Old Yardleians Rugby Football Club
1927 - 2002
Welcome to a brief history of Old Yardleians
RFC. Older members will realise that the first ten or so pages of this
diatribe are heavily
plagiarised from the Golden Jubilee (60th Anniversary) edition of the
programme.
As you read through you will note that like
most clubs we have had our high points and our low points. Not as high as
some clubs, but not as low as others, who have managed to become extinct along
the way.
We have never been a wealthy club and
the story so far reveals how we have somehow managed to overcome our financial difficulties,
due to the contributions of our VP benefactors and also the large number of dedicated people, both
on and off the field, who have made Old Ys what it is today.
Later on you will
also find some details that are not strictly historical, such as the
time we tried to electrocute the opposition. The story goes that upon entering the communal bath (pre-AIDS of course)
that some players felt a distinct tingling sensation!
It was later
discovered that the electric cooker in the kitchen was faulty and, as it was
earthed to the water-main, when switched on it provided a mild but invigorating current
into the bath water!
If you are an Old Yardleian and have not been
mentioned along the way in this programme, it means that you currently fall into that narrow category of people who are
neither famous nor infamous.
However it need not remain that way. If you
feel that you, or someone you know has performed some noteworthy deed that
deserves a mention in the annals of Old Y's history then please let us know!
It will be published for posterity on the web site and (you never know) may
even make it into the centenary programme.
The 100th anniversary
edition of this program is due to be published in 2027. A fact which puts a
huge onus on the current membership to ensure that it occurs.
I hope you enjoy your reading.
Kiwi Thompson Club
President (until 2003)