A RECORD crowd was at Threshfield on Saturday - complete with parking chaos in the village - as Wharfedale took on their downstream rivals, Otley, on Saturday.

A glorious day, a big crowd, an exciting game and not a single act of foul play in evidence in a thrilling spectacle.

Contrast this with the barbaric scenes at Bath where a player appears to have had part of his ear bitten off in a scrum. The sight must have chilled many a mother whose son attends the popular junior rugby sessions at all our three rugby clubs.

For the sake of the game, stern action must be taken. Nothing less than a life ban in such cases will suffice for the Rugby Football Union to deter further outrageous assaults taking place and tarnish further the image of the sport.

Which leads us to another curious aspect of the game. If this had been a street brawl, then the guilty party would have been facing a serious charge and a prison sentence. Indeed this newspaper reported last year on the jail sentence passed on a man who bit off part of an ear in a street fight. It is clearly established that acts of violence on the sporting field are subject to the full force of the law. Why are the police not investigating this incident as a case of suspected grievous bodily harm?

The mums of Wharfedale might sleep a little more soundly if someone was brought before the courts and real justice was done.

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