PRE-MATCH LUNCH
This season lunches need to be booked in advance (by 23:59 on the Thursday) using a simple on-line reservation & payment system. Due to a maximum capacity this will be on a first-come-first-served basis.
The lunch prior to the Sheffield match will be served from 12.30pm with BAR1876 opening from 12noon.
For further details: https://www.tynedalerfc.co.uk/a/prematch-lunches-66490.html
To Book:-

TYNEDALE v SHEFFIELD
Saturday 4th November 2023 (KO 2pm) - NOTE EARLIER 2pm KICK-OFF

CLICK HERE to download/view Match Programme

After our two week break (which seems like an eternity) we return to action this Saturday when we extend a warm welcome to the players, officials and supporters of SHEFFIELD RUFC .

LIFE MEMBER LOSSES
Both Tynedale and Sheffield clubs have recently suffered from the deaths of old stalwart Life Members.
Here we had the loss of John Suddes on the 4th. September and then John Shotton who died on the 1st October 2023.
Between those dates Sheffield’s Malcolm Binnie passed away on 25th September 2023. He was one of only 13 persons who have ever been Life-Members of the Sheffield club. He was elected in 1997.
Malcolm was, at 16 years of age, the youngest player ever to play for the Sheffield 1st fifteen. He played for the club from 1968 to 1983, making 133 1st team appearances and then filled almost every role in the club. He was Chairman of Selectors from 1985 to 1993, and President from 2006 to 2008.

“When I remember all
The friends so linked together
I’ve seen around me fall
Like leaves in wintry weather”
Thomas Moore “Oft in the stilly night”

ALAN OLD
The Club hoped to invite Alan Old, the ex-England rugby International and British Lion to the lunch before today’s match, as he was Captain of Sheffield RUFC from 1977 to 1979.
After retiring from playing Alan coached the Northumberland County team, containing many Tynedale players, and for many years he was Chairman of the Northumberland branch of the Wooden Spoon charity. Last year he moved south from Longframlington to Harrogate.
Alan has always been a great friend of Tynedale. His son Michael played fly-half and centre for our 1st XV from 1992 to 1995, and for the County.
Unfortunately Alan was unable to come to the lunch today, but he is remembered by Sheffield as one of their most prestigious players, and by Tynedale as a great supporter of his adopted county, Northumberland, and we send him our best wishes.

PREVIOUS MATCHES BETWEEN CLUBS
Tynedale have played three times against Sheffield in league matches. The first was on the 4th November 2017 when Tynedale won 47-11. The return that season at Sheffield was postponed and then not played as the result would not have affected the final table.

Prior to the formation of leagues we have records of Tynedale playing Sheffield on only two occasions in "friendly"fixtures :-
In 1979-1980 on 15th December the teams met at Tynedale Park whilst the following season the teams met at Sheffield on 20th December 1980 – remarkably both matches resulted in 16-6 victories for the home side.

The two clubs also met, on the 7th November 1992, in a Pilkington Cup second round match at Tynedale Park. Tynedale won that match 21-14, having beaten Hartlepool Rovers 39-16 at home in the first round – but they then lost to Morley (who played in National League Div.2 at that time) on the 28th November 1992.

Otherwise the league results between the clubs have been:-
2017-2018 - Tynedale 47 Sheffield 11
2022-2023 - Tynedale 36 Sheffield 14
2022-2023 - Sheffield 36 Tynedale 33 (5 tries each).
(Sheffield had been promoted last season (2022/23) into National Two North as runners- up to Newport (Salop) in Midland Premier on league reorganisation.)

Without finishing top of any league Sheffield have managed to gain five promotions with second place successes, in 2003, 2011, 2015, 2017 and 2022. That must be some sort of record !

7th NOVEMBER 1992 – TYNEDALE 21 SHEFFIELD 14
The two teams who played in that Pilkington Cup match 31 years ago were:-
TYNEDALE : Derek Stephenson; John Rutherford, Gary Fleming, John Fletcher, Craig Johnston; Chris Leslie, Simon Clayton-Hibbott; Richard Parker (Capt), Edward Parker, Martin White; Steven Dunn, Andy Oglethorpe; Paul Leonard, Graham Yates, Mickey Lee. Rep: Scott Ferguson and Billy Robson.
SHEFFIELD : A. Dunkley; M. Rogers, J. Baxendell, S. Juds, J .Morley; D. Hill, I. Wright; D. Bosworth, A. Challoner, S. McMain; D. Kaye, T. Medley; R. Parr (Capt), D. Watson, A. Morris. Rep. A. Harrison and C. Fisher.

Five players in the Tynedale 1st. XV squad this season are sons of players in that 1992 Tynedale team – Josh Leslie, Rob Parker, Angus White, Richard Dunn and Graeme Dunn.

WHAT ELSE HAPPENED AT TYNEDALE IN SEASON 1992/1993?
• The 1st XV won 26 games out of 33 but failed to get promotion from North 1.
• The 1st XV did, however, retain the Northumberland Senior Cup by holding Newcastle Gosforth (National Division 1) to a nail-biting draw, after extra time.
• The 2nd XV adopted the new name of ‘Raiders’.
• 10 players represented Northumberland in senior County Championship matches; 6 more played for Northumberland B.
• John Fletcher represented the North of England v the South, and was selected to tour Canada with England ‘A’.
• A Tynedale ex-mini player, Andrew Blyth, was selected for England U18 group Schools team, and played in four games.
• The new stand was opened on 26th September 1992 by Danie Serfontein, RFU President.

HOW DO TYNE AND SHEFFIELD RESULTS THIS SEASON COMPARE?
Against the same opponents at the same venues:-
2nd Sept. 2023 Tynedale 38 Preston Grasshoppers 43
16th Sept 2023 Sheffield 36 Preston Grasshoppers 14

9th Sept 2023 Billingham 20 Tynedale 17
23rd Sept 2023 Billingham 16 Sheffield 14

23rd Sept 2023 Lymm 33 Tynedale 26
7th Oct 2023 Lymm 26 Sheffield 41

30th Sept 2023 Tynedale 19 Rotherham 33
14th Oct 2023 Sheffield 17 Rotherham 37

Tynedale P 4 W 0 L 4 PF 100 PA 129
Sheffield P 4 W 2 L 2 PF 108 PA 93

Currently Sheffield sit three places above Tynedale in the league, on 18 points, 2 more than Tynedale.

Sheffield’s league results to date:-
Sheffield 35 Leeds Tykes 40
Sheffield 28 Sheffield Tigers 32
Sheffield 36 Preston Grasshoppers 14
Billingham 16 Sheffield 14
Wharfedale 33 Sheffield 25
Lymm 26 Sheffield 41
Sheffield 17 Rotherham 37

SHEFFIELD WEBSITE
https://www.pitchero.com/clubs/sheffield/

MATCH OFFICIALS
Referee: Michael Harris
AR1: James Gray
AR2: Rebecca Rees

BALL BOYS
Tynedale Under 13’s

WEATHER FORECAST
Possibility of light rain showers, light easterly wind, 9 degrees

SELECTED SQUAD