University of Birmingham Rugby Club memories from 1976.
I am am now 54 and went up to the University from Birmingham Grammar School George Dixon GS in the Autumn of 1976 after that 'Golden Summer of 76.' after just missing out on a place to read P.P.E.and get an Oxford Rugby Blue, or so I thought with the confidence of youth at Worcester College Oxford-never happened!
Having played for Greater Birmingham Schools at Rugby and trialed for The Midlands Schools at Under 19's, where I came across some 'real' players like Mike Perry from Wrekin College, who went on the play for Moseley RFC and England Under 23's; Murray Fisken (any relation to UoB's David Fisken?) from King Edward's School opposite the University Guild in Edgbaston who played for Edinburgh Academicals and Scotland and Huw Davies from King Edward's School Stourbridge, who played centre/fly-half for England in the pre-Carling era with Marcus Rose et al in the mid-1980's.
As an interesting aside local rock superstar Robert Plant, former front man of mega group Led Zeppelin is an 'Old Boy' (I am sure Robert would love that epithet.....!!!) of King Edward's Stourbridge and trained as a Chartered Accountant in Dudley-how the 'mighty are fallen'..eh?
I had played for Dixonians RFC the rugby club of the former George Dixon Grammar School as a Colt earlier that year and was very fit.
I made my debut for the University of Birmingham 1st XV in early October 1976 against local Black Country 'Thugby Club' Dudley Kings who now play at Level 3 in the arcane RFU English Clubs hierarchy
UoB rugby was excellent in the mid 1970's as was sport generally at the University of Birmingham. Birmingham RFC's coach Keith Bonser (an England coach later in his coaching career!) and a Senior Lecturer in the PE Department, led the University 1st XV Squad as an innovative coach, ahead of his time in his techniques and tactical appreciation.
We were well beaten by DK who had a great afternoon on the Bournbrook:'Hunting students', losing something like 25-6, not even scoring a try against a particularly strong pack. We ran the ball from anywhere, not a good idea on a sweltering hot early Autumn Saturday afternoon.
I went onto play for two seasons for the University 1st XV until a serious knee injury early in January 1978 ironically at Wast Hills against a club I played against subsequently for Dixonians: Old Edwardians, a long-established and once upon a time first-class rugby club who played Moseley's 1st XV way back when.Old Edwardians was founded in the Victorian era by the former pupils of King Edward's School, Edgbaston, where 'local hero' Bill Oddie from Quinton in Birmingham was skipper of their 1st XV in something like 1967 before going up to Cambridge and becoming a star of 'Footlights', 'The Goodies' and all that followed as the UK's most famous 'Twitcher' on BBC TV's: 'Springwatch.'....etc.etc.
Ah...Wast Hills AKA 'The Wastland' (apologies to TS Eliot) as the wind whistled across the rolling plains of West Heath/Kings Norton, near to 'The Man in the Moon'! ?
This put an early end to a promising student rugby career.
As a rugby club Dixonians RFC celebrates its Centenary next year 1913-2013 on September 14th 2013 with a Grand Centenary Dinner at The Botanical Gardens in Westbourne Road, Edgbaston, just around the corner from The Vale at the University of Birmingham.
I would urge any former UoB students who played for Dixonians Rugby Football Club (www.ldrfc.com ) in the 1970's and 1980's (and even the 90's and the noughties) to contact me as Former Players' Secretary for Lordswood Dixonians Rugby Football Club for more information about attending the Dixonians Grand Centenary Dinner in September 2013 if you are interested?
Dixonians RFC won the prestigious North Midlands Cup thrashing Droitwich 28-0 way back in 1988 at The Reddings, Moseley RFC's former home, now a Bryant's housing estate with Moseley now plying their trade in the 2nd tier of English Rugby at Billesley Common, where Moseley United used to play University XV's.
Dix reached the dizzy heights of Level 4 in 1992, as high as we have ever reached in the 'pecking order'......
So you see University Rugby in Birmingham wasn't always booze-fuelled legalised mayhem......
Keith Bracey
B.Com 1976-9
Vice-Presidents and Former Players' Secretary
Lordswood Dixonians RFC
www.ldrfc.com
Mobile: 07552 758 710
Home : 0121 541 2154
Email: keithbracey1@gmail.com
I am am now 54 and went up to the University from Birmingham Grammar School George Dixon GS in the Autumn of 1976 after that 'Golden Summer of 76.' after just missing out on a place to read P.P.E.and get an Oxford Rugby Blue, or so I thought with the confidence of youth at Worcester College Oxford-never happened!
Having played for Greater Birmingham Schools at Rugby and trialed for The Midlands Schools at Under 19's, where I came across some 'real' players like Mike Perry from Wrekin College, who went on the play for Moseley RFC and England Under 23's; Murray Fisken (any relation to UoB's David Fisken?) from King Edward's School opposite the University Guild in Edgbaston who played for Edinburgh Academicals and Scotland and Huw Davies from King Edward's School Stourbridge, who played centre/fly-half for England in the pre-Carling era with Marcus Rose et al in the mid-1980's.
As an interesting aside local rock superstar Robert Plant, former front man of mega group Led Zeppelin is an 'Old Boy' (I am sure Robert would love that epithet.....!!!) of King Edward's Stourbridge and trained as a Chartered Accountant in Dudley-how the 'mighty are fallen'..eh?
I had played for Dixonians RFC the rugby club of the former George Dixon Grammar School as a Colt earlier that year and was very fit.
I made my debut for the University of Birmingham 1st XV in early October 1976 against local Black Country 'Thugby Club' Dudley Kings who now play at Level 3 in the arcane RFU English Clubs hierarchy
UoB rugby was excellent in the mid 1970's as was sport generally at the University of Birmingham. Birmingham RFC's coach Keith Bonser (an England coach later in his coaching career!) and a Senior Lecturer in the PE Department, led the University 1st XV Squad as an innovative coach, ahead of his time in his techniques and tactical appreciation.
We were well beaten by DK who had a great afternoon on the Bournbrook:'Hunting students', losing something like 25-6, not even scoring a try against a particularly strong pack. We ran the ball from anywhere, not a good idea on a sweltering hot early Autumn Saturday afternoon.
I went onto play for two seasons for the University 1st XV until a serious knee injury early in January 1978 ironically at Wast Hills against a club I played against subsequently for Dixonians: Old Edwardians, a long-established and once upon a time first-class rugby club who played Moseley's 1st XV way back when.Old Edwardians was founded in the Victorian era by the former pupils of King Edward's School, Edgbaston, where 'local hero' Bill Oddie from Quinton in Birmingham was skipper of their 1st XV in something like 1967 before going up to Cambridge and becoming a star of 'Footlights', 'The Goodies' and all that followed as the UK's most famous 'Twitcher' on BBC TV's: 'Springwatch.'....etc.etc.
Ah...Wast Hills AKA 'The Wastland' (apologies to TS Eliot) as the wind whistled across the rolling plains of West Heath/Kings Norton, near to 'The Man in the Moon'! ?
This put an early end to a promising student rugby career.
As a rugby club Dixonians RFC celebrates its Centenary next year 1913-2013 on September 14th 2013 with a Grand Centenary Dinner at The Botanical Gardens in Westbourne Road, Edgbaston, just around the corner from The Vale at the University of Birmingham.
I would urge any former UoB students who played for Dixonians Rugby Football Club (www.ldrfc.com ) in the 1970's and 1980's (and even the 90's and the noughties) to contact me as Former Players' Secretary for Lordswood Dixonians Rugby Football Club for more information about attending the Dixonians Grand Centenary Dinner in September 2013 if you are interested?
Dixonians RFC won the prestigious North Midlands Cup thrashing Droitwich 28-0 way back in 1988 at The Reddings, Moseley RFC's former home, now a Bryant's housing estate with Moseley now plying their trade in the 2nd tier of English Rugby at Billesley Common, where Moseley United used to play University XV's.
Dix reached the dizzy heights of Level 4 in 1992, as high as we have ever reached in the 'pecking order'......
So you see University Rugby in Birmingham wasn't always booze-fuelled legalised mayhem......
Keith Bracey
B.Com 1976-9
Vice-Presidents and Former Players' Secretary
Lordswood Dixonians RFC
www.ldrfc.com
Mobile: 07552 758 710
Home : 0121 541 2154
Email: keithbracey1@gmail.com
No comments:
Post a Comment