LONG LOST AUSTRALIAN RETURNS TO BRIDGWATER & ALBION RFC
LONG LOST AUSTRALIAN RETURNS TO BRIDGWATER & ALBION
On the weekend of 29/30 November, Ashley Goldsborough will be returning to Bridgwater & Albion RFC (at a different ground to what he was used to) to renew acquaintances with players with whom he appeared in the 1993/94 season.
At the end of the 1980’s, Albion attracted various overseas players with first John Reuben from New Zealand appearing in 1988/89; closely followed by Mike Crawford – again from New Zealand in the 1990/91 season; in the following season 1991/92 we were blessed with three New Zealanders – Glen Maxwell, Jeff Thompson and Ritchie Taylor. Thompson stayed on to serve us for the 1992/93 season. Recruitment turned to Australia for the 1993/94 season with Ashley and Adam Snow appearing for us. Ashley played at scrum-half and Adam in the back row. Ashley made his debut for Albion in the fourth match of the season on 18 September 1993 in a home game against Camborne which we lost 10-15. The Bridgwater & Albion team on his debut was:-
M Stokes; S Edmonds D Buller P Tarr S Smith; M Whittington A Goldsborough; M Tompkins G Gaylard L Steward, G Buller J Colburn R Hayes C Rees, G Whitcombe. Reps: N Bell, GJB Williams.
Tompkins Try and Whittington Penalty and Conversion were our scorers.
Ashley went on to make a further eight appearances in the following games:-
Okehampton W 29-28
Weston-super-Mare W 30-7
Reading L 8-52
Brixham W 16-6
Barnstaple W 11-8
Bath United D 5-5
Clevedon W 27-16
Nuneaton L 21-51
He scored tries in the matches against Clevedon and Nuneaton.
Ashley was also an unused replacement in the Somerset County Cup Final against Clevedon on 21 April 1994 when we won 15-10.
One of his claims to fame would be that he played (as did Adam Snow) in the last match ever on the Broadway (Taunton Road) ground v Hornets on 30 April 1994 in a 24-11 victory. The game and the occasion were celebrated wildly and ironically the club dinner the following week took place in the then new premises at College Way.
Albion were then in SW2 league finishing fourth but the highlight of the season was the club’s Cup run in the Pilkington Cup where we reached the fourth round having beaten Old Mid Whitgiftians 12-8; Camborne 21-20; Clifton 24-12 before succumbing to mighty Newcastle/Gosforth 10-53 just before Christmas 1993. All of our matches in this run were away from home.
Ashley and Adam made a great contribution to Bridgwater & Albion play during the season both at 1st XV and United XV levels and clearly have never been forgotten. The club welcomes Ashley back to Bridgwater & Albion and hopes that he will enjoy his stay and his reminiscences.
Scribe
Category: Club News
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