The Early Days
On March 20th 1905 Cheltenham Town RFC gave £5 to a new club to form called 'St Peters RFC'. They changed their name eleven days later to 'Cheltenham North Ward RFC', reflecting the name of the mostly working class area from which the majority of their players were drawn. This encompassed the Lower High St, St Pauls and lower Dockam were it was common for pubs to be on every corner. They established an HQ at The Anchor Inn 48 Tewkesbury Rd, and a pitch on the playing fields in Gardeners Lane playing in white and blue hoops! They struggled in there fixtures but their first victory came against Tewkesbury 14-0 in early 1906 but did attract a good number of players from other clubs during the season most notably YMCA RFC.
The club decided to not continue in 1908 as the had struggled to recruit players and win any fixtures since 1905, Leckhampton RFC also suspended activities this season.
No sport was played in the town from 1914 – 1919 due to the Great War and it wasn't until 1923 before the club was resurrected again. This time the club operated out of the Railway Inn on Tewkesbury road. The club was confident of a much rosier return to action as recruitment had gone well over the summer with a number of Cheltenham Town players joining. Apt that their come back game was against Cheltenham Town at the Athletic ground resulting in a thrilling 0 – 0 draw in front of a large crowd.
During the season they played 22 games, won 8 drew 2 and lost 13 most notably a win against Naunton Park who were one of the stronger sides in the town at the time.
In 1924/25 the club ran 2 sides for the first time but still struggled to win many games not helped by the fact they had the worst ground to play rugby on in town as it was an old ridge and furrow field. The lack of victories and facilities contributed to the exodus of players to other clubs and before the 1926/1927 season the North once again decided to suspend activities.
3rd Time Lucky!
In 1949/50 season St Gregory’s rugby club had stopped playing and it was thought that a new new club or St Gregorys should be launched for the 1950/51 season. After much discussion at the Cross Keys, 8 Tewkesbury Rd Cheltenham North RFC was born again to reflect the areas of Cheltenham the players lived in. The Town donated the first set of black with red hoop jerseys for the club to play in. Matches were at Agg-Gardeners rec and the club lost its first few games until finally beating The County Farm institute 12-0. With 20 players to currently choose from for the club xv it was in a much better position than in previous attempts to start the club.
The YMCA had folded in 1952 with the majority of players committed to water polo however those that did want to carry on playing moved to the North further boosting the player base, it also became the North's changing facility. However in 1952 a mix up with the club funds and his own by a committee member meant the club was broke but despite this it managed to struggle through to the end of the season but it’s future was now in doubt for a 3rd time. This lead to a mass exodus at the start of the 1952/53 season to some of the new factory sides (Dowtys or Smiths) who could offer free rugby to players but thankfully the club still has some stalwart members and the new water polo players who were still keen to play rugby at the North and keep the club going but by this point the club was in desperate financial need. On October 1st 1952 the North played Dowty which now consisted of 8 ex North players from the season before, Dowtys were expected to win comfortably but the North managed to slog it out and win 6-3.
The following season however the North struggled with the previous season's player exodus and decide to play 2xv games only to get some much needed victories, in the process of doing this they became the weakest team in Cheltenham to play against. The club also moved it’s head quarters to the Royal Hotel during the season and now got changed at Alstone baths which were closer to the playing field at Aggs-Gardeners.
In 1954-55 Naunton Park Old Boys folded and the majority of their players moved to the Dowtys and the struggling North. This was a major boost for the North at the time who’d been struggling for a few seasons now but it also further cemented Dowtys place as the premier junior side in the town below the Town. The North had gained C.Gregg, D.Drysdale and D. Auchterlonie (who would go onto to be a prolific figure in future teams).
In 1955/56 the North met the Old Patesians in a fixture for the first time despite both clubs being around for a considerable period by this point (1905 for the North and 1913 for the Pats). The North beat the Old Pats 2xv 3-0 on 17th December 1955 but the North's best result of that season was the 8-6 win over Spartans who were a much stronger side.
In 1958/59 the first ever 1xv match against the Old Pats was due to take place but was cancelled due to the weather, the clubs wouldn't see this fixture happen until the 1960/61 season. Where the Pats were victorious 11-0. Despite this though the North had a great season that year under the captaincy of John Carroll beating Smiths, Swindon and Cardiff University to name a few.
The Rise of the North in the 60s
For years since the clubs creation in 1905 the club had struggled with playing numbers and had been one of the weakest clubs in Cheltenham. This all began to change during the 1962-63 season. The club went onto beat Coney Hill, Lydney Old Boys, Old Richians, Service, Bath Harlequins and get revenge over Old Patesians in December 1962! The back line consisting of R. Freebury, K. Stephens, K.Green, D.Large, P. Wheatley, T Watkins and K. Phillips doing much of the damage that season.
In 1963 the club was booming along with many other rugby clubs mostly to do with people having more leisure time and disposable income than previous years and was now running 2xv sides. The North had once again moved it HQ, this time to the Gamecock Inn in St Margaret’s Road and in this season the club changed its old hooped playing kit to the now recognisable black top with single red hoop. The club also built on the previous season's success by recruiting more players of a higher quality and the 1xv went undefeated against other district sides for the first time ever including beating the Old Pats again.
The club also recruited it's first full time coach in Ron Pitt to help improve the players abilities further.
The First Combination Cup
In 1964/65 a knockout challenge cup competition was setup with Sir George Dowty donating a cup. The North drew Old Pats first and overcame them 15-0, then defeated Tewkesbury RFC 33-3 in the first semi final of the competition. They then drew Stow RFC in the final to be played at the Athletic Ground on 28th April 1965.
The North team consisted of:J.Snosher, A.Jones, M.Nicholls, G.Bowden, R. Elliot, P.Wheatley, R.Freebury, K.Cooper, G.Brown, R.Jones, D.Parker, D.Auchterloine, M.Squires, M.Jones (Cpt) & M.Virgo.
The North ran out eventual winners 12-3 after the majority of the game had been 3-3 until a late flurry of penalties and tries. After the game Cheltenham Town approached two of the North's players to join their club in the senior fixtures (where they would be playing much stronger opposition) as well as two from Stow. ( A.Jones, Virgo, Hedges and Williams) This would be a common sight amngst the junior clubs until Cheltenham dropped down the leagues in the 90’s.
In 1966 the North continued to go from strength to strength after last season racking up more and more impressive wins. Sadly they lost 6-3 to Widden Old Boys which resulted in loosing there unbeaten home record at Aggs which they’d held for two and a half years. In this season the North won the Combination Cup again after extra time with Dowtys as well as the 7 a-side cup where the clubs B team beat their A team in the final.
New Clubhouse
The club had be successful now for a few seasons and clubs funds had been saved from the precipice of the 50's and was now able to buy its own clubhouse finally. It did so in 1966 under the guidance of then chairman Jack Carol with the purchase of the Lower George Inn at 377 High Street (Corner of Milson Street) and after that season the club also did its first tour. It travelled to Guernsey winning both the 1xv game 19-3 and 2xv game 31-3.
The First County Cup
In the 1970/71 season a county cup was arranged. It consisted of any senior clubs wishing to enter as well as any combination cup winners. Naturally the North entered after winning the Combination Cup again and drew a first round draw against Stroud at Aggs, it was expected that the North would lose to there much stronger senior opposition however this was not to be. Jim Downey’s hooking and the North forwards winning the day for the North. Winning 11-9 after a last minute try by Ron Pitt and touchline conversion by Ken Hunt.
The North then drew Cinderford away in the semifinal who’d already beaten Old Bristolians so was a tough ask to overcome but again the North managed a 8-3 victory against the odds.
In the County Cup final the North were drawn to play Lydney at Regentsholme on 3rd October 1970. It didn’t get any easier for the North after two already tough fixtures.
The North Team: Gordon Davies, Rod Elliot, Ken Hunt, Bob Nield, Chris Jackson, Dennis Hargreaves, Ron Freebury, Mike Hare, Jim Downey, Peter Habgood, John Evans, Martyn Thomas, John Wood, Andy Rodgers and Doug Auchterlonie.
Despite the North forwards being totally dominant early on Andy Rodgers had to leave the field when he had his teeth knocked out leaving the side to struggle on with 14 men where the team eventually lost Lydney 31-9. On that Day Lydney had Pete Kingston (9) Chris Williams (10) & Gordon Sargent (prop) playing for them. All these players would go on to represent Gloucester & England later in the 1970's & into the 80's.
The Tough 1970's
The 1971/72 season introduced 4 points for a try to encourage sides to try and score more tries rather than kick penalties all the time. ( a running theme still in the modern game) However while the season wasn’t a north classic the club did open it’s brand new ground.
The club purchased land at Stoke Rd, Bishops Cleeve to create a first XV pitch with changing rooms. Prior to this the club hired the council pitch at Agg Gardeners and met at Gamecock. Agg Gardeners was still used as a second XV venue and by now the club had been so successful it was running 5XV!
Thanks in part to Roy "Froggy" Jones. His relentless recruitment throughout the town as he began to step back from playing took the club from fielding just about 1XV in 1952 to 5XV with a large social membership as well, due to the clubhouse being on the high street. To commemorate the ground opening a fixture was arranged against Barker Butts on 30th October 1971. It ended in a 6-6 draw with Mike Teague scoring both penalty kicks for the home side. The club also made the semi final of the county cup again but lost to Lydney once more but by a much closer margin of 18-9 to the last meeting.
1972/73 - While the club saw a new captain in Andy Rodgers, more players join and a few depart to play at a higher level. This season is most remembered for the North’s 3XV record for a Cheltenham side against a Gloucester side by beating Longlevens 130-0! with Steve Bishop scoring 5 of the teams 26 tries.
1973/74 - Cliff Brooks was injured in an industrial accident and while the club did a collection he refused to accept it so the funds instead went to the club and Cliff Brooks was given the clubs first Lifetime Membership. The club did it’s first oversees tour to Belgium where they narrowly bet the Belgian national XV this was also the tour company Gullivers first ever tour.
1976/1977 - Will be remembered for very many reasons at the North. It was one of the hottest summers in living memory leaving grounds rock hard for the start of the season (not much fun for forwards but the backs must have been delighted). Secondly the club opened it’s skittles alley extension on the 11th February 1977 with Gloucester RFC player John Watkins opening it, while a players reunion was also arranged including players from 1923 season. This extension meant the club now had inside toilets for the first time.
On the pitch the season was disrupted several times by games being abandoned for fights. In one game at Stoke Road four North players and two opposition players were sent of within each pack before the game was finally abandoned after 53 minutes of play.
1977/78 - The North were fast growing a reputation for playing rough leading to sides refusing to play them or sides forfeiting games half way through as the North forwards “resembled a red and black blanket” over mauls, ruck's and open play. Once such game was Bedworth who will loosing 0-4 at Stoke Road decided to leave at half time. The most infamous game resulted in a narrow 20-15 win over the Old Pats but after the game the Pats refused to play the North again in a “friendly” match, a promise they kept for 23 years!!
The rest of the decade carried on in this fashion with lengthy bans (12 weeks) being handed out to players such as Cliff Brooks, John Joines, Pete De Beaux,Doug Auchterlonie and skipper John Hargreaves. Although the club continued to do well in the Combination Cups, it increasingly had to play fixtures further afield.
The 1980's
1980/81 - Club trainer Ernie Aldridge donates a full size wooden rugby player in motion to be awarded for the best layer of the month award.
1982/83 - The North purchase the old Athletic ground posts which at the time were deemed to be some of the best around.
1984/85 - Lionel Hurst from Warrington setups the first rugby league side in the town ( YMCA ARLFC) The combination ruled that no union players would be permitted to play league under a rule from 1895. However no one took notice and 2 players from the North joined Paul Balmer & Matt Cooper. Froggy Jones famously said “ I don't care what they do on Sunday so long as they turn up for us on Saturday”. Despite the fears that union would lose players the club recruited more players this season from the rugby league side (Austin Dean & Craig Furlong)
1985/86 - This season the North beat powerful Gloucester side Gordon League 18-12, who hadn’t lost to a Cheltenham side since 1931
1987/88 -The RFU introduced leagues and the North was put into Gloucestershire 1 with Old Patesians.
1989/90 - The North become the first combination side to beat Matson 16-14 since their formation in 1957.
Big Stoke Road Move
1990/1991 - The North’s association with the swimming club ended after 40 years when captain Lee Stanton quite the swimming club. While the North defeated much higher placed Dings Crusaders in the County Cup disaster struck that season as the clubs changing facilities at Stoke Road burnt down. It was estimated that £50,000 was required to rebuild and replace the lost equipment. Temporary changing facilities were found at the National Coal Board in Stoke Orchard.
1992/93 - The North sold its clubhouse (The Lower George Inn) and built a new clubhouse at Stoke Road for a cost of approximately £90,000. Many thought moving out of the town centre would be a big gamble but the clubs plan was proven right. It was opened on the 22nd November 1992 by Mike Burton.
1995/96 - Professionalism begins in England this season but the North will remember this as a record breaking season. Winning Gloucestershire 1 with 12 wins from 12 games, scoring 559 point for and 104 against. The most notable victory being 142-0 against Tredworth. Apparently the scoreboard only had room for two digits so a one had to be drawn on to keep the score.
Under Kevin Powderly in 1999/2000 the North where in the Western Counties division finishing in second position behind Coney Hill RFC. The North were promoted to South West 2 however as Coney Hill opted to not be promoted. In the same season the club lifting the Senior and Junior Cheltenham Combination Cups once again. They also reached the County Cup final for only the second time in the club's history, becoming one of only two Cheltenham sides to do so, eventually losing in extra time to Gloucester Old Boys at Kingsholm.
The County Cup Final 1999/2000
In the first round the club faced Bream, the weather was appalling so the game was abandoned after 45 minutes with the North leading 10-5. The subsequent replay resulted in a 23-5 win for the North.
In the next round the North played Chosen Hill FP and won comfortably 50-0. The quarter final would see the North up against old foes Dings Crusaders from Bristol currently playing in South West 2 (the league above). The North forwards led by captain John Wood outplayed there opposite forwards to allow the North to notch a famous but well deserved victory 28-10 with Alistair Bresslington scoring a try, 3 penalties and 2 conversions himself.
In the semi final the North drew Drybrook, again the forwards were in imperious form and allowed a 41-17 win to reach the final at Kingsholm. This was only the second time the club had reached the final the last some 30 years ago when John Wood (senior) was captain, fitting his son should now achieve the same feat.
The Final
The North were up against Gloucester Old Boys from South West 1, a league higher than Dings Crusaders. The stage was set for a David vs Goliath final.
The North Team:Alistair Bresslington, Russell Nunn, Dan Thomas, Gareth Francis, Nathan Bresslington, Gary Joines, John Poulton. Neil Carpenter, Robert Hughes, Simon Townsend, Tim Brookes, Nigel Francis, Jim Lamb, James Pettigrew and John Wood (C) Replacements: Mathew Blacker, Simon Robson, Rich Prewer and Phil Odam.
The game was played in a quagmire due to the terrible weather and poor pitch. The North worked tirelessly and had long periods of pressure on there higher league opponents. The North were holding a slender lead of 6-3 after 2 conversions kicks out of 7 looking set to take a famous win for the club. However with 3 minutes left on the clock Old Boys equalised with a penalty kick, a desperate last effort from the North to snatch the victory with a drop goal was attempted but the conditions were not favourable.
The game went to extra time but the North ran out of steam if not commitment and Old Boys scored a try in the 100th minute to win 13-6. John Wood was awarded MoM but it was scant conciliation for the club who’d played heroically.
2000's
The following season saw new coach Flight Sergeant Steve Collins at the helm of a radically changed squad. A total of 10 senior players retired at the end of the season leaving Collins to guide an inexperienced group of new charges and North found themselves relegated from South West 2 to Western Counties North. The following year continue as the previous with relegation from Western Counties to the new Gloucestershire Premier league.
Dennis Hargreaves took on the coaching duties for the 2003/04 season and his first year in charge guided the side to promotion back into the Western Counties North.
The next year saw ex Old Pat Paul Morris (Currently Cinderford DoR) join the coaching team. Under Hargreaves and Morris the North ended the 2003/04 season in third place in Western Counties North.
Hargreaves left in 2005 to take up the post of director of rugby in Barbados and ex-Gloucester man Bob Phillips joined Morris in the coaching staff.
There then followed two consecutive promotions under Morris’s charge. First they won the Western Counties North title in 2005/2006 season losing only 3 games out of 22 in the process. They did not lose a game a game until February (to third placed Gordon League) and a defeat in March to bottom club Old Redcliffians did not prove fatal. The title was won at Stoke Road on the penultimate Saturday of the season as they beat second placed Walcot Old Boys for the third time in season 2005-6. The mostly same squad then went on to win South West Two in 2006/07.
Powergen Intermediate Cup
The title success of 2005/2006 was complimented by an epic run to the semi finals of the RFU Powergen Intermediate Cup. North were the lowest ranked side in the competition to reach the last eight.
The journey began with an unexpected win at home against higher level opposition in Oxford Harlequins. Keynsham were then beaten away in the next round before another away trip to a confident Old Northamptonians yielded another emphatic North win in round 3. Divisional rivals Walcot were dispatched at home in round 4 in a very good game. There followed an epic away win to favourites Scunthorpe in the quarter final. The North won 15-9 with five penalties from full back Ian Morgan after a dominant scrummaging performance. The game was a highlight of a great season and was extremely physical and although no tries were scored exciting from start to finish. The North supporters were immense on the day, as they had in all the previous away trips, outnumbering and certainly out noising the home supporters. The evening that ensued was also memorable.
Sadly 3 weeks later the North could not defeat eventual winners Stockport away, on their own pitch, in the semi final in a game in which dominant scrummaging was certainly not rewarded by the local referee. Injuries from the previous weeks league encounter with Stroud that prevented Dan Thomas and John Wood from playing were significant as was the continued absence of captain Andy Kehoe from a dislocated elbow sustained in the Scunthorpe game. Stockport went on to beat Morley 11-6 in the final.
Ian Morgan scored well in excess of 300 points in his one and only season at the North. His kicking tee is in the trophy cabinet in the Stoke Road clubhouse. Justin Andrews (wing) was top try scorer. Thomas and Dave Aston also scored regularly from the wings. Player-coach and ex Gloucester prop Bob Phillips together with Chris Long, Neil Carpenter, Jason Hyde, Chris Dean, Mark Brookes and Dan Hodge provided formidable front row combinations. Player-coach Scott Pollok and Andy Kehoe were an excellent centre pairing ably supported by Dave Bowen on numerous occasions. Matt Dawson, John Wood and Steve Bunn were stand out performers in a strong back row that often included Colin Sadler, James Aylward and Andy Macdonald. Greg Herdman, John Poulton and Jon Steckbeck were as good at half back as there was throughout the season. Hooker Jason Hyde was originally captain but a career ending injury just after Xmas meant Kehoe captained the side before his injury led to player of the season Dave Maddern (second row) captaining the side during the semi-final and league run in. Maddern’s second row partner Chris Penhale was another stellar performer throughout the season.
Midlands League Days
In the 2007/08 season North found themselves moved from South West Two to Midlands Two as part of the RFU reshuffle. This meant that instead of playing local clubs which we had built a reputation against for nearly 100 years we would now be playing club's most of or supporters and certainly our players had never heard/played before. Clubs such as Kidderminster, Pinley, Earlsdon, Rugby Lions, Old Coventrians to name a few.
The North finished fourth in their first season. A further reshuffling of the divisions moved them into Midlands One in 2008/09 just as eight key players retired at the start of the season. They finished fourth from bottom that season narrowly avoiding relegation. Paul Morris left to become head coach at Coney Hill Rugby Club at the end of the season and in the following three seasons under his successor Mike Stubbs the North were demoted twice, not helped by a reduction in playing numbers as the club was now struggling to run 3 sides.
The club struggled for almost 5 years to attract any limelight within the local rugby scene and subsequently suffered a slow decline in playing numbers during this time. The club struggled to maintain more than 2 teams and at one point just 1 side. The club has also now gone without a combination cup final win since 2000 as the Old Patesians now took over from the North as the dominant side in the competition.
The club began to stabilise and rebuild through the tireless efforts of the clubs committee, staunch supporters and successive coaches of Mike Stubbs and Jimmy Connolley. With this the club began to regain some momentum with playing numbers increasing once more with more young players involved and begin to once again reach more combination cup finals before the eventual return of the club to the Gloucestershire Leagues through constant lobbying of the committee.
A New Dawn
In 2012 Cheltenham North started there youth section again after 30 years! from the previous one, it has expanded every year since and is now in a very healthy state with all the age groups represented upto Colts and our ever growing girls section now in place as well. This has been invaluable in the rise of the club to one of the premier clubs in town and has brought in huge amounts of volunteers, enthusiasm and of course future rugby players.
In 2015 additional land was also leased to the club at the Stoke Orchard site through Grundons Waste Management which was used to create an additional pitch and training facilities adjacent to the existing pitch which has proven to be invaluable in recent years wit the youth section and additional car parking space. The project was managed by then chairman Paul Balmer and assisted by Andy Rodgers.
SEE OUR CLUB DEVELOPMENT PAGE FOR MORE INFORMATION. HERE
Return to Gloucestershire Leagues
After a successful application in 2015 the club returned to rugby in the South West for the 2016/17 season, playing in Gloucester Premiership for the first time in 13 seasons. The first season was a shock to the system for the playing squad who weren't use to so many local derbies and at the end of that season the club were relegated to Gloucester 1. The following season though the then coach James Wilkins steadied the ship and the North finished a respectable 5th position whilst in the midst of a rebuilding project.
In 2018-2019 after good recruitment, returning players and an injection of youth players the team finished 2nd in the league only a few points behind crowded champions Ross on Wye. While the rugby was good to watch it was by no means the full package yet but they do say momentum is big factor and going into Gloucester Premier the following season the team took the league by surprise again and came 2nd doing the double over local rivals Cheltenham Saracens along the way only loosing 3 games all season! DOUBLE PROMOTION.
Combined with the off field improvements of a newly renovated clubhouse the club was well and truly back. The feel good factor and continued growing support made a home game at the north a truly exciting local event. With the prospect of a 3rd promotion out of Western Counties and a possible combination cup on the horizon for 2020-2021 season the club is really going somewhere at the moment and the glory days could be returning to the club.
Reference: "The Junior Rugby Clubs of Cheltenham, District and Combination" by J.P.Hughes.
With thanks to special contributions from:
Paul Morris
Ronald Freebury
John Wood
Malcolm Kedward
Adrian Wakefield
Neil Carpenter
