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Stoneygate RFC |
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Covert Lane Scraptoft Leicestershire LE7 9SP UK Main Rugby Club Website Contact Person: Clubhouse Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Phone: 0116 241 9188 Stoneygate Football Club, to give its correct name, was formed in 1888 by a group of enthusiasts who practised on some waste ground off Alexandra Road in the Stoneygate area of Leicester. As far as can be identified, the first match was against Oadby, who, in the merged form of Oadby Wyggestonians, are part of our League fixture list for the 2005-06 season. For the first 30 years or so there was no ground of their own and matches were played on Victoria Park. This was not to the detriment of playing ability however as the Club's first International player, Jackie Miles, was selected in 1903.During the years up to the outbreak of the First World War the Club went through some difficult times, both financially ( the first credit balance of five shillings not being recorded until 1914) and on the playing side with the good relationship with Leicester Tigers leading to the Club being seen as a nursery and thus late demands by the senior Club affected the ability to put out a full side. During this period, though the Club was successful, there was some dissent among members and a number left in 1904 to form their own Club, Westleigh, with whom both a great rivalry and great friendships have been maintained to this day, particularly in the form of the touring side Leicester Reynards.After the end of the war, the Club reformed in February 1919 and as a result of expanding membership and hard work at fund raising they were able to take out a lease on a ground on Aylestone Road in 1927 where they stayed for a period of six years before moving twice more. After only four years on Blackbird Road they moved again to Saffron lane Throughout the Twenties and Thirties the Club continued to supply Internationals notably Ralph Buckingham and Harry Greenlees as well as the Tigers, Leicestershire and East Midlands. However the impending war was recognised by the call for volunteers for the Territorial Army at the AGM of May 1939.As with the First War, the Club reformed, this time in November 1945, when the stocktake revealed less than a dozen players available and no ground to play on. Undeterred the officers set to, tracing old and new members and raising funds and finding the old County Cricket Ground on Aylestone Road free for use on a temporary basis and here they stayed until purchasing land on Coalpit Lane, now Braunstone Lane East, and moving there in 1950. The Fifties were certainly a golden era for 'Gate with a number of prominent local people being involved with the Club playing activities. One who went on to other things was a Michael Green, who with his brother Roger featured in more than one jovial enterprise, and went on to record some of these in a short treatise called "The Art of Coarse Rugby". Those of you have read this and thought it fiction should think again. Truth is stranger ...During this time the Club instituted the "Get Fit Sevens" so called because they were held at the start of the Season rather than the more traditional season end. These continued through into the Sixties and survived yet another change of ground, to our present home at Scraptoft for the 1966-67 seasonThe move to Covert Lane was celebrated in some style. The First XV played an invitation side put together by Tom Berry and which included not a few Internationals and in the evening was the first Summer Ball, an event so successful it set the benchmark for all others to come. The Sevens Tournament held the next day tested the stamina of the spectators as much as the players with Notting Hill Gate Crushers ( a thinly disguised Harlequins side) taking on all comers.During the latter half of the Sixties the Fourth Team came to prominence. Wonderfully led by Trevor Hurd both on and off the field their success rate was phenomenal, losing only five games over one three season period and putting out some sides which were capable of taking on and beating serious opposition, including sides from Northampton, Moseley, Rugby and the Bedford clubs. Hurd's Highlight however was the 1970 sevens tournament when a 4th team side thrashed the Club's 1st VII (well 3-0).Through the Seventies the Club enjoyed mixed fortunes at the 1st Team level but continued to thrive below that, regularly putting out five sides. The Club continued to supply players to the Tigers with Bob Barker, Arthur Hazlerigg and Mike Mortimer travelling to Welford Road and David & Richard Berry, Guy Millar and occaisional others travelling the other way.Things continued much in the same vein through the Eighties leading to the celebration of the Club's Centenary through the 1988-89 season. This followed a most successful season on the pitch culminating in victory in the County Cup Final over Hinckley at Welford Road. This meant an entry into the national cup competition for the following season. The format of the Centenary followed that of the 1966 year with an opening match against an International Invitation XV. This time the side was raised by a good friend of the Club, Peter Wheeler who did us proud with a side that included himself, Phil Bennett, Steve Smith and Alan Martin. This was followed by a Summer Ball of magnificent proportions with over six hundred guests naturally giving rise to numerous reunions of old friends and friendships. Later in the year there was a formal dinner and the following January a Winter Dinner Dance rounded off an excellent year.The 1990's saw the introduction of League Rugby. For a hundred years the Club had played only "friendly" fixtures and had built up an impressive list of opponents in both Leicestershire, the Midlands and further afield including Clubs that have gone on to better bigger things such as Rotherham, Solihull (now Pertemp Bees) and our old enemy Westleigh – newly promoted to the National Leagues as Leicester Lions. League rugby changed all that. The traditional local fixtures were spread over two or three leagues and the regionalisation meant that the more distant games disappeared for ever. With some ups but probably more downs Gate maintained their position around Level 7 or 8 but the 2005-06 season sees us relegated to Midlands 4 East South. The up side of this sees the return of some of our traditional fixtures such as Oadby Wyggs, Old Newts and Vipers which will hopefully provide some compelling rugby. Club Colours: Red Black And White |
| Date added: 2008-04-03 23:19:38 Hits: 132 |
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