On the bright side I can now watch Siddal if they kick off at 11.30...

Apparently, the Club weren't given any reasons

All the possible objections had been well considered and covered with regard to car parking, stewarding etc.

Maybe the Council couldn't charge Siddal a four-figure rent for the ground if it had been one 'event'?

Or is it just spite? Why should one jobsworth be able to fly in the face of common sense and spoil everyone's day because he had his nose put out of joint by being publicly over-ruled by his boss?

Or [iare[/i there genuine reasons? I've sent off a Freedom of Information request to try find out more.

Watch this space.

Surely Fax can still have diners? 3 o'clock-ish?

loverugbyleague.com/news_5051-ha ... clash.html

loverugbyleague.com/news_5051-ha ... clash.html

Link doesn't work.

true,lol got it off facebook will try again,lol

what it does say is this,lol


Calderdale Council has ruined plans for a Challenge Cup double header featuring Siddal, Widnes, Halifax and Castleford Lock Lane.

Following the third round draw, Halifax and local amateur club Siddal had agreed to a double header third round day on Sunday 6th March, giving fans of all four clubs chance to watch their teams for the price of a single game.

However, the council has now decided that Siddal must play Widnes at 11.30am, before closing the stadium and re-opening it ahead of Halifax against Castleford Lock Lane at 5pm.

A Halifax club statement said: "All four clubs were excited to be able to be part of this occasion, but after discussions with Calderdale Council, we have been told this approach is unacceptable to the Council ‘for health and safety reasons’.

"We believe that the relatively small issues raised were more than easily resolvable."

Halifax were thrown out of the Challenge Cup last season for fielding an ineligible player, prop Michael Ostick, and are currently working towards the Super League licence decision date of March 31st.

Halifax director Tony Abbott commented: "Siddal is my family Club as my son plays there, and of course I’m committed to Halifax RLFC too as a Director.

"It’s regrettable that Calderdale Council has taken this decision which is out of the Club’s control. We believe that fans who live in Calderdale and support either amateur rugby or Halifax RLFC are being unfairly penalised by a decision that seems to owe more to ‘jobsworth’ than reality.

"Quite frankly I feel that this decision is a massive loss to the drive we are putting around the Club for Super League, and if this is the type of support we and Siddal are getting from our local Council, then it’s difficult to see how we can work with such people who seem to have neither the time, ambition or support for what we are trying to achieve for Rugby League in the Calderdale area."

I can understand that if Fax were kicking off at 11.30 then dining beforehand would not happen, but I can't see why it would be a problem for a 5pm kick off.

"Quite frankly I feel that this decision is a massive loss to the drive we are putting around the Club for Super League, and if this is the type of support we and Siddal are getting from our local Council, then it’s difficult to see how we can work with such people who seem to have neither the time, ambition or support for what we are trying to achieve for Rugby League in the Calderdale area."

And not sure publicly airing such strong views against the Council is in the Club's best interests?

I don't understand the council. The most unfathomable group of elected misfits I've ever come across. They're not interested in what is good for the people who live in their town. Like I said before, Castleford's jungle should have been condemned a decade ago - the whole set up is a health and safety avoidance scheme, with the complete support of their council who are perhaps lenient and less "jobsworthy" than our bunch of puddings.

Wouldn't surprise me if they changed their minds yet again. Clueless clowns.

If Calderdale Council organised the Millenium Magic it would have to be spread over a week not a weekend

And laying down and accepting crass stupidity and bewildering decision making is?

STUPID!

'HEALTH AND SAFTEY' MY @RSE!

HOW CAN 3 SETS OF SUPPORTERS WATCHING 2 GAMES OF RUGBY SPREAD OVER 5 HOURS BE A H&S HAZZARD?!

THERE WOULD ONLY BE 2500 IF WE WERE LUCKY!

ITS A MASSIVELY SCALED DOWN VERSION OF GRAND FINAL DAY AT WARRINGTON!

I KNOW OF AT LEAST 3 PEOPLE FROM MY WORK WHO WERE ALL GOING DOWN FOR THE DOUBLE HEADER THAT NEVER ATTEND THE SHAY, THAT WILL NOT BOTHER NOW!

A JOKE.....WHOEVER MADE THIS DECISION NEEDS TO HAVE A QUIET WORD WITH THEMSELVES AND THEN APPLY FOR A JOB AT REDHALL....THEY'D FIT IN THERE!

I CAN ONLY SEE THE REASON THAT THE COMMENTS POSTED ON THE FAX WEBSITE TO BE TO TRY AND GET THEM TO SEE SENCE AND CHANGE THEIR MINDS AGAIN......DOUBT IT THOUGH.

HOW MANY HUNDRED WIDNES FANS WILL NT COME ACROSS NOW? ANSWER PROBLABLY HALF THEIR USUAL FOLLOWING AT LEAST!

HOW MANY FAX WILL BE PUT OFF BECAUSE OF A LATER KO TIME?

QUITE AFEW I SHOULD THINK

HOW MANY NEUTRALS WILL NOW NT ATTEND THAT WOULD HAVE DONE FOR A FAMILY DAY OUT DOUBLE HEADER? LOADS!

HOW MUCH MONEY WILL THE GROUND MISS OUT ON DUE TO LOSS OF BEER/FOOD SALES! LOADS.

IT DOESNT MAKE SENCE.....IDIOTS I TELL YA ! IDIOTS!

Stobart.....................yeah right

Have you seen their latest accounts?

Only in Halifax. How come you can have 4 games the same day in Cardiff yet in Halifax the Council force having 2 games to be a pain. Calderdale Council and the Councillors have ruined the towns shopping area and Museums and is now looking to make life hard for the various sporting clubs in the area. No wonder Halifax/Calderdale has a poor reputation when such idiots are in control

Spot on.

Council ' facilities ' = jobs for idiots , we suggested the same for Leigh v Hull Dockers and Leigh Miners v Barra

Unfortunatley , or fortunately it never got to the ' can the stadium cope stage

We like your good selves are boll axed ime afraid

What about the Championship Finals day, they have 3 games and it works out fine.
Fax are putting some strong words out and may I just say that I am fully behind them, all areas need to work together on this.
Well done to Fax and Siddal and the opposition for trying to get what looked to be an exciting days rugby on.

Hey this one is down to some jumped up Council Officer and his seniors who do not have the bottle to stamp on them and tell them to use their 'common sense'.
Calderdale Council is full of these types yet the senior managers are too 'risk averse' to stand up to them.

It is as you say typical Calderdale Council, thing is the more you have a pop at them the more they dig in and make your life hell. remember Thrum Hall and all that crowd restriction rubbish and how they made life so hard? You know what that was all down to one man (who I believe has left now but sounds like he has left his mark on his understudy)

What I cannot undersatnd is why the two stupid kick off times???

We should ask for the decision makers name and then we can shame them, come on Courier you did it to the car parking lady the other day, why not get this guys name lets 'have him'?

Not all Councillors. There are some trying to get the times changed to make it more supporter friendly.

It's Gary Byrnes.

Regardless Siddal should be paying full commercial cost for using the stadium. One of the Siddal chaps argument in the Courier was something along the lines of "How can the Council turn us down when we are in a recession, bla, bla, bla". In other words "they should let us play there and we will happily pay".

I think the press release by Fax is simply embarassing.



If this is the type of support? We are only a year into an East Stand which Calderdale Council decide to allocate funds for to complete when I would guess the majority of the Borough would have probably opposed it. Yet the club are now happy to publicly question the Council's committment?

What is it about Fax and shameful behaviour?

Health and Safety is of paramount importance and must come first

stop being so single minded everyone