History
Minehead Barbarians RFCA Brief History
There had been a rugby club in Minehead before WW2 but it had never prospered, so in 1946, at a meeting above the Queens Head Pub it was agreed to reform the club under the banner of Minehead Barbarians , a name previously coined for pre-war 7’s competitions. At that meeting it was unanimously agreed that any monies left over from the old club should be immediately put to use.....and so a round of drinks was bought!! It was also rumoured that the old Minehead Rugby Club might not have paid all its bills and a new identity was deemed desirable !
After a few temporary locations the Club played for many years at Periton Lane. The field was only held on an agricultural tenancy but the Club had the foresight to acquire the former Minehead Harriers Hunt Kennels for permanent changing facilities and sufficient land to build a small Clubhouse. This was opened by the then President, Darryl Stevens, whose son Henry and grandson Bryan have both followed him into that office. His Great Grandson is the current 1st XV scrum half, illustrating the family theme that runs throughout the Club.
In 1974 the landowners sold the pitch for development and the Club embarked on a desperate search for a new field , eventually being able to use the proceeds of the sale of the old clubhouse to acquire the present pitches at Ellicombe Lane in1976.
Rising to the challenge to raise funds to build a Clubhouse, the new spirit in the Club engendered a massive effort resulting in the opening of the first phase of our existing facilities in 1978. There have been various extensions since then , resulting in the facilities of which we are so proud today.
The Club was among the first in the SW to promote Mini Rugby and this has been the cornerstone of the successful development on the playing front and a steady progress through the league system including two league titles and promotion in each of the last two seasons to arrive in Western Counties (W).
Obituary – Alan Hockridge
Let there be no doubt, Alan Hockridge played a key role in saving MBRFC from extinction in the early 70's . Without his enthusiasm and gift for fundraising, it is unlikely that our present facilities would exist today. On the playing front Alan was a gutsy scrum half and there was no better man to have behind a beaten pack. He not only put his body on the line in making the best of bad ball (and he got plenty of it in those days!) but he gave constant encouragement to his forwards , never resorting to negative comments always chirping away in the way of all the best number 9's. Like all in his generation he played the game for fun and took pride in the reputation of his club being ever present on the field when the Club could seldom field a full XV.
It was Alan who had the vision to make the Club think big and book Kenny Ball and his Jazzmen (a big band at the time) for a major fundraising event in Minehead. . Alan was convinced that Minehead people would pay what was then the highest ticket price ever charged for a gig in this area, not only did he get it right but the event was such a success that the Club went on to stage it at the Hobby Horse for 9 years on the trot, thereby raising a substantial part of the funds which went to provide our facilities today.
Eventually he moved to Chard where his enthusiasm is well remembered by his contemporaries. However it was at Winscombe where, having teamed up with another Minehead Old Boy, Dick Berry, that his entrepreneurial skills blossomed once again. Together they staged a series of memorable events at the Winter Gardens, Weston-Super-Mare featuring all the top 60,s rock bands, which enabled Winscombe to buy their own field.
Alan developed a keen interest in local politics and championed the Lib-Dem cause and as a District Councillor he chaired various committees with a special interest in tourism and was leader of the North Somerset DC at the time of his premature death. I doubt if any one in Minehead really appreciated just how influential he had become.
Alan had no time for snobbery and pomposity of any description and his old Minehead mates were tickled pink to find him featured in a centre page spread in the Western Daily Press a few years ago, having been accused by the Conservatives of a lack of respect for wearing trainers and no tie in the Council Chamber! Alan made it quite clear that his dress sense had no bearing on his ability and commitment to focus on the business in hand!
The tributes to him on Google were amazing, serving to emphasise the sense of loss felt, not only by the Rugby fraternity, but by political friends and rivals alike, all acknowledging the loss of a very special man.