1962 In the beginning
21 Oct 2008

A meeting was held at the "Strangers Home" on Thursday, 31st May 1962, with a view to forming a football club. The meeting was well attended and after some the following points were made.

Although there had been an older team, based at the Ram and Hoggett pub, this is the first recorded history of Bradfield Rovers Football Club. It comes from the very first minutes book, kindly provided by Ray Bird, a former player and official of the club. It continues:

.that a Football Club be formed in the name of BRADFIELD ROVERS, the club be affiliated to the Essex County Football Association and application be made to join the Colchester & N.E. Essex League Div. V. The H.Q. of the club to be the Club Room at the “Strangers Home” Bradfield. The playing pitch was
kindly offered by MR. BIGGS, and the Church Hall was made available for a changing room by kind permission of the VICAR, the REV. MURRAY, WITH CONDITIONS, namely that the hall was left in a clean state, and the club would have to give way in the event of the hall being required for a wedding or other such unction.

After further discussions the following persons were proposed and seconded to take office and be responsible for the running of the club.

CHAIRMAN MR. N. GARNHAM

SECRETARY MR. J. BROCKMAN

TREASURER MR. D. BIGGS

VICE CHAIRMAN MR. J. CHEVERTON

CLUB CAPTAIN MR. R. TOWNES

There then followed the election of a Team Selection Committee (imagine that nowadays!) as follows:

Mr Garnham, Mr Brockman, Mr Biggs, Mr Knights, Mr Townes, Mr B Rowsell, Mr J King

It was also proposed to ask R Williamson, Stour Lodge, Bradfield to become President of the Club. Various means and ways were discussed as to raising of funds and to get the club on a financial footing, this discussion to be carried further on, at a meeting arranged for Thursday next June 6th. The meeting closed.

At subsequent meetings it was agreed that the colours of the club would be claret and blue shirts and white shorts, of which there would be twelve, plus one goalkeeper’s jersey, The playing pitch (at the rear of the Strangers) would be 110 yards X 75 yards and was first marked out on July 3rd 1962. Four committee members attended the Colchester League’s AGM on
29th June when the club was elected into their fifth division.

By July 4th 24 players had signed on at five or ten shillings (depending on age) per head signing-on fee plus one shilling per match.

The following winter was one of the worst in history and no matches were played from Saturday 22nd December 1962 until 2nd March 1963 although records show there was a friendly played between Rovers and Manningtree Rangers.

Cup programs were cancelled and the season was extended by four weeks at the end of which Rovers finished runners-up with a record as follows:

P W L D For Against Points

28 24 2 2 152 37 50

They had also defeated premier and first division teams in the Amos Cup before going out 4-1 at Rowhedge in a match where both teams turned out in claret and blue!

Not a bad first season!