A tribute by Ted Ivens on behalf of all Members

An extraordinary milestone will be passed at Dorking RFC at the end of this season, when Alan Clatworthy steps down after 45 years as President.

This is most certainly a Club record for Dorking, probably a record for Surrey, possibly a record for England, and could even conceivably be a record for all Rugby Clubs world-wide. Does anyone know of a longer record anywhere? 

Alan was born in 1927 and first joined Dorking in 1948 at the age of 21. This season therefore also marks his 60^th year as a member of the Club!

Alan had just completed his National Service, where he refused a commission, preferring instead to remain at a unit which allowed him to play rugby twice a week at the King’s expense! He left the army as Sergeant Clatworthy, which does have a nice ring to it and could well have been the original model for Dad’s Army!                                               

In 1949, after just one year as a member, Alan was elected Hon Secretary, a position he held for 9 years until 1958. Throughout the fifties, Alan played in Dorking’s second row and so much enjoyed playing against Sussex Clubs that when he stopped playing in 1958, he joined the Sussex Refereees Society and refereed there for much of the early sixties.

In 1959, Alan married Chrissie and next year they will enjoy their Golden Anniversary. James and Louise were born in the sixties and have recently made Alan and Chrissie very proud grand-parents. Alan is even rumoured to be nappy-changing…..but it’s only a rumour!

In 1963, at the age of 36, Alan was elected President and he has since lead the Club through the most incredible period of change and success. 5 teams in 1963 to 25 teams in 2008 is extraordinary progress by any standards. Winners of the Powergen National Vase in 2006 and Winners of the Under 17 National Championship in 2007 are the results of a very happy Club.

In 1968, the Club’s second pitch at Sondes Farm, kindly rented to the Club for 30 years for a guinea a year by farmer Harry Broome, President of DRFC before Alan, was compulsorily purchased by Surrey County Council for the use of the newly-built Sondes School.

Dorking Ex-A & B XV’s therefore had nowhere to play and Alan soon found himself deeply involved in local planning politics, as he and others searched for new ground. The Club was expanding, there was only one rugby pitch at Pixham Lane and DRFC simply had to relocate.

After much searching by Alan and friends, the Big Field at Brockham was identified as a possible new home and Alan used his great negotiating skills to persuade both Mole Valley District Council and the National Trust that the Big Field would make an ideal sports ground and that DRFC would make ideal tenants. If you think that sounds easy, please try it yourself!

After many months of discussion, Alan finally won his way and in 1970, the National Trust Brockham Big Field Management Committee was born, with Alan installed as Chairman.

DRFC co-tenants at Brockham were Old Epsomians RFC and Mole Valley DC.

Generous donations from DRFC members & extensive Club events, together with support from the RFU and the brewery, meant that the new Clubhouse was erected in 1971. DRFC were expanding fast, however, and by 1975 it became clear that an extension was required. More fundraising, monster jumble sales, raffles and more Club events covered part of the extra needed, but DRFC still had a significant shortfall when the building was due to start.

Alan immediately offered to bridge the shortfall, without which the extension simply could not have happened. His loan has since been fully repaid, but all members should be extremely thankful to Alan, not only for his foresight, but also for his generosity and faith in the Club.

Alan’s day job was Sugar Broker in the City of London and among his many contacts around the world were producers of a West Indian rum, which was allegedly 100% proof and which had been created for the Royal Navy to help anaesthetise sailors when injured by cannon.

Alan had a seemingly bottomless barrel of this rum, known with affection to all DRFC members as “Clatters”, and it formed the base of a rum punch, which DRFC served every year at an end-of season “Cocktail Party”.  The recipe for the punch is a closely-guarded secret, but it can be disclosed that it contains rum, brandy, orange, coffee and spices, and is always served piping hot.    

Many DRFC members and their guests will attest to the anaesthetic qualities of Clatters and it is no coincidence that Dorking maternity wards are full to overflow every January! On one famous occasion, the Chairman of Dorking Magistrates, sitting on Monday following a DRFC Cocktail Party, dismissed the charge and accepted the defendant’s plea that he was unaware of what he was doing, because he had consumed “a witches brew”. One up for Clatters!

Shortly after Alan first joined Dorking in 1948, another new player joined from Wasps, having just moved to the area. After one season with Dorking, he suggested that DRFC might improve if a match could be played against better quality players. Alan gave this idea his customary enthusiastic support and as a result, the Muffinmen were born, and Neville Compton, Peter Yarranton and Don Wills, all England Internationals and Barbarians from Wasps, became regular annual visitors to Dorking.

Dorking and District v The Muffinmen was played from 1951 to 1992, normally at the end of each season on the last Sunday of April, after the Middlesex 7’s. The matches only ceased because of the growing pressure from professional rugby on the Senior Players.

Alan was the natural DRFC figurehead for the Muffinmen match and his genial hospitality to players, referees and guests, all of whom were used to very different surroundings, was undoubtedly one of the key reasons for the enduring fun and quality of the fixture.

Such was the pleasure derived by International players for the Muffinmen that one year, Ali McHarg played for Scotland at Murrayfield on the Saturday and somehow arrived at Dorking for the Muffinmen match on the Sunday.

He had attended the Internationals after-match dinner and arrived at Dorking still dressed for dinner….whereupon his team-mates decided they didn’t fancy him being too close among the forwards and banished him to the wing for the entire game! But at least he was there!

The proceeds of the annual match were always donated to the Surrey Playing Fields Association, and all the top players, including more than 200 Internationals spread over 40 years, were never paid a penny for appearing at Dorking.

They came for the love of the game, which is exactly why Alan Clatworthy has been President of Dorking for the past 45 years.

 Engraving on sculpture presented by Bob Rogers, RFU President 2006-7, to Alan Clatworthy on 19 April 2008. Bob played for Worthing RFC and Sussex County RFU.

ALAN CLATWORTHY

PRESIDENT 1963 – 2008

DORKING RUGBY FOOTBALL CLUB

Big Al – thanks from your many friends