Keresley
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Keresley
RUGBY FOOTBALL CLUB
Keresley RFC is a community club with a lengthy and proud history,
and a potentially wonderful future again at the heart of a regenerated
local community. Based in the former-mining village of Keresley the
closing of the local pit in the 1980s changed the area and the club.
Now the village is ‘on-the-up’,
with housing developments and new
futures as part of the local authority
development plan, and Keresley RFC
will be part of those future days, playing
its part in the area.
A number of years ago, the club’s
own existence was under a cloud,
when internal strife nearly tore the club
apart. A number of club stalwarts held
the playing side together, fulfilling the
season’s fixtures, albeit with a number of
heavy defeats. Relegation followed and
the club needed to rebuild.
Under the skilful guidance of
Chairman Chris Eaton, Secretary
Gareth Whitehead, and Treasurer Robin
Hartley, the club gradually rebuilt
itself structurally, and the appointment
of coach Paul Harrison, enabled the
excellent work off-field to be matched
with the on-field activities. Paul has
a wealth of experience, working as
an RFU Coach Educator, and teacher
who has worked at district and county
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representative level. Promotion was
gained within two seasons, although a
terrible season of injuries saw the club
fall back down to Level 10.
The future is bright, however. More
than twenty new – and younger – players
have joined the club and although some
are a bit inexperienced, it augers well for
the future of the club. The club is a proper
rugby club, with a thriving social scene,
a lot of activities and dinners which
pull the players together, and a thriving
band of volunteers who contribute to the
senior and junior sides of the club. The
work of Dawn and Darren Louth as the
social secretary and bar manager, cannot
be underestimated.
This season has been a little
disappointing on the pitch, but with new
sponsors, activities such as an excellent
firework display supported by many
employees of Halford’s who are based
in the village, on the site of the former
colliery, the club is generating income to
fund its ongoing operations.
An important area of the club is its
growing mini and junior section, under
the Chairmanship of Allun O’Brien.
Girls’ and boys’ sides are growing in
numbers and gaining plaudits from
opponents and supporters alike.
A notable success sees U15 boys from
Keresley, Nuneaton Old Edwardians
RFC and Atherstone RFC join together
most Sundays to play as the North
Warwickshire Baabaas. Colin ‘Taffy’
Marsh, a veteran of Keresley’s “old days”
saw the need to provide rugby for one of
his son’s age groups, and this brilliant
and innovative plan came about. The
boys are all registered at their home club,
but gather to play as the Baabaas, and
they are a credit to their clubs. A recent
win over Woodrush, reversing a heavy
defeat earlier in the season, suggested at
the potential for these players; fine work,
Taff.
Our ladies’ netball team needs
additional players, but Bedworth
Rangers Football Club, who are based