What A Great Afternoon

As the heading says, what a great afternoon. And it was without any shadow of a doubt. What am I talking about? What afternoon and when? Saturday just gone as it happens (9th April). The occasion? Chester RUFC v Bournville at Hare Lane in Vicars Cross. We were lucky enough to be invited by the chairman of the club for a pre match meal, a couple of drinky poos, followed by the match itself. And to repeat myself again, what a great afternoon.

Hand on heart time, I must admit that I’m not normally a huge rugby fan. And as far as understanding the tactics or all the rules. Er……let’s just say I’m sketchy. But fair do’s what a game. A thoroughly enjoyable experience.

For the record, Chester won 48-31. It was something like 15-0 or 17-0 after about seven minutes.. Bournville rallied a bit and the score at half time was 31-12 to Chester. All to do for Bournville in the second half. Could they stage a fightback, or would Chester run away with it? Actually, for a spell in the second half it was the former. About halfway through the second half the score was 38-31 to Chester and for a while it seemed like it was “squeaky bum” time. But a penalty and a converted try later, Chester had taken control again and ran out 48-31 winners.

What A Great Afternoon

I thoroughly enjoyed the match. Chester looked to be a young team with plenty of endeavour and enthusiasm. And as for Bournville, they never gave up. As I say, for a spell midway through the second half it was squeaky bum time. What helped on the day to add to the enjoyment was the weather. A bit blowy but, in the main, a lovely sunny day. And a great atmosphere generated by the crowd. Quite a pleasant change really to not have to hear obscene football chants hurled at each other by rival fans.

Any incidents or nastiness on the pitch? Not at all. A very sporting game, well refereed and all players playing their part.

Yes the game was an excellent affair. But, looking beyond that, the game was just a part of the enjoyable occasion – albeit a large part of it of course.

What A Great Afternoon And What A Great Set Up

I was talking to someone after the game and reminisced about my earlier trips to the ground many moons ago. Then it was a sort of a large wooden hut, with wooden floorboards and after the game the grub on offer was the tried and trusted, traditional pie and beans. Just take a look at the photo below to see how the clubhouse looks now. This, by the way, is only a part of the main function room. The adjacent room where we sat for the meal was even bigger.

A great venue without a shadow of a doubt. Spacious, clean, a well stocked, large bar, great service. There’s also a food area where you can get a great meal and the options go beyond pie and beans. Mind you, I’m sure you can still get pie and beans if you want.

Let’s not forget the small, outside temporary bar either where you could get a cheeky pint if you so wished. And, also, let’s not forget the large car park and the excellent marshalling by the volunteer stewards. If you feel like doing something other than rugby, you can of course sneak in a game of squash at the Chester Rugby Squash Club if you’re feeling particularly energetic.

We met some great characters and after the meal we were entertained by some great speakers. Dave, Chester RUFC chairman being one and George the President of Bournville. They both could make a living at guest speaking. Informative, humourous and interesting. Well done to you both.

It was quite enlightening to see quite a few people I knew. Fellas I know as footie fans mainly. One I spoke to said it all in a way when he declared, “a great day out at a great venue and it’s something great for the local community.” I couldn’t have said it any better myself.

Would I Go Again?

Yes indeed, what a great afternoon. Would I do it again? Without a doubt. And for any sport lovers I’d encourage you to do the same if you haven’t popped along yourself yet. And when I say sport lovers I do of course mean both men and women. Quite a lot of ladies in attendance who also had a great afternoon. One lady I was talking to was filling me in with her expert knowledge of the rules and the tactics.

Thanks for that and a big thanks also to all those involved with the running of Chester RUFC. You do the game of rugby and the city of Chester proud. Best of luck for the rest of the season and for seasons to come.

Chester Lifestyle Blog Posts

Thanks for reading my latest blog post – “What A Great Afternoon” it is much appreciated. And thanks for visiting my Chester Lifestyle website. Also, very much appreciated. To see all of my other blog posts on a variety of topics, head on over to HERE.

Please Note

I earn commissions from Amazon for any qualifying purchases made from my Chester Lifestyle website.

By clicking the image below, or the product links below that, you will be taken through to Amazon where you can search and shop safely and securely to your heart’s content for whatever you may be looking for. Many thanks.

Shop Safely And Securely From Amazon

In this current climate and the need to look after ourselves a bit more, carefully check out these special feature products…….and also with a bit of Chester thrown in for good measure. Click through anyway from these links to shop for anything else you are after.