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I have been involved with Reeds Weybridge since 1976 when I first joined the club as a playing member. In those days no Mini or even Youth sections existed and the club consisted of Old boys from Reeds School in Cobham.  Throughout my time as a player I thoroughly enjoyed life in a vibrant amateur rugby club. I was also fortunate enough to be 1st XV Captain for 4 years and represented Combined London and Old boys for 3 years. I officially retired from senior rugby after 25 years in 2001.

In the early 90’s my wife Amanda and I were starting our family and my thoughts quickly turned to where Will was going to play rugby. After speaking to a couple of mates we decided to start our own Mini  Section.  In the early days we ran a single age group and over the last 15 years this has grown to over 400 boys and girls playing rugby from 3 to 12 years old.  I relinquished my Chairman duties in 2006/7 and feel we have laid the foundations for a very successful future.

Our founding principles are:-

It is with great pride to see these values still in existence today and I look forward to the Mini’s future growth and success under Simon’s stewardship.  In the mean time my focus turns towards ensuring that as many of the Youth boys as possible continue their journey with the club into senior rugby.

It seemed quite normal that if you had any sporting talent when you left Reeds in 1972  to automatically join the ORs.

I first played for the ORs in 1971 whilst I was still at school. The old boys pitch was then in the school grounds when I played against them for the School in 1970 at the tender age of sweet sixteen! After this through begging and borrowing a battery hen hut was obtained and ‘older old boys’ than me in those days carried out the negotiations that saw us end up at Whiteley Village.

These were the days of playing local sides before leagues were introduced and of young boys being bought as much beer as they could take before being delivered back onto their parent’s doorstep in the middle of the night! The whole club atmosphere was great fun. Not only did we train hard and play serious rugby, the club was also our social epicentre with regular discos and events at Whiteley Village.

Memories of training and then singing, playing darts and table football competitions, often until 4am with work that day, alongside  the seniors who you had looked up to, are still fresh in my mind. The rugby club has also been pivotal for me in terms of friendships made and business opportunities enjoyed.  Most of my oldest and most valued friendships were forged one way or another in association with the club. I was also captain of the ORs cricket club during some of it’s most successful years when we laid an all weather playing surface at Whiteley Village between the two main pitches as they are today. Perhaps this is something we may re-introduce in the years ahead!?

Why did we put the effort in to start the Minis?  Two reasons. The three of us had reached an age where our best playing years were behind us and we saw this venture as one of the best ways of securing the future of the club we loved, and of course because we were all becoming family men and we didn’t want our children to miss out on the fun and opportunities rugby in general and ORs in particular had given us. At the time it just seemed a natural progression in the continuation of the club and although it was a lot of hard work to get the Minis up and running it really is one of the most fulfilling and rewarding things I have ever been involved with.

I look back with pride on all we have created at our club. We have kept the club a vibrant ,exciting and friendly oasis for all to enjoy and at the same time given our kids the opportunity to play the game we love and to make friends and gain life experiences as we did all those years ago.

The future of the senior club may look a little bleak as we are right now but I think the re-positioning of our Old Boys Club to being much more of a club for the local community will prove a shrewd move. I only have to look at the dedication and effort being put in by the myriad of coaches now helping out and the enjoyment on the faces of the youngsters to know we have still got a very positive future. We now need to harness all the energy and goodwill emanating from the Mini and Youth sections to strengthen the Senior club for without them our club is a poorer place. The young boys and men coming through should seek selection for our senior side as their long term goal.   Our club always had a reputation with others on the circuit for having a little more than most of it’s competitors and it still is a very special place to be.

I still haven’t officially retired! The last game I played for the ORs was in 2003 when for my efforts I received 3 broken ribs and a collapsed lung! Nevertheless I still have a dream to play with my three boys in the same team one day for the ORs on the 1st XV pitch.......................

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