History
INTRODUCTION
Established just after the First World War, Dudley Hill has a very long, proud and illustrious history. The team originally played from the old Bierley estate led by Rugby League legend Stanley Brogden. After his top class career with Leeds, Yorkshire and Great Britain as a quality stand-off, Stanley wanted to put something back into the grassroots of Rugby League.
The club was disbanded prior to the Second World War. It was due to Les Brady and Vincent Heslop that the Club was reformed in 1948. Les Brady was running the very successful Bierley under eighteen team at the time.
Mick Oldfield became the first Dudley Hill player to play for Yorkshire in the post-war period, Vinnie Heslop was the first player to progress to Bradford Northern and Richard Rudd the first international player.
During the next few decades, a host of players followed Vinnie and Mick, Some into professional ranks and some playing representative amateur honours for Bradford, Yorkshire and Great Britain.
The formation of the British Amateur League Association (B.A.R.L.A) in 1973 was to be the catalyst for the Hill to move forward. In that season Dudley Hill finished the old Bradford League at the bottom. As result, when the Regional Leagues were established Dudley Hill were placed in the new Pennine League 3rd Division. The Club worked tirelessly to progress in successive years from the 3rd to the 1st division before finally reaching the Premier Division.
The 1973 season saw Dudley Hill start their long climb to the very pinnacle of the amateur game. Even with the improved results and a stronger team, it was not until 1979 that Dudley Hill won their first winner's Trophy. The Bradford League Seven-a-side Competition. Hill's ambition was realised in 1987 when Hill gained membership of the 12-team inaugural National Conference League.
A major tragedy affected the development of the club. It has to be said that this tragedy kick-started the club and inspired key members to accelerate development in the memory of Neil Hunt. December 1976 was the month and year that Neil Hunt was to lose his life as a result of an accident on the field of play. Neil suffered a broken neck in a one-on-one tackle, a freak accident that we hope we have never to experience again. Neil was 16 years old and was making his way in what was becoming a very promising career that was tragically terminated.
September 1st, 1979 was the year Dudley Hill moved to the new Neil Hunt Memorial the ground was dedicated to the memory of Neil by St Johns Church Vicar, the Reverend Mr. J Fry.
In December 2001, it was re-dedicated in a ceremony to remember Neil Hunt 25 years on. Along the way from 1979 until 1992 Dudley Hill won every trophy available to them at local, Regional and National Level. During the period 1984 to 1992 they were at the very pinnacle of the amateur game
In December 2001 Dudley Hill are to celebrate the last 25 years of the clubs history, in that time the club has seen major success both on and off the field. On the field the club has achieved success in all the games major competitions, pride of place goes indeed to the successful years around the 1980's when the Hill were to win very trophy available to them in a purple period for the club from 1984 until 1986 wining the BARLA National Cup, BARLA Yorkshire Cup, BARLA National Sevens, Pennine League Premier Division, Pennine Cup, Bradford Cup 3 times running as well as numerous Sevens titles.
1997 saw the Hill be instrumental in establishing the New National Conference League along with the inaugural other 11 teams that made up the very first league. In 1990 Dudley Hill won the National League title under the Coaching of Peter Roe and Kelvin Lockett.
In 1991 Dudley Hill under the coaching of Kelvin Lockett also finished up very credible runners-up in the BARLA National Cup final in Salford.
A tragic car accident followed at the start of the following season when several members of the first team squad were involved in a serious accident on the way to a social event in Whitley Bay which resulted in two of the stars of the 1991 Cup Final runners up, Stuart Tighe and Paul Baxter were to receive serious injuries Stuart Tighe a current U21 International losing his leg.
The success of the Youth & Junior levels was the catalyst for the formation of a Youth & Junior development programme. The programme is the envy of all Yorkshire developing teams at every age group. 1987 saw the formation of a Women's team who were inaugural members of the fledgling first Women's League.
1993 saw the fulfilment of a dream for Dudley Hill with floodlights, new dressing rooms, and an extension and refurbishment of the clubhouse. This was made possible by an arts and sports council grant of £75,000.
The work was lead by Fred Berry who saw the dream through on time for the commencement of the 1993-94 season when the improvements were opened by the Lord Mayor of Bradford, Councillor Bob Sowman.
Thirteen players are to be identified for inclusion in the Dudley Hill Hall of Fame, which will be announced during the 25-year celebration dinner to be held in December 2001. Andy Harland will lead the panel which will include life members of the Club including Roger Burnham, Bernard Dotchin, Monty Denton and club stalwart Ian Dickinson. I am sure it will be a very difficult task to choose just thirteen players from the last sixty odd years. It has been long overdue that we should honour the debt that we owe to the past players, committee members, coaches, and supporters of Dudley Hill ARLFC. The List was announced to a packed house at the Neil Hunt Memorial on Friday 21st December 2001.
We are a local community club who provide expert tuition in sport, specifically Rugby League Football, from ages 8 right though to open age at the highest possible amateur level.
The club became the first club in the country in 2002 to receive the RFL’s Club Mark Accreditation, which give us the title of Safe, Effective and Child friendly Club, in essence a quality club.
We have open age sides currently running all year round. Our main priority at the moment is the summer team, who are playing in the forth tier of the RFL’s National Competition. Three levels below the Engage Super League.
The LHF National League Three has now been running for three years, going into its forth this coming summer. In that time we have finished top of the tree as minor premiers on two occasions and in 2005 we also went to the LHF Grand final at Widnes Halton Stadium, where we beat Bramley Buffaloes to become Champions. We also came top off our group in the Northern Trains Cup where we progressed to playing against professional side Hull K.R the team that went on to win the cup.
Our winter open age team us currently playing in the Pennine League Division 1, and have been doing well in our local cups, becoming finalist’s in the Bradford Cup held at Odsal stadium in 03/04 season and we are hoping to go one better this time around. We also have the clubs under 18s playing in the flagship Halifax Home Insurance National Youth League which is one level below professional Academy leagues in 2007. In 2009 the senior team plays in the Fraser Eagle National Conference League Division 1 after gaining promotion in 2006/07 after returning to winter RL in 2006/07
In April 2009, Bradford Dudley Hill were awarded the Clubmark Gold accreditation by Sports Minister Gerry Sutcliffe at Odsal Stadium, Bradford.
On the 19th December 2009, Bradford Dudley will hold an event to celebrate the last 30 years at the Neil Hunt Memorial Ground, after leaving the De Lacy Public House in 1979, opening the new ground on the 1st September 1979.
Importance of the evening was to share with each other the great stories of coaches and characters the club has had over the last 30 years, these include the great Albert Fearnley, the certainly fearsome Tony Fisher and probably the most successful decade the club has ever had, was the 1984, 85, 86 sides, they set the bar they won the lot with, local regional and National titles, we had great Internationals players like Mark Todd, Ray Priestley and Kev Whiteley and fantastic players like Albert Hannah, Bob Jowett, Barry Holden, Andy Meakin, Adrian Collett, a young Gary Brentley, and an even younger Phil Helliwell, many of whom gave great service to the club, others who chose to peruse a professional career with great success, we had Graham Hallas who went on to be our first Great Britain Professional tourist in 1992 and in the late 90s Henry Sharp and Mick Keebles, all of whom received quality coaching from the likes of Garth Budge, Mick Doyle (coach of the 84 team) and Peter Roe, who clinched the NCL title in the start of the new decade in 1990 before decimating the team, by taking most of the team and coaching staff with him when he took the job at Halifax.
Kelvin Locketts team rose from the ashes of the decimated side we lost in 1990, we were to made the National cup final at the end of 1992to go down agonisingly to a dubious try, great players in this team included the long standing John Exley, (did he really play in the Pennine Cup final 1979 and played last summer in Australia for the touring Masters GB team) we had Stuart Tighe, sadly to lose his leg in a tragic accident, Richard Tiffany and Craig Hillam. There was also the great team that played and beat professional teams York and Keighley in the RL Challenge Cup, we had some really special players, but all was built on the hard core of the juniors we have developed at our club.
Announcement of the toast to the players/members, who dug the well that we all have drunk from for the last thirty years, we honoured the names of Frank Hodgson, Vinnie Heslop, Bernard Dotchin, Clifford Turnpenny, Rodger Burnham, Ronnie Dobson, Andy Harland, Fred Berry and Mark Tordoff in 2008. Ladies and Gentlemen the “The men who dug the Well” thank you
The legacy continued with a short excursion into the summer era, success in this laid the foundations of our side today, quality junior coaching from our own Kelvin Lockett, who I think has coached almost every player we have had at some time over the last 30 years, what an effort for our Chairman, our team now includes a very healthy sprinkling of former juniors like the three Dickinson brothers, the sublime Lewis Evans, Antony Huby and another try scoring freak Neil Wall, not forgetting the rich talents of former juniors, Craig Kcopzac, David Halley and Neil Cherryholme, mention of coaches in the 0's include Chris Robinson who came back and performed a great job as coach, Jason Hoyland who did a difficult job in 2008/09 but got us back on track.
As for the next decade most of it is in the hands for Kelvin, Jason Lee, Steve Pryce and Kevin Whiteley, and the terrific young junior players following in the footsteps of the giants of our clubs history, they need our support, guidance and encouragement to continue to drive the club forward, but they can not do it by them selves, its need everybody to row in the same direction, strong leadership and a steady ship to continue this great memorial to a fantastic young player who is no longer with us.
A presentation of a framed picture of Neil Hunt was presented to the club from Terry and Audrey Hunt; this will be put on show for all to see in a prominent area for all to see.
Established just after the First World War, Dudley Hill has a very long, proud and illustrious history. The team originally played from the old Bierley estate led by Rugby League legend Stanley Brogden. After his top class career with Leeds, Yorkshire and Great Britain as a quality stand-off, Stanley wanted to put something back into the grassroots of Rugby League.
The club was disbanded prior to the Second World War. It was due to Les Brady and Vincent Heslop that the Club was reformed in 1948. Les Brady was running the very successful Bierley under eighteen team at the time.
Mick Oldfield became the first Dudley Hill player to play for Yorkshire in the post-war period, Vinnie Heslop was the first player to progress to Bradford Northern and Richard Rudd the first international player.
During the next few decades, a host of players followed Vinnie and Mick, Some into professional ranks and some playing representative amateur honours for Bradford, Yorkshire and Great Britain.
The formation of the British Amateur League Association (B.A.R.L.A) in 1973 was to be the catalyst for the Hill to move forward. In that season Dudley Hill finished the old Bradford League at the bottom. As result, when the Regional Leagues were established Dudley Hill were placed in the new Pennine League 3rd Division. The Club worked tirelessly to progress in successive years from the 3rd to the 1st division before finally reaching the Premier Division.
The 1973 season saw Dudley Hill start their long climb to the very pinnacle of the amateur game. Even with the improved results and a stronger team, it was not until 1979 that Dudley Hill won their first winner's Trophy. The Bradford League Seven-a-side Competition. Hill's ambition was realised in 1987 when Hill gained membership of the 12-team inaugural National Conference League.
A major tragedy affected the development of the club. It has to be said that this tragedy kick-started the club and inspired key members to accelerate development in the memory of Neil Hunt. December 1976 was the month and year that Neil Hunt was to lose his life as a result of an accident on the field of play. Neil suffered a broken neck in a one-on-one tackle, a freak accident that we hope we have never to experience again. Neil was 16 years old and was making his way in what was becoming a very promising career that was tragically terminated.
September 1st, 1979 was the year Dudley Hill moved to the new Neil Hunt Memorial the ground was dedicated to the memory of Neil by St Johns Church Vicar, the Reverend Mr. J Fry.
In December 2001, it was re-dedicated in a ceremony to remember Neil Hunt 25 years on. Along the way from 1979 until 1992 Dudley Hill won every trophy available to them at local, Regional and National Level. During the period 1984 to 1992 they were at the very pinnacle of the amateur game
In December 2001 Dudley Hill are to celebrate the last 25 years of the clubs history, in that time the club has seen major success both on and off the field. On the field the club has achieved success in all the games major competitions, pride of place goes indeed to the successful years around the 1980's when the Hill were to win very trophy available to them in a purple period for the club from 1984 until 1986 wining the BARLA National Cup, BARLA Yorkshire Cup, BARLA National Sevens, Pennine League Premier Division, Pennine Cup, Bradford Cup 3 times running as well as numerous Sevens titles.
1997 saw the Hill be instrumental in establishing the New National Conference League along with the inaugural other 11 teams that made up the very first league. In 1990 Dudley Hill won the National League title under the Coaching of Peter Roe and Kelvin Lockett.
In 1991 Dudley Hill under the coaching of Kelvin Lockett also finished up very credible runners-up in the BARLA National Cup final in Salford.
A tragic car accident followed at the start of the following season when several members of the first team squad were involved in a serious accident on the way to a social event in Whitley Bay which resulted in two of the stars of the 1991 Cup Final runners up, Stuart Tighe and Paul Baxter were to receive serious injuries Stuart Tighe a current U21 International losing his leg.
The success of the Youth & Junior levels was the catalyst for the formation of a Youth & Junior development programme. The programme is the envy of all Yorkshire developing teams at every age group. 1987 saw the formation of a Women's team who were inaugural members of the fledgling first Women's League.
1993 saw the fulfilment of a dream for Dudley Hill with floodlights, new dressing rooms, and an extension and refurbishment of the clubhouse. This was made possible by an arts and sports council grant of £75,000.
The work was lead by Fred Berry who saw the dream through on time for the commencement of the 1993-94 season when the improvements were opened by the Lord Mayor of Bradford, Councillor Bob Sowman.
Thirteen players are to be identified for inclusion in the Dudley Hill Hall of Fame, which will be announced during the 25-year celebration dinner to be held in December 2001. Andy Harland will lead the panel which will include life members of the Club including Roger Burnham, Bernard Dotchin, Monty Denton and club stalwart Ian Dickinson. I am sure it will be a very difficult task to choose just thirteen players from the last sixty odd years. It has been long overdue that we should honour the debt that we owe to the past players, committee members, coaches, and supporters of Dudley Hill ARLFC. The List was announced to a packed house at the Neil Hunt Memorial on Friday 21st December 2001.
We are a local community club who provide expert tuition in sport, specifically Rugby League Football, from ages 8 right though to open age at the highest possible amateur level.
The club became the first club in the country in 2002 to receive the RFL’s Club Mark Accreditation, which give us the title of Safe, Effective and Child friendly Club, in essence a quality club.
We have open age sides currently running all year round. Our main priority at the moment is the summer team, who are playing in the forth tier of the RFL’s National Competition. Three levels below the Engage Super League.
The LHF National League Three has now been running for three years, going into its forth this coming summer. In that time we have finished top of the tree as minor premiers on two occasions and in 2005 we also went to the LHF Grand final at Widnes Halton Stadium, where we beat Bramley Buffaloes to become Champions. We also came top off our group in the Northern Trains Cup where we progressed to playing against professional side Hull K.R the team that went on to win the cup.
Our winter open age team us currently playing in the Pennine League Division 1, and have been doing well in our local cups, becoming finalist’s in the Bradford Cup held at Odsal stadium in 03/04 season and we are hoping to go one better this time around. We also have the clubs under 18s playing in the flagship Halifax Home Insurance National Youth League which is one level below professional Academy leagues in 2007. In 2009 the senior team plays in the Fraser Eagle National Conference League Division 1 after gaining promotion in 2006/07 after returning to winter RL in 2006/07
In April 2009, Bradford Dudley Hill were awarded the Clubmark Gold accreditation by Sports Minister Gerry Sutcliffe at Odsal Stadium, Bradford.
On the 19th December 2009, Bradford Dudley will hold an event to celebrate the last 30 years at the Neil Hunt Memorial Ground, after leaving the De Lacy Public House in 1979, opening the new ground on the 1st September 1979.
Importance of the evening was to share with each other the great stories of coaches and characters the club has had over the last 30 years, these include the great Albert Fearnley, the certainly fearsome Tony Fisher and probably the most successful decade the club has ever had, was the 1984, 85, 86 sides, they set the bar they won the lot with, local regional and National titles, we had great Internationals players like Mark Todd, Ray Priestley and Kev Whiteley and fantastic players like Albert Hannah, Bob Jowett, Barry Holden, Andy Meakin, Adrian Collett, a young Gary Brentley, and an even younger Phil Helliwell, many of whom gave great service to the club, others who chose to peruse a professional career with great success, we had Graham Hallas who went on to be our first Great Britain Professional tourist in 1992 and in the late 90s Henry Sharp and Mick Keebles, all of whom received quality coaching from the likes of Garth Budge, Mick Doyle (coach of the 84 team) and Peter Roe, who clinched the NCL title in the start of the new decade in 1990 before decimating the team, by taking most of the team and coaching staff with him when he took the job at Halifax.
Kelvin Locketts team rose from the ashes of the decimated side we lost in 1990, we were to made the National cup final at the end of 1992to go down agonisingly to a dubious try, great players in this team included the long standing John Exley, (did he really play in the Pennine Cup final 1979 and played last summer in Australia for the touring Masters GB team) we had Stuart Tighe, sadly to lose his leg in a tragic accident, Richard Tiffany and Craig Hillam. There was also the great team that played and beat professional teams York and Keighley in the RL Challenge Cup, we had some really special players, but all was built on the hard core of the juniors we have developed at our club.
Announcement of the toast to the players/members, who dug the well that we all have drunk from for the last thirty years, we honoured the names of Frank Hodgson, Vinnie Heslop, Bernard Dotchin, Clifford Turnpenny, Rodger Burnham, Ronnie Dobson, Andy Harland, Fred Berry and Mark Tordoff in 2008. Ladies and Gentlemen the “The men who dug the Well” thank you
The legacy continued with a short excursion into the summer era, success in this laid the foundations of our side today, quality junior coaching from our own Kelvin Lockett, who I think has coached almost every player we have had at some time over the last 30 years, what an effort for our Chairman, our team now includes a very healthy sprinkling of former juniors like the three Dickinson brothers, the sublime Lewis Evans, Antony Huby and another try scoring freak Neil Wall, not forgetting the rich talents of former juniors, Craig Kcopzac, David Halley and Neil Cherryholme, mention of coaches in the 0's include Chris Robinson who came back and performed a great job as coach, Jason Hoyland who did a difficult job in 2008/09 but got us back on track.
As for the next decade most of it is in the hands for Kelvin, Jason Lee, Steve Pryce and Kevin Whiteley, and the terrific young junior players following in the footsteps of the giants of our clubs history, they need our support, guidance and encouragement to continue to drive the club forward, but they can not do it by them selves, its need everybody to row in the same direction, strong leadership and a steady ship to continue this great memorial to a fantastic young player who is no longer with us.
A presentation of a framed picture of Neil Hunt was presented to the club from Terry and Audrey Hunt; this will be put on show for all to see in a prominent area for all to see.
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