 | |
| Full name | Coney Hill Rugby Football Club |
|---|---|
| Union | Gloucestershire RFU |
| Founded | 1947 (1947) |
| Location | Gloucester, Gloucestershire, England |
| Ground | Metz Way |
| Chairman | Adam Pettigrew |
| President | Ken Stokes |
| Coach | Jake Marsh |
| Captain | Joe Twomey |
| League | Counties 3 Gloucestershire North |
| Official website | |
| www.pitchero.com/clubs/coneyhill/ | |
Coney Hill Rugby Football Club is an English rugby union team based in Gloucester, Gloucestershire. The club run two senior teams and several junior teams — from Under 7's through to Colts .[1] The first currently play in Counties 3 Gloucestershire North - a level nine league in the English rugby union system.
History
The Coney Hill Rugby Football Club was officially formed in 1947 by old soldiers returning from Dunkirk to their homes in Coney Hill. Home games were played on local farmer "Stinger' Longs land (Stinger got his nickname due to the fact if he caught you pinching his apples you were thrown in the stingers!!), now called Birch Avenue whilst the old chapel in Arreton Avenue was used as changing facilities. A tin bath was used to wash away the mud in the early years which when used by thirty or so men often left you dirtier than when you came off the pitch!! So when local tradesman Wally Russell built what was one of the first tiled baths at a rugby club a match fee of half a crown was imposed to play and help pay for its construction.
The original club badge was of a Yellow Hammer sitting on a branch, These birds were abundant in the local orchards and so were a suitable homely reminder and earnt the club the nickname "The Yellow Hammers'. The badge was changed around the 1960's to the one used today and the nickname sadly disappeared but the club colours that were based around the "Yellow Hammers' are still proudly worn to this day.
Mrs Nancy Ralph was one of the first club stalwarts and used to collect money by rattling a box round the touchline at every home game. She was notorious as Hill's third winger as she would often extend her umbrella from the touchline and accidentally trip up the opposing winger!
The first Chairman of the club was Mr Ray Pugh who was a Sergeant Major in the British Army and organised the first game played by Coney Hill just before they were officially formed, The game was played at the Old Drill Hall in Chequers Road against the Territorial Army. The shirts were numbered backwards in those days starting at number 1 for the fullback, the team photo is enclosed
Team Coach was Harry Hemmings and the first Tea Boy was Tiny Clune.
The first club treasurer was Mr Harry Newman who was one of the first to donate money into the club to help get it started, he generously gave £ 200.00.
Other notable local supporters of the club were:- Mr Dando was known as the singing barber because you paid him 4 pence for a haircut and he played you a tune on his violin and danced, The Broady family who owned the Fish & Chip shop, The Wilmot's who ran the Sweet shop and Percy Langley who had the butchers on Arreton Avenue.
In more recent times, Coney Hill RFC competed in the now defunct County Cup, winning the competition in 1997, beating local rivals Matson.
The most successful period for the club was in the early 2000's, where they won the Senior Gloucester Combination Cup for 10 years on a row (2002-2011), and on 3 separate occasions won the Gloucester Grand Slam (1st, 2nd and 3rd XV Cups) in the same season!
[2]
Honours
1st team:
- North Gloucestershire Combination Senior Cup winners (17): 1949, 1954, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1998, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013
- Gloucestershire/Somerset champions: 1996–97
- Western Counties North champions (4): 1999–00, 2002–03, 2014–15, 2017–18
- South West 2 West champions: 2006–07
- South West Intermediate Cup winners: 2018
2nd team:
- North Gloucestershire Combination Junior Cup winners (12): 1950, 1951, 1984, 1986, 2000, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012
3rd team:
- North Gloucestershire Combination Glanville Cup winners (11): 1977, 1987, 2002, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2016
References
- ^ Club website home page
- ^ Club website history page
External links
- Official club website
