Terry Atcheson - 36yrs at Hamilton Park
Unbeknown to a lot at Ards Rugby Saturday 4th April 2020 marked our Club Steward Terry Atcheson completing 36 years of employment at Hamilton Park.
36 years is a lengthy spell and indeed in hard term it amounts to more than half his life and a third of the Club's existence!!!!!!
After much reflection and ‘granda duties’ Terry has decided to ‘semi-retire’. He hopes to remain 'part-time' at Hamilton Park for a few years yet!!!!!!
His plans are built around the hope of continuing at Hamilton Park in this part-time role - with aspirations that such arrangements should include Saturdays and the monthly Friends of Ards Rugby Lunch Society gathering aka the FARLS!!!!!!!!
He has been humbled by all the messages of his leaving but it is certainly worth emphasising strongly that the future plans do NOT include total abandonment of the connection between the Greyabbey man and Ards RFC.
During his 36 years spent at Hamilton Park, Terry has witnessed the service of 36 different Club Presidents and a variety of 27 sundry senior team Captains, as well as being involved in a wide spectrum of Functions, happenings and occasions.
He has stored in his experiences countless consequential and historic memories, days of challenge and incidents of momentous celebrations and historical significance.
He has certainly served through seasons of low-key and subdued times but, especially during the days when All-Ireland League games were the constant at Hamilton Park, Terry will have collected enough high-point memories to write an interesting and historic Book.
Of course the emergence of the FARLS presented another aspect of the busy life-style at the Landsdowne Road Headquarters and Terry quickly became a very valued and essential part of the new branch of Rugby Club development.
In fact – as with all other concepts of addition and change at the Park - the Greyabbey man grew into another role of benefit and value, and has only missed three meetings of the Lunch Society in all the years they have been organising.
Ards Rugby Club are quite accurately regarded as providing hospitality among the best in all Ireland and that position certainly is one in which Terry Atcheson has played a major role.
ARDS RUGBY CLUB certainly is deeply indebted to TERRY ATCHESON for his 36 years of reliable and faithful service and it will be the hope of everyone at HAMILTON PARK that he enjoys his semi-retirement and when possible it will be marked in a fitting way.