They are the super fans who have gone above and beyond in support of their clubs.
And now they will come together to form the Rugby League Challenge Cup Fans Choir which will give a special performance before the final next month.
The 32 individual winners were selected from entries from clubs across the UK. Each represents a different club that was part of this year’s Challenge Cup competition.
Neil Shuttleworth, who has sung in a skiffle group and jazz band, is the Huddersfield Giants representative. He first started watching Huddersfield – Fartown – in 1945 and in 1988 when the club was at its lowest ebb became part of a three-man consortium led by Mick Murphy to save it.
He became the club’s only full-time worker running things from a portable building under the main stand. He then joined the RFL Disciplinary Team for 26 seasons.
When it became known to the club that he had completed 70 seasons of non-stop support, chairman Ken Davy invited him to re-join the board as an associate director.
Batley Bulldogs will be represented by Jim McVeigh, who has supported the club for over 75 years, with his family being involved since 1910.
He used to be a clubland singer, and now sings with a group he set up at Dewsbury Hospital.
He regiments the match day car parking at Batley on a voluntary basis with “gaffer” emblazoned on his hi-vis jacket. He can also be seen helping on various ground maintenance projects around the Fox’s Biscuit Stadium, supporting the efforts of CEO Paul Harrison.
Amanda Fentem will represent Dewsbury Rams. She sings at church and every home game and sometimes away, attends church in the morning at her hometown of Matlock before travelling 60 miles to Dewsbury.
She spends the Saturday cooking two sets of cakes for the Executive Club with no recompense, and often helps serve tea and coffee in the club. She has also voluntarily helped serve meals to the players and officials after the match and she has worked in the club shop.
She began attending matches with her husband Michael after he preached at Mount Tabor church and was invited to a match by the club chaplain.
They have had season tickets for the last seven years.
Richard Farrell, who worked for talent agencies as a singer, and fronted numerous groups, will represent Halifax. He remembers his first game 20 years ago, on his sixth birthday, against Bradford away, because his birthday was announced on the tannoy at half time, to be met with boos from the home fans.
His family are all avid Rugby League supporters.
The winners will lead a capacity crowd alongside Songs of Praise presenter Aled Jones at Wembley in a rendition of Abide With Me before the Challenge Cup Final live on BBC One on Saturday, August 27. They will also appear on Songs of Praise the day after the final.
