It is with deep regret that we announce the passing of Mansfield Rugby Club Founder President Ted Lane who died in the early hours of the 27th July 2007 after a long illness. Sincere condolences from everyone at Mansfield Rugby Club, our thoughts are with his wife June and children Sue and Philip and their families.

On Friday 27 th July 2007 the sad news of the death of Ted Lane, Founder President of Mansfield RUFC, was broken to the club’s members.

Known affectionately as El Presidente, it was Ted who persuaded his father (our first Chairman) to support the move of rugby players across North Nottinghamshire to create a rugby club in Mansfield.

It was on Monday 23rd April 1956 that Ted was one of the 17 rugby pioneers who met in the Victoria Hotel Mansfield to explore the possibility of forming a rugby club…

Ted’s father, Phillip Lane was appointed Chairman and in a gesture not uncommon at that time as the meeting got under way; his first act was to ask all those present to stand in silence of rugby players who had fallen during the war.

I quote from the minutes of that meeting, where it said:

“After a very full discussion it was agreed – that an attempt be made to form such a club”

The committee was elected en bloc with Phillip Lane as Chairman, Ted was appointed as Secretary and Alan Shaw as Treasurer (Alan and Hilda are Ted and June’s closest friends and helped to nurse him for many months and Alan is indeed still very much an active club member).

Subscriptions were set at a guinea, which was £1 and one shilling with match tax set at 3/6d! (for those born after 1971 that’s £1.05 and 17.5 pence!)

They met again the following week to agree a strategy to find a suitable venue to play, open a bank account and register with the Rugby Football Union. It was agreed to meet again on the 26th June and Mansfield Rugby Club honoured its first fixture in the September of the 1956/57 season.

With the playing base at the King George V Playing Fields at Black Scotch Lane and originally playing in red shirts (acquired from Freddy Smart of the Mines Rescue Centre) they more than held their own in those early seasons.

That said, it’s probably fair to say that in the early days they were very much a social club with some serious rugby taking place on the field – however, there was some serious drinking off it!

The blue and white hoops followed later as it was thought that they would be more imposing and hoops make you look bigger! …There are those of us today that prefer to dress in stripes for the opposite effect!

At this time the club was based at the Swan Hotel in Mansfield, but for various reasons of impropriety, the Kings Head became the next port of call.

An itinerant period followed over the next few years with bases at several hostelries in the town - almost certainly due to behavioural issues again …

They had bases at the Portland Arms, Young Conservative Club, The Midland, The Pheasant, the Oak Tree and finally Little Barn Lane Social Club before developing our own facilities here at Eakring Road …

Ted was one of the visionaries of the club helping to develop the fantastic facilities that we have here at Eakring Road, which is our own ground and includes a clubhouse, sports hall, gym, all weather pitch and (soon to be) three floodlit pitches that are the envy of many a senior club.

He enjoyed few more proud moments than last year as he received the applause of members at the club’s 50 th Anniversary Ball, an occasion and a day he could hardly have envisaged back in 1956. He saw his legacy carried forward with our state of the art rugby facilities, a thriving youth section with involvement in schools and the local community and club that provides regular rugby for over 250 players, young and old.

Ted often said that he had put in the foundations and it was the job of those who followed to build upon them. Thanks to Ted Lane the foundations are solid and when they are built upon Mansfield will take a moment to think, ‘Ted would have approved of this’.

Enjoy our facilities and enjoy your rugby and take the time to have a look around and perhaps raise a glass in thanks to Ted – he will be sadly missed.

Andy Foster

Chairman

Mansfield Rugby Club