Blyth Cricket & Rugby Club

[BlythSpartan]

Thanks ever so much - it was the clipping you attached from 1893 that was actually what sparked off my hunt. Having begun my search at the library through the Blyth News, I have found a few match reports - the Rovers not being very successful at all it appears, losing every game and not scoring any points!
Sadly for the Rovers, the last mention I can find in the Blyth News was from 6th Jan 1894 with a match report from a game against Choppington - I could find no mention of rugby in Blyth again until a match report about "the newly formed Blyth Rugby club" named Blyth Rangers in October 1894.
It appears that Rugby in Blyth would suffer from forming and reforming right up until the 1961 formation, still it would be interesting to fill in the gaps!

For anyone who may be interested the Blyth Rovers first match was against South Shields West End at the Recreation Ground in September 1893.  The team that day was:

Full Back: McCormack
Three Quarters: Alder, H.Weyergang, T.Hope, Blackburn
Half Backs: F.Ryder, T.Henderson
Forwards: J.P Isherwood, Jacques, John Hope, James Hope, J.Ryder, G.Robson, J.Aynsley, Walker

[TriciaK]

Phil's first newspaper cutting mentions Mr. J. Knott - that would be either my Dad or Grandad. Dad would be 24 in 1930, and I know he was on a rugby team because I have a photo. But I don't think it was the Blyth team.
You would never see him as a rugby player as he was short and slim - maybe played back because he ran fast? If only he was here to ask, he died in 1990.

[BlythSpartan]

In the clubhouse there is a team photo with a J.Knott in it...the year eludes me at the moment. It may well be that it's the same image you have, but you're more than welcome to pop by and have a look sometime.
I'll try and get a copy uploaded onto here as well.

[Phodgetts]

Yes, it seems for various reasons the Rugby Club had a precarious existence, either through want of skilled players or funds. A shame really. A bumpy existence.

I still haven't managed to discover where the Recreation Ground or Blagdon Terrace was.

This clipping from the Shields Daily Gazette 3 August 1897

P

[BlythSpartan]

I've been asking the locals this evening if they'd heard of this Blagdon Terrace, but to no avail. That clipping is really interesting - I think what I want to get out of the exercise is a time line of rugby in Blyth, including the many failures, before the game took root and find out more about the chaps who were determined to make it succeed - and hopefully find some links with the current members!

[BlythSpartan]

Here are two pictures from our clubhouse wall. One from the 1929/30 season and one from the 1933/34 (so even though the club disbanded in 1930, they were up and running again soon after - again!). Both pictures have a certain J.Knott in each of them...

[TriciaK]

Thanks so much  Yes that's my Dad! I have a copy of that first photo somewhere, had a look yesterday and didn't find it.
I've never seen him looking tough like that, (before I was born). He was always very subdued at home, coming from a family with 5 sisters, marrying into a family of 4 sisters, and having 2 daughters, no sons. Also serving in the RN in WW2 must have changed him a lot.
As to the reasons why rugby didn't take off in Blyth, among other things it must have been the popularity of football, and especially Blyth Spartans , still doing well today so I've heard.
We used to live in an upstairs flat at 92 Kingsway, and I often watched matches from our front window - before the houses opposite were built.

[Phodgetts]

I have found Blagdon Terrace, but I don't know if anybody here will be interested in knowing anything about it. Let me know.

P 

[c-side]

Yes please!  It's been driving me crazy too.  Spent hours last night looking closely at OS maps with no success.

Christine