Rugby Club Issue 76 | Page 60

Chester-le-Street FOLLOW US ONLINE TWITTER.COM/RUGBYCLUBMAG Chester-le-Street RUGBY FOOTBALL CLUB Chester-le-Street RFC is a club playing an important role in their local community and has some exciting plans in place to continue to develop over the coming years. Rugby Club Magazine recently caught up with their Chairman Paul Langley to find out more. He started by telling us more about his involvement, saying, “I joined the club in 1981 when I was 14 and started training with the seniors. I came along to training as my brother Jim (now Director of Rugby) had started playing for them the year before.” “Despite just being a kid, I was made to feel welcome and allowed to join in with training. There was a Colts side at the time and I got the odd game for them making up the numbers until I was old enough to make the team proper. “I made my senior debut for the 3rd team on the wing (I was a schoolboy 2nd Row!) when I was 15! Which would obviously would not be allowed today. “The club has always been the same as far as I am concerned and everybody talks to everybody else, there is no snobbery about which team you are playing for, we all muck in together and take the mick out of everybody. All new members remark upon the same thing about how open and friendly we are compared to some other clubs. “In my role of chairman one of the most challenging aspects is trying to improve our facilities. Our present home where we have been since the club was formed in 1979 is really no longer suitable. “We have to walk a few hundred yards to the changing rooms and then further to the pitch before coming back to the clubhouse. We have been looking for a new ground and negotiating with 60 Issue 76