Well Done - Rich Parker

It seems that whilst everyone else was "revising" (aka dossing about playing computer games, squeezing spots and looking at girls) at Half Term, Rich 'Punchy' Parker was hard at work at GL1 becoming an honest to goodness qualified lifeguard!! I know it's not easy to believe, but apparently it's true - I won't be queuing for the kiss of life, but well done Rich - good lad.... Just remember, it's not all about the breast stroke...

Well Done - Joe & Christian

Well done to Joe Salkeld and Christian Hartery - both turned out for the Welsh Exiles (aren't they all??) the weekend before last at Ledbury against, er, Ledbury (bit of a mismatch in my book - whole country against small market town, but never mind that...) - the Exiles won 44-5, and we are, seriously, really pleased for 'em - well done!!

Match Report - Longlevens v Cleve (24th February)

Longlevens 5 - 10 Cleve

Well, it was a tougher test in the County Cup last weekend (sorry for the report being late - been busy, and yes, I know I'm a Civil Servant!!) and 'Levens came up short - out-psyched by a good team and to a certain extent looking beaten before they started...






As you can see, the spectators were on the edge of their seats before KO - not sure about the security fencing though....







The home team started well, with some real effort and good play from Deacs Jnr and Sam Rees, with Chris Powick putting in some thundering runs, but nothing came of this possesion.

10 minutes in Yorkie stole a Cleve pass, fed Bestie and Matt Hayward put in a strong run before being run out of play.




20 minutes in 'Levens forced Cleve into conceding a penalty which we failed to convert from just outside the 22. Just after this, Cleve scored on the left following a good move, for 0-5 and 5 minutes later they repeated the process for 0-10....




Just before half time Hayward again put in a storming run, on the right this time, forcing Cleve to concede a penalty in the 22, we moved the ball left, with Mikey Yorke putting Jacob Dyer in on the left for 5-10.





The second half was scoreless, with occasional 'Levens pressure but good defence from Cleve and some dangerous breaks from the visitors, only just kept out by the home team on a number of occasions










After the match, Head Coach Deacon remained, er, philosophical about the morning, pondering on the reasons for a rather poor performance - hopefully we'll bounce back...







Matt Hayward was named man of the match for the home team, and made commendably short work of his pint of creme de casis shandy....

County Cup Results To Date

Slightly (and only slightly!!) tidier version of CC status....

Match Report - Longlevens v Stow (10th February)

Longlevens 43 - 7 Stow

Correct. That's nothing to do with rugby - that's Gloucester docks, but that's where I was until 11.15 this morning, taking pics for my boy's GCSE Art, so I missed the start of the game....

I arrived about 15 mins in, with the score at 19-0 - apparently I missed:

• Taff Ford finishing off after being fed by Rory Woodward for the first score
• Rory scoring from a Christian Hartery kick through for the second
• Gabby rumbling over from a lineout for the third

The Big Chap had the whistle again today - got through another, though there was a bit of a scare in the second half (luckily the Stow lad was fine) - and it has to be said, he'd obviously been trying, as there was a distinctly sweaty back after the match... Yeuw....

2 other subjects of note - some unseemly crowd violence, as Gordon treads on Brian, and why is Neil trying to eat Toby's whole head??

Anyway, I digress.... 20 minutes in 'Levens put together a good move on half way, working the ball right to left and putting Taff in for his second score in the corner, for 24-0. 5 minutes later, George Cusworth made a good break, putting Sam Rees clear to score for 31-0.

Stu Stephenson was playing well, and Chris Powick was putting in some big, big hits as the half drew to a close.

The second half saw Tom Reade putting in another good performance, with George Cusworth and Sam Rees everywhere, as well as Lewis Powell running like a man possessed. 10 minutes in Sam Lane brilliantly turned ball over on the Stow 22, Deacs took the ball on to the right, feeding Fergus, who shipped the ball to Nathan, who in turn put Shane O'Brien over in the corner for 43-0.

Jake Williams was playing well on the wing, attacking well, and defending manfully, though it has to be said that he's clearly been taking elocution lessons from Joe Salked!!

'Levens rather went to sleep, and Stow, to their credit, kept on pressing, and were eventually rewarded with a try in the forwards on the right, following a penalty on the right, for a final score of 43-7.

Following a strong all-round performance, George Cusworth was m-o-t-m, though it has to be said he struggled with the customary pint of creme de menth, looking like something of a big girl's blouse - all the more galling, as his Dad and Grandad were watching, and frankly, laughing....

Bag Packing - Scores On The Doors...

The Tescos bag packing seems to have been a rip-roaring success - the efforts of the lads on Friday evening and Saturday morning have netted an amount in excess of £1100 for the tour fund, according to Mark Hartery, phoning from a Caribbean tax haven earlier - well done to everyone....

Amazingly enough, we received many, many comments on how well behaved, polite and helpful our packers were - I'd just like to know who they were, as it clearly wasn't the kids we see each week....

All I can say is, Steve. there's no need for the product placement anymore, eh??

Apparently there were some fringe benefits for certain packers, eh, Rich?? What's that?? Not that sort??

Well done to everyone - especially Steve for organising everything...

Latest Competition

Identify what's in the picture - no, honestly, something's there, you need to look closer....

Match Report - Longlevens v Old Pats (3rd February)

Longlevens 29 - 0 Old Pats

Well, it was a little brisk this morning, down at the Club, in the same way that the sun is a little way away, and England were a little poor yesterday....

This was the replacement friendly, plugging the gap from Tewkesbury pulling out of the County Cup - and hopefully Old Pats and the home team both got something out of it...






Deacs was reffing this morning, and praise be to God, the Big Chap has actually completed a full game mit whistle at the third time of asking - perhaps we should drop the shouts of 'Jonah', and 'Call the ambulance' now?? No, thought not.

As someone said when he stripped off the warm up top and jogged (I use the term loosely) on (in proper boots, note) for kickoff 'Well, it looks like the ref had a good Christmas'... OK, Ollie??


Anyway, to business, basically it was absolutely freezing & blowing a gale - 10 minutes in, my first shaky note says 'Not much happening' - good, eh?? Rich Parker came into the game, putting in a couple of good, driving runs (he's payed me to say that, obviously). 5 minutes later we stole Old Pats lineout ball on our right, and Rory 'Peg Leg' Woodward, making a welcome return, stepped off his left foot on the 22, left the defence standing and went over under the posts, converting his own try for 7-0.



For the next 10 or 15 minutes we lapsed back into 'nothing much happening', though 'Levens were on top, keeping Old Pats penned back, and exerting as much pressure as the continual knock-ons and handling errors, brought on by the sub-zero temperatures, would allow....


Then, a moment of class - Christian Hartery kicked ahead from the base of a scrum on the left, fielded his own kick and went over on the right for 12-0.


Jake Williams was playing a sterling game on he right wing, and Peg Leg was everywhere - clearly relishing being back in action. Honourable mentions to Chris Powick, who was putting the fear of God into the opposition and Chris 'Call Me CJ' Johnson doing likewise...

The game turned round at 12-0, and with most onlookers (OK, Sarah, Karl, Mark - not you) hoping for something other than a replay of yesterday's international) we got back into it - very quickly 'Levens were making progress on the right, with an intelligent hoof forward from Hartery which Mikey Yorke failed to actually make contact with in-goal - hey ho....

Fergus Walsh in the backs was playing well, and Joe 'What's A Sidestep' Gamston was being, er, direct in the forwards, along with Sam Lane from No. 8 who put in a storming run, only just being kept out on the left.





Most of the play continued to be in Old Pats 22, and 10 minutes into the second half Sam Rees linked well with George Cusworth on the left for 17-0.

A few minutes later, with Tom Reade continuing to play well Shane O'Brien scored on the right, following some good work from Nathan Hazard and Cusworth in the centre. Score 22-0.




Just before full time 'Levens turned over Old Pats ball on our 10m line, Sam Rees fed Taff Ford on the left, who stepped inside the covering defence and showed 'em a clean pair of heels for a final score of 29-0.



After that it was top speed for the welcoming warmth of the Clubhouse and a Committee selection of joint men of the match - Tom Reade and Chris 'I've Got A Cold, I Can't Drink It Any Quicker' Johnson.... celebrating with 2 delightful pints of lager shandy, the lucky, lucky illegitamae....








Couple of points - what's Rich Parker lounging around like this for....














And, is this really the publicity Premier Cars are looking for?? Lewis??

Squad Photo - January 2008

Longlevens U16s Squad, at training on 16th January 2008. Whole squad, with Mark & Deacs. Many thanks to our sponsors - Warners Motor Group, Premier Cars, Motorfix and JR Laboratories.

For all of those who were admiring the snazy mounted pics we're giving out to the sponsors, this is (I seem to remember) exactly the same photo - not reduced in detail etc - so you can, if you so desire, save it locally and either print or send off.... Me and Phil won't even invoke copyright charges!!