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History of Old Crocs

Old Crossleyan’s Squash Club and Old Crossleyan’s Rugby Club share the same building known as Broomfield. The building, was purchased in 1914 by the Old Boys Association of Crossley and Porter School at a cost of £1600 and was presented by them to the governors of the school. It was called the Old Scholars Jubilee Playing Fields and was designated for the use of the boys but if not required by them it could be used by the girls! At that time the boys at the school played both rugby and football on Saville Park.

In 1919 the old boys raised more money for a war memorial (the cenotaph at school, and for purchasing more land at Broomfield and the construction of a pavillion. It wasn't until August 1923 that then headmaster of the school, Mr GB Newport, called a meeting to form the Old Crossleyans Rugby Club. The pavillion was erected at Broomfield in 1926 to provide changing rooms.

In the 1950's permission was granted by the school governors for the Old Boys to extend and re- level the land to create two rugby pitches and a cricket field. In 1954 the Broomfield Development Committee was formed to raise £3000 for the land and £4000 for the work. The original plans had to be amended since bedrock was encountered when the excavation work was underway. The pavilion had to be demolished. Some of this work was carried out by members of the current first team as part of their training programme and also by punishment squads from the schools detentions.

It had been the intention to build new changing rooms and pavilion but in 1961 the school governors, decided to close Stavenden House which was where the boarders (boys) lived and they agreed to lease it to the Old Crossleyans for it to be used for changing and social facilities for the Old crossleyans Athletic Club and the school. In 1964 Jonathan Crossley, chairman of the governors opened The Old Crossleyans Club at Stavenden House.

It isn't generally known that the school was originally called Crossley and Porter Orphan Home and School. Over the years day boys and girls were admitted and the number of orphans reduced rapidly and so the remaining boarder's were transferred to Stavenden House (boys) and Crossley House (girls) now called The Gleddings. Crossley Heath was created in 1988 when Heath and crossleys were merged and now there are no more boarder's. Before 1961 the rugby club changed at school and took refreshments at the Big Six; A lot of work was needed to alter the former boys boarding house and create changing rooms, showers, bars and toilets. A good deal of this was carried out by the members themselves and this has generally been the case when there have been alterations over many years. 

There were allotments adjoining Stavenden which were purchased by the rugby club and given by the club to the school governors as a memorial to those old scholars who gave their lives in the Second World War. The land was levelled and drained, the former footpath known as Fourteen Corners was diverted to create a second rugby pitch and cricket field.

And so the club now has facilities which are the envy of sports clubs throughout the North in addition to the rugby pitches, stand, training lights, cricket field, scoreboard, changing rooms, bars, showers, squash courts, fitness gym, function rooms for hire and a magnificent club room with a new patio overlooking the cricket field.

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