Workington Town has celebrated its 80th anniversary.
Sunday’s match against Rochdale Hornets brought together legendary former players and some of the club’s oldest supporters to mark eight decades of rugby league history.
There was an emotional start to the match when the ball was carried out by 79-year-old Dorothy Holliday. She was VIP for the day in honour of her husband, Joe, who wrote several books about the club.
Dorothy said: “My husband Joe worshiped this club. It was unbelievable carrying the match ball out today, a lovely feeling – for Joe. I put the ball beside Joe’s photo, because he would have been doing this today.
“He was a very proud man and he loved it here. We’ve been VIPs all day, been invited to meet the old players in the marquee, it’s been absolutely beautiful. This place is Workington Town, this club is the town.”
It was also a particularly poignant day for Graeme Peers, who began supporting the rugby league club as a boy. Now chairman, it was a chance to look back over its storied history and also ahead to a new stadium in a few years’ time.
He said: “I’m 48 years old, and I recollect a lot of these times. I started coming to watch Town in the early 80s when the likes of Colin Falcon and David Lowdon stuck in my mind.
“I’ve only been involved directly with the club in the last six years.
“I’m very proud to be at the club now and helping us celebrate these 80 years, but with a good eye on the future to what comes next and create more history over the coming years.”
More than 900 players have represented Town since 1945 and some of their greatest returned at the weekend – Billy Pattinson and Peter Gorley from the glory years of the mid-70s; Martin Olganby and Colin ‘Buck’ Armstrong who starred in the early 1990s, alongside current head coach Jonty Gorley and his assistant Dean Marwood; up to Conor Fitzsimmons, now with York Knights, who was player of the season during the 2022 promotion campaign.
The club was set up in December 1944 and its debut game was on August 25 1945.
There were at least two fans, now in their 90s, present on Sunday who remember that time: Arnold Ainsworth, a life member of the club, and Ken Porter, who cut the ribbon when Derwent Park was renamed the Fibrus Community Stadium two years ago.
The support of club sponsors, broadband providers Fibrus, was clear on the day with hundreds of foam fingers provided for younger fans to wave, plus a display on the history of Workington Town and footage and interviews on the ground’s big screen.
For Graeme, the backing from Fibrus has been transformative.
He said: “The partnership’s been fantastic for helping a lot of things move forward. The support across the club from men’s first team to women’s first team to our coaching camps and work in our community trust has been second to none. It’s been an absolutely superb arrangement.”
Colin Hutchinson, group MD and CFO of Fibrus said: “We are proud to be sponsors of Workington Town at this momentous period in their history and to be part of such an amazing celebration of the club’s first 80 years.
“It was heartwarming to see so many fans, former players and others involved in the club turn up for the big day. Huge congratulations to all involved – and here’s to the next 80 years.”
Lifelong fan Luke Riley said: “The 80th celebrations have been great – it’s good to see a few more fans down – young and old! It’s good that Fibrus has linked up with Workington Town – it has been financially rewarding for the club and helping the local area as well.”
Steven Dawes was among the 60 ex-players to join in with the celebrations and remembered his time with Workington in 2004-9 fondly.
He said: “I miss it, not just the game but the social side of things, the comradery, the family that it brings. It’s very important having the support of Fibrus – it’s all going back into the club, helps us get some press, and pays the way for fun days like this as well – it’s good all round.”
