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“I was thinking of
trying to start a Rugby Club......”
These were the
immortal words uttered by Dave Jones to Derek Lyons during a cricket
match at the village hall on a chilly May afternoon in 1981. So the
idea was spawned to start a Rugby Club in a developing new town despite
the local presence of clubs such as Maldon, Chelmsford, Brentwood,
Billericay, Basildon, Burnham on Crouch and, slightly further a field,
Southend, Westcliffe and Thurrock.
Some 25 years on, we now have a Club structure and set-up which is the
envy of all of our local rivals, and foundations and a playing structure
which will stand us in good stead for many years to come.
So
how do you turn the idea into reality? We needed to establish first of
all if there was any other interest in the town and so we called an open
meeting in the village hall. We erected notices of our intentions and
spread the news by word of mouth. One of our cricket colleagues, Alan
Woolmer, was the chairman of the local Sports Council and we enlisted
his help. The first meeting was held in July and turned out to be well
attended, so we made a commitment to form the club, and with the
assistance of Ron Bushby who was the secretary of the Sports Council, we
drew up a constitution. A committee was formed on that fateful night in
July, comprising Derek Lyons, Andy Turner, Dave Jones, Colin Eschborn
and Paul Spencer.
Dave Jones had a been a member at Burnham on Crouch Rubgy Club, and we
established in advance of the 1981/82 season that Burnham on Crouch were
struggling to field a third team, and to help us get off the ground, we
initially started supplying players to their third team and playing
under the banner of “Woodburns”, that was in September 1981. Over the
first few weeks of the season, the number of players from Woodham grew,
and it was not long before Woodham was providing the vast majority of
players to fulfil these fixtures.
At
the same time, we commenced negotiations with Chelmsford Borough Council
to try and convince them that we were serious about starting a Rugby
Club in the town and needed pitch facilities. Saltcoats Park was given
over entirely to football pitches and a hockey pitch. Again with the
support of the Sports Council, we secured a commitment from the Borough
Council to lay a rugby pitch at the far end of the ground adjacent to
the railway line. The original Clubhouse was also being sited at
Saltcoats Park under the leadership and direction of Alan Woolmer and
members of the Rugby Club were actively involved in the building of the
original pavilion.
There was still much work to be done in terms of continuing to attract
players and members, affiliation to the RFU and to the Essex County
Rugby Union, and buying kit etc. One of the early things we did was to
design the club badge which exists to this day. The badge was intended
to represent the fact that South Woodham Ferrers was a developing new
town adjacent to the River Crouch. During the 1981/82 season, all our
home games were played at Burnham on Crouch and it always paid to be one
of the first in the dressing room as the jerseys which were used by the
Burnham on Crouch third team had seen better days and you did well to
find one there without numerous holes!
We
were also working on a very limited budget, and again were fortunate
through the Local Sports Council to be able to apply for funding and a
grant. The original club colours of all black were agreed upon for two
reasons, one is that it was more economical to have jerseys of a single
colour and secondly it was felt that our opponents seeing a team in all
black might be slightly unnerved and intimidated, although it was
quickly obvious once the game began that their fears would be totally
unfounded!
1982/83 saw our first season using the new pitch at Saltcoats Park, and
before every game we had to “walk” the pitch to ensure that there were
no stones/sharp objects as the pitch had been newly laid during the
previous summer. The fact that we now had our own pitch and the use of
a Clubhouse put us in a position where we were able to push forward and
look to expand the club and also to attract the interests of people
moving into the town given that there were still a lot of house building
and development. Likewise the William De Ferrers School was expanding
and we wanted to be in a position to ensure that as students left school
they joined a local club rather than move out of the area.
Establishing fixtures as a new club was also difficult in those days,
there were no leagues, and the majority of local clubs had established
fixtures, so trying to break into their fixture list did prove
difficult. However, with much perseverance, and many phone calls, the
fixture list gradually took shape as we started to build good
relationships with our local rivals. In 1983 we formed the mini section
which was formed as a separate club at that stage in view of the
availability of funding and grants from the Local Council, and very much
as is the case now, that was built upon the foundation of enthusiastic
fathers giving up their time on a Sunday!
In
1984/85 we were able to field a second 15 for the first time, and put
together a fixture list, the same season as the club entered the Essex
Cup for the first time, drawing East London as a home fixture in the
first round. East London were a very strong club in those days, and
were one of the favourites to win the cup. Woodham put up at
magnificent display, losing narrowly in the final stages of the game.
There was tremendous local support that day and that, coupled with
subsequent press coverage, meant that we were well and truly on the map
and a force to be reckoned with in the future.
Since then, the club has simply gone from strength to strength, and what
has been achieved in a relatively short space of time is little short of
miraculous, and was crowned in October 2004 with the opening of the
magnificent new Clubhouse.
Whilst Burnham on Crouch remains one of our local rivals, we do owe them
a huge debt of gratitude for their invaluable help and assistance in the
early days of the club. Over the years, countless people have also
dedicated their time and energy to building up and maintaining the club,
and to all those who have made such a commitment, we again owe a huge
debt of thanks. We must also acknowledge the tremendous support of our
sponsors Lady Getty for her generous donation which started the
Clubhouse project, AON Limited and currently Tulip International and Perception
Media - and without their support over the years; the Clubhouse project
would not now be complete. So, as we celebrate our achievements, we
also look forward to the next 25 years in the sure knowledge that we
have laid firm foundations.
Dave Parkinson
& Pam Parkinson
It is with the deepest regret that the Club announces
the death of David Parkinson on the 10th
November after a short illness. Dave was a member of the
Club from it’s very early days, briefly as a player and
subsequently as an administrator and committed Vice
President. But he was more than just a member. He was
the very epitome of a rugby club man – heart and soul –
his heart was in the Club and the Club was in his soul.
A man of great presence, he provided the backbone of the
Club for so many years. His skills and knowledge as a
club secretary stood him apart and made him a daunting
act to follow. In all he served the club for 14 years in
this capacity and for over 20 years administered our
International ticket allocation with military style
efficiency. Our Saturday afternoons will simply not be
the same. His equal concerns for the Club’s success and
the fate of his beloved Manchester City made those few
after match pints both interesting and enjoyable. We
shall miss them.
His long and illustrious rugby pedigree included
Manchester YMCA, Sale and representative honours with
Cheshire. No mean achievement considering he was
operating in the darkest recesses of the front row.
Those great skills were never more evident than in his
spell with SWF where he was able to operate as loose or
tight head depending on the scrum feed! Eventually his
chronic back problem got the better of him and he
reluctantly retired from the game he graced for so many
years. Always one to want to put something back into the
game he spent the next few years refereeing. Being a
member of the front row union he also developed a
refereeing style of his own and long term mauls became a
regular feature of his games! Whilst rugby was his chief
sporting passion Dave also played football in his
younger days and was also a keen cricketer. Indeed he
played for SWF Cricket Club when he first moved to the
area. He was an uncompromising batsman, which was no
surprise, and never one to be chasing the ball around
the field he would find himself stationed in the slip
cordon where his catching technique of allowing the ball
to hit his ample chest before wrapping his hands around
it proved most effective, if a little unorthodox!! Not
many however went to ground!
But his talents went way beyond sport. His thirst for
knowledge was never fully quenched and his intellect and
all round general knowledge made him an extraordinary
quiz contestant - quite without equal amongst those who
experienced this phenomenon. He possessed a mental
agility to tackle the most challenging of crosswords
culminating in his participation a few years ago in the
UK Times Crossword Championship in London where he
finished a highly creditable 11th. He was also a member
of the successful South Woodham Ferrers male voice choir
and we all have fond memories of the many sing songs in
the rugby club over a few beers. He seemed to know the
words to every song. And those of us who were lucky
enough to witness it will never forget his contribution
to an impromptu rendering of Christmas Carols one year
that would have graced many a concert hall!
Never was he more content than in his favourite city of
Paris for a rugby weekend seated in La Cochonnaille
restaurant faced with a bowl of their excellent French
Onion Soup and a glass of fine claret. If contentment
could be summed up in one facial expression that was it.
Our great Club would not be the force it is now without
Dave’s guiding hand, steady influence and authoritative
demeanour, especially in those early and crucial
formative years. And he had a wonderful knack of
bridging generations.
His catchphrase “it’s not in the constitution” is
legendary and will ring many a bell with those who
served with him on committees. But they became the
bywords for the very way in which the business of the
club should be conducted. Even when his health started
to fade he would still watch the club at every
opportunity, his interest in it’s success never
wavering.
It will simply never be the same place without him. Our
sympathies and condolences at this time are with Pam”
December 2008
Congratulations to Sean Morris of South Woodham Ferrers Rugby Club
who has been selected to play for Oxford in this years varsity
match.
Sean started his rugby career at the tender age of 5, playing under
the
tutelage of Barry Gittos till he was 18. In this time Sean received
England
caps at under 18. Sean earned a place Somerville College this year
to study
Physiological Sciences. As a freshman he has done exceptionally well
to
collect a Blue for next Thursday's historic fixture.(11/12 2008)
The Club wishes him every success for the future.
From the Oxford University
Rugby
Website
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Name: |
Sean Morris |
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Date of birth: |
6-May-89 in
Chelmsford |
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School: |
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College: |
Somerville |
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Course: |
Physiological
Sciences |
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Height: |
5' 9 |
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Weight: |
12st 10lbs |
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Position: |
Wing |
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Blues:
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Player profile:
South Woodham Ferrers,
Barking, Saracens, Essex U14's, U16's & U18's, London & SE
U16's & U18's, England U18's
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