In The Beginning
1. The Nomad Years
Although we do not have a history as long as some amateur rugby clubs, Milford Amateur Rugby League Club has been in existence for 40 years. Milford A.R.L.F.C. was formed in 1967 in the former Milford WMC in the Cardigan fields area of Kirkstall, Leeds.
At first the single team playing under the Milford banner played in the Leeds & District Sunday League, however, so dominant a force were the Milford that they were invited in join the more challenging Saturday league in which they were also very successful. Players from that era included Dave Longhorn and Tony Flesher. Dave eventually became the first Steward of Milford Rugby League Sports Club and Tony is still involved as open-age rugby Treasurer.
When the Milford WMC closed, Milford A.R.L.F.C. had to find another home and thus began the nomad years when the team played out of a number of public houses in the Kirkstall area. These included The Abbey, The George IV, The Cardigan Arms and the Vesper Gate. During that time the team had progressed to playing in the Yorkshire League, progressing through the divisions to the Premier League. In 1978 Milford won the National Cup beating Leigh Miners Welfare 21-13 in a thrilling game played in Blackpool. Sadly, Milford are still the only team from Leeds to have achieved this honour. Former Captain Norman Smith was appointed first team coach in 1980.
By 1980 Milford also had a second open-age team as well as an under 17’s and under 13’s side. Graham Buckle was junior player of the season.
2. The Cardigan W.M.C.
Following a disagreement with the landlord of the Vesper Gate public house over rent, the club were once again on the move and in 1984 moved to Cardigan W.M.C. in Beecroft Street, Kirkstall. Cardigan W.M.C. were suffering serious financial problems and were pleased to have the Milford team as tenants, however before the Milford team could move into the club’s premises, the owners of the club, a brewery decided that they had had enough of Cardigan W.M.C. and offered the premises to Milford. Thus began the history of Milford Rugby League Sports Club. Geoff Buckle, who was at that time the Chairman of Milford, was instrumental in securing the premises for Milford A.R.L.F.C. The premises were large but Spartan. They consisted of a members bar, an oddly shaped concert room, a snooker room, with 2 tables and a committee room. In all but the lounge, the walls were bare breeze-block and there were no ceilings.
3. Milford Rugby League Sports Club
Following a lot of work by club members in which suspended ceiling were put in, walls plastered and tiled and the committee room converted into a kitchen, the club reopened as Milford Rugby League Sports Club on 10 October 1984. Dave Longhorn hung up his boots and along with his wife Kath, became the first stewards of the club
As well as the open-age team playing in the Yorkshire Premier League, there was a second team playing in the Leeds & District League and junior/youth teams playing at U11, U13 and U19.
The Club had only been opened a few days when W. Hampshaw the club secretary resigned for personal reasons. His replacement was Alan Gibb, later to be Chairman of BARLA, who steered the Club through the opening months from being tenants in a public house to running a large club premises. Officers of the Club at that time included President Geoff Buckle, Chairman Peter Fraser, and Treasurer Matt. Hopkins and Committee members Ricky Hopkins, Norman Smith, Geoff O’Donnell and Reg Sturgess.
Alan Gibb handed over the role of Secretary to Mike Whiteside before the first anniversary of moving to the new premises, and I have held this role for the last 19 years!
In 1986 Milford became founder members of the National League. John Clithero had joined the club as rugby secretary and PRO. Milford was to win the National League in 1988 with a team coached by former Featherstone Rover’s coach Alan Agar and captained by Bob Barker.
Four changing rooms were built on land at the side of the club in 1985 with the help of funding of £13,000 from the Sports Council. Unfortunately due to the state of the site, the project went £10,000 over budget and the Club carried the legacy of that debt for many years.
Over the next few years Milford Club grew by adding junior teams and youth teams until they are now able to field a team at every possible age group. Again they were the first club to achieve this in Leeds. In 1985 Milford added another open-age team when the nearby George IV team joined the Milford playing originally on a Sunday. With the team came officials Ray Hart and Mally Rosenthal.
In 1986 a ladies Netball team was formed by player’s wives and girlfriends and a team playing under the Name of Milford Netball team is still in existence to this day, although they are now based elsewhere due to the lack of suitable playing facilities.
In 1993 The Milford Association Football team was founded. It started with just a few lads kicking a ball around and preparing themselves for a Sunday League playing in the Wharfedale Red Triangle League Division II before moving up to the Premier League through promotion. They have increased in playing strength and now field two teams. Milford AFC are valuable members of the club and as well as having their own management committee they send a representative to the main committee meetings.
However Milford Rugby League Sports Club had become the victim of its own success and by 1995 the problems of housing 16 rugby teams, a soccer team and a netball team were becoming a constant problem for club officials. Dave & Kath Longhorn had by now left the club to be replaced by Charlie & Maggie Bray as stewards. Then began the 8 year process of securing Sport England Lottery Funding to build new changing rooms.
4. The Lottery Years 1995-2002
Following a well-attended meeting of interested parties in late 1994, Charlie Bray unveiled his ‘vision for the future’, a rough sketch of an extension to the club on 3 levels (due to the sloping nature of the site). The building that you now can see, roughly resembles the same shape, however the internal designs were changed many times over the following 8 years. The objectives were to provide enough changing rooms to house all of our teams and also be capable of use by women and disabled members.
During the process we were advised that we needed to develop our own pitch before we would be successful in obtaining Lottery funding. However after 2/3 years hard work, the cost of building a full size pitch on a hillside in Kirkstall was found to be in the region of £1,000,000. This was not considered good value for money so in 2001 we were eventually awarded £708,914 towards the cost of building the changing rooms only. This figure was to rise to £852,193 when errors in the original costing which added a further year to the process, were discovered. The full cost of the project, including the Club’s contribution was £948,233. In addition the Club has spent in the region of £30,000 on other areas of the Club.
Milford has played home matches on Cardigan Fields, Vesper Gate, Queenswood Drive, West Park and Archie Gordon Field. The 2 Queenswood Drive pitches were levelled in 1986 to form one pitch for use in the National League. This pitch is still used by the club, however most games have been played at the Leeds School Sports pitch known as the Archie Gordon Ground. Milford Marlins still rent this pitch from Leeds School Sports although it is currently being purchased by the City of Leeds to be leased to Milford on a long-term lease.
During these years the club had fallen into a bit of a malaise, the first team had suffered relegation to the 2nd Division of what was now called the National Conference League although they did get promoted to the first division only to return to the bottom division.
One positive development during the long years of waiting for a lottery grant, was the formation of the Milford Storm Women’s Ruby Team in 1999. The merging of 2 Leeds teams, Bramley Roses and Hunslet Hawkets formed this team. In the first season they were promoted to the Premier Division but unfortunately found the competition hard going and were relegated. As the current season (2002/2003) draws to a close, Milford Storm remain unbeaten in the league and winners of the Challenge Cup Plate played on Easter Sunday at Featherstone Rovers ground. Unfortunately due to players moving on, Milford Storm have had to fold the Ladies section.
5. Milford Sports Club
Following the construction of the new changing rooms and fitness centre these were officially opened by Councillor Bernard Atha, OBE on 5 April 2002. Bernard Atha had been instrumental in persuading the Sports Lottery Awards Panel to grant Milford an award when they were of a mind to reject the application. The building houses 9 large dressing rooms each with their own showers and toilet facilities. In addition there are 2 disabled changing rooms with showers and 2 officials changing rooms with showers. Other features are a state-of-the-art fitted fitness room with sauna and sun bed, separate changing facilities and toilets for this area, as well as outdoor all weather pitch. There is also a fully equipped kitchen.
Kitchen manager Maria Watts and her helpers provide hot and cold meals that are available to the public 7 days per week as well as providing aftermatch and training night food for the various teams. The fitness centre is also opened every day to members and the public. Charlie Bray now acts as Premises Manager, overseeing the maintenance of the premises and the full time and part time staff.
During the Lottery process the name of the Club was changed to reflect the multi-sport basis of the Club. Milford Sports Club provides the facilities for all of our various sections that now include our 2 open-age rugby teams, 3 youth teams and 8 junior teams, all playing under the banner of Milford Marlins. In addition there is the Milford AFC; Milford Netball and Milford Golf Society.
In 2003 Milford Sports Club became the first Club in Leeds to achieve the Sport England Clubmark.