London Amateur Rugby League - Clubs of yesteryear

[Hemel Rugby League]

When I arrived in London from Oz in 1980 I picked up a copy of the Australasian Express to discover there was  a RL club called London Colonials nearby.  A phone call was answered by an Englishman, Gordon Anderton, who was  Chair of the London Amateur Rugby League( just 5 clubs) but was also doing all the admin for the transient Colonials

One thing led to another and Hemel joined the London League that grew to three divisions of 27 teams under Gordon's management (such was the influence of the newly arrived Fulham RLFC).

Over the years I admired Gordon's commitment to the sport in London at all levels but it was at grassroots level where he was at his best. I always thought that every grassroots club needed at least one Gordon Anderton 

My final meeting  with  Gordon was in London Colonial's clubhouse (the basement of a pub overlooking the Thames) after Hemel's Southern Counties Cup  victory over London Colonials in 1997 at the Hurlingham Stadium( more used to international quoquet matches than RL) when we shared thoughts on life etc. We both had identical heart problems - mine had been operated on a couple years previously to allow me to write this today but Gordon - who was significantly older- was denied the operation and was dead within a year.

After Gordon's death the Gordon Anderton Memorial Trophy appeared but quickly disappeared.

It would be nice  if it was resurrected to permanently acknowledge the founder of RL in London

 

 

Edited October 26, 2022 by Hemel Rugby League

[outlaw13]

I played a couple of seasons for South London Wanderers in the mid 80’s. They were a fantastic group of lads and included Andrew Mighty and his mate Roy.  I spent many a hour getting across London to training and matches in the back of a builders van. I think I played a couple of games at Herne Hill but most of the games were at Gunnersbury Park. The main opposition at that time were the Colonials and I think we mostly got the better of them. I remember a London Cup final win against St Mary’s? After the win we were invited to the New Zealand High Commission and performed the Haka on stage. 

Lots of Sunday morning games ended with being locked in the cellar at the ‘Church’ until the pubs were allowed to open again. I played some of the games in the NWC league, including one where we travelled all the way to Pilkingtons I think only for the game to be called off for a frozen pitch.

In I think 1990 I got selected to play for a Southern select team to play Russia as a curtain raiser for the GB v Australia test at Wembley. The side were coached by the Moroccan ex pro Hussein M’BarkI.

[IM2]

On 25/10/2022 at 18:51, League of the South said:

Does anyone else have recollections of the London Amateur League from the late 1980's to the mid 90's ?

I played in the final 2 seasons of Hornsey Lams existence. We used to play our home games at the New River sports centre near Wood Green, at least that's where I used to take the tube to for training and matches. I recall making my league debut in an unexpected victory away at Hemel Hempstead, having been welcomed aboard during the summer and being totally new to the sport of rugby league. The team was expertly coached by the wonderful Sean McGuire who I believe went on to be Chief Exec at St Helen's in the mid 2000's. Some great guys and some excellent players, with several from Aus / NZ, and we used to drink at the Boston Arms in Tufnell Park after our home games. I recall playing vs London Colonials, Fulham Travellers, Peckham Pumas, Streatham Celtic, St Mary's College, South London and others. I also well remember beating a team from Yorkshire in the first round of the National Cup - Aitland Wells rings a bell maybe ?

Happy memories indeed !

I played a bit for the lambs back in the day. Sean a good mate as well. Chris Green as well. & Dave someone from Cumbria I think I played in that national cup match as well. I founded Skolars as well and we moved to New River in 1997.

[Boyny]

We {York Punch Bowl} played against London Colonials late 80s in the National Cup. Their pitch was in Battersea park I think. They ran from a boozer called The Prince Albert . Had a great NZ standoff at the time who ripped us to bits. It got a bit tasty with 2 sent off and the atmosphere after the game in the pub was ermm..daunting. Happy days!

[League of the South]

2 hours ago, IM2 said:

I played a bit for the lambs back in the day. Sean a good mate as well. Chris Green as well. & Dave someone from Cumbria I think I played in that national cup match as well. I founded Skolars as well and we moved to New River in 1997.

Then we must have played in the same team I reckon. I think the Dave you mention used to drop me back in Bethnal Green after training sometimes. Other names I vaguely recall - S Mitchell (scrum half), M Moore (prop), S Francombe (stand off), D Candlin (wing / centre), R Johnson (centre), K Clancy (hooker), D Moon (full back), M Belsito (2nd row)..............all expertly coach by Sean ! 

[League of the South]

12 hours ago, outlaw13 said:

I played a couple of seasons for South London Wanderers in the mid 80’s. They were a fantastic group of lads and included Andrew Mighty and his mate Roy.  I spent many a hour getting across London to training and matches in the back of a builders van. I think I played a couple of games at Herne Hill but most of the games were at Gunnersbury Park. The main opposition at that time were the Colonials and I think we mostly got the better of them. I remember a London Cup final win against St Mary’s? After the win we were invited to the New Zealand High Commission and performed the Haka on stage. 

Lots of Sunday morning games ended with being locked in the cellar at the ‘Church’ until the pubs were allowed to open again. I played some of the games in the NWC league, including one where we travelled all the way to Pilkingtons I think only for the game to be called off for a frozen pitch.

In I think 1990 I got selected to play for a Southern select team to play Russia as a curtain raiser for the GB v Australia test at Wembley. The side were coached by the Moroccan ex pro Hussein M’BarkI.

I recall meeting Hussain M'Barki a couple of times. I remember that we played a few times against Rotherhithe which was a team that he set up, they used to play in Southwark Park.

[Number 16]

12 hours ago, League of the South said:

Then we must have played in the same team I reckon. I think the Dave you mention used to drop me back in Bethnal Green after training sometimes. Other names I vaguely recall - S Mitchell (scrum half), M Moore (prop), S Francombe (stand off), D Candlin (wing / centre), R Johnson (centre), K Clancy (hooker), D Moon (full back), M Belsito (2nd row)..............all expertly coach by Sean ! 

I'm guessing the prop was Mick Moore who I played alongside at East London. And Wavy Dave Candlin, later of Bexley Heath and South London Storm?

[Number 16]

On 26/10/2022 at 22:49, Hemel Rugby League said:

After Gordon's death the Gordon Anderton Memorial Trophy appeared but quickly disappeared.

It would be nice  if it was resurrected to permanently acknowledge the founder of RL in London

Sadly, the cup survived only two years, and South London Storm (then named Saints) reached both finals.

The first, 1997/98, we played Reading Raiders at the New River Stadium, but lost to two controversial late tries, and these after my magnificent solo thirty yard effort had put us ahead with five to go. The two late Raiders tries were from a miscounted seventh tackle and then a clear knock on at the PTB. The ref that day was Martin ??, fair curly hair and quite well built. Great bloke who gave up reffing as he also played cricket and couldn't do both when RL switched seasons.

Even 24 years later that result still rankles.

The following year we were defeated in the final by St Albans Centurions at Streatham-Croydon RFC. On the bench that day for Storm was Rob Jones who later retired from RL and went in to play union for Wales and the British Lions. 

As I've typed this I've realised that the cup continued on for a year or two as a mid season 9s. We won it one year, it's last, because the cup resided for years in our trophy cabinet.

[League of the South]

30 minutes ago, Number 16 said:

I'm guessing the prop was Mick Moore who I played alongside at East London. And Wavy Dave Candlin, later of Bexley Heath and South London Storm?

Correct, after Hornsey folded myself and Mick Moore (think he was from Shirebrook) both joined Essex Scimitars and played there for a couple of seasons. Excellent facilities, used to play our home games at the London Fire Brigade sports ground on the A13 near Purfleet. I do recall us also playing a couple of home games at East London RUFC and one at Canvey Island. Being Div 2, there was a lot more travelling and I remember teams like Cambridge City, Rotherhithe, Surrey Heath, Bexleyheath, Met Police and even Bognor Regis which took hours to drive to. Some great guys at the Scimitars, names I recall are Clay Harris, Kenny Ryder, Mick Moore and a brilliant full-back nicknamed ‘side step’ who was as good a player as any in either division. He also played union for Southend from memory. 

Yes, it was Dave Candlin, a really nice guy too.

[dealwithit]

This is a fantastic read. Thanks all for sharing

[Welshleaguelover]

Just watched Kai Pearce Paul talking about playing for Croydon Hurricanes.

I think we're missing a trick by not talking about the southern lads. We've had plenty over the last 10-15 years.

I hope to see Louie McCarthy Scarsbrook working on telly as a pundit in the future.

[Exiled Townie]

Wasn't there a Hainault Bulldogs playing out of Dagenham in the London League.  If it's the club I am thinking about, it was started by a lad from Batley who moved darn sarf.

  

[Number 16]

15 hours ago, Welshleaguelover said:

Just watched Kai Pearce Paul talking about playing for Croydon Hurricanes.

I think we're missing a trick by not talking about the southern lads. We've had plenty over the last 10-15 years.

I hope to see Louie McCarthy Scarsbrook working on telly as a pundit in the future.

In 1997 I was one of three who started South London Storm. We decided to do it in the bar at the Stoop, in a spirit of enthusiasm, after London had defeated Canberra. Two years later I started the club's juniors as somewhere for my own kids to play. 

As a result of our endeavours and achievements Development Officers were appointed to our club/Service Area, and they established satellite junior clubs which included Brixton Bulls and Croydon Hurricanes.

KPP is the jewel in the crown.

Strange to think that had the Raiders defeated the Broncos that balmy July evening twenty-five years ago then there'd probably be another name on today's England team sheet.

Butterfly wings...

Edited October 29, 2022 by Number 16

[Northern Eel]

14 hours ago, Exiled Townie said:

Wasn't there a Hainault Bulldogs playing out of Dagenham in the London League.  If it's the club I am thinking about, it was started by a lad from Batley who moved darn sarf.

  

Yes, Paddy. Posts on here sometimes…  They we’re a little later on in proceedings. 

Edited October 29, 2022 by Northern Eel

[marklaspalmas]

Great thread. Names to conjure with from the 80s and 90s when results and tables as well as the odd article would appear in Open Rugby magazine.

Y'all should write a book about it.

[marko]

On 25/10/2022 at 18:51, League of the South said:

Does anyone else have recollections of the London Amateur League from the late 1980's to the mid 90's ?

I played in the final 2 seasons of Hornsey Lams existence. We used to play our home games at the New River sports centre near Wood Green, at least that's where I used to take the tube to for training and matches. I recall making my league debut in an unexpected victory away at Hemel Hempstead, having been welcomed aboard during the summer and being totally new to the sport of rugby league. The team was expertly coached by the wonderful Sean McGuire who I believe went on to be Chief Exec at St Helen's in the mid 2000's. Some great guys and some excellent players, with several from Aus / NZ, and we used to drink at the Boston Arms in Tufnell Park after our home games. I recall playing vs London Colonials, Fulham Travellers, Peckham Pumas, Streatham Celtic, St Mary's College, South London and others. I also well remember beating a team from Yorkshire in the first round of the National Cup - Aitland Wells rings a bell maybe ?

Happy memories indeed !

Eightlands Well from Dewsbury. Think you beat us 18-5. I got a British nuclear fuel tie for getting man of the match! Seemed to remember about 10 of your players were Aussies!

[League of the South]

3 hours ago, marko said:

Eightlands Well from Dewsbury. Think you beat us 18-5. I got a British nuclear fuel tie for getting man of the match! Seemed to remember about 10 of your players were Aussies!

Thanks for responding, apologies for the misspelling of your team name. Does the club still exist ? I remember that the kick-off was delayed slightly as your team coach went on a short sightseeing trip in central London. Belated congratulations on your MOTM award ! Think we had 3 Aussies and 2 Kiwis from memory. 

[BJW]

4 hours ago, marklaspalmas said:

Great thread. Names to conjure with from the 80s and 90s when results and tables as well as the odd article would appear in Open Rugby magazine.

Y'all should write a book about it.

Wrote a monthly page (or so) for Harry at OR in the late 80s/early 90s as he was great advocate for the game in London. They would also publish articles from others in and around the LARL. Change of job and move of office meant I had to stop.

[Roy Haggerty]

On 26/10/2022 at 10:30, Impartial Observer said:

Crawley Jets played in the summer RLC, they had a guy Steve O Reilly I think who was from Widnes who was instrumental in setting them up, he could kick the ball a mile

I played for Crystal Palace (London Crusaders' short-lived second team), East London and was one of the founders of South London Saints (then Storm) from 1992-2000, before more or less stopping playing and starting reffing (although I had a short spell back playing in 2010 for South London again). 

Crawley Jets were a top team for a while, and they used to always give us a kicking, often off the back of Steve O'Reilly's kicking. In one game when we were getting smashed, he'd booted the ball downfield and was running past me chasing his own kick. I was knackered and annoyed, so stuck a leg out and tripped him up. Next scrum, I packed down and a fist came from nowhere right on my hooter. When the scrum broke up, he was grinning at me. Fair enough.

I started at Crystal Palace as my first team in London because I'd just moved to the big city and was living in a shared house  in Walthamstow. I wanted to play some RL, so rang the then London development officer, a certain Roger Draper of Sport England, Warrington and RFL fame. That ###### told me my nearest club was in Crystal Palace (which he was at that time trying to get going), so I ended up making a 90 minute journey from far NE London to far south London because he "forgot" to mention the existence of at least 3 clubs which were much, much closer.

Once I discovered that, I went along to East London Bears, who were easily the worst RL club I ever played for, and also one of my fondest memories. We lost nearly every game, but still some highlights stand out. Like our winger getting in the clear, and going to score a rare try, only to mistake the deadball line for the tryline, and put it down dead, while the opposition wet themselves laughing. Then the Bears folded, and I'd moved to Clapham anyway, so I went to join what was then Peckham Pumas, but they folded just as I got there. So me and a couple of others put some ads in the south london press, rang around a lot of guys, and managed to scrape together South London Saints (I chose the first name), which went on to become the powerhouse of amateur London RL for a decade.

Great days, so many good lads and good times. No matter what the score was.

[Roy Haggerty]

On 28/10/2022 at 12:23, League of the South said:

Correct, after Hornsey folded myself and Mick Moore (think he was from Shirebrook) both joined Essex Scimitars and played there for a couple of seasons. Excellent facilities, used to play our home games at the London Fire Brigade sports ground on the A13 near Purfleet. I do recall us also playing a couple of home games at East London RUFC and one at Canvey Island. Being Div 2, there was a lot more travelling and I remember teams like Cambridge City, Rotherhithe, Surrey Heath, Bexleyheath, Met Police and even Bognor Regis which took hours to drive to. Some great guys at the Scimitars, names I recall are Clay Harris, Kenny Ryder, Mick Moore and a brilliant full-back nicknamed ‘side step’ who was as good a player as any in either division. He also played union for Southend from memory. 

Yes, it was Dave Candlin, a really nice guy too.

Ken Ryder was another East London Bear, and far too good for us, tbh. He was my second row partner. I passed him the ball which he took into a tackle resulting in the nastiest broken leg I've ever seen. Still makes me cringe thinking about it. He lay on the pitch for ages waiting for an ambulance, with an extra joint in his leg where it was flopping about. Awful. Not sure whether he played again after that. Top bloke.

[League of the South]

28 minutes ago, Roy Haggerty said:

Ken Ryder was another East London Bear, and far too good for us, tbh. He was my second row partner. I passed him the ball which he took into a tackle resulting in the nastiest broken leg I've ever seen. Still makes me cringe thinking about it. He lay on the pitch for ages waiting for an ambulance, with an extra joint in his leg where it was flopping about. Awful. Not sure whether he played again after that. Top bloke.

 

28 minutes ago, Roy Haggerty said:

Ken Ryder was another East London Bear, and far too good for us, tbh. He was my second row partner. I passed him the ball which he took into a tackle resulting in the nastiest broken leg I've ever seen. Still makes me cringe thinking about it. He lay on the pitch for ages waiting for an ambulance, with an extra joint in his leg where it was flopping about. Awful. Not sure whether he played again after that. Top bloke.

Sorry to hear about this. Correct, Ken was a great bloke, I played in the pack with him for a couple of seasons. He used to give me a lift to a lot of the away games. From memory he was a qualified Civil Engineer and worked on the construction of the Dartford Crossing bridge, opened in 1991. Hope he made a full recovery. 

[Number 16]

1 hour ago, Roy Haggerty said:

Ken Ryder was another East London Bear, and far too good for us, tbh. He was my second row partner. I passed him the ball which he took into a tackle resulting in the nastiest broken leg I've ever seen. Still makes me cringe thinking about it. He lay on the pitch for ages waiting for an ambulance, with an extra joint in his leg where it was flopping about. Awful. Not sure whether he played again after that. Top bloke.

The oddest thing about him busting his leg is that before the game, which was towards the end of the campaign, our physio, Michele Preston (nee Snares, of the Snares clan) said that the only player she'd not had to attend to on the pitch that season was... Ken! 

[Northern Eel]

43 minutes ago, Number 16 said:

The oddest thing about him busting his leg is that before the game, which was towards the end of the campaign, our physio, Michele Preston (nee Snares, of the Snares clan) said that the only player she'd not had to attend to on the pitch that season was... Ken! 

Good old Michelle. She's some very fond memories of her time on the London RL scene.

[Roy Haggerty]

14 minutes ago, Northern Eel said:

Good old Michelle. She's some very fond memories of her time on the London RL scene.

She was on a hiding to nothing trying to patch us lot up after our weekly smashing. I think it was her who had to try and tape my ear back on after it ripped off at the top, because we didn’t have any subs so I had to go back on. 

[Yosser]

Does anyone remember "Scots Dave" in the late 80's early 90's very tall with long hair and a big beard from Glasgow.

He was forever looking to have a tear up with anyone from Union. I remember a big set to with some union lads on a tube train. You could never accuse Scots Dave of being shy or reluctant to express his opinion.