If weather permits, 3rd place Fylde travel to 5th placed Harrogate on Saturday (ko 14.15) in an important National Three (North) match for both clubs. That is a big ‘if’ as there was four inches of snow on the pitch on Thursday with the threat of freezing conditions for Thursday & Friday evenings. 'Gate officials have arranged for a pitch inspection at 12.15 tomorrow.

Harrogate have a splendid home record, winning six out of seven games at Claro Road so far this season, their only slip-up being to leaders Nuneaton. Fylde’s very poor away form suggests that this might be a banker home win. But Fylde’s promotion bid is in the last chance saloon so the players will be desperate to improve their two wins and five defeats away from Fortress Woodlands.

Another motivator for the Yorkshiremen is revenge for the 15-62 humiliation at the Woodlands in October. Harrogate were inexplicably dreadful that day and are likely to put up a fierce defence of their own promotion credentials. Fylde’s chances are also not improved by a haunting record at Claro Road where they have lost all five previous contests in the last decade.

Harrogate have spent just one season in N3N having been relegated from National Two at the end of the 2006/7 campaign. 'Gate is a fine club, founded almost 50 years before Fylde in 1871 but which has suffered financially in recent seasons. This has been in part due to a prolonged ten year dispute about the redevelopment of their Claro Road ground. A recent decision by a government inspector to block a bid for a major community sports complex on the current site has rocked the Club. Their lease on the ground ends in December and they face the prospect of being homeless halfway through the 2009-10 season unless they can find a site for a new ground or another resolution is identified.

Mike Aspinall, 26 year old former Leeds Collegiate, Otley & Saracens scrum-half, is 'Gate's full time player-coach and is assisted by tough former Doncaster no 8 Ryan Peacey. If Harrogate is generally Fylde's bogey side then the Lancastrians must have nightmares about long serving fullback and current skipper Ed Smithies who has scored so many tries against Fylde over more than a decade that they can hardly be counted! Smithies has just broken the ‘Gate appearance record with 233 caps.

Aspinall recruited heavily during the summer including goal kicking former Leeds Carnegie & Scotland U'20s fly-half James Murray, scrum half Robert Green (Consett), flanker James Taggert (Leeds Carnegie Academy) & hooker Aaron Yorke (Beverley). Other more recent arrivals are the much travelled fly-half and goal kicker Cerith Rees, formerly with Doncaster, Albi, Grenoble, Bridgend, Swansea & Neath, and former Rotherham backrower, Ukrainian international Tim Maslanyk.

Apart from Smithies and Aspinall, the star of their backline is former Blaydon & Wakefield centre or fly-half Nick Wainwright, a very creative player who can also kick goals. Winger Sam Bottomley is the leading try scorer with six.

Fylde make a number of changes to their squad. Neil Hunter replaces Richard Kenyon at centre and either Mike Waywell or Martin Wallwork will be at fullback. In the forwards, Prop Adam Lewis and back five player Alistair Atkinson make their first league starts of the season whilst prop Sam Simpson and centre Tom Albinson are both fit once more and take their place amongst the replacements. Dan Bowman (knee) and Sam Beaumont (groin) were ruled out of selection consideration due to injury.

 

	Adam Lewis Parker International		Craig Aikman Bill Beaumont Textiles Ltd		Sam Simpson JGT Solicitors
	Mark Darlington JPS Partnership		Steve Nutt Pemberton Dairies		Alan Holmes HRH Entertainments
	Keiron Brookes EC Chemicals		Oliver Brennand Arena Sport		Mark Stephenson Thornton Rugby Club
	Alastair Atkinson EC Chemicals		Neil Hunter The Fylde Ladies Rugby Team		Martin Wallwork / Mike Waywell Clifton Dental Practice
	Roger Banks (c) Fylde Supporters Club (Oman)		David Wiseman JGT Solicitors		Tom Albinson Cowley Fire
	Dan Palmer The Rooms Lytham		Nick Royle Club Media Ltd
	David Wilks Nirvana Audio Visual		Mike Waywell / Martin Wallwork The Gift Pack Company
	Grant Ferguson Handelsbanken

 

                          Craig Aikman scores a try against Harrogate at the Woodlands in October [Photo: Simon Gardiner]