Blyth Cricket & Rugby Club

[BlythSpartan]

Hello all,

This is my first post, despite being an interested "Forum Voyeur" for a few years, having begun some research of my own recently, I was hoping I could call on your help.

Although, not specifically looking for individuals at the moment (it all depends on how the research develops!), I've been looking into the history of two of Blyth's less famous sporting clubs!

I have recently been appointed as Secretary of Blyth Cricket and Rugby Club and have been delving into the past following a chance discovery of a newspaper clipping dating back to 1893, regarding the formation of a Rugby Club in Blyth.
"Blyth Rovers Rugby Football Club", were founded at Browns Cocoa Rooms in Turner Street in June 1893, under the Presidency of a Mr. Alfred Thompson and Hon.Secretary Mr. George Reynolds.
The club initially played at a plot acquired at the Recreation Grounds, although some rugby had been played at Blagdon Terrace (I don't know where either of these places are/were).

It has been traditionally accepted (in local rugby circles) that rugby in Blyth was first played in 1922, with various guises of a Blyth Rugby Club folding and reforming until the current club was founded in 1961, later moving to share the Cricket Ground on Plessey Road, where both Clubs happily reside today.

I was wondering and I'd be hugely grateful to anyone for any information on either of the clubs, if anyone had any relatives involved or are aware of any stories, particularly the Rugby side of things prior to the 1960's.

I have further names, from other snippets, including Blyth Rovers first team selection, which I can elaborate on should the conversation take off!

Thanks in advance

 

[c-side]

Welcome to rootschat 

At the moment I don't have any additional info but could suggest that a trawl through other issues of the Blyth News housed in the library might be useful.

Otherwise I'm sure there'll be someone along soon.

Christine

[BlythSpartan]

Thanks for the reply, Christine. I've begun the hunt through the Blyth News already so will turn some more information there, I'm sure!

Hopefully find someone who know's something to put some flesh on the bones!

Thanks again.

[TriciaK]

There was a tennis club there too, I belonged to it for a short time in the very early '50s.
We sometimes watched cricket matches on a Saturday afternoon, but can't remember any details, and nothing about rugby.
Good luck, it sounds an interesting project.

[BlythSpartan]

The current rugby club formed in 1961 and played at Cowpen playing fields. They used the Windmill as a base for post match tipples. They didn't move to Plessey Road until the 70's - it was actually one of the Tennis Club members who helped to ensure that the agreement was reached!
Having searched a little further through the Blyth News from 1893/94, it appears both Cricket and Rugby were met with fairly luke warm enthusiasm, Blyth being very much an established football town.
 

[TriciaK]

Did they play League or Union?  It was very much a class distinction in those days, probably still is.

[BlythSpartan]

It was Union then (still is at Blyth RFC) I'm not sure if the distinction had been made at that point. Although, the insistence on complete amateurism by the Rugby elite, to the point where players werent even allowed expenses, meant that it put a lot of people off the game in the north of England, as working class folk from coal towns and villages just couldn't afford to take the time off to play sport. That's what ultimately led to the League/Union split and probably what stunted the growth of the game up here.

[Phodgetts]

Finding the location of Blagdon Terrace is driving me crazy! I have found various references to it, and I know that 1 Bladgon Terrace was a school run by a Mrs Bowman, the school on was also used to house soldiers during WW1 and was referred to as Blagdon Terrace during that time. I had thought it was just the row of houses along Blagdon Street, which is now an extension of Bridge Street. The was an old field behind Blagdon Street which I had thought would be the sports field, however, games were still being played at Blagdon Terrace AFTER the field had been built on. So that destroys that theory for me.

I'm struggling with this one, but one item that might interest you is this little newspaper clipping from the Hartlepool Northern Daily Mail, 4 May 1930, which is about the Rugby Club being disbanded altogether and the reasons why.

P

[Phodgetts]

This clipping is from The Shields Daily Gazette, 16 June 1893, about the formation of the Ruby Club. The meeting took place in Brown's Cocoa Rooms, also known at the time as Brown's Dining Rooms, which you can see outside the railway station in the picture here;

https://www.flickr.com/photos/51893012@N05/17490500518/in/album-72157641931957224/

Last time I was in Blyth the building was still used as a cafe.

P