The short answer is – we have no history with Kirkby Lonsdale. We have never played against them before.
Their website only gives a few lines which open this article and the Wikipedia website only give their Honours list.
The earliest report of ‘football’ in Kirkby Lonsdale was in 1734 when mention was made of damage to the church windows by persons playing football.
However, following the formation of our club in 1877 no further damage to the church windows has been blamed on football.
It appears the first match of the club was against the masters and boys from Heversham Grammar School in the autumn of 1877, which was lost at Underley Park, But the club won the return match at Heversham the following March.’
The club are still playing their rugby at the same venue.
Kirkby Lonsdale RUFC won the Westmorland and Furness Cup in 1986, 1997 and 2004, and won the Cumbria Shield in 2001.
They were champions of North Lancashire Division One in 2001, and promoted to North West One as runners-up from the North Lancashire and Cumbria Division One in 2009-10, were relegated the following season, and promoted again as runners-up in 2011-12.
They were champions of North West One in season 2016-17 and promoted to the Northern Premier Division following an unbeaten season.
This season they have found it hard going at the higher level but have won four of their twelve matches and are eleventh in the table with 25 points, which is 14 points clear of the relegation places, and no doubt if they maintain that form the season will be considered a success.
They have scored 286 points and have conceded 282.
The season began very well for Kirkby Lonsdale with wins over Birkenhead and Kendal, followed by away defeats at Ilkley and Rossendale, before they got back on song with a 50-3 home win over Pocklington.
The fixture list was unkind to them as the next three games were all against clubs in the top four.
They lost 27-26 at Preston, 21-27 at home to Harrogate and 21-14 at Lymm, proving they are no pushovers for the leading clubs.
They bounced back with a good 50-17 home win over Morley but the last three games have all resulted in defeats, 64-3 at Billingham, 14-12 at home to Sandal and by 32-22 at Wirral.
This means they have lost six of their last seven games, three of their four wins have been at home and just one on the road.
Our side will do well to notice the form that KL showed against the three other side in the top four, despite their low position they can be a very tough proposition.
Compiled by Norman Angell
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