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The way we were (Ten Years Ago)

This is an article written by Paul Wainman for the last programme of the season:

This is a photograph of the squad that took OCs up to the National Division 3 South (level 4) at the end of 2000/01 season. There are some absentees from the picture: Ben Hyde, Paul Louden, Alex Wicks, Andy Callard and Winston Farquharson the physio, amongst others. It was not that the Club was unsuccessful; we had been promoted twice since the instigation of the league system and in London 1 (level 5) for nine seasons and had appeared in four Kent Cup finals, winning two. The formation of this team had started in about 1997 when David Nunn was instrumental in bringing Andy Baker from Blackheath where he was not happy. David and Andy had played together at Loughborough University. Andy was the ëChis and Sidí connection and stalwarts such as Neil Baker, Martin Davey, James Griffiths, James Rutter and Danny Sargent followed. In 1998 Taff Corlett had come back from Warwick University and brought with him Matt Townsend who then brought Tim Tunnicliff and Ben Hyde from Cheltenham where all three had played. The Lewis brothers also followed from Warwick and a little later Andy Williams and Pat Vickers and Sammy Boulton. The whole OCs front row (Matt Quilter, Steve Corlett, Tim Tunnicliff) subsequently played for Kent together with Rob Berry, an outstanding no. 7 who had joined us. To think that we used to play clubs such as Blackheath, Penzance, Redruth, Launceston and Lydney and sometimes beat them seems a long way off but brings back happy memories. Although we were playing against semi-pro and pro players we managed to last three seasons. Indeed, at the end of the second season we finished a respectable ninth (ahead of Westcombe Park) in the division by beating Blackheath in the last game of the season. That season we also beat Redruth at Redruth. They were not happy but they offered Kevin Tilson a contract and what a night we had afterwards! It now seems unthinkable that an amateur club could get to the National Leagues but it was still possible then. When we came back down to London 1 the game seemed to be awash with money and clubs such as Worthing, Richmond and London Scottish were spending fortunes on their squads. The players and management in the photo are (back row left to right): Ian Martin, Paul Wainman, Tim Tunnicliff, Mark Jarrett, Steve Hughes, Trevor Hubner, Warren Evans, Gavin Hurley, Ollie Chapman, Luke Walden, Matt Quilter, Ben Johnson, Birgit (physio). (front row left to right): Moby Wale, David Lewis, Andy Baker, Martin Davey, Keith Powell, Stephen Corlett, James Griffiths, Danny Sergeant, James Rutter, Matt Townsend, Gareth Lewis, Andy Smith.

Date: Mon 2nd May, 2011Author: Paul Wainman

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