Interesting article in the Bucks Free today over Ingrams choice of schools
Todays article refers to when Ingram had a choice of schools between the RGS and John Hampden.
Matt goes onto say, he was sat in an opening evening, when the headmaster said "football is only for
the playground,we play rugby here".
Matt states that made up his mind to choose John Hampden, as it was a no-brainer due to his love of football.
It's very strange in this day an age, when education officials are constantly trying to encourage
physical activities amongst youngsters, that one of the two 'pass' schools in Wycombe, still continues
to deny it's pupils the opportunity to participate, by and far away the country's number 1 sport at any
competetitive level.
class and sport prejudice is alive and rucking in Bucks today.
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Comments
I know my place
@ChasHarps Absolutely. Just watching this opening ceremony shows that class divide will always be apparent in Rugby Union. Makes me want to listen to Billy Bragg and The Home Front song.
The choice Ingram described was one many had to make and often it boiled down to football or rugby. I thought the RGS took up football more seriously in recent years but maybe locals could assist.
I remember going through exactly the same and choosing Dr Challoner's ahead of the much closer and - supposedly more prestigious RSG - ahead of my 12+. That was back in 1978. Amazing that so little has changed. I live in Oxford now where they don't have grammars but the city is awash with private schools, most of which only play rugby. Strange that in Scotland, Wales and Ireland as well as most of the rest of the rugby playing world it isn't such a class distinct sport.
You've got to be joking? Rugby is more of a public school game in Scotland and Iteland by miles than it is in England
rgs have never done football and never will
Well, being Scottish myself and having lived in Edinburgh for a significant part of my life, that was never the case. Rugby and football were very much equal at the (state) school I went to.
Hi M3G old mate, Do you mean this Billy Bragg?
http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/celebrity/billy-bragg-has-absolutely-gigantic-house-201101063402
He could fit quite a few Syrians in there!
You do know The Daily Mash is a spoof news site right?
Errr... no shit Sherlock!
Brief history of soccer vs union in schools: Soccer was a public school invention, indeed many 'major' public schools still play as their lead sport Eton, Shrewsbury, Harrow, Repton. At the outbreak of WW1 with professional football continuing for 2 years, many officer class chaps objected (to playing for money & failing to volunteer) & as a 'class action' most 'posh' schools switched to Union (the aforementioned 'nobb' schools being above any interest in what the great unwashed were doing continued to play amateur soccer in their elite bubble). After the Great War most Grammar Schools (which were fee paying until the 1945 Education Act) copied the 'minor' public school model and took up Union, which over the ensuing 90 years has exacerbated the perceived class divide. RGS is such an example, John Hampden as the former Wycombe Technical High School does not fit the traditional Grammar School model, hence soccer.
It's not true the the RGS never played soccer. They did until 1943-the year I went there. Rugby was introduced by the new Headmaster who had arrived shortly before that. I remember that the Air Training Corps Squadron at the school won the national championship but there was not a mention of it in assembly. I didn't like rugby and did cross country. instead like many others.
RGS won a Rugby League title at Wembley a couple of years back beating a team from Castleford. League is the antithesis of Union in terms of class so the school isn't completely exclusive to "lesser" sports.
With the proportion of pupils that come from private junior prep schools (coached as part of the fee to pass the 11+) as high as it is you can understand a grammar school head when he wants to give the parents of little Tarquin the full faux public school experience and that includes rugger .
As a keen footballer at a Rugby Grammar School, I played Junior football with a Church team, but after leaving school a group of us formed an "old Boys Team" and joined the Old Boys Football League, which was formed in 1907. A great true amateur League .
( Where there's a will, there's a way)
I think most grammar schools locally start with rugby in years 7&8 and then football comes in at year 9.I know this us the case for Aylesbury boys grammar school.
Two thirds of the current England rugby squad were educated in 'public' schools. Class division is alive and well with the egg chasers.
@marlowwanderer Good luck expressing that sentiment west of Bristol!
Not much of note west of Bristol is there?
Being an 11 plus reject and attending Mandeville School in Aylesbury I was lucky enough to experience the delights of both games. Afraid the shouting from Mr Hamill on cold winter afternoons about "run with the ball boy" put me off rugby. A game for gentlemen played by hooligans for this working class boy...! But I thank Mr Ingram for being wise beyond his years when he was given the choice..........
"Run with the ball boy"? You had ball boys at Mandeville School? I'm impressed.
Going to Mandeville has meant my grammar is not as good as it should be, it should read "Run with the ball, boy!" Note the comma!!!! But is did put me off the rugby.......
Aylesbury Grammer School vs John Hampden under 16's tomorrow. Ags should win.....
Cripes @wingnut - there's me thinking I am the father of the Gasroom. I didn't start at Maidstone Grammar School until 1949. Any other pretenders to the crown?!
You probably share my feelings that getting old is not for the faint-hearted. I don't aspire to "the crown". As the bard said (almost) "greatness is thrust upon you"
Engels has just been yellow carded for Namibia, so perhaps the class war is alive and well in rugby.