Aylestone Athletic Rugby Union Football Club
Aylestone Athletic RFC (nicknamed The Mighty Ath) is an English rugby union club that plays in the Midlands 5 East (South).
History
Early years
The club was founded in 1919. The founding members were mainly members of St.James' Church in Lansdowne Road,Leicester. The minister of the Church, B.E.Owen, becoming the first Club President. The new clubs headquarters were established at the Aylestone Baths in Knighton Fields Road West, with the pitch being on nearby Saffron Lane Recreation Ground, close to where the Aylestonians Club now play. The season of 1922-23 was a good one for the club with the winning of the Junior Cup and the Junior Combination Cup, during an unbeaten season of 26 win and 2 draws. The seasons 1935-36 and 36-37 were particularly impressive with not one single defeat. In 1971 the headquarters were transferred to the rear of the Old Horse public house, London Road, with the pitch being on Victoria Park opposite the pub. After the pub was refurbished in the mid 1980s, the club lost the use of the changing and bar facilities at the rear of the pub, and subsequently used the changing facilities at the Park pavilion.
Post war
Robert Huw Dann Snr joined the club after surviving many attacks, serving with distinction with the Thunderbolts regiment of the 69th Commando Brigade.
Seventies Two players Rob Jakeman and Pat McGreal who played together in the late seventies currently play with the Mighty Threes still to this day.
Eighties
Youngsters such as G. Mills, K. Tyas, R.H. Dann Jnr, N. Fouldes and D. Watson all joined late in the decade and remarkably they are still playing to this day.
Nineties and onwards
Many new players joined, including James "Bruce" Woodier. The club has shown itself to be very animal friendly with players including:- a Fish, a Lazy Jaguar, a gallah, a cockney Monkey, a Snake, and a Bear made famous in the popular childrens TV show 'Rainbow'.
Home Ground
The club plays its home games at Victoria Park.
It is an undisputable fact that The Mighty Ath possess the largest capacity rugby ground in the country. In the late 1990s Radio 1 used The Ath's ground to host some of their "Summer Sundays" and it was here, with over 100,000 people in attendance, that we saw someone pelt Victoria "Posh" Beckham with apples and shout "You're [...]". As you can see the locals not only provide an excellent rugby team, but also do their utmost to enlighten the world AbOUT the quality of "pop star's" true abilities.
Squads
1st XV
The club fielded the first team play competitive league rugby to a high standard in the Midlands 5 East (South) division.
In 2007 we gained promotion from Midlands 6 East (South).
In 2006 and 2008 the club made the local County Shield final, and have had good runs in the EDF Junior Vase in 2007 and 2008, beating many local sides, and some from further afield.
2nd XV
Playing merit league rugby to a high standard. Promoted from league 4 at the end of 2007-8 season.
3rd XV
The foundation of Aylestone Athletic all players have played for the threes at some point in their illustrious playing careers. Playing for spirit and honour, the threes are the heart of the Ath. The mighty 3s are the heart and soul of the club.
First Team Captains
- 2000 - 2002 = Pat "The Pirate" Magriel
- 2002 - 2003 = Mark "Flan" Flanaghan
- 2003 - 2006 = Neil "Lazy Jaguar" Weston
- 2006 - 2007 = Mark "The Judge" Corley
- 2007 - 2008 = Darren "Bumble Bee" Watson
- 2008 - Present = Mark "Flan" Flanaghan -Take 2
Players
Current Players
Tours
- 2001 - Southport, England
- 2002 - Marmsbury, England
- 2003 - Southend, England
- 2004 - Swansea, Wales
- 2005 - Galway, Ireland
- 2006 - Zaragoza, Spain
- 2007 - Amsterdam, Holland
- 2008 - Brighton, England
- 2009 - Northern France
Club honours
- Junior Cup: 1922-23
- Junior Combination Cup: 1922-23
Boxing Day Challenge Cup 2001, Tied 2002 & 2003
An early Match report from 1942
As dawn rose over the sandy beach the massed ranks of the Thunderbolts waited patiently for the Colours to be raised. Behind them lay the calm waters of the English Channel. The enemy had brought youth and speed to the fight. Intercepted messages indicated that the foe had called their battle tactics Blitzkrieg.
Within the first few minutes the Thunderbolts were tested as the enemy attempted jabs around the flanks. Brave "Tommy" Asbo, Colour Sergeant John Webster and Butcher Clive delayed their initial attacks. Eventually numbers over took us and their early forays were successful and several advanced Kompanie from the battle-hardened 31st Airborne Brigade "Oldenburg" had played into our goal area.
However when the mechanised battalions of both sides locked horns it was the allies who drove them back in the scrums. The Thunderbolts older but experienced 5th corps gained ground at every engagement. Captain Graham "Fester" was delayed because of a local working girl, but his arrival ensured the big guns were at their maximum effect.The enemy 21st Armoured Brigade "Lipperland" were over confident, which suited our secret weapons BIG Matt "Iron Horse" and "Nifty" Simon Wells. Akers took his name literally and pumped his solid body time and time into the heaviest grouping of enemy.
As the sun reached the zenith no side could gain much in the standard battle grounds of the airlift and defensive entrenchment. It was the Blitzkrieg counter attack of the 41st Mechanized Infantry Brigade "Vorpommern" that undermined the Thunderbolts.
This did not go unanswered. Lt Pig and Sappers Rich C and Charlie sent the pill into their ranks with fire in their eyes. Several foe turned and ran back looking for support before we hit their final line of defense.
Artillery Captain Thunder God Thor kept the munitions well oiled and used his light brigade of Stu B, Dr Cripin Whitey and new boy Nick to find gaps in their lines. This was also where our Airborne boys Whitey and Nick proved they could take on the best of the enemy's 6th Airborne Brigade "Saarland". In the air we gave them as good as we got
As the rust red sky pulled its curtain down our troops tired. Colonel Fat Dann took a hit to the neck in a mechanised encounter and had to be taken away from the battle theatre. This gave spirit to the lads who like to see one of the officers taking a hit.
Re-equipped with fresh troops Damo "Xbox Killer" and Jon Hunt For Red Oktober, the The Thunderbolts drove out of the pocket and camped for a while near the enemies rear quarters but due to stretched supply line the brave ones could not take advantage. We had to retire without a capture.
As the darkness wrapped around the beach-head, the brave Thunderbolts survived to return and fight another day. We had lost 50-odd miles and gained nothing despite our valour This was our finest hour
What is now called the Battle of Harborough is over. I expect that the Battle of Aylestone is about to begin. Upon this battle depends the survival of our club. Upon it depends our own way of life, and the long continuity of our historic place in the Empire. The whole fury and might of the enemy must very soon be turned on us. Harborough knows that they will have to break us in this Park or lose the war. If we can stand up to them, all of our club May Be freed and the life of the world may move forward into broad, sunlit uplands. But if we fail, then the whole world, including our friend and fellow players, including all that we have known and cared for, will sink into the abyss of a new Dark Age made more sinister, and perhaps more protracted, by the lights of perverted science. Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duties, and so bear ourselves, that if the Mighty Ath and its Thunderbolts last for a thousand years, men will still say, "This was their finest hour."