Essex Scimitars

[Jill Halfpenny fan]

A few years back I remember watching Essex Scimitars at the "Chester Sevens"

From memory they had some decent players.

Anyone know what happened to them?

[EastLondonMike]

Remember Essex Scimitars from way back.. like over 20 years ago.

[Dave Mayor]

I played for Essex Scimitars in the late 1980's...we had a mix of experienced RL lads from Lancs and Yorks,a fair mix of Aussies and NZ lads working in London and a few "local" Essex boys...we managed to get to the final of the London Vase..Only played for them for a season,but had happy times including once when we lost the away team on route to their reserve ground (we were evicted from the original ground just before kick off by the local council groundsman) !!

[Rugbyron]

Anyone remember Hackney RLFC,played on Hackney Marshes in the 70s.One of the founder members of the Southern Rugby league.

[Number 16]

On 19/01/2018 at 20:17, Jill Halfpenny fan said:

A few years back I remember watching Essex Scimitars at the "Chester Sevens"

From memory they had some decent players.

Anyone know what happened to them?

Essex Scimitars folded in 1990 or 1991. A few of their players then got together with the Snares clan from Fulham Amateurs and some of us from the London Civil Service RL team (yes, really!) to form East London RL. We played out of East London RFC. That club operated from 92 to 95 before folding. A few of us south London based players then formed South London Storm.

The Scimitars played in this horrendous green, red and gold kit, very rasta!

[Pigeon Lofter]

4 hours ago, Rugbyron said:

Anyone remember Hackney RLFC,played on Hackney Marshes in the 70s.One of the founder members of the Southern Rugby league.

No,but there was an occasional team called McEntee (sp?) that played a bit of League back in the day. I was told by Gordon Anderton that it was an old boy club from an East End school (Walthamstow maybe) but not much was known about them but they appeared randomly then disappeared from view only to re-emerge like Lazarus without warning. Maybe someone remembers more details?

[EastLondonMike]

6 hours ago, Rugbyron said:

Anyone remember Hackney RLFC,played on Hackney Marshes in the 70s.One of the founder members of the Southern Rugby league.

I remember chatting to a St. Helens fan (a friends dad) who remembers playing a team in hackney back in the 70's. Can't recall what team in St. Helens he played for, but it was on an end of season tour to London. Certainly surprised me when he mentioned it.

[Hela Wigmen]

1 hour ago, Pigeon Lofter said:

No,but there was an occasional team called McEntee (sp?) that played a bit of League back in the day. I was told by Gordon Anderton that it was an old boy club from an East End school (Walthamstow maybe) but not much was known about them but they appeared randomly then disappeared from view only to re-emerge like Lazarus without warning. Maybe someone remembers more details?

McEntee is a school in Walthamstow. Have a client at work that works with them. 

[RMBJ]

2 hours ago, Number 16 said:

Essex Scimitars folded in 1990 or 1991. A few of their players then got together with the Snares clan from Fulham Amateurs and some of us from the London Civil Service RL team (yes, really!) to form East London RL. We played out of East London RFC. That club operated from 92 to 95 before folding. A few of us south London based players then formed South London Storm.

The Scimitars played in this horrendous green, red and gold kit, very rasta!

Rugby League was being played from 1992-95 at East London RUFC?

Remarkable. 

[burnleywelsh]

3 hours ago, Number 16 said:

The Scimitars played in this horrendous green, red and gold kit, very rasta!

I remember that kit. Played against them a few times. Had some great players. Their fullback, a fair haired lad was almost unplayable. Very classy.

[burnleywelsh]

2 hours ago, EastLondonMike said:

I remember chatting to a St. Helens fan (a friends dad) who remembers playing a team in hackney back in the 70's. Can't recall what team in St. Helens he played for, but it was on an end of season tour to London. Certainly surprised me when he mentioned it.

Would that have been Hornsey Lambs? Not too far away from Hackney.

[EastLondonMike]

Just now, burnleywelsh said:

Would that have been Hornsey Lambs? Not too far away from Hackney.

No idea. Well before my time. Can't have been too many teams playing RL in east London back then so quite possible.

[burnleywelsh]

1 hour ago, RMBJ said:

Rugby League was being played from 1992-95 at East London RUFC?

Remarkable. 

East London RugbyUnion club were very hospitable. Played American Football there for a few years for London Capitals AFC.

[Number 16]

2 hours ago, RMBJ said:

Rugby League was being played from 1992-95 at East London RUFC?

Remarkable. 

Yes. They were decent landlords. 

I remember one game when we crashed an Indian wedding. The union club was always hosting events and one Sunday it was a Hindu wedding. We were playing and the ref blew full time. 34 players trooped off up to the clubhouse to be faced with a photographer and 100 guests smiling and posing. Without a by your leave we trudged through the throng to the door. They weren't happy!!! 

[Ivarr the Boneless]

10 hours ago, RMBJ said:

Rugby League was being played from 1992-95 at East London RUFC?

Remarkable. 

Most community RL down south ihas been played at RU clubs. There's not much alternative really.

Some Southern RU clubs have been good friends of the sport. Streatham & Croydon alienated an old boy who had progressed to a very senior position in the RFU. He told them to ban rugby league from the ground or he would have nothing more to do with them. They showed him the door and hosted RL for several more years.

[EastLondonMike]

11 hours ago, RMBJ said:

Rugby League was being played from 1992-95 at East London RUFC?

Remarkable. 

And is still played there now. The mighty Newham Dockers RLFC have played there since 2012, prior to that Phantoms RL played there for 2 seasons before disbanding.

[EastLondonMike]

9 hours ago, Number 16 said:

Yes. They were decent landlords. 

Times change.  Think they are better landlords now, but for a few years they weren't the most accommodating.

[Number 16]

14 minutes ago, Ivarr the Boneless said:

Most community RL down south ihas been played at RU clubs. There's not much alternative really.

Some Southern RU clubs have been good friends of the sport. Streatham & Croydon alienated an old boy who had progressed to a very senior position in the RFU. He told them to ban rugby league from the ground or he would have nothing more to do with them. They showed him the door and hosted RL for several more years.

Yes, S-C were always really supportive of RL with first Peckham Pumas and then South London Storm as tenants. You aee correct that in the early 90s they did stick two fingers up at the RFU. 

Storm had thirteen years at Frant Road and became bigger than our hosts... Even Google Maps labelled the ground Storm Park! The last two or three years the relationship with the union club became stretched (dare I say when I took a back seat..), and IMHO due to the RL club: unpaid pitch hire, sheds left unswept even, post protectors not taken in etc and worst, not really using the bar after the games. 

RL thrived at S-C and we fielded up to six teams most Saturdays. The facilities weren't the best and some voices always claimed that the club would be better off elsewhere. Well, the club did relocate when the relationship collapsed, first to Mitcham RFC, who quickly regretted it, and then to Laanfranc School and the RL Foundation's quarter of a million 4G pitch. Once built the school reneged on (verbal?) agreements to use some facilities such as a hall for a match day clubhouse. Then they attempted to muscle in on League's agreed time slots so they could hire out the pitch. 

Suffice to say the end was quick and Storm folded. The school is now a Harris Academy and the RL funded pitch used by soccer and rugby union. 

At Streatham-Croydon times have changed. A couple of influential Committee men refuse point blank to host RL, not even Masters. Plenty at the club would be happy to see us return but at the moment it's he who shouts loudest... 

[Number 16]

11 hours ago, RMBJ said:

Rugby League was being played from 1992-95 at East London RUFC?

Remarkable. 

East London RFC play at the Memorial Grounds which once upon a time was the location of a stadium. There was a link between that site and RL from the 20s or 30s, but I'll be damned if I can remember it now! 

[Bleep1673]

I played for Ealing from 1989-1994, happy daze. Although I dont actually recall playing for them in the Borough of Ealing, we played mostly at Northwick Park, and a local park type pitch, in Willesden, very little drainage. That's why they became Brent-Ealing. At Northwick Park I scored what I thought was a club record of 15 goals, only to be told later by the ref it was considered a friendly because the opposition had only turned up with 13 players, no subs meant it couldn't count.

[ATLANTISMAN]

1 hour ago, Number 16 said:

Yes, S-C were always really supportive of RL with first Peckham Pumas and then South London Storm as tenants. You aee correct that in the early 90s they did stick two fingers up at the RFU. 

Storm had thirteen years at Frant Road and became bigger than our hosts... Even Google Maps labelled the ground Storm Park! The last two or three years the relationship with the union club became stretched (dare I say when I took a back seat..), and IMHO due to the RL club: unpaid pitch hire, sheds left unswept even, post protectors not taken in etc and worst, not really using the bar after the games. 

RL thrived at S-C and we fielded up to six teams most Saturdays. The facilities weren't the best and some voices always claimed that the club would be better off elsewhere. Well, the club did relocate when the relationship collapsed, first to Mitcham RFC, who quickly regretted it, and then to Laanfranc School and the RL Foundation's quarter of a million 4G pitch. Once built the school reneged on (verbal?) agreements to use some facilities such as a hall for a match day clubhouse. Then they attempted to muscle in on League's agreed time slots so they could hire out the pitch. 

Suffice to say the end was quick and Storm folded. The school is now a Harris Academy and the RL funded pitch used by soccer and rugby union. 

At Streatham-Croydon times have changed. A couple of influential Committee men refuse point blank to host RL, not even Masters. Plenty at the club would be happy to see us return but at the moment it's he who shouts loudest... 

When I played for Peckham 1980/81/82 70 % of our team turned out for Streatham Croydon the day before .

 

P 

[yanto]

On 19/01/2018 at 21:17, Jill Halfpenny fan said:

A few years back I remember watching Essex Scimitars at the "Chester Sevens"

From memory they had some decent players.

Anyone know what happened to them?

What a Nation wide tournament that was.

North Wales Coasters played in it one year (did it only run for one year ??) and if I remember Ray French was guest of honour .

Did Lionel Hurst not have something to do with organizing it??

I have a tournament programme at home (curently back in Norway working) and a map shows development teams from all over England and Wales.

Of the top of my head (apart from Essex Scimitars and North Wales Coasters), I can remember Garibaldi (Mansfield area) Aberavon,Crewe and Nantwich and Carlisle and Birmingham....going to have to check when I get home.

[RP London]

1 hour ago, Number 16 said:

Yes, S-C were always really supportive of RL with first Peckham Pumas and then South London Storm as tenants. You aee correct that in the early 90s they did stick two fingers up at the RFU. 

Storm had thirteen years at Frant Road and became bigger than our hosts... Even Google Maps labelled the ground Storm Park! The last two or three years the relationship with the union club became stretched (dare I say when I took a back seat..), and IMHO due to the RL club: unpaid pitch hire, sheds left unswept even, post protectors not taken in etc and worst, not really using the bar after the games. 

RL thrived at S-C and we fielded up to six teams most Saturdays. The facilities weren't the best and some voices always claimed that the club would be better off elsewhere. Well, the club did relocate when the relationship collapsed, first to Mitcham RFC, who quickly regretted it, and then to Laanfranc School and the RL Foundation's quarter of a million 4G pitch. Once built the school reneged on (verbal?) agreements to use some facilities such as a hall for a match day clubhouse. Then they attempted to muscle in on League's agreed time slots so they could hire out the pitch. 

Suffice to say the end was quick and Storm folded. The school is now a Harris Academy and the RL funded pitch used by soccer and rugby union. 

At Streatham-Croydon times have changed. A couple of influential Committee men refuse point blank to host RL, not even Masters. Plenty at the club would be happy to see us return but at the moment it's he who shouts loudest... 

so many very good years down at s-c... we always kept things clean and tidy and always looked after it, as you should be you tennants or its your own ground.. general housekeeping is important.. cant believe the Storm I remember got like that! very sad. 

The amount we must have put behind the bar in an early evening before heading off into town must have been good for the club in the off season!

[Bedfordshire Bronco]

21 hours ago, Rugbyron said:

Anyone remember Hackney RLFC,played on Hackney Marshes in the 70s.One of the founder members of the Southern Rugby league.

Jesus that is a horrible place to play rugby... Of either code

[Hemel Rugby League]

17 hours ago, Pigeon Lofter said:

No,but there was an occasional team called McEntee (sp?) that played a bit of League back in the day. I was told by Gordon Anderton that it was an old boy club from an East End school (Walthamstow maybe) but not much was known about them but they appeared randomly then disappeared from view only to re-emerge like Lazarus without warning. Maybe someone remembers more details?

McEntee were Hemel's first ever opponents in a fixture played on a hurling pitch at Pennine Way on 5 April, 1981. Hemel lost 38-0