BILL ROBSON is a youthful looking 71 years of age, who played more than 600 games for the Darlington Rugby Club 1st XV. "I played full back, number 15," he says. "It gave me the freedom to influence our attacking plots alongside talented and hard working team mates like Paul Zissler, Ian McCandlish and a fantastic try scorer in Barrie Hodgson.

"The hard thing about playing full back is that you are the last line of defence and you field a lot of high and long kicks designed to reach you at the same time as some members of the opposition.

The Northern Echo: Darlington Rugby Club in the 1970s. Back L-R Barrie Hodgson, Harry Wheeldon, Tom Miller, Malcolm Bell, Bob McManners, Gerry Walker.  Front L-R Ian Hunter, Bill Robson, Eddie Turnbull (captain), Unknown, Brian Grieveson.

Darlington Rugby Club in the 1970s. Back L-R Barrie Hodgson, Harry Wheeldon, Tom Miller, Malcolm Bell, Bob McManners, Gerry Walker.  Front L-R Ian Hunter, Bill Robson, Eddie Turnbull (captain), Unknown, Brian Grieveson.

"Most of my games at Darlington were with Tom Miller who has played even more games than me. Tom is now chairman of the club, a position that I held 38 years ago. Other administrative posts that I held before I finished playing were as the Darlington representative on the Durham county committee, county XV team secretary, county selector and chairman of selectors where I followed the mercurial Mike Summers, now deceased, and, finally, I was extremely honoured to be the president of Durham County Rugby Union from 1999 to 2000."

Bill's humble beginnings in rugby began at Spennymoor Grammar Technical School which was a football playing school with a rugby team. He says: "I followed my brother Allen and played both sports for the school. As I progressed with rugby, I joined the newly formed Colts (Under 19s) team at Durham City Rugby Club. That enabled me to meet Mike Weston and Stan Hodgson who were in the 1st XV at Durham City and had represented Durham County, England and the British Lions. Ned Smith was our coach, and he was my first experience of people I met through rugby who selflessly donated their time and energy to a game that they enjoyed.

"My brother recruited me for Newton Aycliffe Rugby Club who were a very welcoming club. I stepped into senior rugby with a junior club who were playing against the second XVs of senior clubs.

"My next move was to Sheffield City College of Education. At the college, players had to organise their own training needs. I grew taller, gained two stones, and became much fitter. I played rugby for them every Wednesday and Saturday, and in the holidays continued to turn out for Newton Aycliffe.

"I followed my brother to Darlington Rugby Club before my college course finished and so began a membership that has lasted 52 years (so far).

The Northern Echo: Darlington Rugby Club 1st XV 1975-76  Back L-R Jim Colebrook, Keith Pearson, Chris Harrison, Tom Miller, Mike Eden, Ian Hunter, Dave Crawford, Malcolm Bell, Barrie Hodgson.  Front L-R Tony Musgrave, John Sneddon, Paul Clayton, Bill Robson (captain),

Darlington Rugby Club 1st XV 1975-76  Back L-R Jim Colebrook, Keith Pearson, Chris Harrison, Tom Miller, Mike Eden, Ian Hunter, Dave Crawford, Malcolm Bell, Barrie Hodgson.  Front L-R Tony Musgrave, John Sneddon, Paul Clayton, Bill Robson (captain),Trevor Lyons, Martin Littleton, Bob McManners, Front on the ground L-R Ian McCandlish and Paul Zissler. 

"At Darlington, we regularly played Stade Francais and I was lucky to do four tours to Paris.

"I played for Durham County against Cumbria, Lancashire and Cheshire and while I was on holiday with my wife, who was visiting her sister in Zambia, I played two games for Mufulira RFC whose chairman was Don Gibson who had played for Westoe. The following weekend, I was a county replacement versus Cheshire and on the Sunday represented 'The Golden Oldies' against Catterick Garrison where I partnered Jeff Butterfield (Northumbria, England and the Lions) 21 years my senior, in the centre.

"Other memories include a spell as skipper of Darlington when our most famous member was G Tarn Bainbridge, the president of the Rugby Football Union. I was his guest at the England Schools v Japan Schools game at Twickenham. In 1984-85, I was seconded from my teaching job to Newcastle University and was honoured to play in the UAU team v Durham University.

"In the late 1980s, I spent a couple of seasons with Mowden Park Over 35s and played for the Dave Pike's XV to mark his leaving for Australia.

The Northern Echo: Dave Pike's leaving match, Mowden Park XV v County Durham Select  Back L-R ?. Neil Hunton, Jimmy Walton, Malcolm Harvey, ?.Jim McManners, Doug Milner, Tom Miller, Colin Hogg, ?, John Widdall, John Crowther, Keith Baggs, Tommy Urwin, George Zissler,

Dave Pike's leaving match, Mowden Park XV v County Durham Select  Back L-R: ?. Neil Hunton, Jimmy Walton, Malcolm Harvey, ?.Jim McManners, Doug Milner, Tom Miller, Colin Hogg, ?, John Widdall, John Crowther, Keith Baggs, Tommy Urwin, George Zissler, ?, ?, David Boyd, ?, Tony Hammons, Viv Cotton (referee).  Front L-R John Scaife, John Pike, Richard Hawes, Peter Ahern, Stan Hodgson, ?, Bill Robson, Jackie Woodhouse, Ken Goodwin, Dave Pike,?, Jim Brownlee.

"I played my last game for Darlington aged 47 in a fourth team cup final against Hartlepool at Durham City, a game we won.

"My final game was for a Hartlepool Athletic President's XV, where I'm honoured to be a member.

"I've played against thousands of fantastic players in a great game, and it is a privilege to meet fellow rugby old codgers to reminisce about many happy times."

  • Thanks to Bill for his help.

WE are saddened to hear of the sudden passing of John Fenwick who played Northern League football for Bishop Auckland, West Auckland and Willington and other clubs. He was a member of the Willington team that fought a 0-0 draw at home to Blackburn Rovers in the FA Cup 1st Round in November 1973. John, a good friend of the column, was a good and helpful committee member on the Durham Amateur Football Trust. A keen gardener, he often sold his produce to raise funds for the trust, and raised more funds by his enthusiastic shaking of our donations box at the many exhibitions he helped to organise. We will miss him a lot.