
The 1930s (10)
More...
At last, a club fixture card and - what is more a record of most of the results. Freddie Blight, a member of the original 1921-22 side was captain, Les Rowden vice captain, Leslie Paul secretary and Harold Sloggett Treasurer.
E P Evans a tall forward of several seasons experience with the club - particularly alongside Harold Sloggett, took over as captain with Bill Westlake his vice.
Whilst no less than three fixture cards survive, none have a complete set of results. Tommy Lane (stand off/centre) - who had graced the previous seasons photograph - was captain with George Perry - still going strong, vice. No 2nd XV fixtures or results appear.
Tommy Lane continued as captain Harold Sloggett his deputy. The team for the opening game at Sidmouth included Lane, Westlake, Matthews, Sloggett, Rowden, Ross, Hitchins, Rendle and Len Giddy.
Memorable, if for nothing else, for the fact that for the first time in almost 50 years the Club had its own ground.
Malcolm Robinson Captain, Mervyn Hodge vice, the season got off to a good start with 7 wins in the first 9 games including 27-3 Old Suttonians Camborne School of Mines 12-10 and Dartmouth 13-0.
This season ended something of an era. Leslie Paul resigning as secretary and being succeeded by Peter Matthews who attributes his election to that post by reason of the fact that his offices were so central - Lloyds Bank Chambers - now the Bank Inn.
And the fixture card for this season confirms that for 1937-8 at any rate Leslie Paul is President and EH Partridge Senior Vice President, Tony Birnage is Captain and John Cameron Vice whilst the name TK Hitchins appears as a member of the Committee.
Captain and vice captain as in the previous season. Besides a complete 1st XV list, the second side played a number of games for which there are alas neither teams nor results, although Peter Matthews purports to recall a crushing defeat of Salcombe Reserves and when he inquired of the referee as to the score, the latter replied "Well, I wrote it down up to 60 points and then stopped trying!".
Had Season 1939 - 40 taken its normal course, Tony Birnage would have been invited to continue for a third term as Captain, and Peter Matthews and Tom Hitchins joint Secretaries.