Monday 5 November 2007
Broughton Rangers, one of the original Northern Union clubs, has reformed and is raring to go.
Looking down the list of games played by the All Golds on their original tour of England and Wales, you’ll notice that the second highest crowd was recorded at Wheater’s Field, Broughton, when the All Golds played Broughton Rangers, one of the original member teams of the Northern Union. Back in 1907, Rangers, from the Broughton district of Salford, were a successful side who had won the Challenge Cup twice by 1913. Unfortunately the team fell on hard times and relocated to Belle Vue, becoming known as Belle Vue Rangers until the mid-1950s, when they went out of business.
However, this year, with perfect timing, Broughton Rangers are back from the dead. The resurrection of the club is part of an initiative between Salford City Reds, Countryside Properties and Contour Housing . The Lower Broughton area is currently being revitalised in one of the country’s largest regeneration schemes and this partnership between the club and local businesses has supported Ranger’s creation.
Salford City Reds successfully applied for a National Sports Foundation award to fund a two-year project to re-establish a team in this area of Salford. This funding will match that provided by the commercial backers. The Red’s community team will be coaching in the area’s primary and high schools in order to provide a sound basis for a junior set up. The area’s existing rugby players, college players and university players will form the basis of an open age team, which hopes to compete in the co-operative Rugby League Conference from 2008, having first re-appeared in the York 9s International tournament earlier this year.
The aim is to give local people a sense of ‘ownership’ of the club, and root it very firmly in the local community. To help this happen, the scheme allows for free coaching qualifications to be given to interested adults from the local area.
Countryside Properties’ new Broughton development straddles old Broughton Rangers’ former home and the company has kindly provided a new pitch to be used by the club. “The Broughton Rangers is a great initiative for the community to get involved in,” says Les Brown, New Broughton project director at Countryside Properties . “The Rugby League team will help to build on the fantastic community spirit that already exists in Lower Broughton.”
Mark Brocklehurst of Salford City Reds adds, “we are extremely pleased to be able to resurrect such a prestigious club as Broughton Rangers and we look forward to establishing a successful Rugby League club in this part of the world.”