Yorkley RFC 1956 - 1957
Courtesy of: Diane English (nee Stratford). Uploaded:
Yorkley RFC 1956 - 1957 season.
Row
3: 1 Maurice Coburn , 2 Keith Trafford , 3 Bryan Davis , 4 Ken
Beddis , 5 Bobby Evans.
Row 2: 1 Brian Davies (wearing tie), 2 Des
Stratford , 3 Ron Ellway , 4 Peter Knowles , 5 Ted Davis , 6 Claud
Jefferys, 7 Fred Thomas, 8 Graham Price ,
9 Mr ? Thomas (wearing cap).
Row 1: (all seated) 1 Malcolm Dunn, 2 Mike James, 3 Alan Price, 4 Graham Sandford, 5 Keith Stratford .
The Yorkley rugby team changed at the George
pub and played on a field at James' farm. The photo was taken outside the
George,
looking
uphill. Behind them may be an overgrown spoil heap from a coal mine.
Thanks also to Ian Watts, Dan Hinton and Ron Ellway.
Ron Ellway added (Feb 2009): "...
Before I became a player, I watched the local doctor play
centre for Yorkley. He was a powerful runner and difficult to
tackle on the occasions when he held on to the ball. The
touchline cries of 'give him a bread basket and some sticky
paper' were not music to his ears. In every day life he wore
thick dark rimmed glasses.
I watched the teams line up for the kick off of the next
match, when several cries went up from the opposition. 'My
God who is the man in the mask?'. 'Are Yorkley fielding the Lone
Ranger?'. The doctor had cut a piece from an old black lorry
tyre inner tube, fashioned some holes for his eyes and
ears, and pulled it over his head to protect and retain his
glasses. The man in the mask was lined up ready to receive
the ball. Unfortunately he had failed to perceive that his
peripheral vision would be impaired and there was little
improvement, but he had created a psychological advantage by
scaring the hell out of the opposing team. I can,t remember
if we won. Ron".
If you wish to comment on this photo or can supply names of people please click
here 
WANTED: Old photos, old postcards, ephemera and memories of the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire. U.K.