Christmas message from the Board

24 December 2023

Christmas message from Swinton Lions

On behalf of the Board of Directors, coaching, backroom and playing staff, I would like to wish all our sponsors, business partners and fantastic supporters a happy, healthy and peaceful Christmas and a prosperous New Year.

This time of the year means different things to different people and for me Christmas is a time for family, a time to reflect on the previous 12 months. To bring that closer to home our values at family Lions is never more evident at this time of year. The main highlights for me were the jubilation of the Whitehaven and Halifax games which cemented our Championship status in a healthy 10th position, the Lionesses being competitive in a tough Championship, and the Lions’ Development Pathway Under 18s playing their first game.

Looking ahead to 2024, I am sure everyone is excited at the thought of the new season under new Head Coach Alan Kilshaw with an experienced backroom staff and a strong playing squad. I know first hand that pre-season is going well, with a positive ethos within the squad.

The Lionesses are recruiting well and Head Coach Steve Thirkell is supported by a solid backroom staff.

Our off-field development programmes and Foundation continue to grow and watch out for further news.

You will have seen IMG indicative gradings take shape as the sport in general needs to change and grow. As a Board of Directors, we are working towards raising our standards in conjunction with each pillar of the IMG grading criteria, ensuring long term sustainability of the club and it is vital we travel on this journey together.

Christmas can also be a painful and sad time for many families, particularly for people who have suffered bereavement over the past year. Our thoughts are with family Lions members who have suffered such sad losses.

Well-being is a core fabric of the Lions’ values and I would encourage people to rally round their family, friends and neighbours and provide them with the help and support that they may need so they are not on their own during the festive period.

Christmas is a time for us all to recharge our batteries ready ourselves for the challenges that lie ahead in 2024 and I look forward to us family Lions being on an exciting journey together in 2024, and hope to see as many as possible at the season launch on 26th January at Heywood Road.

Stuart Fletcher
Chairman
On behalf of the Board

News

RAM-PANT LIONS HIT HALF-CENTURY!

6 days ago

SWINTON LIONS 50 DEWSBURY RAMS 22 IAN RIGG at Heywood Road, Sunday 21 April 2024 A nine try performance from the Lions gave them their second win in what was a must win game. They got off to a great start when Dec Patton slid a nice kick towards the right corner and Mitch Cox won the race to score but Patton was unable to convert from the touchline. Rams hit back virtually straight away when good pressure on the line saw Curtis Davies dive in by the posts and Callum Turner converted. They should really have scored again but some great defence by Tee Ritson and Dan Abram grounded the player just short. They did score their second on seventeen minutes when a nice pass by Matt Garside found Owen Restall and he scored by the posts with Turner converting again. Jayden Hatton scored the Lions second on twenty-six minutes when Patton sent up a hanging kick and the centre took it as it came down to score but again no conversion from Patton. The Lions halfback was now starting to control the ball even more and the Lions then scored two tries in three minutes with Josh Eaves who was making his one hundredth career appearance scoring the first from short range and then a Saints combination on the right when Jonny Vaughan sent out a nice pass for to Ritson who powered over in the corner and Patton converted both of them to give the Lions an eight point gap and they could have scored again on the half time hooter when Hatton put Eaves through a gap but it was forward. A disastrous start for the Lions in the second half when a nice kick from Turner bounced badly for Rhys Williams and ran away from him and this saw Brad Graham touch down by the posts and Turner converted to put his team right back in it. Daniel Spencer-Tonks then extended the Lions lead with a well taken try by the posts from an Eaves pass and Patton converted. Rams were not lying down and Turner and Restall combined to send Travis Corion in at the corner and Turner could not convert this one. The home side were coming stronger as the game went on and scored their next try just after the hour when Rams knocked on in their own twenty and from the scrum Williams went in at the corner and the conversion was good. Abram scored the next on sixty-six minutes after some great build up play down the right and again Patton converted. Rams then had more pressure on the line, and it took an interception by Cox to clear the line. Ronan Dixon was sent to the sinbin with three minutes left for a high shot on Hatton. The Lions made them pay heavily for the sinbin running in two more tries with firstly Spencer-Tonks again crashing in again by the posts from short range with Patton converting and with seconds left a great cross kick by Patton found Ritson and he collected the ball to race in at the corner with Patton adding the conversion after the hooter to secure a good victory for his side. LIONS 1 Dan Abram 32 Tee Ritson 29 Jonny Vaughan 4 Jayden Hatton 5 Rhys Williams 6 Dec Patton 7 Jordy Gibson 20 Jack Houghton 14 Josh Eaves 13 Mikey Wood 11 Gav Rodden 12 Mitch Cox 16 Lewis Hall Subs (all used) 35 Ben Hartill 24 Jordan Case 8 Liam Cooper 15 Daniel Spencer-Tonks Tries: Cox (3), Hatton (26), Eaves (31), Ritson (33,80), Spencer-Tonks (45,78), Williams (61), Abram (66) Goals: Patton 7/9 RAMS 1 Owen Restall 19 Travis Corion 22 Marcus Walker 3 Ollie Greensmith 5 Lewis Carr 7 Callum Turner 9 Jacob Hookem 8 Jimmy Beckett 20 Cutris Davies 10 Ronan Dixon 12 Matt Garside 11 Brad Graham 13 Louis Collinson Subs (all used) 29 Jack Bibby 27 Joe Hird 6 Paul Sykes 23 Bailey Dawson Tries: Davies (6), Restall (17), Graham (42), Corion (54) Goals: Turner 3/4 Sin-bin: Ronan Dixon (77) High tackle Swinton man-of-the-match: Daniel Spencer-Tonks Penalty count: 4-8 Half-time: 20-12 Referee: Nick Bennett Attendance: 894

Christmas message from the Board

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