Given what happened at the end of the season, it was perhaps fitting that our last match of the season was our own odd socks game. Redditch players, old and new, came together on the 14th March for a great fun day, enjoying each other’s company and raising money for two great charities being Downs Syndrome and Pitcheroak School. Fantastic!
During the season Redditch Kingfishers had put in some sterling performances, but had let some other games slip, whilst the Rangers had been frustrated by the loss of games due to Dennis and Jorge’s influence on the pitches.
With the season finishing prematurely Redditch had been clinging onto a 2 point lead over Chaddesley Corbett, who had defeated them in the opening round by 40-14. Worryingly Chaddesley had a game in hand, so to ensure promotion, Redditch needed to win against Atherstone, Bloxwich and our nemesis from the first round Bishop’s Castle. And the season finale would be Chaddesley Corbett at home in an all or nothing showdown. That was provided that our rivals did not slip up against 5 Ways, who had surprisingly beaten them in the first round, Keresley who they shaded 8-7, and Greyhound and Dixonians who had both given them 5 point home walkovers.
It could be tight and every game in the lead in was a must win game.
However, as Covid-19 raised its spectre over sport as well as our lives, the final showdown was left to the suits at Twickenham with their trusty spreadsheet.
And at the final whistle it was Chaddesley Corbett who got the nod and earned promotion with Redditch finishing a very creditable 3rd.
2 more points would have seen us through, but it was not to be.
During the season Chaddesley beat us convincingly and inflicted one of only two defeats on the runaway leaders Rugby Welsh. So, it could be argued that they deserved to win promotion more than us. That does not ease the hurt of losing on the spreadsheet rather than on the field.
Our performance this season has been excellent and sets us up well for the challenge of next season.
At this point next season’s leagues have not been declared.
It is most likely that we will stay where we are, and on paper we should be the team to beat. That said I am aware of at least two teams who will be entering the midlands leagues next season, and if they join at our level, I suggest we will no longer be the team to beat.
However, the following season the leagues will be restructured with the declared aim of setting up all leagues of 12 clubs and flattening the structure. Our Level 10 will almost certainly disappear and quite possibly level 9 will disappear, as leagues are structured to minimise travelling.
So, for now, well done, stay safe, keep fit and look forward to a successful season in 2020 2021.
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