Old Newspaper Clippings

		Clips 1-5 Supplied By John McEwen - Ex Player 1960/61 - 1961/62
		- First 2nd XV Game

Extract from The North Wales Weekly News 28^th December 1922

The Rugby Game

PRESTATYN V COLWYN BAY

An energetic effort to popularise Rugby football in North Wales, where the game is little played, is being made. Under the presidency of Lord Mostyn a club was formed at Prestatyn last year, and is now permanently established. It is hoped to form a club at Colwyn Bay, and with this object in view a Colwyn Bay and District XV, selected by Mr C.A. Rowland, and captained by Mr W. Sutcliffe, the well known Manchester and Lancashire half, visited and played Prestatyn last Saturday. Mr Ashton was in charge of the following players:-

Prestatyn – Price, full back; Williams, Hocking, Kemp and Hatton, three quarter backs; Howell and Cooper, half backs; Woodward, Moore, Dutton, Rees, Botham, Jewell, Wallace and A. N Other, forwards.

Colwyn Bay – Williams, full back; Mallalieu, Arnold, B. Cooper, and Pilsbury, three quarter backs; H.Sutcliffe and H. Cooper half backs; P. Arundale, Allan,  C.A. Rowland, Bartley, W.H. Rowland, T. Taylor, H. Lord and Mitchell forwards.

Despite the wretched climatic conditions under which the game was played, Lord Mostyn, after receiving the rival captains and formally kicking off, set a fine example of sportsmanship by staying to the end of the game.   Colwyn Bay were prominent in the early stages, but not having previously played together, did not combine well. Ultimately the heavier and more experienced home pack exerted pressure on the visiting defence, where Sutcliffe, Williams, Arnold, and the brothers Cooper were often prominent and prevented a score. Colwyn Bays forwards, led by Arundale, Lord, and Allan, occasionally broke away, and appeared likely to score. Just before the interval Dutton, after a scrum on the visiting line, scrambled over far out, the place-kick failing. At the interval Prestatyn led by 3 points to 0.

The game fluctuated from end to end in the second half. Dutton put the home team further ahead by another unconverted try. Excellent defence work by Sutcliffe, Mallalieu, and Pilsbury for the visitors kept the score down, but in the last ten minutes the superior weight and combination of the Prestatyn team told, and Williams, by a brilliant effort, and “A.N.Other” (2) scored, Howell converting on each occasion. A very pleasantly contested game terminated with Prestatyn winners by 3 goals 2 tries to nil.

The form displayed by the visitors was extremely promising, and with further opportunities of practice and coaching little difficulty should be experienced in building up a team. A return match will take place in Colwyn Bay at an early date. An effort is being made to enlist the support of the public and county schools along the coast to take the game up.

Research: John Taylor

Re-type: Geoff Taylor