History - History 1
A Potted History of Caldy Rugby Club
1924 –February 27th When some Old Boys of Calday School, with the encouragement of the then Headmaster, R. T. B. Glasspool, decided that they must carry on playing rugby together so the 'Old Caldeians' R.F.C. came into being at a meeting held at the Blenheim Café in West Kirby. They started playing in a farm field at Caldy cross roads and changing in the farm buildings at Croxton Farm, bathing facilities were somewhat primitive they used a tin bath which was filled from a tap in the farm Yard.
1925 - Sir Alfred Paton, an Old Boy of the school, bequeathed to The National Trust 20 acres land bordering Thurstaston Common with a proviso to the bequest stating that this area was to be available to the Rugby Club to use as a playing area in perpetuity. So Paton Field came into existence.
1928 – The club finally took possession of Paton Field and Built a Clubhouse with three changing rooms at a cost of £856-10-0. The club raised £400 in donations, £135 in loans, £ 130 in the form of guarantees and £100 from the RFU. This original clubhouse is still the core of the current clubhouse despite it being built mainly from wood.
1932 – The members held Summer camps where they spent their time levelling the 1st XV pitch in accordance with the terms of the lease, This took a number of summers and the original first team pitch was completed. This was under where the middle pitch is now.
1932 – Electricity was provided to the clubhouse with the help of boys from the school, who dug the trench from the main road to lay the cable. This also provided floodlights or training.
1933 – First Easter tour to Cumberland
1935 – In conjunction with the school the club held a summer Bazaar. The two-day event raised £600, which paid off the original dept from the clubhouse and further extensions.
1939-1945 The club continued to play Rugby during the war years with the support of the school and members who came back home on leave. During the conflict the club lost a number of members killed. JD.Thompson, the last pre war Captain was killed in Northern Ireland dealing with an unexploded bomb. J.Vanderverve, who played for the club when he was home, was killed in the Commando raid on St Nazaire. Many were killed in the North Africa campaign fighting with the Hoylake Horse Regiment.
1944 J.D. (Tommy) Thompson, a Master at Caldy who had played for the club since 1932, and other masters and members organised the first Sevens Competition at Paton Field. The event is now the Oldest continuously run Club Sevens in England. The profit from the first sevens competition was £12-7-0 and donated towards the cost of a war memorial at the club.
1946 – During the war the local farmer had been given grazing rights to the pitches at Paton Field. It was not until 1953 that the club were to resolve the matter and get the farmer off the pitches.
1947 – A schools 7’s was incorporated into the annual sevens competition which ran until the 1970’s when it was found that due to the changes in timetables many of the Local schools found it difficult to attend so it was dropped in 1975.
1947 – The club entered into negotiation with the National Trust to erect a stand. A fund was set up to pay for it.
1948 – The club built a bar at the club house and the gross profit for the first year was £75-4-8
1948 - 1949 The club won the Sevens competition both years.
1949 – A new first XV pitch was proposed and it was completed by 1953 and was officially opened for the 1953-4 season. Railings were put round the pitch, Mr J.B.Grier donated the piping and the members paid for the concrete posts. This is now the current Third pitch.
1924 –February 27th When some Old Boys of Calday School, with the encouragement of the then Headmaster, R. T. B. Glasspool, decided that they must carry on playing rugby together so the 'Old Caldeians' R.F.C. came into being at a meeting held at the Blenheim Café in West Kirby. They started playing in a farm field at Caldy cross roads and changing in the farm buildings at Croxton Farm, bathing facilities were somewhat primitive they used a tin bath which was filled from a tap in the farm Yard.
1925 - Sir Alfred Paton, an Old Boy of the school, bequeathed to The National Trust 20 acres land bordering Thurstaston Common with a proviso to the bequest stating that this area was to be available to the Rugby Club to use as a playing area in perpetuity. So Paton Field came into existence.
1928 – The club finally took possession of Paton Field and Built a Clubhouse with three changing rooms at a cost of £856-10-0. The club raised £400 in donations, £135 in loans, £ 130 in the form of guarantees and £100 from the RFU. This original clubhouse is still the core of the current clubhouse despite it being built mainly from wood.
1932 – The members held Summer camps where they spent their time levelling the 1st XV pitch in accordance with the terms of the lease, This took a number of summers and the original first team pitch was completed. This was under where the middle pitch is now.
1932 – Electricity was provided to the clubhouse with the help of boys from the school, who dug the trench from the main road to lay the cable. This also provided floodlights or training.
1933 – First Easter tour to Cumberland
1935 – In conjunction with the school the club held a summer Bazaar. The two-day event raised £600, which paid off the original dept from the clubhouse and further extensions.
1939-1945 The club continued to play Rugby during the war years with the support of the school and members who came back home on leave. During the conflict the club lost a number of members killed. JD.Thompson, the last pre war Captain was killed in Northern Ireland dealing with an unexploded bomb. J.Vanderverve, who played for the club when he was home, was killed in the Commando raid on St Nazaire. Many were killed in the North Africa campaign fighting with the Hoylake Horse Regiment.
1944 J.D. (Tommy) Thompson, a Master at Caldy who had played for the club since 1932, and other masters and members organised the first Sevens Competition at Paton Field. The event is now the Oldest continuously run Club Sevens in England. The profit from the first sevens competition was £12-7-0 and donated towards the cost of a war memorial at the club.
1946 – During the war the local farmer had been given grazing rights to the pitches at Paton Field. It was not until 1953 that the club were to resolve the matter and get the farmer off the pitches.
1947 – A schools 7’s was incorporated into the annual sevens competition which ran until the 1970’s when it was found that due to the changes in timetables many of the Local schools found it difficult to attend so it was dropped in 1975.
1947 – The club entered into negotiation with the National Trust to erect a stand. A fund was set up to pay for it.
1948 – The club built a bar at the club house and the gross profit for the first year was £75-4-8
1948 - 1949 The club won the Sevens competition both years.
1949 – A new first XV pitch was proposed and it was completed by 1953 and was officially opened for the 1953-4 season. Railings were put round the pitch, Mr J.B.Grier donated the piping and the members paid for the concrete posts. This is now the current Third pitch.
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