Since leaving West Dan has got himself in the England "A" back row and there had been fears that he would be unavailable for Sunday. Sadly his old teammate James Ponton, now coaching our rivals Percy Park, is injured but will be a spectator.

Hyde looks to be the main man in an interesting Wooden Spoon XV which includes no less than 11 fortmer Westies including skipper Kevin Westgarth.

It just shows the quality that has gone through the club. Sadly a couple of lads who are almost certain to folow in those illustrious footsteps won't be available to run round those old legs on Sunday. Aaron Myers and Chris Lambert are away sailing in Greece ... under the charge of Mark Baggs! Will they ever return?

Somebody has also taken the risk of asking Chocky to be best man at his wedding. Now there's a speech we would all like to hear.

The weather forecast is looking good and there's a barbecue straight after the game with a live band so let's hope for an excellent turnout to pay tribute to Brett, kick off our 125th year and raise some money for charity.

Rovers coach and skipper Mark Power will feature in the Spoon's second row alongside Mr Hartlepool RFC Stewie Hind. The Wooden Spoon squad is currently looking like this:


15 Jon Eagle[Harlequins, Leeds , Yorkshire, North, England Legends]
14 Mark Farrah [Otley Yorkshire]
132 Jamie Connolly [ West, Bedford, L’Aquila, Redcar]
12 Craig Lee [West, Darlington, Durham, North]
11 James Bramwell [Derby, Leicester Tigers]
10 Dan Eddie [Leeds Tykes, England Legends]
9 Jon Swarbrigg [Leeds Tykes, Warwickshire]
1 David Robinson [ex West ]
2 Matthew Hall [West, Blaydon, Northumberland Eng U21]
3 Paul Beal [West, Redcar, Bedford, Penguins]
4 Mark Power [Rovers]
5 Kevin Westgarth [capt] [West, North]
6 Dany Hyde [West, Leeds Tyles England A]
7 Shaun Cassidy [West, Blaydon, North, England Legends]
8 Alan Brown [West, Stockton, Darlington]

John Dixon [West, Middlesbrough, Durham, North],
Peter Hunter [Houghton],
Matt Hunter [Houghton],
John Lawn [Wharfedale, Yorks],
Stewart Hind [Hartlepool, Durham],
Stu Bennett [ Horden, West, Durham],
Richard Senior [Sedgeley Park, Doncaster Yorks],
Tim Fourie [Sedgeley Park, Leeds Tykes, Lancs].
Phil Griffin [Leeds Tykes, Otley]


If you're wondering how our oppposition got its name here's the answer:

Wooden Spoon is rugby's charity supporting mentally, physically and socially disadvantaged children and young people. Spoon has committed to over £11 million in spending for projects for children and young people. It has organized over 1,500 events and had 20,000 ties worn by its loyal members and supporters. Hardworking staff and volunteers have achieved all of this since the birth of the charity. It all began on a fateful day in Dublin in 1983 when England’s Five Nations season ended in disaster with defeat by Ireland leaving them languishing at the bottom of the table.A group of English supporters were presented with a Wooden Spoon by their Irish opponents to mark this historic occasion. On returning home the proposal to play golf for the spoon attracted the interest of fellow English supporters. Over 100 people attended that golf day at Farnham and by the end of the evening £8450 had been raised. The charity was born...


Wooden Spoon has teamed up with the famous Anti-Assassins Rugby Club (A-As) to further promote our charitable work and support rugby at grassroots level. The Anti Assassins Rugby Union Football Club was founded in 1950 and over the last half century has had some huge names in rugby run out as representatives. The A-As’ membership includes over 100 internationals and three Past Presidents of the RFU