So, after a morning pick me up here is the story of the day. 

But before I start it is probably only right that I correct a misconception that I overheard from a couple of Sale supporters yesterday as I wandered around the ground. 

"Caldy has done very well to get this far on a playing budget of only £240,000" one said to another

I asked these fine fellows where they had gleaned such information, the usual answer was forthcoming "a friend of mine knows someone high up in Caldy's senior management". 

Of course, such an answer illustrated just how much tosh it was........senior management and Caldy are not words that belong in the same sentence.

Caldy's Chairman and his wife were with me and my wife and a few others clearing up Paton Field at the crack of dawn this morning. At Caldy everyone is in it together, there are no senior managers just senior citizens who do the stuff that needs to be done.

For the record Caldy's playing budget including all players and all coaches is less than £100k per annum. Fact!

Money helps but it isn't what determines success or enjoyment. That is down to belief, togetherness, a love of what you do and an ambition to be as good as you can be as a team.

So, to the day's events

The prelude

A gorgeous dry but blustery day promised to bring out the crowds and it did, 3,023 to be precise. How many were true rugby fans was perhaps debateable but from 10 a.m. they just kept coming.

They were treated to a warmup match between Caldy's 2nd xv who were playing Burnage in a league match in the Cotton Traders Premier League. The Caldy 2^nd xv duly notched up their 41^st consecutive win. It was a good omen.

Then Jimbo Lad’s convoy arrived, 3 coach loads of Sale FC supporters, a phalanx of Range Rovers with Sale FC flags fluttering from their rooftops, and the most awesome jet-black coach I have ever seen. Tinted windows, satellite dish, and luxurious body work, it portrayed the power and wealth of an oligarch on a mission to impress.

My stint on gate duty was timed to perfection. I put out my hand to signal the black dreadnaught should stop and as the tinted window slid back, I fully expected to come face to face with Darth Vader.

‘Darth Driver’ proudly explained his coach was carrying the directors of Sale Sharks and the Senior Rugby Management of Sale Sharks. I acknowledged this interesting fact and asked if those on board had paid their admission. Darth Driver asked what the tariff was and seemed happy enough with the £10 which he quickly proffered. He was less pleased when I explained that was for each person. Darth Driver then kindly again provided me with the same information as to who was aboard his flagship.

To avoid any awkwardness Big Giles (who is a lot, lot bigger than me) stepped in to help and all the admission was collected without much further fuss.

The pre-match meal and speeches

I wasn’t at the meal but one of Caldy’s Executive Travel Club members broadcast on What’s App that the President of Sale FC spoke very graciously and was a credit to his club. Pleasing this particular Caldy Executive Travel Club member is less than easy. Hats off to Sale FC Jimbo Lad!

The game

Intense, nervy, thunderous, attritional………any and all of these adjectives applied. Sale dominated the opening 20 minutes with pace and width, but Caldy had dominance in the set piece and close exchanges and scored a try from a driven maul to edge in front at the break 7-6.

Sale could have been two scores ahead at the break if it hadn’t been for Caldy’s superb defence, with flanker Callum Ridgway and second row Sam Dickinson putting in the most spectacular last-ditch tackles to prevent what seemed like certain scores.

Caldy dominated the second half, and it was Sale’s turn to defend for long periods. When Sale kicked another pen to take the lead 7-9 it seemed it may just be enough. Caldy’s dominant scrum seemed not to the referee’s liking and promising positions were lost to Sale penalties.

Camping in the Sale half for nearly all of the last 30 minutes Caldy couldn’t buy a score. Nick Royle was beaten by the bounce of the ball after his trademark kick and chase looked to have given him a certain score. Promising catch and drive opportunities and Caldy scrum chances were lost due to penalty turnovers and Ben Jones had a shot at goal to restore the lead but missed his first effort.

When another chance came his way 45 metres out and with only 3 minutes to go, Ben Jones made no mistake and closed the game out with another penalty in the last play of the game.

Both sets of players put in Herculean effort but on the day the Caldy players just had too much dog for the ‘Dogs’.

Caldy won the game, the National 1 title and promotion to the Championship

Sale may have little left in the tank but need to go dogging again next week against Chinnor to sew up a very creditable second place.

The aftermath

Sale DOR Johnathan Keep is a class act and in his interview for the Rugby Paper he was magnanimous and gracious in defeat and gave praise to his team for their effort and to Caldy for their great achievement. Keepy and Tote are top blokes

The Caldy Players lived up to their name and Raved on until the early hours of Sunday morning. They were joined by the many hundreds who stayed behind to party including one senior citizen who gave everyone a scare. Collapsing on the patio outside the clubhouse isn’t a good look. 4 doctors took it in turns to resuscitate the unconscious chap who earlier had been pronounced by a few unqualified revellers as ‘definitely dead’.

The ambulance arrived and the barely conscious chap was eventually taken with sirens and flashing lights to A&E. Earlier this morning I had a chat with Lazarus when he came up to the club to collect his jacket. He didn’t remember much about the event, but he did say that he didn’t think he had been dead at any point in the evening and suggested that he was a good ‘power napper’ and he had probably just been a little over tired.

What the future holds for Caldy

I have no idea what the future holds for Caldy. However, I do know I will miss going to all the clubs I have visited this year in National 1. It has been tremendous fun. There will be a whole bunch of new clubs to visit next year.

I wonder what the Championship will make of Pot Noodle and Caldy’s Wooden Shack?

Win Or Lose We Are On The Booze !