Kicking Around

Now then

Much to report after a busy couple of weeks for the membership.

We start in the Championship where Steven Pickersgill was severely reprimanded after a Grade 2 "kicking the football" offence in the recent fixture against Toulouse. Look lad, you can't go round doing stuff like that if you want your chance with the bigger lads next year in Super Duper League and with TV cameras present as well

If it weren't bad enough for Craig Huby and his broken kneecap, he wasn't over impressed being hauled up to PFU Towers to explain the arrival of a white booted Martin Aspinwall sticking his melon in the front row of the scrum during the recent game against Leeds. Huby, god bless him, twanged the heart strings of a few of the committee members by tipping up with his less than three week old son with him to the meeting, claiming the wife was busy entertaining his daughter and he was a "modern parent". A clever ploy by Mr Huby but the Chairman still has his heart of stone and a reprimand was issued to the club as a whole.


Big Eorl at Huddersfield caused consternation t'other day by posting his new boots on his twitter account for one and all to see.

These boots are not acceptable lad. Bring tha cheque book, oh and a pen as well.

We also apologise for printing this picture and we acknowledge the author of this picture and his intellectual (er) rights

And, to boot we also think you should volunteer to be the new Back to Black ambassador as a punishment

Richard Moore heaps more disgrace on himself and the good folk of North Wales after his disgraceful antics at Headingley t'other Saturday Not satisfied after getting a ban after being clouted by some full back t'other Monday his left footed bomb and subsequent chase were clearly seen by one and all on NATIONAL FREE TO AIR Television. What the hell are you thinking lad?

Down in sunny Wakefield, with the antics of Kyle Amor running across the line, showing and going and running through gaps to score has gone down like the proverbial lead balloon. Granted it was against lower clash opposition but Mr Amor has been sent a warning letter reminding him of his duties towards the Union and we expect his conduct to improve in the near future.

The committee were saddened by the decision to charge Nathan Brown over comments made after the Leeds v Huddersfield game with regards to letting his big blokes look after the little ones. The prospect of seeing members going mano a mano on the meadow have now been dashed for some time to come.

We were saddened to hear the news from Australia about former member Sam Burgess being knocked out for the rest of the year with a bad injury and the committee would like to wish the lad a speedy recovery and we hope to see him back on the paddock soon rather than filling up the twitter feed of the Chairman. Maybe he can remind his younger brother, Thomas, about this try scoring lark and maybe look to the effort of Frank Watene as inspiration.

Now we like Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook, despite him being a Southerner and all that. He needs to clean up his act big time, the language he uses on his twitter account made the Hon Secretary's eyes water so much there's a kleenex shortage at the Towers. He needs to learn the act of banter as well, because at the moment he's an expert in shanter. (thanks @GavWilson ) He also needs to learn not to mess with Nicholas Scruton, who put him quickly back in his place with an eloquent put down.

The PFU advice line somehow opened via our twitter account this week, we had an enquiry from @Craig311981

"I need help, my son isn't a prop, he is 7, I've just bought him blue and white boots, with pink stripes, where do I pay the fine"

Apparently this @craig311981 is a prop forward encouraging his lad not to follow union guidelines. He was taking liberties until he explained that his offspring was happy hiding in the back. Toughen the lad up and make sure he follows in your boots.

We're more than happy to help anyone who gets in touch on the twitter, just don't be offended by the reply.

Thanks again to this weeks dobbers and dabbers, @Kevbateman, @MatthewAHorton @petevickers @atomictrain @jourdmart @RobNixon586 @neilbarraclough @andywiz @garrylad

Oh, and we'd like to plug the fund raising barbecue at Odsal on't 3rd July for the Floods and Earthquake victims. ISC have sponsored it and there is a Barby, beer and some Touch Rugby competition. To get a team in that, contact friend of the Union Ricky Wilby on 07598 564996 or follow him on twitter at @RickyWilby or @scratchingshed2 for more information about the do,

Busy week for the PFU disciplinary

Nah then.

Ridiculously busy weekend for the Union with breaches left, right, centre and loose forward I don't know where to begin.

First up the Hon. Chairman would like to place on record his thanks to Twitterer @garrylad for his reporting of an unsavoury incident involving Mr Mark O'Meley. Apparently the big lad was caught doing the heinous crime of "kicking the football" during the Hull (West) v Wigan game on Friday night. The fact this kick led to a try for a cheeky half back is nigh on unforgivable. That's a grade two charge for the Ogre and has been referred to the fines committee.

Speaking of tries, Shane Tronc of the Wakefield Chapter bought disgrace to this fine Union by scoring TWO tries during their game at the Hull (East) chapter on Friday night. To compound this Mr Tronc was also spotted sporting a pair of WHITE boots. Good god lad, I hope they are paying you well down at Belle Vue as you'll be making a significant contribution to Union funds for those transgressions. Although we will let you off for the actual tries Tronc lad, they did fall well within Union guidelines, i.e. classic crash-over technique.

While we are on the subject of boots, it's been a pretty poor do this weekend from Union members. We've decided to name and shame them we don't mention elsewhere.....

Bradford Chapter member Mr Craig Kopzcak (v Warrington)
Fartown Chapter member Mr Darrell Griffin (v Leeds)
Perpignan Chapter members Messrs Dane Carlaw and Remi Casty (v Castleford)
Wakefield Chapter member Mr Richard Moore v (Hull (East))
Leeds Chapter member Mr Luke Burgess (v Fartown)

Mr David Ferriol of the Perpignan chapter apparently sported a pair of white boots augmented with a PINK stripe. This will result in a disciplinary hearing which may see Mr Ferriol's Union membership revoked. He should take note of the example set by Perpignan shop steward Mr Jerome Guisset who sported a pair of solid black boots. It's good to see the veterans of the art leading the way on this and backing the new official campaign to eradicate this blight. The Hon. Treasurer's young lad knocked this up in a Photo shop or something:



This is the official logo of the Back To Black campaign.

The committee would like to place on record their praise for Warrington shop steward Mr Adrian Morley for playing the full 80 against Bradford without a break. The committee also noted that Mr James Peacock also completed the full game, but this was tempered by the fact he was named in the second row. We hope Mr Peacock raised his concerns with the relevant department as this could jeapordise his membership of our fine Union. A temporary pass out can be obtained, but no request was received from Mr Peacock. His fine, fine record leads us to give him the benefit of the doubt - maybe it is lost in the post - but we seek a face-to-face meeting.

Andy Raleigh of the Fartown Chapter let himself down on Sunday with his white boots, but this was offset by him sparking up a bit of knuckle by flinging a few at some fancy dan second rower. This doesn't excuse entirely the footwear, but the biffo will be taken into account when deciding the level of the fine. The committee would also notes that white booted Mr Ryan Bailey of the Leeds chapter has learnt his lesson from the World Club Challenge. He was the first member on scene and decided this time to throw a few indiscriminate punches as well during the same schemozzle.

The Union has also contacted the Dewsbury shop steward to enquire why the number 8 and 10 shirts have not been occupied by members this year. What is the bloody world coming to? They have some cheeky half back wearing 8 and a bloody centre - a bloody centre - wearing 10. This is a bloody disgrace, these numbers should be sacrosanct on a rugby pitch and only sported by Union members. We realise this is an area overlooked by the Union in the past in these squad number days, but now we're aware there's an issue, we'll be looking.

Don't forget, if tha sights owt then cite em. Comments on here or contact the Hon. Chairman on twitter.

Thanking you kindly, as you were.

Footwear in the spotlight

Nah then.

It was a busy weekend at PFU Towers as the coffers started bulging again. Anyway, let's crack on with business.

First up we've had a report from out colleagues across the pond about Toulouse Olympique playing an unregistered member in their last two games against Dewsbury and Keighley. The Hon. Treasurer went along too see for himself and he duly reported this fact to be true. We will be liasing with our French colleagues for assistance in this matter, but the Treasurer discovered that the player in question is very keen to make his move to the front row permanent. He'll have to sort them white boots out though and that's a problem our cross-channel cousins seem to have. Down at St Estève, Andrew Bentley was seen packing down, unlicensed, at prop in white boots. And headgear. What is the world coming to?

Not that France is alone in white boot scandals. Reports from Headingley indicate not one, but TWO breaches of the footwear code during the game against Harlequins. Ryan Bailey and Luke Burgess were both spotted in white boots. They should be packed off to Elland Road as soon as possible to link up with the nancyballers. Mr Burgess apparently claimed after the game to be a stand-off in a prop's body as a possible excuse for such behaviour but the Union will not accept or tolerate that. A letter has been issued to the Leeds shop steward to ensure both members are brought back into line.

The committee also wished to commend Mr Glen Hall of the Bradford chapter for sporting suitable facial hair during their game against Wigan Warriors. It is a pleasure to see a member taking the time to sport such a moustache, even if he does look like an extra from Blazing Saddles.

The committee also report that the occasional licence of Mr Sam Burgess has been transferred to our Australian colleagues ahead of their season commencing.