Yesterday, Tuesday, we received official notification from the Dorset and Wilts League that Melksham had joined Supermarine in withdrawing from league division 3 North. Both clubs had exceeded the limit placed on clubs for conceding matches.
In addition to losing the clubs from an already small league, their points and results have also been expunged (yes, that it the correct word) from the table.
That means that Minety 2nd XV are now bottom of Dorset and Wilts Division 3 with -8 points (points are deducted each time a team fails to fulfil a fixture).
We have also been informed by the league that Minety 2nd XV are just one match away from joining Melksham and Supermarine; if we concede one of the two remaining fixtures this season we will also be removed from the league. This is a catastrophic situation for a club with the rich traditions of Minety. The 2nd XV has always been vital for bringing on new players, allowing others to enjoy a recreational game of rugby on a Saturday without the league and performance pressures that the 1st XV players are exposed to and a great place for those reaching the end of their 1st XV days to wind down slowly (remember, you’re a long time retired from a game like rugby; just ask the poor old sap who’s writing this now) and pass on their gained wisdom to the next generation of Minety players.
The long and the short of the matter is that teams that disappear don’t tend to rise, phoenix like, from the ashes the following season.
This is a call out to all Minety players – we need a full (18 players) 1st XV to travel to Melksham this Saturday to try and continue our push for a top 6 place in Division 1 and we desperately need a full (18 players) 2nd XV to take on Bradford on Avon at Minety Fields this Saturday and Chippenham at Minety Fields on 30th March (the fixture was brought forward by a week at Chippenham’s request).
If you can help out, please contact your captains, Tom Claxton and Steve Wilson. Contact details are on the Contacts page of this site. And if you are unsure, just take a look at the table below, and Minety’s perilous position at present … and then think what it would be like if the name of Minety were not to be there at all!
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