History 1 of 4

1. History 1


The club was formed in 1932 and was called Solihull Old Boys. They played at Broomfields which was grazing land for Mr Price's horses. The changing rooms were in Mill Lane with a tin bath and cold water until the outbreak of war. After the war they had the great fortune to obtain the wartime decontamination centre at Solihull Hospital for changing with an unlimited supply of hot water.

The Headmaster Mr A R Thompson was the first President of the Rugby Club and attended every meeting from the Club's formation to his retirement in 1947.

From the 1930's until the late 1940's the Cooper family ran the Club, while during this time Bill Wigley's snooker room was used for selection.

All of the first XV were called up immediately at the outbreak of war except GE Sanders and CT Coton.

The Club was reformed inm1946 by Alan Bradbury, CT Coton (CTC) and Mel Cooper. Harold Wheatley was the first founder member to become president while CTC was put on the committee immediately he left school in 1936 to represent the 'younger element'.

Stuart Sanders and CTC represented the County side while playing for the Sils and the first Easter Tour was in 1953 to Southend Rugby festival. The touring party shared the hotel with Kings Lynn Ladies Hockey Club and this was the only time that wives and girlfriends went on tour.

In 1953 the Sils moved to Dingle Lane and the opening game was between WC Ramsey XV (President elect of the RFU) and an Old Sils and Midlands Combined side, watched by a crowd of 3,000.

In 1959 the Birmingham and Warwickshire Old Boys seven-a-side competition was started and for the first time dinner jackets were worn at the Annual Dinner.