History

Wootton Bassett Rugby Football Club - Our History

The Wootton Bassett Rugby Football Club came into being on the 21st December 1971 at a meeting held at 'The Curriers Arms'. The meeting was attended by the following thirteen individuals who can proudly be described as the Founding Fathers of WBRFC

WBRFC - The Founder Members

• Colin Applegate
• John Baker
• David Brown
• Michael Brown
• Ian Campbell
• John Forbes-Keith
• Ian Keith
• Hamish Keith
• Michael Leighfield
• Vernon Nation
• Royston Smith
• Tony Trussell
• Melvin Wright

In the beginning: From Calne to Bassett

At the start of the 1971/72 season, many future Wootton Bassett players were already committed to other local clubs, principally Calne Bentleian RFC, so only seven games were actually played.

The very first match played by a Wootton Bassett RFC XV in February 1972 was against a combined team of teachers and senior pupils from the Wootton Bassett Secondary School. The Club took this opportunity to give trials to some 40 would-be players, and the recording of a 24 points - nil victory was somewhat academic. The first real match involving a selected XV was against a team from nearby RAF Lyneham, which the Club won by 16 points - 8. The first defeat of the Club by 18 - 11 was suffered against a 'touring' side from Middlesex - Pinner and Grammarians RFC who were engaged on an Easter Tour of the West Country. Other matches resulted in victories over Swindon College and Minety, whilst Chippenham and Hereford proved to be too strong.

Activities off the field were not neglected during these early months. The first fundraising event took place on 5 March 1972, when more than 40 enthusiasts completed a sponsored 10 mile walk - between two local hostelries - raising over £100 towards Club funds. The Wootton Bassett carnival in May 1972 recorded the first social event for the Club and an entry in the Float competition entitled 'Crossing the Line Ceremony' was awarded second prize.

Unfortunately, Club members somewhat blotted their copybook at this event by kidnapping the Carnival Queen and holding her overnight for ransom. Although money was raised for charity, the Carnival Committee was not amused! However, all was forgiven in subsequent years and Club floats designed by Melvin Wright and constructed by the members won first prize both in 1973 with the 'The Moroccan Queen' and in 1974 with 'The Dragon'. To mark the end of its first 'season' a Club Dinner for members and guests was held at Noremarsh Farm Hotel.

At the initial Club Annual General Meeting held on 19 June 1972 the first elected Executive Committee, for the 1972/73 season, was formed as follows:

1. Chairman: David Brown
2. Secretary: John Forbes-Keith
3. Treasurer: Vernon Nation
4. Social Secretary: Ian Campbell
5. Public Relations: Tony Trussell
6. Fixtures Secretary: Colin Applegate
7. Team Secretary: Royston Smith
8. 1st XV Captain: John Jones

Peter Arkell: The First President

On 30 June 1972 Peter Arkell, the Chairman of Arkell’s Brewery, accepted the invitation to become the first President of the Club

In its first full rugby season of 1972/1973 the playing record of the Club was as follows:

The Early Days

During this season the Club also fielded a Colts XV on two occasions, but unfortunately, the results are lost in the mists of time.

Home matches were played on a piece of vacant land owned by the Wootton Bassett Town Council. The Clubhouse continued to be the Curriers Arms, where the Club Treasurer, Vernon Nation, was landlord, and on the odd occasion when both teams played at home the situation in the bar could be described as 'intimate'.

On 1 December 1972 the Club was legitimised by being accepted as a probationary member of the Dorset and Wiltshire County Rugby Football Union.

In April 1973 land adjacent to Stoneover Lane was first suggested by the Club to the Town Council as a possible venue for playing rugby football.

The annual Club Dinner and Dance was held at the Blunsdon House Hotel on Friday 13 July 1973 (defying superstition) with Mike Titcombe, a local referee, as guest speaker.

The highlights of the 1973/74 season included the selection for the Wiltshire Rakers (County) side of three Club players - John Bromley prop forward, Ian Keith wing three-quarter, and Phil Weaver centre; the appointment of Graham Spencer, a one-time England Colts reserve, as Club Coach; the design of the first Club tie incorporating the local 19th century Town Hall as the official emblem; and England International Dave Rollitt as guest speaker at the Dinner and Dance in May 1974.

Swindon RFC and Vickers RFC Sponsor WBRFC to RFU membership

Also in May 1974, the Club, sponsored by Swindon RFC and Vickers RFC (now Supermarine), was accepted as an affiliate member of the Rugby Football Union.

The First Overseas Recruitment

Following three years of consolidation, with improving fixtures and the introduction of a third XV, in January 1977 the Club was extremely fortunate to recruit an overseas player - and what a player he turned out to be! Alan (Kiwi) McLennan from Wellington, New Zealand was a lock forward in true 'All Black' tradition. He gave 110% skill and effort on the field, yet proved to have hollow legs in the after-match bar.

Although, on this visit, Alan played for Wootton Bassett for one full season (1977/78) and two part seasons, he inspired the Club as a whole, and the pack in particular, to record by far its best series of results.

The highlight was to reach the final of the Dorset and Wilts County Cup in March 1978 by defeating the old enemy, Swindon, in the semi-final by 6 points - nil, full back Wyn Rees kicking a penalty goal in each half.

In an emotionally charged final at Devizes, despite gaining overwhelming territorial advantage, the Club had to give best to Salisbury RFC by 10 - 3 with centre John Pettit scoring the solitary dropped goal.

Even so, this was only the second defeat for the first XV in a season of 32 matches.

Such was the respect commanded by Alan McLennan that the invited opposition for his farewell match in November 1978 included Peter Larter, British Lions and England, Dai Llewellyn, Wales B and London Welsh, and representatives from Bath, Harlequins, Rosslyn Park and Swansea. A game and a night to remember.

Alan returned to Great Britain in 1982 as a member of the management team with the New Zealand under 23 squad. He resumed playing for the Club and currently lives with his family in the town.

During these first eight or so years the Club, chiefly through its long-time Chairman, Mike Leighfield, had been constantly pursuing a fixed abode for both playing and entertaining.

Stoneover Lane - Getting There

In terms of pitches, the Club has so far used three sites, each for a single season, before being obliged through development, to return to the playing fields of Wootton Bassett Comprehensive School, to whom the Club is ever indebted.

The Club had also outgrown the after-match facilities provided by four local hostelries - the Curriers Arms, the Beaufort Arms, the Red Lion and the Cross Keys.

With the prospect of being granted a piece of land for a Clubhouse, in the Autumn of 1979 members of the Club dismantled a wooden structure which had served as a clubroom at RAF Wroughton and was donated to the Club. The walls, roof and floor sections were stored to await re-erection.

Finally, in May 1980 the Club was told that a strip of land adjacent to Stoneover Lane would be made available to accommodate a Clubhouse and car park.

The 15 year lease for this land between the Club and Wootton Bassett Town Council was signed on 18 May 1981.

Work began immediately to plan and build the Clubhouse. The wooden structure from RAF Wroughton had badly deteriorated during 2+ years storage and it was decided to build a block construction incorporating a clubroom, bar area, kitchen and toilet facilities.

All of the main services - gas, electricity, water and sewerage had to be connected up to Stoneover Lane, a distance of over 100 yards. Even so, all of the ground works and the building construction were completed by Club members, a few of them professional with a small army of amateur labourers.

A great inspiration during the building period was Club Secretary Fred Davies who took periodic photographs of the site to record progress. Due to the utilisation of 'cheap labour', the building and fitting-out of the Clubhouse was completed at a capital cost of £16,700.

Although some minor work was still outstanding, the Clubhouse was first used at Easter 1982 when a side from Lucon in France, on tour to Cirencester RFC, visited the Club for a game and to perform a thorough 'christening' ceremony.

On 1 June 1983 a 5-year lease was signed with the Town Council, for the remainder of the site at Stoneover Lane, for use as rugby pitches. The Club immediately put in hand the drainage of the land, at a cost approaching £5,000.

Work was also started to extend the referees’ room and shower block. Again, much of the labour was provided by members, containing the cost to £11,000.

The new facilities were available for the 1984/85 season and the official opening was performed by the Mayor of Wootton Bassett, Ken Scott, on 7 October 1984, and marked by a game against a Wasps XV, when a crowd of over 500 enjoyed a spectacle of running rugby.

With the full time availability of playing facilities, both Mini-Rugby and the Colts section began rapid development and a regular fifth senior side took the field.

Wootton Bassett RFC Sevens - Wyn Rees Memorial Trophy

In April 1985 the Club established the Wyn Rees Memorial VIIs competition, in memory of a much respected player and member who continued to give his support to the Club and to the game of rugby until tragically losing his fight against cancer whilst still in his 30s. Fittingly, the final in the inaugural year of the 7s competition was won by Wootton Bassett 21 points - 12 against Swindon, a former club of Wyn Rees.

The competition has been held annually since 1985 and the winners to date have included teams from Gloucester, Bath, Cardiff Post Office and London New Zealand.

The 1986/87 season was distinguished by winning the Club’s first senior trophy, when the Second XV, under captain Gwyn Davies, won the Dorset and Wilts County 2nd XV Cup, defeating Salisbury RFC in the final at Calne by 13 points - 12 thanks to an injury time penalty goal from full back Adrian Sugden.

In 1987 the first pair of floodlights were erected at the Stoneover Lane site to facilitate training and coaching.

First Colts Success

The seasons 1988/89 and 1989/90 belonged to the Colts section of the Club under manager David Baldry. In 1988/89 captained by Christian Michaelis their playing record read: Played 24, Won 24, Points for 766, Against 79. This included victory in the final of the Dorset and Wilts Counties Colts Shield by 19 points - 3 over Wimbourne RFC. To crown the year, the Wootton Bassett Colts were voted joint runners-up (with Cardiff High School Old Boys Youth) to Rosslyn Park Colts, as Umbro Youth Team of the Year for the Whitbread Rugby World Awards.

To follow such an outstanding year would appear impossible, but the 1989/90 Colts XV under captain Paul Floyd won all 19 fixtures, with a points differential of +483 and they retained the Counties Colts Shield by defeating Swanage and Wareham by 10 points - 8. They also added the Cirencester Colts VII’s trophy, for good measure.

1989/90 saw a further extension to the Clubhouse, to accommodate the increasing membership, with a sixth XV being regularly fielded. Additional training lights were also erected during 1990 to further improve training facilities.

Continuing to develop the facilities in the early 1990s has seen the addition of a fully equipped gymnasium and further plans are in place to extend the social areas of the Clubhouse pending an improved lease.

The total spent to date by the Club on the facilities at Stoneover Lane exceeds £70,000. This capital has been raised within the Club, chiefly through the Bar, where in 10 years turnover has totalled £1/3 million - that represents a lot of pints, all pulled by volunteer labour. The profit form the Bar, together with the one-armed bandit, is approaching £90,000 - a tremendous input to the financial well-being and future of the Club.

During 1996 the Club successfully negotiated with its landlords, the Wootton Bassett Town Council and North Wiltshire District Council to secure a 25 year lease over the Stoneover Lane site. Once this was finalised further efforts were made to provide even better facilities for the Wootton Bassett Rugby Football and Social Club at the Stoneover site we call home!