Brierton School Sports' Day

Grayfields Pavilion is fondly remembered by many Rugby Clubs and players in the town and in North East England complete with its Spartan accommodation especially the oil lamps!

It had been used by the majority of Rugby Clubs in the town as they became homeless at some time in their history.

TDSOB still use playing fields at the Ground, they moved from the Pavillion to their new Clubhouse in 1986.

Grayfields & its Pavilion

Grayfields was laid out in 1919 by Kent & Bryden of Darlington on the instructions of William Gray Ltd. On a 29 acre site, bounded by Jesmond Road and Gardens and cost the Company £6,500 and a further £23,500 was used for development with the bulk of the money, £28,000 coming out of Gray’s reserve funds.

In addition to the money injected into the scheme by the Company, the work force raised £5,000 between 1920 and 1925.

As a private concern Grayfields had a short life – it opened early in 1920 with the establishment of the enclosures playing fields, and it ended its days in April, 1926, when West Hartlepool CBC took over the running of the scheme.

Although the Council had secured the Recreation Ground for the town there was an outcry over the way the directors of Gray’s had, in the opinion of a number of townspeople, failed to take into consideration the interests of their workforce,

The Company had blamed the prolonged depression in shipbuilding for the winding up of the scheme, a view which was not accepted by the majority of employees, who claimed that the depression was used as an excuse to close down the Recreation Ground which was showing a loss of over £1,000 per year.  Furthermore, the workforce claimed it had a financial interest, and some employees went as far as to say that Grayfields had been a gift to them from Sir William Gray and his directors.

But n fairness to the Company there was a depression, and moreover no documents were produced stating that Grayfields belonged to the workers, and the Company had the right to claim that in exchange for the sum of money donated, members of the Gray’s Sports Association had made use of the facilities, virtually free of charge for 5 and a half years.

For the period 1920 to 1926 the Ground was run by a Committee managed initially by Colonel Grellet. Following the completion of the enclosure in 1920 this was quickly added to by the        provision of Tennis Courts, Rugby and Soccer pitches and a Cricket pitch.

Plans were put forward for bowling greens and the Oval Cricket site, the Greens were completed by 1921 and in the Summer of 1921 and inaugural cricket match was played between Grays and Castle Eden. In the absence of facilities for spectators, forms were placed around the ground.

Grayfields was getting more popular, and soon there were 31 soccer teams competing for a cup provided by Captain Jack Farmer, several Rugby teams, the Tennis Club had over 100 members and scores of Bowling and Cricket teams made Grayfields their venue.

In 1923 Quoit alleys were set up to bring another sport to Grayfields.

The need for a sports pavilion, providing player changing, hot and cold showers, plunge bath facilities together with spectator and tearoom facilities had been apparent for some time but due to the decreasing financial situation of the Grays Recreation Association it looked as if one would be not be built.

However, Captain F.C. Pyman, a director of Grays and Vice President of the Recreation Association approached Sir William Gray and the result was that the Gray family funded the building.

It was designed by the staff at Grays and built  by Mr. E.M. Tweddle at a cost of  approximately 2000 Guineas.

It was officially opened by Mrs Musgrove (sister of Sir Wm Gray) on the 10^th May, 1924 and was considered at the time one of the finest in the North of England.

The pavilion is fondly remembered by many Rugby players over the years, its Spartan changing conditions (oil lamp lit until the early 1980s) housed almost every Rugby Club during their ups and downs. Hartlepool Rovers, West Hartlepool, Old Boys, and Athletic all played out of Grayfields, Grays Athletic were the first users and TDSOB are keeping the Rugby flag flying from the Grayfields Extensions on to Throston Grange Lane and Wilshire Way, created in 1972,

West Hartlepool TDSOB, “Tech” for short was formed in Coronation Year, 1953 and played their first fixture against Old Boys III XV in September of that year and the Clubs have met regularly over the years.

This undated photo was taken sometime in the early 1960s on Grayfields, the home pitch of both Clubs at that time,  and used by Tech since their start in 1953, and the prominent players in the line out are from Old Boys and nearest the camera  are from left to right, Stan Lobb, Barry Flounders and Jackson Booth.  Next to them, in white shorts, are from left to right, Steve Brown, Ian MacRae, Jimmy Mayes and Stan Butterfield.

Formed in 1953, season 1966/1967 proved a milestone for the Club winning the Pyman Cup for the first time and the Junior Club Sevens that season with a record of played 34, won 26, Drew 2, lost six with points for 522 and against 255

Two Hartlepool players hold the record as the most capped Durham County players, in the forwards Keith Baggs from West Hartlepool appeared in 50 Championship and 10 friendly matches whilst John Dee at Rovers amassed 90 appearances with 77 Championship and 13 friendlies. To mark John’s milestone in 1971 the town clubs made a presentation to him at the RFU Centenary Dinner in the Borough Hall, and the clubs representatives on the day were

L to R. Arnold Walton (Rovers), Dave Parker (West), Keith Large (TDSOB), Bob Shipley (BBOB), John Dee, Stan Lindridge (Old Boys), Bob Hewitt (District Union Chairman), Chris McLoughlin (District Union Secretary,) and Jim Lancaster (GSOB).

Images from the successful season of 1974/75 which saw Tech carry off the Durham County Junior Cup, Pyman Cup and Junior Clubs Sevens.

1983 marked the 50^th year of Fred Lister writing for the “Hartlepool Mail” on Rugby Football, and to celebrate the occasion, the District Union made a presentation to him on the day of the R F Oakes Memorial match.

Making the presentation to Fred is Chris McLoughlin, Sec of the District Union and standing behind him are member from the local Clubs:-

L to R. Derek Sweeting (TDSOB), Alec Sedgwick (Seaton Carew), Alan Bell (Horden), George Heal (Rovers), Keith Faint (BBOB), Bill Grigg (Hpool) Norman Wilkinson (West) and Jim Milburn (Chairman)

To mark the clubs Silver Jubilee, Tech played an Invitation XV from around the town and the Mail photographer was on hand to record the event.  The score by the way was 34-10 to the Town. Jim Parkinson ran in a hat trick of tries, Dave Stubbs and Keith Parkinson adding a pair apiece and Ian Millican adding one.

Alan Richardson converted 2 and Bob Wallace one. Tech points coming from Dave Bagnall 2 tries and a conversion from Alby Coverdale.

A picture of the Tech playing strength as it was around 1983/1984 and pictured on the steps of the Pavilion at Grayfields, built when Grayfields playing area was laid out in the 1920s, this fondly remembered building gave over 80 years service to a variety of sport in the town.

From the late 70s change was in the air in Rugby with Leagues being talked about to replace the friendly match and Cup tie system that was the status quo in England. Merit Tables were a form of answer from the outset and the Junior Clubs system (which was swept away with the onset of Leagues) ran their own inter-County Merit Table until the formal Leagues came into being, winners taking the S & N Shield.

In the best Rugby tradition, TDSOB had spent over 30 years since their inception in 1953 enjoying a nomadic off the field existence although they have always played on Grayfields pitches and had use of the Pavilion for changing.

For training, administration and social purposes they had had the use of Brinkburn for training, most Hotels for their social needs and a variety of pubs for meetings etc. from the Shades Hotel, the Chester, the Catcote, the Constitutional Club,Sieman's Club,   the Woodcutter and of course the Nursery Inn in Hart Lane for Saturday post match meet ups.

They ceased their wanderings in 1986 when with a huge input from members they built their own clubhouse changing facilities which was opened in 1986 and marked with a County Junior Clubs XV tunring out against the Club 1^st Xv.

An image of the successful winners of the short lived Junior Shield Competition in the 1980s, uniquely Tech 3^rd played Tech 4th in the Final on Grayfields, with a win for the 3rd XV by 26 points to 3 pts.

An image of the Tech IV, under Ian Williams Captaincy, that came second to the Club 3^rd XV in the County Shield Final.

As part of the build up to the Rugby World Cup held in England in 1991, a ball containing a message to be read by Queen Elizabeth was carried throughout the country and at every ball venue a special event was held. In Hartlepool that year the ball was brought to Brierton Lane and a coaching session was held by Will Carling the England Captain.  To ensure everyone was included a relay team of youngsters from every club carried the ball along Brierton Lane and the runners were from left to right : -

Unknown, Carl Robinson (Athletic).Chris McLoughlin County President, Councillor & Mrs Trevor LLoyd, Neil Hunter, (Hartlepool) Unknown

Kneeling, Unknown, unknown, unknown, John Paul Maynard (TDSOB)

Ian Bond gets the ball away with the Tech pack in close attention with Andrew Burdiss flat on his back!!

For Tech the players are l to r Gary Broatch, Paul Garbutt, John Doyle,Renwick Dawson, Dale Tucker and John Dove!

Pictures of the Tech., side that beat Houghton 43 – 24, on Mayfield Park, to lift the Challenge Trophy on Mayfield Park.

Following the introduction of Leagues, the Junior Clubs title had been abandoned and the Junior Cup renamed the Challenge Trophy to suit. The change lasted for a decade and the Competition reverted to its original title of the Junior Cup.

The Tech XV in the mid 1990s

The County Senior Cup had been dominated locally since its start by either Hartlepool Rovers or West Hartlepool with the only change to that being 1890 when Hartlepool Rangers, who played near the Trams Sheds at Greenland,  were runners up against Rovers.

The mid 1990s were to see the first major changes to the Competition for in 1995 the Game of Rugby went “open” and the old “amateur” system was consigned to history and since that date local appearances in the Competition have been few but the Competition continues as always.

However, two other Hartlepool District sides have made it to the Final, firstly Horden in 1995 losing to Stockton by 19 – 0 and then in 1998, TDSOB played Darlington Mowden Park on the New Friarage and went down 27 – 10.

As part of the Celebrations of the great day when England won the World Cup in 2003, (Martin Johnson Captain, Jonny Wilkinson, drop goal to seal the win in extra time), the Webb Ellis Trophy was paraded around the country for all to see and be photographed alongside.

 Durham Referees took their chance when the Cup was brought to Hartlepool Rovers that year and our picture shows a Group of County Referees taking their chance to line up with the Cup.

Founded in 1953, TDSOB reached their 50^th Anniversary in 2003 and marked the occasion with a game against the Durham County Presidents XV.

With a decline in playing membership, TDSOB ceased playing Rugby in 2009 but did not cease in their support for Rugby Football. They let their ground and facilities be used by other Rugby Clubs and Durham County RFU for a large variety of Representative games especially Age Grade Rugby involving young players, Cup Finals at every level and involved other sports to make use of the facilties.

Perseverance paid and they resumed playing again On September 5TH 2014 in the Tees Valley Leagues with a win over Thirsk and returned to the National League Structure in 2015 operating in Durham & Northumberland Division 3.

Like the mythical creature, the team arose from the ashes of the previous years and are generally referred to now as the “Phoenix”!