Jack Smith - Sixty seasons at Bridgwater and Albion RFC and still going strong!
Jack Smith is a rare breed in the world of modern sport because he in his 60th season with Bridgwater and Albion Rugby Club the club where he started- and still taking a very active part on the playing side of things.
He was born in Minehead in 1930 and then lived in Over Stowey and Stockland Bristol before moving into Bridgwater when he was 24 years old- where he has remained ever since.
“I didn’t play rugby at school because I went to Westover where they played football. The only place that they played was at Doctor Morgans, but seeing as my parents came from South Wales I was always interested in rugby,” Jack told me.
He learnt his trade as a painter and decorator with Pollards in the town and when Jack was a youngster there was somebody else at the firm who was interested and the pair of them used to go and watch Bridgwater and Albion play at the Broadway on a Saturday afternoon.
“Then I got called up to do my National Service in November 1948, at about Carnival time it was. I went up to Catterick to do my training with the Royal Corps of Signals after which I was shipped out to Egypt where I got attached to the Royal Air Force, where I helped to look after the communications and was stationed at the HQ of the RAF in the Middle East,” he said.
Jack talked about how he first started top play rugby.
“The station sports officer came round and asked if anybody played rugby so I said I’d like to learn and that was it really. I started off playing on the wing- like most novices do!”
“We used to go off up and down the canal playing against different regiments and different divisions. Some of the players were involved with top class clubs back here in England and I learned a lot from playing with them. I was well treated and thoroughly enjoyed my first taste of playing rugby.”
Jack came back to Bridgwater in 1950 in the summer when he was demobbed and went down to the Broadway to start to play for the Albion and he hasn’t looked back since.
“Back in those days we had the First XV, The United and a Colts side and because I looked young and hadn’t played a lot I started off in the Colts. We played against the likes of Cardiff Colts and Pontypool Colts and I had the privilege of playing on the Old Cardiff Arms Park twice- which was an experience I shall never forget.”
He went on: “Eventually as I improved I moved up into the United and lots of the chaps in the team had been through the war- men like Spuddy Nash, Bill Wardle, Bill Buttle and Jack Taylor were all playing and the service camaraderie was still there. By then I had moved into the forwards and I finished up playing in the front row.”
“I did eventually get some games for the first team at Bridgwater in the middle or later 1950s but that was only really because Bert Bastable used to get the county call to play for Somerset!”
“Back in those days we used to play a lot of top class Welsh sides like Pontypool, Pontypridd, Bridgend, Cross Keys and Aberavon, who were all big name sides.”
“One of my first encounters in the senior side was playing at Bridgend who at that time had the Welsh international front row in their team and did I know it I had a job to move my head the rest of the week, but it was all great experience and I loved it.”
Jack talked about how he came to set up the Bridgwater ThirdXV, who are referred to by many as the Dirt Trackers after the British Lions midweek team.
“When I dropped out of the first and second teams, there was nowhere for me to play because Bridgwater didn’t field a Third XV- so I suggested we set one up which was back in 1964 and I have been involved with the team ever since.”
“I played up until the age of 55 and then I took over the role of coach to the side, and then I became the manager -a job I am still doing! I still get a buzz out of being involved with the team and putting my boots on Saturday afternoon and walking up and down the touchline- oh yes I still love it.
“This year we have had a great season and so far we have only lost one game in the league. We have got a bunch of boys who have been playing together for a couple of seasons or more. I feel very proud of what they have done- even though I cuss them at times- but that is part of my job!”
In 2003 in recognition of his services to rugby, Jack Smith was invited to Twickenham as a guest of the RFU.
“We went up for the weekend and after watching the game we went to the dinner in the evening at the Hilton and saw all the players- it was a very special weekend and made me feel very proud.”
How long did he plan to keep on going?
“Old Father Time is catching up with me but I hope to keep on going for just as long as I can. ‘Bridgy’ rugby club has been my life since I came back from the services so I want it to go on for as long as I possibly can.”
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Last Updated on Tuesday, 09 February 2010 18:29 |
