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 History 1989 - 1992 |
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1989-90 Season
President: Andy Westcott
Results :-
Newcastle Scholars 6-19 UCH Sharks
UCH Sharks 1-0 Newcastle Scholars
UCH Sharks 22-6 Sheffield Pirates
Sheffield Pirates 6-14 UCH Sharks
UCH Sharks 12-12 Teeside Demons
Teeside Demons 20-20 UCH Sharks
Final Standings :-
Teeside Demons (4-0-2)
UCH Sharks (4-0-2)
Sheffield Pirates (2-4-0)
Newcastle Scholars (0-6-0)
Notes :-
Despite a still-impressive roster and equally impressive performances, the Sharks' stranglehold on the League finally came to a somewhat unsavoury end, as the combination of a conveniently forfeited (and utterly winnable) game and an untidy points differential ruling kept a more than able Sharks team out of the playoffs for the first time in the League's history. Truly the ending of an era, only a handful of players were to remain after the class of '88/9 graduated.
The Whales repeat in the annual Old v Young game.
1990-1 Season
President: James Kingsland
Results :-
Leeds Celtics 36-20 UCH Sharks
UCH Sharks 0-0 Leeds Celtics
UCH Sharks 8-18 Leeds Celtics
Newcastle Mariners 0-1 UCH Sharks
UCH Sharks 6-6 Sheffield Zulus
Sheffield Zulus 0-1 UCH Sharks
UCH Sharks 28-0 Sheffield Zulus
UCH Sharks 0-0 Teeside Demons
Final Standings :-
Teeside Demons (7-0-1)
Strathclyde Hawks (6-0-2)
Leeds Celtics (5-2-1)
UCH Sharks (3-2-3)
Glasgow Tigers (3-3-2)
Paisley Panthers (3-4-1)
Sheffield Zulus (2-5-1)
Stirling Clansmen (1-6-1)
Newcastle Mariners (0-8-0)
Notes :-
Faced with a potentially disasterous year - only half a dozen returning players - James made the historic decision of focussing his considerable expertise on forging a social club who happened to play football from the ashes of the great Sharks teams of the past. To his immense credit, he not only succeeded in keeping the club afloat, but even managed to continue the Sharks tradition of the float coming 2nd in the Rag Parade and - shock of all shocks - producing a >50% team in the League!
Notable playing memories of the year - in the absence of any championship hopes - included Woody's now infamous onside kick and his ubiquitous QB sweep.
The Whales once more dominate a Sharks side whose largely rookie roster had been horrified by tales of Scotty's 'groin tactics'.
1991-2 Season
President: Richard Trow
Results :-
Lancaster Bombers 0-1 UCH Sharks
Leeds Celtics 8-8 UCH Sharks
UCH Sharks 0-24 Leeds Celtics
UCH Sharks 21-16 Stirling Clansmen
UCH Sharks 0-6 Teeside Demons
Glasgow Tigers 0-6 UCH Sharks
Sheffield Zulus 14-2 UCH Sharks
UCH Sharks 0-10 Sheffield Zulus
Final Standings :-
Teeside Demons (6-2-0)
Strathclyde Hawks (6-2-0)
Leeds Celtics (5-1-2)
Sheffield Zulus (5-3-0)
Glasgow Tigers (5-3-0)
UCH Sharks (3-4-1)
Paisley Panthers (2-6-0)
Stirling Clansmen (1-6-1)
Lancaster Bombers (1-7-0)
Notes :-
Woody's reign oversaw a repeat of the previous year's impressive off-field performance but another mediocre playing performance. It also marked the first occasion that the Pres managed to miss the annual team photo by being 'otherwise engaged'. Ahem.
Social highlights included the Sharks taking up their annual reservation on the 2nd place spot on the Rag Float podium. This was getting past funny.
Obviously, the Whales tupped the Sharks, with particularly vicious performances from Oz and 'his mate'. One memorable moment saw QB Dirk and Colin tackled TOGETHER by Oz at the point of handoff. Ouch.
1992-3 Season
President: Colin Hancock
Results :-
UCH Sharks 0-6 Lancaster Bombers
Leeds Celtics 14-0 UCH Sharks
UCH Sharks 0-18 Leeds Celtics
UCH Sharks 1-0 Newcastle Mariners
Sheffield Zulus 14-6 UCH Sharks
UCH Sharks 6-0 Sheffield Zulus
Sunderland Wearwolves 0-26 UCH Sharks
Teeside Demons 13-6 UCH Sharks
Sunderland Wearwolves 0-14 UCH Sharks (Plate Competition)
Teeside Demons 6-22 UCH Sharks (Plate Competition)
Final Standings :-
Glasgow Tigers (8-0-0)
Leeds Celtics (7-0-1)
Sheffield Zulus (5-2-1)
Strathclyde Hawks (5-3-0)
Paisley Panthers (3-3-2)
Lancaster Bombers (3-4-1)
Teeside Demons (3-5-0)
UCH Sharks (3-5-0)
Sunderland Wearwolves (2-5-1)
Striling Clansmen (1-6-1)
Newcastle Mariners (0-7-1)
Notes :-
By now the tone of a decidedly social club was well and truly established, and it was becoming difficult to shed the moniker of 'nice bunch of lads (and lasses) but they don't win much'. This strange year, on and off the pitch, was to make the perception of the Sharks no clearer.
Another mediocre league programme, punctuated by a series of close games - grind-it-out O and incredible D meant few games were settled by more than the odd point - was in stark contrast to two major on-field achievements. Firstly, in the absence of any playoff action, a particularly proactive committee assembled the first BCAFL Plate tournament, and then contrived not only to dominate it but - shock of shocks - win the chuffing thing, beating arch rivals Teesside 22-6.
As pleasing as it was to finally have some more silverware in the cupboard, the most important result of the year had already been achieved in late January, as the Whales' unblemished record finally came to an end with an unprecedented Sharks' victory.
Off the pitch, as well as the now obligatory second placing in the Rag Parade, a couple of long-standing aims were achieved with the publication of the first annual Sharks Yearbook and the production of the first Sharks jackets.
Personal achievement came in the way of Northern Allstar selections for Steve Chad, Neil Fairless, Colin Hancock, Andy Hill, Jason Jackson, Pete Parsons, Steve Pethen, Dirk Pittard and Martin Rye, and GB Lions selections for Steve Chad, Pete Parsons & Dirk Pittard.
OBW was by now a well-established fixture in Oldpersons' diaries, and had reached such a degree of formality that the annual debauch had such novelties as - wait for it - banners. One highlight of the Saturday night was the now-infamous 'Flanning of Marcus' incident, after which Messrs Scott & Keene were lucky to escape with their lives.
Another milestone reached was the inaugural awarding of the FUGLYBUPID award, given to the Shark or Whale attaining excellence in any combination of the fields of fatness, ugliness, baldness and stupidity. This great honour went to one of the Sharks'/Whales' great and good from the colonies, and Andy Martin was a suitably gracious awardee. Long live the FUGLYBUPID!
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