As if facing the unbeaten league leaders wasn't daunting enough, facing them for a whole half with an injury depleted squad of just 15 players could have made for a long, hard afternoon for Hope Valley RFC down in the Peak District when they played Northwich 2nd XV in a Raging Bull Leagues Div 3 South fixture on Saturday October 29th.
Despite the home team leading 17-5 at half time, a win seemed unlikely for Valley as they lost three players to injury, and another to a yellow card, however, cometh the hour, cometh the man in the person of club coach Phil Edge (pictured), who donned his boots and joined his club mates on the pitch in a massive second half defensive effort that saw Valley secure a 20-12 win.
Phil's appearance was all the more remarkable, given the fact that it was his first competitive game since his retirement in 1999, he recently celebrated his 70th birthday and has given cancer a good kicking.
What an inspiration for younger players – a true club man!
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