After the hectic months of 1949, it was time to take stock, enjoy our home and plan for the future of all 'Old Surbs'. It was unanimously agreed that all the outstanding work on the clubhouse should be completed and then all our efforts should be centered on the ground for both the Rugby and Cricket Club.
At this time to help with the finances of running our club and to make full use of our ground an agreement was made with the R. N. V. R. Club for 50% usage of our sports ground for a period of 3 years. However, due to their diminishing membership by late 1950 they were released from this agreement which meant a financial loss to the Association. Fortunately, this financial loss was reduced by lettings to many other clubs for use of our facilities.
After the completion of 'cosmetic work' to our clubhouse during the winter months it was now time to ‘take stock' and concentrate on the playing surfaces of our ground. Although the north side of our ground had been used for Rugby matches both the playing surface and surrounds needed urgent work to improve them.
Before I detail the efforts of club members to improve our facilities, I include the following extract of an inspection of 'our ground' prior to our purchase in the summer of 1948.
'Along the Portsmouth Road frontage there are a number of fully grown trees and a similar though narrower strip along the Fairmile Lane boundary. There are other trees within the grounds, a number being oak, which carry a value as timber, although it may be desirable to preserve these trees for screening purposes.
'The whole of the land has a level surface. It is approximately divided into two, by a gravelled roadway leading from Fairmile Lane. The entrance from Fairmile Lane is the main gateway.
'The portion adjoining the Portsmouth Road has not been in use as a Sports Ground recently and would need remedial work before being used for sports matches. The lower portion is in better condition. Adjoining this area are two hard tennis courts in poor condition. There are a number of buildings of an agricultural nature in poor condition and a pavilion which is due for demolition. All boundary fences are in poor condition. It was understood that there were main drainage and water services along the two frontages but no connections into the ground itself, so that toilet accommodation work would be required. There was an electricity supply into the ground'.
The first major outside task for 1950 was the felling of two rows of trees at the Portsmouth Road end of the ground. The removal of these trees would increase the length of both pitches on the far end of our sports ground but would still leave sufficient forestation to screen the sports ground from the Portsmouth Road. In addition, the sale of the felled timber realised £90, a useful sum, to finance the development of our club.
The removal of these trees left us with the problem 'disposing of' some 50 tree stumps before the ground could be levelled and made suitable for pitches. However, the 114th Army Engineers Regiment RE (TA) came to our rescue on the 16th July 1950 and under 'Demolition Training' agreed to blow up the remaining stumps. For 'this service' the club would only provide access and suitable refreshment to the Territorials.
The only disruption to the locals and passing traffic was a few 'loud bangs' and debris across the adjoining roads. Not only did we have larger pitches as a result but had assisted in the training of the British Army. The craters left were filled in with several loads of old footings sent by a builder friend, levelling was completed by hiring a bulldozer to clear the whole area. We now had larger pitches, at little or no expense to the club, and at the same time enhancing the appearance of our sports ground.
At the same time a car park was laid adjacent to the pavilion next door to our neighbours at Cottage Laboratories. They greatly helped the Club by giving us free electricity in return for the use of the new car park. In the pavilion gas radiators were installed, the ladies toilet was moved outside the pavilion. Which made a 'first aid' room in the winter and a 'gang mower' store in the summer.
The summer of 1951 saw the Association let the south side of our ground to W. H. Armfield Ltd on alternate Saturdays in the Cricket Season which was the beginning of a long association with this club, another very welcome addition to the finances of the Association and assisted greatly in the development of 'the cricket side' in these early years.
It was during the summer of 1952 that the rugby club decided to give up their pitches on the 'cricket side'. This was not a retrograde step as the pitch was too narrow and too close to the pavilion. Also, at this time our neighbours, the Cottage Laboratories, withdrew their supply of mains electricity to us because of their own increasing demand for this service. This meant that we were had to be connected to the mains in Fairmile Lane. This was only a foretaste of the expenses of the running of our club and, in addition, in the following winter, extensive work to the roofing was found to be necessary.
By the Spring of 1953 it became necessary to purchase equipment for the maintenance of both the Rugby and Cricket sides of the ground. We were now the proud owners of ‘gang mowers' and a 'Bedford Truck' . Since the purchase of our ground the cricket field had been mowed by a private contractor and the rugby pitches had been cut by a local farmer, the cut grass being used as hay to offset the cost of this necessary work.
The period 1953 to1958 was probably the most difficult we faced financially as we were only just able to balance the books therefore beyond general maintenance and ground clearance no new projects were started.
It was at this time that a 'wind of change' was wafting through what up to now had been a male dominated club, bachelor life, was inevitably giving way to the more settled
atmosphere of domesticity. Wives and girlfriends were with their menfolk on the touchline, in the bar after matches and were more involved in 'club matters'. Change was now a matter of urgency and with this in mind the facilities at Fairmile Lane needed refurbishment.
The biggest problem at Cobham had always been the primitive sanitation and with the financial position of the club now improving, loans became easier to obtain and plans for a new sanitation block connected to the mains in Portsmouth Road were approved by Esher Council. In November 1959 work commenced on the outside toilet block and the digging of a trench to connect to the mains in the Portsmouth Road. By the end of July 1960 we had a 'fully functioning’ toilet block albeit outside the main pavilion, and in addition the area in the main clubhouse was fully fitted out with a bar, fireplace and tea room.
In the first 10 years at Fairmile Lane we had achieved a tremendous amount, thriving Rugby and Cricket Clubs overseen by a strong Association. Financially healthy although supported by outstanding loans, we had a club with a rosy future but could not afford to be complacent.
Dick Blackman
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