5 DECADES OF RUGBY AT BURNTSTUMP

With this landmark now reached I thought it might be interesting to give an account on how we have progressed from those early days. After a very nomadic first 50 odd years we finally moved into the ground we now proudly call home. It was purchased from local building company W.J.Simms, Sons & Cooke Ltd and had been used as their sports ground. The Old Paviors Sports Club, a joint venture between the Rugby and Cricket Clubs, was formed at this time to negotiate the deal and complete the purchase. We owe much to the vision of those involved who saw beyond a field with just a few old buildings that were well past their best. So that original group of Ron Rossin, Fred Posaner and Keith Bancroft were the Founding Fathers of Burntststump. Great Paviors who set the bar and many more followed. Previous Sports Club President Len Graham deserves special mention as his contribution greatly accelerated our development. Phil Barton is compiling a full and comprehensive history of the First 100 Years of Paviors which will form part of our 2022 celebrations, and he’s interested to hear your personal recollections. Graham Turner President Paviors Sports Club Ltd Chair Paviors RFC Ltd 1973 PURCHASE OF BURNTSTUMP COMPLETED

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We had a great kid’s playground which was demolished when in future years we moved the main pitch to accommodate lady’s hockey and then again to fit the current middle rugby pitch in. We had to reclaim land to do this and before we moved pitches around the centre of the clubhouse was on the halfway line. A big project!!

Our next clubhouse was a prefabricated structure purchased second hand and it had laid in a pile in the corner of the field for some time waiting for our finances to be sufficient to erect it. It did involve quite a lot of infrastructure work which we nibbled away at. In the picture below you can just see the infamous’ Trench’ which was for the new water supply which remained open for a very long time and many fell in it. Although that building has now been demolished the drainage system and utilities were extended to our current clubhouse and still in use today. The lovely old cricket pavilion can also be seen on the right, sadly time took its toll and eventually it had to be demolished.

In the early eighties we then built new changing rooms which are still in use under the clubhouse. Up until then we were still changing in the old shed. Money was tight and we took advantage of a government strategy, The Youth Opportunities Scheme’, to provide labour at no cost to the Club. We provided all the materials and Fred Posaner the then President of the Sports Club pioneered this. Without the scheme we wouldn’t have been able to afford new changing rooms but some of the quality issues that came with it still haunt us today. On the plus side it kept the costs down below £30k and we scraped that money together through enthusiastic fund raising efforts, no lottery in the day!!

Later that same decade a few of the lads, now old men, kicked around the idea of having a new clubhouse. Eventually it was suggested we build on top of the existing changing rooms. We did and that essentially is what we have today with a few additions and changes. Len Graham the then Sports Club President designed, built and bank rolled the work for some time. He was an inspirational President and without his drive we might still be languishing in an aging clubhouse. Once complete the old second hand structure and the cricket pavilion were demolished Here it is today with the extension allowing the addition of two extra changing rooms and bar area from which we have more recently removed the dividing wall.

But with the same spirit and adventure of those early pioneers of 1922 and 1973 who started Paviors and acquired Burntstump the desire to improve, a hallmark of The Club, burnt strongly in those fortunate enough to be driving the Club at the time. THECBURUPURCG2N0OB0TYM4STWEUSOMTROPLD PAVRIEOGRISSTBEE2RC00EO5DMCELAUCBASC FLOODLIMGHATI2NS00PI6NITSTCAHLLED ON BALCONY REPLACED 2007

We undertook a complete refurbishment of the club room ripping out everything. It was a real Club effort with Duane Broddell and me doing the bulk of the work but there were massive contributions from Keith Mason, Calum’s dad. James ‘Rusty’ Wright the electrical work and Martin Brown the decorating. Others and I hesitate to mention to many because it is so easy to leave people out but Liz Stirland, Phil Molyneux. Chris Holdrick and Roger Moakes made huge contributions along with many others. A real Club effort. 2007 If that wasn’t enough, with the clubhouse a shell and not even floor boards upstairs, we held a Summer Ball in a marquee on the main pitch. It was a huge success but only on the back of some great efforts lead Liz Stirland, Di Turner with a lot of help from Chris Holdrick, Moly and countless others on the night. INSTODAFILSDALAEB2VDL0E1EI2NDHUMLDIEFSMTOONRY TMIRNAISDITNDAILNL2E0GL1PE2LIDTIGCOHHNTS THIENTHROUDSDEURSCVOEIDNC2EF0-EO1T2RVOAAPALNVISFIEOATRIWSMEAORFD DDRRIAVIENSRRE2ES0UP14LRAFACCEDED&

WE WILL EXTEND THE CLUBHOUSE TOWARDS THE HALFWAY LINE BY JUST OVER 15 METERS ALLOWING 2 FULL SIZE STATE OF THE ART CHANGING ROOMS TO BE ADDED. THE EXISTING CHANGING ROOMS WILL BE RENOVATED TO INCLUDE A MEDICAL SUIT. UPSTAIRS WE WILL HAVE A HUGE AREA ALLOWING A VARIETY OF FUNCTIONS TO BE HELD. A PARTITION WILL ALLOW THE WHOLE UPSTAIRS TO BE UTILISED FOR LARGER FUNCTIONS ALLOWING US TO SIT DOWN AROUND 140 PEOPLE FOR DINNERS. THE EXISTING BALCONY WILL BE RENOVATED AND ADDED TO INCLUDING GLASS BALUSTRADES AAND THE WHOLE LENGTH WILL BE COVERED EXISTING OUTSIDE BUILDINGS WILL BE RESITED AND A CAR PARK EXTENSION IN THE TREES WILL BE CONSTRUCTED. ON COMPLETION WE WILL HAVE SPORT ENGLAND & SAFEGUARDING COMPLIANT CHANGING ROOMS. WE WILL HAVE DOUBLED THE SOCIAL SPACE UPSTAIRS. WE WILL HAVE MORE CAR PARKING AND THE WHOLE CLUBHOUSE AREA WILL BE MUCH TIDIER

Undoubtedly an ambitious project and the biggest outlay in the Club’s history and sadly not made any easier by the current pandemic. But just as the nation and the world will come through Paviors will prevail and deliver this fantastic facility for those of tomorrow. It will be Club effort so how can you help make this happen, well there are a few suggestions and we would like to hear more from you. • Arrange a fund raiser for your team • Buy a brick and have your name forever remembered at Paviors • Buy a glass balustrade panel with your name or company name etched on it • Your own skilled hands could keep labour costs down • Can you provide building materials cheaper than we can buy them? • Become a major sponsor of the project and enjoy what we are offering

GET INVOLVED & HELP DELIVER A PROJECT TO ENHANCE THE FUTURE OF PAVIORS RUGBY FOOTBALL CLUB