Latest news with #CommunityPlayeroftheSeason
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Bath semi-final a 'dream game' for Bristol
Pat Lam took over at Bristol Bears in 2017 after leaving Irish club Connacht [Getty Images] Bristol Bears' Premiership semi-final against Bath has been described as a "dream game" by director of rugby Pat Lam. Lam's side go into the match as underdogs having finished the season fourth, 14 points behind their local rivals in the regular season standings. Advertisement However, a league double over Bath this season backs up Lam's notion that his side "know how to beat Bath" - a defiant claim made following his side's 52-26 victory against Harlequins which confirmed Bears' play-off spot. "We're proud of that record, but it's the next one that counts," Lam told BBC Radio Bristol. "We've never played a derby game as a semi-final and for us we've never been in a final. It is the dream game really. "There's so much interest in it. We've already picked that up from both sets of supporters. There's good banter going back and forth." Advertisement Having joined the club in 2017, it is just the second time Lam has led Bristol into the Premiership post-season shake-up, having been defeated in the semi-finals by Wasps during the Covid-disrupted 2019-20 campaign. After missing out on making the top four by just two points last season, Bristol held off late challenges from Gloucester and Saracens to set up Friday's mouth-watering clash at The Rec. "Our goal was never to just get in the top four though; this is just the first stage," Lam added. "Last year, we showed shoots that we're coming back and we missed out. This year, with the smallest squad and probably the cheapest squad we've had in my whole time here, to do what the boys have done is brilliant." Advertisement Having clinched a home semi-final back in April, Bath coach Johann van Graan has used the past month to tinker with his side and gave seven players their debut in last Saturday's 36-26 defeat by Saracens. "They've been able to rotate their squad," Lam said. "They have that ability to play one week, rest the next week and then play one week." The 56-year-old said he had to make last-minute alterations to his squad's preparations on Wednesday after attending Tuesday's rugby awards, which saw Ellis Genge named as Community Player of the Season. But Lam, a Premiership winner as a player with Newcastle Falcons, will not let that slightly disrupted preparation be any form of excuse for his players. Advertisement "We had the awards dinner which meant we had to move things back a couple of hours because we didn't get back until 2am," he added. "We had a 45-minute session so that's our prep but that's all we need - we just need to make sure we're on the same page and the priority is a full tank to go against an unbelievable Bath team. "That's our challenge. Their challenge is separate but our challenge is the six days turnover and getting to the start line as fully fresh as we can. "Hopefully we've managed that right but we won't know until we see what happens on Friday." Lam confirmed Genge and lock James Dun were "100%" fit but England back Max Malins remains a long-term absentee.
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Norwich's Stacey wins Community Player of Season
Jack Stacey joined Norwich from Bournemouth in the summer of 2023 [Getty Images] "I was in two minds about going because you never want to make these things about you." Not many people would think twice about attending a glitzy ceremony to pick up an award of recognition for their hard work. Advertisement But Norwich City full-back Jack Stacey's modest statement reflects his approach towards working for the club's Community Sports Foundation. The 28-year-old attended a CSF Takeover day at Norwich's Carrow Road home last season and met some of the children with physical and mental disabilities who attend the 'Realising Potential' group. And it led to him being named the Championship's Community Player of the Season at an event at the Houses of Parliament on Wednesday evening, at which Norwich took the Community Club of the Season award. "The impact we can have as players because of our platform can really make a difference," Stacey told BBC Radio Norfolk. Advertisement "The majority of them are at Carrow Road every other Saturday cheering us on so, for them, it's amazing to be able to meet the players that are on the pitch and it's led to having some really good relationships with these children. "They feel they can open up to me on things they maybe wouldn't have to other adults in the past." The Norwich CSF was founded in 1992 and their goals include driving inclusion for people with disabilities - in Norfolk, the number affected is 20% of the population, which is above the national average - as well as boosting mental health and wellbeing and inspiring disadvantaged people. The award citation said the club engaged with a record-breaking 45,828 participants during 2023-24. Advertisement As part of that, Stacey spends two hours a week with a pan-disability football group, providing coaching and taking part in other activities with the children. He has also provided advice towards the setting up of new Padel [tennis] courts. "All the clubs I've been at, and a lot of the clubs across the EFL, do really great work but, for me, Norwich has been on a different level, in terms of the size of the operation, covering basically the whole of Norfolk," he said. "I feel everyone within Norfolk sticks together and really looks after each other and because Norwich is such a big club within the area, we can use that to make a difference." Advertisement Stacey said that when he paid his first visit to the Foundation, whose members include TV presenter Jake Humphrey, he had not planned on being involved long-term. But he added: "Just by going down there and seeing the impact CSF have, seeing the progress of the children that go there - it gives them a safe space to enjoy, to come and play football and progress when they go back into the mainstream environments - and hearing those kind of stories kept me coming back week after week." Rotherham United and Fleetwood Town won the Community Club awards for Leagues One and Two, while Taylor Moore of Bristol Rovers and Doncaster's Joseph Olowu received the individual player accolades. For Stacey, though, attention now turns to Saturday's game against Plymouth Argyle, with the Canaries 10th in the table and five points off the top six following last weekend's win over West Bromwich Albion. Advertisement "That's our goal until the end of the season - to try to get into the play-offs, but it would be no use going through the whole fixture list and seeing where we can pick up points if we don't go and do the job on Saturday against Plymouth," he said. "They're bottom of the league which, on paper, makes it seem easy but they are going to be fighting for every single ball so we have to be able to match that."
BBC News
03-04-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Norwich's Stacey wins Community Player of Season
"I was in two minds about going because you never want to make these things about you."Not many people would think twice about attending a glitzy ceremony to pick up an award of recognition for their hard Norwich City full-back Jack Stacey's modest statement reflects his approach towards working for the club's Community Sports 28-year-old attended a CSF Takeover day at Norwich's Carrow Road home last season and met some of the children with physical and mental disabilities who attend the 'Realising Potential' it led to him being named the Championship's Community Player of the Season at an event at the Houses of Parliament on Wednesday evening, at which Norwich took the Community Club of the Season award."The impact we can have as players because of our platform can really make a difference," Stacey told BBC Radio Norfolk."The majority of them are at Carrow Road every other Saturday cheering us on so, for them, it's amazing to be able to meet the players that are on the pitch and it's led to having some really good relationships with these children."They feel they can open up to me on things they maybe wouldn't have to other adults in the past." The Norwich CSF was founded in 1992 and their goals include driving inclusion for people with disabilities - in Norfolk, the number affected is 20% of the population, which is above the national average - as well as boosting mental health and wellbeing and inspiring disadvantaged award citation said the club engaged with a record-breaking 45,828 participants during part of that, Stacey spends two hours a week with a pan-disability football group, providing coaching and taking part in other activities with the has also provided advice towards the setting up of new Padel [tennis] courts."All the clubs I've been at, and a lot of the clubs across the EFL, do really great work but, for me, Norwich has been on a different level, in terms of the size of the operation, covering basically the whole of Norfolk," he said."I feel everyone within Norfolk sticks together and really looks after each other and because Norwich is such a big club within the area, we can use that to make a difference." Stacey said that when he paid his first visit to the Foundation, whose members include TV presenter Jake Humphrey, he had not planned on being involved he added: "Just by going down there and seeing the impact CSF have, seeing the progress of the children that go there - it gives them a safe space to enjoy, to come and play football and progress when they go back into the mainstream environments - and hearing those kind of stories kept me coming back week after week."Rotherham United and Fleetwood Town won the Community Club awards for Leagues One and Two, while Taylor Moore of Bristol Rovers and Doncaster's Joseph Olowu received the individual player accolades. For Stacey, though, attention now turns to Saturday's game against Plymouth Argyle, with the Canaries 10th in the table and five points off the top six following last weekend's win over West Bromwich Albion."That's our goal until the end of the season - to try to get into the play-offs, but it would be no use going through the whole fixture list and seeing where we can pick up points if we don't go and do the job on Saturday against Plymouth," he said."They're bottom of the league which, on paper, makes it seem easy but they are going to be fighting for every single ball so we have to be able to match that."
