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History
Shell Carrington Rugby Union Football Club was founded in the September of 1957.
In those early days, Shell Carrington had a thriving social section, the sports facilities provided were second to none in the area, as well as rugby, the club housed football, cricket, badminton and bowls teams, but slowly as the economic climate changed and fewer people were employed at the company, numbers began to fall, making the social club unprofitable.
This culminated in Shell selling off the facilities to Manchester University. They subsequently sold it to Manchester City who now use it as their training ground.
This left current players in a predicament, join another team in the area or try to keep the existing rugby team alive.
Salvation came from an unlikely source, Ashton-on-Mersey RUFC, who ran five teams plus a juniors section and Shell's nearest club and derby rival, invited the team down to play from their facilities.
Shell RUFC spent two years as Ashton's guests and whilst being most grateful to the Ashton committee, always sought their own independence.
All this time, working in the background, were several Shell employees and members of the club trying to secure a plot of land, unused by Shell but on their ground, for the team to call their own. This eventually came to fruition as their Manchester Road pitch was converted from what was a cricket field into a rugby pitch.
Due to a no alcohol ruling on Shell property, The Windmill Pub opposite the ground has become the spiritual home of the rugby team, the players made to feel extremely welcome by the various landlords, none more so than Mike Lawlor the present landlord.
With a pitch, clubhouse, beer and food all sorted, the existing players had to concentrate on rejuvenating the team. Whilst keeping their heads above water for a couple of seasons, a lack of available players and changes to league structures forced the newly named Montell Carrington RUFC to drop out of the league and almost out of existence.
Drastic action was taken and a committee was formed to set about rectifying the situation.
The past four years have seen an upturn in the clubs fortunes, a strong recruitment drive has brought in new players and brought back old friends, helping Carrington to achieve the feat of putting two teams in the league for the first time in fifteen?) years, a fixture secretary who despite having games cancelled at two o'clock on a Saturday, still manages to find his team a match by three o'clock and most of all an unwavering club spirit driving the team on to better things.
Carrington RUFC, as they are now officially called, are always recruiting players for the up and coming seasons.
In those early days, Shell Carrington had a thriving social section, the sports facilities provided were second to none in the area, as well as rugby, the club housed football, cricket, badminton and bowls teams, but slowly as the economic climate changed and fewer people were employed at the company, numbers began to fall, making the social club unprofitable.
This culminated in Shell selling off the facilities to Manchester University. They subsequently sold it to Manchester City who now use it as their training ground.
This left current players in a predicament, join another team in the area or try to keep the existing rugby team alive.
Salvation came from an unlikely source, Ashton-on-Mersey RUFC, who ran five teams plus a juniors section and Shell's nearest club and derby rival, invited the team down to play from their facilities.
Shell RUFC spent two years as Ashton's guests and whilst being most grateful to the Ashton committee, always sought their own independence.
All this time, working in the background, were several Shell employees and members of the club trying to secure a plot of land, unused by Shell but on their ground, for the team to call their own. This eventually came to fruition as their Manchester Road pitch was converted from what was a cricket field into a rugby pitch.
Due to a no alcohol ruling on Shell property, The Windmill Pub opposite the ground has become the spiritual home of the rugby team, the players made to feel extremely welcome by the various landlords, none more so than Mike Lawlor the present landlord.
With a pitch, clubhouse, beer and food all sorted, the existing players had to concentrate on rejuvenating the team. Whilst keeping their heads above water for a couple of seasons, a lack of available players and changes to league structures forced the newly named Montell Carrington RUFC to drop out of the league and almost out of existence.
Drastic action was taken and a committee was formed to set about rectifying the situation.
The past four years have seen an upturn in the clubs fortunes, a strong recruitment drive has brought in new players and brought back old friends, helping Carrington to achieve the feat of putting two teams in the league for the first time in fifteen?) years, a fixture secretary who despite having games cancelled at two o'clock on a Saturday, still manages to find his team a match by three o'clock and most of all an unwavering club spirit driving the team on to better things.
Carrington RUFC, as they are now officially called, are always recruiting players for the up and coming seasons.