THIRTY-FIVE years ago to nearly the day, the Guernsey Rugby Club opened their spanking new, flat-top headquarters at Foote’s Lane. Sir Charles Mills, Lt-Governor of the time, performed the official duties and to mark the occasion the greens went on to be walloped 30-0 by visiting Bingley.
It would be easy to claim that not much has changed down the GRUFC way, although results most certainly have picked up.
The clubhouse certainly hasn’t and the pitch remains more in keeping with Les Vauxbelets than Twickenham, but the island’s oldest club does have many things going for it as it tries to fight its way out of a time warp.
For a start, is there a club on the London South West league ladder with a playing facility of the standard the first XV now enjoy inside the running track and in front of the Garenne Stand?
Secondly, today’s players lack nothing in ambition and, to their credit, are doing their best to ensure Jersey do not disappear over the horizon.
Two of the last three Siam Cup results indicate Andy Bailey, Jim Regnard and co are doing a sterling job.
And then there’s the man in the commentary box, pushing the buttons that blurt out the various rock themes that accompany the home games.
His name is Phil Daunt and his association with the club goes all the way back to that 1972 season.
Indeed, he was a little surprised and disappointed to learn he did not feature in the match against Bingley.
But, he insists, he played that winter.
More than anyone, Daunt is qualified to judge the progress the club has made. He is old enough to remember the pre clubhouse days when the drinking - and there was a whole lot more of it done then - was in the unofficial clubhouse at the Yacht and when home games were played on a bog of a field, close to where today’s drained main pitch stands.
For those not up to scratch with GRUFC history, the clubhouse and pitch was gifted to the club by the Guernsey Brewery and the original building was never fully developed as planned.
‘It was built initially for two storeys,’ said Daunt.
‘That’s why it has got a flat roof. It was supposed to have another floor and a balcony.’
It has served a purpose, though, including for a short spell in the mid-80s, while the King George V Field was out of action, being used as a cricket pavilion for the top-flight league action played there.
Luxurious is not a word you would associate with it.
‘We tarted up the bar and the carpet once,’ Daunt says, while admitting ‘it really hasn’t changed’.
‘It is looking tired, but that’s purely down to [lack of] finances.’
Tony Riddle captained the first XV back in 1972 and alongside him played some of the finest or dedicated players the club have put out on the pitch.
Men such as Mike Duquemin, Bill Lohmier and former Siam captain Dave Leafe.
Attitudes have changed and Daunt, who has appeared in Siams without ever sampling the joy of winning, has no doubts that standards have gone through the roof.
‘Today’s players take it far more seriously in terms of fitness and conditioning.
‘In our time, me and Adie [Le Page] were the only fanatics. If it was a 2.30 kick-off you would turn up at two. Your stretching was in doing your laces up.’
Daunt is saddened that the club appears to have missed the boat to move lock, stock and beer barrel a quarter-of-a-mile northwest to the Garenne Stand.
As recently as two or three years ago plans were drawn up for a new state-of-the-art headquarters tagged on to the Garenne Stand at its northern end.
The plans were dynamic and eye-catching and had they gone ahead rugby and athletics would have been able to share a purpose-built weights room as part of the new facility.
But rugby turned down the opportunity and are stuck with what they have, albeit under a fresh 35-year lease.
‘Personally, I was in favour of a move to the Garenne Stand. Our club is tired and old,’ said Daunt.
‘The Garenne Stand as a facility for playing rugby is as good as any in our league and many leagues higher. To have added on a small clubhouse would have been ideal.
‘It was a missed opportunity,’ he added.
Article posted on 13th October, 2007 - 12.00am
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