Clubhouse Bar Opening Times
Chairman's Bulletin 7 March 2025
Spring certainly seems to be in the air this week, which makes everything feel a bit better.
The Daffs are coming out and my otherwise completely dead looking clematis is whispering to me that it’s not with the tiniest signs of green shoots.
And with the pitches back in action we are all ready to roll.
Although there is no home Saturday rugby this week (however the Rams are playing next door - see below) there is a full program of football and we are hosting 3 Warriors matches on Sunday from 11 am.
So please inform your visitors and players to first try the Coombe Lane car park, but if they cannot get in, to use alternative nearby options on Cambridge Road and Coombe Gardens.
Please do not try and use Somerset Ave at all.
Our neighbours get annoyed when people clog up the road when they cannot turn around because the car park is full and then park across drives.
Thanks for your cooperation on this.
Rugby
First XV
Our friends at Old Ruts saved the day last Saturday, stepping in to provide a pitch when ours were under water.
So a huge thanks to them, but also to our opponents, the Met Police for being flexible with the venue change.
The First XV took the spoils 29-7 but not before the Met had given us a tough and scoreless first half.
However it was try time after the first 40, with boys running in 5 tries in all. Some wonderful individual darting stuff off the base and 2 super running team tries were all on show.
The 1s are away against Old Walcountians this week who we played back on 23 November at home with a relatively comfortable win 15-5.
However Old Walcountians’ results recently in Counties 2 Surrey have shown them to be no pushovers and they will take advantage of any team having a bad day at the office.
Rams
The Rams fixture at Old Cats 2 ended in a narrow defeat 29-33 which means we swap places with them at the top of the Surrey Conference League.
Tom Bordessa’s crew will run out this week next door on Raynes Park Sport Ground, against the Law Society 2s, so practically a home game and one to watch.
KO at 2:30pm.
Football
Saturday
The 1s were unsuccessful on their travels last week as they lost 3-0 against HSBC 3rd. They still have enough games in hand to challenge for promotion in Junior Division 4 South but they will need to make sure of all 3 points this Saturday as third placed Polytechnic 5th come to Coombe Lane.
Andrew Ekumah's hat-trick alongside scores from Ellis Burridge and Stefan Milewczyk gave the 2s a comfortable 5-1 win over Old Blues 3rd last week. The win keeps them level on points with second placed Carshalton in Junior Division 5 South with three games in hand.
The season is fast running out so this weeks game against Actonians 7th is a double header in W5. A 6-point haul will guarantee the OWs second place, Allen Old Boys superior goal difference is likely to keep them in top spot for now.
Sunday
Hopefully well rested from their week off, the Firsts play in the second round of the Junior Charity Cup this Sunday. Their opponents are Surbiton Sports whom they beat comfortably in the league recently but this time Surbiton will have home advantage at Richardson Evans Memorial Playing Fields.
Sadly, the Reserves were not able to transfer their recent form in the league into a cup run as they lost 3-0 to Cobham Village in their first round Junior Charity Cup game last week.
This week they will be hoping for a better outcome as they look to avenge a narrow 1-0 away defeat with the visit of Sporting Epsom FC on Sunday. The OWs can start to really pull away from the relegation zone in Division 6 if they can secure a victory.
A goal from Kamran Khan was the only bright spot for the A team last week as they went down 7-1 to St Helier Youth Orange. They now have a couple of weeks before they are back in Division 8 action again.
The Strollers start a run of 3 games in Farnham Division 1 this Sunday, beginning with their final home game against Sandhurst Social Veterans.
Goals from Farat Rostyslav and Stefan Milewczyk were not enough for the Amblers in their Division 5 game last week as a 5-goal second half onslaught saw visitors Guildford Vets run out 7-2 winners. There's a week off for the OWs this Sunday, they travel to Fleet Town Veterans the week after.
Six Nations
The Six Nations kicks off again for Round 4 this weekend with all matches being shown in the Clubhouse starting from 14:15 on Saturday with ‘Le Craic’ i.e. Ireland vs France.
Why this is not the 16:45 game I do not know. I think home advantage for the men in green will be just enough to get them over the line, but whoever wins it will be a try fest for sure.
There is no shortage of fresh Guinness at the Clubhouse, which has been described by some (i.e. me) as the best pint of the black stuff, this side of the Liffey. Don’t miss out.
Scotland and Wales kick off at Murrayfield at 16:45. My Chairman’s salary has been placed with the bookies (i.e. my wife) on a Welsh upset after the display they put on against Ireland.
Have a good week.
Michael-Jon Andrews
Chairman
Harry Gibbons RIP
As many of you may already know, tragedy struck our community recently with the heartbreaking loss of Harry Gibbons (pictured above flanked by Tadg and Pádraig Finn).
Harry’s family have asked us to convey their tribute to Harry along with details about his funeral service and wake.
We would like to thank everyone associated with The Old Wimbledonians who have sent such kind messages and gifts to the family following the untimely death of Harry in Mexico at the start of a 3 month tour. Harry collapsed whilst running on 22 January 2025 after sustaining a heart attack.
He has many friends and connections at the OW’s that go back a long way. Harry attended St Agatha’s Primary School and transferred to Donhead where he developed many life long friends. He learnt to play rugby at Donhead and went on to Halliford School in Shepperton.
His Dad, Charles, 3 uncles and cousins were all educated at Wimbledon College.
Harry joined his year group at The Old Wimbledonian Warriors and continued his association until the end of Sixth Form. He played scrum half for the Halliford 1st XV and gained a place at Nottingham University where he completed his Business Degree last Summer with a 2:1.
During the last few years he has played a number of games for the OW's 1st and 2nd XV at scrum half.
The family and friends of Harry have been devastated by the news of his death but have taken great comfort from the tremendous support of his many friends at the Old Wimbledonians.
There is a funeral mass for Harry at 11 am on Thursday 13th March at St Agatha’s RC Church, 1 Wyndham Road, Kingston upon Thames, KT2 5JR.
There will be a reception at Coombe Wood Golf Club, George Road, Kingston, KT2 7NS, following the mass for his family and friends.
If you want to convey any messages of sympathy to the Gibbons family, we can assist in passing those on to them.
I am sure that you will join me in remembering Harry and his family and friends in your prayers.
Wimbledon College Hospitalité Pilgrimage to Lourdes
22 to 26 August 2025
Wimbledon College Hospitalité are once again organising working and non-working trips to the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes to run along side each other in August of 2025.
Please see the full article on the work they do and how you can get involved on the Hospitalité page.
3 minute film of the grounds circa 1929 . Clubhouse is where the chairs are. Click on the image to see on Pathe site.
OWA Big Prize Club
HAVE SOME FUN AND SUPPORT THE OWs, WARRIORS AND CRICKET COLTS
The OW Big Prize Club, a registered lottery, has six annual draws. The first prize in each draw is £1000 and there are three lesser prizes.
50% of BPC subscriptions is distributed as prizes and the remaining 50% supports the facilities for the OWs, the cricket colts and the rugby warriors.
Total prizes distributed in 2018 were c. £ 7600. Annual prize money increases with increased numbers of subscribers (the annual number of draws has recently been increased from 5 to 6 per year).
New subscribers are very welcome. Anyone can join and you can have as many "tickets" as you wish for yourself, your children or grandchildren. The BPC subscription is £10 pcm.
If you would like others to join the BPC please email owabigprize@gmail.com.
A big thank you to all that give their support via the BPC and good luck in future draws.
Best Regards.
Dave Doran
Big Prize Club AdminRemembrance Page Now Available
Check out the Remembrance Page which remembers those from the College who died in the First and Second World Wars.
We have also updated the Notable Alumni page
Join the OWA
Come and be a part of the OWA
