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There were initial concerns that numbers for this prestigious event were down on previous years, however this did not diminish the entertainment and fun for the night.
John Boyd was once again the MC who began the proceedings in his own inimitable style of setting the scene for all, and the night began with each diner looking under their seat to reveal the mystery prize (which turned out to be a ‘pulse’ goody bag).
New Chairman, Colin Bottomley, welcomed everyone to the dinner and explained the new structure of the committee. This followed the resignation, due to work commitments, of the previous Chair, Michael Underhill. Colin was the new elected chair and he introduced Richard Selby as Vice Chair. Following on, Colin emphasised that any profits and monies which BISSA made were made available to the coaching staff for the procurement and payments to players at Batley Bulldogs.
BISSA was proud to announce that they had a sponsor for the evening, namely Stuart and Sylvia Hull, which was a boost to profits for which the committee was very grateful.
After a tasty roast beef dinner (three courses plus coffee), Coach Gary Thornton reinforced his support and thanks to the whole of the BISSA membership for their part in providing him with additional funding for players at the Mount.
A 50/50 draw ensued when one lucky person won an instant £220.
John Boyd then called upon John Kear, Wakefield Trinity Wildcats Coach, to answer questions from the floor. The questions asked were wide and varied and included subjects such as his views on overseas players, NL1 & NL2, promotion & relegation, Sky sports involvement and Stevo! John gave his honest opinions on refereeing (men in pink), along with anecdotes from his playing and coaching days. He included his ‘best’ and successful players & coaches, and his views were refreshing and plausible. There was very positive feedback from the floor, with people finding John interesting and entertaining.
The famous BISSA auction was well received with some excellent items under the hammer. John Boyd, as auctioneer, along with the lovely assistant John Kear, encouraged the punters to ‘spend their brass’ and throw caution to the wind. One of the most lucrative items was the pair of signed and glass case mounted Vainikolo’s boots (circa 2006). This proved a popular bid, as did a signed rugby shirt which was half Batley, half Hull. Other items included a signed Batley shirt and ball, tickets for a comedy club in Leeds, signed Hull FC & Hull KR shirts, a framed and signed Michael Vaughan photo, framed Dessert Orchid & Bob Champion print, bottle hamper, signed Aussie rugby shirt, directors day, ladies pamper day, tickets for Huddersfield Giants & Barnsley FC and the ball from the 2002 cup final at Murrayfield. An added attraction to the night was that each table had their own Bulldogs player sitting down to dine with them. Opinions and views were exchanged, alongside a lot of thought provoking discussion (and much humour!). This proved to be a very popular feature of the evening.
Also on sale was a limited edition victual, the (infamous) Bulldogonnay!! A popular alcoholic beverage to be savoured in the privacy of your own home. Needless to say these were snapped up by eager connoisseurs with discerning palettes.
All in all the event proved to be as successful as ever, and although not as well supported in numbers, it proved to be a superbly entertaining sports dinner. The BISSA committee wishes to thank all involved for their donations and attendance. The organisation continues to go from strength to strength, the sole aim being the financial support for the squad building at Mount Pleasant.
Janet Virr
