Our Heroes
Batley Bulldogs 2020 Roll Of Honour
We are sure that everyone connected with the Bulldogs family will be out clapping for the NHS workers and Carers at 8pm every Thursday.
We are also sure that there are members of our Bulldogs family working in the NHS and Carers at this very difficult time. We know that people in the UK have always been grateful for the care provided by such people but perhaps we have never before shown it. However times are changing and these heroes are now continuing their hard work which they have done for years and now at even greater risk to their own health but now we have all truly woken up and at last wish to give them full credit for their dedication to helping us all in our hour of need.
This now gives us an idea at Batley Bulldogs to create our own Roll of Honour for NHS workers and Carers to truly show our appreciation, as a Club, for those members of our family who are there for us all the time and now more so are helping us get through this.
We believe that rather than simply refer to them as “NHS workers and Carers” we need to put names to these heroes to show our full appreciation.
The first NHS workers in our Roll of Honour are…..
Christine Allen
Christine is the mum of Wayne Reittie who attends most games with her family to support Wayne and the Bulldogs.
Pictured here with Wayne and his Sister Mica, Christine has been a nurse for over 30 years, and through the crisis continues to work tirelessly in the A& E at St. James’s Hospital in Leeds, currently working around the clock covering extensive shifts.
Christine Allen, we can say Batley Bulldogs are proud of you. Batley Bulldogs will clap for you
Julie Bownass
Julie is one of the Gavaghan dynasty of supporters, where her and her family have followed the Bulldogs home and away all their lives. Julie has been a nurse since 1981 and presently works looking after people with physical and mental disabilities in locations across Leeds. She continues to protect and care for the most vulnerable in these difficlut times, but now wearing PPE to do so.
Julie Bownass, we can say Batley Bulldogs are proud of you. Batley Bulldogs will clap for you.
Vanessa Dickinson
Vanessa Dickinson is a Matron in the respiratory ward at Halifax Hospital. Currently working 12 hour shifts at the forefront of the crisis, Vanessa is observing all distancing guidelines away from work and is unable to see her son Tyler or her Grandchildren. Bulldogs’ Forward Tyler describes Vanessa as a true hero and an inspiration, and we agree.
Vanessa Dickinson, Batley Bulldogs are proud of you.
Kelly Moxon
Kelly Moxon has worked at Inwood Residential Home in Horbury for 20 years, caring for residents with dementia and general ailments culminating from old age. Although moving to part time work after having her children, since the coronavirus outbreak she has been thrust back into full time shifts working tirelessly to protect and care for the most vulnerable. Kelly is the wife of Bulldogs Assistant coach Mark Moxon.
Mark told us “Isabella, Pippa and I are very proud of her.”All at Batley Bulldogs are proud of you Kelly Moxon.
Danielle Brown & Richard Wells
Danielle is a domestic at the hospital, and Richard a porter. Both have taken on extra shifts and have been away from young children to help as much as they can. Richard is brother of Bulldogs Director Mark Wells, and from a family with lifelong associations with Rugby League in the area.
Danielle and Richard, we are all proud of you.
Sarah Tranter
Sarah Tranter is the team manager for Batley Boys U14s, where son Jack plays.
Working at Dewsbury hospital as a Project Support Coordinator she has been in The Trust for 13 years. Caring for high risk and vulnerable patients, as well as currently supporting other departments with extra work. Sarah helps ensure patients receive the best care and support, without putting them at added risk as well as making sure her staff are safe and supported.
Well done Sarah, we are of you.
Liam Walmsley
Former Bulldogs Liam Walmsley, a key part of our fantastic 2013 campaign, and brother of another former Bulldog, Alex, is currently working at Dewsbury District hospital and Pinderfields hospital, as a qualified Radiologist. Well done Liam, Batley Bulldogs are proud of you.
Michael Gothard
Lifelong Supporter Michael Gothard follows Batley Bulldogs home and away, helping organise travel to away games on The Woodman Bus, and fundraising events towards the club and Pink Weekend. He has worked as a Porter at Dewsbury Hospital since 2005.
We’re proud to call you a Bulldog Michael.
Nathan Walker
Nathan Walker, a former mascot and Ballboy at Batley Bulldogs, is another lifelong supporter of the club. Nathan is a Doctor in the intensive care unit at St. George’s Hospital, Tooting, London, very much on the frontline.
We are proud of you Nathan.
Rebecca Bedford
Rebecca Bedford attends all Bulldogs home matches, and most away matches and has been supporting the club since 2016
Rebecca is a final year nursing student who has opted in to support the NHS in this crisis. She is helping in the critical care wards at Pinderfields Wakefield , while completing her BSc Degree.
Great Work Rebecca, We’re proud of you.
Angela Mcglenn
Angela is a new member of the Bulldog family, and came to her first ever rugby game in February, after experiencing her first Bulldogs Pink Ball. The mother of Alexandra Nicholas’ partner Jack, She must be a lucky charm because it was our first win for a few weeks.
Angela normally works with elderly and vulnerable patients in the community, but during this crisis is now on a ward at Cramlington Hospital near Newcastle, caring for Coronavirus patients.
Tom Pearson
Tom Pearson is a key part of our backroom staff, working as a physiotherapist for Batley Bulldogs.
When he’s not looking after the team, Tom also works full-time for the NHS at Pinderfields hospital, and is part of the on-call respiratory team, attending patients on the ICU and acute respiratory wards.
We are very proud of you Tom and look forward to seeing you back at the club soon.
Susan Williams
Susan Williams has been a Bulldogs supporter for many years. She has been a Theatre Nurse at Elland Hospital for 30 years and has now volunteered for deployment at Calderdale Hospital to help relieve staff during the current crisis.
Batley Bulldogs are proud of you Susan.
Karen Murphy
Karen Murphy is a lifelong supporter of Batley, from way back when her father would take her to the games as a child. She has worked as a Theatre Nurse at Dewsbury Hospital for 34 years, and has recently been redeployed to Pinderfields to work in the Intensive Care Unit and the wards on the frontline.
Andrew Milner
Andrew Milner has been a full time Paramedic for 11 years, based at Brighouse ambulance Station. A lifelong Rugby League fan, Andrew became a Bulldogs fan after marrying into the McVeigh family, and follows the team with his sons Harry & Jonah.
Thank You Andrew, we are all proud of you.
Barbara Hutton
Barbara Hutton for the NHS a lifelong supporter of the Batley, being brought up to the Mount as a child by her father, Jack Walker, and has been following the club for over 50 years.
She has worked on the front line of the NHS for many years, as a district nurse and now works in the oncology department at Leeds St James. Thank you Barbara!
The picture is with her daughter, Laura, and husband, Richard, on our Wembley Pink Walk!
Nick Sowerby
Nick Sowerby has been following Batley RLFC for over 30 Years.
Travelling home and away, Nick helps to organise travel with the group from The Woodman pub, and has been instrumental in fundraising activites via both The Woodman and BISSA.
Nick Has been working in the NHS for over 10 Years and is currently one of the managers planning the placements of doctors and nurses to hospitals during the pandemic.
Thank You Nick
Katy Price & Catherine Houldsworth
Partners in crime Katy Price and Catherine Houldsworth have been following The Bulldogs Home and Away for many years.
Katy takes care of the Elderly at Dewsbury Hospital and had worked as a Carer prior to that. She is currently recovering after being ill with the virus. We hope to see you back to full strength soon Katy.
Catherine is a Clinical Triage Nurse at The Yorkshire Ambulance Service.
Great work Ladies, we are proud of you both.
Debbie Halloran
Debbie Halloran is the wife of former player and friend of the club, Paul Halloran. She has been a nurse for over 30 years, since leaving school. More recently working as a school nurse looking after our children, Debbie has now voluntarily moved back to the front line to help with the current crisis.
We are proud of you Debbie
We wish to ensure that we recognise as many heroes as possible so we are now asking you to nominate people for the Roll of Honour, or if you are not too shy, nominate yourself, you deserve it!
We need to know your name, your connection to our Club and brief details of the work you do and how long you have been doing it. ideally we also need a photograph, this can be at work or home.
Then we can enter you in our Roll of Honour.
Just email those details to-
Kevin@batleybulldogs.co.uk
Thank you so much.