Fylde RFC can look back on valiant effort in a unique season

Last Friday the RFU announced final league tables for those competitions and confirmed the promoted and relegated clubs.

Fylde were confirmed as runners-up in National Two North, which would normally have meant a promotion play-off against the runners-up in National Two South, Tonbridge Juddians.

With no play-off, it was decided that the playing record of Tonbridge was superior and so they, along with outstanding Two North champions Caldy and the adjudged Two South champions Taunton, have been promoted to National One for next season.

Fylde come to terms with their disappointment, which is particularly hard for the players who have battled through from September, and look forward to another season in Two North.

Fylde had an excellent campaign in their centenary season, winning 17 games, drawing one and losing seven.

They scored 790 points and conceded 447, with an average score of 32-18 across the 25 matches.

There were a total of 116 tries shared between 20 players. Tom Carleton was the top scorer with 23 tries, while three of his team-mates reached double figures.

They were Connor Wilkinson with 15, Tom Grimes with 14 and hooker Ben Gregory the top-scoring forward with 13.

Carleton finished third on the Two North try-scoring list, with Wilkinson fourth and Grimes tied in seventh.

Greg Smith notched 92 goals (72 conversions and 20 penalties). And with his six tries the fly-half was third in the division’s point-scoring chart with 234.

Head coach Warren Spragg used only 30 players in the 25 first-team games, the lowest number for many seasons.

This is a tribute to the management of the squad, the durability and commitment of the players and the quality of the medical and support team.

Seven players started all 25 games: Carleton, Gregory, Grimes, Adam Lanigan, Scott Rawlings, Smith and Wilkinson. Three others played a part in all 25: Jacob Conner, Elliot Horner and skipper Adam Lewis.

Fylde won seven of their first eight matches, drawing the other, with strong away performances at Scunthorpe (32-52), Wharfedale (19-32), Tynedale (27-34) and Hinckley (7-43). Their first defeat was at Caldy (25-18) on November 2.

A disappointing home defeat against Hull (20-22) and another in the mud at Sheffield Tigers (16-10) were setbacks but 2019 finished well with victory at Preston Grasshoppers (3-28), who were ultimately relegated.

In the New Year, outstanding performances against Tynedale at home (50-10), at Stourbridge (12-64) and at Chester (15-51) were interspersed with defeats at Huddersfield (32-15), home to Hinckley (17-27) and Caldy (7-15) and at Loughborough Students (32-30).

Fylde never lost their grip on second place, though those three defeats in their final five matches cost them in the final promotion calculations. However, rugby is littered with examples of what might have been and Fylde have extended their best wishes to all the promoted clubs.

Coronavirus scuppered Fylde’s end-of-season centenary celebrations and, like many clubs, they face major financial difficulties, given the loss of three home games, hospitality income and the postponement of next month’s fixture with the Barbarians, which was to have been the highlight of the centenary. However, it is hoped to stage this match in future.

The club has thanked all of its players, staff and volunteers, as well as the sponsors, members and supporters.

The community team led by Gavin Butterworth has been put on a professional footing with the support of Community Group Ltd, a major advance with huge potential as the club looks to increase participation in rugby union in local schools and colleges.

A final club statement for the season reads: “We wish all our stakeholders, members of the club and of the local rugby community a safe and secure spring and summer in the most difficult and dangerous of public health circumstances.

“We remain a true community club, a united rugby family, as we enter our second century. We look forward to seeing everyone when we resume the new season in 2020-21.”