Sporting Bygones: Squires ready to raise another glass in celebration of Ripon’s proud past

The picture was, after all, taken in the century before last, dating back to 1898 and detailing one of the earliest sides in Ripon Rugby Club’s proud history.

It is believed to be the oldest available image of their team and subsequently, given its age, is shrouded in plenty of mystery.

With no line-up list accompanying the shot, the club – which yesterday celebrated its 125th anniversary with a range of events at its Mallorie Park home – is trying to discover just exactly who each of the members are and is seeking help from anyone who may have information.

It is testament to the sterling efforts of everyone at the North Yorkshire club that it is still thriving so far on from its original incarnation as Ripon and District RUFC in 1886, one of its first fixtures being against the wonderfully named Hostel of Resurrection.

Ripon has never scaled the dizzy heights of some of its more illustrious county neighbours but has, nonetheless, enjoyed some notable feats, not least their Yorkshire Shield extra-time victory over Old Leodiensians in 1977.

One of its most famous sons is Peter Squires, the talented winger who went on to represent England and the British Lions (in, coincidentally, 1977) but also, uniquely, played county cricket for Yorkshire as well.

“I was taught how to play rugby at Ripon as a junior – and perhaps how to drink the odd glass of beer there as well,” he told the Yorkshire Post.

“I’d have half-a-shandy in the small clubhouse, which has extended quite a bit now, and played my first senior game there at the age 15. Not allowed nowadays.

“After I’d moved on to Harrogate, playing for Yorkshire and England, I came back and played again there until I was about 42.

“It’s just a club with so much character. It’s a traditional, old-style club – a players’ club and an amateur one; no-one’s paid and it keeps going down to peoples’ hard work and sponsors.

“It has grown and the most significant development is in its junior section which is really visible on a Sunday.

“It has started producing players for the seniors which is just what a club like this needs.

“It has three senior sides now, which is a great sign, and the club is really thriving.

“It’s a big part of the community here as was shown by the number of people who attended the celebrations.”

Squires is now 60 and so limited himself to a ceremonial kick-off yesterday when the famous Wooden Spoon’s Anti-Assassins side played the Ripon President’s XV.

He joined exulted company; apparently, the last person to do that before a memorial game at the ground was Manchester United legend Sir Bobby Charlton 16 years earlier.

The England World Cup hero had just opened the nearby Ripon Tennis Club and had a couple of hours to spare so headed over to the rugby field where, in suit and shoes, he administered his first-ever rugby drop kick.

Famous names scheduled to take to the field yesterday as part of Ripon’s celebrations were former Wakefield and England Sevens scrum-half Dave Scully, Jon Eagle, who featured for Headingley and the Barbarians, plus the former Leeds Tykes and England scrum-half Scott Benton.

Squires, who lives “two fields away” from the Mallorie Park ground which has been Ripon’s base since 1955, has fulfilled a number of roles there since his retirement, acting as coach and chairman of selectors.

He toured New Zealand with the British Lions 35 years ago and was capped a total of 29 times by England.

In his cricket career, meanwhile, the right-hand batsman made 49 first-class appearances for Yorkshire between 1972 and 1976, averaging 16.72 runs.

When asked what his favoured sport was, he says: “It’s strange really.

“At school, I did better at cricket and had more success playing the sport so that was probably number one.

“But I was able to play both sports, something you just wouldn’t be able to do now, and went on to have more success in rugby.

“I’ve had some great times, with Ripon and throughout, and I wouldn’t have missed these anniversary celebrations for the world.”

Major achievements for the club, alongside that Yorkshire Shield triumph, include election to Yorkshire Division One in 1999 and winning the Hornblowers XV North Yorkshire Trophy three times between 2001 and 2004.

They were also awarded the coveted Rugby Football Union Seal of Approval, presented by England World Cup-winning captain Martin Johnson in 2005, and launched their development squad two years later.

Now all that remains is to get to the bottom of who exactly were the stars of that team from 114 years ago.

If anyone can identify any of the Ripon players, please let Ripon president Andy Proud know at [email protected] or contact the Yorkshire Post.