Among the fifteen players who lined up for Tynedale in their first ever match against Elswick in a field at the top of Eastgate, Hexham on 30th December 1876 was R.H.Robb (Harry) at full-back. It was the same Harry Robb who, fifty years later, was to be President of the the Tynedale Club in its jubilee year of 1926. It crowned half a century of devoted service to the club as both player and administrator by this lifelong bachelor, who lived in a flat in Hexham Hydro.

Five times club captain during the six years from 1878 to 1884, Harry had a distinguished playing career for both club and county. He was a member of the Tynedale side which brought the Northumberland Senior Cup to Hexham for the first time in 1887, and also of the team, which two years earlier, wrote Tynedale’s name into the record books by becoming the first English team to win a Scottish Borders sevens tournament in 1880. He also played in Northumberland’s first official county match, against Cumberland at Whitehaven.
Once his playing days were over, Harry Robb, whose brother James also played for Tynedale in those early years, went on to serve the club for many years on the committee. He went on to serve two terms as President, in season 1922-1923 and again in the jubilee season of of 1925-1926.

Harry Robb’s nephew Willie, later to become a Major-General, followed in Harry’s footsteps by captaining the club during one of its vintage periods from 1910 to 1913, and playing in the cup-winning sides in 1911 and 1914. Willie’s brothers Milne and Ridley, also played at around this time.
Willie Robb played a number of times for Northumberland and, in one match against Durham in 1911, after being moved from full-back to centre in the second-half went on to score three fine tries to help win the match and was carried shoulder-high from the field at the end of the game.
Williw Robb was a fine all-round sportsman and also played hockey for Northumberland and captained Tynedale at cricket.

To complete a unique family record, Derek Robb, became the third Robb to captain Tynedale when he led the club in the 75th anniversary season of 1951-1952. Great nephew of Henry Robb and nephew of Will Robb, he also emulated both of them in earning county recognition and playing in a cup-winning side - in 1948. Tragically polio cut short Derek’s rugby career.
Tynedale Rugby Club owes a lot to the remarkable Robb family.

J.C (JACK) SUDDES

Tynedale hooker Jack Suddes, is probably the only player to have played in Tynedale cup-winning sides at 1st XV, 2nd XV, 3rd XV and 4th XV level.

Jack was described in 1976 by Michael Sharman in the club’s Centenary History 1876-1976 as “probably the finest hooker ever to pull on a blue and white jersey”.
He was the only player to have played five times in a Northumberland Senior Cup-winning side – 1927 (playing prop), 1933, 1934, 1935 and 1936.

Jack made a string of County appearances and was one of six players from Tynedale to represent Northumberland in the County Championship final of 1936, when they went down by 13-6 to Hampshire. He also had the distinction that year of playing for a combined Northumberland and Durham team at the County ground, Gosforth, against the New Zealand Third “All Blacks” who just beat the Counties in a very tight game by 10 points to 6.

Jack later 'switched codes' and later became reserve hooker for England while playing Rugby League for Bramley.

When the old stalwarts, Drew Richardson and Wilf Young, were invited to choose their Tynedale Select XV 1927 -1976, and Mike Sharman chose his best Tynedale team from 1876 to 1976 Jack Suddes was the chosen hooker in each case.

BILL DINNING - A REMARKABLE RUGBY LIFE

When W.A. Dinning died in March 2007, aged 83 years, the club web-site and the Annual Report later that year, stated that if ever we had to choose one person who best encapsulated the spirit and ethos of Tynedale Rugby Football Club, then that person would have to be Bill Dinning.

The importance of his place in club history was acknowledged in 1976 when Bill was made an Honorary Life Member of the club, the club’s ultimate accolade. He had enjoyed a fantastic playing career but the physical structures of the clubhouse, the spectator stand, and even the actual grounds at Tynedale Park stand as permanent lasting memorials to his administrative influence once his playing days were over.

As a boy Bill went first to Catton Primary School, then the Queen Elizabeth Grammar School in Hexham where he learned his rugby. He there came under the influence of Kingsley S.D. Hodgson, who was games master at the school in the Thirties, and had played for Durham, Yorkshire and Northumberland as well as captaining the Tynedale 1st XV from 1932 to 1937. With that sort of guidance Bill prospered and gained County schoolboy honours, firstly as a 13 year old in the Northumberland U14’s, and then up through the age groups. He played his first game for Tynedale in 1940.

Unlike during the First World War Tynedale were able to keep the game alive between 1939 and 1945. The chief opponents then were Service sides from Army and RAF units stationed in the neighbourhood. In 1942, as an 18 year old Bill played for the Tynedale team which beat an Army XV 19-0.

In October 1946 in Northumberland’s first Championship match since 1938, against Cumberland & Westmorland, W.A. Dinning who had played in friendly fixtures was to play at prop. He was later to play second-row (Lock), middle of the back (No.8) and wing-forward (flanker) for the county at various times. In that 1946 fixture Bill joined the brothers Walter and William Rutherford from Tynedale, both of whom had played in Championship matches pre-war, and a newcomer, John Cousin, also from Tynedale. John later began the Cousin rugby dynasty through his son Wallace, then his grandson Jonathan up to the present day. Bill too was delighted that his son Roger also starred as a No.8 for the Tynedale 1stXV for many years. Bill once said that he had played against all sorts of representative sides but the hardest he had ever been tackled was in a Tynedale pre-season trial, when he had been downed by John Cousin, his great pal. When this was reported to Wallace Cousin he laughed, and said that the hardest tackle he had ever felt was also in one of Tynedale’s trial matches – by Roger Dinning!

In that period just after the war Tynedale provided five players for the Northumberland team ten times and six on one occasion - H.P.Brogdon, A.B. Morton, W.A. Dinning, J.E. Cousin and the Rutherford brothers. That situation did not recur until 1987, when Tynedale’s players began to dominate County selection, with players like Alan Gledson, Richard Parker, Chris Dixon, Martin White, Steven Dunn, Graham Yates, Chris Leslie, Mark Richard and others coming to the fore.

Apart from his work on the farm and his early rugby career Bill was very active elsewhere. When Miss R.T. Bell retired as a teacher in 1946 after 37years teaching at Catton Primary School Bill was the young ex-pupil who was asked to make a speech paying tribute to her work before presenting her with a gift. He was also Secretary of the Northumberland (South Regional) Young Farmers Club, played cricket for Allendale and was a member of a number of other groups, mainly concerned with activities in his home area.

Along with Will Rutherford (later his brother-in-law) and team-mate Ken Hall, Bill played for a combined Northumberland & Durham team against Australia in October 1947 at Gosforth Park. In April 1948 he then played, at prop, in the Tynedale side which beat Northern 15-13 in the final of the Northumberland Senior Cup at the County ground in Gosforth, in what was regarded at the time as one of the finest finals ever seen at Gosforth. Tynedale were to have to wait another forty years before they again won the Senior Cup, in1988, in the last match played at that old County ground.

Bill was vice-captain of Tynedale in 1951-52, in the club’s 75th Anniversary year. On the 11th October 1951 the club played a Scottish Border XV in a ‘Birthday Celebration Match’. He then captained Tynedale for the two following seasons from 1952 to1954. In September 1952 he had played for Northumberland (in the second-row) against Edinburgh & District at Murrayfield, then on the 7th.October 1953 he played for a Durham & Northumberland XV against a Combined Universities XV at Roker Park (the old Sunderland FC ground) in the first game of rugby football ever to be played under floodlights.

Bill continued playing until the mid-fifties. He had played for Northumberland, virtually without a break, right up to 1953, missing only one game and setting a new record for county caps. For Tynedale he retired, but was recalled in 1955 when the senior side struggled. Then in 1956 he was cajoled into playing for the club’s third team in the Northumberland Junior Cup, and was instrumental in ensuring a 16-5 victory over Percy Park III in the final. That was his last appearance in a Tynedale shirt.

Bill took over the club presidency at Tynedale in 1970 following the sudden death of Bobby Blackburn and served a further term in 1971/72. He was an active member of many of the club’s committees and was one of the prime instigators behind the introduction of mini-rugby at Tynedale, as well as always providing encouragement and advice to those moving into senior rugby from John Clark’s ex-Colts and schools.
Helped by Jim Chapman, Tom Dixon, Edward Robson and Ken Bell he was the main driving force behind the club’s acquisition of Tynedale Park, the Tynedale Agricultural Sociaty showfield at Corbridge, the move from Dene Park, Hexham, and the construction of the new clubhouse.

In 1971 the purchase of the 33 acre site at Corbridge for £12,000 was secured by borrowing £9,400 in personal loans from 23 club members. The Hexham ground’s 5.5 acre site was sold to Northumberland County Council in 1974 for £75,000, and the clubhouse and car-park to the National Coal Board Opencast Executive for £27,500 in 1975.The total Tynedale Park project cost about £142,000 by the time the new clubhouse was officially opened in the 1976/77 season.

At Tynedale Sports Council’s second Annual Dinner and Awards ceremony held in November 1976 Bill won the ‘Personality of the Year award’. The awards were presented by Basil Reay, the former Secretary of the LTA and the International Lawn Tennis Federation, largely responsible for running the Wimbledon tournament and the Davis Cup for many years. Mr. Reay, from Haltwhistle, was also a former pupil of the Queen Elizabeth Grammar School in Hexham.

The old spectator grandstand at Corbridge, built in 1942 by Italian prisoners-of war, was condemned under the Health & Safety at Work Act, following the 1990 Taylor Report into the tragedies at Bradford and Hillsborough football grounds. Tynedale Rugby Club had launched a fund-raising campaign led by Bill, which secured grants and loans, and he also raised more than £20,000 in donations from members, with the donors’ names being fixed to the benches in the stand. Bill Dinning, Dave Thornton and Walter Rutherford had been mainly instrumental in overseeing the construction of the new cantilever stand. It cost £85,000. At the opening ceremony in October 1992 Bill was presented with a silver salver to mark his contribution to the success of the whole project.

With John Shotton Bill reinvigorated the rugby club’s cricket team, which competed very successfully in the Tynedale Cricket Club’s annual knock-out cup competition for many years.
For all of his work it was appropriate that, in 1993, Bill was the first Chief Executive appointed by the club after the reorganisation of the management and committee structures. He carried out these duties for two years, in his customary helpful, efficient and wise manner. W.A. Dinning will also be remembered for his friendliness and great sense of humour, but behind that demeanour there lurked a driving will to get things done. Mike Sharman, editor of the club’s Centenary brochure said of Bill “his contribution has been equalled by few and surpassed by none”. That was in 1976! Thirty years later it would certainly have read “equalled by none”.

It is worth noting that the above is not a biography but concentrates mainly on the rugby aspects of Bill's life without mentioning very much about farming, family, Allendale cricket or his huge number of other interests.

SIMON CLAYTON-HIBBOTT ("Hibby") - Rugby Career (1977-2001)

Start of Rugby Career
Started playing rugby in 1977 for Tynedale Under 9's.
Played against Northern in first cup final - winning 8-0 (as usual Tynedale's goal-kicking wasn't vey good!).
Coach was Alan Bowman and fellow team mates included Andrew Dixon, Lewis Richardson, Nick Johnson and Andrew Graham.

First Senior Match
First senior match was for Tynedale 2ndXV in 1986 - can't remember the opposition but do remember Barry Hope pulling his hamstring walking down the steps onto the pitch.
Team mates on that occasion included Jimmy Batton (alias Chris Richardson), Kevin Marshall, Angus Herdman, Andrew Cuthbertson, Martin White, Johnny Mathews, Craig Johnston and Billy Robson.

Tynedale First XV Debut
Made 1stXV debut against the Northumberland County XV in a warm-up match - Tynedale won.
First time in 1stXV squad was away to Otley for Tynedale's first ever league fixture. (Don't know who was more pissed, Micky Lee or the bus driver - also a game Huw Mainwaring would like to forget about!)

Final Game
Final game was against Stourbridge - a defeat as I remember. Spent most of the game tackling and more tackling.

Clubs I've Played For
Tynedale
Ohaeawai (New Zealand)
Bath
Scottish Exiles
Scottish Exiles U21's
Northumberland
Northumberland U13, U16, Colts(1986-89), U21
North of England Colts(1987-89)

Most Memorable Matches
Playing at Twickenham for Northumberland in the County Championship Final.
Playing at Lansdowne Road for the Scottish Exiles.
Playing at Okara Park for Ohaeawai.
Tynedale against Hull Ionians (twice) in promotion season.
County Cup Final against Newcastle Gosforth in 1993.
Semi Final of County Cup against Newcastle Gosforth in 1992.

Favourite Grounds (other than Tynedale Park)
Okara Park, Whangarei, New Zealand
Northumberland's old County Ground

Least Favourite Ground
Broughton Park's ground, "dogshit alley" - need I say more !!

Favourite Coaches
Iain Harris - excellent, more than can be said about his drinking!!
Alan York - he taught me to pass and kick the ball.

Favourite Captain
Alan Gledson - he led from the front and by example.

Favourite Players I have played with
The Ohaeawai team.
James Ponton
Angus Herdman
Richard Cramb
Iain Harris
Freddie Woodman (ex All Black)
Peter Walton
Dick Parker
Epi Taione
John Fletcher
Stevie Bowen - even though he is Welsh !!

Most Memorable Tries I've scored
My second try against Sandal (2000-2001) - From the base of a ruck I broke right, kicked the ball one side of the winger & ran the other side of him & from the 10 metre line beat the full back to the touch down.
Winning try against Berwick in 1996 County Cup Final - broke blind and scored from about 40 metres out. (These two tries are memorable because I was never reowned for my pace)
Against Fletch and the England 'A' team - I just ran at the one I knew didn't like tackling very much !

Memorable Personal Performances
Against England 'A' in the R.F.Oakes Memorial Match.
For Ohaeawia against Otamatea in a Grand Final.
Tynedale 2nd XV Cup Final at County Ground in 1988.
1992 semi-final against Newcastle Gosforth.
1993 Final against Newcastle Gosforth.
One or two games in our promotion season!!

Worst Personal Performances
Too many to mention !!
Halifax 1989

Most Difficult Opposition Player
Ian Williams, a No 7, he played for Wigton, Liverpool St Helens, Newcastle Gosforth and Cumbria.

Best Scrum Half I've played against
Steve Douglas, a very good all round player.

Hardest Opposition Player
Ian Williams, Steve Douglas and a guy who played No 8 for kaitaia - I think he was called Don Stephenson and he was a very hard Maori.

Best Fly Halves I've partnered
Tony Drayder
Jamie Paton
Richard Cramb

Most Memorable Moments
Captaining Tynedale in the 1999-2000 season
Being the first Tynedale captain to pick up the County Cup twice.
My New Zealand tour in 1991
The county tour of USA in 1997.

Favourite Referee
Has to be Mr Andrew Tong - he did send me off but he's now my boss !!!

Least Favourite Referee
I thought they were all excellent !!!!!!!!!!

Funniest Memories
Being in selection with John Shotton - his descriptions of some situations and players abilities are just amazing !!!
Bullet - he always made me laugh at training and always kept the bus amused on away trips.

Hardest Opponents
Has to be Worcester - they were so professional, fit and big! It was good for us to score an excellent try against them.

Hardest Matches
1993 Cup Final against Newcastle Gosforth - a draw after extra time (we could have won had the goal kicker on the day kicked all his kicks -I wonder who that could have been....Simon !)
A game against Macclesfield when I played two thirds of the game with a broken jaw.

Worst Match
Probably against Halifax in 1989 among many others.

Worst Memories
Not too many - just the number of penalties I gave away, but then again I did earn a few !!

Best Memories
Making so many friends due to rugby.
Getting the chance to travel thanks to rugby.
Knowing people have enjoyed the way I played the game.

Any Regrets
That I didn't meet up with Kirk Barclay (fitness coach) when I was a bit younger - then perhaps I could have played a little higher standard.
Never being consistent enough to have been Tynedale's Player of the Year.

What Do I Miss Most About Not Playing
The crack on training nights.
The actual training !!!
The buzz I got out of playing, scoring or putting a good solid tackle in.

What Do I Enjoy About Not Playing
Waking up on a Sunday morning and NOT feeling as if I've been kicked from one end of the pitch to the other.

A Few People Who Have Influenced My Career
Mum and Dad - got me started playing.
John Shotton - helped me at Tynedale.
Edward Robson - got me the chance to go to New Zealand.
Don and Flick Jack - they looked after me in New Zealand.
Keith Laidler - got me my England Colts trial.
Kirk Barclay - kepy me fit towards the end of my career.
AND MANY MANY more folk as well.