Challenge Cup Fever: Castleford Buzzing For Lock Lane’s Live Sportsman Date

The whole town is behind Lock Lane as they prepare to host Rochdale Hornets in front of The Sportsman cameras
18:00, 11 Feb 2022

Amateurs Lock Lane have the whole of Castleford behind them as they bid for Betfred Challenge Cup glory live on The Sportsman this weekend. 

Having stunned former Super League outfit Oldham away from home in round two, the National Conference League side now welcomes League 1 Rochdale Hornets and The Sportsman cameras to Lock Lane, for the biggest afternoon in the club’s history.

“It’s just been a whirlwind the last two weeks, “ head coach Paul Couch told me this week.

“It hasn’t been normal at all. It’s been pretty mad. People coming up to you in the town centre who you don’t even know, saying congratulations. It’s been surreal but it’s been brilliant.

“The people of Cas have bought into it. It helps that Super League is back this week and Cas are playing Friday night. Hopefully Cas fans will come and support us on Saturday.”

The 46 year-old Couch is Lock Lane through and through having spent the last 30 years at the club as a player, coach, bar manager and junior coach.

“It’s been a big part of my life,” he says.

“This right now is without a doubt the best it has ever been for Lock Lane.

“For famous old Lock Lane players to contact me and say the Oldham win was the best result we’ve ever had sent shivers down my spine. We are part of Lock Lane history and it’s fantastic.

“Our chairman Mick Wildey has been here 40 years. For somebody like him, he deserves this. He’s put a lot of time and effort into this club and this is the reward.”

Lock Lane’s win at Oldham on a miserable Sunday night a fortnight ago encapsulated the beautiful, unpredictable ridiculousness that rugby league does better than any other sport. 

Amateurs deservedly beating semi-pros, the floodlights failing three times to almost see the game abandoned, a horizontal ice storm, and two drenched commentators in myself and Andrew Henderson calling the game stood in a huge rising puddle under umbrellas behind the home dugout. 

There was then uncertainty as to whether Lock Lane’s tiny ground would get the green light to host their home draw on Saturday, but talks with the RFL led to a positive outcome and over 1000 are expected for the game.

“The club has been fantastic to get the game at our place and I’m really pleased we are,” says Couch.

“We’ve had towers put up for The Sportsman’s cameras, the upstairs bar is sold out for hospitality. God knows what will happen if we win on Saturday.

“The Castleford coach Lee Radford will be here to present the players their shirts. Quite a few of the Cas players like Liam Watts and Joe Westerman, James Clare, all the Lock Laners are retweeting us and pushing the gate massively. Cas are right behind us, not just the club but the town as well is getting a bit of a buzz off it too.

“Not many people travelled to Oldham as it was Sunday night at 6pm but I know one of our local pubs had the game on in there on Our League and the pub was full.

“I’m hoping that people come to the game and support us but if not log on to The Sportsman and support us there. There’s no better feeling than to hear and know people are cheering.”

Join me and the former Castleford captain Andrew Henderson to see if Lock Lane can pull off another huge Betfred Challenge Cup upset, live this Saturday, kick off 2:30pm.

Only on The Sportsman.

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