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Oldest Clubhouses?
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Novocastrian View Drop Down
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    Posted: 25 Jun 2020 at 19:45
Any idea on who may have the oldest clubhouse in the UK? 

We’re a L7 club and our original part of the clubhouse stretches back to 1928. There’s surely bound to be clubs around the country with older ones but as we only play in the DN leagues, I can’t think of any clubs near us with anything as old as that. 

Anybody on here know of any older? I’d love to see some photos etc. The link below shows a photo from 1932 and this is largely the same and still in use. 
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Waterloo - Blackheath
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Blackheath clubhouse at Rectory field dates back a long way and I’m sure it’s grade 2 listed it’s not used for 1st team games atm but things could change
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Points: 38 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Novocastrian Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25 Jun 2020 at 21:54
Yes I’ve now read up on Blackheath and see their original pavilion was built in 1886. Very impressive! Quite an interesting link here:

https://www.charltonparks.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Blackheath-Rugby-Club-1851-2001.pdf

Waterloo moved to their new ground in 1921 - so I assume the clubhouse was built around that time too. 


Anymore? There must be plenty!
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Birkenhead Park 1892, and still in use.
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Apparently the clubhouse at Paignton dates to 1900.
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Maybe not quite the same, but Liverpool St Helens make the following statement on their website;

"Liverpool St Helens traces its origins to 1857 when Liverpool Football Club was formed making it the oldest open rugby club in the World".

Just sayin' like !! Hug

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The only old and grand thing at LSH is Ray French. Think the Clubhouse has a slight Nissan Hut feel to it!

Caldy might have a 1920/30s Clubhouse.
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Points: 6533 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Richard Lowther Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26 Jun 2020 at 08:12
There's Burton's Peel Croft ground, one of the oldest grounds still in use, but not for long due to their ground move. 
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The Cambridge University Football Clubs jointly bought Grange Rd in 1895 and I think the main building dates from then. The other club moved to Fenners.

Fenners was used a a ground long before the Football Club was founded, so it is possible the oldest club house may well be a cricket pavillion.

Rugby has been played at the Old Deer Park since 1886 - though initially by Richmond and only recently by London Welsh. But I do not know if any ofthe current facilities date back that far.
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Originally posted by Camquin Camquin wrote:

The Cambridge University Football Clubs jointly bought Grange Rd in 1895 and I think the main building dates from then. The other club moved to Fenners.

Fenners was used a a ground long before the Football Club was founded, so it is possible the oldest club house may well be a cricket pavillion.

Rugby has been played at the Old Deer Park since 1886 - though initially by Richmond and only recently by London Welsh. But I do not know if any ofthe current facilities date back that far.

Which made me do a bit of digging, so from the dark blue side...

Iffley Road has been the home of OURFC since the 1890s, but before that it was the home of OUCC (who moved to the Parks in 1881). Christ Church owned it for a decade between the two.

However, the (Grade 2 listed) clubhouse at Iffley Road dates from the cricket club. Can't find the date of build but it can't have been the year before they moved out (unless they were daft) and the cricket club arrived in 1876.
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Points: 1855 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote billesleyexile Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26 Jun 2020 at 09:14
Incidentally, the oldest sporting clubhouse across sport is going to have to go some to beat the Jockey Club in Newmarket, parts of which go back to its establishment in 1752.
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Originally posted by 'Hopper 'Hopper wrote:

Birkenhead Park 1892, and still in use.

It looks quite like a cricket pavilion. Beautiful building though. I assume there’s been new extensions etc since then?!

Originally posted by Richard Lowther Richard Lowther wrote:

Apparently the clubhouse at Paignton dates to 1900.


Strange looking clubhouse with a relatively new? Stand on top. But yep, seemingly 1900. I knew there’d be a good one in the South West. Surprised it’s not a Cornish one though!


Originally posted by PiffPaff PiffPaff wrote:

The only old and grand thing at LSH is Ray French. Think the Clubhouse has a slight Nissan Hut feel to it!

Caldy might have a 1920/30s Clubhouse.

From 1928. 

In 1928 the club finally took possession of Paton Field and built a clubhouse with three changing rooms at a cost of £856-10-0. This original clubhouse is still the core of the current clubhouse despite it being built mainly from wood.


I’m unsurprised by the University’s. I played as a guest for Magdalene College Cambridge last year and the pavilion at John’s college looked rather old as well. Let alone the actual University rugby team. 


Keep them doing lads. Some great detective work. 
 


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Originally posted by Camquin Camquin wrote:

Rugby has been played at the Old Deer Park since 1886 - though initially by Richmond and only recently by London Welsh. But I do not know if any ofthe current facilities date back that far. 

Rosslyn Park and Old Merchant Taylors took on a groundshare in the 1890s.  OMTs moved on but Park stayed until 1956 and London Welsh moved in the following year.  We built a new clubhouse that opened in October 1969.
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Actually I might have a contender that is older than the Jockey Club and are football based.

The Green Man in Ashbourne - the home of the Shrovetide game.
Or one of the four inns in Haxley that compete for the Hood.
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Originally posted by Camquin Camquin wrote:

Actually I might have a contender that is older than the Jockey Club and are football based.

The Green Man in Ashbourne - the home of the Shrovetide game.
Or one of the four inns in Haxley that compete for the Hood.

I'm not sure pubs count though? My great grandfather put the ball in twice in Ashbourne so I know it well. Most of the year it's a pub rather than a clubhouse though.
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Points: 6533 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Richard Lowther Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26 Jun 2020 at 11:38
There's a guy on a Facebook rugby page who has been compiling lists of oldest clubs, clubhouses, stands etc. 

I don't agree with some of his club datings but the clubhouses and stands should have factual dates; the only disagreements revolve around the actual usage - do you count a Pavillion originally used for Cricket in 18xx from that date, or from the date the rugby club moved in x number of years later and extensions/rebuilds/modernisation etc.

I would highly recommend the 'Played in' book series for this type of question.  Brilliantly researched - led by Simon Inglis, the doyen of sports ground research, they are a treasure trove of information. 
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Points: 6533 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Richard Lowther Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26 Jun 2020 at 11:39
Originally posted by billesleyexile billesleyexile wrote:

Originally posted by Camquin Camquin wrote:

Actually I might have a contender that is older than the Jockey Club and are football based.

The Green Man in Ashbourne - the home of the Shrovetide game.
Or one of the four inns in Haxley that compete for the Hood.

I'm not sure pubs count though? My great grandfather put the ball in twice in Ashbourne so I know it well. Most of the year it's a pub rather than a clubhouse though.

Pubs don't count. End of....
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If you are opening it up to all sports

Not sure exactly how old it is but North Devon Cricket pavilion is old.

Also I suspect there will be a number of very old golf club houses around the country.
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Points: 11175 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Camquin Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26 Jun 2020 at 12:30
Even though many clubs started in a pub. Shelford started in the PeaHuckleberry. The original pub has long since gone but it is still the club badger and new the name of their main bar. 

Perhaps pubs should count if the club changes there.

The North Devon club house is 450 years old acording to their web site - so that beats the Jockey club.
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