1923-1924 ANECDOTES

ANECDOTES 1923-24]

MANCOM 10/7/1923

Secretary to get quote for ‘3 doz. Knickers’.

Same facilities to be provided for Bath Schools.

Major Timmins to negotiate with Recreation Ground Company.

Discussion on re-affiliation with Somerset County deferred for one month.

MANCOM 24/7/23

Bath City band to play at home matches.

Satisfactory lease terms arranged and decided to go ahead with the terracing of the north bank of the ground and to enlarge the stand by bringing it forward.

Reported that Walcot Club were in difficulty.

Six new flowerpot stands of 4 tiers be obtained from Messrs. Wills.

Purchase of 180 chair seats for the stand was left to Messrs Wills and Richardson.

MANCOM 7/8/23

Resolved that “those seats in the reserved enclosure which are not taken by reserved ticket holders may be booked at 3/- per seat per match.”

Resolved that a telephone be fixed from the Grand Stand to the main gate entrance.

A police constable to be on duty from 6 – 8pm.

Training to commence at Somerset Boys Home ground, Brougham Hayes, on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Bath Extras XV was soon to be formed. Their fixture card indicated the playing area as:

“Playing Field – field opposite Carradale. Changing Quarters – Church Army Hut at rear of the Hadley Arms.”

‘Facilities,’ included zinc baths, which were soon saturated with Combe Down’s particular blend of coffee-coloured mud.

MANCOM 22/8/23

Mr. G A Roberts had died and meeting paid tribute to his service to the Club as Treasurer since 1902. (23 years) Players to wear black armlets for the first matches.

BATH CHRONICLE 25/8/1923

Prospects looked bright for the oncoming season, with players making up for summer excesses at pre-season training.

“I hear that Vowles, Richardson brothers, Mannings and Woodward, have been trying to keep fit at cricket this summer, while I myself have seen Vowles on a bowling green even!” (‘MASCOT’ – BATH CHRONICLE) “There are, of course, more young players coming on, I have seen this week at Brougham Hayes, but it is apparent there is rather a scarcity of backs and a glut of forwards……….”

“I hear there will be improvements on the ground as regards accommodation, but there will be no stand on the north side as was at first proposed. There will, however, be new flower pot stands here.”

MANCOM 25/9/23 – Agreed to grant transfer to H Slade as soon as his Club kit was returned.

Proposition to run an Extras (3^rd) XV. Votes of sympathy with H Vowles and H Richardson in their unfortunate accidents. Secretary asked to write. Harry Vowles remained indisposed as

A RUGBY VERSION

If you can lose as though you really liked it,

(And, after all, to lose is no great sin);

If you can say as if you really meant it-

“We did our best, but they deserved to win.”

If you can do these things that I have written,

And do them all without a thought of gain,

You’ll be a man, a pure-bred thorough Sportsman,

And you’ll have shewn The Spirit of the Game.

E.SEYMOUR -BELL, History of the Clifton R.F.C.

result of the collision during training. Several teeth had been broken, with the roots remaining in the jaw. He had returned to work, but was not in any condition to play.

Two propositions for re-affiliation to Somerset County Union. Both proposals defeated.

Adapted from BATH CHRONICLE 17/5/1924

Dr. MEIN’S PENALTY

Old Bath Rugby Player Excommunicated

SEQUEL TO £300 GUARANTEE

ENGLISH RUGBY UNION DECLARES HIM A PROFESSIONAL.

A LETTER FROM THE DOCTOR.

To the Editor, “Bath Weekly Chronicle.”

Sir, – You, no doubt, know that I have come to South Africa from Bath, where I must say I had a very pleasing time playing Rugger for the Bath Club.

I would like everybody to know that I purposely stayed in Bath on the request of the late Mr. G. A. Roberts, the honorary treasurer. Since I landed in South Africa the English Rugby Union have declared me a professional Rugby player, and for this reason; I accepted a guarantee of £300 signed by Mr. G. A. Roberts and three other members of the Bath Club. They told me it was a personal guarantee and that the Bath Club had nothing to do with it.

Mr. Roberts, to our great sorrow, died last year, and the three remaining members, Messrs C.C. Wills, W. Cleall and George Gray, through their solicitors demanded this money back from me. I wrote to the English Rugby Union and asked them to prevent them from taking proceedings for this amount, but in the meantime these three secured a judgement. The consequence was that all the outstanding accounts and monies due to me in Bath, which I left to cover similar accounts against me by tradesmen, became their property.

The point is this; the English Rugby Union declared the signing of the guarantee of £300 a professional act, and has prevented me playing Rugby in South Africa; in view of this, I consider that the claim on me by the three remaining members is null and void.

What I would like you to do for me, Mr. Editor, is to find out the true state of affairs. Had the Bath Club anything actually to do with this £300, because I had it from Mr. A. Taylor that it had nothing to do with it? And if not why did the English Rugby Union declare it a professional act, if the matter was a personal guarantee? I admit that if the late treasurer had never asked me to stay in Bath, and made it possible for me to stay,

I would not have had the chance of helping Bath to come through with flying colours, and Somerset to win the County Championship after about 25 years; but did the responsible members know that by putting up a guarantee for £300 on my behalf they were making a professional Rugby player of a member of the Bath team, and at the same time had a claim in law against him for recovering the same sum of money?

I hope that at the next general meeting of the Bath Football Club the members will have a clear and concise description of the balance sheet showing the whereabouts of funds invested at interest, which judging from the amount of questioning at previous meetings, has been the desire of a large proportion of the members.

I hope you will convey my greetings to Bath through the medium of your paper and express my sorrow at not being able to remain owing to the very lamentable actions of the aforementioned members of Committee.

With many apologies for taking up so much of your valuable time,

I beg to remain, yours sincerely,         F. A. MEINE.

Editor’s note:- With reference to the above letter, we understand that the question will probably be re-opened by the English Rugby Union, and a further inquiry will take place, probably in June.

Adapted from BATH CHRONICL REPORT 21/6/1924

RUGBY IN THE SCHOOLS

SATISFACTORY REPORT ON LAST SEASON’S WORKING.

PROPOSAL TO INCLUDE THE JUNIORS.

Honorary Secretary H C Whiteside acknowledged with thanks, the loan of the Recreation Ground by the Bath Club, the Somerset Boys’ Home Field and the Larkhall Recreation Ground, which had enabled them to fulfil their fixtures. Unfortunately, they had been unsuccessful in securing use of Kensington Meadows or the Bathford ground. The Union had been significantly enlarged by the inclusion of the West Central and Widcombe schools.

F R Rose of Oldfield, had been honoured with an International cap against Wales Schools.

The Treasurer reported a balance in hand of £1 15s 10d. Heavy start-up expenses had been subsidised by a donation of £13 from the Bath Club. Messrs. Cashnella, Smith, Holbrook, Anstey and Self were thanked for their help with training. Captain Freeland had been extremely generous in providing a ground.

The question of introducing Rugby in junior schools was discussed. Headmasters of 13 possible schools had been previously circularised, but not one reply had been received. It was decided to make personal approaches to sound out headmasters, prior to calling a meeting.

It was decided to affiliate with the English Schools’ Union and the Somerset Rugby Union. The County Union would be approached for possible funding.

Inter-town fixtures would be sought with Bristol, Newport and Gloucester. A match with Kingswood School would be arranged.

The Schools Union would continue to rely on the Bath Club for their principle support.

BATH CHRONICLE 20/8/1924

Under the headline OLDEST JUNIOR RUGBY CLUB, St. Stephen’s R.FC. reported their preparations for the coming season. 36 matches had been arranged and the club would again play on Kensington Meadows. The club was formed in 1902.

During the Great War 69 (playing and honorary) members joined the Colours, one gained a Military Medal and nine made the great sacrifice.

During its career the club had twice won the Bath Rugby Cup in the seasons 1909-10 and 1911-12. Several club members had played for Bath F.C.

The Good Old Days

We have left behind the days when referees were stoned and bricked,

When he entered on a quarrel which the crowd alone had picked.

Now, the worst that ever happens is that sometimes he is booed,

Which is not exactly dangerous, though lamentably rude.

T.H.E. BAILLIE In Rugger Rhymes

Extract from ‘RUGBY FOOTBALL’ Vol. 1. No.13 Dec. 1, 1923

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