With work on Harrogate Rugby Club’s new clubhouse at Rudding Lane now complete, a group of members are looking forward to seeing their names immortalised on a fund raising wall.
Over the last year members have been able to buy a wooden ‘brick’ and have their chosen name engraved onto it. The bricks are being assembled as a wall and proudly showcased in the new clubhouse entrance as a permanent public monument to the club’s supporters.
One of the bricks is dedicated to Minis’ coach Andy Carswell who sadly passed away prematurely in January 2014.
Parents from the Mini section of the club got together to raise £250 for a brick in memory of Andy, whose son Tommy currently plays for the U10s.
Andy had been involved with Harrogate Rugby Club since he was a boy. He played for the junior teams and progressed to Colts. He was a budding scrum half until a shoulder dislocation which put an end to his playing career. From 1988 to 1992 Andy was the physiotherapist for the club’s first team.
Ex-first team player and coach of last season’s under 10s at the club Stephen Baker, said:
Andy’s wooden brick is extra special for me as he was a big part of my rugby playing career at Harrogate as I suffer from a rheumatic disease called Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS).
Andy would treat me a couple of times a week and made such a huge difference in keeping me playing.
Even today I still benefit with pretty good flexibility for someone with AS due to some of Andy’s earlier treatment.
I’m sure there are other ex-players from Harrogate who owe him big thanks as the team physio is one of the key guys in the squad.
It’s so nice now that both Tommy and my son Finn play together in the Minis.
Michael Wright, secretary to the U10s, said:
Andy was a well-liked and respected member of the coaching team.
The engraved brick is a great way of ensuring he is remembered at the club as part of our fundraising activity.
The club hosted a public open day at the new ground on Tuesday 30 June 2015 to encourage the local community to come and enjoy its new facilities. The first game of the new season will be played in September.
There are 25 bricks still available ranging from £130 – £250. For more information about sponsorship opportunities including perimeter pitch side boards email jmsmithiesfrics@outlook.com or clubhousehrufc@gmail.co.uk
