BBB AAA RRR KK III NNN GGG RRR UUU GGG BBB YYY SSE NATIONAL LEAGUE 3SE CCC Saturday November 2 LLL 2013 KO 3.00 UUU OO..EELLTTHHAAMMIIAANNSS BBB WELCOME TO GORESBROOK IT IS MY pleasure to welcome another set of first-time visitors to Goresbrook this af- ternoon in the shape of Old Elthamians. They represent the last in a run of top clubs who have made it very difficult for our team to regroup and get settled in this league - from here until Christmas though we are ac- tually playing against the bottom half of the league. Be that as it may I would like to issue a warm welcome to the players, officials and game as opposed to round trips of 500 miles supporters of Old Elthamians who have plus? made the 15.7 mile journey from Chislehurst It continues to be a depressing season and in Kent for today’s fixture - and doesn’t it now to be confronted by the fourth-placed make a difference to talk of 15.7 miles for a team, who have lost only once this season after meeting the top three teams in our last three games, one won- ders what the fixture organisers had against us. Never mind, a little trip down the road to Thurrock next week and maybe the opportunity for some points? I must also welcome today’s ref- erees, Matt Rozier for the 1st XV and Giles Lenton for the 2nd XV, who kick off at 14.00 against Rochford Hundred 2nds. We hope you enjoy your visit to us gentlemen. Talking of the 2nd XV, they are currently in sixth place in the 12- club Shepherd Neame Essex Merit Table Division One after victories over Woodford and Romford & GP. The 3rd XV are second in Divi- sion Three of the same competi- tion after a cracking October which saw them beat East London 2nds, Southend 5ths, Romford 3rds and Braintree 3rds, scoring 227 points and conceding 43. So it’s not all doom and gloom and I hope you all enjoy the games this afternoon - and please wander over and give the 2nd XV some support as well. Terry Marner TODAY’S VISITORS OLD ELTHAMIANS THE RUGBY club was founded in October and it was suggested that the Foxbury field 1911 during the evening of the last should be bought, but in 1936 the Old Boys' Day to be held at Eltham Foxbury Estates Limited bought the College's old school buildings in ground with the idea of develop- Blackheath. Initially only half a ing the ground into a large hous- dozen members agreed to play ing development. The war came regularly, but eventually the and the land was requisitioned by numbers increased to 17 and the war office. three fixtures were arranged, After the war came the Town and starting in early 1912. Country Planning Act came into The first Chairman of the club was being and along with the Old the English international H.J.H.Sibree Elthamian Association the ground we (1908-09), who found time to play a few know and love today became home to a games for the club before the first world war. great rugby club. T By early 1912 the school had moved from The money for development came from the Blackheath to its present site in Mottingham. It Eltham College Centenary and War Memorial changed its name from the School for Sons of fund, the whole of the available fund of the Old Missionaries to Eltham College, and the club Elthamians Association, the generosity of indi- became Old Elthamians RFC. vidual old boys and a loan from the RFU. On January 27th, the club played its first In the late fifties membership grew with as game, against Sutton A, at the school grounds many as five sides being fielded. In 1961 in Mottingham. The remaining fixtures were S.R.Smith was capped for England. By the Ju- against Leytonstone (now Wanstead) and Royal bilee Season the club had played some 3500 Naval School Old Boys. games since inauguration. The following seasons, prior to the Great War, In the early seventies playing numbers de- a full fixture list was completed with much suc- clined and in 1972 it was decided that the club cess. Of the 37 matches played, 30 were won, 5 would go open and allow membership to non- lost and 2 drawn; 1015 points for, 118 against. Old Elthamians. The result was an influx of new During the twenties the school expanded members that allowed six teams to play each and by the early thirties there were sufficient week. numbers for three or four sides to play on a In 1974 mini rugby started (the second club regular basis. During this period several players to do so in Kent), a thriving section with now represented Kent and two former members nearly 300 players in all age-groups from uner gained international honours: A.L.Gracie (Sc- 7 to under 17, and recently celebrated its first toland 1921-24) and N.L.Evans (England 1932- international - Andrew Sheridan. J 33). In the late 1980s National Leagues were After the War the Old Boys Association pur- formed, allowing the club to progress to their chased and donated some land to the school current status in National Three, London and- on the understanding that the club could use a South-East. pitch on a Saturday afternoon; other games Last season, our first in the National leagues, were played on local pitches. we managed to finish a creditable sixth and Rugby was severely curtailed by the Second claimed some famous scalps on the way. We World War, but due to the efforts of one player, also were runners up in the Kent Cup, falling to J.E.Baldwin, a team was put together, regularly Blackheath in the final. Our ambition is to play playing over 20 matches a season. exciting, expansive rugby; to progress youth The war record was played 134, won 72, players deemed worthy of the chance and to drawn 8, lost 54; points for 1479, against 1123. reach as high a level as we can. It was decided to find a permanent ground Thanks to the Old Elthamians website RAMBLING AROUND THE LEAGUES We keep in touch with former Barking players the newly-promoted clubs in London Irish playing in higher leagues - there are a lot of Wild Geese, Exmouth and Bishop’s Stortford, them! while Ampthill are holding their own in mid- table. NATIONAL 3 SE SO A QUARTER of the way through the sea- NATIONAL 1 son and after today we will have played six DONCASTER KNIGHTS head National One, of the top seven and just two from the bot- not a team we have met, but Rosslyn Park tom and Esher are three points behind them. Meanwhile Dorking and Tonbridge Juddi- Park, with Alex Codling in charge, have the ans lead the table with 100% records, but biggest quota of ex-Barking players and Char- Dorking’s is more 100% than Tonbridge as lie Broughton scored two tries for them last they also have 100% in try bonus points. weekend in their 48-17 victory over Worthing Basingstoke are the team in form with three Raiders. wins on the trot to rocket into eighth place, Also in their squad for this game were both but with just Thurrock below us the bottom props,Aaron Liffchak and Alex MacKenzie, two two are a sorry sight for Essex rugby. scrum halves, Jack Gash and Matt Heeks, and Of our former players in this league, James David Vincent. Fouracre has claimed three tries for Barnes Esher boasted a blast from the past in their and Frankie Neale has scored 52 points for squad that beat Fylde 27-24 with Kris Chesney Thurrock. now turning out for them. For our visitors today Renford Bennett and There were none of their ex-Barking contin- Johnny Williams have both scored six tries gent in Blackheath’s starting line-up against while Tom White is their top scorer (and the Coventry, although Marcus Burcham was on league’s top scorer) with 129 points, made up the bench and came on an hour into the Club’s from tw0 tries, 22 conversions, 24 penalties 63-21 pasting at Coventry. and a drop goal. CHAMPIONSHIP WHEN WE CONSIDER how many Barking NATIONAL 2 S players followed Cods to London Scottish a NATIONAL TWO SOUTH is led by Hartpury few years ago, Adam Kwasnicki is the only College (no surprise there) with Cam- ex-Barking player in their squad now. bridge, having put aside their money prob- Scottish are holding a mid-table place, but lems, in second place. Ealing Trailfinders, where Andrew Henderson Southend are in third spot, their highest has ended up, are still looking for their first league place for many years and James Kel- Championship point, Henderson getting a try lard leads their try scorers with four, including in Ealing’s 31-14 dereat at Bedford Blues last one last week in their 34-10 victory over weekend. Clifton. Two interesting names on the scoresheet Michael Guess and Marcus Bloomberg were for Bedford, a certain Ollie Dodge (Alex’s kid two more Barking Old Boys in the Southend brother), who scored two tries and Michael Le team. Bourgeois, who was Jersey’s points machine Red Newberry scored two tries in Shelford’s when we played them, but appears to have 41-19 victory over bottom team London Irish moved on. Wild Geese. Talking of Jersey we can report that they No sign of Francis Ambrose, but Sean are eighth out of twelve in a league led by Mullins was on the bench.