The History of Clacton Rugby Union Football Club
Clacton Rugby Union Football Club was formed on 12th September 1930 – we know this because we still have the original minute book in our possession. At that initial meeting, it was resolved that ‘a rugby club be formed in Clacton’, with the home games being played on the council playing fields at Vista Road. Mr Tom Elliot was the first club president, succeeded by Captain A Quick, MBE, and Cecil Portnoi had the honour of being the club’s very first captain. In addition to the minute books, the club also has all the fixture cards from 1930 up to the outbreak of World War II, and these are currently on display in the clubhouse.
After the war, the club was not reformed until 1951, with well-known rugby referee and cricket selector Mr TN (Tom) Pearce as its president. Jimmy Dow, Bill Damiral and Mervyn Jones were all prominent members and officers as the club continued to play its home games at Vista Road, with the Queens Head public house in Great Clacton being used as its headquarters, and indeed for changing purposes.
In 1961, the club decided to affiliate to the Suffolk Rugby Union. As a result, a steady stream of players have represented the county at all levels, with J Holloway playing several games for Eastern Counties in 1967. K Woods, Steve Gage, D Harrison and Ian Simpson all received their county colours at respective levels, and more recently R Turner, Trevor Cottee, Martyn Bell, Darren Tully and Lee Amman have appeared at colts level.
The 1971-72 season was the best ever from a playing perspective, with only three defeats in 29 games. The decision was made to build a clubhouse, and this was finally completed and opened in 1976.
Playing standards were maintained with the introduction of the league system, and the clubs highest position was achieved in 1992-93, when they narrowly missed promotion to Eastern Counties Division One. By way of consolation, the club did win the Suffolk Plate that year.
A down turn occurred in 1995 when, for various reasons, the club experienced an exodus of players. Some retired, whilst others left to join other clubs, and it was left to a few stalwarts to fly the Clacton flag. However, after some terrible beatings, it was decided in 2000 to withdraw from the league system, and just play ‘friendly’ fixtures.
A couple of years later, fortunes changed, and the club entered Division Two of the Suffolk Merit Table. Promotion to Division One was achieved, and so it was decided to re-enter the Eastern Counties League at Division Three. The runners-up spot was secured at the first attempt but, due to the excessive travelling, the club applied for, and were accepted into, the Essex League set-up. Entering at Division Three in 2004-05, the club gained one of the two promotion places, and had three seasons in Division Two. We finished in third place in the first two seasons in Division Two before finally winning it in 2007-08, and will be competing in Division One in 2008-09 - the highest level the club has ever played.
In 2005 the club reformed its second XV, the Kestrels. The team entered Division Two of the Suffolk Merit Table in 2005-06, and confounded everyone by winning it! 2006-07 saw them playing in Division One where the standard of opposition was that much higher. Nevertheless, they completed all but one of their fixtures and, despite finishing second from bottom, they remained in Division One in 2007-08. The leagues have been re-constituted into three divisions for the 2008-09 season, and the Kestrels find themselves placed in the middle one, Division Two.
No history of the club would be complete with mention of some of our annual events. Every May Day Sunday, since 1985, the club has run an invitation seven-a-side competition. It is named after the late Ernie Tweedy, and goes some way to ensure that a man who put some much into the administration of rugby at both club and regional level is not forgotten.
Every Boxing Day, the club has a home fixture to ensure that both past and present members can share some festive bonhomie. The idea was started in 1962, when Harwich provided the opposition and the two teams played for the Carlton Cup. Clacton only lost once, but the fixture has changed over the years with Brightlingsea and, more recently, Mersea Island providing the opposition.
Finally, for the first time in the summer of 2005, the club joined with the RFU, Eastern Counties RFU and Tendring District Council, to host a very successful Beach Tag Rugby day. Played on the sand at Martello Beach, Clacton, it is one of only two in the Eastern Region, and only a handful nationally. It was repeated in 2006, 2007 and 2008, and hopefully will remain an annual fixture in the calendar of both the club and the town.
June 2008
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