Collegians History
History
A meeting was held on
The first game of the new club was played on
In its initial years the club progressed in a satisfactory way reaching the final of the Senior Cup in 1894 1895 and 1896 and the final of the Junior Cup in four successive seasons winning it in 1892 and 1894.The first senior success came in 1901 winning the Charity Cup when Albion was defeated 23-0. The Senior League was captured in 1903 and the Senior Cup for the first time in 1906.
The season 1903-04 was marked by the opening of a new ground at Rosetta by H.S.Mclntosh the headmaster of the College. The admission to the ground was 6d schoolboys 3d stand and enclosure 3d extra with ladies being admitted free except to the stand and enclosure!!
A number of profitable years followed the Senior Cup success of 1906. The Senior League was won in 1908 1911 and 1913 and the Senior Cup in 1910 and1913. However these matters became much less significant during the Home Rule crisis when rugby matches were cancelled and at a meeting of the Emergency Committee of the Northern Branch (IRFU) the forerunner of the modern day Ulster Branch of the Irish Rugby Football Union held on 29th January1914 it was officially notified that Collegians would play no further matches that season and the meeting decided to abandon the Senior Cup and League competitions. The first season after the end of the First World War was 1919-1920 and it saw Collegians with the permission of the College have use of the College grounds at
The years between 1920 and 1930 contained two early milestones in the history of the club. One was the first annual dinner held at Thompsons restaurant in
The 1930s proved to be a fairly unexceptional period in the history of the club. Nonetheless the final of the Senior Cup was reached on three occasions in 1931 1932 and 1937 and the Second World War broke out on
Unfortunately the achievements of the 1950s and early 1960s were not repeated in the seasons following up to 1980. Little was achieved at senior level during that period and performances were disappointing. One of the principal reasons for the decline was the departure of a substantial number of boys leaving Methody to go to universities in England Scotland and
The decade from 1980 to 1990 the centenary year of the club in its early years produced success. The Senior Cup was won in1983 and the final reached in 1981. In addition the Senior League final was contested in 1982. These indications of revival were short-lived and the period ended with relegation to Division 2 of the Senior League.
In 1988 the I R F U introduced an All Ireland League competition in which all the senior clubs in
Developments at
At the outset of the Second World War Charlie Neill purchased the grounds at Deramore. He had long been the club's generous benefactor and his benevolence was again shown when he transferred the grounds shortly after his purchase to six members of Collegians R.F.C as trustees for the use of the club namely C.G. Neill J. Capper H.G. Crawford D. Holt J. Calvert and O. McMullen. Subsequently W. Smyth W.E. Bell W.S.H. Lavery D.K. Pollock J.A. O’Neill and H.F. Minion were appointed.
FROM LEFT TO RIGHT:
A.S Pollock (President Ulster Branch), W.D McKee (N.I.F.C Captain), Frank Caldbeck,C.S Neill, F Jones, R Gilliland, C.V Smylie (President), M Gibson
After the conclusion of the war the club carried out a major scheme of improvements in the course of which the grounds were drained and levelled. On 30th September1950 Charlie Neill performed the opening ceremony which preceded a match between Collegians and North. He died within a few years and to honour his memory and acknowledge his immense contribution to the club a fund was established with a view to building a pavilion. This was erected and opened by his daughter Mrs Moya Woodside in September 1962. lt was appropriately named "The Charles S. Neill Memorial Pavilion".
The early 1970s marked further significant developments at Deramore. The 1st XV pitch was re-laid and a cricket square established as well as the pavilion being extended to allow larger indoor facilities. The completion of these improvements was celebrated on
Formation of Collegians Club
As can be seen from the historical background above the rugby football club was formed in October 1890 and from the end of the
Collegians Cricket Club was founded in 1932 and continued until the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939 when it ceased to operate. The club was resurrected in the early 1950s and thereafter it’s home was Deramore.
Post the Second World War Collegians women and men's hockey clubs were established and ultimately played their home games at Deramore. The formation of basketball and athletic clubs completed the sports which operated under Collegians.
In 1954 it was recognised that a form of central control was required to embrace the various clubs and on 13th May1954 the Collegians Club was inaugurated. The principal purpose was to centralise and to oversee the general finances, as well as the maintenance and use of the grounds at Deramore. Affairs of the club were governed by a council comprised of representatives from each of the clubs and the trustees under the leadership of a president elected annually.
The following occupied the presidency.
1954 J.A.E.Siggins 1955-6-7-8 W.E.Crawford 1959 F.C.Jones 1960 O.McMullen 1961 H.G.Crawford 1962 T.N.Brownlee 1963 W Smyth 1964 W,G,Litster 1965 N.Grimshaw 1966 Dr G.A.Donaldson 1967-68 DrJ.A.Smiley 1969 J. W..Brownrigg 1970-71 W.S.H.Lavery
1972 M.H.Gibson 1973 D.Reid 1974 W.H.de F.Smyth 1975 K.E.Reid 1976 W.E.Bell 1977 G.R.Acheson 1978 J.A.Donaldson
1979 C.Bamford 1980 F.H.Hunter 1982 E.G. Bell 1983 E.W. Mulholland 1984 G. Clarke 1985 C. Sinclair 1986 G. Ferrett
1987 P.F. Jones 1988 R.S. Robinson 1989 R.G. Bell 1990 W. Finlay 1991 B. Caruth 1992 J.C. McQuoid 1993 R. Coulter 1994 A. Millar 1995 T. Pollock1996 P. Wood 1997 G. Lyons 1998 I. Montgomery