Widnes RUFC

A POTTED HISTORY OF WIDNES RUGBY UNION FOOTBALL CLUB

The Club was founded in 1924 as the Widnes Secondary School Old Boys RFC, a title that was switched the following year to Old Widnesians RFC before going 'open' in 1959. At the AGM that year Geoff Baker proposed and Jack Jennett seconded that motion that "The name of the Club be changed from Old Widnesians RFC to Widnes Rugby Union Football Club". The resolution was carried by a big majority despite a late plea by letter from former Chairman, Walter Chafe.
The Club had just moved to Heath Road and the first game played there was hardly an auspicious one as Widnes struggled to beat St Edwards Old Boys by 6-5 with the following team:- John McMullen; Brian Clarke, Cyril Clarke, Tony Mannion, Alan Fozard; Brian McDermott, Ray Heapey; John Brady, Ted Hughes, Dave Handy, Brian Doyle, Roger Brady, Bob Grace, Alan Whitby and Frank Wilson. Dave "Yogi" Handy scored the first ever try on the new pitch and Bob Grace kicked a penalty. The ground was officially opened on Wednesday 9th September 1959 when Widnes drew 3-3 with Liverpool, Ted Hughes scored the Widnes try. 1960 saw the membership pass 500 as The Wids' on a Saturday night was 'The' place to be seen and it became quite obvious that the clubhouse, opened 12 months previously, was far too small and an extension was planned and built.
The Late 60's and early 70's saw Widnes turning out seven senior sides - 1st, 2nd, Saracens, Wasps, Nomads, Victors, Veterans, as well as a Schools' XV and a Colts XV. The Colts sides in those days regularly had 6 or 7 players representing Lancashire and in fact 3 played for England Colts, Jimmy O'Neill, Dave Balmer and Ronnie Clarke. It was because we had such a successful Colts side that the best players were persuaded either by more senior clubs or Rugby League clubs to seek their fortunes elsewhere. Alex Murphy, Doug Laughton as well as coaches from Waterloo and Liverpool were regular spectators at Heath Road and in a 10 year period we lost between 50 and 60 players this way.
The club had always had, as its ultimate aim, the status of a senior club but to progress fixture wise was extremely difficult as the senior clubs, both locally and in Yorkshire, would not entertain us. So we took to playing senior clubs in South Wales such as Maesteg, Glamorgan Wanderers and Pontypridd. It was at a Glamorgan Wanderers game that Max Boyce, a spectator in the stand, was quoted in the Western Mail as saying "The only good thing to come out of Widnes that day was the Team bus". What he didn't know was that Widnes stayed in Cardiff the previous night and Glamorgan Wanderers officials informed us at the hotel that the game was cancelled because of a waterlogged ground, so everyone 'hit the town' that night. At breakfast on the Saturday morning the same officials informed us that the game could now take place, so the 15 soberest played that day.
Season 1979-80 saw the opening of the new lounge, which overlooks the pitch, by Dickie Jeeps, the then Sports Council Chairman. Along with Squash Courts, new changing rooms and a gymnasium the club now has facilities second to none in the North West.
High spots on the road so far must include our winning the Lancashire Cup when we beat West Park on 11 April 1976 at Waterloo. The captain that day, Peter Barrow, was so confident of victory he asked our coach, George Street, to keep his false teeth in his tracksuit so that he could slip them in before being presented with the cup. In 1987-88 season we also won the Lancashire Trophy when we beat De La Salle at Preston's ground to become the first club to win both the Cup and the Trophy.
In the 1985-86 season we participated in the Girobank North West League, which was the prototype for the National League in place today, and were runners for the two years of its life. We currently play in the Northern Division, in North 1 West.