WEST Park Bramhope held their annual dinner at the Post House Hotel in the village last Friday.

There were a number of awards handed out and the guest speaker was John Bentley, the British Lion who is now back at Halifax Blue Sox playing rugby league.

He gave a witty and amusing speech about not only his rugby union career and his unexpected call up for the British Lions tour to South Africa last summer, but also his his rugby league experiences, first with Leeds and now at Halifax.

Phil Davies, the ex Welsh rugby union international and now coach at Leeds Rugby Union Club was also a speaker at the dinner, which was well attended by representatives of other local rugby union clubs.

Arthur Smith from Yarnbury was present, as was Phil Caddick, the owner of the Headingley complex which includes the Leeds Rhinos as well as Leeds RUFC and the Yorkshire cricket test ground.

First team player of the year award went to wing forward Mark Weston. The 31-year-old came through the colts system at West Park and also played amateur rugby league with Dudley Hill for three years.

He was one of the outstanding players during what was a dismall season for West Park which resulted in them being relegated from Thwaites North Division One, although they had an excellent run in the NPI Cup, getting knocked out in the semi-finals against Bedford Athletic, who went on to lift the trophy.

Most improved player of the year was Jason Whitehead, the 18-year-old winger is also a product of the colts system at West Park.

Clubman of the year went to Phil Adams.

The club golf day was being held at Cookridge Hall Golf Club today (Friday). More than 40 people have entered the competition.

West Park's annual meeting is being held at the club on Tuesday, June 2, from 7.30pm, everyone is welcome.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.