Crossleyans prepare to celebrate centenary year
Old Crossleyans RUFC can celebrate a great deal of success as they head into their centenary year.
Formed in August 1923 by a group of old-boys from the Crossley and Porter School and enthusiastic headteacher Mr GB Newport, Old Crossleyans Rugby Club has had some notable success over the years.
Aside from Halifax it is the only other Calderdale club to have won the Yorkshire Cup, doing so in 1960 under the captaincy of the late Johnny Andrew.
This followed on from the success of 1956 and 1958 when the club won the Yorkshire Shield and was before league structures began.
In 1988-89 the team registered a club record 24 straight victories and in the 1990-91 season they were crowned champions of North One East Division One, with a squad that featured club president Howard Cooper, chairman Tony Crossley as well as Andy Day, who racked up more than 800 first XV appearances.
That Championship winning squad contained former Newcastle Falcon Jim Naylor, who along with Jim Mallinder and former World Player of the Year, England and Lions hooker, Brian Moore, are perhaps the most famous of Old Crossleyans.
The senior section continued to punch above it’s weight but began to find
life difficult when in 2015 and 2016, they suffered successive relegations down to Yorkshire Two.
The shining light at this time was the advent of girls rugby at the club, the successful section being founded by John Theodoulou. Former player Jeremy Stott brought through a successful boys junior side, with support again from Ian Yates, a side that has supplied seven players to the first team in recent years.
Gareth Greenwood and the mercurial Ryan Hammond were now at the helm
as coaches, and they achieved promotion back to Yorkshire One before Covid struck and the club shut its doors.
This proved to be both a difficult and sad time, suffering the inevitable loss of many members, most notably it’s driving force for so many years, honorary patron Harry Wolstenholme.
However, as the fastest growing club in Calderdale, Old Crossleyans has plenty to boast in the last 12 months.
Under a team of coaches, a mini section has started from nothing, with girls and boys from Year 1 to Year 5 now plying
their trade in the famous blue and gold.
Jack Hammond has started an U12s boys’ side that is more than a match for any team and he hopes to start a team in the year below next season, while the girls section continues to be a source of good news.
In March the U18s girls team became champions of the north, beating Houghton 19-10 and the section is proud to boast record numbers of county representatives this season.
In August 2023, the club enters its centenary season
and aims to celebrate with a number of events planned.
Club chairman Tony Crossley said: “I am delighted to see the work put in by all sections of Crossleyans come to fruition and provide us with a strong base to build on.
"As the current season closes, I am already excited by the prospect of the progress we can make next season in the club’s centenary year and I look forward to us working more closely with the local community to attract more members to the club.”