Whilst my blogs have been centred around Tonbridge football clubs, the Clark Rural Boys League was the launchpad for the North Tonbridge Juniors and a few years later the short lived Grange Farm Rangers. So I thought it would be sensible head north on the A225 for my latest blog.
Plasmarc of Dunton Green
The birth of Clark Rural Boys Football League appears to be linked to a youth football coaching school set up in the early 1970s sponsored by Plasmarc Company who were a Dunton Green based company. The coaching school operated on Sunday mornings by a group of FA qualified coaches and typically had up to 60 players turning up to play, normally divided into two groups.
With the success of the football coaching, there was a desire amongst players and no doubt parents as well to move onto competitive football. By the spring of 1973, a number of new football clubs were being formed off the back of the coaching school and a local league was mooted, which resulted in the formation of Rural Boys Football League. The Clark name was added, following a Mr Clark who donated a winners trophy for the League. So Clark Rural Boys Football League was born at the end of spring 1973 and the first League Secretary was Mrs J Mantle.
Inaugural season 1973-74
With much excitement, the League kicked off its first season with two age groups, an Under 12s & Under 14s divisions. There were 11 teams entered into the Under 12s division for the first season as follows:
Barnfield, Brasted, Chevening, Dunton Green, Edenbridge Echo, Four Elms, Halstead, Hurst Green Colts, Knockholt, North Tonbridge Juniors & Oxted.
Unfortunately by the middle of September 1973, Four Elms dropped out of the League and North Tonbridge Juniors formed a second team called Norton to take over Four Elms fixtures. Norton were essentially an Under 11s team playing up a year.
The Tonbridge teams dominated the League in the first season, with North Tonbridge Juniors winning the league championship undefeated. They also managed a cup double, beating Dunton Green in the final. Norton finished runners up, which was quite an achievement given they were effectively playing up a year.
Growth of the league in the early years
The following 1974/75 season an Under 16s age group was added, to the Under 12s & U14s age groups. A whole host of other Sevenoaks area teams soon joined such as Otford, South Godstone, Sevenoaks Town Social, Grange Farm Rangers (Tonbridge based team), Kemsing, Westerham & Weald.
Inter League matches
The Clark League competed in the Mid-Kent League competition organised also the League Secretary Mrs J Mantle in the mid 1970s. The League had a very successful Under 14s team. The following picture comes from an Courier article from November 1975 along with the match report below.
I have also managed track down squad list of the Under 14s & Under 16s League teams for a Mid-Kent League matches against the Dover League in November 1976 as follows:
Under 16s match at Otford Rec - kick off 2:15
Dixson, Draper, Moseley & Urry (Westerham)
Bradford, Dean, Littler & Tingley (Edenbridge Echo)
Bennett, Hocking & Hepden (Knockholt)
Claxton & Giles (North Tonbridge)
Orpen & Cheeseman (Halstead)
Under 14s match at Knockholt - kick off 2:15
Allan, Battell, Brazil, Card, Copnell, Hairs, Moon & Redman (North Tonbridge)
Claxton & Stevens (Norton)
Wiehello & Rodger (Weald)
Gammon (Grangers)
Wond (Sevenoaks)
Fora (Knockholt)
Plus the League also created Under 12s representative team by December 1976, when they played their first match away against the Swale League and ran out 5-1 winners with goals from Moir, Thresher, Lunn, Boyton & Cantwell.
Domination by North Tonbridge Juniors
From the start of the League in 1973, North Tonbridge Juniors dominated the League and cup honours during the 1970s, as they typically had a bigger pool of players and in majority seasons essentially had an A team and B team in most age groups.
The 1977/78 season typified the club's success when the club ran five teams across the three age groups - Under 12s, 14s & 16s. Their teams won all three league championships as well as doing the cup double in every age group. The knock out cup finals were played at Lingfield Recreation ground in Edenbridge.
I have also included the league tables, up towards the middle of March 1978 of that season.
Mini leagues
On the back of the success of the League, a number of younger age group leagues popped up, such as Edenbridge & District Rural Mini League and a number of years later the Tatsfield Minor League. The Edenbridge League provided Under 11s football matches between 1977 until the mid 1980s.
A year earlier in 1976, the nearby Tandridge Junior League was formed by Charles Bradshaw, which was also referred to as the Friendly League for the Under 9s, 10s & 11s age groups.
These leagues all helped to provide structured football for the younger players and teams, before they moved onto to play in the Clark Rural Boys League as Under 12s.
The 1980s & the competition
As the League moved into the new decade, a number teams started to look towards the west and south of Sevenoaks for more competitive or fresh challenges. Sevenoaks and Oxted & Hurst Green had teams playing in The Horley League, whilst North Tonbridge, Edenbridge Echo, Westerham Reds also played in the Crowborough League. Both of these Leagues offered divisions for every year group, ie, U11s, U12s & U13s, rather than the two year age spread used by the Clark Rural League.
Whilst the majority of club's teams stayed in the Clark Rural League, it wasn't until 1983-84 that the League changed its divisions for every age group, with the move towards Under 12s, 13s, 14 & 15s.
The popular Tandridge Junior League decided to expand to provide football for Under 9 to Under 13s age groups for 1985/86 season in direct competition to the Rural Clark League. This seemed to be pivotal moment, which combined with a change of the leadership of the Clark Rural League around the same time. A number of clubs switched their allegiances to the Tandridge Junior League. Whilst the biggest club in the League, North Tonbridge Juniors moved a number of their teams into the Crowborough League for the start of the 1985-86 season.
The League ran three age groups Under 13s, 14s & 16s, but little number of teams for the 1985/86.
A news article from the May 1986 reported that "Clark Rural Boys League welcome applications for membership in every age group from Under 10 to Under 16s. News clubs are invited to attend league AGM on Tuesday June 3. For further details please phone Phil Wood or Margaret Smith"
It appears the league just about kept going for the 1986/87 season, running just two age groups Under 14s & 15s. By the end of this season, the Clark Rural League's remaining member clubs had little option other than to merge with the Tandridge Junior League, or move elsewhere. North Tonbridge Juniors one of the founder clubs decided to play elsewhere and took its remaining teams off to the Crowborough League for the 1987/88 season.
Whilst the Tandridge Junior League consumed the Sevenoaks based junior league, the full name of the Tandridge League was listed in 1993/94 season handbook as the "Tandridge Junior Football League incorporating the Clark Boys League", so at least the former league was still being acknowledged.
The Clark Rural League ran for a dozen seasons and provided much needed structured football league for young footballers in the Sevenoaks and wider area during the 1970s & 1980s. The League was launchpad for clubs for North Tonbridge Juniors, Otford Juniors, Westerham Reds, Edenbridge ECHO, Sevenoaks Juniors and Oxted & District Juniors.
Whilst the lost of Clark Rural Boys League was a real shame, it was very much part of pattern of other district and local level leagues folding or merging with other leagues. The Tunbridge Wells Minor League, East Grinstead Minor League and Edenbridge Minor League who all disappeared from the junior football scene in the 1980s.
Many thanks to Kevin Turner & Derek Hodge for your help
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