1950-1951 ANECDOTES

ANECDOTES 1950-1951

MANCOM 21/8/1950
There were hearty congratulations to Arthur Burcombe upon his retirement.
Mr. Wardle reported that the Planning Committee of the Council had refused to pass the plans for re-building of the West stand. It was recommended that James Pitman M.P., be invited to attend the next meeting of the Planning Committee and the Recreation Ground Company.
Sir James Pitman to be invited to kick-off at the Hylton Cleaver match.

MANCOM 4/9/1950
Meeting stood in silence to mark the passing of S G U Considine.
Mr Davies read a letter from Dr A Todd apologising for the part he took in the unfortunate incident at the beginning of last season, and applying to become a playing member again.
Proposed Mr Cutler and seconded Mr Davies that in view of the fact that he had apologised, his application be accepted. This was carried with two voting against and two abstentions.

It was Fred Hill’s first game for Bath after a move from Bristol. Fred played in two wartime internationals in the 1945-46 season. He was to become Bath’s mainstay hooker for several seasons, and he hit the hundred game mark in September 1952. He received noteworthy assistance from fellow forwards, Roberts, Harter, Webb, Dingle and Brown.

MANCOM 11/9/1950
“It was agreed that the Supporters’ Club be allowed to boil water in the committee room for a trial period, provided Mr. Morris was not interfered with.”

Agreed that non-members could be admitted to the West Stand, at the stewards’ discretion, 5 minutes before the time of kick-off.

MANCOM 9/10/1950
The Grounds Committee were asked to visit Norwood and report on its suitability for leasing as the local Memorial Playing Field.
Kevin O’Shaughnessy was thanked for his service rendered during the last four seasons.
Messrs Davies and Bailey to organise cups of tea at Lambridge.
Agreed that half-time oranges be provided for all three teams.
It was agreed to ask Mr. Brown to offer 5/- per share to holders of shares in the West Stand.
Agreed that any questions relating to selection to be addressed to the Chairman.

A good away win against London Irish, with young Maurice Bailey’s debut at fullback, and his Uncle Joe Bailey (by now a veteran Bath centre), playing his first and last game in the pack! The team was short of a player, so Joe stepped in!

MANCOM 13/11/1950
UNCLE AND NEPHEW!

It was reported that the late S G U Considine had left the Club a legacy of £10.
Match Programme 18th November 1950: “And here, the first chance I have had let me congratulate Tom Smith on his selection for Somerset. They tell me his father was delighted but no more than Bath club members who have watched him this season.”
Tom Smith became one of the stalwarts of Bath and Somerset, a long serving player, he was to become part of the famous Smith, Hill and Roberts front row, and continued to serve Club Management and County in non playing days.
MANCOM 27/11/1950
It was reported that the Recreation ground Company would grant no concession regarding their share of the net gate of the Hylton Cleaver game. The gate was £287. 7s 6d., and therefore their share was to be £54. 6s. 1d.
The Chairman reported his findings following a visit to Norwood, and on his advice, the Town Clerk to be advised that the proposed ground was unsuitable.
The R.F.U. to be advised of the difficulties in progressing with the rebuilding of the West Stand.
Letter from Neath, congratulating the Club upon the excellent game on November 18th.
Heartiest congratulations to Alec Lewis and John Roberts upon their England Trial selection.

PROGRAMME COMMENT
Fitness
This is what B.H. Travers says in “let’s talk Rugger” –
“No matter how fit you are you cannot play first class rugger if you have not had at least two early nights in bed immediately preceding the day of the match. Going to bed early on the night before the match is hardly of any value at all. To be really fit you must go to bed early for two nights and preferably three or four nights before the match.”

A Friday night appeal for loan of the City Engineers snowploughs was regretfully turned down. Not to be outdone, Harry Slade, the Grounds committee and some of the players, rigged up a plough pulled by his lorry. His merry band of men, including John Roberts, Joe Bailey, Bob Ball, Bill Donnelly, Alec Lewis and Thomas, started to turn up at 8 a.m., and by 10.30, Mr Eddie Simpkins was able to telephone the Weston-super-Mare secretary – that the game was on!

“BATH WIN MUD BATTLE
St. Patrick’s Men Bogged Down” thus ran the headlines. Perhaps the weather was more appropriate to St. Swithan’s! “Rain was sweeping across the field and there was hardly a spectator out in the open.” It was something of a glue-pot pitch, with a series of hectic scrambles in the mud. The players quickly became unrecognisable and there were stoppages while mud was removed from players’ eyes. After 20 minutes, Alec Lewis broke away on the blind side, handed off a would be tackler and planted the soapy ball on the profitable side of the try line. Groups of the sheltering crowd emerged to give him a cheer. “This was renewed when Sullivan converted with one of the best kicks of his career. The conditions made place-kicking a sheer hazard, but he was able to succeed from a patch of mire and at a sharp angle.” Bath won their fourth match in a row, but they had never had to fight harder to gain this particular verdict.

OLD PLAYERS ASSOCIATION ?
17th March 1951 The idea of an Old Players Association was being canvassed. It was felt that such an organisation would do much to foster a link between past and present. It was muted that the former players would meet once a year, rather on the Bristol model.
Rugby Club Stand
“Sir,-I think the most important point in the controversy about the Rugby Club’s stand has been forgotten. Rugby is an amateur game and, in many parts of the country, is played chiefly by members of the so-called favoured classes. This fact may have some bearing on the withholding of a licence for the club to rebuild.
I think that the point that should be made is that in the West of England rugby is, and always has been, pre-eminently a working class game, and that the crowd in most West Country areas, and in Bath’s also, is largely composed of the working class. I think it would be useful to raise this question.” ……signed BOTH CODES.

7th April 1951
“The Bath Club, backed by the president of the Rugby Union, Sir Wavell Wakefield, M.P., and Mr. I J Pitman, M.P. for Bath, are not taking the refusal of the Ministry of Works to grant a licence to rebuild the blitzed West Stand, lying down.

Why the Minister should discriminate against Bath and in favour of other clubs makes no sense at all. Bath City is only one of the “favoured” clubs. There are instances both at Bridgwater and Stroud, and the latest is that of the Saracens, where Bath won on Saturday. There they never possessed a stand, but one is in the course of erection for which a licence was, of course, granted.
It is a big affair, all pre-cast concrete