Hillfoots RFC
| Full name | Hillfoots Rugby Football Club | |
|---|---|---|
| Union | Scottish Rugby Union | |
| Founded | 1971 | |
| Ground(s) | Tillicoultry Public Park | |
| President | Kris Illingworth | |
| Coach(es) | Graeme Simpson (men), Jordan Usher (women), Barry Munro (youths & juniors) | |
| Captain(s) | Paul Slade (men), Christina Swinton (women) | |
| League(s) | Caledonia Division 2 Midlands (men), Midlands/East Division 2 (women) | |
| ||
Hillfoots RFC is a Scottish rugby union club based in Tillicoultry, Clackmannanshire. The club plays its home games at the Public Park in Tillicoultry.
Hillfoots men's 1st XV currently play in the Caledonia League Division 2 Midlands.
The club runs two senior men's XVs (a 1st XV and an occasional 2nd XV (the Rams)), a senior women's team (the Vixens), and a veterans men's team (the Cast Tups). The club also run youths and junior squads from P1 to U16 age-groups, working closely with the local primary schools and the high school, Alva Academy.
History
[edit]After a public meeting in the Congregational Church Hall in Tillicoultry on Monday 7th December 1970, Hillfoots Rugby Football Club was founded. The club's first game was against an Alloa RFC 4th XV in the public park on 6th March 1971. Hillfoots were victorious by 18 points to 11.
After a season of non-league friendly fixtures in 1971-72, the club entered the Midlands District League the following season. Promotion to National League Division VII was achieved in 1975, to Division VI in 1982 and to Division V in 1984 where the club remained for over a decade. The club's most sustained period of success began in 2000 when Sandy Penman and Brian Ireland, as captain and player-coach, led the club to successive promotions to National League Division I, then the third tier of Scottish club rugby.
An unsuccessful and short-lived merger with Alloa RFC coincided with a slide back down the divisions as the core of a very successful team began to retire. By 2010, due to relegations and league reconstruction, the club found itself back in the regional divisions. Since then, most seasons have been spent in Caledonia Division 1, with a couple of brief spells one level lower. The club is in Caledonia Division 2 Midlands for season 2024-25.
Three of its most famous players John Manson, Danny Herrington and Bob Cairney formed a front row in the 1990s called the 'Tillicoultry Troglodytes'. All three went on to play for Dundee HSFP.[1]
The club was awarded the Scottish Rugby Union's club of the month award in 2013.
As part of the club's 50th anniversary celebrations in 2021, a history of the club was published and made available for sale. The book, entitled 'Fifty Years Together - An Incomplete History of Hillfoots RFC', was authored by Gerry Docherty with assistance from Peter Norman, Alistair Spowage and Gavin Spowage.[2]
The club started a women's team in September 2023, nicknamed the Vixens. After a successful first season of friendly fixtures, the Vixens have been accepted into the national league set-up and will be playing in Caledonia Midlands/East League 2 in 2024-25.
Notable former players
[edit]Scotland internationalists
[edit]The following former Hillfoots players have represented Scotland at full international level.
North and Midlands
[edit]The following former Hillfoots players have represented North and Midlands at provincial level.
Caledonia Reds players
[edit]The following former Hillfoots players have represented Caledonia Reds at professional level.
Honours
[edit]- National League Division 3
- Runners-up: 2001-02
- National League Division 4
- Runners-up: 2000-01
- National League Division 5
- Winners: 1999-00
- National League Division 6
- Runners-up: 1983-84
- Midlands District League
- Winners: 1974-75; 1978-79
- Caledonia Division 1
- Runners-up: 2010-11; 2011-12
- Caledonia Division 2 Midlands
- Winners: 2013-14; 2017-18[3]
Presidents, Club Captains and Coaches
[edit]The following table lists all presidents, club captains and men's 1st XV coaches of the club since its founding in 1971.
| Season | President | Club Captain | 1st XV Coach(es) | Players' Player of the Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1971-72 | Rev. Morgan Philips | Billy Lyons | ||
| 1972-73 | John Murray | Fraser Mason | Bob Dewar | |
| 1973-74 | John Murray | Bob Dewar | Bob Dewar | |
| 1974-75 | John Murray | John Perry | Colin Davies | |
| 1975-76 | John A Scott | Tommy Walker | Colin Davies | |
| 1976-77 | John A Scott | Dave Kenyon | Colin Davies | |
| 1977-78 | John A Scott | John Perry | Colin Davies | |
| 1978-79 | John A Scott | Peter Norman | Alan Aaron | Ray Inglis |
| 1979-80 | John A Scott | Peter Norman | Alan Aaron | Duncan Findlay |
| 1980-81 | John A Scott | Alistair Spowage | Tommy Watters | Kevin Manson |
| 1981-82 | Alan Aaron | Kevin Manson | Davy Prentice | Gregor Kennedy |
| 1982-83 | Alan Aaron | Kevin Manson | Dave Kenyon, Bill Kinross & Davy Prentice | Jim Bell |
| 1983-84 | I G Gourlay | Peter Norman | Bill Kinross | Alan Gray |
| 1984-85 | T I Scott | Peter Norman | Bill Kinross | Kevin Manson |
| 1985-86 | T I Scott | Dougie Whitehead | Bill Kinross | Danny Herrington |
| 1986-87 | T I Scott | Dougie Whitehead | Bill Young | Alan Manson |
| 1987-88 | T I Scott | Dougie Whitehead | Bill Young | John Manson & Danny Herrington |
| 1988-89 | Alan Aaron | Kevin Manson | Brian Jamieson & Charlie Forbes | Simon Bowyer |
| 1989-90 | Alan Aaron | Andy Grinly | Dave Kenyon & Bill Young | Alan Manson |
| 1990-91 | Alan Aaron | Alan Manson | Alan Prentice | Mark Carberry |
| 1991-92 | Alan Aaron | Gregor Kennedy | Mark Carberry | |
| 1992-93 | Alan Aaron | Alistair Spowage | Alec McCulloch | A Baker |
| 1993-94 | Alan Aaron | Peter Norman | Alan Prentice | Callum Hamilton |
| 1994-95 | John Pritchard | Peter Norman | Dougie Whitehead | P Horne |
| 1995-96 | Martin Ross | Dougie Whitehead | Willie McCune | |
| 1996-97 | Martin Ross | Jim Bell | Tony Howard | Jim Bell |
| 1997-98 | Peter Norman | Jim Bell | Tony Howard | Callum Hamilton & Mike Wynd |
| 1998-99 | Peter Norman | Davie Stirratt | Brian Ireland | Brian Ireland |
| 1999-00 | Peter Norman | Brian Ireland | Brian Ireland | Mike Wynd |
| 2000-01 | Peter Norman | Brian Ireland | Brian Ireland | Jim Dawson |
| 2001-02 | Peter Norman | Brian Ireland | Brian Ireland | Sandy Penman |
| 2002-03 | Peter Norman | Sandy Penman | Brian Ireland | Mike Slade |
| 2003-04 | Peter Norman | Sandy Penman | Brian Ireland | Iain Nicolson |
| 2004-05 | Peter Norman | Sandy Penman | Brian Ireland | Iain Nicolson |
| 2005-06 | Peter Norman | Sandy Penman | Brian Ireland | Andrew Hamilton |
| 2006-07 | Peter Norman | Mike Slade | Brian Ireland | Mike Slade |
| 2007-08 | Peter Norman | Mike Slade | Brian Ireland | A Pudney |
| 2008-09 | Peter Norman | Andrew Hamilton | Brian Ireland | Calum McGee |
| 2009-10 | Peter Norman | Ian Kelley | Brian Ireland | Gavin Spowage |
| 2010-11 | Peter Norman | Gavin Spowage | Iain Nicolson | Iain Nicolson |
| 2011-12 | Peter Norman | Gavin Spowage | Kevin Manson | Craig Scott |
| 2012-13 | Peter Norman | Gavin Spowage | Iain Nicolson | Jamie Murchie |
| 2013-14 | Peter Norman | Campbell Calder | Iain Nicolson | David McCulloch |
| 2014-15 | Eddie Inglis | Campbell Calder | Stuart McGee | Mark Hunter |
| 2015-16 | Eddie Inglis | Gavin Spowage | Murray McKenzie | Duncan Arthur |
| 2016-17 | Eddie Inglis | Gregor Manson | Rudi Urbach, Ian Hamilton & Ritchie Bruce | Danny Ross |
| 2017-18 | Paddy Sherrard | Iain Nicolson | Ian Hamilton, Ritchie Bruce & Mark Hunter | Greig Anderson |
| 2018-19 | Gavin Spowage | Alan Steele | Mark Hunter | Davie Cree & John McMurdo |
| 2019-20 | Gavin Spowage | Keith Slade | Murray Brown, Brad Bell | Fraser Christie |
| 2020-21 | Peter Norman | Keith Slade | Murray Brown | n/a |
| 2021-22 | Peter Norman | Keith Slade | Murray Brown, Murray McKenzie | Iain Anderson |
| 2022-23 | Paddy Sherrard | Keith Slade | Murray McKenzie | Robert Hodge |
| 2023-24 | Paddy Sherrard | Paul Slade | Graeme Simpson, Kris Illingworth | Ryan Butterworth |
| 2024-25 | Kris Illingworth | Paul Slade | Graeme Simpson, Kris Illingworth, Gregor Manson |
The Hillfoots Vixens coaching team since its founding in 2023 has been Jordan Usher and Ross McNeil and the captain (or 'Head Vixen') is Christina Swinton.
References
[edit]- ^ "Herrington dies at 44". www.scotsman.com.
- ^ Docherty, Gerry (2021). Fifty Years Together: An Incomplete History of Hillfoots Rugby Football Club. Hillfoots Rugby Football Club. ISBN 978-1-3999-0591-6.
- ^ a b c "Hillfoots Rugby Football Club". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 18 March 2023.