Dreaming of a dogfight (From York Press)

Dreaming of a dogfight

9:35am Saturday 27th August 2011 in Diary By Peter Martini, peter.martini@thepress.co.uk

RELEGATION battles are just brilliant, great fun. Well, perhaps they’re not as good as promotion fights or title races, but a quick read of former York boss Lee Crooks’ new book makes you realise how lucky you are to be put through the emotional rollercoaster of a rugby league season – even if it does end in demotion heartache or (hopefully for Knights fans) joyous relief.

Crooks’ autobiography, From Hull To Hell & Back, published by Scratching Shed Publishing, concentrates largely on his memorable playing career with Hull, Leeds, Western Suburbs, Castleford and Great Britain.

But he also devotes a chapter to his time as a head coach, most of which is dedicated to his somewhat incredible spell in charge of the ailing York Wasps.

York fans who stuck through the thin and thinner times of 2000 to ’02 will remember it well, even if they’d prefer to forget.

The chapter is entitled Is Pat On The Bus? – in reference to the then Wasps physio Pat Howdle, who, for a match at Widnes, made up the numbers on the bench, along with kitman Steve Harris (aka Bomber, who, of course, is still at the club), by virtue of merely being present.

The Wasps had begun the 2000/1 season decently enough, albeit with only a draw from four games. But off the field, as Crooks points out, there were “rumours all was not well”.

“In reality,” he writes, “their finances were an absolute mess and, just before Christmas, York entered into a creditors’ voluntary agreement.”

The upshot was that a host of players left after not being paid, while an injury crisis didn’t help, and nor did a seven-match ban for Alan Pallister for breaking Jamie Rooney’s jaw in a match at Featherstone. (Local favourite Pallister along with Gareth Dobson and the club legend that is Mick Ramsden soon became the only recognised professionals in the squad.) For the Widnes game in question, three West Riding-based players didn’t show up for the bus so Crooks and assistant-coach Frank Punchard had to find players from somewhere to make up the numbers. “While I made calls,” writes Crooks, “Frank nipped into the Castleford Lock Lane ARLC clubhouse and a couple of local pubs hoping to find someone available to pull on a pair of boots.

“A few blokes seemed interested but when they found out it was Widnes we were going to play, they suddenly remembered they had to take the wife shopping.”

The Wasps duly set off with 13 players but had to name 17. “I had to pick myself, four years after my last professional game,” says Crooks.

“The only other blokes on the bus were Frank, Steve the kitman, Pat the physio and one of our injured players, who had a pot on his leg.

“I still needed another three names so ‘pot-leg’ was named second substitute. Steve’s name also went down after he assured me he had played a bit at school.

“At this point, Frank starting twitching in his seat. ‘Lee, I’m 56,’ he said. ‘Some Widnes lads have played for Great Britain. If you put my name on that team sheet, I’m getting off this ******* bus.”

Crooks apparently took another look at Punchard, and then at Howdle, a fireman who had never played rugby.

“He wouldn’t stand a chance against the likes of Martin Crompton and Karle Hammond,” thought Crooks.

“On the other hand, he wasn’t 56. Pat the physio became my final substitute.”

Crooks adds later: “I was almost relieved we managed to hold them to 90-6.”

Crooks, this anecdote included, describes his time at York well – sometimes with perhaps unwitting humour which belies the frustration he must have felt as a great player with high hopes of a successful coaching career being reduced to scrambling a side together from one week to the next.

The lowest point came with defeat at Chorley Lynx – the one team below them in the league, and a team without a win for 14 months.

“How had I finished up at Chorley watching a bunch of hopeless amateurs hammer my bunch of even more hopeless amateurs?” he questions.

“It was only because their goalkicker was as **** as everyone else on the pitch that we lost 78-8 and not by an even heavier scoreline.”

Press records show Crooks actually did his post-match interview for Chorley the following day.

“There were a small number of reporters but none of them could bring themselves to come over and talk to me,” he writes in the book.

Throughout this chapter, however, Crooks also continues to demonstrate a humility and pride that shows rugby league in a great light.

Not only did he battle on through these direst of times (at least until being asked to reapply for his job at the end of the season by the then chairman, John Stabler, at which point he resigned) but he also maintained an admiration for the players under his tutelage, even if the majority were not good enough.

“I began to realise how lucky I had been as a player not to have to put up with what these lads were having to deal with,” he writes.

“The fact they were all there, training on a freezing Thursday night meant they were committed as well. That made them bloody heroes in my book.”

Talking of feeling lucky, reading Crooks’ story should likewise make York fans feel fortunate they have a team to support, following the Wasps’ ultimate demise in 2002.

And while there have been a few hammerings this term, following a club that could yet stay in the second tier of domestic rugby league – coincidentally for the Knights’ tenth anniversary season – is a far cry from the claptrap Crooks and co, and the supporters of course, had to contend with a decade ago.

From Hull To Hell & Back is a reminder that, even in bad times, it is indeed great fun following a team.

Final monthly accolade goes to Haynes

ONE player who has shone in these last few weeks of the Knights’ relegation dogfight is James Haynes – and he has this week been voted by readers of The Press as the Player of the Month for August.

There were several names in the running – captain Alex Benson, Brett Waller, and even Chris Thorman, after his performance in the win over Halifax, his one game this month due to injury, received votes. But Haynes was a clear winner.

Having been used on the wing and as a substitute in previous games, the former Dewsbury player started the month in an unaccustomed role at centre, coming close to The Press man-of-the-match accolade against Featherstone. He switched to full-back against Halifax and was again only just pipped for the match-day accolade.

That consistency has been rewarded with this award – the final Player of the Month gong of the year – which, given there are no more home games this term, will be presented at training this week.

The award also gives Haynes three bonus points for his Press Player of the Year tally – and in turn means only Nathan Freer and Thorman can now win this award.

Freer is two points clear of Thorman going into the last game of the season (the man of the match gets three points, and the next two best players get two and one point respectively), with reigning Player of the Year Jack Lee two points further back.

The Press Player of the Year standings: Freer 19pts, Thorman 17, Davies 15, Lee 15, Straugheir 14, Bush 12, Benson 9, Thackeray 8, Sutton 8, Esders 7, Massey 7, Haynes 6, Presley 5, Jones 5, Ford 3, Clarke 3, Stearman 3, Garside 3, Hemmings 3, Lewis 3, Waterman 2, Tuffour 2, Barlow 1, Waller 1.