Old Yardleians Rugby Football Club

The Junior Sections

At  the turn of the decade and throughout the nineties a small group of stalwarts were sufficiently worried about the clubs future to add mini and junior teams to the long established Colts section. Tex Wales, Martin Cullen, Mick Ison and Tom Power were recruited as referees. Jan and Bill Collins, Eve Walker and the Lewins family were co-opted as victuallers.  Chris Watts, Mick Bloxham, Pembo and Richard Walker were sent on courses to hone their coaching skills. In the 1992-93 season we had under 14 and under 15 teams playing on Sunday mornings often with vocal support from first teamers who had come to collect their cars from the previous evening or had been rudely awakened from their slumbers in the clubhouse. By the mid-nineties we were running teams for  under 14, 15 and 16 year olds.  During this period the Colts team suffered mixed fortunes as groups of players drifted away to university or taking on jobs elsewhere, but things did improve and in 1994-95 we were  turning out under 14, under 15 and Colts sides.

Relegation and Promotion

Lee Perks took on the captaincy in 1990-91 with Steve Sidwell as Club Coach. Moseley were trying to forge new links with the junior clubs and Steve was able to get some helpful guest coaching by Alex Keays.  We  played reasonably well  but a few poor results led to problems and a three-team drop meant relegation to North Midlands Division One. We again were entered in the Pilkington Cup, losing our away match 22 points to nil to Sheffield from the Third Division. The next season Lee again led the team. Our eight wins from ten league games included a title deciding match at Old Halesonians. All four OYs teams played away, the lower sides kicking off early in order to watch the first team match.  Overcoming Halesonians early pressure we eventually ran out 19 points to nil winners gaining promotion to Midlands West One, as the leagues were once more rearranged.