BURY RUFC's first team league game against West Park Warriors was postponed, due to the opposition, again being unable to field a team.
It is now unlikely the fixture will be played at all, and Warriors may find themselves doomed to demotion from the league
As bury can neither achieve promotion or suffer demotion, the league organisers will probably deem the fixture irrelevant.
The club's second XV faced Broughton Park third XV, and walking out to the pitch, unaware of the opposition Bury faced, the shirts may have changed but the face of the opposition stand-off hadn't.
The years have treated Kevin O'Brien kindly, after probably 17 years at the top and, allegedly, now 48-years old, according to him, the ex-Broughton Park, Lancashire and Ireland full-back is now the captain of the Park thirds.
Bury started brightly enough, scoring a try in the twelfth minute from back row forward, Andy Leighton. It was not converted.
Broughton Park looked ordinary, but in the 25th minute their full-back, who until given the ball outside his own 22 had not been put under pressure, went into re-heat and only switched off the burners as he crossed the Bury line for a converted try.
As far as Bury were concerned the game was eminently winnable, but a side reinforced with several first-team regulars, lacking direction and cohesion, contrived to allow the opposition to dominate.
It may be an old adage but a team is only as good as the sum of its parts, and these were too disparate.
I have no intention of going over the details that allowed Park to cross the Bury line four times and rack up 22 points in the second period.
There are those who doubt my credibility as a commentator on the performance of the Bury teams.
As a matter of record, the writer played against the Broughton Park first XV in the 1970s when their side contained seven of the Lancashire team and two of those full England caps.
They were Barry Jackson and Mike Leadbetter, you are only allowed one guess for whom I was playing, suffice to say we lost, by the massive margin of two points!
TEAM: Smyth, Kelly, Roberts, Elliott, Townshend, Smithson, Bevan, Leighton, Stott, Morris, Robinson, McDonogh, Bailey, Chester, Cross. Subs: Kyle, Barrett, Bluer, Campbell.
On the adjoining pitch, the 3rd XV continued their winning ways, taking on a Toc H side reinforced by five first-team players, for a fine 33-7 win.
Not, as usual, vehemently supported by team manager, Chris 'Pugwash' Caloe, who was away on the briny, but his colleague in crime Keith Ormerod saw that their momentum continued unchecked.
Tomorrow, the 1st XV play Littleborough in the return league fixture at the Radcliffe Road ground.
Having drawn the previous game, and with a loss of key players to injury, Bury will do well to achieve a result. Kick-off 3pm.
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