Fylde RFC update: Coach calls for 'respect' from players leaving club

Head coach Warren Spragg has called on players who will be leaving relegated Fylde RFC at the end of the season to 'respect the club' by giving their all in their final five matches in National One
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Warren Spragg
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Match report: Blackheath 36 Fylde RFC 5

The Fylde boss said: “Most of the players will be staying and a few will be moving on. We have spoken to them and are still speaking with players who have not signed up yet.

“All the details will be announced in the next month or so, though I expect anyone leaving the us to respect the club in the remaining weeks of the season.”

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Fylde’s relegation was confirmed with last Saturday’s 36-5 defeat at Blackheath.

It was a familiar story of the visitors impressing in patches but leaving themselves too much to do after their London hosts built a 24-0 lead.

Spragg added: “We let them get ahead too easily and they scored an easy try early on.

“We played some decent rugy but could not sustain it for long enough to plut them under spressure.

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“The players were committed but just a bit short in terms of quality.”

Fylde RFC have no first-team fixture this weekend, though there will be no shortage of action at the Woodlands or for Fylde players.

The club will stage the Lancashire Schools Finals on Sunday, featuring cup and plate deciders for under-14s, 15s and 16s.

On the same day, seven Fylde players have been named in the starting line-up for Lancashire Under-20s to face Northumberland at Wigan RU

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Nick Ashcroft captains a side which features his Fylde team-mates Ben Gregory, Toby Harrison, James Torkington and backs Tom Carleton, Henry Pearson and Sam Fisher. An eighth Fylde player Matthew Bargh is on standby.

They won’t exactly go with the blessing of Fylde head coach Warren Spragg, who objects to the timing of this U20 county competition, especially after Carleton returned with a dead leg from Lancashire’s match against Stafford three weeks ago.

Spragg told The Gazette: “It’s reckless to play these games the day after National League games. It means players will be playing 80 minutes two days running.

“There’s no protection for clubs, no financial reassurances. We should look after our players better. This competition should be played alongside the main County Championship after the league season.”

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Eight schools are involved in Sunday’s six Lancashire Schools Finals at Fylde, including Kirkham Grammar, who will contest the under-14 cup final against Lancaster RGS in the first match at noon.

Other schools involved on finals day are Stonyhurst College, St Edward’s College, Manchester Grammar, Standish High and Merchant Taylors and Liverpool College.

Matches also take place on the top pitch, again starting at noon. Spectators are welcome, with full hospitality available in the clubhouse.

The schedule is as follows:

Cup finals (on main pitch): Kirkham GS U14 v Lancaster RGS U14 (noon), Standish HS U15 v Manchester GS U15 (1pm), St Edward’s College U16 v Lancaster RGS U16 (2.15pm)

Plate finals (on top pitch): Merchant Taylor U14 v St Edwards College U14 (noon), Liverpool College U15 v Lancaster RGS U15 (1pm), Stonyhurst College U16 v Manchester GS (2.15pm).