I was searching twitter looking for an UK RL fan club fans forum event after reading, in the May issue of Forty-20 magazine, about the fan club and the forum that it recently held in Bradford.
Unfortunately there isn’t a date set for an UK RL fan club fans forum, for the right side of the Pennines, set yet. I was disappointed but would keep my eyes peeled for the information when @Forty20Magazine popped up in my mentions stating that it wasn’t an @UKRLfanclub event but would a Forty-20 Talking Rugby League fans forum do for me?
I read the link Forty-20 sent me and it sounded like just the event I was looking it. The link declared :-
It was an opportunity to hear and question a panel of expert writers about Rugby League. Phil Caplan, the chair of the panel, is co-director of Scratching Shed Publishing and the founder of the Rugby League Magazine “Forty-20”. Dave Hadfield, is the Rugby League journalist for the “Independent”. Ray French is a well known commentator and former international player both for Rugby League and Rugby Union. Tony Hannan is a journalist and author of several books on Rugby League. This is the first of several panel events that will be taking place this year.
The forum was organised by Try Reading which is a new project for public libraries. It aims to celebrate and promote the sporting event of the year - the Rugby League World Cup 2013. At the same time TRYing to get more people into reading and writing. The project is being funded with an award from the Arts Council England which meant that the forum was free, even better. I’m sure that just a normal evening with Ray French as an after dinner speaker would cost a pretty penny so for this forum to cost nothing was a bonus indeed.
The forum was held in Urmston Library, Urmston, Trafford, Manchester. As I over estimated the traffic on the M61 and the M60 my mate and I arrived in Urmston with just over an hour to spare. With never venturing to Urmston before the only way to kill time prior to the forum starting was to head to the nearest pub!
We stumbled upon The Chadwick which could have been lifted directly from the set of Coronation Street as it felt just like The Rovers Return as soon as we stepped inside. Everything from the Mancurian accents to the locals who knew each other to the decorate reminded me of the Rovers. Gutted when I realised that Newton and Ridley wasn’t on tap so I had to settle for a pint of Courage, Dave Hadfield would have been proud.
After finishing our ale, and without being beaten up by the fierce locals (which is always a bonus) we made our way to the library, which is a new build in the heart of Urmston. We were guided into a light and airy function room by a stereotypical librarian who once everyone was settled down introduced the event. When she was finished Phil Caplan introduced the panel and himself, which included as a poor mans Jack Dee, which caused the room to roar with laughter.
The panelists then read an extract from their books, with the expectation of Tony Hannan who read a piece he had written about the internet in 1997 for the Rugby League Express newspaper.
There followed a question and answer session where Phil Caplan asked the panel in turn a number of rugby league questions including about the upcoming Rugby League World Cup, referees and their experiences in Rugby League.
After a very interesting and informative Q & A Phil Caplan opened questions to the floor. Thoughtful questions were asked regarding commentators, which parts of the world the panel would love to see Rugby League being played, who the panel thought was the young Rugby League player of the year so far, to name just a number of the questions that were asked.
Phil Caplan then wrapped up the forum and invited the audience to purchase a number of books that the guest had written. I bought Down and Under by Dave Hadfield and What’s a bear to wear by Tom Palmer (for my daughters). My advice to you readers of this article, attend as many of these Try Reading events / forums as you can, an excellent evening was had by all and take plenty of money, you will want to buy every book that the panel has written. Truly brilliant speakers and writers.
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