History of LRFC 11 of 36

11. 1937 to 1938


For some time we had been looking to improve our facilities, as those of our opponents were gradually getting better and this was making it difficult to enhance our fixtures. Things came to a head when our old friends, Mr and Mrs Devis, sold the Bath Hotel in 1937 and the new owners made it clear that they did not want us to stay. So for this season we moved to the Cricketer's Arms in Archery Road which was kept by Len Brookes, an Old Warwickians' player. He gave us the use of his large bathroom which was not ideal but it sufficed until we could find something better. This strengthened the club's resolve to acquire our own facilities although it was to be more than decade before this came about. Tom Commander and Reggie Smith continued to lead the side and we welcomed E.J.R. Brotherton and Jim Wilkinson, two excellent forwards and F.W.K. Bailey a wing three-quarter as big as most forwards. After the successes of recent seasons our form dipped slightly this year and we lost 10 games, partly due to an increasingly strong fixture list. Our new opponents included Newbold who we beat 6-5 and Birmingham Welsh who inflicted two heavy defeats on us. We had by now established a marked supremacy over local rivals Old Warwickians and completed a double over them for the fifth season in a row: this year by over 20 points on both occasions. Pip Moore was selected as reserve for Warwickshire and played for the Colts, along with Sid Duce. This was the first season in which we took part in a seven-a-side tournament which was organised by the Rugby & District Union and was played in May 1938. We lost in the final to Rugby F.C.

1st XV versus Old Warwickians, December 1937- T.C. Wilson-Jerrim, I.F. Barrell, Sid Duce, R.S. Cartwright, Les Coles, Ron Boroughs, D.W. Williams - R.E. Voyce, E.J. Ball, J. Clements, Tom Commander (captain) Reg Smith, Bill Reading, F.R. Bell, Pip Moore