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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 1979-80 | John A Scott | Peter Norman | Alan Aaron |
| 1980-81 | John A Scott | Alistair Spowage | Tommy Watters |
| 1981-82 | Alan Aaron | Kevin Manson | Davy Prentice |
| 1982-83 | Alan Aaron | Kevin Manson | Dave Kenyon, Bill Kinross & Davy Prentice |
| 1983-84 | I G Gourlay | Peter Norman | Bill Kinross |
| 1984-85 | T I Scott | Peter Norman | Bill Kinross |
| 1985-86 | T I Scott | Dougie Whitehead | Bill Kinross |
| 1986-87 | T I Scott | Dougie Whitehead | Bill Young |
| 1987-88 | T I Scott | Dougie Whitehead | Bill Young |
| 1988-89 | Alan Aaron | Kevin Manson | Brian Jamieson & Charlie Forbes |
| 1989-90 | Alan Aaron | Andy Grinly | Dave Kenyon & Bill Young |
| 1990-91 | Alan Aaron | Alan Manson | Alan Prentice |
| 1991-92 | Alan Aaron | Gregor Kennedy | |
| 1992-93 | Alan Aaron | Alistair Spowage | Alec McCulloch |
| 1993-94 | Alan Aaron | Peter Norman | Alan Prentice |
| 1994-95 | John Pritchard | Peter Norman | Dougie Whitehead |
| 1995-96 | Martin Ross | Dougie Whitehead | |
| 1996-97 | Martin Ross | Jim Bell | Tony Howard |
| 1997-98 | Peter Norman | Jim Bell | Tony Howard |
| 1998-99 | Peter Norman | Davie Stirratt | Brian Ireland |
| 1999-00 | Peter Norman | Brian Ireland | Brian Ireland |
| 2000-01 | Peter Norman | Brian Ireland | Brian Ireland |
| 2001-02 | Peter Norman | Brian Ireland | Brian Ireland |
| 2002-03 | Peter Norman | Sandy Penman | Brian Ireland |
| 2003-04 | Peter Norman | Sandy Penman | Brian Ireland |
| 2004-05 | Peter Norman | Sandy Penman | Brian Ireland |
| 2005-06 | Peter Norman | Sandy Penman | Brian Ireland |
| 2006-07 | Peter Norman | Mike Slade | Brian Ireland |
| 2007-08 | Peter Norman | Mike Slade | Brian Ireland |
| 2008-09 | Peter Norman | Andrew Hamilton | Brian Ireland |
| 2009-10 | Peter Norman | Ian Kelley | Brian Ireland |
| 2010-11 | Peter Norman | Gavin Spowage | Iain Nicolson |
| 2011-12 | Peter Norman | Gavin Spowage | Kevin Manson |
| 2012-13 | Peter Norman | Gavin Spowage | Iain Nicolson |
| 2013-14 | Peter Norman | Campbell Calder | Iain Nicolson |
| 2014-15 | Eddie Inglis | Campbell Calder | Stuart McGee |
| 2015-16 | Eddie Inglis | Gavin Spowage | Murray McKenzie |
| 2016-17 | Eddie Inglis | Gregor Manson | Rudi Urbach, Ian Hamilton & Ritchie Bruce |
| 2017-18 | Paddy Sherrard | Iain Nicolson | Ian Hamilton, Ritchie Bruce & Mark Hunter |
| 2018-19 | Gavin Spowage | Alan Steele | Mark Hunter |
| 2019-20 | Gavin Spowage | Keith Slade | Murray Brown, Brad Bell |
| 2020-21 | Peter Norman | Keith Slade | Murray Brown |
| 2021-22 | Peter Norman | Keith Slade | Murray Brown, Murray McKenzie |
| 2022-23 | Paddy Sherrard | Keith Slade | Murray McKenzie |
| 2023-24 | Paddy Sherrard | Paul Slade | Graeme Simpson, Kris Illingworth |
| 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.