Press Gang Travel News 4 - 29/03/08

Rotherham Factoids

Rotherham, along with St.Ives (Huntingdonshire), Wakefield and Bradford-upon-Avon (Somerset), has one of only four remaining Bridge Chapels in Britain.
These were common in medieval times and were used by travellers to pray for safe crossings or to give thanks for a safe arrival.

Rotherham derives its modern day name from the Saxon Rodreham, meaning homestead or village on the river Rother.

Prior to the Norman Conquest Acun the Saxon was lord of the manor. William the Conqueror however had other ideas, just for a change, dispossessed him (a quaint Norman term for “brutally murdered with an axe”) and gave the settlement to his half-brother – Robert, Count of Mortain.

During the Civil Wars in the reign of Charles I, Rotherham embraced the royalist cause. However after the siege of Sheffield in 1643 it was claimed by the parliamentarians. Council Tax went up, bin collections became fortnightly, and getting your kids into the local school became a real nightmare.

Match Preview

At this stage of last season the Pirates had just secured a trip to Twickenham after a tense victory over deadly rivals Plymouth Albion in the Trophy semi-final.

The league game prior to that match saw the Pirates lock horns with high flying Earth Titans (as they were known last season) in front of the Sky TV cameras at the Rec. The match was drawn in foul weather and the Titans remained 2nd in the table just 5 points behind eventual champions Leeds.

My how things have changed at Clifton Lane since then!

Raiding parties from Leeds and Plymouth Albion decimated their pack during the close season stealing the signatures of Adam Hopcroft, Erik Lund, Hendre Fourie and Jannie Bornman, whilst the Pirates snuck in and helped themselves to Messrs Steenson and Tuohy.

As major sponsors Earth pulled out there was little the Titans could do but wave goodbye to many of their best players and this season has unfortunately for them been much more of a struggle.

Heading in to today`s game they sit in 11th place in the table, safe from relegation, but with only nine wins to their credit and an overall points for and against difference of -228.

However their form this month has been more encouraging with a home victory over Plymouth Albion (34-22) and a win on the road at Old Deer Park last weekend as they defeated the Exiles 26-25 scoring four tries in the process.

Contrast this with the fact that prior to this their only league victory since beating Bedford at home at the end of November came at Esher at the back end of January, and you will appreciate that today may not be as easy for the Pirates as some may suspect

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