Long lost amateur clubs

[dinosore]

Andrew Mighty signed for Fulham from South London, although he may have started with Peckham and he went to Hull at the end of '89/'90. Only played a few game for them and then seems to have disappeared. I'm not sure if any of the London amateur clubs from the 70s and 80s are still around, with the possible exception of South London (unless they're a new club using the locality name).

As far as i know Andrew still lives in Hull up to quite recently he was involved with coaching at East Hull. ( he may still Be,not sure).

[Number 16]

Thus when the winter London League collapsed only South London and Kingston were welcome because of their name (they would have preferred to stay winter if possible)

Don't know where you got that from... South London most certainly wanted to move to the summer.

[bowes]

Don't know where you got that from... South London most certainly wanted to move to the summer.

Must have just been one individual's view and I'm led to believe preferred summer once started. Plus circumstances had changed rapidly since they chose winter.

Difficult one though as while summer is a better time to play the decision to go from a full season to a RU off season one was a backwards step plus we lost lots of clubs through refusing teams based on name and location.

[PhilCarrington]

Hemel date from 1981 and Elmbridge from at least the 80s, not got a start date. South London are no connection.

The RLC wanted artificial regional clubs with names like West London not established clubs like Brent-Ealing and London Colonials. Nor did they want small town clubs like Huntingdon/St Ives (until they wanted numbers) or police teams. Thus when the winter London League collapsed only South London and Kingston were welcome because of their name (they would have preferred to stay winter if possible)

Skolars date to 1995 as the oldest London club but had to change name as well.

Skolars only had to change their name for the RLC, so were in the position of playing as London Skolars in the NCL and North London Skolars in the RLC.

The RLC wanted teams that either had or promised junior sections which is one of the reasons that neither the Met Police or Colonials applied to join. Crawley Jets (another long lost club) were one of those teams that promised a junior section, but never delivered. The first team were pretty successful in the few years that they lasted.

[Celtic Rooster]

CAN ANYBODY HELP ME! I want all the BARLA National League results for the 1987-88 season and don't want to go trawling through old newspapers in libraries if I can help it. They would have been printed in grid form in the National League brochure for the 1988-89 season. but I don't have a copy.

[Number 16]

Must have just been one individual's view and I'm led to believe preferred summer once started. Plus circumstances had changed rapidly since they chose winter.

Difficult one though as while summer is a better time to play the decision to go from a full season to a RU off season one was a backwards step plus we lost lots of clubs through refusing teams based on name and location.

I was running the club at the time, so I kinda know!

South London, and presumably Kingston, too, had to jump through hoops to be accepted into the RLC - robust application, business plan, juniors, meetings with the RFL, etc. etc.

[Masters 13]

When I started playing in the early 90s the Barrow league had two divisions and we played against Railway and Prince of Wales later Flookborough had a team but i think they only lasted 2/3 seasons. I know Millom and Walney were running 3 teams at the time. The Barrow league only has 8 teams in it now all A teams.

Abbey Vikings is another team that folded in the Barrow league. Mid 80s I think?

[Ex-Kirkholt]

Correct. it was the college he attended at cambridge university - for decades a stronghold of the 13-man code. Ellery was the son of the College Deane, but played for the college side (composed mainly of university students) from the age of 11. He really was that good.

Open Rugby magazine used to campaign for recognition of RL as a sport in universities, but the playing fields of OxBridge have resounded to shouts of Gerrremonside for generations.

Didn't Harry Edgar, owner/editor etc of Open Rugby, go to Cambridge ?

[usain bolt]

nutgrove and rainhill had teams in st helens area around the early 90s mark i think. another 2 teams to have come an gone.

[Chronicler of Chiswick]

Didn't Harry Edgar, owner/editor etc of Open Rugby, go to Cambridge ?

No, he worked as a printer in Oxford.

[Methven Hornet]

Didn't Harry Edgar, owner/editor etc of Open Rugby, go to Cambridge ?

No, he went to Oxford. Oxford Tech! (Or whatever the FE college was called in those days)

[Jonty]

No, he went to Oxford. Oxford Tech! (Or whatever the FE college was called in those days)

Oxford Poly? Now Oxford Brookes Uni, home of the mighty Brookes Bulls RLFC?

[Cutsyke Raiders]

North Featherstone - Cutsyke.

An unholy alliance that operated between the 2 world wars.

[Ex-Kirkholt]

What happened to "Corporation Combine" from Cumbria (Barrow ?)

[HP Beans]

Abbey Vikings is another team that folded in the Barrow league. Mid 80s I think?

If I'm not mistaken Gareth,I think they only ever had junior/Youth teams.Cannot remember them ever having an open age team?

[HP Beans]

What happened to "Corporation Combine" from Cumbria (Barrow ?)

Became what is now the Hindpool Tigers of NWC.

[Ex-Kirkholt]

Became what is now the Hindpool Tigers of NWC.

What actually was "Corporation Combine" - a works team ?

[Methven Hornet]

Oxford Poly? Now Oxford Brookes Uni, home of the mighty Brookes Bulls RLFC?

I'm not sure whether it was the poly or an FE college (I'm not sure I want to get my collection of Open Rugbys out to check )

[HP Beans]

What actually was "Corporation Combine" - a works team ?

Yes,from what I believe the team originated from our local council workforce here in Barrow.

[Aristotle]

St Mary's in Halifax became Park Amateurs who played on a postage stamp pitch at Wellesley Park, known locally as "The Barracks". They merged with King Cross to become King Cross Park playing in the Pennine League. Mixenden also had a team for a few seasons.

[deluded pom?]

As far as i know Andrew still lives in Hull up to quite recently he was involved with coaching at East Hull. ( he may still Be,not sure).

He actually lives in Brough, ten miles west of Hull.

[Historical value]

Ace prop bobby colgrave, legend!

[keighley]

NDLB (think that's the right initials) are now West Hull I believe. Think Ace Amateurs were Hull but can't remember if they became anyone

 

I think that stood for National Docks Labour Board and the teams nicknames was the Dockers. There was also BOCM from Hull which stood for British Oil and Cake Mills.

[keighley]

NSF made (make?) indicator/light/horn etc steering-arm units for Ford cars. The works manager was Terry O'Brien, a Welshman who played centre for many years for Keighley, and was a really nice bloke.

 

Yes, I remember Terry O'Brien.He signed from Cross Keys RU in Wales.

[keighley]

I played for Keighley Albion junior teams in the Halifax and Huddersfield Amateur Rl in the 1960s.

Teams I remember from that league were Huddersfield Supporters, Halifax Supporters, Odsal Sedburgh, St Josephs, Illingworth, Ovenden Underbank and Clayton.

Keighley Albion open age were in the Bradford and District Rl and they had fixtures with Worth Village, Victoria Recs, West Bowling, Wyke, International Harvesters, Queensbury and also Clayton I think Thornton also had a team about that time.