Mushrooms of Europe

By Geoff Leo

A short history of Veteran's Rugby Tournaments of the 1990's.  Willenhall is a junior English rugby club in the Black Country.  Invited to play in an Oldies 'n' Goldies pan-European tournament, this group of battle scarred, drink sodden, fun loving over 35's travel into and throughout Europe in search of glory and find friendships, camaraderie, sausages and pastis.  This is the story of how an obscure group of has been rugby players become crowned MUSHROOMS OF EUROPE, and how they keep it. 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Geoff Leo
• Release date: Nov 27, 2018
• ISBN: 9781386660446

Book preview

Mushrooms of Europe

Geoff Leo

Published by Geoff Leo, 2018.

While every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this book, the publisher assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions, or for damages resulting from the use of the information contained herein.

MUSHROOMS OF EUROPE

First edition. November 27, 2018.

Copyright © 2018 Geoff Leo.

Written by Geoff Leo.

Table of Contents

Title Page

Copyright Page

Dedication

Mushrooms of Europe | By Geoffrey Leo | MUSHROOMS OF EUROPE

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For Evo and Barnie

Mushrooms of Europe

By Geoffrey Leo

MUSHROOMS OF EUROPE

Introduction

WILLENHALL RUGBY CLUB is at one end of a small mining village in South Staffordshire called Essington, about which its most famous daughter, Meera Syall's book (and film) Anita & Me is based.  Essington is still small, but the pits, most notably the local Hilton Main Colliery have all long since been closed.

We're on Bognop Road, off Hobnock Road, just up from the Fruit Farm, near junction one of the M54, we tell visiting teams.

In the 1960's Rubery Owen was a massive OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) for the car industry, HQ in Darlaston.  As did many large firms in those days, it ran a successful rugby club, but some of the players wanted to form their own club.  These founding fathers met in the George Hotel, Willenhall (hence our name) and bought some land off a canny farmer, Bill Simkin, who had also recently negotiated himself a smart deal to sell some of his land for the new motorway being built to link the M6 to Wales.

Some of these founding fathers were still around for the Golden anniversary, having given great service to the club for over five decades.  Elfyn Pugh BEM (for services to Rugby Union), Mike and Pete Mckenzie, Geoff Aucott, Billy Doley, Brian Wood, Ted Hodson, Ray Mitford, to name but a few.

Ray's son, Luke went on to become an Equerry working at Buckingham Palace.  It was he who arranged a visit from Prince Charles to present awards to our junior players.  The Prince of Wales arrived wearing a sort of Davy Crockett hat with a foxy face and a red bush trailing down his back. After the award ceremony for which, incidentally he came over as very warm and friendly, he was asked how come he was wearing such strange headgear.

Ah that, he began.  Well it was when I was telling Momma where I was off to this afternoon, she seemed a little confused but I am sure she said Wear the fox hat!, and so here I am!

Willenhall draws its players from the Black Country towns of Wolverhampton, Walsall and Cannock, and nearby former mining villages Cheslyn Hay and Great Wyrley.  In its heyday Willenhall ran five senior sides and a colts team.  On a famous day in May 1993 we defeated local rivals Dudley Kingswinford to win Midlands West Division Two to be promoted into Division One.  A year previously, related to his work for Rubery Owen, Elfyn had met an ambassador for the French motor industry, Jean-Pierre Gueren who invited him to provide a team for a tournament he was organising for rugby veterans ( over 35's).  Jean-Pierre's club, the Old Vandoperians were to host the 'Oldies and Goldies' competition in Nancy, in the Alsace region of North East France.  To join his French outfit, J-P had invited teams from Scotland, Wales, Spain, Italy, Germany, Belgium and Czechoslovakia.

Willenhall would represent England!  Elfyn (from North Wales!) proudly accepted.

Our European adventure, which would last nearly ten years had begun.

In these early 1990's, what some would call Fin de Siecle, Willenhall had some great front row players.  A problem for selection was that we had five hookers, all of which could play first team.  Their scrummaging, loose play, even the accuracy of their throwing in could not be faulted.  Chairman of Selectors, Stuart Fletcher came up with a novel solution.  We will rotate them, it will be like a Carousel!

It was with this announcement that a certain Nom de Plume was created.  John Mason called him (or her) a wordsmith. 

On their first night of this European adventure we found a stuffed fox which had been dumped in a skip behind our hotel.  We rescued Pierre Reynard and he became our mascot.  What follows are the scratchings of Carousel through the eyes of Reynard.  Enjoy.

Chapter One

We Are The Mushrooms, Mon Ami

A personal Diary of the May 1993 Willenhall Rugby Club Nancy Boys Tour by Pierre Reynard, in which Sin Bin Billy gets a bloody nose, Cookey puts his foot in it, Doley never stops moaning, and the Welshmen of Ribena get their comeuppance.

Thursday, 27th

The lads began to meet at Bognop Road from 9pm onwards.  Some had taken their Wags out for an appeasing meal.  The younger bloods had been to a pie factory, evidently for education purposes.

After having been presented with their ties the coach arrived (the one with wheels, Eric Field wasn't invited!) with Burnley Bill at the wheel.  Everyone was impressed.  It