Argaum offered them refuge at Bickleigh Down, which the Old Boys were happy to accept, continuing of course, as a completely separate Club – George would have approved! Unfortunately, the Old Boys 1st XV did not survive the “transplant” long, as following a run of massive defeats, they called it a season save for their second side by the end of October.

It would have been gratifying to be able to report – in the Club’s centenary year – that their playing record matched the occasion. However, a more realistic comparison would be to the proverbial curate’s egg – borne out by the Club’s position in the Devon Merit “B” Table – precisely halfway of ten clubs. “Wiggy” Bennett, captain once again supported by Dave England, Roger Tinson when available and veterans Brian Willcocks and Mike Worth – the latter reclaiming the centre three quarter position for his own early in the season.

On the credit side the Club reached the final of the Devon Havill Plate as a result of a good 10-3 win at Kingsbridge in the semi final but, like their predecessors of some years earlier, failing in the final – this time at home to Tavistock 0-10. There were comfortable wins over Salcombe (twice) and a run away 37-0 over Newquay Hornets II XV in a season when the Cornish Senior side finished top of their County merit table. Closer wins over Honiton, Totnes and Ilfracombe and a 10-10 draw at South Molton. For the final fixture of the season 19-16 v Old Richians (Gloucester) Peter Heal provided all the home points – 4 tries plus a penalty.

On the debit side, narrow defeats at the hands of Plymouth Albion Extras, Bodmin and Penryn II, whilst Saltash and Ivybridge (shades of 1903) both completed the double over the Club, the latter – eventual winners of the Devon B merit table – by wide margins. In the return game Ivybridge’s account was opened by Nick Hall – a previous prolific scorer for Argaum – thereafter he was obliged to retire from the match through injury, leaving his replacement to carry on where he left off.

The Wanderers side for the opening game against Plympton contained – as selected – no less than six previous club captains Geoff Baskerville being the captain of the captains. It may be as well to record that the captains’ experience won the day 18-0. The season’s overall results appeared to swing from emphatic victories to equally emphatic defeats, presumably owing to the varying strengths of the opposition.
The Drifters maintained a side – with fair success – until well into the New Year, when a series of cancellations and suitable substitute opposition being hard to come by, the team faded away.

Sadly – after some 30 seasons – the Colts, due to lack of numbers, were unable to meet their fixtures, the list being cancelled at the start of the season. However, the situation seems not without hope, thanks to the strenuous efforts of Dave Osborne who, on more than one occasion managed to put together an Argaum “under 16” team, with one particularly close run game against Ivybridge under 15 on their ground, resulting in a win for the town side by a score of 5 tries and 2 conversions to Argaum’s reply of 4 tries and one conversion.

In the Club’s 101st season, the senior side will be appearing in Devon Division 1 of the Rugby Football Union’s league system and will need to strive to maintain its position there.

Additional Notes (R.Belli): In his second spell, Wiggy Bennett was Club Captain for the 1986-87 season. The Chiefs had a decent season finishing midway in the Merit Table B and reaching the Havill Plate Final for a second time. A 10-3 win at Kingsbrige in the semi final set up a home final against cross-moor rivals Tavistock. The club put on a great event but ultimately were a bit too hospitable as the visitors came away with a surprising 10-0 victory. The final record for the Chiefs was 20 wins and 1 draw from 37 matches with over 500 points scored. Steve Mole was top scorer with 70 points.

The Wanderers led by Geoff Baskerville alongside a vast amount of experience won 11 of their 27 fixtures whilst The Drifters (Phil Walke skippering) won 7 and drew 2 of their 21 matches. The Colts did not run this season but an Under 16 side did play a match against Ivybridge.

Off the field, improvements to the clubhouse were continually sought as the premises now housed old rivals OPMs, who were without a home of their own. A loan was also secured from Bass Brewery to, amongst other things, finance a club minibus.

Preparations for the club’s centenary season moved apace with a series of events planned including the publishing of a Centenary History by David Dobell. He had been steadily putting it together over the previous seasons but bemoaned the lack of information available in some of the later seasons (I know the feeling!). The 1987-88 season would also see the advent of the new league system and the Committee learned that Argaum were to be placed in Devon County League Division 1.

The Dinner and Dance at The Highland Hotel Plymstock saw awards to Steve Mole (Captains Trophy), Andy Davey (Players Player), Steve Mole (Effort) and Brian Willcocks (Clubman).

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There followed a modest run of success in September. Two – somewhat rash – incursions into Cornwall resulted in heavy defeats, Penryn 1st XV unbeaten at home 6-43 and St Ives who put on 49 points. There were also heavy defeats by Ivybridge – twice, and Newquay II achieved the double. South Molton – for once – destroyed the Club’s hopes in the Devon Cup and Exeter Saracens, the away side, ended Havill Plate hopes 3-3. On the more cheerful side, Exeter University Freshmen were beaten 36-3 and Bideford II 64-4, giving a seasons record of 10 wins and 23 defeats.

The Wanderers, captained by K Daymount, won 15, lost 11 and drew 2. The Drifters achieved 22 Saturday fixtures, winning 9, including a crushing 71-7 win over Plympton II. There were also a fair number of Sunday fixtures, results alas, not recorded. The Colts won 14, lost 14 and drew 2.

To prove that Saturday, or in this particular case more usually Sunday talents were not in vain, was the presentation of the Devon Chief Constable’s award to Argaum player Steve Parkinson, the report reading “… felled a fleeing criminal with a crushing rugby tackle outside his hair-dressing salon in the City centre” – clearly an extension of Steve’s Sunday activities; and, just to prove that there were other interests outside of rugby, at midnight on 16th November 1985 a team of 11 runners from Plymouth Argaum and Fine Tubes ran from Clifton Suspension Bridge to the Tamar Bridge arriving 3.15 p.m. on Sunday afternoon. Jeff Bawden, Mark Busford, Bob Cassidy, Tommy Cooper, Dave England, Chris Goodman, Tim Rapier and Peter Green running the “legs” for Argaum. The result – a splendid cheque for £180 handed over to the Scott Hospital for the Bickleigh Children’s Unit.

Additional Notes (R.Belli): Centre Ian Collier was the skipper for the 1985-86 season in which his trusty boot helped him to a personal haul of 159 points. This was over a third of the Chiefs’ tally in which they won 15 and drew 3 of their 37 matches. South Molton were narrow visitors in the Devon Cup whilst, despite a 3-3 draw against Exeter Saracens in the Havill Plate, the away side went through.

The Wanderers, under Keith Daymount, won 13 and drew 1 of their 31 fixtures but ended up with a positive points difference. Geoff Baskerville contributing 81 of their 465 points.

Richard Lock’s Drifters ended up with the best record with only 6 defeats in 21 matches and a tally of 367 points, boosted by a 71-7 win over Plympton II. Mutlow was top scorer with 45 points.

Steve Parkinson captain the Sunday Floaters side of which there were no less than 18 fixtures on the card. There is no record of the results but there is one in The Centenary history of the skipper receiving an award from D&C police for rugby-tackling a fleeing criminal!

The Colts were captained by Dave Evans; Unfortunately there are only a few results recorded in the fixture card but it was evidently a young side as it was though that an Under 16 side was more viable. What is known that many of the team went on to play senior rugby in and around Plymouth.

There were a number of matches planned at Easter – with Medway on Good Friday, Devizes Colts on the Sunday and Bouzancais (presumably influenced by old boy and Saltash Chairman Bill Ryan) scheduled for Easter Monday.

The biggest event off the field was a charity run from Clifton Suspension Bridge to The Tamar Bridge which took place in November. The event, in conjunction with Fine Tubes, featured an 11-strong Argaum team running legs in turn.

After many years of service as player and committee man, Ceri Critten stepped down from his role as Chairman, with Bill Hitchins elected in his place.

At the club dinner held at The Highland Hotel in Plymstock, Tommy Cooper picked up the Captains Trophy, Ian Ramsay Players Player, Tim Rapier The Effort Award and J.Bawden the Clubman Trophy.

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The season’s record 10 wins and 23 defeats, of which perhaps the most evenly contested was a 20-22 defeat versus Honiton – which Timothy Denne dropped three goals, kicked a penalty and converted one of two tries; Argaum replying with 4 tries and 2 conversions. For the Wanderers, captain and stand off Paddy Gillespie collected 98 points – all from the boot, the team winning 15 and losing 11 in 28 games. The Drifters managed 22 fixtures and the Sunday XV 10.

The Colts won 14 and lost 14, Heale picking up 98 points and Evans 68. In the Colts cup competition, they were a little unfortunate to go out to Paignton Colts 6-6, who went through on the Away team basis. As a result of the inauguration by Devon RFU, Argaum had for several seasons appeared in the Devon “B” Merit table , where with remarkable consistency, they managed to finish in 6th or 7th place in a field of 10. A happy re-recruitment was the reappearance of Dave Sharpe, having presumably instilled the elements of successful goal kicking down under. To emphasise the playing strength, the Drifters, in their game against Victoria, sportingly loaned Victoria 4 players, but despite a second half recovery in which Dave Sharpe converted a try and put over a penalty, their generosity was ill rewarded, 9-16.

An interesting fixture had been inaugurated by the Club – Over 30’s v Under 30’s and it is suspected, several of the senior players were happy to appear under the anonymity of “Over 30”. The Over 30’s included Brian Willcocks, Dave Sharpe, Mike Worth, Peter (Ever) Green and Geoff Baskerville to mention a few of those to mention a few of those who continued to serve the Club loyally and successfully. An interesting acquisition for the Drifters against Newport High School Old Boys, was the Chairman of the Selection Committee Bill Hitchins, who subsequently admitted to having last appeared for the Colts against Devon Colts in the 75th anniversary but modestly refrained from claiming a place in the over 30’s side. Incidentally, the Drifters won a pleasant game 14-8.

Sadly, the death of George Wakeham occurred in December. He played for the Club in the 1920s and from there re-formed the OPMs side. He went on to become President of Plymouth Albion, President of the Devon RFU and Divisional England Selector.

Additional Notes (R.Belli): Hooker ‘Wiggy’ Bennett was captain for the 1984-85 season which once again saw three senior sides fielded. The Chiefs managed 10 wins from their 33 outings, Ian Collier top scorer with 99 points. The Devon Cup adventure ended in east Devon at the hands of Honiton and then near-neighbours Sidmouth in The Havill Plate. Final Merit Table position is unknown but certainly was lower than the previous season.

The Wanderers under Paddy Gillespie were defeated in only 11 of their 28 fixtures, the skipper with a haul of 98 points. The Drifters also had a decent return, winning 9 and drawing one of their 22 fixtures. The Sunday XV (now Floaters), not usually as well documented, won 6 and drew 1 of their 10 matches, restricting their opponents to an average if less than 9 points per match.

A tour to London was arranged to coincide with the England v Australia match at Twickenham. Discipline for the seniors seems to have been a problem at some point as no less than 3 players were summoned to the Devon Disciplinary on April 1st.

The colts had an even record winning 14 and losing 14 of their 30 fixtures. Peter Heal was top scorer with 94 points.

Off the field there was a successful It’s a Knockout Club Fete pre-season which raised £450. Social events such as stage and hen dos continued to bring in the income. This was necessary as the club now focused on the electrics, the club pursuing a grant from the City Council. The committee were also mindful of the fact that Plymouth Albion were rumoured to be moving to Roborough.

Charitable causes were to the fore as a Plymouth Combination v South Hams fixture was hosted at Bickleigh Down in March, whilst a 24 hour pool marathon was held in the clubhouse.

At the club dinner Dave England picked up The Captains Trophy, Brian Willcocks Player’s Player, Wiggy Bennett The Effort Award and The Bawden Family received The Clubman Trophy.

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Thereafter, the senior side settled down save for a somewhat hefty hiccup against Saltash, with wins over Services Pilgrims 17-14 (Fred Rogers still scoring, though confining himself to one try), Salcombe 23-7 (Hall 19), South Molton 27-12 and in the Devon Cup at Teignmouth, Argaum went down 15-16. The Argaum side Willcocks, Rapier, Marks, D Beer, Hall, Worth, Staniland, Tremin, Bennett, Cooper, Holloway, James, Davey, Rogers, Tinson, Nick Hall kicking three penalties for the Club, before going off injured. Tavistock, Kingsbridge, Plymouth Albion Extra 1st and Ballincollig became victims. Ballincollig, as might be deduced, an Irish side, were 17-0 at half time, but with the Irish contrariness, rallied to 17-17, to go under eventually 21-17.

The 1st XV continued their winning ways into the new year, including a 22-3 win home to Truro, Harry Nicholson at Scrum Half grabbing 3 tries, Geoff Baskerville and Ian Rose one a piece and Collier a conversion. Competition for first team places was such that the elected Skipper Roger Marks could not be sure of his place, whilst an addition to the back row was the Royal Navy player Roger Tinson, to team up with the old firm – Fred Rogers and Geoff Baskerville. Scrum Half Harry Nicholson, just short of 100 points for the Club, was unable to clinch his “Ton” for the Club (in his last game before going to sea) against Ilfracombe and although the Club won 20-6, Harry was stuck on 98.

Thereafter, one or two setbacks were experienced. Dartmouth 12-15, Salcombe 0-10 and Albion Extras 13-22. In the Havill Plate, OPMs were beaten 41-12, but Ilfracombe, who they had beaten earlier disposed of their pretentions at Bickleigh Down, won 3-11 (Harry, where art thou?) However, the heavy Saltash defeat 4-31 was avenged, just 19-18. Overall results W26, D1, L10, 715-396 and the Wanderers W21, 556-366.

The Drifters made a re-appearance, including a 9:45am kick off against the South West Gas Board, which resulted in a credit for both early rising sides, a draw 14-14. The Colts included two out of town visitors in their fixture list, Metropolitan Police Cadets and Bridgend Athletic Youth Club, the visiting sides being successful on both occasions. Dave Sharp, who had given many years of service to the Club in many capacities, emigrated to Australia, doubtless intent on impressing his goal kicking abilities to the Aborigines. Finally, Ceri Critten, plagued by injury, hung up his boots to take over as Chairman.

Additional Notes (R.Belli): The 1983-84 season was one of the best seasons for some time, the highlight of which was The Chiefs finishing runners up in the Devon Merit Table. With former player Roy Ellis as coach and increasing player availability it was great to also see The Drifters back after an absence of half a dozen seasons. The competition for places was such that even the Club Captain Roger Marks couldn’t be sure of his place. The Chiefs were knocked out of the Devon Cup by Teignmouth although there was only a single point in it. The Chiefs only lost 10 of their 37 fixtures, racking up over 700 points; two former Albion players Ian Collier (165) and Harry Nicholson (94) were top scorers, Tim Rapier grabbing 18 tries.

The Wanderers, under Kim Jarvis reached the quarter final of The Lockie Cup and only lost 8 of their 32 fixtures. The Drifters were also in the positive losing only 5 of their 17 matches.
Tourists included Irish side Ballincollig, whilst at Easter, London French, Brest (return visitors) and Aberbeeg were the hosted.

The colts, under skipper Geoff Lenden, also had visitors in the shape of Metropolitan Police Cadets and Bridgend Athletic. Dave England represented the county colts.

Club development continued with the installation of a new set of posts. In the light of on-field improvements it was agreed to continue the now twice a week training on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

At the annual Dinner and Dance, awards were made to Tim Rapier (Captains Trophy), Geoff Bawden (Clubman), Pete Duff (Effort) and Richard Lock (Drifters Team-man).

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Followed by a run of what can only be described as “disastrous results”, until October, when a hitherto unbeaten Penryn II were comfortably disposed of 29-3, debuts for Argaum by 17 year old Mike England and former Services Scrum Half Harry Nicholson, Nick Hall contributed 17 points. Kingsbridge were beaten at South Ham the following week 13-10 (Nick Hall 7), but Honiton gained a 4-12 victory and Newquay Hornets II – possibly now more appropriate opposition than their seniors, drew 13-13 (Hall 9!). There followed wins over Ivybridge, Totnes and Salcombe and in the mean time, the Press reported Dave Sharpe manipulating his backs in fine style in a Wanderers 7-0 defeat of Plympton.

In the new year, Devon and Cornwall Police were successful at Bickleigh Down 0-21, Honiton were defeated 15-10 and 30 points shared with Saltash. However, March/April saw some heavy defeats. The Wanderers – still without support from the Drifters – ran up a number of large scores, but their true worth was probably judged by results such as Saltash II 13-15, 4-9 against Plymouth Albion United and Bude 4-14. The 1st XV record read W9, D3, L20, 308-512 and the Wanderers – confirming their tendency for big scores – won but 4 more than last, but scored no less than 659-359. The Colts managed 5 wins, 3 draws and 20 losses.

Additional Notes (R.Belli): With Jim Studds as captain and Rip Kirby as coach, the 1982-83 season saw The Chiefs embark on a new venture in Devon Merit Table B. With a 45% playing record they finished exactly mid table in the 11-team league, which was won by Okehampton. Cullompton, only one place higher saw off The Devon Cup hopes with a 19-9 win. Nick Hall was the season’s top scorer with a haul of 137 points.

The Wanderers, under Mike Collier and Ian Ramsay had an enjoyable season, running up 654 points in their 35 fixtures. Dave Beer and Richard Staniland both scored 11 tries, the latter also breaking the century for total points. A Lockie Cup preliminary round win against Plympton was followed by a defeat against St Columba in the first round. Playing numbers were better than in previous seasons.

Sunday rugby, which has been featuring for the last few seasons with little reporting, gets a good mention in the excellent club newspaper, now reverting to ‘The Argus’. A club tour was organised to Brest, no record of any match(es) played. Swansea side Birchgrove were one of the teams entertained at Bickleigh Down.

The colts, under Dave England, coached by Geoff White, again suffered from being a very young side. England, only 17 himself featured early in the season for the 1st XV. 16 year old Geoff Bawden reached the final trial for Devon Colts whilst Steve Mole and Tim Harper both made The Plymouth Schools team.

Off the field the club continued to develop with some extensive renovations, which saw the club fireplace disappear from the scene. The committee were also investigating land behind the clubhouse for pitches, which was being looked into by Angus Colville.

Tom Hitchins made peace with The Plymouth Combination, an organisation with which he’d had a few run-ins, when he was made one of their vice presidents. At the Dinner & Dance, which advertised Bath and England player John Horton as guest speaker, A.Bennett claimed the Captains Trophy, Dave England The Effort Award and Mike Pearce Clubman of The Year.

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The senior Cornish Clubs emphasised the difference that had grown between themselves and the Club, Truro 9-44, Newquay Hornets 3-37 and 4-34, whilst an ambitious fixture against Devon and Cornwall Police went the same way, 0-36.

Generally, a disappointing playing season, save Brixham II, beaten 41-15, and at Easter, the Home Office Midlands Division, 30-0. Geoff Baskerville still graced the 1st XV, whilst the Wanderers benefited from the frequent appearances of Fred Rogers and Dave Sharpe – indeed, the latter revealed a hitherto concealed talent at place kicking and for the 1st XV against the Home Office contributed a try and 2 penalties, left winger Jim Studds collecting a hat-trick of tries and his opposite winger Tim Rapier, two plus a conversion. A Sunday XV was operating, the only discoverable result is a 12-10 win over The Victoria Inn. Tim Rapier converting tries by Andy Davey and Dave Vickers, after being 0-10 down.

The Colts persevered without any great success. An interesting aside; during the season, 1,640 lbs of chips and 1,636 pies were consumed – did this have any bearing on the Season’s figures – W12, L21, D1.

Additional Notes (R.Belli): Unusually for Argaum, the previous season’s skipper Mike Worth had a second consecutive term as 1st XV captain in 1981-82; Mike Pearce led the Wanderers and Dave England the colts. Both senior sides won 12 and drew 1 of their fixtures;34 for the Chiefs and 27 for the 2nd XV. A heavy defeat by Okehampton brought an early end to Devon Cup ambitions in match which saw Andy Davey’s first try for the club. As in previous seasons injuries took their toll on availability and therefore The Wanderers did well to produce an almost even return. The colts won 5 and drew 1 of their 28 matches, whilst Geoff Bawden represented Plymouth Schools.

Off the field the club had one of its best years. Under the stewardship of Bill Annandale, club finances were looking a lot healthier at the end of the season (even the Young Farmers contributed). Work started on a gym at the rear of the clubhouse and a number of steps were taken towards clubhouse improvements.

There was another edition of the Argos and after an absence of a number of seasons, regular team photos were being hung in the clubhouse. With the Centenary Season only a few years away, a sub committee was formed. The club received a questionnaire from The RFU about leagues and a communication from Devon RFU to say that Argaum would compete in next seasons Merit Table 2B.

At the AGM Ceri Critten was voted as Chairman taking over from Joyce Thomas. The Dinner & Dance, held at The Strathmore Hotel saw Brian Willcocks receive the Captains Trophy, Andy Davey – The Effort Award and Ian Ramsey picking up The Clubman of The year.

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Dave Sharpe took over as Secretary, whilst the notice of the meeting created a new office of “Vice Secretary” to be filled by Mrs Sharpe – happily amended in the fixture card to Assistant Hon. Sec.

There was an indifferent start – three successive defeats, but a first round Devon Cup win over Dartmouth 29-22, the Club having 25-6! It was Okehampton who barred further progress, 0-20, although the Club obtained a measure of revenge later in the year, 11-6. Launceston were contained 6-8 at Bickleigh Down but Newquay Hornets and Bideford inflicted heavy defeats. In the Havill Plate, Argaum lost to Plymouth Civil Service by a Roger Harris try, to 2 Bowden dropped goals. In the mean time, the Wanderers and the Colts struggled on with mixed fortunes. Notably, Frank Lavis made a (gradual) disappearance from the back row trio.

Additional Notes (R.Belli): For the 1980-81 season, Mike Worth was captain of The Chiefs and Dave Osborne led the Wanderers. Both sides recorded 18 wins and a draw, from 39 and 36 matches respectively. In the county cup, The Chiefs progressed against Dartmouth in the first round but were beaten by Okehampton in the next. Civil Service ended interest in the Havill Plate with a narrow 6-4 win. The double was done over Teignmouth, new to the fixture list, whilst tourists included Merseyside Police, Old Persians, Old Patesians and Llandaff North. Bideford was another ambitious fixture on the calendar (the match programme can be seen in this album). The Wanderers were eliminated from the Lockie Cup by Tavistock. For both sides, consistency of selection was hampered by a glut of injuries.

The colts, skippered by Dave Squire had a young squad but showed promise. Julian Eccles continued a recent tradition when he represented the county colts XV.

Argaum’s internal newsletter, The Argaum Argus was revived, with Ian Ramsey as Editor. Now called The Argos, this was a substantial offering with a Captain’s Page, Rugby Song lyrics and a quiz. It also contained some good match reports and scoring statistics and with 6 issues during the season made this one of the best-documented yet.

Club Finances (and the lack of them) came into sharp focus during the season with a number of significant purchases including £700 on the boiler. Many put their hands in their pockets to steer the club through difficult times. It was recognised that social events were now an important source of revenue and, in an effort to increase that income stream, the committee appointed ex-Devonport Services Bill Annandale as club steward in May. In one of his first reports to the committee he was less than enamoured with the state of the place after a social event with our boisterous friends, The Young Farmers.

Peter Green toiled away in the club kitchen which returned a small profit and at the AGM there was applause when the facts and figures were announced. 1024 meals, 1460lb of chips and 1636 pies! The captains trophy was won by Geoff Baskerville, Effort Award – Tim Rapier and The Clubman a joint award to The Peters (Gamblen and Green).

The post The 1980-81 Season first appeared on PLYMOUTH ARGAUM RFC.

The first match saw the Club put up a spirited performance, before going down 9-14 and after a narrow defeat (13-15) by Devonport Services A, moved onto a run of 5 wins and a draw – this 6-6 home to Newquay Hornets – with 122pts to 22. One of these games, at Salcombe, “where on their first visit for many years encountered some spirited opposition … from a section of the crowd …”. This did not seem to perturb the Argaum side, who won by 31-0, of which winger Nick Hall (which started him on a purple patch) contributed 11 points. He next scored 16 of the 26 against South Molton and 17 out of the 33 against the College of St Mark and St John.

Thereafter followed a mixed bag of results, including a 4-0 defeat in the Devon Cup at the hands of Ivybridge, the latter intelligently playing 10-man rugby in windy conditions, whilst Salcombe very comfortably disposed of any Havill Plate ambitions.

Touring sides Kidderminster and Old Brockleians both won their closely contested games and the Club ended the season W16, L18, D1, 439-474, somewhat disappointing after a bright start. The Wanderers W14, D1, L15. Of the Colts side, Roger Bailey played for Devon Colts and Devon U21 and in conjunction with Andy Davey, appeared for the 1st XV.

Additional Notes (R.Belli): Ceri Critten was the skipper for the 1979-80 season, although the recurrence of an elbow injury midway through the season meant that on-field duties were handed to Dave Sharp, Ceri taking up the role of 1st XV Manager. The Wanderers’ elected captain Mike Worth found himself promoted to the 1st XV, so Ian Hassall and Mike Pearce deputised. Both senior sides had even returns on their 30 plus fixtures. The Chiefs’ county cup ambitions were extinguished early at the hands of Ivybridge (denying them another crack at Exeter University) and then Salcombe in The Havill Plate. Aside from that there were some excellent displays against Devonport Services A, Plymouth Albion Extras, Newquay Hornets and, new on the fixture list, Honiton. Nick Hall and Brian Willcocks featured heavily in the scoring. Several players became fathers during the season including Ceri Critten, Howell Phillips, Steve Body and Iam Ramsay, affecting availability on occasions. The Colts, under skipper Andy Davey, had another good season but couldn’t repeat the cup exploits of the previous term. They were knocked out at the quarter final stage by Albion Juniors after beating Paignton away in an earlier round. ‘Colt of The Year’ Roger Bailey represented Devon Colts and Devon U21 as well as getting a call up to the 1st XV along with Davey towards the end of the season. The club entered 2 senior teams and 1 colts team into The Combination Sevens, all performed well with one senior side reaching The Plate Final. An over and under 30 match was instigated before the players supper with the youngsters winning. The season was tinged with sadness. Prior to the season the club learned that former colt Stephen Marshall had been killed in a motorbike accident. Tragedy struck again early in the season when another young Argaum player, Kevin Glover, was killed in a car crash. The committee were also occupied with more mundane matters with the perennial issues of the boiler, clubhouse roof and training lights. Additional work was required when the apparently over-exuberant Roborough Young Farmers broke the bar grill at one of their functions. Obtaining recompense proved to be a long-running issue. At the AGM, Tom Hitchins was voted President, taking over from George Cross whilst annual subs were raised to £7-50. Mike Worth received the Captain’s Trophy, Ian Ramsay the Effort Award and Pete Gamblen The Bob Stone Memorial Trophy. A 2nd XV Special award was presented to Steve Neville.

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South Molton were narrowly beaten 6-3 in the opening round of the Devon cup, the Argaum team: Borrowdale, Willcocks, Sharpe, Gamblen, Skerton, Worth, Hunt, Mannell B, Phillips, Crowther, Walker, Rogers, Pascoe and Lavis. Unfortunately, Howell Phillips was injured in this match which side-lined him for some weeks, Peter Gamblen taking over the captaincy. Dartmouth were comfortably disposed of 30-4 in the next round tries by Dave Sharpe, Terry Pascoe, Fred Rogers (2) and Kevin Skerton, with 2 Geoff Baskerville penalties and 2 conversions by full back Geoff Geary.

St Austell inflicted a crushing 0-53 defeat in October, reversed early in December at Bickleigh Down, 16-7, the press remarking that since their defeat by Argaum, St Austell had lost their last four games – thereafter increased to five! The next round saw the defeat of the College of St Mark and St John; scorers Brian Willcocks, Fred Rogers and John Hunt, plus a Geoff Baskerville penalty and a conversion. The report speaks of “the steadying influence of a very experienced back row”. This left the field open for Exeter University in the next round, but unhappily, there is neither a report nor result available, but as there is no further mention of cup rugby for the Club, the conclusion is inevitable!

Defeats at the hands of OPMs, Truro, Launceston (twice), Exmouth (twice) and Newquay Hornets (twice), however, Plymouth Albion Extras were contained 12-10 due largely to John Hunt’s brilliant line kicking, coupled by a Kim Jarvis try, plus 8 points from Geoff Baskerville’s boot to a try and two penalties. The season ended on a saddish note, Newquay Hornets and Launceston between them scoring 85 points.

The colts, under the tutelage of former captain Tony Blonden, excelled themselves, by reaching the final of the Devon Colts Cup, disposing of Plymouth Albion Juniors en route, to face a very experienced Barnstaple Colts side, in their first ever final. In the event, they went down 0-10. “Before probably the largest crowd ever seen at Bickleigh Down, the Plymouth side was subjected to tremendous pressure most of the game, but defended valiantly, particularly through the captain Jerry Woolerton and flanker Mark Hopper. The final quarter saw the home backs come into the game, when at last the pack was able to provide them with some possession, but they were unable to break through.

Additional Notes (R.Belli): Howell Phillips was The Chiefs skipper during 1978-79 which proved to be an eventful season for the club. Peter Green had volunteered to become the club’s coach. Another decent run in The Devon Cup with wins over South Molton, Dartmouth and Marjons before a quarter final defeat at the hands of Exeter University. Aside frm the cup there were many notable victories, particularly at home against the likes of Barnstaple and Torquay’s second strings. The Wanderers, under the leadership of Kim Jarvis were eliminated from the Lockie Cup by Prince Rock. The seniors did claim some silverware however when they won the Alex Dow Plate for Combination Sevens first round losers beating Old Techs in the semi final and Plymouth Polytechnic in the final. There were a number of touring teams at Bickleigh Down during the Easter period, including Betws, Horfield (Bristol), Droitwich and Machen. Pride of place must go the Colts team which reached the final of Howell Phillips was The Chiefs skipper during 1978-79 which proved to be an eventful season for the club. Peter Green had volunteered to become the club’s coach. Another decent run in The Devon Cup with wins over South Molton, Dartmouth and Marjons before a quarter final defeat at the hands of Exeter University. Aside from the cup there were many notable victories, particularly at home against the likes of Barnstaple and Torquay’s second strings. The Wanderers, under the leadership of Kim Jarvis were eliminated from the Lockie Cup by Prince Rock. The seniors did claim some silverware however when they won the Alex Dow Plate for Combination Sevens first round losers beating Old Techs in the semi final and Plymouth Polytechnic in the final. There were a number of touring teams at Bickleigh Down during the Easter period, including Betws, Horfield (Bristol), Droitwich and Machen. Pride of place must go the Colts team, coached by Tony Blonden, which reached the final of The Devon Cup after beating Newton Abbot, Plymouth Albion and Crediton along the way. It set up a final against Barnstaple in front of a large crowd at Bickleigh Down. Skippered by Jerry Woolerton and With the talented Leonard brothers at half back, Argaum’s strength lay in playing an expansive game, but they were unable to break down the physically stronger visting side who hadnt conceded a point all tournament. The final score 0-10. Off the field improvements and repairs were made to the clubhouse and pitchside lighting and Sperry Gyroscope were once again match sponsors. A football team were sharing the facilities and the clubhouse was being utilised on Sunday evenings to bring in additional revenue (most of the cup matches, seniors and colts, were played on a Sunday). An Argaum blazer was recieved from the widow of Reg Gurling who had done much work with the building of the clubhouse. A plan for a Devon Merit Table along the lines of Cornwall’s was proposed by Brixham, and the club were considering. Thanks to the Hon Secretary, Mrs Joyce Thomas, there is a full set of typed committee meeting minutes for the whole season, but curiously there are no final playing records for individual teams. At the AGM Mrs Thomas was elected to become the clubs first lady Chairman, taking over from T.Mabon. The inaugural winner of the Bob Stone Memorial Trophy – Clubman of The Year – was Peter Green.

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There was a modest run in the Devon Cup 19-6 v South Molton and 9-6 v Plymouth Civil Service, until almost inevitably Devonport Services, only this time 0-34 after a half time score of 0-3. Against the Cornish quartet of Truro, Newquay Hornets, St Austell and Launceston the 1st XV went down once again, although not by catastrophic margins. There was an encouraging 16-9 win over Plymouth Albion Extras (tries Lavis, Rothey and Baskerville plus 2 conversions from his boot), unfortunately the following week the result was reversed 6-24, largely due to the boot of one Paul Zynda’s 18 points, who in the past had worn the Argaum shirt.

Easter tourists Blaina (S Wales) proved 48-0 victims, but Cwmgrach, also from the Principality, were sterner opposition, tries from Mike Borrowdale and Peter Campion to nil providing the difference. Alex Martin of the Colts played for Devon Colts and also scored for the 1st XV in a narrow win over Tavistock. Early in the season injuries side lined Fred Rogers, Ceri Critten, Howell Phillips, Chris Gray, Kim Jarvis and Steve Leeson for several weeks, Peter Green always prepared to put on the shirt for any team that required his services, although he was barred by the Colts – made himself responsible, doubtless in his spare time, if any, for preparing and serving no less than 680 meals to visiting sides.

Additional Notes (R.Belli): With Geoff Baskerville in for his second stint as skipper, The Chiefs performed well and had a fairly even return in the 1977-78 season. A mini Devon Cup run saw wins over South Molton and Civil Service before Devonport Services (once again) finished it at the quarter final stage. The Wanderers under Phil Sprague, occasionally struggled for numbers but progressed in the Lockie Cup first round against St Columba only for Civil Service to avenge the county cup reverse. There were a number of Easter tourists; Blaenau, Cwmgrach, Met Police C Divison and Farnham with all being beaten by the hosts. Mike Borrowdale, in his final season for the club, scored a hat trick against the police team. The seniors won the Plymouth Combination Sevens Preliminary tournament at Beacon Down with wins over Rank radio, Prince Rock, Civil Service, Old Techs and DHSOB. The colts, under captain Clive Collier, were once again called upon to supplement the injury-ravaged senior ranks but still returned a decent set of results. Winger Alex Martin represented the county colts and also scored a try on his 1st XV debut against Tavistock. With club finances stretched in recent seasons, welcome income came from two sponsored matches (Sperry Gyroscope and Ranco Controls). At the AGM, tributes were paid to ex-chairman Bob Stone who had died in a recent motoring accident and The Ladies Committee was wound up having provided sterling service to the club for many years. (Unfortunately no fixture card for this season is available)

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