A GROUP of retired men slink out of their homes early every Wednesday morning, hip flask in pocket. What are this bunch of retired businessmen, white collar workers and craftsmen up to?

Hi Ho, Hi Ho it's off to work they go!

A shovel and a pick and the odd walking stick and they are off down to Cross Green - the home of Otley Rugby Union Football Club.

The group, numbering around 15, goes under the name of the Wednesday Gang and they are responsible for keeping the home of the town's major sports club spic and span.

The group includes half a dozen past Presidents in Gerry Matthewman, Brian Agar, Jack Garforth, Harold Jones, Peter Fisher and its founder Eric Bryden.

In its picturesque setting in the lea of Otley Chevin the ground at Cross Green is a col-lection of old and new buildings, open terraces and a well kept playing area.

The Wednesday Gang help keep the whole complex in pristine condition. And they are even officially recognised by the RFU as Club Secretary Marc Lawrence points out.

They acknowledge them as a gang of unpaid volunteers who are benefitting Otley RUFC and rugby as a whole."

One enthusiastic member of the Gang is Vice-President Gordon Baines of Guiseley.

He said: "The Gang was started many years ago, principally by Eric Bryden, to keep the fabric of the place spic and span.

"It has now grown into a considerable team of artisans and skilled men - plumbers, joiners etc but we could do with a brickie!"

Gordon says that the group saves the club an enormous amount of money by carrying out all kinds of tasks around the site.

"We are responsible, along with groundsman Peter Long-staffe, for making the club look neat and tidy," said Gordon.

Any visitor to Cross Green will acknowledge that they have done an excellent job.With a smile Gordon admits that the feature of the Wednesday morning is the coffee break.

"Well in most cases it's a bit more than coffee, the hip flasks come out and we indulge ourselves."

A much needed revitaliser for a group who turn out whatever the weather with a 9 am start.

In a world that is rapidly becoming overtaken by the professionals it is rare to find such voluntary groups but then the bedrock of the Otley club is still its volunteer force.

Not just the Wednesday Gang but also the ladies who provide the catering in the clubhouse and are the mainstay of the fund raising; the parents who help the club provide rugby coaching and games for over 200 youngsters and people such as Peter Thompson who produces one of the best programmes throughout the rugby world.

Hours of unpaid voluntary work are the basis of the Otley club's success - at the end of last season they were ranked the 19th highest club in the country.

They play in National Division One which is becoming increasingly more professional as most clubs go full time with paid players and paid workers.

As Gordon Baines says: "In our division it is a unique situation. Every club that comes to Cross Green is amazed by the strength of our volunteer force. Henley were so impressed that they have now started their own Friday Gang but it has a long way to go to match ours."

"Our ladies have also gained a great reputation for the catering they provide. Before home matches we do a proper sit down lunch complete with wine and dessert course, all prepared by our ladies."

Editor Mel Vasey and I can vouch for the superb quality after sampling it on our visit to Cross. Green.

"Once a year we reward the ladies for their efforts by switching roles with the men donning their aprons to provide a Ladies Lunch," said Gordon.

Judged by the delicious lunch we enjoyed the men have a hard act to follow.

As well as providing this fund raising lunch prior to home games around 60 people are catered for with a sponsors' lunch in the upper gallery.

"We have to get caterers in for the sponsors' lunch as we would not be able to cope otherwise," said Gordon.

The incoming caterers however are steeped in Otley rugby tradition with former player Gary Poole grabbing his apron to help out wife Margaret and daughter Claire.

As Gordon points out the lunches and other catering provide a regular source of income which is invaluable to the club.

Its importance comes all the more obvious when it is pointed out that Otley do not have a major sponsor, unlike the clubs they are competing with.

Gordon said: "In our division there are eight fully professional clubs and this is what we are up against. Many of them have millionaire backers but we have searched high and low.

"There are too many clubs around here of a similar standing all trying to get money from the same pot."

Secretary Lawrence added: "Basically we are ranked 19th in the entire country in rugby terms but logically we have no right to be there. Our Chairman Paul Jaques con-stantly states that Otley has over achieved in the past two years.

"It is hard work keeping up with the professional clubs and I don't think local people realise what a high level we are playing at."

Gordon adds: "From being a well respected northern rugby club over the last 100 years we are now on the national playing field. If we were a soccer club we would be in the Premier League."

"We are competing against millionaire clubs and our only full-time paid employee is our groundsman and steward."

Both Marc and Gordon agreed that although they have an enthusiastic band of supporters they are disappointed that the level of rugby they play has not attracted bigger crowds down to Cross Green.

"We charge the standard £10 admission for our division but when people complain at that I don't think they have any idea what the standards are that we are trying to maintain," said Gordon.

Unlike a lot of the clubs they play against Otley still rely to a large extent on local talent, much of it nurtured in their own junior system.

First team stalwart Ian Carroll is an example of this having started out with the club as a Colt and still playing at first team level as he approaches his 40th birthday.

Other locals in the first team squad who have risen through the ranks include Mark Kirkby, Will Darby, Robert Whatmuff and Simon Hawkins.

Any youngster aspiring to follow in their footsteps can be helped along the way by an Otley RUFC inspired organisation which offers coaching in 50 local schools.

First team players Andy Brown and Paul Williams run the Sports Match Development Programme (Formerly Wharfe Valley Trust).

Their job is to go out into the schools and promote rugby and garner an interest in the sport amongst the children.

The club also hope to benefit by offering children under-12 free entry to matches if they are accompanied by an adult.

Marc Lawrence said: "We need a younger membership base. Although we are greatly indebted to our elder statesmen in the Wednesday Gang we do need to get some younger people into the club."