PROGRESS OF OUR NEW HOME & RUGBY
New address - Old Saltleians RFC, Coleshill Road, Water Orton, B46 1QE,
Although we are making good progress with the building, car park and patio, and the pitches are ready, we have a delay due to Warks CC Highways approving road closures to enable the power cable to be run down Gypsy Lane and for our road works to be completed as defined by WCC Highways. Quite frustrating but we must be pragmatic! We are hopeful to resolve this issue shortly and be playing before December 2022, we’ll keep you posted.
The senior squad are playing their home games as away games with the kind help of our opponent clubs, allowing us to reverse those fixtures due to us being without a home. Many thanks to those clubs, we are very grateful and will welcome you in grand style once we open!
Shard End lease ends 29th September 2022.
We have no definitive date yet, from HS2/BBV, as to when we can expect to start work on our Gypsy Lane land, Pitch 3, but informally it is expected to be handed back in 2027 or later once the M42/M6Toll motorway bridging is completed. Meanwhile we will continue at Coleshill Road where we will utilise the junior pitches to serve both junior and senior games as the need arises. Our Agronomist and the pitch contractor are confident that all present pitches will be ready for play in mid-October 2022.
Memberships are being rolled out please email memberships@oldsaltleians.com via this website, we’ll be ready for September and October enrolments..
A great start for Director of Rugby, Steve Joslin, in senior squad’s opening three games. Ashley White, backs coach and winger/fullback, bust his thumb in the Stafford game so now resting. Gary Lee, the forwards coach assisted by brother carl as Team Manager have rejuvenated the pack and the backs defensive structure has improved which enabled them to enjoy bringing their flair to the game in attack. Try Bonus points in all three games. So the senior season has started with two away wins and a loss, the 1st XV play in the RFU league, ‘Counties 1 Midlands West (North)’ follow us on our website link found on our home page ‘fixtures and leagues’
Mini & Youth returned to light Sunday Training on 31st July, welcome back to those returning. It’s a bit of a paused start with the delay to the opening but we will get there have no doubt!
We have an extravaganza in store for Sunday 6th November, which may possibly be delayed also - BUT it will happen, it’s an invitation through generous funding by NWBC and O’Brien Contractors Ltd for local schools, extended by Steve Joslin, local children of all ages are welcome to come along and join in the fun. Contact Steve at gl1cl2@hotmail.co.uk. Bouncy castles and fun games with a friendly welcome to parents and children who are new to the club.
The drone photographs, below, are from early September 2022.
Hedgerows
I’m as sorry as the rest of the village to see the hedgerow cropped back at the T-Junction of Vicarage lane to Coleshill Road. This is by instruction of Warks Highways, the rugby club did not want this. The reason is road safety. The view to/from the junction to the right down Coleshill Road was obstructed by the hedgerow and we have been instructed to cut it back to open the view. We will replant it along the line of vision required. Basically from 2.4m back from the stop line, a clear line of sight must be enabled for 43m down Coleshill Road.
Our policy is to thicken and improved the hedgerows around our land and grow them to 3m tall. The trees have been attended by an Arborist and instructed the tree surgeon to trim and enhance the trees within the hedgerow and inside of the club grounds. You will see over 100 new native trees being planted in the next few weeks, best month for planting trees is November. Thank you!
Mick Lee