Fans Buzz at Pirates Camborne Kick Off
By Dotcom
September 27 2006
The Pirates start at Camborne with a bang. A sharp exciting team on the pitch and around the ground a sea of grinning faces & a tangible buzz as fans soak up the atmosphere of the revitalised recreation ground, thought of by many as the home of Cornish Rugby
Life Begins At Camborne
After a frenetic period of work behind the scenes, the Pirates settled emphatically at their new Camborne playing base with a thumping 39 - 0 victory over Otley on Sunday September 3rd
The Camborne recreation ground has been transformed over the summer, thanks to a number of dedicated fans & ex Pirates players, who gave their time & energy with no expectation of any other reward than watching the team play in the best possible surroundings.
The all embracing aspect of the Cornish Pirates was underlined by the involvement of a number of Camborne guys living near to the ground, one of whom turned up with a van load of tools, a tea urn & all the makings of a temporary canteen. Shawn not only brought the tools & tea, he joined the Pirates team of stewards and gave up his week’s holiday to work around the ground.
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Colin Dymond, the groundsman, in a short space of time, has transformed the playing surface to a lush green carpet, unrecognisable to that which we last saw at the county championship match at the beginning of summer.
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| Colin Dymond mows the lawn | Camera Shy 'Rudi Grenfell' hard at it |
Behind the scenes, the toilets, that were about to be condemned, have been steam cleaned & brought back bright & sparkling, the queues we experienced last season after the first two pints are a thing of memory.
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| Outside the beer tent |
The graffiti has gone, we’ve got a bright new scoreboard, even the rear of the main stand has been painted, which makes a much more inviting welcome to players & staff.
At the Otley game, the new beer tent – with Skinner’s ale - pasty wagon & hospitality areas complement the clubhouse, which houses pre-match hospitality plus post match bar & entertainment.
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| Rowes Pasty Wagon was much appreciated |
For disabled fans and their helpers, there is parking close to the clubhouse entrance & a ringside view of the game, next to the players & coach’s seats in the enclosure at the front of the stand.
On the parkside of the ground, the first of the covered terracing is in place & from what I can gather, this will be increased in size according to requirements as the season progresses.
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President Dicky Evans can't hide his smile as he meets the fans around the ground |
Anyone who has been to either of the games so far played at Camborne cannot have failed to notice the buzz about the place, on looking at the photos taken around the ground, the intensity of people’s smiles & pleasure speaks volumes for the success of the move to Camborne.
Around the town, there is a welcome that just didn’t exist in Truro last season, you know you are in a Rugby Town - you could spend all day walking to the ground - such is the atmosphere in the pubs, most of which have made extra effort to welcome fans & provide for their needs.
An announcement is expected, any day now, that one of the town centre pubs will also become a ticket outlet for Camborne based fans.
Some pub landlords have put on extra shifts so that they get to the ground in time for kick off, not surprising when you consider that Dicky Bray from the White Hart is a rugby stalwart & ex Camborne player, Joe from the Clipper is the son in law of Tommy Adams ex Camborne & Cornwall and the Plough was at one time used as Camborne’s changing rooms.
Having done a pub review, its hard to come up with a definitive recommendation, as each has its own character that will appeal to different tastes. However I would say that the Railway, Clipper, White Hart & Plough would come top for Rugby fans & all on the route to the ground, the Plough being the last, you can walk in the front & out the back without diversion.
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| Train stops by the Railway Inn | New look programme gets the nod |
If you’re coming by train, the Railway Inn just by the station opens specially to receive fans off the early train(s) & does real ale at £1.50 a pint & a Sunday lunch for £3.50.
Travel by train definitely gets the vote, not only is it a green way to travel, but if 3 or more travel together it reduces the cost by about a third, there are no parking charges, you can have a drink or two & the Sunday service is surprisingly regular especially in the Penzance direction so that you really can make a long day out of Match Days.
If you haven’t been yet, you’re in for a surprise, a great afternoon
& maybe evening, with some cracking rugby in store and a good chance that
this is the year the Pirates justify their claim to a place in the top tier of
European Rugby
| Pictures from the Otley game | |
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| Dan
Seal & Alan Paver warm up Dan was unfortunately injured | Gavin
Cattle leads out for the first League match at Camborne |
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| Lineout leading to the first try |
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| Villi Ma Asi scores the first league try for the Pirates at Camborne |
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| A
stunned Otley watch as the Pirates are cheered off the pitch 39 - 0 Victors |
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| The scoreboard says it all |
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| The clubhouse after the match |
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