Author: ClarkKent14
Subject: "The Price of Success"
Posted: 02 Apr 2014 at 12:20
As a member of a club who could be regarded as 'repugnant' for trying to have a professionally run outfit and looking to progress the club as whole I can't agree with you completely FAP.
I see the views of some clubs as very much old money vs new money, where the established big clubs do not like 'smaller' clubs making their way up the ladder. For every story of a Barking or Newbury there is a success story such as Ealing or Jersey.
I will use Dorking as an example of a club that is fully 'amateur' because they do not pay players. They always blow their own trumpet about the success of their minis and juniors and the amount of homegrown players they produce. However, despite they fact we can all see they are a successful club, I think we can still see that money has played it's part in the club. They are based in a very affluent area so are fortunate to have wealthy sponsors and benefactors, who may not fund the team but certainly would help with running costs of the club and their new clubhouse. The local area also possesses very strong rugby schools which they are fortunate to get players from, such as; Reigate Grammar, Whitgift, Wellington College and Epsom College. I am not using Dorking to have a go at them, but merely as an example of how it is easy to sit back and be disgusted with other clubs using money to attract players, improve facilities and raise their profile, when you have all of these advantages on your doorstep. Location plays a massive factor in your success and I just believe in a lot of cases many of the people complaining about the vulgar new money clubs working their way up the ladder are the same old blazers who were born with the silver rugby spoon in their mouth.
Also just to add clearly the money is working after the pasting G-Force gave to Dorking last week!