FELLOW MEMBERS, IT IS WITH GREAT PRIDE AND AT THE SAME TIME HUMILITY THAT I STAND HERE BEFORE YOU AS THE NEW AND 62ND PRESIDENT OF THIS GREAT CLUB WHICH IS RENOWNED THROUGHOUT THE RUGBY PLAYING WORLD. I AM CONSCIOUS OF THE GREAT MEN WHO HAVE GONE BEFORE ME, NOT LEAST MY GREAT UNCLE “CHAP“, JOHN CHAPMAN GRAY LANDLES, THE ONLY MAN TO BE HAWICK CORNET AND HAWICK PROVOST WHO WAS HAWICK RUGBY CLUB PRESIDENT FROM 1961 TO 1963. GETTING ON FOR A CENTURY BEFORE THAT MY GREAT-GRANDFATHER ANDREW LANDLES PLAYED IN THE FIRST GAME HAWICK EVER PLAYED AGAINST THE BOYS FROM THE MUCKLE TOON O THE LANGHOLM ON THE FIRST OF FEBRUARY, 1874. I NEVER GOT TO FOLLOW HIM INTO THE GREEN JERSEY BECAUSE MY OWN RUGBY PLAYING CAREER WAS CUT SHORT BY A TRAGIC LACK OF ABILITY BUT I’M PROUD THAT TONIGHT I’M CARRYING ON THE LANDLES FAMILY LINK WITH THE CLUB.
I WOULDN’T BE IN THIS POSITION BUT FOR MY IMMEDIATE PREDECESSOR NEIL PUTTING HIS FAITH IN ME AND I’LL TRY AND BE WORTHY OF HIS TRUST. NEIL HAS DONE A GREAT JOB IN CIRCUMSTANCES WHICH NO PREVIOUS HAWICK PRESIDENT HAS EVER HAD TO FACE. HIS FIRST SEASON WAS WIPED OUT ALTOGETHER. WHAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN RUGBY SATURDAYS CHEERING ON THE BOYS ON THE FIELD BEING REPLACED BY SOCIAL SATURDAYS TRYING TO ENSURE THAT THE BOYS KEPT THE REQUISITE SOCIAL DISTANCE FROM EACH OTHER – NAE FUN AT A’. NOR WERE THE COUNTLESS ZOOM MEETINGS. NEIL HAD TO EMBRACE MODERN TECHNOLOGY WHICH WAS OUTWITH HIS COMFORT ZONE BUT HEICOPED ADMIRABLY. HE ALSO HAD TO COPE WITH MORE RESIGNATIONS THAN THE TORY GOVERNMENT. THE STORM INDUCED LOSS OF ELECTRICITY COULDN’T HAVE COME ON A WORSE DAY BUT THE FARMERS DAY WITH JILL DOUGLAS AS OUR GUEST WAS STILL A MEMORABLE OCCASION WHEN THE CLUB CONFERRED A HUGELY DESERVED HONORARY MEMBERSHIP ON JILL’S FATHER, HENRY. THANKFULLY HOWEVER NEIL’S SECOND SEASON WAS A MEMORABLE ONE. IT’S A VERY LONG TIME SINCE A PRESIDENT COULD BOAST OF AN UNBEATEN HOME LEAGUE RECORD AND WINNING THE BORDER LEAGUE FOR THE FIFTIETH TIME WAS THE ICING ON THE CAKE. YOU CAN NOW GET BACK TO YOUR EARLSIDE SHEEP AND COWS, NEIL, I’M SURE YOU’D ALL LIKE TO JOIN ME IN CONGRATULATING NEIL ON A JOB WELL DONE.
I’M LOOKING FORWARD TO THE SEASON AHEAD WITH GREAT ANTICIPATION. MATTY DID A GREAT JOB. AT THE START OF LAST SEASON MANY WONDERED IF OWE MIGHT STRUGGLE TO STAY IN THE TOP LEAGUE AND WE MADE IT TO THE PLAY-OFFS WHERE WE WEREN’T THAT FAR AWAY AGAINST MARR WHO WENT ON TO WIN THE LEAGUE. THE BOYS ARE BUZZING TO DO EVEN BETTER THIS SEASON AND WITH MATTY NOW GOING TO BE SUPPORTED BY GRAHAM HOGG IN CHARGE OF THE BACKS AND FORMER PEEBLES HEAD COACH LEWIS BERTRAM IN CHARGE OF THE FORWARDS WE’VE A GREAT COACHING TEAM IN PLACE FOR THE BOYS WITH YOUR SUPPORT TO REALLY CHALLENGE FOR THE PREMIERSHIP TITLE.
LAST SEASON IT WAS A REAL STRUGGLE TO GET A FORCE TEAM ONTO THE FIELD AND THAT WE DID IS VERY MUCH DUE TI GREG MCLEOD AND GARRY MUIR TO WHOM WE OWE A LOT. THIS SEASON THE BULK OF THE VERY SUCCESSFUL HAWICK YOUTH UNDER 18 TEAM ARE COMING OUR WAY AND WE’RE ESTABLISHING A MUCH CLOSER LINK WITH THE LINDEN WHO ARE JOINING US FOR PRE-SEASON TRAINING – THE QUINS WERE INVITED ALSO BUT DECLINED – SO WE’RE CONFIDENT THAT THE FORCE WILL ALSO DO WELL. WE NOW ALSO HAVE A COACHING TEAM IN PLACE FOR THE FORCE WHICH THE PLAYERS ARE GOING TO BE TOLD ABOUT THIS WEEK SO LOOK OUT FOR THIS NEWS WHICH WILL BE ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND IN THE HAWICK PAPER SHORTLY. IF YOU’RE NOT TRAVELLING TO SUPPORT THE FIRST TEAM THE FORCE BOYS WILL VALUE YOUR PRESENCE AT MANSFIELD HAUGH TO CHEER THEM ON.
ONE OF THE REASONS I WAS APPROACHED TO DO THIS JOB WAS BECAUSE IT WAS THOUGHT AS A HISTORIAN I WOULD BE A GOOD MAN TO BE AT THE HELM WHEN THE CLUB CELEBRATE ITS 150TH ANNIVERSARY IN SEASON 2023-2024. A SUB-COMMITTEE HAVE BEEN VERY ACTIVE IN DREAMING AND SCHEMING TO PRODUCE WHAT WE BELIEVE WILL BE A MEMORABLE COMMEMORATION OF THIS SIGNIFICANT LANDMARK IN THE CLUB’S HISTORY. I’LL MENTION ONE OR TWO OF THE HIGHLIGHTS TO WHET YOUR APPETITE.
A HUGE LOT OF WORK HAS ALREADY GONE INTO THE BOOK “VOICES OF HAWICK RUGBY”. THERE IS STILL TIME TO CONTRIBUTE YOUR MEMORIES. IF YOU HAVEN’T ALREADY CONTRIBUTED AND WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK TO ME AT THE END AND I’LL EXPLAIN A BIT MORE.
NOW, HERE’S AN IMPORTANT DATE FOR YOUR DIARY. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 17TH, 2023 IS WHEN WE ARE GOING TO HAVE A PRESTIGIOUS DINNER IN A MARQUEE ON THE PITCH TO JOINTLY MARK THE CLUB’S 150TH ANNIVERSARY AND WHAT WOULD HAVE BEEN BILL MCLAREN’S 100TH BIRTHDAY.
TWO MUSEUM EXHIBITIONS ARE ALSO BEING PLANNED TO CELEBRATE BILL IN AUTUMN 2023 AND THE CLUB IN SPRING 2024.
HAWICK WILL PLAY THE REST OF THE BORDERS IN A COMMEMORATIVE GAME AND A RE-ENACTMENT OF THE CLUB’S FIRST EVER MATCH AGAINST LANGHOLM WITH THE PLAYERS IN PERIOD COSTUME WILL BE HELD AT THE CRICKET FIELD WHERE THAT FIRST GAME TOOK PLACE.
WE PLAN TO INSTAL A WALK OF FAME AS YOU ENTER THE GROUND WITH THE NAMES OF ALL HAWICK’S INTERNATIONALISTS, MALE AND FEMALE, INSCRIBED ON INDIVIDUAL STONES.
ALL TOLD, AN EXCITING TIME AHEAD.
NOW TO THE ELECTION OF OFFICE BEARERS. ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT JOBS A CORNET HAS TO DO IS TO PICK AN ACTING FATHER WHO WILL KEEP HIM ON THE STRAIGHT AND NARROW. LIKEWISE A HAWICK RUGBY CLUB PRESIDENT HAS TO CHOOSE A VICE PRESIDENT IN WHOM HE WILL HAVE THE UTMOST CONFIDENCE AND IN CHOOSING MINE I’VE FOLLOWED IN THE HOOFPRINTS OF THE 2009 HAWICK CORNET JAMIE RICHARDSON. THE MAN HE CHOSE DID A WONDERFUL JOB FOR HIM AND I’M ABSOLUTELY SURE HE WILL DO JUST AS GOOD A JOB FOR ME. LIKE ME HE IS CARRYING ON A LONG FAMILY TRADITION, HIS FATHER, NOW SADLY GONE, AND HIS TWO UNCLES HAVING WORN BETWEEN THEM THE GREEN JERSEY, THE SCOTTISH JERSEY AND THE BRITISH AND IRISH LIONS SHIRT WITH DISTINCTION. SPONSORSHIP CONVENOR, FEASIBILITY STUDY SUB-COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN, CLUB PHOTOGRAPHER – AS IF HE WASN’T DOING ENOUGH ALREADY – I WAS DELIGHTED WHEN HE ACCEPTED MY INVITATION. FELLOW MEMBERS, MY VICE PRESIDENT AND THE MAN WHO IN DUE COURSE ALL BEING WELL WILL FOLLOW ME AS THE 63RD PRESIDENT OF HAWICK RUGBY FOOTBALL CLUB IS MALCOLM GRANT.
I’LL NOW ASK MALCOLM TO SAY A FEW WORDS.
THANKS, MAL. I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKIN WITH YOU.
CLUB SECRETARY JOHN THORBURN, TREASURER STUART KINGHORN AND FIXTURE SECRETARY JOHN ANDISON ARE ALL CONTINUING IN OFFICE AND ON YOUR BEHALF I THANK THEM FOR ALL THE WORK THAT THEY HAVE DONE AND CONTINUE TO DO FOR THE CLUB.
LAST SEASON THE CLUB MADE A GREAT APPOINTMENT WHEN GRAHAM HOGG BECAME OUR DEVELOPMENT OFFICER. WHAT HE HAS DONE SINCE TAKING UP HIS POST HAS BEEN INCREDIBLE. HE HAS ENERGISED THE BAIRNS AND YOUNG FOLK OF HAWICK FROM TOTS TO TEENS, BOYS AND GIRLS, INFECTING THEM WITH HIS BOUNDLESS ENTHUSIASM FOR THE GAME. MORGAN TAIT HAS ALSO BEEN A GREAT ASSET AND WE WISH HIM WELL WHEN HE TAKES UP HIS APPOINTMENT AT FETTES. WE ARE ADVERTISING FOR A REPLACEMENT AND THIS ROLE IS TO BE EXPANDED TO TAKE IN LANGHOLM AND ALSO NEWCASTLETON. GARRY DOUGLAS DID A GREAT JOB FOR THE CLUB AS DIRECTOR OF RUGBY AND WE OWE HIM A GREAT DEBT. WHEN HE INDICATED HE WAS STANDING DOWN – ALTHOUGH WE’RE VERY HAPPY THAT WE’RE NOT LOSING HIM – IT WAS ANOTHER MEMBER OF THE HOGG FAMILY THAT WE APPOINTED TO SUCCEED HIM AND JOHN HAS REALLY HIT THE GROUND RUNNING EVEN BEFORE HIS OFFICIAL ENDORSEMENT WHICH WE ARE CONFIDENT YOU THE MEMBERS WILL GIVE US AND HIM TONIGHT. TO MAKE THINGS EASIER FOR JOHN I SPOKE TO THE POWERS THAT BE AND SUGGESTED THAT THEY BUILD A BRIDGE TO MAKE IT EASIER FOR JOHN TO GET FROM HERONHILL BANK TO MANSFIELD PARK AND THEY’VE AGREED TO DO THIS. SUCH IS THE POWER OF THE HAWICK RFC PRESIDENT ELECT! WE SERIOUSLY CONSIDERED BRINGING THE THIRD MALE MEMBER OF THE HOGG FAMILY IN AS WELL BY ASKING STUART TO LEAVE EXETER TO PLAY FOR US BUT OUR BOYS HAVING DONE SO WELL LAST SEASON IT WOULDN’T HAVE BEEN FAIR TO MUCK ABOUT WITH A WINNING TEAM!
I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU ALL AT OUR FESTIVAL OF RUGBY WEEKEND IN ONLY FIVE WEEKS TIME AND THEN AT OUR FIRST HOME GAME AGAINST OUR LOCAL RIVALS FROM PHILIPHAUGH ON AUGUST 27TH WHEN MEMBERSHIP CARDS WILL BE AVAILABLE.
THE NEW SEASON IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER. I’M SURE IT’LL BE A MEMORABLE ONE BOTH ON AND OFF THE FIELD. UNTIL THEN HAVE A GOOD SUMMER.
