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Chairman’s Welcome
Welcome to Amersham and Chiltern’s online match programme. A particular welcome to the players, officials, and supporters of our visitors.
After promotion last year, our 1st XV play in the Regional 1 South East league of the RFU’s London and South-East Division. This is Level Five of the RFU pyramid and provides a standard of rugby that is very testing for a club from a relatively small town like Amersham. We are proud to compete here.
Thanks to the vagaries of RFU administration, our 2nd XV is in the South-West Division, and play in the Counties 2 Tribute Bucks, Berks and Oxon South competition. Like the 1st XV, they were promoted last year.
The Third XV play in an informal competition for Bucks third teams, usually under lights on a Friday evening. They provide competitive but social rugby for those who cannot commit to weekly league matches and training.
Like most clubs, we are always looking for new players. If you would like to join in, at any level, please contact our Director of Rugby, Pete Gibson, or get in touch through the club website. Alternatively, go old school and ask at the bar, or speak to anyone involved with one of the teams. You will be very welcome.
As well as our adult sides, we run extraordinarily successful Mini and Junior Sections, providing rugby for age groups from Under 6 to Under
18. Last year we won the County Cup at every age group. The club is absolutely buzzing on a Sunday, when training and matches take place. If you have a child who would like to try rugby or one who already plays, please contact Ryan Westmacott (Minis) or Richard Clifford (Juniors) - or just bring your boy or girl along.
If you have five minutes before the game starts, please flick through the other pages of this programme and check out our fantastic sponsors. They are all great local companies; without their support it would be very difficult for us to continue. If you could use any of them, and mention where you saw their name, you would be doing the club and the game a real service.
Along with the rugby, we have a full calendar of social events, details of which can be seen elsewhere in this programme, on the website, or on the posters in the clubhouse. Whatever your level of interest in rugby, it’s a great club to be a member of, and we’d love to have you join us.
Huw Thomas Chairman
President: Peter Kenyon; Chairman: Huw Thomas; Hon Sec: Ralph Hayward; Hon Treasurer: Chris Tavender; Membership Secretary: Sandra Hitchman; Director of Rugby: Pete Gibson; Mini Chairman: Ryan Westmacott; Junior Chairman: Richard Clifford
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Back for our Centenary night of comedy our A&C longtime friend and funny man, Steve Owen. New material incoming for those who know him, a belly fully of laughs for those who don’t, all thrown in with a bit of A&C nostalgia too!
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Old Amersham Hotels are ready to welcome you to our breathtaking venues across the Chiltern Hills.
Whether it is a hearty pub lunch by the fire at the Kings Arms, a cosy night in a luxurious suite at the Crown Inn or a stylish celebration under the glittering chandeliers of the Kings Chapel we’d be delighted to have you!
The Centenary Fund
For the next100 years
The centenary of our great club will be marked by many events at the club during the season 2024-25. We are an ambitious, friendly and successful community club providing an exceptional and inclusive rugby and social experience to all our members of all ages and backgrounds.
We are entirely dependent on the support of our members and many generous sponsors. The annual cost of running a big sports club is considerable and we always need to spend large sums on clubhouse and ground maintenance.
The Centenary Fund has the target of raising £200,000 and we hope that members past and present will support this project - it will make so much difference to our club and benefit all our members. The Fund will be used exclusively to support key projects around the club, including:
• Clubhouse refurbishment and upgrade
• Extended patio area with multi-weather surface
• Pitch and floodlight improvements
• Resurface north car park
• Improved gym facilities
• Expanded solar panelling
Please support the club by donating at JustGiving/The Centenary Fund - and please tick the Gift Aid option as the club receives an additional 25% on top of your donation.
For donations over £1000, please pay directly into the Fund’s bank, complete a Gift Aid declaration and let me know via email. Fund bank: Amersham & Chiltern RFC, sort 40-2417, account 2266 4879. Any queries, please email.
Peter Osborne Chair, The Centenary Fund posborne@osbornesamuel.com
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Match Report - Saturday 22nd February 2025
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Amersham and Chiltern - 17 - Hertford RFC - 25
Half-time (7 - 13)
‘Hertford huff and puff and Chiltern disappoint as pressure takes it toll’
High Hopes – Frank Sinatra, 1959
‘Nest time you’re found, with your chin on the ground
There’s a lot to be learned, so look around
Just what makes that little old ant, think he’ll move that rubber tree plant,
Anyone knows an ant can’t, move a rubber tree plant
But he’s got high hopes, he’s got high hopes
He’s got high apple pie in the sky hopes’
I put country before club on Saturday, hence the usual high standard of ‘line running’ was absent in a game that mattered a whole lot more to A&C than Hertford.
They are an experienced and wily bunch up there in the county town of Hertfordshire. Having hosted the Parliament of England during the plague outbreak in London in 1563, Herford is also famous for being the place where the rock band ‘Deep Purple’ formed in 1968 (the year of my birth).
Back on the 12th of October 2024 during our away fixture with them Herford became
famous for ‘Maggot Gate’ which resulted in us battling through with 14 men. We will never know what would have happened without this rugby trauma, although do know it significantly contributed to our 40-15 defeat. Perhaps always likely we now found ourselves really needing a win at home in the return fixture. Perhaps that pressure was just a wee bit too much for us to cope with.
Owing to my other commitments (beer, curry and chat) in watching my national team my update re the action is amazingly of the same depth as if I had actually been there!!!
MATCH REPORT
My thanks to our Director of Rugby, Peter Gibson (Gibo) for sending me a copy of his note page within his ‘Black Book’. I have referred to this although not included some of his detail, as per his direction.
Big shout – out! also for a big boy!! – Chiltern made Ed Sussum – powerhouse and leaping salmon in the 2nd row. Debut and no pressure. Played well.
And so to the action- Interesting start on a damp pitch. Some earlier and persistent rain had caused a little puddling and therefore undoubtedly a ‘high risk’ match for maintaining the predominantly white centenary kit.
It was Hertford that got the scoreboard ticking over early. In fact, on 3mins a comfortable penalty kick secured a very early 0-3 lead. Perhaps Chiltern sensed early opportunity to have a go following the choice to kick as only 4 mins later Jordan Scott took the opportunity
MATCH REPORT
to score the 1st try of the day with Aaron Lewis backing matters up with a solid conversion (7-3).
All credit though to Jordan Scott who along with others refused to let matter lie. With a couple of tries in the last 10 mins matters were returned to a respectable score (17-25). 3 tries each, a deserved win and double for Hertford consolidating their league position (5th)
This week it really matters - a 6 pointer and a warm welcome to 10th place Harpenden. Experienced in higher levels they too have had a challenging season. Undoubtedly one that got away from us back in November (2430) this is perhaps the ideal and timely return match. In a must win game and then away trip
Like a game of chess Hertford showed their experience and in a similar quite dull way (just like England at Twickenham) they potted another 3pt penalty a short time later to make matters an exciting (7-6). Of undoubted significance and just prior to half—time following some sustained pressure from Hertford the referee rightly awarded a penalty try to Hertford. (7-13). With missed opportunities Chiltern had every confidence of rectifying matters in the 2nd half.
The 2nd half started badly for A&C with Herford scoring an unconverted try on 44 mins (7-18). With some more persistent attack another penalty try was the reward and really the competitive side of the match had ended (7-25).
MATCH REPORT
to bottom side Bedford Athletic to come these could be a couple of wins that preserves our level 5 status.
11. Bojan Cecaric 12. Aaron Lewis 13. Dan Kingsley 14. Tom Fawssett 15. Ben Pothecary 1 6. Liam Bruno 17. Kazim Olayinka 18. Conor Segre
FROM THE TOUCHLINE
by Huw Thomas
Today we welcome the players, officials and supporters of Harpenden RFC. They are old friends, so old that I remember playing against them in pre-league, prepro days. This is the return match (obviously, given that it’s now March). Chiltern lost a tight game 30-24 at Redbourn Lane in November, which our boys felt that they could have won. However, Harpenden did.
The match today is important to Harpenden’s hopes of avoiding relegation, and vital to Chiltern’s. We are second bottom of London Regional 1 South East, seven points behind them, both teams having four games to play. If we win this game and one other, we have a chance of survival. If we lose, and the gap stretches to eleven or twelve points with three games to go, our position becomes more than perilous.
Last week, we lost 25-17 at home to Hertford, with a performance that was even more disappointing because it came after the stellar victory at Shelford. Hertford were and remain comfortably fifth in the table, so they are a decent side, and we were depleted by injury, suspension and Twickenham tickets (it was a rearranged game). However, the truth is that we played poorly. A late rally saw Jordan Scott grab two tries and spoke well of the team’s refusal to give in, but the final score flattered us. This week some of our missing personnel are back, so the lineout and scrummage will function better; the key question may be whether we can hang on to the ball.
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After not being able to raise a side last week, the 2s have a decent team to take down to Beaconsfield, where they need to avenge a rare home defeat against the old enemy. Twelve points clear of relegation and with a game in hand, they will survive in BBO2. Availability has once again been their bugbear, and we need more players if the 2s are going to realise their potential and provide adequate support to the 1st XV.
The 3s game at Chesham has been called off because the hosts could not raise a side, which is a shame, not least because we could have had everyone back at the clubhouse by quarter past five for this evening’s players’ social event.
Our women travel to Abbey RFC for a four-way match with Crowthorne and Bicester tomorrow. Congratulations to Ellie Daniels on her selection for the county squad after only taking up the game this season.
Tomorrow is a big day here at the club, with the annual Minis Development Festival. Nowhere in the country will the joy and the pain of playing rugby be better illustrated.
That’s it from me. Two consecutive home games always leave me with less to write about. See you on the touchline and shout your loudest for the lads
THE TEAMS
SATURDAY 1ST MARCH 2025, KICK-OFF 3.00pm
AMERSHAM & CHILTERN 1XV
1. Doug McGregor Smith
Joe Batt*
Max Morphey*
Harry Bradshaw*
Jacques O’Driscoll*
Andrew Toole
Josh Finch (Capt)
Jordan Scott
Conor Segre
Alex Bower*
Josh Fisher*
Dan Kingsley*
* Denote Home Grown Player
Ref: Oli Carey RFU
HARPENDEN
1. Mackenzie-Cardy 2. Fawsett
Campion
Scott
Lacey (C)
Bloisi 7. Gear
Jefferis
Wilkinson
Johnson
Howes
Cutler
Kruger
Kaspar Strugar
Bojan Cecaric 15. Ben Harris* 16. Charlie Swerling* 17. Ed Sussum
Ben Pothecary*
Shaw
Kaynama 16. Phillips
Wheatley
Francey
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UNDER THE SPOTLIGHT
1ST TEAM MANAGER – ANDREW (ANDY GRANT)
As the season draws to an end many have mentioned that the author of so many spotlight articles has not been under the spotlight himself. I am assured that this is not seen as a fairness issue, but rather an opportunity to know a little more about of one the finest but still unrecognised linesmen in world rugby!!
Not one to disappoint hopefully you will find this article insightful of a middleaged man that is still grappling with the everyday joys and disappointments of club rugby.
Born in Glasgow Maternity Hospital in 1968 Andrew David Grant was one of the first babies brought home in a white rather than a blue ambulance, you don’t get lift homes anymore.
He went to the largest primary school in Scotland, Carolside Primary and onto Williamwood High School. A keen footballer, cricketer and golfer Andrew was late to rugby. It wasn’t until his attendance at an U17 disco at Clarkston RFC that his height identified him as being capable of
being a leaping salmon in the lineout.
With some experience and a bit of gym work and regular training Andrew managed to progress well into adult rugby. His first job was as a Bank Officer for the RBS. He worked initially in Mount Florida branch (near Hampden Park) and then onto East Kilbride. Playing a season of rugby at East Kilbride he then returned to Clarkston RFC before deciding to leave banking and his beloved Scotland for life in London with the
It was April 1990 and with name tags sewn into all his clothes Andrew started his 6 months training at the Police Academy (Hendon) and prior to posting in uniform to Marylebone (shoplifters in Oxford Street and burglars everywhere stealing computer chips).
He needed a big helmet (60-inch circumference) but not for too long as the Detective world of Taggart and trendy raincoats was calling and became very much his focus. Detective Constable apprenticeship was at Notting Hill then off to specialise in ‘murder’. 5yrs later he then specialised again in the role of Family Liaison officer (FLO) and Coordinator /Advisor re murder and Mass Fatality Investigations.
He missed 9/11 but then was involved in response to the Bali bombings 2022, The South East Asia Tsunami 2004 and the
London bombings 2005. In 2008 now as a DS he travelled from Chalfont St Giles to Walworth and Peckham as part of their Criminal Investigation Department (CID) before returning nearer home to be part of the CID at Hillingdon (Uxbridge).
Andrew then thought it was time to try and reduce his hours and get some sleep so undertook a year’s secondment to respond better to cases involving Child Exploitation. He then became a DI and was posted to the deal with the challenges of Wembley in Borough of Brent. For the last 5 years of his Police service he was been a DCI within the Met’s Central Specialist Crime dealing with the Organised Crime Groups responsible for Modern Slavery and Child Exploitation. He has followed in Taggart’s footsteps and therefore his policing career is soon to end.
So what are his likes and dislikes?
Likes and Loves – Salt and Vinegar McCoys, Glasgow Rangers, all things Scottish (Obviously), flat sausage, Irn Bru, Liverpool, Wasps, A&C, golf on a sunny day, Gibo’s team talks, Saturday nights during the rugby season, Shania Twain, saunas and steam rooms, cold draught cider on a summers day, the Moray Firth Coast, Traitors
Dislikes – lateness, losing, criminals, bullying, pilchards and whitebait and all little fish, GMS (RFU database), red cards, repeating himself, indiscipline, shouting, Celtic, anything green including penguin biscuits, busy pubs, busy trains, the Tate brothers.
1st team manager of 4 years and still going strong. Thank you all for your support!!
We salute you!!
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SPONSORS AND ADVERTISERS
Why do we need Sponsors and Advertisers?
The rugby club is run as a charity and in a good year the income from subs and the clubhouse events and sponsors means we just about break even.
This season we celebrate 100 years of our active presence in the local community. The senior club was founded in 1924 and just as importantly we were one of the pioneer clubs who started mini rugby 50 years ago. We continue to provide a wonderful rugby experience for players and supporters of all ages.
Peter, pictured here, always in his A&C attire, chatting on match day
Our loyal members are very supportive and over the years we have done various fundraising schemes to improve every aspect of the club. The clubhouse itself was the biggest and others have followed such as the solar panels, the new car park and of course the borehole. All of these investments make it possible to start the season.
Incidentally with our energy costs increasing dramatically we need to focus on ways to become more energy efficient. Pitch maintenance is another big expense, with an extra £20,000 spent this summer on more ground’s maintenance work and nearly £30,000 on clubhouse repairs. We continually invest and the Centenary fundraising offers a great opportunity to make more progress. One reason for doing this is to make the club house the kind of place people will want to use for events, from private parties to corporate away days.
Of course, our sponsors and advertisers are always welcome at the club for lunch on home match days.
So, without the support of our sponsors and advertisers it would just not be possible to contemplate the level of capital expenses we face every year. We have a huge responsibility to our members and to the wider community, we get no external support even though we are one of the biggest sports clubs in the area and provide outstanding pastoral care and specialist coaching to players of all ages and their coaches too.
We recognise that in return for the fantastic support we get we need to work with our sponsors and advertisers to see how we can help them.
Ruthie Brockett, our Sponsorship & Publicity Manager, will be delighted to hear from you with ideas and suggestions. Please contact her on sponsorship@chilternrugby.com.
Most importantly we want our members to enjoy using the products and services in this programme.
