T'Other Side: Sheffield Eagles

   

Head Coach: Mark Aston

 

Amazingly, this is Mark Aston’s 23rd season as head coach of Sheffield Eagles! He started the re-born club in 2000 and is still the coach, although he stood down and was ‘only’ Chief Executive in 2006, but then he took over the coaching again in 2007. When you add in his playing career he has been at Sheffield ever since 1985 with just one break for a little over a year when he was at Featherstone. A dynamic scrumhalf as a player he won the Lance Todd Trophy in 1998 when he led Eagles to that amazing win over Wigan at Wembley. He also played five times for Great Britain. Mark Aston was the head coach of the Ireland international team from 2011 to 2018.

 

Captain: Anthony Thackeray

 

Experienced halfback, Anthony Thackeray, joined Sheffield in 2019 from Fev. His career began with Hull FC in 2007. During that year he had loan spells with York and Castleford, joining Castleford in 2008 and while at Cas he played 6 matches at loan for Fev. In 2009 he moved to Widnes and in 2011 he went again on loan to York. He then spent two years each at Halifax and Dewsbury before signing for Fev in 2016. He has scored 11 tries this year but his main contribution is undoubtedly leading the team around the park.

 

Dual Registration and Loans

 

Sheffield have a dual registration agreement with Midlands Hurricanes this year for whom Matty Chrimes, Izaak Farrell and Ross Oakes have played.

James Glover is at Sheffield on loan from York.

Jason Bass is on loan at York, Josh Guzdek at Doncaster, Joe Hird at Keighley, and Ryan Johnson at Midlands Hurricanes.

 

The Fev Connection

 

 

Amongst the 67 players who have appeared for both clubs there are a few names that stand out.

Vince Farrar made over 300 appearances for Fev, one of our Hall of Famers, member of the 1973 Challenge Cup winning team, member of the team that one the Championship in 1976/77 and Fev coach in 1981/82. He joined Hull when he left Fev after the 1977/78 season. He finished at Hull after 2 seasons but got his boots out again to captain Sheffield Eagles in their first season.

A name all Fev fans know well is the one and only Mark Campbell! He made his first grade début with Sheffield Eagles in 1984 (their first season). From there he came to Fev in 1985 and after three seasons here he went on to play for Mansfield Marksman in the 1988-89 season.

Before the 1994-95 season Fev signed an eighteen year-old player who only played 20 games for Fev but in that short time became very popular. It was, of course, Frédéric (Freddie) Banquet who was to go on to make his mark in rugby league history a couple of years later when he scored the first ever try in Super League playing for Paris Saint Germain against Sheffield Eagles, the club he joined when he left Fev.