From the Chairman, Tony Talbot

The First Ten Years

Who would have thought that when the original building burnt down in 1988 that we would be celebrating the milestone of the Club opening ten years. Newer members will not recall: The hours spent by founding members going from door-to-door (always in the pouring rain it seemed to me) obtaining signatures to petition the Council that our bid was the better of the two put before them; The inaugural meeting of the Committee held at the café in Round Green prior to meeting the Council officers to persuade them that our bid was a serious one; The many people who attended several council meetings in a show of strength for our cause; The many meetings with the solicitors and the Council as the Club strived to get off the ground; Clive Bowler and Ian Freeman nearly getting arrested as they installed lighting at midnight and suspicious neighbours alerted the police; The many volunteers who cleared the changing rooms of rubble one bright Sunday morning, Bernard McEvoy and Gerry O’Connor trying to drill a hole in a particularly hard bit of concrete virtually all one evening in order to get some pipes installed; Steve Wallis being given a box of receipts and being asked “Can you just sort these out?” Reg Freeman, Clive and Ian putting up ceilings in near darkness in the changing rooms; Anthony Price and other footballers digging out a large trench on rock-hard ground; The members who were prepared to stand as Trustees and Guarantors when there was nothing but a shell to look at. Everyone will have their own particular memory of the early stages and we should all be proud of the part we have played in making a terrific success of our Club. We have had our “ups and downs” over the years but we continue to strive to enhance the Club in all areas.

Tony Talbot, Chairman

Early Days Diary

1990

16th July: The Crawley Green consortium are advised that we have been given the go-ahead for the new clubhouse.

3rd August: Ian Banks (former player and now Club solicitor) advises us that the Council’s timetable is not realistic, considering all the legal requirements.

19th August: Volunteers started clearing out the old changing rooms.

4th September: Officially given the go-ahead from the Council

1991

6th January: Started using the pitches at Crawley Green for our first football matches.

18th January: Luton Nomads apply to join the Club as their official cricket team (they played their first game at CGSSC in the next couple of months).

15th April: Bob Freeman becomes the Club’s first chairman (only to resign five weeks later), John Symonds moving up from Vice-Chairman to Chairman, Ian Freeman first Secretary.

31st May: Constitution of Club and brewery offer put to Council. June: 99-year lease agreed with Council.

11th July: Building plans passed by Council.

29th June: First Fun Day (a total misnomer if ever there was one - permission to shoot Maureen Bowler!)

Building work begins.

18th November: 10 Guarantors agreed (thus providing bank security). Building work at last started on the new phase.

17th December: Barclays Bank agree the loan.

1992

9th January: Position of Steward advertised.

10th January: Harriers lend the Club £5,000 to help with the third stage payment for the builders.

10th January: Balance at the bank at close of day is £17.89.

6th March: The lease on the building is ready to sign.

5th April: The Trustees (Reg Freeman, Dave Munday and Bob Stables) are given the power to borrow the money from the bank. 24th April: Design for the bar (drawn on the back of a cigarette packet) agreed at a cost of £7,984.12 and started soon after.

27th April: Final interview for the Steward’s position.

3rd June: Club Registration granted (but the Club must not open until final inspection).

The Clubhouse is completed (pictured before new changing rooms and entrance are added.

19th June: David Pleat is guest of honour as the Club is officially opened.

26th June: A letter from Luton Borough Council is received asking the Club to stop using the premises as a Sports & Social Club - this was rescinded after urgent meetings!

16th July: Gaming Licence granted.

17th July: Letter from Ian Banks stating that the “saga is finally over” - prematurely as it turned out, however, as there was still months of legal wrangling ahead.

31st July: Quotes of c£8,000 were received to build new changing rooms - as the Club started as it meant to go on - improving things all the time.

15th September: New tables and chairs ordered to replace the ones originally purchased secondhand at a cost of £750 from Hayward Tyler’s Social Club.

28th September: £2,000 grant awarded from the Council to help build the new changing rooms.

2nd November: Building works completed on new changing rooms.

1993

6th May: Building finally given the OK from the Council and a 99-year lease is signed.

20th July: England FA give us a grant of £4,500 to improve the facilities at CGSSC.

24th July: Plans for a new extension (the “Sad Room”) are drawn up and after amendments lodged with the Council on 7th December.

1996

16th June: Ian Laidler dismisses cricket legend Alan Lamb with an outstanding boundary catch in the Nomads’ Annual Charity Match for the “Save the Children Fund”.

August: The Club enter the South Midlands Football League for the first time.

1998

6th February: Chairman, Tony Talbot, officially opens the new extension which cost in the region of £50,000.

Sports

On the football front we have had mixed fortunes over the years. The first trophy won under the CGSSC colours was the 1993 U10 team (pictured in separate article) run by Clive Bowler.

Undoubtedly, the most successful side in the Club’s short history was that managed by Roger Smith. In 1995 they were League Cup winners, County Cup runners-up and league runners-up whilst the following season they again won the League Cup. In 1999 they probably reached their pinnacle, reaching the East Anglia Cup Final for the second time, this time losing to an excellent Suffolk team at Ipswich Town’s Portman Road (they lost the first final at Sudbury Town’s ground), whilst winning the League Cup again and finishing runners-up in the league. Another superb junior team was that which won the treble in their first season, the League Championship, League Cup and the Jim Restall Trophy. Goalkeeper Dean Brill has gone on to play for Luton Town youth team and could be pushing for a place in the Hatter’s first team in the next few years. Another former Ram's teammate who was on the Town’s books is Stephen Dogbe.

Alan Darbyshire’s fine team won the County Cup in 1998 whilst Alan Clark’s Rams side was the first team to win a league championship (2001) since Steve Harris’ U10 Rams in 1996. This year John Magill’s U12 team won the Division 3 championship in style whilst on Sunday morning the adults won the Division 2 league title giving us teams in the top two divisions of the NHCSFL. The Saturday side have blossomed under the leadership of Alan Clark and Eddie Downey, ably assisted by Tony Slade and Robbie Hawkesworth respectively, with the first team reaching their divisional cup final. The Club has also seen an influx of talented young players from other local junior sides. This all bodes well for the future. In 2001 all the principal clubs voted to change their names (the two adult Sunday sides amalgamating) and now all three clubs play under the CGSSC banner. John Doyle and Mal Dolby have thrown themselves wholeheartedly into the Club, providing excellent training sessions and pushing hard to help CGSSC achieve the FA Charter Mark - a real feather in the Club’s cap.

In 1993, we welcomed Luton Nomads (led by Graham and Julie Hull and Fred Woodhouse) and in the succeeding years they have proved an asset to the Club. Luton Nomads won the Village League on two occasions, 1994 and 1996 and the Luton & District Vauxhall Plate in 1992. Their annual charity game for the Save the Children campaign has proved an enormous success as has their cricket coaching sessions which are available for youngsters of all ages.

Luton Exiles, our other cricket team, joined the CGSSC scene in 1998 and since then with the backing of Nilesh Tailor reached the Midweek Division 3/4 Cup final in 1999 only to lose in a thrilling match. CGSSC now sponsor this trophy and are pleased to host the cup final at our venue.

Social

Since 1988 we have updated the social club many times, including new front entrance, windows, air conditioning, dance floor, electric shutters, CCTV, mirrors, new seating, tables, chairs, stage lighting and the popular big screen. Since the Honours Boards were introduced Maureen Bowler rightly deserves her five consecutive Clubman of the Year awards as many members will testify. Of interest are the international football shirts hanging in the main room which have been signed by the respective teams, purchased by members and donated to the Club with the proceeds going to charity. Over the past ten years we have raised in excess of £10,000 for charities including Cardiomyopathy, Breast Cancer, Meningitis and the local Keech Hospice.

Finally, our thanks go to all members who have run teams, be it football, cricket, pool, darts or dominoes, for without these willing volunteers we do not have a club!

Thanks

Over the years the Club has reason to thank many individuals and organisations for their help in making CGSSC as successful as it is today. No one except those immediately involved with the Club will appreciate the help received from solicitors Ian Banks and Bill Gentles in overcoming all the legal complexities involved in setting up the Club. This was a minefield which covered many different legal areas and the Club is pleased to recognise their efforts. Thanks also go to Councillors Lawrence Patterson, David Taylor and Ray Sills who put in a tremendous amount of effort in the formative stage of the Club’s history, offering great advice at different stages. Without their support the Club would not have “won” the right to become the successful club that it is today. The Leisure & Amenities Dept have also played their part and thanks go to Barry Timms, Brian Clark, Len Twelvetrees and Terry Franklin, amongst others, for their continued support over the last ten years as the Club has continued to thrive. The changing room facilities have been improved yearly and we are grateful to Peter Brown at the Beds FA for securing several grants which has enabled us to upgrade our facilities. Luton Borough Council also assists us every year by offering us help with non-domestic rates relief. This is an “invisible” asset but one which allows us to plough money back into our football sections and is a bonus not to be underestimated. Jack Pollard who has given us great help in many ways, as Luton Sports Council Vice-Chairman and on Fun Days. Whilst the Club was trying to get its funding off the ground in the early years we were pleased to accept financial donations from Wimpey Construction and the Prince’s Trust. Their help in hard times was appreciated and I am sure they will be pleased their assistance was worthwhile.

Entertainments

The onerous task of Entertainments Secretary has been filled by three people - all who have done wonderfully well in providing top-class entertainment at the Club. Brian Sharp set the ball rolling and his excellent contribution was carried forward by Paul Daniels. When Paul resigned Maureen Bowler took on yet another challenge and consistently books superb cabaret evenings as well as those discos for the children. Our thanks also go to "Bunks & Stumps" (Malcolm Bunker and Paul Stump) our in-house cabaret team, John Magill (CG's answer to Billy Connolly), Nic Cavallo and Ron MacKenzie the Quizmasters with a unique style of their own. All add a bit of colour and humour to the Club. The Club is nothing without its members and over the last 10 years many members have voluntarily offered their help in different ways - this is always gratefully received. Thanks to every single person who has served on the Committee - their efforts have been magnificent. Finally, I am pleased to have worked with all the five Chairmen that have represented the Club, Bob Freeman as the Club got under way, John Symonds who guided the Club through its embryonic period, Clive Bowler a tireless worker for the Club, Gary Carter who brought a commonsense approach and Tony Talbot, the longest-serving Chairman who has admirally led the Club through its most successful period.

Ian Freeman, Secretary