Shane Watts on a charge...

ALTON 1st XV have been relegated from Hampshire One, but the mood was positive when members and guests sat down to the club’s 90th anniversary lunch in the refurbished clubhouse at Anstey Park last Saturday.

Charles Clark, who is standing down after thirteen years as president, expressed the club’s optimism for the future, based on Alton’s proud history over those 90 years. “It’s been an absolute honour to represent you,” he said. “This last year has been difficult and there are new challenges ahead, on and off the field. But we will flourish in the face of adversity.”

For many years, Alton were the foremost rugby club in the area and indeed were the first to compete in the high-grade London leagues. In the 1980s and 90s, the club regularly fielded four senior sides, plus colts, on Saturdays. Next season, the 1st XV will be playing in the rather more modest Hampshire Two, but last Saturday more than one member was heard to say that he or she would prefer to see a competitive game, no matter what division.

The atmosphere was buoyant and the hospitality generous at the anniversary lunch, with a splendid four-course meal served. The many guests were welcomed by Alton RFC chairman Tom Mills who said seven former club captains were amongst the gathering, as well as descendants of members of the 1932 side pictured on front of the match-day programme. Life vice-president Malcolm Osborne conducted a game of heads-and-tails that raised a cool £575 and ‘Happy Birthday’ was sung to Ginny Frith, wife of the much-missed Geoff Frith. Ian Kerr, president of the Hampshire RFU and an Alton member, replied for the guests and led tributes to Charles Clark, the outgoing club president. Charles Clark added that he and Ian Kerr had “played out there twenty years ago,” pointing to the spacious Anstey Park pitches where the first-team players were warming up.

Playing in front of a large, enthusiastic crowd, following the anniversary lunch, Alton started and finished well, but could not prevent the visitors winning by a wide margin. Alton’s young side were first on the scoreboard with a pushover try given to Ben Gillan. Although Will Hamer struggled with his kicking in the capricious wind, Romsey’s gifted fly-half, Toby Bull, seldom missed.

With a considerable weight advantage, thanks to some expansive waistlines, Romsey twice trundled over the try-line. Bull converted his own delightful try which helped Romsey to a 19 points to 5 lead at the interval.

In the second half, Romsey scored regularly against some rather feeble Alton defending and with Bull’s impressive place-kicking built a 48-12 lead, despite a second try for Gillan. Romsey even scored when reduced by injury to fourteen men, having used all their replacements. This proved too much for Malcolm Osborne on the touchline and some eardrum-splitting invective galvanised Alton into a grandstand finish. Adam Hoxey wheeled off a maul to score a good try and Shane Watts touched down after a powerful run to give the home supporters something to cheer about and make the score a more respectable 48-22.

Referee - Stephen Jeggo (HRURS)

The above article was penned by Carl Obert, Sports Editor Alton Herald