Club History - 1881 to 1918

1881

Unfortunately, very little is known about the club’s early years.

One thing we do know is that AW Vears was part of the Club committee and a driving force in the club's early years.

1883

In 1883 the club sought to have its own pavilion built and the Architect James Philip Moore was commissioned to design the pavilion. J P Moore moved to Gloucester from Liverpool in 1872 and was obviously a sporting type as he was the Treasurer of the event held in 1880 and competed in some of the events.

Details of this are in the Gloucestershire Archives and will be researched further in due course.

The cricket and rugby clubs shared use of the Spa ground, the cricket club held the lease and used the ground in the summer with the rugby club using it in the winter. The ground was not big enough to accommodate both teams on separate pitches - this was not an ideal situation as the cricket pitch was obviously cut up by the rugby players.

1888

The rugby club started looking for a new ground in 1888 but did not progress further than looking at five sites, as all had drawbacks and were thought to be beyond the club’s financial means, so the club remained at the Spa.

1891

In January 1891, the rugby club were due to play Swansea. The ground was frozen solid, and the club took the initiative and spread 80 tons of salt over the ground in an attempt to thaw the pitch. This worked and the match was played. However, the salt destroyed the grass and left the pitch as having what was described at the time as “the appearance of a newly ploughed piece of arable land”. The cricket club had to dig up and reseed the whole pitch and this led to the rugby club being given their second notice to quit.

It was realised that the two clubs could not co-exist on the same ground, and the rugby club moved very quickly, identifying a piece of land at the Castle Grim Estate at Kingsholm. The club produced a document on 20th July 1891 proposing a company be set up to purchase the land – the proposal document that said “An agreement has been prepared and is proposed to be entered into between the Company and the Football Club, whereby the former will receive as a rent from the club….., and in addition to this income the Company will let the ground for Cricket, Cycling, Athletics, and other objects of a similar nature, during the summer months.”

The company, the Gloucester Football and Athletic Ground Company Limited, was set up on 5th August 1891 to purchase the land and form a suitable sports ground. The site was chosen as it would be suitable for more than just rugby – rugby would be played in the winter, but then the ground would be hired out to other users in the summer.

Due to the presence of existing buildings on the site, and the need to get the pitch ready for the new season, the pitch was initially sited to the west (Deans Walk) side of the site, orientated north-south as the black dotted lines on the following plan used at the time. This part of the site was levelled and various trees, minor buildings and walls demolished to make the area suitable for play. JP Moore was again the Architect for this and the subsequent ground development. The rugby club played their first match at Kingsholm on 10th October 1891. 

In September GFAG commissioned plans to be prepared for the ground including running

track, pavilion and grandstands, with a more favourably located and realigned pitch orientated east-west nearer the north (St Marks Street) side of the site (GFAG minutes 2 Sept 1891). The plans promoting the purchase of Kingsholm were described as showing that “the ground will be one of the best in the West. There will be a cycling and running track a quarter of a mile in circumference, and refreshment stands and pavilions at convenient distances, a large pavilion occupying the centre of the sixpenny part. These works cannot, of course, be all carried out until after this season, meanwhile a contract has been entered into with the Gloucester Wagon Company for the erection of a temporary grand stand.” The layout of the athletics track can clearly be seen in the following rough plan.

1892

The plans for the ground were agreed in January (GFAG minutes 8 Jan 1892) and over the first half of the year the house, stables and pigpen in the middle of the site were demolished and removed, the ground was levelled, fencing and turnstiles installed and the pitch relaid to the new location.

Virtually nothing is known about what the Athletic Club did in competitive terms. However, we have been able to glean a bit about the affairs of the Club from the GFAG Company Minutes and Accounts, and much of the following is taken from these minutes and accounts.

The first mention of the Athletic Club comes in the GFAG minutes of 11 May 1892 “members of Gloucester Athletic Club to be to train for foot racing only on the ground”.

Over the summer, a pavilion and grandstand was constructed ready for the new rugby season (see plan below).

The Athletic Club evidently had a base in the ground as the GFAG minutes of 7 Dec 1892 record “Gloucester Athletic Club allowed for the time being to keep their temporary building on the Deans Walk side of the ground for 1s pa rent”. (1s is 1 shilling, decimal 5p, equivalent to around £4.50 today)

1893

A deputation from the Athletic Club met the Company in March to discuss holding their Annual Festival at Kingsholm in August – the Company agreed to let the Athletic Club have the whole ground for 2 days for £30, including a ¼ mile track. (£1 then is worth around £90 today).

From this, it is evident the Club was organising an annual Sports Festival, probably similar to the original one held back in 1880. It was held on the Tuesday following the August Bank Holiday Monday, which fell at the beginning of the month in those times. It is possible the Club wanted to make it a bigger event this year as they were going to use the new ground, and hold it over two days.

The Company agreed to allow the Athletic Club to train at Kingsholm before 10am and after 6.30pm for 2/6 per member (2/6 is 2 shillings and 6 pence, decimal 12½ p, equivalent to over £11 today). It is assumed that this was effectively a season ticket, allowing a member to train throughout the summer period, and not a per session fee.

The Athletic Club wanted to hold 2 to 3 evening meetings, for which the Company set a charge of 4gns (4 gns is 4 guineas or 21 shillings, or £1 1s, decimal £1.05, equivalent to around £95 today).

In July the Company agreed to reduce the charge for the hire of the ground to the Athletic Club for their evening meeting on 22nd June to 2gns as the meeting had resulted in a large loss to the Athletic Club. No further payments appear in the Company’s accounts for evening meetings, so it is assumed the Club thought better of trying to hold any more at the ground.

The Club held it’s Sports Festival on August 7th (Bank Holiday Monday) and 8th (Tuesday).

The Club bought 22 training tickets at 2/6 during the year.

1894

A dispute occurred in July between the Athletic Club and the Company over the condition of the ground. The Athletic Club did not think the Kingsholm track would be fit for their Sports on August 7th, but the Company disagreed and sought to hold the Athletic Club to their agreement.

The Athletic Club suggested the matter be referred to arbitration, putting forward a list of 3 arbitrators (one of whom was Dr WG Grace). The Company agreed on arbitration, but wanted 3 local arbitrators to be used instead, one being the Mayor of Gloucester. The Athletic Club rejected this and proposed that each side appoint 1 arbitrator each, and then the 2 arbitrators to select an umpire. The Company rejected this and returned to their proposal, threatening to publish the whole correspondence and an explanation if the matter wasn’t resolved by 31st July. No reply had been received from the Athletic Club by 31st July. On 1st August the Company agreed to accept the Athletic Club’s proposal for arbitration so long as their officers accepted personal liability for the award, with a Director from each club as arbitrators, who could appoint a referee if necessary. The Athletic Club offered £15 to settle the dispute – the Company accepted this but stated they thought they had been treated discourteously.

The Athletic Club offered 50/- (50 shillings, or £2 10 shillings, decimal £2.50, equivalent to around £225 today) for the hire of seating to be used at the Spa, where they were now going to hold their Sports on August 7th. The Company were evidently not happy by the way the Athletic Club had not taken their hire of the ground for the annual sports, and this was minuted in the Company's AGM minutes for the year.

1896

The Company agreed that training tickets would be issued to athletes as last year.

The Club bought 104 training tickets at 2/6 during the year and also paid 1/- for one years rent for their shed.

1897

Again, the Gloucester Harriers hired the ground for their sports on 1st May, at a charge of 7gns.

The Company’s minutes say that tickets for training and bicycling would be issued at 2/6 each. It is not known from this point whether the cycling was an integral part of the Athletic Club or a separate club, though it is quite likely it was an integral part of the Athletic Club as there is no mention anywhere in the minutes of any cycling clubs, and it is known that cycling events formed a part of the Athletic Club's Sports events.

50 training tickets were bought at 2/6 during the year. There is no mention from this year on of any payment for rent for the shed, so this may possibly have been vacated or removed.

1902

A vacancy occurred on the Company Board. The Board Chairman stated that, as the Athletic Club had become proprietors of over 70 shares in the Company, he thought they should be represented on the Board. The Board agreed and Mr Trevor Powell of the Athletic Club was elected to the Company Board. The Company Chairman welcomed him and expressed the Director’s gratification at having a representative from the Athletic Club on the Board. This was acknowledged by Mr Powell. Powell is known to have played for the Rugby Club in at least the 1890/91 and 91/92 seasons.

32 training tickets were bought at 2/6 during the year.

1903

19 training tickets were bought at 2/6 during the year.

1904

19 training tickets were bought at 2/6 during the year.

At the end of the year, the Rugby Club put forward their case for the provision of a gymnasium with bath rooms, changing and offices to better provide for the needs of the club.

1905

The Company agreed to the Rugby Club’s request for the construction of the gymnasium building, with the Rugby Club paying an increased rent, and the building works commenced with a view to completing for the start of the 1905-06 rugby season.

Mr Trevor Powell resigned from the Company Board in September.

Extra works were asked for by the Rugby Club to complete the new gymnasium, and it was agreed to raise an extra £150 share capital, with the shares to be offered £100 to the Rugby Club and £50 to the Athletic Club.

50 training tickets were bought at 2/6 during the year.

1906

In the end, the Rugby Club took all of the £150 of shares, with the agreement of the Athletic Club.

In March, the Gloucester Amateur Walking and Athletic Society enquired about use of the ground and the gymnasium for an Athletic Sports on Easter Tuesday afternoon, and for an evening meeting on some other date. The Company offered terms, but the Society gave up the idea of the meeting on Easter Tuesday, but still hoped to hold an evening meeting later in the season.

It was decided by the Company that training tickets be issued as in previous years and that the new Gymnasium be kept locked and not used by athletes during the summer months.

The Great Western Railway Cricket Club applied for use of the ground, but their request was denied due to, amongst others, the interference it would have with bicycling, running, tennis and volunteer drilling.

In December, the Company agreed to let the Rugby Club hold an Athletic Sports on the ground on Whit Monday (1907) as the Rugby Club were doing very badly financially this season, the ground to be let free of charge.

86 training tickets were bought at 2/6 during the year.