Please use this page to wax lyrical about your time at Streatham-Croydon (or even at Streatham RFC if you are really old). Stories, recollections, important events or dates, feel free to write about them here.
It’s not just for the old boys, it might be something that happened 100 years ago or just last week. Admin will also use this area to post historical memories from the archives. Please do try to give some idea of the year.
Other than that, please do post anything you feel like sharing.
SCRFC
/ October 31, 2010Ok, we will kick it off with a news report from 1964 reporting SCRFC playing Edinburgh at the Crystal Palace Centre.
Croydon Advertiser November 1964
Rugby may draw big crowd
THERE looks like being a very good crowd for the first rugby match at the Crystal Palace Centre on Monday week, November 16, when Streatham-Croydon meet Edinburgh Academicals (6.45 p.m)
So far some 4,500 tickets have been taken by the club and about 1,000 tickets have also been
distributed to schoolboys. There are also likely to be quite a number of rugby fans who will pass through the turnstiles on the night.
Edinburgh Academicals who play Wasps in London on the Saturday, are rare visitors to the
south, and should provide very attractive opposition. This game will be the first to be held under
floodlights in the london area for some years. Admission is 2s. 6d. (schoolchildren 1s.) and
tickets are obtainable from the club or from the admissions manger at the Centre.
The response to this game, encouraged by the Streatham club’s enthusiasm is in direct contrast
to that of the floodlit match to be held at the Centre two days later. London Counties play the rest on November 18 (8 p.m), but so far ticket sales have been disappointing.
SCRFC
/ October 31, 2010And another on from the Advertiser dated January 1954 celebrating 3 years unbeaten at Frant Rd.
CROYDON SHOULD BE PROUD OF THIS FIGHTING FIFTEEN
Croydon Advertiser January 1954
THE BOROUGH OF CROYDON should be proud to have playing within it’s boundaries a rugby club of the prominence of Streatham. and I congratulate skipper Jim Jonas and his team on completing last Saturday a run of three years without suffering a single home defeat. Only a
comparatively small crowd braved the cold wind to see Streatham beat Trojans at Frant Road, Thornton Heath, but in a close fluctuating game it was something worth going a long way to see
Through there are a few experienced players in this gallant red-shirted Streatham fifteen, there are also plenty of young ones. Two I noticed in particular, because of their summer sporting activities: 18 year old John Jones and 20 year old Mike Curtis. You have probably heard of them before certainly of the 16-stone Jones late of John Ruskin School who last year won the English schools shot putt championship.
He lives in Norbury and is now studying law at London University. “Rugby certainly keeps me fit” he told me after the game. “And I think I’ve lost some weight, don’t you?” He has. Curtis I remember for his grand cricket with the Addiscombe club last season. A New Zealander, he now lives with his parents in Croydon and works in London.
The match against Trojans was his first in Streatham’s senior side but the crowd quickly took to this small but terrier-like performer who used to play rugby for Nelson College in New Zealand
With youngsters like Jones and Curtis coming along Streatham need have little fear of the future. My guess is that they will be a side to respect for many seasons yet.
Belchie
/ November 15, 2010Surrey Cup Final Appearance 1989
Streatham-Croydon last won the Surrey Cup in 1975 by beating Esher in the final and retaining the trophy won the previous year against the same opposition. In the thirty-five years that have followed, the club have reached the final twice but have failed to secure the trophy. The first occasion was in 1981, when London Irish were the victors. The second final appearance came in 1989.
1988/9 was a good season to be a Streatham-Croydon player. Phil Brown proved to be an inspirational captain and we had an international player in our line-up, the American Jeff Peter. Fine away victories were achieved in friendly matches at Birmingham (18-4), Taunton (25-13) and Worcester (17-0). A creditable league campaign saw a fifth place finish in the London Division 1 and we even had an opportunity to affect the outcome of the league title in our final game at Basingstoke. With the home side needing to win to claim the title, we found ourselves in the lead at half-time, but we succumbed to second half pressure in order to retain our local derby against promotion-chasing Sutton & Epsom the following season.
The icing on the cake was reaching the county cup final. The semi-final against an up and coming Camberley side at Sutton’s ground proved to be a tight affair. We eventually ran out 13-12 winners thanks to the boot of Keith Francis, although the game swung both ways in the last couple of minutes. A more satisfying victory over Camberley was to follow in a Lodon Division 1 match four years later. Old Alleynians came through an equally tight semi-final against John Fisher Old Boys and the stage was set for the final at Esher on 19th March. After the excitement of the semi-final , the final proved to be something of an anti-climax as we lost an instantly forgetable game 16-3. Even the presence of international referee Roger Quittenton could not bring the game to life.
Happily the season did not end on that disappointing note. After a tour to Newcastle, during which we lost to Tynedale before beating Percy Park, we returned to Esher the following month and beat the weakest Esher side I ever had the pleasure to play against by 30 points to 6.
SCRFC
/ November 15, 2010Brilliant Belchie, exactly what’s needed
Belchie
/ August 13, 2011This is not a memory, but an article I came across recently from the Croydon Advertiser dated 1st February 2002.
Perfect hosts by David Groves
“Be not forgetful to entertain strangers for thereby some have entertained Angels unawares.”
The club motto hangs proudly above an archway in the Streatham-Croydon club house.
It befits the friendly fifth-oldest club in the world which once got down to only 15 players when they were at their lowest ebb before fighting back to their present Surrey Two status.
The welcoming gesture from inside the club house was well appreciated by this first-time visitor on Saturday. Just over seven hours later yours truly was walking away suitably refreshed and entertained.
Streatham are on the crest of a wave at the moment, pushing for promotion and enjoying such resounding recent results as 55-3 against Teddington and 61-0 against Old Walcountians at Frant Road.
All a far cry from only a few short years ago when they had almost become the laughing stock of local rugby, losing matches by massive margins. But key club members dug in and resisted the decline.
In 1871 Streatham Rugby Club was one of the earliest to be founded and it based its operations at Streatham Common. In 1919 the club moved to its present home in Frant Road, Thornton Heath.
Neil Hughes, executive member, said, “At that time it became known by its present name of Streatham-Croydon RFC and it shared its facilities with Streatham Cricket Club.”
Streatham-Croydon flourished, particularly in the 1960s and 1970s, running anything up to 10 sides and producing players who became international names, such as Dudley Wood, a former president of the RFU, and Jeff Probyn, a renowned England prop.
Hughes said, “The principal objective at Streatham-Croydon is the pursuit of rugby excellence. For this we intend to develop our sporting links with the local community and schools, and such links are not and will not be limited to rugby alone. Streatham-Croydon already have an arrangement with London Storm, an amateur rugby league team, who base themselves at the ground for their summer season. The ground at Streatham-Croydon comprises two excellent pitches which are used throughout the week, a spectators’ stand with changing facilities and a clubhouse, which is known for its friendly and welcoming atmosphere.
As to the future, Streatham-Croydon has been examining ways in which capital might be raised to allow substantial redevelopment, with a view to guaranteeing the survival and improvement of rugby at the Thornton Heath ground.
Their darkest days certainly seem to be behind them.
Belchie
/ September 9, 2011The following article was written by Bobby Howes and appeared in “The Cardinal” newsletter in 1997.
The Times – They are a Changing……………………….
I am in the Club bar with a fellow playing member in the year 1929 when I joined Streatham Rugby Football Club as it was known in those days.
I have just paid my players member subscription of £1.10s.0 (£1.50 today) and have put £5 into the West Country Easter Tour Goose Club, which will easily cover my return fare London/Truro, four nights full board at the Red Lion (3 star) and enough beer to keep my tonsils awash for the length of the stay. I turn to the “Les Black” of that time and order two pints of Fremlins Bitter and 20 Players cigarettes, for which I gave him 2s/5d (12p in today’s money) and tell him he may keep the change !
But before you young players get the idea that we got our rugby cheap in those days, remember that the majority of young men were earning something like £75 PER ANNUM, which roughly meant that they could invest the whole of one week’s pay in two bottles of whiskey (12s/6d per bottle). Today you would pay £24 for two bottles and there are precious few of you earning as little as £24 a week. YOU’VE NEVER HAD IT SO GOOD !
159 Brigstock Road was little changed from it’s residential lay out. One entered by the front door (now providing a coat rack in the corner of the bar known as “Dad’s Army Corner”) into the hall, which ran from front to back. On the left hand side were two rooms, the first the ladies (Tennis Club) locker room, the second was the bar. The main bar now takes up the area of these two rooms plus the hall area. How we ever got sixty players, two referees plus the odd and sundry into the bar I know not. Of course the answer is we didn’t, there was always an overflow into the hall and upstairs into the Committee and Tea rooms, which remain almost unchanged today.
Tea was served upstairs after games by the Steward’s wife – bread, butter and jam sandwiches and an assortment of cakes. 6d. On the right hand side of the hall was the changing room for all players, leading through to the gents loo, much as it is now, with the exception of a concrete hole in the floor some halfway to the gents, about 7 foot square by 2 feet deep, which was the plunge bath for sixty players plus referees and touch judges !!!
Walking out of the Clubhouse towards the ground, the lawn to the right of the path was in superb shape, in fact bowls was played on it. Where the squash courts, stand and car park now are, were tennis courts. A car park was hardly necessary in those days. Only four members ever arrived in cars, Bernard Utting, Jub Howard, Maxim Joubert and George Parker. Five if you count Eric Williams who was a car salesman, and sometimes arrived in the demonstration model ! Otherwise everyone used public transport, except myself, who travelled from Mill Hill where I lived, by bicycle on Mondays and Thursdays for training. Not trusting myself on Saturdays due to the effects of a Fremlins overdose !
Behind the dead ball line on the right, between the two pitches, was the wooden cricket pavilion consisting of two changing rooms. Mixed tennis and Streatham Cricket Club (now in Dulwich) used the ground in summer and the Rugby Club in winter. As the seasons overlapped by one week only in those days, we played trial matches on our third pitch, which was in a field in Plough Lane, Purley, at the top of the hill as you come in from the station.
Dressing and washing accommodation was provided by hessian screens and buckets of cold water. Bring your own towel !
Playing members were expected to have boots, Club stockings and jersey, shorts and a white jersey in case of colour clash. Take it all home and do your own washing (or bribe mother).
As editor of the first “Cardinal” in c.1932, I was approached by Joanna to produce something about the past. This I have done in very broad terms. Joanna asked for anecdotes of happenings. This I will do with pleasure in future publications if it be your desire, but I must warn that as this publication is read by ladies and minors, there will, of necessity, be large gaps !!!!!!
Belchie
/ December 14, 2011Centenary Festival Of Rugby – Easter 1972
The club’s centenary celebrations took place over the Easter Bank Holiday weekend in 1972 (Friday 31st March – Monday 3rd April). The following report appeared in the Croydon Advertiser on 7/4/72.
Coventry win no friends at Streatham.
Drawn by the expectation that Coventry were sending their first team, some 1,500 spectators turned up at Frant Road on Easter Monday to see them pit their skills against Streatham-Croydon. Coventry, to the disappointment of fans – and of the Streatham Club themselves – sent virtually a second team, and though they won by a convincing 28-10 margin the move hardly endeared them to the home supporters.
Streatham have no complaint about the defeat, though they can point to extenuating circumstances in that they were quickly reduced to 13 men, partially as a result of some dubious tactics. Spike Richards went off after two minutes after receiving a knee in the back in a line-out, and Will Witt departed 30 minutes later with a dislocated shoulder that will certainly keep him out of action for the rest of the season. The reduction to a six-man pack – no substitutes were allowed – did not help, although Streatham still led 7-6 at the interval through a try and a penalty goal by Roger Crisp, whose conversion attempt from wide out hit the crossbar.
The outcome was never in doubt in the second half because Coventry inevitably got stronger as Streatham became weaker. A lack of possession told against Streatham, who went close on the occasions they did get the ball. Royce made one fine break and was only halted a yard from the line. Crisp landed another penalty to complete Streatham’s tally, but Coventry added four more tries to their first-half try. George Cole converting four of the five.
Coventry’s tough tactics did not endear them to the crowd or the referee. Dick Towers, who gave them plenty of trouble in the line-outs, also had a knee or boot in his back. Had Streatham remained at full strength they might not have won, but the result would inevitably have been a great deal closer.
In this Easter Festival Streatham played several games, but only one other at first-team level. That was on Saturday when they lost 9-31 to South Wales Police. This was a poor performance by Streatham. Their only points came from penalties by Roger Crisp, who had the distinction of being the only first team player to score in both the senior games over Easter.
The Police were a good side, but Streatham played with little spark. Vic Hanson made quite a good debut, especially when he was on the attack, and there was a good performance from Daly.
Other Festival Results,
Friday : Streatham Colts 14 Old Reigatian Colts 15; Streatham A 26 RAF Farnborough 3; Streatham Scorpions 28 Old Beccehamians 6; Archie Hendrickse XV 31 Dudley Wood’s XV 12.
Saturday : Streatham Colts 3 Carmarthen Youth 6; Streatham A 0 Worthing A 39; Streatham Scorpions 25 Worthing 3.
Monday : Streatham Scorpions 19 Hampstead 6; Streatham Colts 0 Schools Representative XV 10; Streatham A 60 Llanishen 0.