prevailing.
After a difficult start to the season the Vikings’ improving form since the New Year, as well as fixtures at home to Rochford Hundred and away at Canterbury after today’s match, has given them a sporting chance of avoiding the drop. So, both Canterbury and Rochford will be especially interested in our final score this evening.
No matter the score today, we can salute Ben and Sean, our latest Centurion Heroes. With 100 league appearances each they become the 23rd and 24th Mighty Oaks players to have cracked the ton. May we continue to enjoy their skills and applaud them both for many more matches to come.
Howard Pearl
Other National 2 East matches being played today:
Barnes v Blackheath Bury St Edmunds v Old Albanian
Canterbury v Guernsey Dorking v Tonbridge Juddian
Rochford Hundred v Henley Worthing v Westcliff