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Ashton captain Bower believes there's a bright future at Gambrel Bank

Little over seven months ago, in the lead up to the new season, there was a lot of uncertainty at Ashton Rugby Club surrounding the prospect of assembling a second team and fulfilling fixtures.

The residual effects of Covid-19 were a cause for concern and the club, based at Gambrel Bank, questioned the feasibility and reality of fielding a second string.

However, seven months have since passed and the club has defied the odds to achieve great things, as the first team are currently sixth in the ADM Division One, whilst the second team, assembled and captained by James Bower, featured in a cup semi-final at the end of February and continue to grow from strength-to-strength.

With the season nearing its end, attention is already turning to the 2022/23 season and James, who has played at the club since he was six years old, is already relishing the chance to improve his squad and go one step further to claim some form of silverware. Speaking to Reporter Sport, he said: "It looked like we would only get one team out at the start of the season which was a bit worrying, but now we’re persistently getting 40 players out every week which equates to two teams. The situation has turned out so well, especially given Covid, and we’e only had a couple of games called off due to the situation. A few teams in our league have had numerous games called off due to Covid, but we feel like we stuck to the rules at the height of the pandemic and it paid off. 

"We've really enjoyed the season considering the initial doubts we had, and we can be proud in what's been achieved. It was always going to be a tough ask in the semi-final against Vale of Lune - a strong side who beat us 30-18 - but we reflected on the game as a group and we were happy with the performance, especially considering I thought there were a few questionable refereeing decisions. 

"If that game had been the final, I don’t think anyone would have had any qualms. It was a quality game played in really good spirits and at a high intensity. 

"We didn’t even want to enter the cup at the start of the season due to the uncertainty of not being able to field a side and fulfil fixtures in the league. In a way it was a free hit for us really, because we didn’t anticipate that we’d get to December.

"In our league, if you concede four games then you’re removed from the competition. Losing the semi-final was disappointing given how far we had come, however it’s something to build on for next year and we will only get better. We already have players lined up to join from other clubs. I think the lads needed to experience this setback so they’ll be hungry to go one step further next season."

James, who progressed through the junior ranks before being appointed as the second team captain, believes the club, as a whole, is heading in the right direction with the foundations in place to strengthen in every area.

As well as developments on the pitch, which include a rugby league side called the Tameside Knights, Ashton also have a lively social setup with Gambrel Bank hosting the brass band contest every year, along with a weekly quiz and private functions. 

James, whose immediate family members are involved with the club, envisages a strong future and predicts the atmosphere will only get better when more players join over the summer break. He said: "I think you find that, at some of the bigger clubs, there’s a bit of a split between the first and second teams as they might not train and socialise together, but at Ashton it’s different and a really welcoming environment.

"We’ve had a couple of lads come over from different clubs due to being unhappy where they previously were, they’ve then gone and told their mates about it and it’s had a knock on effect.

"We've done really well socially as a result of building a welcoming culture, as the lads will go into the bar after the game, put money behind the bar and generally strengthen the atmosphere at the club. Everything is going in the right direction." 

Pictures by Matthew Lofthouse

 

 

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