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Re-Opening of the Toll Bar Amateur Rugby League Football Clubhouse and Pitches |
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Written by John Chapman (Doncaster St Leger)
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Friday, 02 May 2008 |
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Sporting legend and former GB Rugby League captain and coach, Ellery Hanley, and RIBI President, Allan Jagger, were guests of honour at the re-opening of the flood devastated clubhouse and ground at the Toll Bar Amateur Rugby League Football Club on 29th April 2008.
Toll Bar ARLFC is a community amateur sports club running teams from under 8 to under 18 and involving some 250 young people including girls who play at the club up to under 12. There is also an adult side. The club had just got back on its feet in terms of financial restraints when the flooding which engulfed Toll Bar in Summer 2007 struck the pitches and clubhouse. The clubhouse was flooded to a depth of 7 feet and the pitch to such a depth that only the tops of the goal posts were visible; the facilities were under water for some 3 weeks. All the club memorabilia was lost. Toll Bar was one of the hardest hit communities in South Yorkshire – already in the lowest 10% of multiple deprivation in the country. The club is central to this small community with a dedicated group of coaches who have gained RFL qualifications in their own time and expense and volunteer administrators working hard to maintain and run the club. There was a massive determination to keep the club alive and running and training took place at a local school with kit and equipment donated by the local rugby community.
Rotary Clubs in Doncaster successfully bid into the Rotary Flood Relief Fund for some £20,000 to fund reclamation of the pitches and surrounds which had been devastated – the grass having died and a thick crust of detritus being left by the flood waters. The club was advised on restitution by the Head Groundsman from Twickenham. On the evening, Ellery Hanley officially opened the rebuilt clubhouse and Allan Jagger presented the £20,000 for pitch restitution. The clubhouse was packed to overflowing and Rotary was presented with a plaque in recognition of its contribution to the resurgence of this key community facility. |