This Saturday, for what will be our 4th home match of the season, we extend a very warm welcome to our guests from Chester, who will be making the 180 mile trek north up the M6.

PREVIOUS TYNEDALE/CHESTER MEETINGS
Tynedale/Chester league fixtures began when Tynedale were relegated from National One at the end of the 2014-2015 season and the two clubs came together the following season in National 2 North.
The first four league matches played between Chester and Tynedale, strangely, all ended in wins for the away teams.
2015-2016 Tynedale 25 Chester 29
2015-2016 Chester 22 Tynedale 23
2016-2017 Tynedale 27 Chester 33
2016-2017 Chester 10 Tynedale 11
Since then the home sides have completely dominated the wins (just, in some cases):-
2017-2018 Tynedale 52 Chester 21
2017- 2018 Chester 34 Tynedale 33
2018-2019 Chester 33 Tynedale 22
2018-2019 Tynedale 35 Chester 5
2019-2020 Chester 36 Tynedale 17
2019-2020 Tynedale v Chester cancelled (Covid)
2021-2022 Chester 32 Tynedale 31
2021-2022 Tynedale 38 Chester 14
In summary Chester are ahead 6-5 on wins (4 matches with only one point between the teams.)
Chester did come close to promotion in 2018-2019 finishing in 2nd place behind champions Hull Ionians but losing the play-off 10-19 to Canterbury.

Tynedale and Chester did have two fixtures against each other in the 1970’s prior to the commencement of leagues – both being memorable for events off the field rather than on it.
In the 1975-1976 season on Easter Monday, 19th April 1976, Tynedale beat Chester 19-13 in a match remembered for an off-pitch incident when the much loved President at the time, A.L.Richardson (Drew), obviously fortified by a few nips, lost his footing and tumbled from the back row of the old grandstand down to the front without any noticeable side effects (the wonder of alchohol!).
The second fixture at Chester on 18th Feburary 1978 never actually took place with Tynedale travelling only to find Chester was completely frostbound and the pitch obviously unplayable (communication in the days before mobile phones wasn’t always easy). The travelling squad (and the driver) made the best of a bad do, watching Wales v Scotland before heading home via Morcambe. (Not before racing a few buses full of Byth Spartans supporters, who’d played Wrexham in the F A Cup 5th round that day, through the streets of Chester – but that’s another story!)

The last time the two teams met at Tynedale Park was earlier this year on 12th February when Tynedale were convincing 38 -14 victors, scoring 5 tries.
The Tynedale squad that day was :-
Forwards: White, Johnston, Lowdon, Wearmouth, Dunn, Cousin, Tiffin, Blackburn
Backs: Outson, Rodgers, Todhunter, Miller, Clark, Hutton, Cooke
Replacements: Baty, Telfer, Stanwix, West, Wainwright

Chester have made a decent start to the season, impressively picking up bonus points in very narrow defeats against high-flyers Fylde and Sedgley Park, but they will be disappointed with last Saturday’s home defeat. They currently sit 4 points and 3 places below Tynedale and another close, tough match is expected.

The Chester results this season have been:-
Fylde 34 Chester 29
Chester 19 Sedgley Park 20
Huddersfield 17 Chester 23
Chester 8 Sheffield 5
Sheffield Tigers 15 Chester 37
Chester 22 Otley 24

Officials
Referee: David Charlton
AR1: Michael Harris
AR2: Paul Fincken

Ball Boys
Tynedale Under 13’s

Weather Forecast
Sunny intervals, gentle westerly breeze, 15 degrees

Player Injury Update
Michael Hughes - hoping to return early November after 14 months out with serious knee injury.
Henry Wainwright - serious ACL knee injury, had operation, out for season.
Euan Forlow – ACL knee injury, probably out for season.
Ben Haigh - several niggling injuries, hopes to be back playing in 2 to 3 weeks.
Will Miller - scan on shoulder injury not as bad as feared, hoping to be back playing in 3 to 4 weeks.
Jonny Cousin - Calf injury, did hope to be ready for last Saturday but injury recurred at Thursday training prior to the match. Probably out for several weeks.
Louis Frankland - ankle injury, hoping to be back playing this Saturday.
Ben Bell - concussion, hopes to be playing this Saturday.

Selected Squad
To be announced