Displaying items by tag: Market Harborough
KIBWORTH RUGBY FOOTBALL CLUB
1923 - 2006
The Kibworth Rugby Football Club was established when a number of rugby enthusiasts met in St Wilfrid’s Institute, Kibworth, on 13th December 1923. The meeting agreed to form a Rugby Club in the village, the Club would be known as the Kibworth Rugby Football Club. The shirts would be black along with navy blue shorts although the kit soon became all black. The first game was arranged for Boxing Day 1923 but there is no record of the opposition or the result. The first recorded fixture was played against Wigston ‘A’ on 2nd February 1924. Several fixtures were played up to the end of April that year.
The 1924-25 season saw regular fixtures played against Belgrave Juniors, Aylestone Athletic, Kettering, Syston with a total of 28 fixtures played during the season. The pitch was in a boggy field (now Brookfield Way, Kibworth) known as the ‘Floodies’ and accessed through a gate adjacent to the Railway Bridge on Station Street. The changing rooms were situated at the rear of the Old Swan Public House.
During the third season the Club won the Leicestershire Junior Cup beating Highfields Medway in the final that was played at the Leicester Tigers Welford Road Stadium.
The Club moved into the next decade with a healthy financial and playing strength; after a few years the Club was able to field two teams and appoint a coach. The Club moved to a new ground at the Old Recreation Ground in the village (this was possibly the Smeeton Road Recreation Ground which is very close to the Old Cinema) and utilised the Old Cinema as changing rooms. (The Old Cinema is now the Kibworth Scout Hut). During this period the club became more established financially with the playing strength increasing. The social side of the Club also started to flourish with the first club dinner held in1938.
With the outbreak of the Second World War rugby along with most other sport, was suspended.
It was not until 30th January 1950 that a number of former Kibworth Rugby Football Club players got together and decided to revive the Club. A playing field in Fleckney Road, Kibworth was utilised and changing rooms were again located at the Old Cinema. The first game was away against Old Wyggestonians on Saturday 23rd September 1950 which Kibworth lost, however the remainder of the season went very well with the only loss being the first game.
As the years passed with the Club flourishing a decision was made to relocate the Club to Market Harborough for the 1957/58 season. The club played at the Little Bowden Recreation Ground with changing rooms at the Three Swans Hotel and later at the Collegiate School. Wellingborough Rugby Football Club were the first opponents to play at the new venue. The Club continued to prosper and during the 1958/59 season a 3rd team was formed and match fees were introduced. The Club faced problems with the availability of the Little Bowden Recreation Ground having to play some games at Bowden Hill. The Club began negotiations during the 1960/61 season to use a rugby pitch at Gores Lane, Market Harborough, which culminated in the building of a Clubhouse and changing rooms at Gores Lane. The first fixture at the Club’s new home was against Wellingborough RFC on the 7th October 1962.
The move to Gores Lane propelled the Kibworth Rugby Football Club forward, fielding three senior teams with a Colts team following in 1963. The new facilities enabled the Club to become an integral part of local rugby and the social side of the Club’s activities also expanded. To cope with the growth of the Club an extension to the Clubhouse was built. Kibworth Rugby Football Club progressed into the next decade as a very successful enterprise
The 50th anniversary of Kibworth Rugby Football Club’s foundation was marked with a game against their first opponents, Wigston, in April 1973.
The next major step forward was the Club’s purchase of the Gores Lane ground, from the Symington Company of Market Harborough which was completed on 13TH March 1980. This enabled the Club to increase the facilities with a second pitch and an extension to the changing rooms completed in 1985. The new extension was opened with a game against Wellingborough RFC on 20th October of that year. The Club expanded its playing strength and was fielding four teams plus a Colts side and started planning the introduction of a mini/junior section.
In 1988 a major transformation of the Club began when negotiations with McAlpine Builders commenced culminating in the sale of the Gores Lane ground to the McAlpine Company in 1989. Kibworth Rugby Football Club moved to a new ground in Northampton Road, Market Harborough. The new ground had three pitches, floodlights and an impressive clubhouse and changing rooms. These excellent facilities were opened on 15th October 1989 by the President of the Rugby Football Union followed by a game against an international XV.
Kibworth Rugby Football Club continued to flourish in their new surroundings as it progressed into the next decade eventually fielding six senior teams, Colts and a mini/junior section. The success of the club continued into the new millennium, however a major change to the club was on the horizon.
2006 saw the demise of the Kibworth Rugby Football Club when the members voted to change the name of the Club to Market Harborough Rugby Union Football Club.
Acknowledgements
Market Harborough Rugby Union Football Club
Memories of Kibworth by Joan Spain