Willenhall Rugby Union Football Club Ltd.
By Elfyn Pugh - President.
Willenhall Rugby Club was formed in March 1966 following a meeting at the Neptune Pub in Owen Road Willenhall, by a group of rugby players, myself included, from Rubery Owen RFC, as due to their success they had grown in numbers beyond the two teams ideal for a Rugby Club within the Company Sports and Social Club.
tion did not help us as, at the same time, Willenhall was taken over by Walsall Council. Luckily we had a connection with another Rubery Owen shop steward, Harry Mountfield, who was a Councillor in Essington and through him we rented a pitch for two years from Essington farmers Jack and Arthur Bibby.
This breakaway group was joined by a group of players past and present from Willenhall Comprehensive School with the help of headmaster Dr. Tyack and later Mr Dalton Our first headquarters were at the Neptune pub, courtesy of Mr and Mrs Mills, landlords and parents of our first Treasurer. We later moved to Bellamy House in Willenhall and played at Essington for the first two seasons, then in Willenhall Park moving our headquarters to the Lion Hotel in Willenhall, near the Police Station. The decision was taken to call ourselves Willenhall RUFC due to connections with the Council through Rubery Owen shop stewards, one of whom was Ray Rollason, our first Chairman. However, the council connec-
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Following long negotiations with Bill Simkin of Essington Hall Farm and, with a loan from the RFU, we purchased land from him and in 1972 moved to our permanent home in Bognop Road.
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