The story of Roses

YORK MIGHT not have made it two Roses wins in succession, but the away team ensured it was not a complete redwash, producing a closely fought contest, perfect to break in the fantastic new sports facilities Lancaster has to offer.
The pitches, which greet you immediately upon entering the campus at the bottom of the hill, have been added to by the multi-million pound complex in the past two years.
However, it was the action away from the main Lancaster campus which started off 2012’s competition. Indeed, York fell behind in the equestrian on the Wednesday before winning the first of two cricket matches of the weekend.
Morecambe, the nearby seaside town which hosted the cricket, was to be the venue for the turning point of the competition. The men’s 1sts set Lancaster a very do-able task of 111 to win.
At one point though, the home side were 8-5 before their middle order defied all the odds and snatched victory from the jaws of defeat.
It seemed to somehow spur on the Lancaster athletes back on campus, who had a terrific Friday afternoon, especially in the squash, the pool and the women’s rugby sevens.
Meanwhile, the organisers of the specially designed Roses torch, which had been run around York’s campus on Thursday, did not quite realise how long it would take to cycle across the Pennines the following day.
Hence it turned up at Barker House Farm, once an 18th century farmhouse, which has now been incorporated into the scenery as Cartmel College bar, at about 9PM on the first day.
Friday’s fantastic darts match was held here and turned out to be one of the highlights of the tournament. The atmosphere was incredibly hostile, at times too antagonistic as the Lancaster fans hurled quite personal abuse at certain players.
This made it was all the more sweet when Kris Hilliam successfully shot the double eight that sealed victory for the men, the heavily outnumbered York support going absolutely wild.
A pint of beer was thrown over the expensive equipment when York won, and the organisers wisely decided to call off the remaining match, which was academic anyway, to avoid the possibility of anything more serious.
The campus, in terms of amenities, is absolutely superb. To accommodate for the fact it is completely isolated from the city of Lancaster and any nearby shops, Alexandra Square at the heart of campus contained banks, takeaways, an electrical shop, a restaurant, a chip shop, a SPAR, a Greggs, a book shop and other facilities.
However, the accommodation Lancaster provided for York’s athletes was far from ideal. Lecture theatres with a rock hard floor (save for the thinnest layer of carpet) and no shower facilities was the order of the weekend, even if this particular lecture complex had a peculiar Chinese restaurant inside.
York went into the second day of competition 15 points behind their red rose rivals. The sun was shining and it was a very warm day, perfect for the large amount of outdoor sports, most notably the rugby and the hockey.
Meanwhile, in the car park of the sports centre, Lancaster assembled a pancake stall and an ice cream van, to go with a burger bar and a voucher for a free burger, free water and free massage for the athletes.
The crowds were out in force to enjoy the weather, the opening ceremony which was rather late in the day, and the rugby matches, always the showpiece of Roses.
While not in a stadium like last year’s spectacle, the men’s 1sts still triumphed 22-6, while the 2nds and 3rds also won. Despite the women losing, the rugby club provided arguably the most complete performance of the competition.
In a historic moment on Saturday, men’s hockey 3rds, trampolining and American football, all who had never won at Roses before, all emerged triumphant, providing a rare high point on a day when Lancaster never strode clear, but nevertheless maintained a healthy margin between themselves and York.
The events finished with Lancaster 26 points ahead, and Saturday night was the night when most sports people descended on Lancaster for the customary night out.
Most sports teams were drinking from the afternoon onwards, and so Sugar House, the Lancaster Student’s Union (LUSU) run club, was heaving that evening. A bit like Ziggy’s, substituting an old mansion for a warehouse, students from both universities were there, or in the town centre of the old city.
Disaster struck on the night out as York women’s lacrosse team’s goalkeeper and future York Sport President Charlotte Winter fractured her foot in the club, putting her in a cast and on crutches, meaning York had to put an outfielder in goal come Sunday morning.
Sunday came and Lancaster hoped to put the competition out of sight, needing 14 points to reclaim the Carter James trophy.
York put up a spirited fight though, especially in the lacrosse, where the men and women both triumphed, despite the customary streaker in the men’s match (a member of the Lancaster football team).
Lancaster wrapped up the tournament at the men’s football, prompting wild celebrations. Yet the traditional croquet match was won by Tim Ellis and Jane Grenville (playing in Brian Cantor’s absence), which counted for nothing but pride.
25 points was the final margin of victory, and the closing ceremony involved dancing, trophy-giving and a popular quote from LUSU vice-president for activities Marc Handley.
In last year’s speech, the York Chancellor Greg Dyke said, on collecting the trophy “roses are red, but not this weekend.” Handley repeated this, before stating “but not this year” to cheers from the crowds of home supporters.
York Sport President Sam Asfahani commented on the weekend’s activities: “I was proud of York’s performance at Roses. Rarely does an away team get as close as we did, it was a real testament to our teams, and how much we have improved as a sporting university.
“Certain clubs such as lacrosse, men’s rugby and badminton were exceptional with whitewashes, while trampoling, men’s hockey 3rds and American football all won for the first time at Roses.”
A loss, yes, but a fight put up? Of course.