Earlier in the year, Derek Fletcher’s family donated a plaque acknowledging our four founders. Derek, Elsie Fisher, John Willis and Ernie Parker. I bet they never thought we would still be playing 60 years later, have hundreds of junior players, and be one of the most successful Walking Rugby club’s in Sussex. Mind you, having heard the singing at our Elf Karaoke Night last Saturday they might have a few regrets! So if you need any extra motivation to come and visit the club, please come and see the plaque and toast our original founders. All they would have wanted is that everybody continues to support the club on and off the pitch.

We are battling hard in Sussex Division One, it’s a difficult league and we have a few key injuries but we are improving and the squad is shaping up nicely for the second half of the season. Our 2nd XV is also enjoying an uplift in form but as always, getting players to commit to a game is proving hard. I don’t need to sell you the dream but if you can lace-up your boots, you can play! On the 13th and 27th January we have home games against Uckfield and Shoreham and then we plan to have another players reunion on 17th February when we host Haywards Heath. Instead of “Le Crunch Lunch” we will make it “The Love Lunch” as it is so close to Valentine’s Day and we all know how much we love our local rivals!!

If you are not on social media you wont know our junior section is thriving. We have some really decent youngsters and some dedicated coaches. Notable wins against East Grinstead, Hove and Horsham as well as excellent festival results at Haywards Heath, Crawley, Pulborough and Chichester. No bad eh? There’s more, we even have a new girls section going to there own tournaments. More people, playing more rugby, in more ways, and more often. Wonderful.

Off the pitch, the clubhouse has some serious subsidence issues and there is a select group trying to resolve this. If you can offer any help with such matters we would love your input, please let me know. At the moment we have changing room 2 closed for safety reasons, I will update when it is safe to return. Unfortunately, the clubhouse is at that stage where you fix one problem and ten others appear, which is a bit like going out drinking with Ross.

We were all rocked by the sudden passing of Geoff Keys back in October. If you never met Geoff, you only have to read the messages on Facebook to learn how highly he was regarded and how much he was loved. One of the nicest men one could wish to meet and the reason many of us are involved with BHRFC. We will be thinking of the whole Keys family this Christmas. All of you make sure you hug your loved ones, remember absent friends and don’t let anybody be alone this Christmas. BHRFC has and always will be a community first and foremost.

There was a strong contingent of BHRFC members out in France for the Rugby World Cup. Forgetting the absolute nightmare of trying to get in the stadiums or grab a beer, it was great to see us all getting together before or after games. I hope this continues and we always try and meet up with each other when at games. It’s amazing who you bump into. I think Tom Hylands broke some sort of record by attending about 20 different games in a range of venues. Be sure to ask him about his love for dark Irish bars with no electricity or airflow!

There is a lot of press at the moment about the increase in abuse players and officials get in rugby. At grassroots level we are the custodians of the sport and we must maintain the discipline rugby teaches us. In my day the referee was called “Sir” (we didn’t have female refs) and he would be thanked for volunteering his time. Once in the clubhouse and over a few pints, we were encouraged to exchange views on decisions they made, usually by way of a good sing song! Remember, without officials we have no games. As players, coaches, parents or supporters PLEASE do not aim our frustrations at the officials. Expressing aloud form 30 yards away that you know better doesn’t help anybody, especially the team. Leave this sort of uncouth behaviour to the opposition, we prefer to have referees on our side.

Finally, some advice from happy Peter behind the bar when out socialising this Christmas.
1. Always order the Guinness last when buying a round. Bar staff love this.
2. If you are waiting to be served at a busy bar for just five minutes, please complain to staff that it has been “half an hour”. Bar staff love this.
3. Don’t worry if you can’t remember the whole round and have to go back to the table six times to double check. Bar staff love this.
4. Always wait until the credit card machine has been presented with your bill before asking for a bag of crisps. Bar staff love this.
5. When asking for crisps, please let the bar staff give you a list of all the available snacks and flavours before asking if they do “Beef Monster Munch” that was never mentioned. Bar staff love this.
6. Don’t worry about saying please or thank you. Bar staff love this.
7. Buy total strangers a Christmas drink but never bar staff. Bar Staff love this.
8. Always question the price of the beer these days. Bar Staff love this.
9. Arrive at the bar 15 seconds after they call “Time at the bar” and make out you have been waiting ages, then say of “C’mon mate just one more?!” before walking off and insulting us. Bar staff love this.
10. Please ask bar staff to call you a taxi to pick you up whenever and take you to wherever because you are too drunk to remember where or who you are. Bar staff love this.

Enjoy your festive break and see you in the new year.

Shills.