The Coventry side is a greatly changed side from the one that travelled to Ipswich last time, with International representative players such as Alan Robinson, Johnny Nicholls, Joe Smith, James Cathcart and Rich Pepperell all missing last time. The game should prove to be Coventry’s biggest test so far and is no doubt going to be a tight affair. The Bears coach, Stephen Harrison-Mirfield (Mirf), said “The Ipswich side are well disciplined and all quite fit, they don’t particularly have much size in their pack, but this makes them more mobile than the average team. The secret for us is going to be to get on top right from the kick off and ensure we play out our sets to the patterns we have worked on. If we can also hold them in defence, working hard at drifting and ensuring we hold our line rather than shooting out for the one big hit, then I am very confident that we can go there and come away with a victory.”

Selection this week has proved problematic for Harrison-Mirfield, but fortunately for all the right reasons. Speaking after the game last week Rob Lowe (Match Captain) said “Mirf had a few difficult calls to make this week, there are a lot of lads out there who are all in contention and the hardest thing in the world is to tell a guy who’s playing well that he hasn’t been selected because other guys are playing as well, or are more suited to a particular opposition. It’s been a tough call, but we have our strongest available 17 players out for Saturday's match.”

This weeks team sees a couple of enforced changes from the Bears side that beat Leicester for the third time last week. Glen Southwell and Wayne Holmes are unavailable, and so Rich Pepperell the Welsh representative international makes a welcome return at full back. Pepperell’s defensive ability is only surpassed by his attacking prowess, with his ability to come onto a ball from nowhere being an excellent weapon for the Bears to introduce at this critical time of the season. The wings are made up from the ever present Shaw and Slater whilst Rob Lowe moves back out to the centres from his stint in the pack last week, it is from the centres that Lowe has proved most effective this year and his presence there is bound to shore up the Bears defence out wide. He is joined in the centres by James Cathcart who switches from the stand off role this week, and is bound to cause the Ipswich side trouble in this wider role. The half back combination sees Joe Smith and Alex van der Walt back together for the first time in three weeks; arguably the best partnership for the bears this season.

The pack has a very familiar and settled ring to it, with Carl Southwell, Rich Davies and last week's man of the match Matt Allsopp starting in the front row.  Johnny Nicholls and Ian McGregor provide the second row combination that has been so consistent for the Bears all season. Matt 'Salty' Wright is back at his usual loose forward position and the Australian is sure to bolster the side, especially with his excellent motivational and defensive abilities. Starting off the bench this week Alan Robinson is sure to be used as an impact player for the Bears, along with Craig 'Poppy' Lee and Scott Carver, he makes up the rotating pack of nine players, which is essential when playing in these hot summer conditions. Finally Andy Lewis makes up the seventeen and is pleased to be back in the side for the second week, speaking after training on Wednesday Lewis said “It’s great to be back in the side. I had to take a break due to work commitments and when I came back I was unsure if I’d be able to get back into the side as there are so many quality players down at the Bears this season and no-one is guaranteed a place, it’s just great to get back into the thick of it”   Team:1) Rich Pepperell 2) Tom Shaw 3) Rob Lowe 4) James Cathcart 5) Francis Slater 6) Alex van der Walt 7) Joe Smith 8) Rich Davies 9) Matt Allsopp 10) Carl Southwell 11) Ian McGregor 12) Johnny Nicholls 13) Matt Wright 14) Alan Robinson 15) Scott Carver 16) Craig Lee 17) Andy Lewis 

28.7.02 Bears Wedding in sight? Following yesterday's win over Leicester, in which John Nicholls played a significant part, John and Hannah announced their engagement! Congratulations to you both from all at the club (but just be careful which date you select - there are some important matches coming up....).

25.7.02 Match Preview - Coventry Bears vs Leicester Phoenix (First Play-off), 27.7.02  As the next round of the TotalRL.com Summer Conference League starts, the Coventry Bears find themselves in a tough league in which points difference is going to make all the difference when it comes to the end of season Grand Final.  With fixtures against Leicester Phoenix on Saturday, Ipswich Rhinos (A 3/8/02 and H 17/8/02) and Nottingham Outlaws (A 10/8/02) the level of competition has lifted to another level as the weaker divisional sides are moved into the plate competition. 

The nature of the competition from here on is such that there are six teams in the league and means that the Bears do not play St Albans Centurions and Luton Vipers. With only one team guaranteed to go through to the Semi Finals, Coventry must ensure that they win and also that they notch up some good scores.  This is certainly not going to be easy against three teams who they have already beaten at least once this season but by narrow margins.  Ipswich are going to be the team that the Bears have to beat as they managed to pull off the upset of the season by beating an under strength Cov side in mid season.

Coach Stephen Harrison-Mirfield, said “We are probably in the hardest league as there are no easy sides. Each of them has played well in order to get where they are today and unlike some of the other regional leagues the Midlands has consistently managed to put out strong teams over the last five years.”  While the Bears are certainly favourites to top this group it is by no means assured and they will really have to up their game in order to fulfil their potential.

This week Coventry take on a vastly improved Leicester team who they have already beaten twice this season, however after a comfortable 54-14 win in the first outing the Bears were pushed to the wire in the second meeting coming out eventual winners by 30 points to 14. One thing will be certain in this game - with the slate being wiped clean and the second round leagues starting from scratch, Leicester will be out for revenge.

Over the last three years this fixture has proved an exciting one with no love lost between the two neighbouring teams.  The Bears have been training hard though and are now starting to reap the benefits of the new regime with defined patterns of play being blended with the team’s raw talent and ability. Mirf said “I am happy with the way training has gone recently; the lads are really starting to grasp the ideas we have been working on and are beginning to play to a pattern. If we can keep these patterns today and work hard in defence closing down the Leicester danger players, particularly their stand-off and loose forward, then I am very confident we will kick this new league off with a good win.  Don’t misunderstand me, it is by no means a forgone conclusion, but the lads know what their tasks are. They are switched on and focussed and I have a very strong belief that we can go one better this season and win the competition”.

The team is now starting to take a familiar form, but there are a couple of changes. Wayne Holmes maintains his role as full back and is supported on the wings by the familiar faces of Francis Slater and Tom Shaw, whilst the awesome Glen Southwell will be sure to prove a handful in the centre. Due to work commitments Steve Campton takes a break this week and Alex van der Walt moves from his normal stand-off role into the centres to combine with Glen.  James Cathcart the erstwhile Warwickshire fly-half makes a welcome return to the Bears team at stand-off and is expected to control the kicking aspects of the game, In the words of captain Alan Robinson, “Jimmy gives us an extra dimension; he is perceptive and a natural ball player. Combined with his kicking game he could prove the difference in a very difficult tie”. Linking up with Cathcart this week is England Students scrum-half Alex Brown.

The forwards have all the hallmarks of being the best pack in the Summer Conference, with Carl Southwell, Rich Davies and Matt Allsopp making up an fearsome front row, backed by a very big but agile back three of Ian McGregor, Jonny Nicholls and Rob Lowe.  Lowe is making his third appearance as skipper this season and is bound to get the Coventry team working hard and is sure to lead by example following the pattern of his excellent performances so far this season.

On the Bench Matt Wight makes a welcome return after injury kept him out of the Leicester and Birmingham games. Alan Robinson will be utilized in his normal impact role, but coming from the bench this time, allowing him to use his size and speed to work on the smaller backs once they have been worn down by the starting line up.  The excellent Joe Smith starts on the bench and will be a superb weapon to bring on as the match progresses, having such outstanding support play and the ability to confuse the opposition defence with his jinking runs, he will be invaluable to the team. Finally the team welcome back Andy Lewis to the fold. Andy has missed a large chunk of the season through work commitments. His ability to motivate his team mates and his exceptional understanding of the game is also going to be invaluable today.

The fixture will be played at Old Coventrians, Tile Hill Lane on Saturday, kick-off 2.30pm (directions to the ground here). With crowds increasing week on week this Midlands derby will no doubt prove to be an exceptional piece of sporting entertainment and all supporters are urged to come down and cheer on one of Coventry’s most successful sporting sides.  The day should prove to be great afternoon for all ages and will hopefully be the first step towards the ultimate goal of winning the Grand final on September 8^th. 

1) Wayne Holmes  2) Tom Shaw  3) Alex van der Walt  4) Glen Southwell  5) Francis Slater  6) James Cathcart  7) Alex Brown  8) Carl Southwell  9) Matt Allsopp  10) Rich Davies  11) Ian McGregor  12) John Nicholls  13) Rob Lowe(c)  14) Alan Robinson  15) Matt Wright  16) Joe Smith  17) Andy Lewis

11.7.02 Match Preview - Birmingham Bulldogs vs Coventry Bears, 13.7.02 - The final game of the first part of the season sees a victorious Bears side travel to the Birmingham Bulldogs for what is likely to be a great end to this initial group stage. Coventry bears comprehensively destroyed the Birmingham side in the corresponding home fixture, with a weakened team, but if anything is certain in Rugby League summer conference, it is that no team is ever the same twice, as proved by a lively Leicester Phoenix last week. 

The Bears are short of influential South African stand-off Alex van der Walt, and so England Students player Alex Brown steps up into the role. Brown has a wealth of high level Rugby League experience and is sure to be out to make the position his own. Matt Wright is also out through injury and so the Bears team has been re-shuffled to include a couple of new faces and the return to more familiar positions for others. Rob Lowe returns to the pack at loose forward as Steve Campton returns after a two week absence. Campton slots in alongside the ever consistent Glen Southwell and the two should provide the backbone of an awesome backs line.

Tony Wright makes his first starting line up appearance at prop with ever present Rich Davies along side him, with Matt Allsopp making up the front row at hooker. After last weeks fantastic return for Allsopp we can expect further improvements this week as he leads the Bears pack around the park. 

First appearances for Dean Thompson and Jason Wetton show that the Bears have strength in depth and selection is becoming more of a problem for the coach Stephen Harrison-Mirfield week by week. He said after training on Wednesday "we are having problems as everyone is so keen to get on the ball park, but i'd much rather have it this way than the opposite. The lads know it is a squad game and as such they work for each other and it is a pleasure seeing them fight so hard to secure a spot in the first 17. With fixtures now starting to become a reality for the second team it will up the stakes yet further"

The game is at Walsall Rugby Union Club's ground (directions below) K.O. 2.30pm and all spectators are welcome.

Team:
1) Wayne Holmes 2) Tom Shaw 3) Steve Campton 4) Glen Southwell 5) Francis Slater 6) Alex Brown 7) Joe Smith 8) Tony Wright 9) Matt Allsopp 10) Rich Davies 11) Alan Robinson 12) Johnny Nicholls 13) Rob Lowe 14) Dean Thompson 15) Craig Lee 16) Scott Carver 17) Jason Wetton/ Ian McGregor

Directions to Walsall RFC

From the South

Leave M6 at Junction 7 and take the A34 into Walsall. After passing the Boundary Hotel take the ring road A4148 towards the M6 and Bescott Stadium (Walsall FC). Walsall RFC ground is half a mile on the right. Turn Right into Delves Rd for the club house.  From the North

Exit M6 at Junction 9 and head for Walsall . At the first set of traffic lights turn right onto the A4148 ring road. After two miles there is a a signpost on the right hand side of the road pointing to the next turn on the left. This is Delves Rd and the clubhouse is on the right 

8.7.02 Bears on the telly!!   The Bears second string will play a match against Rugby on the 3^rd of August, and Sky TV will feature the match as it will be Rugby 's first ever game. More details as soon as available.

Upcoming match venues: We will not have Coundon Rd for the game on the 27^th of July (Leicester) but will definitely have it for the 17^th of August (Ipswich).  

6.7.02 Match Result -  Coventry Bears 30 Leicester Phoenix 16. In another 'game of two halves' the Bears completed their first-phase home program with a satisfying win over Phoenix. Trailing 6-0 from very early on, Cov pulled level late in the first half to turn round at six apiece. However, better play and fortune - inspired by another top display by Rob Lowe, secured the points and emphasised the Bears' superiority in the Midlands competition once again.

Scorers: Joe Smith (2), Tom Shaw, John Nicholls, Carl Southwell, Wayne Holmes. Goals, Holmes (3)

4.7.02 Unfortunately we have been unable to secure opposition for the proposed second-team game on Saturday, so this has, reluctantly, been cancelled - together with plans for a barbecue. However, things are looking brighter for the next home game, and details should be made known soon.

3.7.02 Match Preview - Bears vs Leicester 6th July 2002. Following a big victory at the emerging Wolverhampton last weekend, this Saturday sees the Bears take on much stronger opposition in Leicester Phoenix, who have a point to prove after Coventry comfortably beat them earlier in the season. The match on Saturday sees Leicester able to field a full strength squad for the second weekend in a row after they upset unbeaten side St. Albans in last week’s fixture.
The Bears are up to a virtually full strength side with only the two Campton brothers and Matt Wright missing due to work commitments.  The Bears have a very strong starting thirteen with strength in depth on the bench.  Matt Allsopp steps up after an enforced break due to injury and the influential hooker is sure to want to make a big impact on his return.  Matt being the only real change in the pack from last weeks side, Coach Stephen Harrison-Mirfield said "The pack is immense. It has quality throughout, we have four lads who have played international representative rugby and the other two are probably the most consistent players we have had in the team this year. It will be a big forward battle but I am confident that our lads will win through." The backs also maintain a consistency from last week with Rob Lowe and Glen Southwell once again combining in the centers. After their awesome haul of five tries between them last weekend, the bears are looking for another big performance from the pair.
This match promises to be the Bears’ biggest test of the season so far and should be a match well worth watching. Club Captain Alan Robinson believes “the Bears have the quality to go all the way this season. We have to focus on doing things right and make sure we capitalize on all our chances.  It will be a tough game; Leicester are out to prove a point, but if we focus on playing to our strengths and don't get drawn into their tactics I am confident that we will take another two points from this match, although we wont be taking anything for granted”.
Speaking after training coach Harrison-Mirfield said "tonight’s session went well. We are getting a good turn out each week and each week we are seeing a marked improvement in the form of all the lads. The players all know that Saturday’s game is going to be a gargantuan battle and they are all preparing hard for it.  If we stick to our game plan and take control from the start we should be able to dictate play. We have to spoil in defence and be quick in attack, they have a couple of key players and if we can close them down quickly they will have a tendency to go off their game."
The Bears are already guaranteed first place in the Midlands division, but this game is by no means irrelevant. If the Bears can get on top and win it will be a clear signal to the other teams in the other regional leagues that they mean business. A loss at the weekend on the other hand could seriously hamper the Bears’ preparation for the next stage of the championship and ultimately their plans for reaching the Grand Final once again.
Whatever the result it is certain to be an excellent spectacle and supporters are urged to come down and watch one of Coventry’s premier sporting teams in action. Kick off is at 2.30pm at Old Coventrians RUFC, Tile Hill Lane. Everyone is welcome. 
Team:
1 Wayne Holmes, 2 Tom Shaw, 3 Glen Southwell, 4 Rob Lowe, 5 Francis Slater, 6 Alex van der Walt, 7 Alex Brown, 8 Carl Southwell, 9 Matt Allsopp, 10 Rich Davies, 11 Alan Robinson, 12 Johnny Nicholls, 13 Ian McGregor, 14 Scott Carver, 15 Tim Stevens, 16 Joe Smith, 17 Craig Lee

29.6.02 Match result - Wolverhampton Wizards 1 Coventry Bears 74. A rejuvenated Bears side put together some champagne rugby to complete the season's double over the Wizards. John Nicholls, no doubt spurred on by the lovely Hannah ;) turned in a hat trick on his return to action, as did hooker Rob Lowe - who claimed the Man of the Match award for an all-action display. Glen Southwell chipped in with a brace and added six goals for a personal tally of 20 points. Scrum-half Joe Smith and debutant full-back Wayne Smith also bagged a pair apiece, with the balance from Francis Slater, Scott Carver, and from the boot of Alex van der Walt.

The entire squad today put in a 110% performance, with several players (in my humble opinion) playing some of their best rugby in a Bears shirt - including Craig Lee, Joe Smith and Rob Lowe. The pack were awesome, the backs (minus late England conscript Dave Campton) sublime, and but for one or two handling errors and some rather strange decisions by the (on balance, excellent) referee, it would have been a considerably wider margin. It must have been almost impossible to pick a man of the match today. 

28.6.02 Change to published team for Wizards match - Craig Lee will start on the bench at No17 in place of Alex Brown, who is on England duty.

27.6.02 Match Preview - Wolverhampton Wizards vs Coventry Bears, 29th June 2002, Four Ashes, Staffs.

Ron Banks writes: The Workforcedirect Coventry Bears travel to Four Ashes to face bottom of the Midlands table Wolverhampton Wizards on Saturday (Kick off 2:30).

Wolverhampton, without a win this season, will face a Bears team that is beginning to knuckle down to some hard work. The Bears have been badly hit by the success of the Warwickshire rugby union team in the early part of the season, but that should be behind them now. Coach Steve Harrison-Mirfield said after training on Wednesday “at last we are starting to look like a side that really wants to go places. We know we can play better than we have been and this is the ideal opportunity for us to get some confidence back”.

Hooker Matty Allsopp will be missing with a broken bone in his hand but influential forwards John Nicholls and Rob Lowe are back in the squad. The only doubt is skipper Alan Robinson who will face a late fitness test on a damaged ankle picked up in last weeks win over Nottingham Outlaws.

Bears coach Steve Harrison-Mirfield writes: The Coventry Bears are starting to click into top gear this week. After a club meeting on Monday a few hard decisions were made that will ultimately only benefit the team; from now on only players who train will get a game and this policy will be strictly adhered to. After a couple of shock omissions from the team that played the Outlaws training attendance was up and with a new more structured approach to the training regime, we expect to see marked improvements in our performance on Saturday. 

Another new policy introduced was announcing the team on Wednesday following training. As such the team this week has a couple of key changes; Wayne Holmes gets his first run out at full-back. I am looking for a big performance from this highly talented Warwickshire County Championship player. He has a good reading of the game and will make a big difference chipping into the line on attack. Dave Campton joins the player of the last match, Glen Southwell in the centres to form a pretty formidable partnership, while form try scorers Francis Slater and Tom Shaw take the two wing spots. Alex van der Walt moves back into his traditional stand-off role and rekindles his partnership with scrum-half Joe Smith. If these two click as they have in previous rounds the Bears' strike force should be potent.

There are a couple of changes in the forward line up. Matty Allsopp has been forced out due to injury and will be a big loss to the team, but former Rochdale professional and Great Britain Students Skipper Rob Lowe steps into the fray. This will be his first outing for the bears at hooker, but with his motivational ability and ball handling skills he should slot into the role comfortably. Consistency dictates the prop choices with Carl Southwell and Rich Davies being selected to start. The back three are made up from Club Captain and Irish international Alan Robinson in the second row with a return to the fold for Jonny Nicholls who should add some steel and passion to the team and in particular the pack. Ian McGregor makes up the starting thirteen at loose forward. Ian has probably been Coventry's most consistent forward in recent games. 

On the bench we have a great mix of motivation, skill, strength and good looks with Matt Wright, Tim Stevens, Scott Carver and Alex Brown making up the seventeen for the day (I'll leave you to work out who's who). (Can't imagine what you mean Mirf - Kimbo). 

Coach Mirf said " I'm looking for a big game all round on Saturday, we have to up the ante and blow away our mid season blues. Most of the teams in the Conference are making great strides forward and picking up a number of talented union players keen for some summer action. We have to remain focussed and not get complacent. Training on Wednesday night went very well, the team worked exceptionally well and put a lot of effort in. We still have some improvements to make, but I am happier with the way things are going. The Wizards should prove interesting on their own patch - they have done fantastically well in securing their own ground and will certainly be wanting to make up for our previous encounter, which was a little one sided." 

Other news is that we hope to have a second team fixture on the 6th July; opposition and venues are yet to be confirmed, but it will be a great opportunity for a number of players who have been pushing for first team places to show the coach their ability and perhaps make the break into the first team. We will also be having a family event that day so all families, girlfriends, wives, children, parents and grandparents are invited to come and watch what will surely be two high class games of Rugby League - and then join the players for a barbecue and drinks after the game. A small charge will be made to cover the cost of food, but it will be surely worth it just to see the bears play. Further details of this family day and second team game will be made available ASAP after Saturday's match.

The Full team is:

1. Wayne Holmes, 2. Francis Slater, 3. Glen Southwell, 4. Dave Campton, 5. Tom Shaw, 6. Alex van der Walt, 7. Joe Smith, 8. Carl Southwell, 9. Rob Lowe, 10. Rich Davies, 11. Alan Robinson, 12. Jonny Nicholls, 13. Ian McGregor, 14. Matt Wright, 15. Tim Stevens, 16. Scott Carver, 17. Alex Brown 

26.6.02 Minutes of Club Meeting held Monday 24^th June, The Coundon, Barkers' Butts Lane.

Those Present: R.Banks, A. Robinson, M.Allsopp, C. Lee, R. Davies, N. Kane, A. Bailey, C. Bevan, R. Griffiths, S Harrison-Mirfield

ELECTION OF OFFICERS

Chairman/Secretary: R. Banks

Treasurer:  A. Robinson

Authorised Signatory: N. Kane

Coach: S. Harrison-Mirfield

Press and Publicity: No Nominations. R. Banks agreed to continue pro-tem until officer in place.

Junior Development: R. Davies

Team Manager: N. Kane

Team Disciplinary Officer: M. Allsopp.

Nigel Kane agreed to act as team manager and kindly offered to sponsor the cost of washing the kit.

A. Robinson spoke of the way in which the team has progressed. The consensus of opinion was that we now need to develop more as a 'club'. Ideas were put forward and these will be discussed at the next meeting.

Rules for training and details of subscriptions will be given at the next meeting.

The outgoing treasurer reported that whilst the club was financially viable, there are monies outstanding from the sale of shirts a deadline for the payment will be given at the next meeting. Some players have owed money for a considerable length of time. Kit is still going missing. IF YOU HAVE ANY KIT BELONGING TO THE BEARS PLEASE RETURN IT IMMEDIATELY. We do not have enough socks for the two blue kits.

In order to raise funds and to develop as a club, players will be expected to help with fund raising. Details at the next meeting

Key Dates.

June 29^th NEXT MEETING after Wolverhampton Match.

July 6^th Second team game before game vs Leicester, followed by a barbecue for families and Supporters.

July 7^th Our Sponsors Workforcedirect are having a charity bash at the Holyhead pub, Holyhead Road. All players will be expected to attend.

Route to Four Ashes

Take the M6 North

Turn off onto M54

At J2 M54 take third exit towards Stafford on the A449

Go over two mini roundabouts and take second turning on the right, signposted 'Four Ashes'

The pub is on the corner.

Take an immediate left into the car park and the changing rooms are on the right hand side.

20.6.02 Nottingham Outlaws' merry band come to Coventry on Saturday, thirsting for revenge, but the Workforcedirect Coventry Bears are raring to get their season back on track after their disappointing defeat at Ipswich Rhinos two weeks ago. With skipper Alan Robinson back and other players vying for a starting place the Bears will be keen to get back into action after last week's 'gap' weekend. Once again the game will be played at Old Coventrians' Tile Hill Lane ground (Kick off 2:30) as Coundon Road is still not available due to the reseeding of the pitch. Coventry Secretary Ron Banks said “We are really grateful to Old Coventrians. They have made us most welcome over the past few weeks and we like playing there. We have managed to notch up some cracking scores and hopefully we can get back to winning ways”. Nottingham Outlaws are currently second in the Midlands division behind the Bears and are on equal points with both Leicester and Birmingham. They are anxious to finish in the top three. A number of players are now returning to the Coventry fold after summer breaks, and the return of inspirational skipper Alan Robinson should see a marked change in the team as will the return of Jonny Nicholls after an enforced break with an ankle injury. The other great news is that a number of players who were carrying injuries prior to the break have now recovered and all this means the Bears should be able to field a full strength team. Stephen Harrison-Mirfield (Coach) believes the move to Old Coventrians is good news. He said "the pitch is wide and gives our backs a great opportunity to use their pace outside and attack on the wings. After watching the last encounter with Nottingham I think we got too involved in playing out a forward battle and when we gave the ball to our centres and wingers we generally had the pace to get around the outside and score relatively freely. Don't get me wrong, the Outlaws will have had a chance to regroup since our last game and I'm sure they'll have a few jokers up their sleeve. I am looking forward to the game, it will be an opportunity to put the mid-season hiccup right and start getting things back on track." The team are continuing to grow and there will be a club meeting in the next week to identify a proper strategy for driving the club forward. Items that will be discussed are: youth development, developing a second team and identifying competitors for them, winter Rugby League, fund raising, attracting more supporters and generally developing a strong Bears community. Ideas on these topics and any others are invited from players, supporters and anyone else who might fancy a say. They should be directed to Alan Robinson, Stephen Harrison-Mirfield, Ron Banks or Steve Kimberley in the first instance (Details on the Contacts & Links page). Numbers at training continue to increase as the Rugby Union season has finally drawn to a close. Congratulations should go to James Cathcart, John Munro, Jody Peacock, Dave Campton, Carl Southwell, Sam Viggers and the rest of the team for their great win at Twickenham.

Rich 'Chunky' Davies writes: 

''Rich Pepperell and I travel up on Friday night to Glasgow with the squad and return on the Sunday.

Scotsoun Stadium, Glasgow is the kick off for the biggest amateur international tournament in Britain this year, with Scotland playing hosts to Wales in the first match of the inaugural Amateur Home Nations series. Since 1997 there have been regular amateur internationals between the two nations, but this time there is far more on the line, including the chance to prove to the rest of Britain where the best amateurs come from.

The Glasgow City Council is supporting the opening match, and kick off is 2.00pm on Saturday June 15th.''

I'm sure all the Bears players, management and supporters would like to join me in wishing Chunky and Taff all the best for the match.

1.6.02 Result - Coventry Bears 78 Birmingham Bulldogs 22 The Bears made it five from five with a heavy defeat of the Bulldogs in the blazing sun at Old Covents this afternoon. Fourteen tries (Steve Campton 3, Joe Smith, Francis Slater, Alex Van der Walt, Johnny Nicholls, Tom Shaw with a brace apiece, and Andy Lewis) and eleven conversions kept the Bears at the top of the pile. The only negative was the first yellow card of the season (to Johnny 'Mad Dog' Nicholls for trading handbags with Birmingham loose forward Simon Smith) unless you count the defence falling asleep on several occasions!

With several of the victorious Warwickshire squad available next week coach Steve Harrison-Mirfield now faces some welcome problems selecting his squad for the return trip to Ipswich for the second cross-conference clash.

30.5.02 Match Preview - Coventry Bears vs Birmingham Bulldogs (Saturday 1^st June)

High flying Workforcedirect Coventry Bears will be looking to consolidate their position at the top of the Rugby League Conference on Saturday.

Coundon Road has been reseeded so the Bears will be playing Birmingham Bulldogs at Old Coventrians RUFC Tile Hill Lane ground (Kick off 2:30). Click these links to find a  location map and the Old Coventrians website.

The game marks the halfway point of the regular season and the Bears will again be short of the Warwickshire RU contingent who play at Twickenham in the County Shield Final.

With skipper Alan Robinson unavailable for selection, the Bears will again rely on squad players who have served them so well this season.

Team Manager Ron Banks said after training on Wednesday, “our squad have been brilliant this season so far. There have been one or two key people missing and we hope that next week we can start putting out our strongest side as we kick on to the play-offs”.

Coach Steve Harrison-Mirfield commented, “we will be looking to carry on as we did in the second half against Leicester last week. We cannot complain as we are top of the table and yet we know we are not playing to the standard we are capable of. We have the ability to reach the play-offs, but they will be much  more competitive than the group stages and we need to be starting to raise the level of our game”.

26.5.02 Added link on home page and Contacts & Links page for the Rugby League Conference Yahoo Newsgroup. Please sign up for this, it's free, and you get a newsletter and other updates. 

Match Preview (by Ron Banks)

The table-topping Bears are ‘away’ to Leicester Phoenix on Saturday, although the game will be staged at Old Coventrians RFC, Tile Hill Lane, Coventry (2:30).

The Bears will be anxious to make amends for last season when Leicester inflicted their only regular season defeat.  Coventry captain Alan Robinson commented that “Leicester are a funny sort of team, they seem to blow hot and cold. But we owe them one for last season”

Ex-England students Rob Lowe and Tony Wright will make a welcome return after being unavailable last week. With up to seven of the squad preparing to play at Twickenham for Warwickshire RU next week the Bears will again be limited to their choice of players.

Coach Steve Harmon-Mirfield said “ It’s not an ideal situation but the players we have used so far this season have done us proud. When the Warwickshire boys are available for selection I will have some difficult choices to make. It is the sort of decision that as a coach you hope for.” 

22.5.02 Route to Leicester. Leicester Phoenix play at The Vipers RFU ground, Blaby Bypass, Whetstone, Nr Leicester. (0116 286 4777) See Above!

16.5.02 The Bears entertain the Wolverhampton Wizards on Saturday at Coundon Road (Kick off 5:30). The game follows the Warwickshire RU semi final and the Coventry team will be looking to perform well in front of an unusually large crowd. Hopefully the rugby union supporters will like what they see and come back for more.

With up to seven of the Bears team being involved with the union game they will once again have to draw on their reserves as they did two weeks ago.

Team captain Alan Robinson said “The players we have used in our two fixtures to date have really done us proud and this is the chance some of the lads have been waiting for to stake a claim for a regular place in the starting line-up”

Wolverhampton have had a much better start to the season than in previous years and have undoubtedly strengthened their squad. The table topping Bears know however that they will be judged on the result of this match by the other teams in the Rugby League Conference, who are still trying to determine the relative merits of the other teams in the competition. A good win will confirm that once again the Bears will be a force to be reckoned with.  

Scorers:

Bears - Tries: Andy Lewis (2), Joe Smith (2), Rich Pepperell, Ian McGregor, Matt Wright and Francis Slater. Cons Pepperell (4)

Rhinos - Try, Paul Roberts; Con, Richard Pollard

Report and more pics as soon as possible.

For anyone that doesn't know, Broadstreet's NEW ground is just a few yards further out of Cov on the same road  (A428, signed for Brandon & Rugby) as the old one but just beyond the Coventry Eastern Bypass. Just look for TGI Friday's and carry on over the roundabout; the entrance to the ground is a few yards along on the left. If approaching from Ipswich, use the A14 and then M6, leaving at Junction 2. Head south on the A46 Eastern Bypass and leave at the second roundabout (turn left, A428, ground is a few yards on the left).

We are expecting a great game, even though the Bears will be shorn of a number of first teamers due to RU County Championship commitments (coincidentally also at Broadstreet immediately after the Bears vs Ipswich match). It certainly ought to be much more evenly balanced than last year's 84-0 debacle at Durham!

In the morning, also at Broadstreet, starting at approximately 11am there will be a 'RL Taster' coaching session for secondary school children. All such schools in Coventry should have received an invite to this, and we are hoping for a good turnout for the session which will be taken by first-teamers, and Grand-Finalists, Rich Davies and Andy Lewis. Interest in RL at this age level in the city is said to be increasing rapidly, and the club is looking to become more involved in the 'Academy' side of things - always assuming suitable opposition can be found within reasonable travelling distance.

Hope to see you there.

Bears were quickly in front through a try from centre Rob Lowe, and had increased the lead to 12-0 with two more by full back Rich Pepperell and wing Francis Slater by the 23 minute mark.

However, Skolars seemed to find their stride and pulled back to lead 14-12 at half-time.

Bears then got back on top of things in the second half with two more tries by Francis Slater, one from forward Carl Southwell, and a final one from John Nichols. With goalkicking seeming to be a problem, only one try was topped up by Will Tunnicliffe, although it must be said that most kicks were from the touchline.

Skolars then went through for a late consolation six-pointer.

This was an encouraging warm-up, giving the team and the supporters a chance to gauge the effect of several new faces, most of which slotted in very nicely.

Thanks go to the Skolars for making the trip, and making it a very entertaining match. Roll on May 4th!

Any players of any level are welcome to attend training sessions on Wednesdays at 6.30pm. For details contact Ron or Alan .

13.3.02 There's a preview of the US Tomahawks vs Irish Wolfhounds game  here.  I quote from it....... "The Wolfhounds have a couple of big lumps of their own. 'Man Mountain' Alan Robinson has loads of experience and with the green of his Ireland jersey and the smooth bald head, this 'Shrek' lookalike will be a real crowd pleaser with his explosive bursts and ferocious tackling".

Just a reminder - Bears vs Worcestershire tonight at Coundon Road at 7pm. Should be a good surface to play on judging by yesterday afternoon's match (assuming no downpours between now & 7).

Players (but everyone welcome) meeting at Coundon Road is now confirmed as 3rd March at 7pm.

The Worcester friendly on 10th March kicks off at 7pm (due to it being Mothers' Day!!)

Boomer is looking into getting some t-shirts/polos/caps/that sort of thing made. No idea of prices yet but if interested, make sure you bring some money (your guess is as good as mine!) to the meeting as he'll need it up front.

26th February.  Next meeting again at Dyers Arms 9:00pm

3rd March.  Players' meeting at Coundon Rd at 7:00pm (but still to be confirmed)

10th March.  Friendly vs Worcester at Coundon Rd. Time to be confirmed

4th May.  First home game (vs Ipswich). We are also hoping to have a training session for U14s, U15s and U16s.

Dick Griffiths is working on a new matchday programme design for the new season. I am going to supply him with a few bits & bobs off the site, but if anyone has anything to contribute or can help in any way, I'm sure he'd be delighted. Again, Dick will doubtless be on the bus tomorrow (as every away Cov match!!).

Not much to report, however, but for the fact that there are moves afoot to arrange a match against Worcestershire on Sunday 16th as alluded to by Matty on the Message Board. Can't supply any more details yet I'm afraid.

Ron tells us that the shirts should be available in a few days ready for Santa to pick them up - hopefully there'll be more details on that soon too! Which reminds me - I still need to pick mine up from Boomer, as long as he hasn't used it for cleaning his car.

I suppose the final thing for this little bulletin is to wish EVERYONE a very Merry Christmas and a happy and prosperous (Conference-winning) New Year. See you on the 16th (assuming we have a pitch....why does that ring a bell???). Cheers All.

29.9.01 The Bears had a successful 'Awards Night' at Old Wheatleyans RFC last Saturday. 

The awards went to:
Player of the Year - Al Robinson
Young Player of the Year - Rich Pepperell
Players' Player of the Year - Rich Pepperell
Supporters' Player of the Year - John Nicholls
Man of Steel - Matt Wright
Dick of the Year - Al Robinson (For his service to the underwear laundry industry)
Grasscutter of the Year - Matty Allsopp

2.9.01 What can you say about yesterday? Plenty I suppose - but it don't come easy. I reckon I ought to start by congratulating Teesside on a fantastic display of tenacious never-say-die rugby. I bet it would have been a pretty good match for the neutral spectator, but it wasn't quite so good for the likes of Kimbo and Mark H!! I'm going to annoy a few now by saying quite publicly that in my opinion the better side won. There, said it. Boy, it's hard to say though! Whether things would have been different with Danny Malin and Ben Shepherd fit to play in the centres and Glenn Southwell and John Hobart available, who knows? I think it possibly would, but we shouldn't dwell on that as conjecture is wasted time when the game's already lost. I know all the players and officials of the club will be totally gutted by the result - more so since it was so close in the final reckoning, and after looking like holding on to that narrow lead for so long. However, you have to say that this season WILL eventually be looked back on as a roaring success, and potentially the stepping stone on which the future of the club will be built. For that, we can all thank Ron Banks, Alan Robinson, Adam Lindsay and the players for the incredible amount of hard work they all put in. Thanks for an incredible season guys. All you have to do now is go out there next season and win that single game that will make all the difference. Footnote: Ron Banks tells me that the club will be holding an awards night and, ahem, general p**s up (what does he mean?) at Old Wheatleyans RFC on the 22nd of September. Everybody welcome.

30.8.01 Grand Final News 

Selection problems for the Bears. Speaking today, Coventry Bears' Club Captain Alan Robinson said that he had some selection worries for the Grand Final at Rugby on Saturday afternoon. Danny Malin is definitely out of contention through injury, whilst his partner in the centres, Ben Shepherd is suffering from a knee injury picked up in training. Ben awaits a late fitness test. One brighter point is that highly rated centre Ben Biss has declared himself available for selection after missing both the quarter- and semi-finals.

Robinson added 'We have other potential availability problems that may not be resolved until I speak to the individuals concerned at training. I hope to announce the full squad tomorrow evening' 

New Kit Arriving. Better news is that Kevin Lawrence, Director of our kit sponsors Logitog, has promised a delivery of a complete new set of royal blue & white kit in time for the final. The new gear is said to be of a higher quality material than that previously used, and incorporates unique 'TotalRL.com Conference Grand Final commemorative badging. The shirts will also carry the Logitog logo across the breast.

Mindful of the confusion and disappointment caused by the non-availability of replica kit earlier in the season, the club is loath to make promises at this time, but Alan Robinson stated that he hopes a further delivery of Grand Final replicas will be made available towards the end of next week. These will be on sale to anyone who wants them at a price still to be announced.

Mine and Lucie's shirts are already on order!!

27.8.01 Admission prices for the Grand Final at Rugby on Saturday are as follows: 
Entrance for Rugby Lions vs Bedford from 12:00 to 3:00
Adults £8.00
OAP/Disabled £5.00
U16s free

Entrance for Bears game only from 3:00 on (kick-off 4:30)
Adults £3.00
OAP/disabled/under16s free The ground is at Webb Ellis Road, turn right off the Bilton Road, approx 0.75 mile west of Rugby town centre. For a location map, click here

25.8.01 Three new player photos and a team photo now added here. 

Pre-Rotherham articles from this page have now moved to News Archive

19.8.01 Crawley match report now online here

19.8.01 Just picked up the news from Ron Manager that Teesside have just beaten Hemel by 19-14 in a game he described as 'nip & tuck' all the way through. So there you have it, two new finalists this year - and two of the newest clubs in the Conference. Can't wait!

18.8.01 Crawley 16 Coventry Bears 17 In an extraordinary TotalRL.com semi-final at Bedford, Bears fought tooth & claw to gain their first final spot in their second year of competition. Victory was thoroughly deserved and might have been by a wider margin but for some uncharacteristic defensive errors. The team will now be in great heart for the final at Rugby Lions' Webb Ellis Road ground in two weeks time.

16.8.01 Coventry Bears face last year's winners Crawley Jets in the TotalRL.com Conference semi-finals on Saturday at Bedford International Athletics Stadium.
The Bears are hoping to improve on last year when they were knocked out by one point by last Saturday's play-off opponents Rotherham.

The Bears will be missing Oxford Blue John Hobart, and influential high scoring goalkicker, stand-off James Cathcart is reckoned doubtful. Both players suffered broken noses in last week's tough encounter with Rotherham.

Meanwhile, Danny Malin and Carl Southwell - both instrumental in the win over Rotherham last weekend - have been named for Coventry RU's friendly at Berry Hill on Saturday, and so will also miss the Semi.

Coach Adam Lyndsay said after training "We've got a good squad and again the squad players know what they have to do"
Having lost a toss of a coin the Bears will be playing in their all-blue kit due to a clash of colours.

Just as a reminder, there is a coach running to the game and supporters are welcome to travel with the team.
Contact Ron Banks on 07956 251379 for details.

15.8.01 REVISED ROUTE TO BEDFORD I have just received this notification of a revision to the original route

There will be a coach leaving Coundon Road at 11.00 on Saturday. Supporters are welcome although spaces are limited. Book now with Ron on 024 7645 5856.

If you are travelling by car - or motorcycle or donkey or whatever........

Bedford Athletic Stadium
Barkers Lane
Bedford
MK41 95A
Tel: 01234 351115
Fax: 01234 325280

On the weekend of 18th/19th August 2001, the road (A421) which leads from J13 of the Ml (the main route into Bedford for all traffic) will be CLOSED as new access roads are built & changes are made to existing routes for a new industrial & retail development in Elstow. Diversionary routes will probably be in place. The most direct route into Bedford from J12 is through Ampthill but there was a serious fire on the High Street several weeks ago and access is limited and not suitable for coaches or larger vehicles. Therefore, we suggest you follow these directions in preference to any previously issued.

Ml (South), J14 (Newport Pagnell).

Turn left at end of slip road

At roundabout, turn right (3rd exit), follow road along dual carriageway up hill.

At top of hill, roundabout, turn right towards Bedford. Follow for 6-7miles.

At roundabout, turn right, at next roundabout, straight over. This is Bromham Road, at double mini roundabout, go straight over

Now follow signs for Cambridge (these will take you round the one way outskirts of the town centre).

Pass Bedford Rugby Club on left (Goldington Road), pass Fox & Hounds pub (yellow) on left.

At traffic lights turn right down Newnham Avenue.

At roundabout, turn left onto Barkers Lane.

Bedford International Athletic Stadium is on left (opposite fire station)

Turn into car park, coach parking is ahead & 2nd left, car parking is to left or right.

Car parking is directly in front of stadium to left or right.
Any problems, please contact Tracey Hirons 07860 454925

14.8.01 Coach and Directions to Bedford. (see revised directions above)

13.8.01 Updated player stats now online here.

12.8.01 Report on the Giants match now online here

11.8.01 They Might be Giants...... Coventry Bears 28 Rotherham Giants 21. The Bears put in a stunning second-half performance today, making it a very happy return to fortress Coundon Road, and reaping sweet revenge for last season's semi-final defeat. Bears started slowly, much like the Wilderspool debacle, but weathered the storm - with veteran Rotherham RU's lock John Dudley doing much of the early damage with two tries - and made their undoubted superiority in guile, skill and speed tell in the end. Francis Slater was named as 'Ron Manager's Man of the Match' and received the bottle of vodka (collected on his behalf by Carl Southwell). 

2.6.01 This week's match - quick overview

TotalRL.com Rugby League Conference – Week 5

Coventry Bears v Oxford Cavaliers

Barker’s Butts RFC, Pickford Grange Lane 

In a stunning display of handling, running and defence, Coventry Bears blew away the expected challenge from the Cavaliers. Dominating from the early stages when Slater crossed for the first of his hat-trick, Cov sent out a loud and clear message to the rest of the conference, one that reads "CAN YOU SMELL WHAT THE BEARS ARE COOKING?".

The teams turned round with Bears leading by 32 points, yet there was little evidence at this point of what was to come in the second period. Coventry simply left Oxford in their wake, totally dominating in every phase. Cavalier’s heads started to drop and the tries piled up.

The honours list reads Ben Shepherd 5 tries, Francis Slater 3, James Cathcart and Rich Draper 2 each, with Alan Robinson, Johnny Nicholls and Scott Carver all chipping in one apiece. Cathcart also converted 12 for a superb personal total of 32, deservedly earning him the Man of the Match award. Bring on Nottingham Outlaws….

Final Score Coventry Bears 84 Oxford Cavaliers 0

1.6.01 For the benefit of anyone who's never been there, directions to Barker's Butts ground for the Bears v Oxford Cavaliers match (2.30 tomorrow). Pick up the A45 towards Birmingham (if you're coming from Oxford, both the A423 Oxford Road and the Warwick bypass[A46] lead you on to this). As you leave the built-up area of Coventry, keep looking for a large Land Rover dealer on the left-hand side of the road. Shortly after this you'll need to fork left onto the B4102 towards Meriden. Almost immediately (before the roundabout) turn left onto Pickford Grange Lane. Barkers' ground is on the right. There's plenty of parking.

27.05.01 No official report again yet this week. Bears prevailed against a determined Wizards side, who took the game to the visitors and were a little unlucky not to cross the line on at least one occasion, but in the end were limited to just a penalty. Once again Nicholls, Hobart, Slater, Robinson and Van der Walt were in imperious form, and many more outstanding individual performances were evident. However, an unusually casual approach to teamwork let the side down on more than one occasion - a little over-confidence maybe - and the overall impression was of a rather low-key display. Easy to say from the sidelines, but improvements will be needed before next week's visitors Oxford come to town. Training promises to be tough this week!

Bears Scorers - Nicholls (3), Hobart (3), Malin (3), Slater, Van der Walt, Flatman, Robinson, A. N. Other (sorry, completely lost track!)  Conversions, J. Cathcart 11

Speaking of next Saturday's game - it seems that Coundon Road will not, sadly, be available after all, and the match will be at Barker's Butts ground. I'll post directions a little later in the week for the benefit of visitors.

27.05.01 This website has now moved to a new server provided by our friends at Coventry and Warwickshire Network (CWN). I'd like to take this opportunity to thank Chris Studman at CWN for his help and support in providing this opportunity to upgrade our URL to a more professional one, and make the site more visible to the world and (crucially for me) allow me to use a better (read easier!!!) editing tool for creating these pages on. I'd urge you to visit CWN on a regular basis. They've always been supporters of the Bears, covering matches even in the early days of ad hoc friendly matches. They also provide a fine service of news and information for the city and the county, covering much more than just sport. You'll find a link at the bottom of this page.

When I say that the site has moved, I suppose it would be more accurate to say duplicated (even though it is brand new from the ground up) as the old site is still available at the coventrybears.homestead.com URL.  I envisage that it will remain thus for some time - at least until we have modified all letter-headings etc to the new URL and I'm sure that everyone is aware of the new site.

I've purposely made this site clean and simple so as to take up as little server space as possible and to help with download performance. Therefore you will find that the silly 'bouncing text' effects have now gone, but the trade-off is a more useable, quicker site. You'll notice that I've kept the same basic layout and feel, and navigation as the old site.

This Page will, hopefully, be kept up-to-date with all the news that's fit to print about the Bears and their exploits at Coundon Road and on their travels.

I will attempt to get the results of all games on this page on the same day, together with a short match report (very short if it's left to me, but much more detailed if anyone else would care to contribute).

As ever, all items of news (or anything else that you think may be of interest to the rugby-loving folk of Coventry) can be sent to me on my e-mail link (see elsewhere on this page). We can always use good quality match photos, so if you have a digital camera - start practicing!!

21.05.01 It's been announced that this year's Conference Final will be played a few miles down the road at the home of Rugby Lions, Webb Ellis Road. It may not be Coundon Road, but it should still be incentive enough - if any were needed - to go all the way. More details when available.

17.05.01 Better news on the stadium front. Now that the Wizards games have been switched, it is hoped that ALL home games can be played at 'Fortress Coundon Road', although some will be on the school pitch while the main pitch refurb is ongoing.

16.5.01 The two matches against Wolverhampton Wizards have now been 'swapped round' , meaning that the away meeting is now on the 26th May, while the home fixture goes to the 14th of July. Well, that's really not good news as it means I'll miss the home game as I'm off to sunny (?) Norfolk that day. I'll update the Fixtures & Results list when I get a chance. 

Ron tells me that he needs the bookings in for the coach ASAP. He's just trying to make the trip break even as it is a long (read expensive) run, so it'd be nice to fill the coach if possible. And the more support the better for the team, obviously. By the way, the coach leaves Coundon Road at........wait for it..........8am!!!

He also tells me that 'Pop' Southwell is not allowed out to play on Saturday. Some flimsy excuse to do with a new baby apparently....(seriously, congrats to you both).

There is more injury misery this week with Andy Lewis breaking his hand last Saturday, and a few other knocks to contend with. On a brighter note, however, we have some returnees including Ben Shepherd. I'll post more team details as soon as poss.

The promised new replica kit and casual clothing still hasn't turned up yet despite many promises. Watch this space....

You may have noticed some activity with a digital camera at Saturday's match. With luck, the results will be electronically making their way to me soon and I'll be able to post some particularly gruesome mugshots on the Profiles page...at last. Again, I'll let you know. 

13.05.01 Coach to Durham. Ron's organising a coach for the Durham trip on Saturday. Cost will be in the region of £10 to £15 per person. Contact him (see Contacts & Links) if you'd like to go.

12.05.01 Coventry Bears 64 Leicester Phoenix 12 A superb follow-up to last week's opening win at Birmingham by the under-strength Bears. who can doubt the seriousness of Cov's challenge for this year's title now? Match report available here. 

(Sunday evening. Sorry about the delay, but I've been having the old Server problems again - I managed to publish this age and then it left me high and dry. It's there now though).

The replica kit was supposed to arrive today, but didn't. I'll let you know when it does. Keep that wallet handy!

9.5.01 A reminder. Just a quick reminder that Saturday's match at home to Leicester Phoenix (Coundon Road 2.30) is a FREE gate and is followed by a Karaoke party in the clubhouse. Alan is looking for a few volunteers to help distribute fliers at supermarkets etc. on Thursday evening. If you feel like helping to boost the gate, please contact him ASAP (number and address on the Contacts & Links page.

Chunky injured . Unfortunately Rich Davies has fractured the ulna of his right forearm and needs an operation to reset the bone and to insert a metal plate. He's not expecting to be available again until the play-off stages, 'but isn't ruling anything out'!!

Shep too. Ben Shepherd also picked up an injury - strained ankle ligaments - in the win on Saturday. He will miss Saturday's match against Leicester.
Best wishes for a speedy recovery Chunky & Ben.....

6.5.01 Birmingham match report now on-line (click on 'Match Reports' )

I also meant to mention yesterday that Ron now has some very nifty enamel Bears lapel badges for sale at two quid each. Show your support for the lads! See Ron at CR on Saturday or contact him via the 'Contacts & Links' page. One more thing; the team looked great in their new 'Logitog' kit yesterday (it came earlier than expected so made an early debut). We're expecting a range of replica kit in very soon (hopefully this week), so make sure your wallet is well stuffed for the Leicester game!

5.5.01 Birmingham 0 Bears 30. A good start to the season with the Bears controlling a fractious game for most of the 80 minutes. Some fine tries and several superb individual performances combined with excellent on-the-line defence ensured maximum points against a side that flattered to deceive. Full report will be posted as soon as I receive it.

27.05.01 No official report again yet this week. Bears prevailed against a determined Wizards side, who took the game to the visitors and were a little unlucky not to cross the line on at least one occasion, but in the end were limited to just a penalty. Once again Nicholls, Hobart, Slater, Robinson and Van der Walt were in imperious form, and many more outstanding individual performances were evident. However, an unusually casual approach to teamwork let the side down on more than one occasion - a little over-confidence maybe - and the overall impression was of a rather low-key display. Easy to say from the sidelines, but improvements will be needed before next week's visitors Oxford come to town. Training promises to be tough this week!

Bears Scorers - Nicholls (3), Hobart (3), Malin (3), Slater, Van der Walt, Flatman, Robinson, A. N. Other (sorry, completely lost track!)  Conversions, J. Cathcart 11

Speaking of next Saturday's game - it seems that Coundon Road will not, sadly, be available after all, and the match will be at Barker's Butts ground. I'll post directions a little later in the week for the benefit of visitors.

27.05.01 This website has now moved to a new server provided by our friends at Coventry and Warwickshire Network (CWN). I'd like to take this opportunity to thank Chris Studman at CWN for his help and support in providing this opportunity to upgrade our URL to a more professional one, and make the site more visible to the world and (crucially for me) allow me to use a better (read easier!!!) editing tool for creating these pages on. I'd urge you to visit CWN on a regular basis. They've always been supporters of the Bears, covering matches even in the early days of ad hoc friendly matches. They also provide a fine service of news and information for the city and the county, covering much more than just sport. You'll find a link at the bottom of this page.

When I say that the site has moved, I suppose it would be more accurate to say duplicated (even though it is brand new from the ground up) as the old site is still available at the coventrybears.homestead.com URL.  I envisage that it will remain thus for some time - at least until we have modified all letter-headings etc to the new URL and I'm sure that everyone is aware of the new site.

I've purposely made this site clean and simple so as to take up as little server space as possible and to help with download performance. Therefore you will find that the silly 'bouncing text' effects have now gone, but the trade-off is a more useable, quicker site. You'll notice that I've kept the same basic layout and feel, and navigation as the old site.

This Page will, hopefully, be kept up-to-date with all the news that's fit to print about the Bears and their exploits at Coundon Road and on their travels.

I will attempt to get the results of all games on this page on the same day, together with a short match report (very short if it's left to me, but much more detailed if anyone else would care to contribute).

As ever, all items of news (or anything else that you think may be of interest to the rugby-loving folk of Coventry) can be sent to me on my e-mail link (see elsewhere on this page). We can always use good quality match photos, so if you have a digital camera - start practicing!!

21.05.01 It's been announced that this year's Conference Final will be played a few miles down the road at the home of Rugby Lions, Webb Ellis Road. It may not be Coundon Road, but it should still be incentive enough - if any were needed - to go all the way. More details when available.

17.05.01 Better news on the stadium front. Now that the Wizards games have been switched, it is hoped that ALL home games can be played at 'Fortress Coundon Road', although some will be on the school pitch while the main pitch refurb is ongoing.

16.5.01 The two matches against Wolverhampton Wizards have now been 'swapped round' , meaning that the away meeting is now on the 26th May, while the home fixture goes to the 14th of July. Well, that's really not good news as it means I'll miss the home game as I'm off to sunny (?) Norfolk that day. I'll update the Fixtures & Results list when I get a chance. 

Ron tells me that he needs the bookings in for the coach ASAP. He's just trying to make the trip break even as it is a long (read expensive) run, so it'd be nice to fill the coach if possible. And the more support the better for the team, obviously. By the way, the coach leaves Coundon Road at........wait for it..........8am!!!

He also tells me that 'Pop' Southwell is not allowed out to play on Saturday. Some flimsy excuse to do with a new baby apparently....(seriously, congrats to you both).

There is more injury misery this week with Andy Lewis breaking his hand last Saturday, and a few other knocks to contend with. On a brighter note, however, we have some returnees including Ben Shepherd. I'll post more team details as soon as poss.

The promised new replica kit and casual clothing still hasn't turned up yet despite many promises. Watch this space....

You may have noticed some activity with a digital camera at Saturday's match. With luck, the results will be electronically making their way to me soon and I'll be able to post some particularly gruesome mugshots on the Profiles page...at last. Again, I'll let you know. 

14.05.01 Current League Tables now added here.

13.05.01 Coach to Durham. Ron's organising a coach for the Durham trip on Saturday. Cost will be in the region of £10 to £15 per person. Contact him (see Contacts & Links) if you'd like to go.

12.05.01 Coventry Bears 64 Leicester Phoenix 12 A superb follow-up to last week's opening win at Birmingham by the under-strength Bears. who can doubt the seriousness of Cov's challenge for this year's title now? Match report available here. 

(Sunday evening. Sorry about the delay, but I've been having the old Server problems again - I managed to publish this age and then it left me high and dry. It's there now though).

The replica kit was supposed to arrive today, but didn't. I'll let you know when it does. Keep that wallet handy!

9.5.01 A reminder. Just a quick reminder that Saturday's match at home to Leicester Phoenix (Coundon Road 2.30) is a FREE gate and is followed by a Karaoke party in the clubhouse. Alan is looking for a few volunteers to help distribute fliers at supermarkets etc. on Thursday evening. If you feel like helping to boost the gate, please contact him ASAP (number and address on the Contacts & Links page.

Chunky injured . Unfortunately Rich Davies has fractured the ulna of his right forearm and needs an operation to reset the bone and to insert a metal plate. He's not expecting to be available again until the play-off stages, 'but isn't ruling anything out'!!

Shep too. Ben Shepherd also picked up an injury - strained ankle ligaments - in the win on Saturday. He will miss Saturday's match against Leicester.
Best wishes for a speedy recovery Chunky & Ben.....

6.5.01 Birmingham match report now on-line (click on 'Match Reports' )

I also meant to mention yesterday that Ron now has some very nifty enamel Bears lapel badges for sale at two quid each. Show your support for the lads! See Ron at CR on Saturday or contact him via the 'Contacts & Links' page. One more thing; the team looked great in their new 'Logitog' kit yesterday (it came earlier than expected so made an early debut). We're expecting a range of replica kit in very soon (hopefully this week), so make sure your wallet is well stuffed for the Leicester game!

5.5.01 Birmingham 0 Bears 30. A good start to the season with the Bears controlling a fractious game for most of the 80 minutes. Some fine tries and several superb individual performances combined with excellent on-the-line defence ensured maximum points against a side that flattered to deceive. Full report will be posted as soon as I receive it.

20.4.01 Snippets  A few nuggets of information picked up in conversation. Good news soon to be released about the playing kit for this coming season. Suffice to say we'll have a new-look team to cheer this year (from the Leicester home game on). All part of the drive to establish Coventry Bears as the most 'professional' amateur club around. More about that as soon as possible.  We hope to have a number of new players on the books for the summer campaign, including James Hadfield and Shaun Brady, who many of you will know from their appearances for Cov FC. These guys will add some extra firepower to the pack. I await full details of the entire squad and as soon as I have them they'll be found here.

You'll notice a few minor changes from the old site. In the main these are designed to speed up operation, but the overall feel (even though it is completely rebuilt from the ground up) is  similar.

Sunday's game against Bedford will be an opportunity for the management team to run the rule over some new faces and see how things are likely to shape up. The team taking the field will be by no means full-strength (I guess RU commitments see to that) but it will still be competitive. The guys would welcome any travelling support; check with Ron for directions. 

A bit of slightly worse news is that Coundon Road will not be available for a couple of games due to re-seeding (Wot? Grass on the pitch? Whatever next?). This means that we will have a temporary home for a while and a couple of local Midlands One RU clubs are in the frame to host these games. We'll let you know. One of these games will be against Wolverhampton and it is hoped to have 'curtain raiser' Under 16s and Under 19s games that day. It'll be nice to see the future Bears stars in action.

19.4.01 The Bears will play a pre-season friendly at Bedford Athletic Stadium on Sunday 22 April Kick off 3.00. Contact Ron Banks on 07956 251379 for details of how to get there.

27.3.01. As threatened, I've now posted a form for the players to fill in and return. This will form the basis of a set of profiles, hopefully to be supplemented with mugshots ASAP. Click on the link on the Contacts & Links page. Please fill them in and return to Alan (e-mail address on the same page). Ta very much.

16.5.01 The two matches against Wolverhampton Wizards have now been 'swapped round' , meaning that the away meeting is now on the 26th May, while the home fixture goes to the 14th of July. Well, that's really not good news as it means I'll miss the home game as I'm off to sunny (?) Norfolk that day. I'll update the Fixtures & Results list when I get a chance. 

Ron tells me that he needs the bookings in for the coach ASAP. He's just trying to make the trip break even as it is a long (read expensive) run, so it'd be nice to fill the coach if possible. And the more support the better for the team, obviously. By the way, the coach leaves Coundon Road at........wait for it..........8am!!!

He also tells me that 'Pop' Southwell is not allowed out to play on Saturday. Some flimsy excuse to do with a new baby apparently....(seriously, congrats to you both).

There is more injury misery this week with Andy Lewis breaking his hand last Saturday, and a few other knocks to contend with. On a brighter note, however, we have some returnees including Ben Shepherd. I'll post more team details as soon as poss.

The promised new replica kit and casual clothing still hasn't turned up yet despite many promises. Watch this space....

You may have noticed some activity with a digital camera at Saturday's match. With luck, the results will be electronically making their way to me soon and I'll be able to post some particularly gruesome mugshots on the Profiles page...at last. Again, I'll let you know. 

14.05.01 Current League Tables now added here.

13.05.01 Coach to Durham. Ron's organizing a coach for the Durham trip on Saturday. Cost will be in the region of £10 to £15 per person. Contact him (see Contacts & Links) if you'd like to go.

12.05.01 Coventry Bears 64 Leicester Phoenix 12 A superb follow-up to last week's opening win at Birmingham by the under-strength Bears. who can doubt the seriousness of Cov's challenge for this year's title now? Match report available here. 

(Sunday evening. Sorry about the delay, but I've been having the old Server problems again - I managed to publish this age and then it left me high and dry. It's there now though).

The replica kit was supposed to arrive today, but didn't. I'll let you know when it does. Keep that wallet handy!

9.5.01 A reminder. Just a quick reminder that Saturday's match at home to Leicester Phoenix (Coundon Road 2.30) is a FREE gate and is followed by a Karaoke party in the clubhouse. Alan is looking for a few volunteers to help distribute fliers at supermarkets etc. on Thursday evening. If you feel like helping to boost the gate, please contact him ASAP (number and address on the Contacts & Links page.

Chunky injured . Unfortunately Rich Davies has fractured the ulna of his right forearm and needs an operation to reset the bone and to insert a metal plate. He's not expecting to be available again until the play-off stages, 'but isn't ruling anything out'!!

Shep too. Ben Shepherd also picked up an injury - strained ankle ligaments - in the win on Saturday. He will miss Saturday's match against Leicester.
Best wishes for a speedy recovery Chunky & Ben.....

6.5.01 Birmingham match report now on-line (click on 'Match Reports' )

I also meant to mention yesterday that Ron now has some very nifty enamel Bears lapel badges for sale at two quid each. Show your support for the lads! See Ron at CR on Saturday or contact him via the 'Contacts & Links' page. One more thing; the team looked great in their new 'Logitog' kit yesterday (it came earlier than expected so made an early debut). We're expecting a range of replica kit in very soon (hopefully this week), so make sure your wallet is well stuffed for the Leicester game!

5.05.01 Birmingham 0 Bears 30. A good start to the season with the Bears controlling a fractious game for most of the 80 minutes. Some fine tries and several superb individual performances combined with excellent on-the-line defence ensured maximum points against a side that flattered to deceive. Full report will be posted as soon as I receive it.

30.04.01 More Snippets (from Ron). The format for this year's play-offs is as follows:
The winners of the six conferences plus the two teams coming second with the best record qualify for the play offs.
The four conference winners with the best record have home advantage. The pairings will be made geographically matching neighbouring teams.
The Semi-finals will be held at neutral RLC grounds. (Clubs wishing to be considered should apply).
The Final venue is yet to be announced.

Looking ahead.....
The day we play Birmingham at home, June 16th, is the day London Broncos play Bradford (6.05pm kick-off) at Welford Rd, Leicester. The league will allow a dispensation to kick off early that day in order that teams and supporters can go to Leicester to watch the match. We have to apply for permission and get Birmingham's approval.
Do we want to go? Answers please on the Message Board.

23.04.01 Bedford Swifts v Coventry Bears Match Report has been supplied by Tracey Hirons at Bedford Swifts. Many thanks for that. 

20.04.01 Snippets  A few nuggets of information picked up in conversation. Good news soon to be released about the playing kit for this coming season. Suffice to say we'll have a new-look team to cheer this year (from the Leicester home game on). All part of the drive to establish Coventry Bears as the most 'professional' amateur club around. More about that as soon as possible.  We hope to have a number of new players on the books for the summer campaign, including James Hadfield and Shaun Brady, who many of you will know from their appearances for Cov FC. These guys will add some extra firepower to the pack. I await full details of the entire squad and as soon as I have them they'll be found here.

You'll notice a few minor changes from the old site. In the main these are designed to speed up operation, but the overall feel (even though it is completely rebuilt from the ground up) is  similar.

Sunday's game against Bedford will be an opportunity for the management team to run the rule over some new faces and see how things are likely to shape up. The team taking the field will be by no means full-strength (I guess RU commitments see to that) but it will still be competitive. The guys would welcome any travelling support; check with Ron for directions. 

A bit of slightly worse news is that Coundon Road will not be available for a couple of games due to re-seeding (Wot? Grass on the pitch? Whatever next?). This means that we will have a temporary home for a while and a couple of local Midlands One RU clubs are in the frame to host these games. We'll let you know. One of these games will be against Wolverhampton and it is hoped to have 'curtain raiser' Under 16s and Under 19s games that day. It'll be nice to see the future Bears stars in action.

19.04.01 The Bears will play a pre-season friendly at Bedford Athletic Stadium on Sunday 22 April Kick off 3.00. Contact Ron Banks on 07956 251379 for details of how to get there.

27.03.01. As threatened, I've now posted a form for the players to fill in and return. This will form the basis of a set of profiles, hopefully to be supplemented with mugshots ASAP. Click on the link on the Contacts & Links page. Please fill them in and return to Alan (e-mail address on the same page). Ta very much.

18.03.2001. Ah well, I've decided to unleash this site on the great unwashed even though it's nothing like as complete as I wanted it to be. I guess I'm just in a giving mood after a good day out in Richmond yesterday, drinking too much, eating too much and watching some good rugby (albeit of the 'other' persuasion). 
While navigating around this site, you can always get back to this home page by clicking on Butty the Bear (you've never looked better Claire!) over on the left hand side.
The main shortcoming at the moment is the lack of any player profiles and pictures, but I guess that will have to wait. I will put a 'pro-forma' on here soon - although I am mindful of the tricks and abuse that this might lead to! If you, as a player, would like to fill it in, copy it and return it to me via e-mail (there's a 'mail-me' type thingy somewhere hereabouts, I'll make a start.
So, have a look around the site. As I say, it's nothing like ready, but hopefully it will go some small way to filling a need. If you have any comments, criticisms, suggestions and hopefully any contributions, I'd love to hear them. Use the e-mail button, or use the Message Board.
On the subject of the Message Board - let's try to keep it as lively as poss. It's in a similar format to the one on the Cov site, which the players seem to like (!!!), so it'd be nice to see comments and observations from fans and players alike. Just keep it clean and abuse-free and so far as I'm concerned, anything goes.
There is a page here called 'Beginner's Guide'. It's not complete yet, but it contains a lot of useful info about the rules and objectives of the 13-a-side game. Those coming along for a first-time-look at League may find it useful. I'll just add that it is lifted (in its current form) from the Bradford Bulls site, with their permission. You'll also find Tables and Fixtures elsewhere, and there is a potted history (courtesy of Al Robinson) of the Club. Thanks for that Al, and also for the excellent artwork dotted around the site. It looks really good (well, I think so anyway).
Finally, there are some useful links on the, er, Links page. If you would like to add any that you've found to be interesting or useful, pass them on and I'll add them.
Finally, good luck to the team (teams!) on this second competitive season. Last Summer wasn't bad for openers was it? Let's get behind the lads and show the rest of 'em exactly what Coventry Bears RLFC are capable of. CAN YOU SMELL WHAT THE BEARS ARE COOKIN'???

12.3.2001. The new season starts on the 5th of May with a tough away game at Birmingham Bulldogs. Last year's corresponding ties were close affairs with the Bears just shading it on both occasions. Birmingham went on to top the Conference by dint of the fact that they didn't lose both their cross-conference ties - unlike the Bears. However, there was a touch of annoyance in this for Bears' fans and players (and Butty) as we had a 100% record in all the local conference ties - the only club to achieve this. However, it's a matter of much pride that the lads went on to lay their bogey, at Manchester, in the quarter final, only to be narrowly defeated by Rotherham at Warrington. The intention of all concerned is to put the record straight this season and go ALL THE WAY.......starting with Birmingham. See the rest of the season's fixtures on the 'Fixtures & Results' page.

23.3.2001. You have probably spotted this by now on the message board, but....MEETING AT THE COUNDON PUB , BARKER'S BUTTS LANE 8.00PM SUNDAY 25TH MARCH (OPPOSITE COUNDON RD., COVENTRY RUGBY CLUB GROUND). Message to all players. I will expect you all to make this meeting as it is the first which will outline the format of the season etc. as well as deciding which training days we will be having. There will be one or two trial games at the end of May which will decide the two (First and Second team) squads. 
The youth team format will also be decided but we will probably have a separate meeting at a later date to organise this for the youth players as fixtures are yet to be organized. Any problems please call me on 07974 517519/ or 02476 228486. I look forward to seeing all the old faces as well as many new on Sunday at 8.00pm sharp. (Posted by Alan Robinson).