acklam
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Acklam
A
cklam RFC was first established in 1976 when ex Teesside Polytechnic players formed the club. They took the name
Acklam as the headmaster of Acklam Grammar school let them use their changing facilities and because they played their
fixtures on the nearby Sandy Flatts.
The team also took the Schools badge,
the Talbot Dog as their emblem whilst
the social side of the club centred around
the local public house ‘The Endeavour’.
They became one of the first clubs to be
awarded the RFU Seal of Approval in
2003/04 highlighting the superb progress
that they have made.
At present, they play their home games
at Talbort Park on Saltersgill Avenue
in Middlesbrough and their first
team currently competes in Durham/
Northumberland Division Two. They are
led by the team of President Jim Ward
and Chairman Raymond Kelly and the
club has made a considerable amount of
progress under their guidance.
This season the team has put together a
strong league campaign, having compiled
a record of eighteen wins and just 6
defeats from their 24 matches. This has
left them sitting in 2nd place in the table
with 95 points on the board.
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Although they have not managed to claim
the league title this should not take away
from what has been a superb season for
the club. It should provide them with a
perfect platform from which to build and
as long as they can retain their current
group of players they should be well set
up for a successful future.
One of the highlights of the team’s
impressive performances this season
has been the attacking brand of rugby
that they have been able to produce on a
consistent basis. This has been reflected
by the fact that they have racked up an
incredible 1027 points at a rate of more
than 40 per game.
This will certainly have meant that any
supporters attending their matches will
have been well entertained and should
encourage more of the local community to
get behind the side in future. This in turn
has the potential to provide them with a
valuable source of additional revenue.
Acklam is not a club that focuses solely
upon their senior section however as they
also have a thriving youth set-up in place.
This part of the club looks to provide
youngsters from the local area with an
opportunity to play the game in a safe and
enjoyable environment whilst helping
them to reach their full potential.
It is important for any club to be able to
produce their own talent if they are to be
successful and this is an area that Acklam
appears to have covered. It will certainly
be exciting to see how their youngsters are
able to progress in the coming years.
Acklam RFC’s fantastic on the field results
are a reward for all of the hard work that
has gone into making them a success.
Hopefully they will be able to continue
their good work for many years to come
both on and off the field.
www.pitchero.com/clubs/acklam - Twitter : @ acklamrufc