Rugby Union in Coventry

I seem to remember that was January 7th, it was also the day that my one year old elder daughter learned to walk. That was also the day that I learned my wife was a "*****" - how her informant could tell, just by looking at her I don`t know.

What about the Wheatley Brothers Harold and Nebular? Who can forget Jackie Sparks on the wing a little rotund, but a real have a goer and the opposition just bounced off him Ivor Preece, went to see his first international match against Wales I think, went with a coach load of Teachers and Coventry Boys. I think the only real memory was of Cliff Morgan, playing fly half, running backwards and kicking over his shoulder. As a bytheby also saw Richard Sharpe`s first triumphant game against Wales, the Welsh fans were reported to be crying at the back of the stands. Another memory - who can forget Andy Hancocks last minute try against Scotland) my wife to be couldn`t a Scots girl she wouldn`t speak to me for the rest of the weekend - mind you it may also have been that we took her without a ticket and she had to talk her way in - she did - nice gateman just let her through. The sight of my 3 year old daughter over by the cow shed side, sitting on my shoulder shouting "Duck, Duck, Duck" he had yound admirers. And what about those poor benighted devils who went North Ron Tilbury?Hooker and there was also a very good winger - forget his name. Was a member of Coventry Life Saving club, Phil Judd was a very good water polo player.- that looked something like rugby in water

Sad to read of the passing of Ray Batstone - link - a favourite from the 1950s, who appeared for Warwickshire in the famous 1958 final against Cornwall at Coundon Road RIP Ray

Dare I mention it? Rugby League. I seem to remember there were a couple of departures "Up North" 1950s. I think one chap was called Ron Tilbury (hooker?) and there was a brilliant winger, but I cannot remember his name. Another name from the past - don`t know if he has had a mention - Nebular (Neb) Wheatley, I think he was 2nd row. Jackie Sparks 1950`s small rotund winger, but he could fly. Went with a coach of Coventry schoolboys to Twickenham to see Ivor Preece`s debut flyhalf against Wales, seem to remember he was up against Cliff Morgan, Bleddyn Williams, Ken Jones, Haydn Tanner, I think England lost. Has it been recorded that George Cole, when at Hen Lane, was a schoolboy international? Schoolboy internationals KHVIII, Godfrey and Paul Phipps (I think)

If my memory is correct, Ivor Oatridge, who attended Stoke Secondary School played Rugby Union for England Schoolboys in the late 1950's. He had the misfortune, when appearing at a Coventry Schools athletics meeting, in what was an extraordinary accident, to have his skull fractured by a wayward thrown shot putt. He did recover from this injury.

.... and Frank Castle to Barrow. He used to train at the Butts track with the Godiva Harriers but once he signed professional papers he was no longer allowed at the Butts on training nights nor allowed to enter handicap races in the summer as many union players did.

I'm posting this after following from afar the Sky Blues' troubles from the sale of the Highfield Road stadium, to the slide down from the Premier League and to the Ricoh debacle, and then - a big surprise to me - the arrival of the Wasps rugby club to take ownership of the stadium. Quite a turnaround - the notion that the Sky Blues would one day play in a stadium owned by a rugby club would have been unthinkable! While I was never seen as often at Coundon Rd as I was at Highfield Rd in the 50s and 60s, when I was a kid Coventry RFC had great players like Phil Judd, Bert Godwin, Peter Jackson and the Boot - George Cole, and I went to school with Pete Rossborough, David Duckham, Brian Holt and Peter Preece, who went on to achieve greatness. The club's history since the 1970s has virtually paralleled that of the Sky Blues, but it was still a surprise to find that Wasps had become a "Coventry" club. It will be interesting to see how the two co-exist, so I hope to keep up to date via this thread. There is a rather poor Wikipedia page on Cov RFC here, and a slightly more informative one on Wasps here. Their official websites are http://www.coventryrfc.co.uk/ and http://www.wasps.co.uk/. There are at least two good things about the arrival of the Wasps. Firstly, it sees the return to Coventry of what looks very much like the "real" Brandon Bee, so you can get out all those old Bees scarves etc! And secondly, it gives Coventry rugby watchers the enormous pleasure of watching the great George Smith at loose-head for the Wasps. Those of us who live in Canberra and support the Brumbies rugby team have seen his entire career, from the day when the Brumbies captain was unavailable due to injury and they plucked an unknown dreadlocked 18 year old kid out of the junior team as a replacement. He got "man of the match" in his very first A-grade game, and has had a career second to none. If you like rugby, go and see him while you have him!

Telegraph report that Wasps RFC are in "secret talks" to redevelop site of Coventry City FC Academy base at The Alan Higgs Centre for rugby training

Memories of Warwickshire v. Cornwall. Standing at the railway end surrounded by Cornishmen. Peter Jackson takes a blind reverse pass / scissors from (name forgotten), heads towards the posts at the far end. A big Cornishman turns to us "Arrrgh, now he has we!" We all left together, walked down into town and had a 'Chinese'. Sorry to hear of Rick Melville's death. I was at Bablake when he won 'Victor Ludorum' at school sports day. Great athlete.

Was talking to George Cole recently, apparently at 15 years of age, he had a choice of Cov City football club, Warwickshire CCC, or Rugby Union. His Dad advised him to get a proper job and play Rugby. Believe he did an apprenticeship at the Dunlop. Believe that at one point Warwickshire won County Championship, 6 or 7 years on the trot.

Warwickshire won the Rugby County Championship 7 years out of 8, between 1958 and 1965. The only year they missed was in 1961 when Cheshire won it. Since then the county won it in 1986 and 1995. I seem to remember it being a major competition in the past, and Warwickshire's team regularly having about 12 Coventry players in it.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, the Warwickshire team used to regularly consist of 14 Coventry players and 1 from Rugby. I can only conclude that one team was not allowed to provide the whole of the County side? If not, then pity the poor Coventry player who was left out!

It would appear that the County Championship is now split into three "tiers": Tier 1: County Championship (Bill Beamount Cup) Tier 2: County Championship Plate Tier 3: County Championship Shield Guess which tier Warwickshire are now in Yes, tier three - how the mighty are fallen

Sad to read of the death of former player Ian Darnell

I have read through this post and I cannot find a mention of, in my opinion, the finest scrum players to play for Coventry and England, always a 100% player, his name, Fran Cotton, I watched him quite a few times, as my gran lived on Holyhead Road. I thought I would give him a mention to see if it got a good or bad response.