One of the oldest rugby clubs in the country, Grimsby Rugby Union Football Club was established at the height of the area’s fishing era and, today, is keen to fly the flag for the town’s bid to become the first UK Town of Culture.
By 2028, the Town of Culture’s inaugural year, the club will celebrate 143 years since its creation. It will have survived immense changes to local society, including the Grimsby fishing boom and its subsequent decline, to the more recent Covid-19 pandemic. While the wealthy business donors of the Victorian and Edwardian past are now gone, the club is focused on membership, notable annual events and community activities to fund its home in Springfield Road, Scartho.
Prior to establishing itself in Scartho in 1961, Grimsby RUFC played all over the town with venues including Charlton’s Ground in Littlefield Lane, Duke of York Gardens, St James’ School, and Fairfield, in Scartho, the latter held in 1923 and attended by hundreds of people bused in from Old Market Place.
The initial meeting to start the club was held on October 2, 1885, at Freeman Street’s Cocoa House, with a Mr Bateman of Macaulay Street named as honorary secretary. Considering rugby union’s roots in public schools, and its association with upper and middle classes, the club’s reach was seemingly attracting a whole cross section of Grimsby society.
Notable members have included Roland Croft-Baker, well-known local GP Dr William Dobson, and fisherman and businessman Bill Boyers, with former England player and TV personality Sir Bill Beaumont popping in for an event to celebrate the club’s 125th birthday, in 2010.
New president Ian Macdonald said: “The club has seen so many changes since its start and we are delighted to support the bid for Grimsby to become the Town of Culture, in 2028. We are embedded in the town’s very fabric, so it makes sense that we play our part.
“The majority of us are from the area and it would be nice to see a positive national spotlight on Grimsby, if we are successful with the bid.”
Clive Dennis, Senior Groundsman, commented: “We already host a number of events at the Scartho site, including an annual classic car show, our November fireworks display, and ‘Scartho Fest’, so we are looking into how we can play a part in the Town of Culture year if we win! We can put any event on here and it would be fantastic to offer ourselves up as a venue.
“With 120 enthusiastic kids running around the rugby field every Sunday morning, we are looking forward to showcasing not only the town, the rugby club and its heritage but also encouraging a bright and healthy future for the young people of our vibrant community.”
Sarah Smith, Creative and Heritage Programmes Manager for North East Lincolnshire Council, said: “Grimsby Rugby Union Football Club is a fantastic example of the heritage, resilience and community spirit that makes our town so special. For more than 140 years, the club has been woven into the story of Grimsby, adapting and thriving through periods of change while continuing to bring people together.
“The GY28 bid is about celebrating the people, places and organisations that have shaped our identity, and Grimsby RUFC is certainly one of them. Their enthusiasm for supporting the bid highlights the pride that exists across our communities, and we look forward to working with them to showcase both their rich history and their exciting future as part of our Town of Culture journey.”
To find out about Grimsby’s Town of Culture bid, visit www.gy28.co.uk and for more about Grimsby Rugby Union FC, visit https://www.pitchero.com/clubs/grimsbyrufc/
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