A Brief History of Southwick Sports Club.
Southwick Sports Club has its origins in a small YMCA snooker club in a hut positioned on the East side of Southwick Green during the early 1900s. The land on which our club now stands was previously farmland. In 1890 it was purchased by Rock Brewery who themselves, in 1928, sold to Mr K. Loader (a generous patron of our club for many years). On March 5th 1930 a building contract was signed (estimated cost £1,300) and construction of the clubhouse started immediately. Of course, there have been many additions and alterations to the building over the years.
Records show that the club was officially opened on Monday NOVEMBER 3rd 1930 by Her Highness Princess Helena Victoria (granddaughter of Queen Victoria) and the opening was attended by the Mayor and the Mayoress of Brighton.
The clubhouse in these early years was owned by and affiliated to the YMCA with Mr K Loader (a patron of the YMCA), being a trustee of the club, having paid off the mortgage on the land on which the club stood and holding that land in his name. The club was called The Red Triangle Club because of the emblem of the YMCA. It was not licensed to sell alcohol.
In 1950 the land on which the club stood was purchased by the YMCA from Mr K Loader, after years of negotiating, for the princely sum of £150.00 and it was at this time that the YMCA agreed to convey the land and property to the club’s trustees providing the club would break its affiliation with the YMCA. (For what reason the YMCA no longer wanted the clubs affiliation is not clear).
A Special Meeting held at the club in January 1950 shows that the following conditions were agreed:
- All YMCA signs to be permanently removed.
- The club ceases to be named The Red Triangle
- Notices to this end to be placed in local papers
- That the property be used so that ‘Social services be rendered to the community’ and this to be dealt with by the committee.
- Finally the new club to be called “Southwick Social Club”
There is one other term of interest reported in the deeds of our club which was originally introduced by the YMCA movement “ … and is to be for the benefit of the manhood and youth of Southwick”.
On 17th May 1950 our club was formally placed in the name of Barclays Bank, our then chosen trustees. This, then, could be considered a very important date in the history of our club because from that date on we are truly a private members’ club with each member owning an equal share in the club and in control of our own destiny.
In 1972 Steyning Magistrates Court was informed that Southwick Social Club had changed its name to Southwick Sports Club. Since then there has also been a change of trustees (see rule book).
Other important dates…In 1954 the first ‘big screen’ was installed. It was a 14 inch screen and cost 79 Guineas which equates today to nearly 3,500 Mars bars! It also cost £5 to install an aerial and £3 for the licence! BUT the most important date of all was 1956, …………. the year the club obtained a licence to sell and consume alcohol on the premises!
The club has developed over the years with the efforts of many people giving up a lot of their time. They have taken it from a snooker club only serving tea, (it did have the finest ballroom dance floor in the region) to the club we see today, constantly looking to move forward. There would be far too many names to mention here but a lot of committee men over the years have all played their part in the success of our club. Our thanks is with them and our future remains in the hands of committee men yet to arrive, perhaps you?
(This information comes from former Secretary Terry Robinson, deeds, newspaper archives and recorded minutes of the club.)
